Summary
Tails the Fox has remained one of theSonic the Hedgehogfranchise’s favorite characters for over thirty years. The lovable fox, with his unique ability to fly using his two tails, has always provided much-needed aid in defeating Dr. Eggman and his evil schemes. Whether it’s lifting Sonic out of danger or thinking up a clever invention to help save the day, Tails is known for being smart and highly skilled with technology.
Across the franchises' history, both in video games, television, and comic books, Tails has seen a variety of iterations. However he’s presented, deep down, he remainsthe good-natured, loyal friend of Sonicwho would do anything to help his friends and protect them from harm.
Sonic and the Secret Ringsis one of two “Storybook” games, placing Sonic in the land of myth and legend. In this game, Sonic is forced to stop the evil Erazor Djinn from destroying the tale ofArabian Nights. An alternate reality version of Tails exists in this game as Ali Baba.
After Sonic saves his life from Erazor’s minions, Ali Baba returns the favor by giving Sonic lots of helpful advice for the rest of his journey. He also serves as a peacemaker between Sonic and Sinbad, Knuckles’ doppelganger, when the two begin to argue. Ali Baba is just as friendly and helpful to Sonic as Tails is in the main series.
9The Blacksmith (Sonic and the Black Knight)
Tails' Second Role In The Storybook World
The second Storybook game sees Sonic immersed in the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Armed with the sword Caliburn, Sonic must restore peace to the dangerous land, or so it seems. Unlike Ali Baba, Tails doesn’t need saving this time around. His new role in this mythical world is that of the local blacksmith, wherein he bears a similar appearance to hisSonic Boomversion, sporting goggles on his head.
He owns a shop in Camelot Castle and first meets Sonic when he brings his sword to be sharpened. Friendly and helpful, his skill in metalwork is second to none, reflecting his mainstream version’s skill with all sorts of tech.Interestingly, the background musicfor his shop is his theme from theSonic Adventuregames, “Believe in Myself,” in remixed form.
When Tails and Amy are sucked into a wormhole, thus becoming separated from Sonic, Tails ends up trapped in Cyberspace. As such, when Sonic rescues him from a capsule on Chaos Island, Tails, like Amy and Knuckles, exists as a turquoise holographic figure, existing in-person only in the Cyber realm.
Yet, Tails remains undaunted by this, displaying his character growth that began inSonic Adventure. Together with Sonic, he resolves to investigate the ruined volcanic island and attempt to free himself and solve the mystery of the Koco, the Ancients, and Cyberspace. Tails also tells Sonic that he wants to go on a journey by himself for a while. This is hard for Sonic to take, but he’s assured the two will remain best friends, even if Tails grew up on him a bit quicker than he’d anticipated.
7Movie Tails
Travels On A Great Adventure With Sonic
In the movieSonic the Hedgehog 2, Tails arrives on Earth after discovering that’s where Sonic is. He even claims to have been watching him from another planet. Tails arrives in the town of Green Hills, just in time to rescue Sonicfrom an angry Knuckles. Together, Sonic and Tails travel to Siberia on a quest to find the Master Emerald. The two quickly become fast friends, though Tails is gravely injured upon their escape from Knuckles.
However, Tails revives and is able to help Sonic face down Dr. Robotnik and his Death Egg Robot at the film’s climax. He’s then adopted by the couple who look after Sonic, Tom and Maddie Wachowski. Tails’ personality remains familiar, being a shy character at first who, after watching Sonic’s abilities, learns to embrace his own. His technical genius also serves to help Sonic, and eventual friend Knuckles, defeat Robotnik and save Green Hills.
6Archie Tails
A Hero With A Unique Role
TheArchiecomic book series ran for twenty-four years, beginning in 1993. Tails, alongside Sonic, have a host of different friends and allies. In this universe, Tails was raised by Rosie Woodchuck, and became part of the Freedom Fighters group to stop Eggman.This version of Tailsis more independent and brave than many other variants of him, and even sees him being dubbed the “Chosen One.” He would rise up and defeat a fearsome foe planning to decimate many universes.
TheArchieuniverse is home to alternate realities of the characters, and Tails has both good and evil versions, ranging from “Tails-zilla,” an extremely powerful variant, to “Evil-Tails.” Another is the “Light Mobius” version in which, under the rule of King Sonic and Queen Sally, Tails marries Mina the Mongoose. With two children named Skye and Melody, Tails certainly had different iterations in this alternate universe.
As with the other characters inSonic Boom, Sonic’s best friend adopts a slightly different look for this spin-off series, now wearing goggles and a tool belt. However, he retains a familiar personality to his other versions, save for having a more humorous side in line with the tone of the TV series.
In certainSonic Boomvideo games, Tails is armed with an Enerbeam, which he made himself inSonic Boom: Rise Of Lyric. As the name implies, it’s a beam of energy used to grab and throw enemies as well as reach hidden items. In the TV series, Tails lives on Bygone Island in his workshop. From wetsuits to clones of himself, Tails thinks up some ingenious inventions that sometimes go awry. He still has his biplane, and with it aids his friends in their battles against Eggman’s robots, and even flies to the“robot utopia in the clouds,”Morristown.
Debutingon the Sega Genesis, Tails first meets Sonic on West Side Island. The young fox is befriended and encouraged by Sonic, and together they set off across the island to stop Dr. Eggman from collecting all the Chaos Emeralds. Thanks to Sonic, Tails uses his brilliant technical skills to help the pair on their journey.
More importantly, he learns to let go of the embarrassment he once felt about having two tails, and instead embrace his unique gift. This led to him adopting the name “Tails” instead of his real name “Miles Prower.” InSonic 2, Tails follows Sonic everywhere but isn’t independent of him. He learns to step out on his own in later 3D titles.
3Tails Nine (Sonic Prime)
An Evil Version Of Tails
Sonic’s newest cartoon outing is inSonic Prime.This series deals with the cataclysmic events that follow Sonic’s shattering of the Paradox Prism. Upon entering New Yoke City, Sonic meets an alternate reality version of Tails, that being “Tails Nine.” Unlike the original version of Tails, Nine is grim and lonely and attacks Sonic upon their first meeting. It’s revealed that both Tails and Nine share the same backstory of being bullied for their twin tails.
However, Nine responded differently, letting the bullies get to him so much that he became withdrawn, miserable, and eventually evil. He resolved that he had to fight back by engineering seven false tailsto give him extra power. However, Sonic seems to win his trust after saving him in the premiere episode. Nine’s ultimate objective is revealed as the series progresses.
2Sonic X Tails
Has To Choose Between Love And The World
Sonic Xwas an anime which ran from 2003 to 2006. It sees the familiar cast who, upon causing Chaos Control, are teleported to Earth. After Sonic befriends a boy named Chris, he and his friends hide in Chris' home until, one by one, they are revealed to the wider world. Tails makes many new human friends, especially forming a bond with fellow engineer Chuck, who is Chris' granddad. The series also retells the plots ofSonic AdventureandSonic Adventure 2from Chris' perspective, as well as providing a prequel toSonic Battle.
Most notably, in the third season, Tails is embroiled in a war with the Metarex, who seek to destroy all animal life in the universe. The new character Cosmo, a young girl of the Seedrian species and lone survivor, teams up with Sonic and Co. to wage war. Tails and Cosmo fall in love, but sadly, Tails is faced with a heartbreaking choice. The only way to stop the Metarex is for Cosmo to sacrifice herself, and Tails is faced with firing a weapon straight at her. Viewers get a unique insight into Tails' character and his inner struggle between love and saving the world.
The Tails of the 3D era is the one that demonstrates the most character growth.Sonic Adventure, the first 3D Sonic game, sees Tails trapped in a crucial moment. Upon being separated from Sonic and faced with Dr. Eggman about to blow up Station Square, Tails has no choicebut to stop the doctoron his own. However, this test of character saw Tails become an independent, confident young fox, who can learn to rely on his abilities instead of wholly on Sonic. His theme song “Believe in Myself” showcases how Tails grows from wishing he could be like Sonic to learning to embrace his differences as his strength.
In later games, Tails has been more of a confident character, even a leader.Sonic Adventure 2sees him blasting through the GUN stronghold of Prison Island alone, to rescue a wrongly-imprisoned Sonic. InSonic ‘06, Tails volunteers to split up and create a distraction for Eggman to keep Princess Elise safe. Tails’ personal growth across the modern era is a relatable one that encourages fans to keep rooting for the young, friendly fox boy.
