Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Trailer Drops Anime Easter Eggs With Nods To Akira And Dragon Ball

The franchise just launched the trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which did include a lot of Easter Eggs, many of which could be spotted if you’re a die-hard anime fan.

By Levin Plassery

Published on Aug 28, 2024 | 05:32 PM IST | 91.2K

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 [PC - YouTube - Sonic the Hedgehog]

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Sonic the Hedgehog

The trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 gave a first look at what to expect in the latest from the SEGA franchise. The movie which is all set for a December 2024 release had plenty of references to anime like Akira and Dragon Ball. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 sees Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles go against Shadow the Hedgehog.

In one scene from the trailer, we see Shadow Kicking Knuckles, which is quite similar to Vegeta kicking Cell in Dragon Ball Z. Also, the voice actor for Shadow’s Latin-American Dub version is René Garcia, who also voices Cell in the Latin-American dub of Dragon Ball Z. The kick is a bit of a stretch but Blur Studio and Sega Sammy Group knew what they were doing.

Something that’s not up for debate is the scene in which Shadow is seen skidding his motorcycle, which perfectly recreates the motorcycle slide from Akira. Fans were quick to notice these references and took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share their discovery. With more trailers to follow, we expect more anime references.

Another surprise addition to the trailer was Dr. Gerald Robotnik. In Sonic Adventure 2, Dr. Gerald was imprisoned and then later executed, so it was a surprise to see him towards the end of the trailer. Jim Carrey will be playing both Eggman and Dr. Gerald Robotnik. Also, the doctor is the grandfather of Eggman and Maria.

Much of the trailer focuses on Shadow’s origins. In one scene we can see Maria Robotnik placing her hand on the tube that contains Shadow. As the story progresses, Maria dies protecting Shadow, which scars him and prompts him to take revenge. In the SEGA storyline, Dr. Robotnik loses his sanity when he learns about the death of Maria.

Keanu Reeves voices Shadow the Hedgehog in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The movie is being directed by Jeff Fowler, who also directed the previous 2 films. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is set for a theatrical release by Paramount Pictures on December 20, 2024. Stay tuned for the latest updates on Sonic the Hedgehog 3

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