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How to watch Sonic the Hedgehog movies & TV series in release and chronological order

Want to get started on the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise? Here’s how to do it!

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 screenshot — Image credit: Paramount Pictures

Guides by Joshua Lapin-Bertone, Contributing writer

Published on Wed Nov 06 2024

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Grab your chili dogs and golden rings, because it’s time to race into adventure with Sonic the Hedgehog. Sega’s loveable blue hedgehog has been one of the most iconic characters in video games since his debut in 1991. Whether he is battling the evil Doctor Eggman, or leading a group of freedom fighters, fans can’t get enough of Sonic. As a result, the character has raced out of video game consoles, and into movies and television.

Thanks to his 2020 theatrical film, Sonic is a bigger star than ever, and with Sonic the Hedgehog 3 on the horizon, his star power is rising faster than his speed. If you’ve ever wanted to get into Sonic the Hedgehog’s tv and film adventures, but weren’t sure how, not to worry – Popverse has you covered! This guide will tell you everything you need to know about Sonic the Hedgehog, and how to watch his media projects in release and chronological order.

How to watch Sonic the Hedgehog in release order

Are you ready to race into adventure with Sonic the Hedgehog? Sega’s loveable video game mascot has appeared in various movies, television shows, and animated shorts, and he’s not slowing down anytime soon. If you want to watch all of Sonic’s adventures in release order, here’s how to do it!

How to watch Sonic the Hedgehog in chronological order

You might have noticed that our release order contains a ton of Sonic projects. Are they all connected? How does the continuity work? Not to worry, this section of the guide will explain the continuity between the various Sonic movies and tv shows to help you watch them in chronological order.

Adventures continuity

This continuity is home to Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, a 1993 animated series. The cartoon was light-hearted in nature, with gags similar to what you might see in an average Looney Tunes episode. Three years after the cartoon wrapped up, a Christmas special called Sonic Christmas Blast was produced. Notably, this is the first Sonic television series, and the first time the character would be voiced by Jaleel White.

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (65-episode animated series, 1993)
Sonic Christmas Blast (1996 animated television special)

Sonic’s cinematic continuity

This watch order covers Sonic’s cinematic continuity. As of this writing, Sonic’s film timeline consists of his movie trilogy, the Knuckles streaming series, and the short film Sonic Drone Home. Knuckles and Sonic Drone Home bridge the gap between the second and third Sonic movies.

Sonic the Hedgehog (2020 theatrical film)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022 theatrical film)
Sonic Drone Home (2022 animated short)
Knuckles (6-episode streaming miniseries, 2024)
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024 theatrical film)

Video game tie-ins

This list covers pieces of Sonic media that tie-in with his video game continuity. Sonic’s video game canon can be a mess at times, but it isn’t meant to be as strictly observed as Marvel or Star Wars continuity. According to the producers behind Sonic Boom, the animated series is set in video game continuity. As such, it is on this list.

Sonic the Animation (1994 anime short)
Sonic Boom (104-episode animated series, 2014-2017)
Sonic Mania Adventures (6-episode animated web-series, 2018)
Team Sonic Racing Overdrive (2-episode animated web-series, 2019)
Sonic Colors: Rise of the Wisps (2-episode animated web-series, 2021)
Sonic Frontiers Prologue: Divergence (2022 animated short)
Sonic Prime (23-episode animated series, 2022-2024)
Sonic Superstars: Trio of Trouble (2023 animated short)
Sonic x Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings (3-episode anime, 2024)

Unconnected standalone projects

This list covers the rest of Sonic’s television projects and shorts. Every item on this list can be considered a standalone project. While some of the television shows might have tie-in comics or other media, they aren’t connected to any of the other movies or tv shows on this list. In other words, everything on this list is in a continuity silo, with no project sharing a timeline with any of the others.

Sonic the Hedgehog/Sonic SatAM (26-episode animated series, 1993-1994)
Sonic the Hedgehog (2-part Japanese OVA, 1996)
Sonic Underground (40-episode animated series, 1999)
Sonic X (78-episode anime, 2003-2005)
Sonic: Night of the Werehog (2008 animated short)
Chao in Space (2019 animated short)
TailsTube (ongoing web-series, 2022-present)
Sonic & Friends (ongoing web-series, 2023-present)
Chao Tales (upcoming 8-episode animated series)

What about Ghost Tale?

Ghost Tale is an unusual situation. Ghost Tale is an animated short that is a sequel to Sonic: Night of the Werehog. However, while the cartoon features returning characters from the original Sonic: Night of the Werehog short, it doesn’t feature Sonic himself. In fact, our favorite blue hedgehog isn’t even mentioned. Think of Ghost Tale as a Sonic spinoff, or a look at another part of Sonic’s world. Because Sonic isn’t mentioned in the film, we haven’t included it in our main watch order. However, if you’re a Sonic completist, feel free to check it out.

Do I have to watch Knuckles before Sonic the Hedgehog 3?

You don’t need to watch Knuckles to understand Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The six-part streaming series focuses on Knuckles as adapts to life on Earth. While Sonic and Tails appear, the series tells its own story away from Sonic’s cinematic saga. The storyline for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will pick up where the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 post-credits scene left off, introducing Shadow the Hedgehog.

That being said, I would still recommend watching Knuckles. While it isn’t essential viewing, it’s fun, it’s only six episodes, and it’s a fun look into what makes Knuckles tick. Plus, more Idris Elba is never a bad thing.

Where else has Sonic the Hedgehog appeared?

Sonic has made some appearances outside of his films and television shows. Sonic the Hedgehog briefly appears along with other video game characters in the 2012 film Wreck-It Ralph and its sequel Ralph Breaks the Internet. Sonic also makes a cameo appearance in the 2018 film Ready Player One.

The 2022 film Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers features Sonic in his character design from the original trailer for the 2020 Sonic the Hedgehog film. The character calls himself ‘Ugly Sonic’ and has a minor role in the film. Sonic also appears in the OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes episode (appropriately titled) ‘Let’s Meet Sonic.’

Honestly, that hedgehog is so fast, you’ll never know where he might show up.

When does Sonic the Hedgehog 3 come out?

If you’re eagerly awaiting the next installment of the Sonic film franchise, you won’t have to wait much longer. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 speeds into theaters on December 20, 2024. The film picks up where the post-credits cliffhanger from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 left off, introducing Shadow the Hedgehog. Shadow will be voiced by Keanu Reeves, and serve as an antagonist to Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. Ben Schwartz, Colleen O’Shaughnessy, Idris Elba, and Jim Carrey will be reprising their roles as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Robotnik respectively.

Will there be a Knuckles season 2?

As of this writing, Paramount+ has not announced any plans for Knuckles season 2. The streaming series was promoted as a “six-episode event” by Paramount, which is a corporate way of saying mini-series. However, that doesn’t mean future seasons are off the table. In an interview with Paste Magazine, Knuckles executive producer Toby Ascher seemed open to the possibility. “If something is working really successfully, and we have a really great story to tell, we’re definitely going to expand on it. I don’t think there’s any closed doors on future television, future seasons of Knuckles, so everything is wide open. I think it’s important to us that we’re not just making stuff to make stuff,” Ascher said.

Where can I watch Sonic the Hedgehog?

You don’t need the Chaos Emeralds to watch Sonic the Hedgehog, but you do need a Paramount+ subscription. The streaming service is currently home to both theatrical Sonic films, the Knuckles streaming series, Sonic the Hedgehog/Sonic SatAM, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, and Sonic Underground. Sonic Boom, Sonic Prime, and Sonic X can all be found on Netflix. Please note, the availability of these movies and television shows may change as streaming licenses expire.

Now you have everything you need to begin watching Sonic the Hedgehog! Gotta go fast!

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Joshua Lapin-Bertone: Joshua is a pop culture writer specializing in comic book media. His work has appeared on the official DC Comics website, the DC Universe subscription service, HBO Max promotional videos, the Batman Universe fansite, and more. In between traveling around the country to cover various comic conventions, Joshua resides in Florida where he binges superhero television and reads obscure comics from yesteryear.