Over the years there have been a lot of characters included in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. From one-off villains to beloved side characters, Sonic games have them all. When Great Eastern Entertainment announced their new lineup of Sonic plush dolls, however, one of the included characters left even some of the most diehard Sonic fans scratching their heads. Mephiles the Dark is one of the characters getting their own doll alongside much more recognizable characters like Knuckles the echidna, Dr. Robotnik, and one of the franchise's mascots the Chao.
If someone doesn't know who Mephiles is, it is understandable, as he's not the most iconic character from the series and has only appeared in a handful of Sonic titles – and only gets top billing in one. As such, he's a much more obscure Sonic character than most, which makes his inclusion in Great Eastern Entertainment's plush line a little puzzling. That doesn't mean he shouldn't be included, as there are bound to be some Mephiles fans out there excited for him to get some sort of recognitio. Still, he's an obscure character to pull out of the pantheon of other, more well known Sonic characters.
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Who is Mephiles in Sonic the Hedgehog?
Mephiles only has one notable Sonic appearance and, unfortunately for him, it was in the infamous 2006 franchise reboot Sonic the Hedgehog, more commonly known at Sonic 06. Although Sonic 06 wasn't as disliked by more diehard fans of the franchise as it was by critics and casual Sonic fans, it was absolutely a low point for the series. Mephiles was one of the game's main antagonists but hasn't made much of an appearance in other games following 06.
In Sonic 06, Mephiles is a manifestation of the evil desires and mind of the sun god Solaris. To contain Solaris, the god was split into two pieces: Mephiles and Iblis. Mephiles was trapped inside the Scepter or Book of Darkness by Shadow when he traveled back in time with Silver to try and stop Iblis' destruction of the world in the future. Mephiles later escapes the Scepter of Darkness and takes a similar likeness to Shadow.
During the final act of the game, Mephiles kills Sonic only for him to be revived by the power of the Chaos Emeralds and a kiss from Elise, the human princess of the land of Soleanna. After being revived, Sonic joins Shadow and Silver in destroying Mephiles once and for all after he merged with Iblis to become the full god Solaris.
Which Sonic Games is Mephiles in?
Because he dies in Sonic 06, Mephiles isn't really in a whole lot of other Sonic games. He appears as a collectible card in Sonic Rivals 2 and an image of him and Sonic appears during the credits of Sonic Generations. The only other game where he makes a significant appearance is the mobile game Sonic Runners where he's a playable runner. He was notably absent from Sonic Forces which featured a lot of past Sonic villains despite some of their deaths.
It seems like Sonic Team has put Mephiles on the shelf for now, as he hasn't been reused for much following Sonic 06. There's a chance that he could return for future games in the series, but as of right now, there's been no word on if he'll be in the upcoming Sonic Rangers. Some might think that his exclusion from the franchise is because Sonic Team is trying to put distance between itself and the poor reception that the 2006 Sonic game received. However, Silver was also introduced in the game and has made numerous appearances, so that doesn't seem entirely accurate. As such, there may still be some hope for Mephiles fans.
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