Doctor Robotnik is the main antagonist of Sonic Underground. He is similar to his counterpart in Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM).

The character is depicted as a nefarious dictator who was assisted in his villainous schemes by Sleet and Dingo. He serves as the archenemy of Sonic the Hedgehog and his siblings, Sonia and Manic.

He was voiced by Garry Chalk, who also voiced Grounder in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Appearance[]

His design reuses his one from the previous Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM), though with a few minor color changes: the lower half of his outfit is red instead of black, the soles and toe caps of his shoes from are yellow instead of red, also his cape is red other than being yellow, his collar being orange instead of yellow, and the skin of his right bicep is completely covered.

Doctor Robotnik also has many different design changes. First off, he has a longer and more colored mustache then in the normal games. He also has an all metal arms after an incident that happened to him in the Underground. He also wears a long belt going around his waist. He wears shorter more colorful boots and a red cape. He also wears big, heavy yellow shoulder pads to hold up the cape. Dr. Robotnik was modified specifically to look like he was a mechanic.

Biography[]

Robotnik was a consistent villain throughout the series, but didn't appear in many of the episodes. One of the major things he did was in the beginning where he tried to destroy Sonic, but it then backfired when Sonic foiled his plans. He only captured Sonic successfully one time, and Manic multiple times. One of the more famous episodes was where Sonia was faced with a choice to save either Manic or Sonic. He is also notable for roboticizing Sonic's Uncle Chuck, Sonia's adoptive mother Lady Windimere, and Manic's adoptive father Ferral.

In the series finale, Robotnik is defeated when 3 robots controlled by Sonic, Manic, and Sonia crashed into Robotropolis causing an explosion with Sonic stating "Game over, Robuttnik!".

Personality[]

Robotnik is a cultured, refined, and snobbish aristocrat who's mastery of engineering is matched only by his Machiavellian leadership skills. As well as being a brutal dictator, Robotnik also leads through manipulation, granting or withholding privileges in order to divide and generate friction among the masses and keep them loyal to him. Indeed, the wealthy elite can live prosperous, comfortable lives, while the lower working class cowers in fear. Any who object to this are targeted by Robotnik's troops and roboticized, stripping them of their free will. Robotnik is something of a Social Darwinist, and firmly believes those who are weak or cannot serve him any purpose or function are unworthy of freedom, and therefore need to be improved upon by being turned into robots. Despite this, he shares some of his AoStH counterpart's traits such as being silly and bumbling to the point it's played for comedy whenever some of his plots to kill or inconvience Sonic is foiled repeatedly.

Robotnik seems to show disdain for casual hobbies or emotional attachments, and does not indulge in hedonistic pursuits himself, preferring to devote his waking hours to bringing about order and expanding his influence. The only time he ever really seems happy is when he is harming others. While he can at times be a little eccentric, he is willing to commit mass murder of babies and even kill underperforming minions, rendering him a complete sociopath. In fact, he is so obsessed with power that he would sooner die along with the entire world if he cannot rule it himself.

It is heavily implied that he is not a fan of music, since he was the one resposible for its ban, but he allowed music to be played at his alleged wedding to Queen Aleena in "Wedding Bell Blues".

Gallery[]

An unused design of Robotnik in promotional material. (Note: shoulder pads are incorrectly yellow as opposed to red)

Doctor Robotnik's evil grin.

a common animation error

The good Robotnik from an alternate dimension.

Trivia[]

• His official artwork is notably reused and digitally retraced from the one of his SatAM counterpart, but with the said above changes.
• Many of his artwork and DVD cover depictions show that his shoulder pads are yellow, whereas in the actual show they are red.
• A prototype image of the show depicts him with normal eyes rather than black and red. He even has some other variations in appearence such as his left arm, and his left hand having sharp fingers as apposed to normal.
• According to an early production document, Robotnik was going to have a thin twin brother named Grotty (short for "grotesque"), but he was scrapped for unknown reasons.
• Unlike his previous appearance in SatAM, in some scenes, his red eyes can be seen with black pupils which his AoStH design has.
• This incarnation of the doctor can be seen as a goofier version of his SatAM counterpart, similar to that of his AoStH potrayal, albeit not as goofy.
• In early production stages, Scratch and Grounder (Robotnik's two robotic henchmen from Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog) were planned to return in Underground as Robotnik's henchmen, possibly as accomplices to Sleet and Dingo, with early pre-production having the two listed as "Robotnik's dumb-bots". However, they were scrapped for unknown reasons. While neither Scratch nor Grounder are seen or mentioned in the series, their voice actors, Garry Chalk and Phil Hayes, voice Robotnik and Bartleby MontClair, respectively.
• As the series was cancelled before it was ever completed, even though Dr. Robotnik is defeated in the final episode, his defeat was implied to not be permanent just like in much of the other episodes preceding the series finale, and as Sonic and his siblings were apparently never able to find their mother and fulfill the prophecy from the Oracle, it was never revealed if Sonic, Sonia and Manic restored peace on Mobius or if Doctor Robotnik defeated and robotized them, making this version of Robotnik not only a Karma Houdini (as he was never completely punished for his actions), but also one of the few versions of Dr. Eggman who was successful after all in taking over the world.
  • Regarding the above, Archie Comics writer Ian Flynn initially intended to write an epilogue for Sonic Underground in the issue which ultimately became Sonic Universe #50, which would have likely concluded the series' narrative as well the fates of both Sonic, his brothers, their mother and Doctor Robotnik. However, as all Sonic Underground-material was off-limits, Flynn's epilogue proposal was dropped and replaced with a Metal Sonic story due to material of the show itself being off-limits, as revealed by Flynn himself in 2012. With Sega ending its partnership with Archie in 2017 and starting a new Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series with IDW Publishing, such epilogue published by Archie is no longer a possibility.
  • However, as of the events of the Sonic & Mega Man: Worlds Collide crossover storyline published by Archie in 2013, Sonic's current multiverse ceased to exist when Dr. Eggman launched the Super Genesis Wave in conjunction with Dr. Wily, causing the Prime Zone to be irreversibly rewritten and the multiverse to collapse in on itself, destroying most prior known realities. As the Sonic Underground reality is implied to have been one of them, it's likely that all its inhabitants were wiped away from existence, possibly implying that Doctor Robotnik was wiped away as well, which means that he at least got his karma yet also with the deaths of both his allies and enemies too, even Sonic and his siblings.
    • However, the aforementioned is presumably only in the Archie Sonic universe; while Sonic Underground itself is canon to Archie, there is nothing to imply that the same goes with the inverse.

External Links[]

• Doctor Robotnik on the Sonic Wiki

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