While the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise may be known for its fast-paced, zippy, and exaggeratedly colorful aesthetic and joyously springy characters, the comics have touched on some much darker stuff. The term “Dark Sonic,” popularly referring to the Sonic X show, has its origins in the Sonic comics published by Archie Comics.

While often visually limited for its younger audiences, there are an uncomfortable number of comic moments when Sonic gets way too dark, mostly in the series published by Archie Comics. Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog series ran an impressive 290 issues until 2016. Considering the lightheartedness of the source material, it’s mindblowing how intense this initial series proved to be. The series skyrocketed in popularity, inspiring several other Sonic series, each with overtly serious undertones and dark plot points, but the Archie series launched it all.

5 Tommy Turtle’s Torture and Death

Sonic the Hedgehog #117, #137, and #169 (Archie Comics)

Tommy the Turtle was originally a cute side character who lived in Mobotropolis until Eggman’s destructive coup. Tommy had gone missing, with everyone assuming he had been roboticized. Over a decade later, Sonic and the Freedom Fighters learned that Tommy wasn’t dead but was being used as bait to lure Sonic into Eggman’s grasp. The team frequently failed to save Tommy, each time believing he had died.

In secret, Tommy was being used to test Eggman’s nanite technology. Sonic finally rescued the turtle just in time to stave off Tommy’s execution. Sadly, Tommy’s peace wouldn’t last long, as Eggman’s “son,” A.D.A.M., took control of Tommy’s nanites and attempted to use his body to kill Sonic.

Looking for more current Sonic comic stories? Check out the ongoing Sonic the Hedgehog series being published now by IDW Publishing.

Realizing there was no way to stop A.D.A.M., Tommy took his own life, leaving behind nothing but ash. This lovable naive turtle endured some of the most horrific abuse for over a decade, probably believing his friends had given up on him, only to sacrifice himself when finally freed. Contrasting the series’ bright colors and quippy one-liners, there is an abject level of dread that infests these comics, knowing Dr. Robotnik's horrors while the reader tags along for Sonic’s adventures.

4 Sonic's Metal Virus Apocalypse

Sonic the Hedgehog #20-29 (IDW Publishing)

The IDW Sonic the Hedgehog series is more obviously and intentionally edgy than its Archie predecessor. This title debuted in 2018, well after Sonic’s fans had established their interest in adult-oriented Sonic content. In this continuity, Dr. Eggman unleashed the Metal Virus, a swarm of liquid nanites that infected living creatures and transformed them into Zombots for Eggman’s control.

The virus took hold quickly, assimilating many of Sonic’s friends. Central City was falling, leaving the team isolated and hidden in secret bunkers. Tragedy overcame the remainder of the Restoration forces when a refugee secretly succumbed to the Zombot virus, apologizing through sobs, saying that he didn’t want to “die” alone. Chaos ensued as the number of survivors quickly dwindled.

Amid the madness is an even sadder scene. Amy has to drag Cream away from her mother, Vanilla, as Vanilla is swarmed by the horde of Zombots. Rapidly, Sonic became Central City’s only hope - until he was also infected, forced to run indefinitely to slow the virus’ spread. Throughout this story, the pure horror each of the survivors are made to endure can easily be seen on their faces. The feeling that, with most of their friends and family dead or dying, they will also be killed is truly horrific. While Sonic inevitably saved the day, the arc ended with all hope shattered as Sonic sacrificed himself in a cosmic explosion, leaving nothing behind.

3 Eggman’s Orbital Genocide

Sonic the Hedgehog #175 (Archie Comics)

Returning to the equally violent and depressing Archie comics, Dr. Robotnik once again proves himself to be a callously heartless and psychopathic villain. Throughout their tragic resistance against Dr. Eggman’s authoritarian rulership, Sonic and the Freedom Fighters made their base in the Kingdom of Knothole. To put down the Freedom Fighters for good and obliterate Freedom HQ, Eggman launched a full-scale invasion of the kingdom, clouding the sky with his Egg Fleet of skyships.

Without time to react, Robotnik launched a full-scale orbital bombardment, obliterating the entire kingdom. Sonic and his friends tried to act, but the sight of their home and everyone they love burning away under the iron wall of Eggman’s ships stopped them in their tracks.

By the end of the issue, Sonic was left crying, broken, and defeated.

The tragedy was only made worse when the Freedom Fighters saw what few allies they had left teleport away into the Egg Grape Chamber, a multi-structured chamber that drains its victims of their lifeforce to provide power for Eggman’s Empire. After nearly killing Sonic, Eggman decided to let the hedgehog live, only to force him to live with his failures. Robotnik is a violent psychopath, willing to commit casual genocide as he sees fit. His cruelty is only accentuated by his depraved sense of humor in this moment, as he relished his enemies’ anguish. By the end of the issue, Sonic was left crying, broken, and defeated.

2 The Tragedy of Maria Robotnik

Sonic the Hedgehog #98 and #124

One of the most well-known and tragic deaths in the entirety of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise is the tragedy of Maria Robotnik. Inspiring the Shadow the Hedgehog video game, this single issue brought readers to tears and defined the horrors that would continue to follow Shadow.

Maria, Dr. Eggman’s cousin, suffered from a terminal neuro-immunodeficiency disorder that would eventually - and quickly - deteriorate her brain and take her life. To save his granddaughter, Gerald Robotnik sought to harness immortality via an "Ultimate Lifeform." However, Robotnik’s research was overtaken by military forces who wished to use Shadow as a weapon. Gerald and Maria rebelled, hoping to release Shadow.

Just as Maria reached Shadow’s pod, she was shot in the back, her corpse lifelessly collapsing as Shadow was forced to watch. Not only tragic for Gerald, who was executed shortly after the incident, but this moment defined Shadow for years. The next time Shadow saw the world was when the now-grown Ivo Robotnik woke him up, nearly fifty years later, now singularly intent on revenge for Maria.

While this horrific instance of military oppression and the death of a young innocent only occurred in a single issue, the disaster remained a consistent plot point for Shadow throughout various continuities, further cementing the legacy of the tragedy of Maria Robotnik.

1 The Lynching of Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog #1 (Archie Comics)

Making its audacious debut on the inside cover of the very first issue of Archie’s Sonic the Hedgehog series is the apparent lynching of Sonic the Hedgehog. Setting the tone and defining what the core of the series would become, this comic cover was a far cry from the childlike wonder of the original SEGA games. This one image is how Archie wanted to portray its newest comic series. While the front cover promised a new cast of colorful characters and their evil robotic enemies, nothing on the page would hint at what was to be seen next.

While it was quickly revealed to be a piñata of Sonic, that doesn’t take away from the casual horror of seeing Eggman violently batter a hanged effigy of his nemesis. This casual cartoon violence set the tone for what followed throughout the entirety of the franchise. Sonic the Hedgehog, while cartoonish and colorful on the surface, held much darker stories and secrets under the cover. The content is stylized for children but written for adults. While other Archie comics are riddled with dark plots, this Sonic image was still a shocking first impression.

As hilarious as it feels to say, Sonic the Hedgehog is no longer meant for young audiences. Hidden underneath the streaky blue facade of animal adventures and wacky antics is a dark and twisted trauma-inducing core. The main characters are likable and relatable, while the villains are cut from the most morally repugnant cloth possible. Dr. Ivo Robotnik is practically the Thanos of Sonic stories. Yes, the heroes always get the last laugh, but the tragic horrors that these furry Sonic the Hedgehog friends are forced to endure are ghastly.