The Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie is filled with Easter eggs, references, and callbacks to not only the Sonic series and past Sonic games, but to other popular pieces of media as well. The movie is packed full of these references, and today I wanted to take the time to point out everything I noticed on my initial watch!
Of course there is always the chance I missed something (a lot happened during this movie's runtime), but I caught myself smiling at least 40 times!
Also this should go without saying but... Spoilers ahead! You have been warned.
Prison Island
Prison Island is the first thing we see in the movie, and it is taken directly from Sonic Adventure 2. As expected, this is where Shadow was being held for all these years, and where he eventually escapes from. While the games have Dr. Eggman breaking into it in the first stage of the Dark Story, the movie takes a different approach and has another "Eggman" doing it instead. This comes complete with classic 2D Eggman icons, which are very similar to the logo seen in Sonic Adventure 2 and other forms of Sonic media.
Chaos Control
Upon being released, Shadow gets to work taking out the GUN soldiers. This is when we first see Shadow use his iconic Chaos Control to warp around and take them out. Chaos Control is something that is featured throughout the rest of the movie, and used to travel to locations instantly. Of course he wouldn't be Shadow without Chaos Control, but it is good to see the movie remaining faithful.
Shadow's Fight Moves
The real reference from Shadow's initial fight comes from the way he takes out his soldiers. His fight moves are pulled right from the games, and mirrors what we see in Shadow the Hedgehog as well! Again, this is a part of Shadow, but it is cool to see the movie matching it... Although there is a reason for that, which we will be discussing shortly!
Goal Post and Jingle
When Sonic and his friends finally come into play, we see the three racing against each other to see who is the fastest. Sonic games are known for having race modes, but the unique thing here is the "Goal Post" marking the end of the race. Not only does it spin, but it plays the stage complete jingle that fans are used to! A nice little touch!
Green Hill Drawing from Sonic 1
After the race Sonic and Tom return to Sonic's cave from the first movie, we get to see nearly everything from that first movie. So instead of listing off each reference, I wanted to focus on a single thing. The drawing of Green Hill Zone. It was a nice throwback in Sonic 1, and it is a nice throwback now, and it becomes an important part to Sonic 3's story.
Team Sonic
When GUN comes to pick up Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails, they refer to them as "Team Sonic." This is a direct reference to Sonic Heroes where the characters were split into different teams. Team Sonic itself is directly mentioned within the game, and is an official name within the story and not just a name used for the character select screen.
Low Budget Flights
Right before Team Sonic jumps out of a GUN helicopter to fight Shadow in Shibuya, Sonic repeats his famous line from Sonic Adventure 2. "Talk about low budget flights! No food or movies!" Followed by "We're out of here!"
This small change was made due to the fact Sonic wasn't alone this time, while in the game he was escaping from GUN who had falsely arrested him.
ONE OK ROCK
Not a direct reference or call back, but during the freefall into Tokyo the ONE OK ROCK song Neon begins to play. This is one of their songs from the album Luxury Disease, which is the same album Vandalize came from. While ONE OK ROCK has a history of having their songs featured in SEGA properties, Vandalize was used as the main theme of Sonic Frontiers.
Sonic Adventure 2 Signs in Shibuya
When in Shibuya, multiple signs from Sonic Adventure 2 can be seen throughout the city. These are quick and only really in the background, but it is cool to see at least some of them return.
Faker
Sonic and Shadow's first encounter has the two looking at each other in confusion. Sonic asks "why do you look like me?" With Shadow telling him it is actually the other way around. The scene is done in a comedic way and not how Sonic Adventure 2 played out, but it mirrors the classic "Faker" dialogue exchange before Prison Island blows up.
Shadow the Hedgehog Intro Recreation
To no surprise, Sonic and his friends lose the first fight to Shadow. He takes out all three of them, and we get a quick look at a beat up Sonic struggling to get up off the ground with Shadow standing behind him. This is a recreation of the opening cinematic of Shadow the Hedgehog! Which, once again, there is a reason for.
The animation studio who did the cutscenes for Shadow the Hedgehog is actually the very same one that is involved with the Sonic movie series. This means nearly 20 years later the team got to return to Shadow, and their past history with the character really shows here.
Shadow's Gun
It isn't a handgun, but like in Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow makes use of a (laser) handgun for a small part of the film. He holds it with a similar pose to his Shadow the Hedgehog art, which is cool to see as well.
Shadow's Bike
Along with his gun, Shadow jumps on his iconic bike from Shadow the Hedgehog. It is recreated nearly perfectly (with added detail), but sadly it is really only used for one scene. Still, glad to see it make it to the movie!
Akira Slide
As a bonus... Shadow also does the Akira slide from the anime movie Akira! Kids really shouldn't know about this one though.
Back to the Future
During the first major fight against Shadow, the two hedgehogs collide and knock out power to all of Tokyo. When Tails and Knuckles find their dazed friend Sonic, he mutters something about 1.21 Gigawatts; clearly a reference to the movie Back to the Future where gigawatts was accidentally said as jiggawatts.
Chao and the Chao Garden
Chao finally make an appearance in the Sonic movie series, but this time as a Chuck E Cheese style restaurant! Called The Chao Garden, the restaurant is clearly a reference to the Chao Gardens which were originally first featured in Sonic Adventure. Not only is this place filled with people in chao costumes, but we get to see different types of chao as well. Of course not every type of chao is seen (as there are thousands of visual combinations that chao can take on), but the movie features some of the main ones like the neutral normal chao, and the neutral power chao.
Detective Pikachu
In the Chao Garden Tails is approached by some kids who ask if he is Pikachu from Detective Pikachu. Knuckles gets in on the joke and agrees with them, and even makes the classic "pika pika!" sound to annoy Tails even further.
The Black Comet
When Shadow's back story is shown off, we see that he is an alien who arrived on Earth inside of a black comet. This is a reference to Shadow the Hedgehog where the Black Arms race arrives on the same (but larger) comet. While the movie itself doesn't have the Black Arms, it keeps Shadow's connection to them by using this reference.
Godzilla
While it isn't Godzilla himself, there is a scene where Shadow and Maria watch a kaiju film, and Shadow feels bad about being an "alien monster" like in the movie. Also as pointed out by user @gawkinggeek.bsky.social over at Bluesky, the kaiju seems to have the appearance of the Biolizard, the final boss of Sonic Adventure 2.
The TV Show from the Knuckles Show
Dr. Eggman is seen enjoying the same soap opera which was first featured in the Knuckles TV series. The show continues to get referenced by Eggman throughout the movie, so it is a little more than a one off scene.
Knuckles is afraid of ghosts
When investigating the old lab where Shadow was held, Knuckles is afraid of it being haunted. He tries to deny his fear for ghosts, but his friends remind him of what happened last movie night. The movie the three were watching was none other than the original live action version of Casper, which terrified Knux the moment he saw the ghost appear on screen. He goes on to say that "there is no such thing as a friendly ghost."
This is a throw back to multiple references throughout the Sonic series. Pumpkin Hill in Sonic Adventure 2 implies Knuckle's fear in it's song lyrics, but Knuckles himself does come face to face with the giant King Boom Boo later on in the game. This is actually the boss fight right before the group heads off into space, which is fitting for the movie as this scene is what will eventually lead them to the Eclipse Canon.
Meanwhile in the games Knuckles again shows his fear in Sonic Heroes when Team Sonic arrives at Mystic Mansion.
Robotnik references Jim Carrey
Upon meeting his grandfather for the first time, Eggman begins to ask questions to confirm the two are in fact related. Once they do confirm their stances on the family tree however, the two look at each other and make a comment about how similar they REALLY are. They go as far as to say it is almost as if they are characters in a movie being played by the same actor. This is clearly a reference to the fact that Jim Carrey is playing both roles, which actually surprised some of the cast and crew who didn't know it was him. (This little known fact was revealed in a behind the scenes video showing how Jim Carrey was being transformed into Gerald Robotnik.
Eggman Land
Since Eggman never had a childhood himself, Gerald asks him if there is anything he would like to do to make up for lost time, and the two go through different "milestones" in life. From spending holidays together, to riding rides at a park called "Eggman Land." Eggman Land itself is an infamous stage from Sonic Unleashed, which is known for its extreme length, difficulty, mixture of Sonic stages and Warehog stages, and a large amount of checkpoints to account for the many, MANY, deaths players may face.
All of this also is revealed to be happening within VR, and the VR headsets appear to be the original PlayStation VR.
Character Select Screen
When Team Sonic comes up with a plan to break into GUN's base, a character select screen pops up for each "character." This is a general reference to Sonic games, but the box format is very similar to that of Sonic Adventure 2.
Mission Impossible
When planning out their break in, Sonic learns that a room filled with lasers will be his final task to overcome. At this point he asks if they can simply call in Tom Cruise, who is famous for such scenes in the Mission Impossible series. (Which Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning was actually a part of Sonic 3's pre-movie trailers.)
The Beatles
Before heading into the GUN base, Sonic heads out to see the sights of London, and that includes recreating the iconic Abbey Road album art from The Beatles. Sonic makes a joke about not remembering all of their names, but matches each pose as he jumps from spot to spot on the crosswalk.
Tails throws Sonic
The GUN base is protected by a giant forcefield, and when Tails realizes that Sonic isn't going to make it through before it closes, he flies in, grabs him, and gives him a nice hard toss through the opening. This is very similar to Tails' main form of attack in Sonic Heroes where he picks up his friends and throws them into enemies, switches, and pretty much anything else players might need to hit or break.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Tom and Maddie have a smaller role in the film, but they do help Team Sonic break into the GUN base. They refer to themselves as Mr. & Mrs. Smith, which is clearly a reference to the movie of the same name.
90s trick, blowing
Near the end of the GUN base scene, Tom and Maddie plug the USB device Tails has invented into the main computer; however, nothing happens! Tails is about to give up, but Tom instead pulls out the USB, blows into it, and plugs it back in. As Tails goes on to say that there is no proof that it actually works... It works. Tom then remarks that it was a trick from the 90s.
This is something a lot of 90s kids would do with their video game consoles when a game refused to work. It was especially common on the original NES, but the SEGA Genesis could suffer from this as well.
Dirty Dancing
Sonic and his friends aren't the only ones who are breaking into the GUN base! When both Robotniks reach the final stretch with the lasers (the Mission Impossible scene), the two dance their way across the floor thanks to their specialized laser resistant suits. They do a wide range of dance moves, but they finish it off with an iconic scene from Dirty Dancing... So iconic that even those who haven't seen the movie will most likely recognize it!
Gravity from Crazy Gadget
Past the lasers was actually one more trap, with red floor panels that pull you to the ground, and green ones that lift you up into the air. Nearly the entire cast gets trapped here, and it all very much looks like the GUN developed floors, walls, and rotating columns in Sonic Adventure 2 which have a similar effect.
The Eclipse Canon replaces the Ark but is still similar
Like in Sonic Adventure 2, the Eclipse Canon is the biggest threat. This giant laser beam has the power to destroy the world, and Gerald Robotnik is ready to use it to do just that! The difference is in the fact that the Eclipse Canon itself is a giant UFO like spaceship, while in the games the canon was actually located on the Space Colony Ark. While interior of the Eclipse Canon does look the same as the Ark, it is nowhere near the same size.
In short, it is another case of the Sonic movies putting their own twist on things, while also keeping it as similar to the original as possible.
Eggman's Ring Tone
When Dr. Eggman receives a call on his phone, the ringtone is none other than his EGGMAN theme, which first appeared in Sonic Adventure 2. It doesn't play the iconic "I AM THE EGGMAN" part of the song, but those who are familiar with it (or spent the last 20 + years listening to it) should still instantly recognize it. It is a very "blink and you will miss it" scene, except... With your ears.
Eggman's new outfit
Once the two evil geniuses are on the Eclipse Canon, Gerald Robotnik pulls out their new duds. The outfits are clearly inspired by their Sonic Adventure 2 outfits, which Dr. Eggman himself first used in Sonic Adventure. Since then, Dr. Eggman has worn this outfit in nearly every Sonic game, and has completely replaced his classic look.
Radical Highway Roads
Another easy to miss callback is the Radical Highway styled roads from Sonic Adventure 2. These paths were seen on the outside of the testing chamber in the GUN lab, as well as in the interior of the Eclipse Canon. Shadow runs along these paths to infuse the weapon with his "Chaos Power," which activates the canon. (On another note, this is similar to how the Chaos Emeralds were used in the game.)
Super Sonic Chaos Emeralds
Of course Super Sonic makes a return in Sonic 3, and this time the Chaos Emeralds rotate around Sonic before he transforms. This mirrors the games, and has been seen many times throughout the Sonic series.
Light Colored Super Shadow
Like in Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic and Shadow share the Chaos Emeralds to both transform into their super forms, with Super Shadow retaining the light yellow/silver tinted look as seen in Sonic Adventure 2.
Live and Learn
When Sonic and Shadow finally team up, Live and Learn begins to play just like it did for the final fight in Sonic Adventure 2. Of course the full song doesn't play, but the movie uses it off and on for the next handful of scenes following this initial moment.
GUN Robots
During the fight to stop the Eclipse Canon, Gerald Robotnik unleashes the GUN robots and has them fight both Sonic and Shadow. Their designs are very similar to what was seen in Sonic Adventure 2!
Chaos Sphere
Along with Shadow's Chaos Control, he uses his Chaos Sphere ability to take out the GUN robots as previously mentioned. This attack has been featured in multiple Sonic games, including the versus mode in Sonic Adventure 2, and even as a main attack in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). It also returned in Sonic x Shadow Generations.
Sonic Adventure 2 Pose
Near the ending of the movie Super Sonic and Super Shadow cross each other in front of the moon. It only lasts for a few seconds, but once again it is a reference back to Sonic Adventure 2 and the classic pose showing the two rivals back to back.
Can't hold much longer
When Sonic and Shadow are attempting to prevent the laser beam from hitting the Earth, Sonic mutters the words "can't hold on much longer!" This is a lyric taken from Live and Learn!
The Moon
As shown in early trailers, the moon does in fact take a hit from the Eclipse Canon, but in a different way from what we see in Sonic Adventure 2. Even so, the result is the dark side of the moon being completely destroyed. In theory future Sonic movies shouldn't have to worry about showing this, as the back side of the moon cannot be seen from Earth. This is also how it has been explained within the Sonic video game universe, as the moon seems to always be in perfect condition when it is seen, even when it was a main plot point during Sonic Unleashed.
Shadow's Limiters
To stop the Eclipse Canon from crashing into the Earth Shadow releases his limiter rings. This has been seen in multiple Sonic games, but the scene of him taking them off looks very similar to what happened in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). He takes them off, unleashes a boost of power, and gets the Eclipse Canon far enough away, "sacrificing" himself in the process. This is similar to how Sonic Adventure 2 ended as well, except with the destruction of the canon. (In the games the Ark is Chaos Controlled back into place.)
Classic Styled 3D Models from The Fighters
The ending credit scenes feature classic 3D models for each of the characters. Similar to how the previous movies used 2D sprites from Sonic 1 and 2, Sonic 3's 3D models are inspired by Sonic the Fighters; an arcade fighting game, and one of the first Sonic games to render the characters in 3D. Although the game was originally arcade exclusive, it has been released as a part of Sonic Gems Collection, on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live, and more recently it has been included in the newer Like a Dragon games as a playable arcade game.
Metal Sonic
The first ending credit scene features Sonic encountering Metal Sonic for the very first time. Metal Sonic himself first appeared in Sonic CD, and has been a constant throughout the entire Sonic series. From cameo appearances to even being the big bad in Sonic Heroes, he is a big part of the series and Sonic's first major rival. But of course his inclusion into the movies wouldn't be complete without...
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Amy
Yep, Amy shows up during the credit scene as well! From the quick glimpse, she seems to be based upon her more recent appearances. While she was originally a character who blindly followed Sonic around and had a crush on him, she would go on to stand on her own. In Sonic Heroes Amy was the lead of Team Rose, and she's continued to play a more central role to the story moving forward. Seeing her take down Metal Sonic on her own is a complete turn around from how she was in Sonic CD, and that is cool to see!
Shadow reclaiming his Limiters
And finally... Shadow reclaiming his limiter rings! Just like in Sonic Heroes, we learn that Shadow is in fact still alive, but the scene is handled differently in the movie. While Rogue (who is still absent from the movie series) originally relocates Shadow in Sonic Heroes, here we have Shadow himself picking up his rings; something he also did in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) during the final story.
Bonus
Actually one more! This is one I actually missed myself, and would love to hear where it is. The ending credits list Escape from the City as being one of the songs used in the movie, but I have no idea where it was used. So if you do know, feel free to leave a comment below!
And there you have it! All of the references we managed to catch while watching Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Is there anything else we missed? How many of these did you catch while watching the film? Feel free to let us know below!
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