Nine (ナイン Nain), is a character that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is a two-tailed anthropomorphic fox with seven mechanical tails and is an alternate version of Miles "Tails" Prower from another dimension, who resided underground in New Yoke City^[1], until finally building his own home in The Grim, which is where he currently resides.^[2]

Appearance[]

Nine is a doppelgänger of his mainstream counterpart, albeit with some notable differences. As such, he is a young, anthropomorphic fox with a unique genetic mutation, giving him two tails instead of one. He possesses dull amber fur with white fur around his muzzle, front torso, and the tips of his tails, and he has fluffy fur at the tips of his cheeks and chest. He also has large triangular ears with white canals and furry orange ends split in two on top of his head, sky-blue eyes, a small black nose, and three upturned locks of hair on his forehead.

For attire, he wears a dark gray shirt with grayish blue and yellow linings over a hood, black pants, a dark gray belt attached to a silver buckle with the cyan button for activating his seven mechanical tails, a gear-like bracelet on his left wrist, and dark gray and white shoes with a gear on the toes, dark gray cuffs, thin black straps, and gray soles. Nine's left glove is black with white stripes and fingertips, while his right glove is completely white.

History[]

TV series[]

Past[]

Nine's early life was initially somewhat similar to that of the regular Tails, with him being ostracized for having an extra tail. But with Sonic not existing in New Yoke City, and having no one to accept him in Sonic's stead, Nine was bullied, and endured beatings for years. One day, however, tired of being picked on, Nine decided to use his intelligence to create seven robotic tails to defend himself against his enemies. Since then, he became a brute like the rest of the residents of New Yoke City's harsh society, setting up base in the tunnels underneath where nobody would bother him.^[1]

Season one[]

While traveling through the Scareport, Nine was noticed by Sonic, who mistook him for the original Tails, and secretly followed him back to his lab. While Nine was busy in his hidden lab, Sonic entered, knowing the passcode due to enter due to his version of Tails using the same combination. When Nine saw the blue hedgehog, he instantly felt threatened that he was trespassing in his home. Tensions arose when Sonic called him "Tails", which Nine deemed an insult to his twin tails, leading to him activating his mechanical tails, and attacking the hedgehog, chasing him out of the lab, and throughout the tunnels of the city.

During the fight, Sonic saved Nine from being hit by a train, leading Nine to change his opinions on the hedgehog, deeming him a trustworthy person who meant him no harm. He was soon fascinated by the energy coming off Sonic and his shoes, and helped him regulate it, becoming allies.

Shortly after, however, Nine and Sonic were captured by Dr. Babble and taken to the Chaos Council's base. Sonic was trapped, while Nine was left watching unable to do anything.^[1] After Rebel and Knucks arrived to save the day, Nine was able to help,^[3] reprogramming Rusty Rose to make her disobey the Council. During the fight, Nine, Sonic, Rebel, Knucks, and Rusty formed a team, and fought the Council's robots.

Nine also formed a good friendship with Sonic at this point, as he gave him a high five and taught how to do the Spin Dash. Nine helped Sonic in his search for the Paradox Prism, only to find a red Shard of it instead. When Sonic suddenly disappeared after he touched the Shard,^[4] Nine took it for himself and left the base, but he abandoned his teammates Rebel, Knucks, and Rusty.

After inventing the Shattercraft, Nine left New Yoke City for good while searching for a new home and somewhere to escape the Chaos Council.^[5] A few weeks later, he came back to the city just to take Sonic with him. He took him to The Grim and offered Sonic a place in his new life.

Sonic rejected the offer, as he claimed he should have been helping the Resistance to fight back. Sonic asked Nine to come back to New Yoke with him, but Nine refused. After a few minutes, Nine decided to heed Sonic's advice and assist in the fight against the Council, taking down some robots. However, he was later captured by the Chaos Council.^[6] As a prisoner, he couldn't do much, as the Council had the Shard in their hands now.^[7]

Season two[]

Being a prisoner of the Chaos Council, Nine had no choice but to assist them handcuffed. While the Council attacked Boscage Maze, which they called a dump, Nine was able to hack into an Eggforcer and talk with Sonic, advising the hedgehog to not come to his rescue. Nine also updated his tech so that they could communicate and fixed it so Sonic could touch the Shards without vanishing to other Shatterspaces. Dr. Don't expressed suspicion about Nine, but the smarter fox hid his true intentions.^[8]

When the Chaos Council's Yoke HQ arrived in No Place, Nine, along with the Angel's Voyage crew, were used as leverage over Sonic. Against Nine's protests, Sonic reluctantly threw the blue Prism Shard off the top of the Devil's Lighthouse, enabling the Council to obtain it.^[9] Back in New Yoke, Mr. Dr. Eggman approached Nine, demanding to know how to defeat Sonic. Nine explained that they will never achieve that, as Sonic would always be a step ahead and they were unable to think like him.

Unfortunately, this gave the Doctor an idea: to create Chaos Sonic with Shard Energy. Nine frantically attempted to warn Sonic, but Dr. Don't caught him in the act and realized he had been spying for Sonic all along, soon informing the other members of the Council. With his cover blown, Nine was forced to act as bait to lure Sonic in.^[10]

When the Council began creating portals to the other Shatterspaces, Nine warned them that it might be dangerous to the Shatterverse, but they ignored him and went on with their plan. Not long after, Nine freed himself and rushed to help Sonic against Chaos Sonic. Using the Shards' energy, he created a destructive beam that destroyed the robot once and for all. Thereafter, Nine and Sonic finally reunited and placed the Shards inside a makeshift safe.^[11] Unknown to Sonic, Nine had found the purple Shard on his first visit to The Grim and had kept it for himself. Nine was eager to show Sonic, but the hedgehog convinced him they needed to go to Ghost Hill first.

Nine and Sonic were soon discovered by the Council, who gave chase as the duo fled. Nine tried to fly them out of New Yoke in the Shattercraft, but they were shot down by the Yolkomotive. Although Rusty and Black Rose arrived in the Kraken and saved them, Nine and Sonic were forced to escape on foot through the Council's portals. While passing through No Place and the Boscage Maze, Nine was surprised to see other versions of himself such as Sails Tails and Mangey Tails, who were likewise surprised to see him. Eventually, the two made their way to the Void, where they met up with Shadow.

When the trio arrived in Ghost Hill, Nine came across the ghost of Tails, whose cheerful and optimistic attitude bothered him. He and the hedgehogs headed to the Temple Mountain where the yellow Shard resided, but just then, the Council arrived.^[5] While Sonic and Shadow fought the Council, Nine went about piecing the Paradox Prism together. The Eggforcers eventually broke into the cave, forcing Nine to take part in the battle by empowering Sonic with Shard Energy. After fending off the assault, Sonic returned to the cave and asked why Green Hill, the true form of Ghost Hill, had not been restored. An argument ensued as Nine explained he only wanted to study the Prism and try to put it together to see how it worked, wanting to use the Shards to create a new and better world in The Grim. He admitted that he cared nothing about Green Hill and had never intended to restore it, much to Sonic's shock and disappointment as he thought Nine was on his side. To Nine's anger, Sonic then accidentally inferred that Nine was not real, making the fox believe Sonic had been projecting Tails onto him and could not see him as his own person. After berating the hedgehog for always jumping into situations without thinking, Nine took the Prism Shards and returned to his lair in The Grim, leaving Shadow and a heartbroken Sonic behind.^[12]

Season three[]

Nine later assembled the Paradox Prism in his lab on the Grim. Using its power, he created a fortress and a shield to protect himself and his own Shatterspace. Despite this, when Nine later used the Prism Energy to create his newest enforcer, Alpha Grim Sonic, he found great difficulty harnessing the energy, and upon creating the robot, noticed that his reckless usage of it was causing The Grim and the other Shatterspaces to decay. Although initially confused, Nine soon realized that his problem was the result of Sonic still containing some of the Prism's energy, which he would need to acquire in order to stabilize the gem, the Grim, and the entire Shatterverse. However, Nine had no need to track Sonic down, as both him and Shadow later pursued the fox to his fortress, having witnessed the devastation of his actions on other Shatterspaces. When Sonic attempted to reason with him, Nine once again refused to listen to the hedgehog's pleas, and dispatched Alpha Grim Sonic to attack the duo, followed up by his newest enforcers, Alpha Grim Amy, Alpha Grim Birdie, Alpha Grim Knuckles, and Alpha Grim Rouge.

However, Shadow quickly realized Nine's plan to take the energy from Sonic and threw Sonic through a tear in the Shatterspace, sending him to the Void. In response, a furious Nine used the Prism energy to clone Grim Birdie, and dispatched the robots in pursuit, while also having his remaining enforcers knock Shadow down a chasm.^[2]

Using the Prism Energy, Nine could see and communicate with Sonic while the hedgehog ran through New Yoke. As a demonstration of his great power, Nine tilted the city trying to cause trouble for Sonic and ordered Grim Birdies to go to the Yoke in an effort to capture the hedgehog. All the while, the unstable Prism energy sporadically weakened Nine, but he kept using it anyway. He tried to directly attack the Council's main tower, but failed, as it had a protective shield thanks to Sonic's Prism Energy. Frustrated, Nine devised a plan to lure Sonic to him.^[13] He sent Grim Birdies to No Place, seeing that some of Sonic's friends where trapped there. Sonic, Rusty Rose, Black Rose, and Thorn Rose went to rescue their friends and Nine kept throwing stuff at them, but Sonic and company succeeded in their mission, after which Nine collapsed in dismay. Later, Sonic reached out to Nine, hoping to bargain. Nine agreed to the deal, promising to only take Sonic's Prism Energy and to not mess with his friends and the other Shatterspaces.

When Nine received Sonic in the Grim to fulfill their deal, Sonic tried to reason with him once again, but Nine wants nothing more to do with him. However, he was surprised to find out Sonic still considered him a friend and for a brief moment seemed to finally appreciate Sonic and his words. Before he could say anything, the rebels and the Council arrived at the Grim, leading Nine to believe Sonic had tricked him into letting down his guard.^[14] Sonic offered him a new deal, to restore the Shatterverse together, but Nine angrily refused and proceeded to wage war against everyone.

During a long and hard final battle, Nine stayed on top of his tower while ordering the Grim Robots to attack. All the while, the Prism's still-unstable energy briefly weakened Nine whenever he tapped into it. When the rebels seemed to have the upper hand, Nine harnessed a lot of energy to create Grim Big, a massive and supremely powerful robot.^[15] Nine eventually realized the Scavengers were climbing up the tower and attacked them. Eventually, Sonic came up with a new plan to fake their defeat, which mad Nine lower his guard.^[16] When Sonic climbed the tower, Nine fought back with all he had, insisting he could not give up, all while the hedgehog's allies destroyed the Alpha Grim robots one by one. Knucks later arrived and punched Nine in the back of the head. Nine retaliated, but Sonic protected Knucks with his new shield ability. At one point, Knucks got Nine on the ropes, but an upset Sonic intervened, which allowed Nine to strike them back. He summoned his last few robots to deal with the two, but Shadow climbed the tower and destroyed Alpha Grim Sonic, which in turn wiped out the last of Nine's army to his horror. He then pinned Knucks and Shadow down, but in doing so left himself open to a counterattack from Sonic, who tackled him off his tower and down into the Citadel, ultimately ending up in Nine's lab.^[17]

Sonic saw what Nine had prepared for him and understood his feelings, but Nine, now completely berserk, attacked him until Shadow and the Shatterverse denizens stormed Nine's lab and cornered him. Through the hole they made in the wall, Sonic showed Nine how his reckless use of the Prism's energy had put the Shatterverse on the verge of collapsing, then apologized for not considering Nine's desires or appreciating his goodwill. With this, Nine finally realized he had gone too far and stood down, although the Chaos Council tried to execute him anyway before Sonic stopped them. When Nine remorsefully confessed that reality as they knew it was doomed without a great sacrifice, Sonic volunteered to make one by letting Nine drain his Prism energy. Nine assured the still skeptical Rebel and Knucks that he would help out as promised and anxiously watched as Sonic's energy was extracted, finally fixing the Paradox Prism. When the Council betrayed the group, Nine helped defeat them by opening a portal to the void and tag-teaming Mr. Dr. Eggman with Rebel, Knucks, and Rusty Rose. With the Council gone, Nine used the Paradox Prism's energy for the last time, finally restoring the other Shatterspaces, including Ghost Hill, which transformed into Green Hill. Before saying goodbye to Sonic, Nine gave him a hug.^[18]

Game appearances[]

Sonic Dash[]

In Sonic Dash, Nine appears as one of the playable characters. In this game, he can be unlocked after obtaining 500 of his Character Cards.

Image	Rarity	Affinity Bonus	Upgrade Profile
			Power-Up	Max Duration
	Legendary	N/A	Dash Boost	8.2s
			x2 Multiplier	15.7s
			Magnet	15.7s
			Shield	12.6s
			Headstart	7.3s

Sonic Forces: Speed Battle[]

In Sonic Forces: Speed Battle, as promotion for the premiere of Sonic Prime, Nine was added as a playable character in the version 4.13.0 update. In this game, he has the following gameplay characteristics:

Image	Rarity	Stats	Items
			Projectile	Boost	Trap
	Special	Speed: 9/10 Acceleration: 9/10 Strength: 9/10	Energy Cannon	Metal March	Explosive Mine

Sonic Dash+ / Sonic Prime Dash[]

In Sonic Dash+ and Sonic Prime Dash, Nine, who is referred to as "Tails Nine" in-game, appears as one of the playable characters. In Sonic Dash+, he can be unlocked by obtaining 500 of his Character Tokens. In Sonic Prime Dash however, he is one of the characters who is gifted to the player after the game's tutorial is completed.

Image	Affinity Bonus	Unlock Requirement	Upgrade Profile
			Power-Up	Highest level
		Obtain 500 / Complete Game Tutorial	Dash Boost	10
			x2 Multiplier	11
			Magnet	11
			Shield	9
			Headstart	9

Sonic Speed Simulator[]

In Sonic Speed Simulator, Nine appeared as a playable character during the Gotta Snow Fast event.

Character	Unlocking requirement	Bonus Stat(s)	Rarity
Nine	Collect 150,000 Gingerbread Cookies during "Gotta Snow Fast Event" Purchase for Robux during: Gotta Snow Fast Event Reborn Update New Yoke City (persistent) Resistance Rebound Update (included in "Prime Bundle") Dodon Pa Update (included in "Dodon Pa Update Bundle") Vector's Investigation Event / Riders Vector Update (included in "Tails Bundle") Summer Sonic UGC Event (included in "Prime Bundle") Hill Top + Blaze Update (included in "Tails Bundle") Maid Blaze Event Fast Friends Update (included in "Tails Bundle")	+2 Magnet	Legendary

Personality[]

Nine is a troubled kid who suffered years of bullying because of his twin tails, without a Sonic to support him in his own reality. Being an outcast for so many years has made him bitter and cynical, in stark contrast to his mainstream counterpart. This causes him to isolate himself and react aggressively, resorting to violence when he feels threatened.

While the original Tails was a little shy of strangers and liked working alone in his lab, Nine is completely self-isolating and avoids any physical contact with people. Growing up in solitude has turned Nine into a selfish loner who puts his own well-being above everything else, because no one else will. This makes him very opportunistic. Though Nine is capable of acts of good, he is not very dependable due to having his own personal agenda of living in an "ideal safe space."

After Sonic saves his life and becomes his friend, Nine gradually opens up to him, seeing Sonic as his only friend among years of solitude. He even comes back to help Sonic and the Resistance fight the Chaos Council, helping them win the battle. Nine still possesses Tails' bravery. He frequently challenges Sonic with his sarcastic remarks, engages in battle without hesitation, and confronts the Chaos Council boldly while being held captive. He also has a dry sense of humor.

When Sonic tried to impose his perception of Tails onto Nine, his trust in Sonic vanished, believing Sonic couldn't see him as his own person. Nine's bitterness only got worse from using the Paradox Prism in its unstable state. His selfishness and hostility grew to the point where he would risk the whole Shatterverse for the singular goal of turning the Grim into his own home and paradise, even putting innocents in danger and fighting Sonic and his allies to get what he wants, which is Sonic's own Shatter energy to stabilize the Grim. He also grew more sadistic, smugly smiling after seeing his counterparts Mangey and Sails seemingly blown up and constantly putting Sonic down at his lowest points. When the heroes gained the advantage, however; Nine's composure increasingly faltered as the odds against him became clear. After Sonic finally knocked him off his perch, Nine went ballistic with rage and would savagely attack the hedgehog, until the rest of the heroes stormed his lab and cornered him.

For all his negative traits, Nine is not bereft of empathy. When Sonic showed him how his actions had drove the Shatterverse to near destruction and assured that he never meant to hurt him, Nine finally realized he went too far and came to his senses, breaking down in sadness and remorse at having let things get this bad. As such, once he and Sonic had reconciled, Nine wasted no time redeeming himself when given the chance, helping defeat the Chaos Council for good and restoring the other Shatterspaces and Green Hill as promised.

Powers and abilities[]

Nine can use his two natural tails to fly, exactly as his mainstream counterpart does, he also uses his seven mechanical tails too. However, it is shown all throughout all three seasons that he can still use his normal tails to fly whenever his mechanical tails are occupied.

Like his mainstream counterpart, Nine is a genius, but he is even more focused on science than his counterpart. He is also an excellent hacker, capable of hacking even the Chaos Council's own tech. Nine is also capable of manipulating tricky situations to his advantage.

Nine was able to discover a way to use the red Prism Shard to enter what he dubbed the Shatterverse, a feat only Sonic had formerly been capable of, by creating a unique ship with a new piece of tech he dubbed a "Shatter Drive" to make portals in order to travel into the alternate dimensions, which he dubbed as Shatterspaces. Though Nine admits that the Shatter Drive tech is still in development, this is especially notable as the technology involved is beyond what the Chaos Council are capable of or even thought possible, and thus required them to capture Nine so as to make him personally equip their technology with such capabilities.

Equipment[]

Nine has seven mechanical tails, which he uses in combat to defend himself, but can also use them to scuttle along walls and uneven surfaces like a spider, and to type on a keyboard in place of his hands and has even used them to hold juice while he builds his inventions. He also sits on them and uses them like a chair. They are also capable of absorbing and utilizing the power of the Paradox Prism and manipulate the Prism Energy for his own usage.

Prism Power[]

After taking the four Prism Shards for himself and rebuilding the Paradox Prism with the one he left in The Grim, Nine gains the unlimited power of the gemstone. This gives him immense power with the implications he can use all the powers the former Prism Shards showcased for himself. With it, Nine could alter the surrounding area around him and manipulate the Prism Energy for recreational use or destructive power. With Nine claiming that with the full power, he could remake all of The Grim into a new world.

With the Paradox Prism, Nine is capable of drawing on the Prism's unlimited energy with his mechanical tails, such as manipulating and transforming matter, telekinesis, creating protective barriers, projecting energy beams, creating portals, empowering technology, and much more. However, due to using the Paradox Prism in its unstable state, the decay of The Grim and the rest of the Shatterverse deteriorated further. Also, despite using his mechanical tails to utilize the energy for him, Nine's physical condition grew worse as he was unable to handle the constant usage of the Prism Energy, which also affected his mental state.

Relationships[]

Sonic the Hedgehog[]

Nine did not have the best first encounter with Sonic the Hedgehog, mistaking him for an enemy and attacking him. However, upon being saved by the hedgehog from a train, the fox softened up to him. Afterwards, Nine allies himself with Sonic by giving him Regulator’s which enhanced his shoes and gloves and asking for nothing in return, although he also often grows annoyed with Sonic’s recklessness and often makes snarky remarks towards him.^[1] He was also deeply concerned when Sonic was dragged into the Prism Shard and understood that it was not Sonic's fault.

By the time they meet again in The Grim, Nine immediately saves Sonic from the trouble he was in against the Chaos Council, and helps him battle the Chaos Council. Soon after, he brings Sonic to an empty dimension and proposes they can use Prism Energy to start a new, better universe. When Sonic expressed a desire to help the rebels in New Yoke City first, Nine is disappointed, but does not force him to stay, and then returns to aid him despite claiming he wouldn't. After being captured by the Chaos Council, Nine manages to convince them not to kill Sonic. Nine was steamed because the Council want to torture Sonic when they capture him.

After being rescued and brought to Ghost Hill to restore the Paradox Prism, Nine reveals there is a fifth shard and he never intended to use the Prism to restore Green Hill but use it to transform the Grim Shatterspace into the home he wants. Sonic tries to convince him otherwise, but they argue about how Sonic just jumps into situations with no idea of the outcome, assuming Nine would go along with what he wanted like the original Tails and never considering what Nine wanted or what would happen to Nine and the Shatterverse once his reality was fixed. In the end, Nine betrays Sonic and takes the Prism Shards to the Grim alone, deciding the only person he can trust is himself.

After realizing that the Grim is starting to decay and he needs Sonic’s Prism energy to stabilize it, he sent his troops to capture Sonic. However, after realizing he went too far with decaying the whole Shatterverse, Nine apologized to Sonic. When Sonic sacrificed his energy and was about to go, Nine hugged him reconciling with him becoming friends again.

Rebel Rouge and Renegade Knucks[]

Rebel Rouge and Renegade Knucks rescued Sonic and Nine from the Chaos Council. They form a quick bond, as they all work together to fight the Eggforcers and find the red Shard. When Rebel, Knucks, and Rusty Rose are trapped by the Council, they expect Nine to help them, but are disappointed when they see him leaving them behind instead. Since then, both Rebel and Knucks always speak of him as a traitor, often calling him Sonic's "traitor fox friend". They remain on bad terms until the very end, when they give Nine a chance after he promises to fix the Shatterverse.

Shadow the Hedgehog[]

Nine first met Shadow the Hedgehog in the Void, assuming that he and Sonic were twins, though the latter corrected him. The black hedgehog thought Nine could not be trusted when he tried to warn Sonic, as it turned out he was correct, because Shadow was visibly angry when Nine betrayed them. Later on, when they confronted Nine in the Grim, Shadow tried to get Sonic to see that Nine couldn't be redeemed and he didn't want anything to do with Sonic. At the end of the battle, Shadow finally sees Nine as an ally, and Nine repays the favor by helping him and Sonic return to their world.

Friends/allies[]

• Alpha Grim Amy
• Alpha Grim Sonic
• Alpha Grim Big
• Alpha Grim Birdie
• Alpha Grim Knuckles
• Alpha Grim Rouge
• The Kraken's crew
  • Knuckles the Dread
  • Batten Rouge
  • Black Rose
  • Catfish
  • Froggy
  • Rusty Rose
  • Sails Tails (No Place counterpart)
• Grim Troopers
• Jack
• Resistance
  • Rebel Rouge
  • Renegade Knucks
  • Denizen 1998
  • Froggy
  • Squad Commander Red
• Scavengers
  • Thorn Rose
  • Mangey Tails (Boscage Maze counterpart)
  • Gnarly Knuckles
  • Prim Rouge
  • Hangry Cat
  • Froggy
  • Birdie
• Shadow the Hedgehog
• Sonic the Hedgehog

Enemies[]

• Chaos Council
  • Dr. Babble
  • Dr. Deep
  • Dr. Done-It
  • Dr. Don't
  • Mr. Dr. Eggman
  • Chaos Sonic
• Prismatic Titan

Quotes[]

Trivia[]

• Nine could be inspired by the Kitsune, or fox spirits, from Japanese folklore, who possess many tails.
  • Additionally, his name is also a reference to these creatures if changing the order of the name.
    • Presumably, in-universe "Nine" is his nickname instead of "Tails," with him still being Miles Prower.
• Despite featuring seven robotic tails in Sonic Prime and in-game, making Nine have a grand total of nine tails, on his official render from Sonic Forces: Speed Battle, Nine is incorrectly depicted with only six robotic tails, thus looking like he's 1 robotic tail short.
  • It is possible that the seventh is simply behind one of his natural tails.
• Nine's stats in Sonic Forces: Speed Battle are all the number nine, which is a pun on his name.
• In the Latin Spanish dub, Nine is called like in English, but in episodes six through eight, his name was translated to "Nueve", which means "Nine" in Spanish.
  • However, after the release of the series, those same episodes, his name got redubbed changing his name back to "Nine".

References[]