Sonic 4: 5 Deep-Cut Villains Who Would Be Better Than Metal Sonic

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 has officially wrapped filming, and Metal Sonic seems set to be the movie's villain. Although the details are still sketchy, the film will mark the proper debuts of Amy Rose (Kristen Bell) and Metal Sonic, although we still don't know if anybody will be voicing the latter. Technically, Sonic 4 hasn't confirmed its antagonist yet, so Jeff Fowler and company might have a surprise in store for fans.

While I don't hate Metal Sonic by any means, and he is certainly iconic, he is not exactly the most complex or interesting Sonic villain. So far, the movies have stuck to the most recognizable characters, but it might be time to start digging a bit deeper into the hedgehog's convoluted lore. Taking the entire franchise into account, there are plenty of Sonic villains far better than Metal Sonic.

1 Mephiles the Dark

Sonic Needs A New Psychological Threat

• Debut: Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
• Best Appearance: Sonic X Shadow Generations

Any character who had the misfortune of debuting in Sonic '06 faced an uphill battle for relevance, as that game's stink rubbed off on all its players. Silver might be more popular if he didn't start life as "that bland hedgehog from the most broken Sonic game," and he is not the best new character introduced by this title. That would be Mephiles the Dark, who is a top contender for the best Sonic the Hedgehog villain, especially if we remove big names like Eggman or Shadow.

Now, to be fair, Mephiles is more of a Shadow the Hedgehog villain than a Sonic one, but that is something that can easily be tweaked by the movies. Anyway, Shadow seems to be sticking around.

The franchise's standard formula for new baddies is to mirror Sonic's abilities to an extent, just to level the playing field. However, Mephiles doesn't fall within this group, as he is a manifestation of a god and a master manipulator. So far, the Sonic movies have focused on physical threats, something that is likely to be repeated with Metal Sonic. In comparison, Mephiles would represent a shift towards psychological mind games, especially since his greatest power is his ability to trick heroes into doing his bidding. Also, he can just take over Shadow's shadow if Sonic 4 wants a more direct villain.

Black Doom is another option, and Jeff Fowler even mentioned that the villain was left out of Sonic 3 as it would have been too much. Even more so than Mephiles, Black Doom is just Shadow's enemy.

2 Doctor Starline

The Sonic Movies Need A New Evil Mad Scientist

• Debut: Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW Comics)
• No video game appearances

In the movies, Dr. Robotnik has a well-established sidekick in Agent Stone, who acts both as the villain's confidant and punching bag. Despite not always being treated that well, Stone clearly admires Robotnik, and it is hard to imagine that he would ever turn against his boss.

The thing is, Dr. Ivo Robotnik has kind of been here before. In IDW's Sonic the Hedgehog comics, one of the more memorable villains is Doctor Starline, an Eggman fanboy who gradually strikes out on his own after he can no longer stand his hero's incompetence or obsession with Sonic. Despite his initial admiration for Eggman, Starline's personality is basically the exact opposite, as he is meticulous, professional, and efficient. Agent Stone matches Robotnik's energy in the movies, but a straight-faced character inspired by Starline would arguably complement Carrey's performance even better.

Starline is another mad scientist archetype, which the movies don't really need when half of their screentime is dedicated to Robotnik. However, Sonic 3's ending made it nearly impossible for Ivo to return as a proper villain, unless the movies decide to reset most of his character growth. A new evil mad scientist like Starline would be perfect, especially since his "motive" could be that he hates this reformed version of Robotnik.

3 Fang the Hunter

A Bounty Hunter Who Can Outsmart Rather Than Outpunch Sonic

• Game Debut: Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble
• Best Appearance: Sonic Superstars

Look, not every villain must be a superpowered being capable of destroying the world and outrunning Sonic; in some cases, they just need to have some spunk and a willingness to do what needs to be done. Although he is far, far weaker than Metal Sonic, Fang the Hunter makes up for his lack of super-speed or absurd powers with his wit and gadgets. As a mercenary bounty hunter, he is driven by money, and he really doesn't have any shame when in pursuit of his goals.

While he probably shouldn't be the main villain of a movie, Fang would be absolutely perfect as a secondary antagonist who occasionally shows up to trip the heroes up, and he brings a battle of wits rather than speed or power. He would be a pretty great foil for Tails, who would benefit from a storyline that lets him shine away from Sonic's shadow. You know what, the Sonic movies could even bring Bean the Dynamite and Bark the Polar Bear along for the ride.

4 Dark Oak & The Metarex

AKA, That Time Sonic Was In A Mecha Anime

• Debut: Sonic X
• No video game appearances

Sonic X is a wild ride. While the first two seasons mostly adapt events from the games (for the franchise), the anime just goes full Star Wars in its final season, and it is glorious. That season's main villains are the Metarex, bio-robots who seek to control the universe. Their leader is Dark Oak, and he is incredible.

Look, I know there is no chance Sonic 4 will directly pull from Sonic X, let alone its most ambitious storyline, but I just want to dream for a few hundred words.

Metal Sonic is mostly an empty slate in the video games, as he is just a machine built to destroy. If Sonic 4 sticks to the source material, Metal Sonic will bring the action and not much more. In comparison, Dark Oak would bring pathos, depth, and a sense of theatrical scale that could help the sequel feel even bigger than its predecessor. Although he is technically a cold, unfeeling robot when he is introduced in the anime, Dark Oak and the Metarex have an incredibly heartbreaking backstory. When their planet was under attack, the Metarex cybernetically mutated themselves to fight back, a decision that robbed them of their, for lack of a better word, humanity.

If the Sonic movies want to avoid turning Robotnik evil again, they will need a threat grand enough to demand that the scientist work with Sonic. The Metarex would be perfect.

5 Scourge the Hedgehog

Forget Metal Sonic, Scourge Is The Ultimate "Evil Sonic"

• Debut: Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW Comics)
• No video game appearances

In Sonic CD, Metal Sonic is the perfect "evil" clone of the Blue Blur. He has his abilities without any of those pesky morals, and he was a fantastic villain for a 2D platformer that wanted to get the message across in as few words as possible. However, he hasn't evolved too much since then, and he is arguably one of the least interesting recurring characters in the Sonic games.

So, how about Scourge instead?

Literally introduced as an evil version of Sonic from an alternate reality, Scourge was initially present as little more than a joke, but he steadily grew resentful of his reputation as a second-rate clone. By the end of his comic run, he becomes a true powerhouse with a great design that can match anybody else in the series. While it might not seem that obvious at first, he is one of the deeper characters in the franchise, and he is a rare Sonic villain driven by insecurity rather than a quest for power.

Honestly, Sourge's entire arc could be given to Metal Sonic.