Echidna: The Survivor (1995) Online

Knuckles the Echidna (ナックルズ・ザ・エキドゥナ Nakkuruzu za Ekiduna?) is a fictional character in Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games. He is a red anthropomorphic echidna who is determined and serious but sometimes gullible. He can glide and climb up walls, and is a powerful fighter due to his spiked hands. He serves as the guardian of the Master Emerald, a huge gemstone that controls the series' integral Chaos Emeralds.

His reception from critics has been mostly positive; he has been praised frequently as tough and cool-looking. However, some critics have voiced disapproval at the series' extensive cast of characters and singled Knuckles out as ushering them in. His likeness has frequently appeared in Sonic merchandise.

During conception of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the development team wanted to create a new rival for Sonic. The final design of Knuckles was the result of dozens of possible designs inspired by numerous different animals.The emphasis of the character was to break walls.He was originally planned to have a Jamaican accent and a name called 'Dreds' referring to his dreadlocks.

Knuckles' early adventures typically involved protecting Angel Island or the various Echidna groups-only rarely would he join the Freedom Fighters against threats like Dr. Robotnik. However, Robotnik's encroachments on different areas of the planet-including Angel Island itself-eventually persuaded Knuckles to relocate to the surface to join the battle against the evil doctor and other threats. One of his enemies-a villainous Echidna named Dr. Finitevus-later made Knuckles into a new Enerjak after revealing that Robotnik had driven the Echidna race to the brink of extinction. Knuckles would become wracked with guilt over his actions, especially since the remnants of the Dark Legion chose to ally themselves with Dr. Robotnik.

In animation Knuckles' animation debut came with the 1996 Japanese Sonic the Hedgehog OVA. Sonic and Tails meet him in an alternate dimension, and over the course of the film he helps them defeat Black Eggman (Metal Robotnik) and Hyper Metal Sonic, two robots created by Doctor Eggman (Doctor Robotnik). As Metal Sonic is about to descend into a lava pit, Sonic attempts to save him after all, but Knuckles holds him back, and Sonic is disappointed. Knuckles play-fights with Sonic a few times in the film as well.

Knuckles is a minor character in Sonic Underground. Sonic, his sister Sonia, and his brother Manic meet Knuckles atop his home, the Floating Island, while searching for their mother. Knuckles is initially skeptical of them but soon accepts their help in protecting the Island and its guardian Chaos Emerald from villains Sleet and Dingo. Later on, the siblings recruit Knuckles to help them deactivate Doctor Robotnik's giant fortress, as it is powered by Emeralds and he can control them. They succeed, but Sleet and Dingo accidentally break the Emerald, unleashing gradually effective but massive energy upon the planet Mobius, and Knuckles enlists one of his relatives to help them control it, with mediocre results. Reluctantly, Knuckles cuts a deal with Robotnik to turn over the hedgehogs in exchange for setting Mobius right; Robotnik succeeds and starts turning the hedgehogs into robots, but Knuckles betrays Robotnik to rescue his friends.

Knuckles appears in all three seasons of Sonic X. He takes guarding the Master Emerald seriously and has a fearsome temper with a "chip on his shoulder". After being stranded in the new world with Sonic, his only desire is to get back home quickly. He spends most of the first season travelling alone, but as the series continues he begins to travel with Sonic and the others more often, as well as befriending other characters. After returning home for the third season, he joins Sonic on the spaceship, "Blue Typhoon", which is captained by Tails after their planet was invaded by the Metarex.

The character has received generally positive attention. According to IGN's Levi Buchanan, fans "seemed legitimately happy" with the addition of the character of Knuckles, who was popular enough to get marquee billing in Sonic & Knuckles, but Buchanan felt that characters who came after him were going "overboard. "IGN's Colin Moriarty singled out the introduction of both Knuckles and Tails as when the series became "iffy" and listed them and all other characters in the series, sans Sonic and Robotnik, as being 2nd most in need to "die" on his top 10 list. In contrast, he was listed as the best Sonic character by Official Nintendo Magazine based on the impact he brought to the Sonic games in which he first appeared.

According to official Sonic Team polls, Knuckles is the fourth most popular character in the series, following behind Tails, Shadow, and Sonic. Elton Jones from Complex listed Knuckles as his eleventh most wanted character in the next Super Smash Bros. game. In another article, Complex regarded Knuckles as a better character than Sonic, and praised his gliding and climbing abilities, stating "even if his levels were a little more challenging than Sonic's, the thrill of being able to explore certain parts of levels that the blue-coloured hero could not was worth it". Riley Little from GameRant included Knuckles on his list of the "Top 10 Third-Party Characters that Could Appear in the New Super Smash Bros.", commenting "This punch-drunk brawler knows how to serve up a buffet of knuckle sandwiches, and there's no question that he's one of the most fitting characters to occupy a spot on the roster".

Mega Zone's review of Knuckles' Chaotix praised the introduction of a new protagonist, whom it deemed "rougher and tougher" in comparison to the "spineless" Sonic. Mean Machines Sega called Knuckles' powers "impressive" and the character overall more useful and promising than Tails. Sega Magazine stated that Knuckles "looks cooler" than Sonic, comparing him to Spider-Man, and suggested he be given his own game. Sega Magazine later called him "groovy" and "ace", concluding that they "love him."