Knuckles - Fun, Lighthearted Spin-Off Eases the Wait for Sonic 3 | Push Square

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Despite some early bumps in the road, Sonic the Hedgehog's live action movie adaptations have been a big success. A third film is due to arrive at the tail end of 2024, and if it's anything like its predecessors, it'll not only boom at the box office, but it'll also be another entertaining all-ages flick the whole family can enjoy. We have confidence it can achieve that after watching Knuckles, a TV mini-series spin-off that's just as fun as its big screen counterparts, if not more so.

Telling its story over six half-hour episodes, the show finds the titular echidna a little lost after saving the world and securing the Master Emerald in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Still warming up to Earth and its inhabitants, his ancestors have him take on a protégé to pass along his old tribe's teachings. Loveable police deputy Wade Whipple, played by Adam Pally, becomes his student. Tired of being a pushover — and to redeem himself after losing a place on his bowling team — the series quickly becomes a road-trip buddy tale as he learns the way of the echidna warrior.

The pairing works well; Whipple is a perfect foil to Knuckles' strong-headed, serious nature, which is brought to life with a great vocal performance from Idris Elba. The echidna isn't the only one handing out wisdom, as he learns the importance of having somewhere to call home. The series sees him warm to humanity as he and Whipple become friends, but it's not all sunshine and rainbows, of course.

Ex-agents from the mysterious government body G.U.N. are tracking down Knuckles, working for a power-hungry weapons dealer known as The Buyer. This antagonistic group catches up to our heroes on a few occasions throughout the series, and the clashes make for some entertaining action sequences.

While the battles aren't quite on the same scale as seen in the main movies, some of the comedy and more surreal moments are where this show shines brightest. It isn't taking itself too seriously at all, and makes for easy viewing thanks