Summary

• Knuckles has gained fire powers in the Paramount+ series, which is a departure from his abilities in Sonic 2.
• The fire powers seen in the Knuckles trailer differ from the video games, where the flames were the result of his punches and were only present while in motion.
• Knuckles is expected to be more powerful than Sonic in his spinoff series, but Sonic's determination and grit make up for his lack of raw power, setting up exciting potential matchups between the two characters.

Knuckles places the iconic red echidna in the spotlight and gives him some incredible new powers—most notably fire powers—that he didn't have in Sonic 2. The Paramount+ series is a spinoff from the Sonic the Hedgehog sequel, which introduced Idris Elba's version of the character. After helping Sonic and Tails stop Dr. Robotnik from taking over the world with the Chaos Emerald, Knuckles attempts to settle into life on Earth. However, Knuckles reveals that this small but powerful alien will always be a fighter.

The official trailer for Knuckles dropped on Paramount Plus's YouTube channel on January 8th, 2024, providing the first look at the titular character's new powers. Though Knuckles was certainly a force to be reckoned with in Sonic 2, as proven by the difficulty Sonic had during their battles, the fire powers he possessed in the trailer are something else entirely. Not only did the trailer reveal that this mighty echidna would continue to grow stronger, but it demonstrated that Knuckles takes some influence from the various Sonic the Hedgehog video games.

Knuckles Having Fire Powers Started In The Video Games

At the climax of Paramount's Knuckles trailer, the echidna announced that he was ready to fight as bursts of flame enveloped his spiked firsts. It meant a pretty impactful moment and helped the trailer get audiences pumped up for Knuckles to begin streaming on Paramount+ (April 26th, 2024, for the US and Canada). However, since Knuckles didn't have anything like fire power in Sonic 2, instead only possessing the same sort of electrical energy as Sonic, this has presented some new questions.

Though it looks a little different in Knuckles, there is evidence throughout the Sonic franchise that this character has fire abilities. Beginning in the 2001 game Sonic Adventure 2, flames would surround Knuckles' fists when he performed an uppercut punch. The flames gave his attack some extra power but could also come in handy for lifting the echidna higher during a jump, allowing players to reach otherwise out-of-reach platforms. This continued into several other titles featuring the character, with fire attacks being especially prevalent for Knuckles in Sonic Frontiers (2022).

Knuckles' fire attacks in the Sonic video game are meant to be the result of his fists splitting molecules in the air.

How Knuckles' Spinoff Powers Differ From The Video Games

Knuckles presents the titular character's fire abilities a little differently than the Sonic video games. As seen in the trailer, the fire surrounds Knuckles' fists whether he is attacking or not (he is simply standing in the street preparing to fight in the short clip). In Sonic Adventure 2, on the other hand, the flames are the result of the immense speed and power of Knuckles' punches. The same was true for titles like Sonic Heroes and Sonic Frontiers—Knuckles fists or body were only surrounded in flames when he was in motion.

The idea in the video games is that the fire is the result of Knuckles' fists spilling molecules as they fly through the air, but that clearly isn't the case in the Knuckles series. Instead, this version of the character has control over the flames, which surround his firsts regardless of whether he is in motion. This ultimately means that Knuckles has endless opportunities in the way of combat since the spinoff protagonist can be far more deliberate in his strength, power, and speed.

How Powerful Knuckles Is Compared To Sonic In His Spinoff

Sonic 2 already proved that Knuckles possessed more raw power than Sonic. A significant point of the movie was that the central hero had more of an edge, despite being weaker, because he had loved ones he was willing to give it all to protect. However, going into Knuckles, the spinoff's protagonist is now a hero, too, and he has adopted the same group of loved ones. By adding in some new forces of evil for Knuckles to pit himself against, the series is sure to see significant development for the character that will keep him just a tad more powerful than his blue hedgehog friend.

Of course, Sonic is still the center of the franchise, and as movies like Sonic 3 hit the big screen, he is sure to go through some significant development as well. What the little blue hedgehog lacks in raw power, he makes up for with pure determination and grit. Ultimately, this means that any (friendly) rematches between Knuckles and Sonic in either Knuckles or Sonic 3 will be entirely worth the watch, especially if fire powers are involved.