How does ‘Knuckles’ set up ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’?

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Paramount Plus’ Knuckles.

Knuckles is a delightful road trip adventure that perfects Sonic the Hedgehog’s winning formula of heartfelt character development and unbound goofiness. The spinoff series also nods at how Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will expand on the cinematic universe.

Set in the aftermath of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Knuckles explores how the red Echidna warrior is dealing with his new earthly life. Since the Master Emerald is secured and Dr. Robotnik is defeated, Knuckles no longer has a reason to fight. This is the first time the warrior has the time to lie down and relax, but Knuckles simply doesn’t know how. That’s why he embarks on a road trip with Wade Whipple, a loser Green Hills cop that Knuckles is determined to train in ways of the Echidna.

While Knuckles expands on its titular character’s past and explains what’s happening to the Sonic Team after Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the spinoff series mostly tells a self-contained story. There is no big reveal regarding Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and the threequel is still shrouded by mystery. However, looking closely at Knuckles, we find some interesting clues about the future of the Sonic cinematic universe.

Knuckles is a standalone adventure, but it still teases the future of Sonic

Knuckles introduces a new villain, the Buyer, a former lackey of Dr. Robotnik who became a powerful weapons dealer in the black market. The Buyer is a clever inventor, but his success is due to G.U.N. agents Mason and Willoughby. The duo has been selling G.U.N. assets to The Buyer, including robots created by Dr. Robotnik. Knuckles doesn’t specify how many weapons are born from The Buyer’s criminal activities. However, it explains how Dr. Robotnik’s technology is still circling the world, waiting for Team Sonic to take them down.

Knuckles also teases a different alien activity that happened in Reno, Nevada. In the series’ last episode, the host of the Bowling Championship reveals that the competition had faced an intergalactic threat once before, in 1974. The only information they give about this event is that the alien wasn’t red the previous time. We know when Sonic and Tails arrived on Earth. So, the series is teasing a different character. 

The most obvious option is Shadow, who’ll appear in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 after being revealed in Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s post-credits scene. In the scene, Shadow is locked in a research facility, which means unknown parties have captured him. While we’ll have to wait for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 to be sure, Shadow could have been locked away since 1974, which would explain Knuckles‘ strange mention of the date.

All six episodes of Knuckles are currently available on Paramount Plus. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 races to theaters on December 20, 2024.