Thursday, December 22, 2016

DEATH ANALYSIS: Knuckles the Echidna

"Born on an island in the heavens. The blood of my ancestors flows inside me. My duty is to protect the Master Emerald from evil deterioration." - Knuckles the Echidna

BIOGRAPHY


Name: Knuckles the Echidna

Debut: Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Species: Echidna

Gender: Male

Age: 16

Height: 3'7"

Weight: 88 lbs (40 kg)

Eye Color: Violet

BACKGROUND

Knuckles' Echidna ancestors were wiped out by Perfect Chaos and have been extinct for thousands of years due to their attempt in using the Master Emerald for power. Knuckles was brought into the world as the last remnant of the ancient Echidna tribe and has spent his entire life on a floating landmass known as Angel Island, his destiny and fate to be the guardian of the Master Emerald from the moment of his creation. While he is unaware of the entire story behind his being on Angel Island, he finds it be better that way and has nonetheless devoted himself to protecting the Master Emerald for the remainder of his life. Today, Knuckles is a best friend and ally to the series' main protagonist Sonic the Hedgehog and his sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower, being a valuable asset to Team Sonic, Knuckles has lent a strong helping hand (literally) in saving the world on numerous occasions.

During his debut in Sonic 3, Knuckles was initially seen as an enemy, because Dr. Eggman had tricked Knuckles into thinking that Sonic was stealing the Master Emerald. This lead Knuckles to believe that the evil being on the mural was Sonic, likely because Eggman had approached Knuckles first and presented himself as the hero. 

http://orig14.deviantart.net/31dd/f/2013/288/6/f/sonic_3__amp__knuckles_remake_by_keatonthfox-d6qlf4o.png (The mural which depicts a hero fighting the villain. Of note, in retro games the hero would always be moving from left to right and Eggman is seen on the left, so perhaps this was designed in this way to symbolically suggest that Eggman had made himself out to be the hero. It would explain how he initially tricked Knuckles, and to further support this argument, Knuckles waiting for Sonic in front of the mural is something I believe to be symbolism which shows why this red echidna was siding with Eggman the entire time)

(Gnoggin recaps some of what I was saying)

PERSONALITY

Being secluded from the outside world, Knuckles grew up believing in honesty, and while he is not stupid, he was not prepared for the manipulation and deceiving nature of Dr. Ivo Robotnik. Even after being shown the error of his ways, Eggman has been able to trick Knuckles since because Knuckles' belief in the kindness of others allowed him to give Eggman numerous chances, making him appear gullible. Knuckles is brave of heart, heroic, and strong-willed, and while he is quick to anger, he is calm and determined in battle. Knuckles is shy around girls, which may be an after-effect of living in isolation before being thrown into the Sonic the Hedgehog story. However, he will not hesitate to strike anyone just the same if they pose a threat to him or the Master Emerald and this is evidenced by his interactions with Rouge the Bat. While he would never admit it, Knuckles has become a bit envious of Sonic's lifestyle, being able to live carefree without anything holding him in one place, but even so, Knuckles' determination to protect the Master Emerald from ill use is set in stone and unshakable.

http://web.archive.org/web/20090217221441/http://www.sega.com/sonic/globalsonic/post_allabout.php?article=soniccharacters (states that Knuckles is cool and determined during battle despite being quick to anger), http://info.sonicretro.org/images/c/c1/Stt_gg_us_manual_02_03.jpg (states that Knuckles is indeed smart, though suggests he is a bit gullible at this time as Eggman managed to deceive him)

ADDRESSING THE GULLIBILITY ISSUE

One factor to consider when thinking about how Knuckles' gullibility was exploited is to examine the fact that Eggman would always speak of a material object that Knuckles was trying to protect, which lead Knuckles to become cautious and investigate the situation even if he did not believe it. I have already addressed the reasoning behind why Knuckles was tricked by Eggman in Sonic 3 up in the bio section so that I will not be repeating it again here. Moving on, in Sonic Adventure, Knuckles was told by Eggman that Sonic was after the Master Emerald and while Knuckles did express some doubt he still needed to investigate to be sure because it was mandatory that he restore it. After spotting Sonic from a distance, Knuckles noticed that Sonic was holding something green in his hands (a green Chaos Emerald), but merely mistook it as a shard of the Master Emerald, seemingly confirming Eggman's lie. http://youtu.be/YA_6jbigARE?t=43

It would be unfair to say that Eggman had tricked him and that he is gullible but fairer to say that Knuckles went to investigate and made a mistake because of the similarities between a green Chaos Emerald and a shard of the Master Emerald. Regarding the instance in Sonic Advance 2, it is unknown as to what Dr. Eggman had told Knuckles to get him to use one of his mechs and attack Sonic so I cannot make any conclusions about it. Now, I do admit that this instance would not do him good regarding the argument for the lack his gullibility if not for what I am going to cover next. It is most important to note that Knuckles' character traits have changed throughout the games, especially ever since Sonic Adventure 2/Sonic Heroes and onwards. He has seemingly become immune to Dr. Eggman's deceiving nature ever since and this supported by the fact that an occurrence where Knuckles has been tricked has not happened in a long time ( the exception being Sonic Colors). It is my theory that Knuckles has learned that Eggman cannot be trusted and that he cannot let his good nature get the best of him when Eggman comes forth. To support this idea, I have stumbled upon some evidence which confirms that my assumption was correct. After searching through a plethora of information, I have found something to negate claims which suggest that Knuckles is prone to be fooled like in the past.

http://info.sonicretro.org/images/8/8f/Srzg_wii_ca_manual_04-05.jpg (it states that while Knuckles' hard-headed demeanor can make him gullible, he has become wise to the trickery of Dr. Eggman and nowadays is quick to point out if something is off. This suggests that he has improved his psychological flaws and is not comparable to his past self, though he still can be gullible due to his hard-headed nature) Now that that has been covered, let's get to the fun stuff)


EQUIPMENT



Shovel Claw - The Shovel Claws are a pair of curved metal plates with spiked claws that can be attached to the tops of Knuckles' gloves, and in-game appearances, are specially made to allow Knuckles the ability to dig into the ground or inside walls. http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Shovel_Claw

 Note: In Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic Generations, Knuckles showed the capacity to dig without the need of the Shovel Claws. http://youtu.be/6u-QCYAlolg?t=50, http://youtu.be/bAkR3_K0eGI?t=17 Additionally, in Sonic Battle, Knuckles displays the ability to burrow underground via Spin Attack, meaning that even if he could not dig with his hands alone, he would have a natural option at his disposal. http://youtu.be/m6kR9kGDo-c?t=226

Hammer Gloves - The Hammer Gloves are a pair of knuckle duster-like gauntlets with red stripes, each connected to a green metal bracelet respectively. When obtained, they allow Knuckles' attacks to destroy iron crates in Sonic Adventure 2, and they leave a red energy trail when Knuckles is punching. http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Hammer_Gloves

Note: It is stated that Knuckles can punch through thick steel (Steel is harder than iron). Thus Knuckles could canonically break those iron crates on his own. http://web.archive.org/web/20080225070243/http://www.sonic-city.com/en/characters/knuckles/index.html (states that Knuckles can punch through thick steel), http://www.google.com/search?q=is+steel+harder+than+iron&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8 (states that steel is harder than iron)

Fighting Gloves - The Fighting Gloves are a pair of gloves exactly like Knuckles' regular gloves, but are colored yellow and have green cuffs. They allow Knuckles to charge up his power and release it to a group of enemies as a move called the Maximum Heat Knuckles Attack. The Fighting Gloves are equivalent to Sonic's and Shadow's Ancient Light.
http://info.sonicretro.org/Fighting_Gloves, http://info.sonicretro.org/Ancient_Light

Air Necklace - The Air Necklace consists of a necklace styled oxygen bottle that allows Knuckles to stay underwater for an unlimited amount of time without drowning.
http://info.sonicretro.org/Air_Necklace

Note: Knuckles has shown the uncanny ability to breathe in outer space. Thus this feat should technically negate the inability to breathe underwater, as water still has sources of Oxygen, whereas outer space does not, meaning he should canonically be capable of breathing underwater. However, this is still debatable, and I am not jumping to any conclusions, but I just thought I would point this out. http://youtu.be/z1hoK8p5BCk (breathing in space)

Sunglasses - A pair of unique sunglasses with blue lenses and a silver frame. When obtained, they allow Knuckles to see invisible objects, whatever they may be. http://info.sonicretro.org/Sunglasses


NOTABLE MOVES AND TECHNIQUES

Disclaimer: For those unaware, some techniques in Knuckles' move-set appear more than in one game, and because they are still officially dubbed as the same technique. I will be making composite versions of these methods by combining elements from all of its appearances to describe it as a whole and to exemplify its potency fully. So when you see the word "composite" next to a technique, you will be aware of what is being done. Now, I obviously could separate one version of the method from another and describe its process based on its appearance from that game. However, it is much easier to compile everything we know about from all of its appearances and define it as one, and the reason this can be done is that the majority of the technique is the same as its other appearances, but it just differentiates in a few cosmetic specs. To exemplify, Knuckles' Drill Claw from Sonic Adventure 2 creates afterimages, but the one in Sonic Advance 2 does not and instead has Knuckles engulfed in flames. Therefore, what I will be doing is combining those two properties into one to say that the technique creates afterimages and causes Knuckles to ignite, thus representing the technique in its composite form. I hope everyone understands, now let's move on.

Air Mole Bomb/Mole Bomb - While airborne, Knuckles throws a bomb downwards that is designed to work like a screw, and using this property, the bomb burrows itself into the ground, thus becoming invisible. For the bomb to detonate, it must do so upon contact with an opponent or will do so automatically if Knuckles plants another bomb. The regular Mole Bomb works the same way, except Knuckles plants the bomb while he is standing on the ground instead of being in midair. http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Air_Mole_Bomb, http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Mole_Bomb

Deep Impact - Knuckles performs a punch with such power than it creates a small but very powerful explosion at the culmination of his punch. http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Deep_Impact, http://youtu.be/m6kR9kGDo-c?t=294

Drill Claw (Composite) - As long as Knuckles is airborne, he will be able to perform the Drill Claw technique, in which he will rapidly whirl downwards through the air fists first. Due to the friction present from spinning so quickly, this technique causes Knuckles to ignite and descends fast enough to leave afterimages, while his drilling power is enough to bust through an indefinite amount of iron crates from top to bottom in quick succession. Also, when Knuckles wants to dig, he will often utilize this technique to gain extra momentum to burrow rapidly from the start. http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Drill_Claw

Spiral Upper (Composite) - When Knuckles performs the Spiral Upper, he shoots himself high in the air while spinning around, going fast enough to leave afterimages and spinning fast enough to make his fists ignite, where Knuckles then delivers a direct uppercut to whatever enemy that might be above him. http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Spiral_Upper

Fire Dunk - While airborne, Knuckles strikes an object with such force that it completely ignites, and upon contact, it explodes and damages everything in the vicinity. Also, Knuckles is also very accurate with this technique, as he can flawlessly strike opponents several meters away and land a solid blow every time. http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Fire_Dunk, http://youtu.be/dSuBYuFYaEg?t=57 (landing solid blows from several meters away)

Ground Shaker - Knuckles jumps into the air and then dives straight downward with fists first while whirling his body, and when he impacts the ground with his fists, the force creates a disruptive ripple along the surface to damage his surroundings. The result not only damages enemies but additionally paralyzes them and leaves them immobile. http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Ground_Shaker

Hammer Punch (Composite) - Knuckles slightly goes airborne, then strikes the ground with an incredibly powerful punch on the way down, which triggers a massive earthquake throughout a wide area and triggers a widespread eruption with large columns of fire erupting from the place which was struck. The tremor is powerful enough to cause characters to lose their footing and become stunned for a bit. http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Hammer_Punch, http://youtu.be/CI_d2gkDUKY?t=30

Homing Attack - As its name suggests, the Homing Attack allows a user to home directly into a nearby enemy with a target-seeking midair spin attack. The success rate of the Homing Attack is 100% so long as it is moving faster than its target, and if the target attempts to evade it, it will indefinitely continue to pursue them if the user wills it. The force of this attack causes it to bounce off of its target and can be chained to attack an indefinite amount of times in quick succession at either a single opponent or multiple ones. http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Homing_Attack

Knuckle Slam - Knuckles jumps into the air and charges up energy, then punches the ground with his fists, creating a large column of read energy, after which, a full red field made of bursts of fire and minor exploding shock-waves surround Knuckles. The power of this move instantly destroys any breakable/damageable obstacle, whatever it may be. However, despite that this technique can allow continuous damage to Knuckles' opponent, it still hits with the force of standard attacks. Also, the exact amount of time that Knuckles can continue this technique is difficult to pinpoint, given that it is based on a gauge, which in most cases works as a game mechanic to restrict spamming. Thus it is pretty likely that Knuckles must canonically charge the move for some time before he can execute it. http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Knuckle_Slam

Knuckles Guard - By using earth elementals, Knuckles raises one of his fists to brace himself from incoming attacks, which briefly forms a spherical field signified by purple pulses that emanate from Knuckles, and this defense is durable enough that it can block any attack(s). http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Knuckles_Guard

Knuckles Heal - By using earth elementals, Knuckles can quickly heal his wounds. http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Knuckles_Heal

Major Eruption - Knuckles curls up into a ball and burrows underground, and after about 5 seconds, upon which he may move around underground to choose where he wants to come out, he will finally emerge and deliver an uppercut. http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Major_Eruption, http://youtu.be/m6kR9kGDo-c?t=233

Maximum Heat Knuckles Attack - While equipped with the Fighting Gloves, Knuckles can attack all nearby enemies in a chain at high speed via a Power Glide with the same amount of force as the Light Speed Attack, this Upgrade is the red echidna's analog to Sonic's Ancient Light. http://info.sonicretro.org/Maximum_Heat_Knuckles_Attack

Meteor Crush - Using the supernatural power of the earth, Knuckles summons a meteor that falls at high speed to attack his opponent(s). http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Meteor_Crush

Power Flash - Knuckles releases a flash of light (possibly mystical) which depletes the opponent's movement for up to 30 seconds. http://info.sonicretro.org/images/0/09/SA2BGC_US_manual_0022.jpg, http://youtu.be/CI_d2gkDUKY?t=35

Rock Free Fall - Using his physical strength, Knuckles picks up a boulder from beneath and hurls it at his opponent. http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Rock_Free_Fall, http://youtu.be/m6kR9kGDo-c?t=230

Screwdriver - Knuckles does a forward dash through mid-air fists first and rapidly whirls his body, turning himself into a flaming drilling projectile. http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Screwdriver

Spin Dash: One of the most renowned techniques from the Sonic the Hedgehog series where the user (in this case, Knuckles) crouches and performs an oval-shaped charge (called the Spin Charge). They then blast off as a high speed rolling attack with enough power to easily shred through a row of enemies or break down walls. http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Spin_Dash

Thunder Arrow: Knuckles summons several lightning bolts above his opponent, wherever they might be, and upon impact, the lightning bolts deal damage and disorientate the opponent for several seconds. http://info.sonicretro.org/File:SA2BGC_US_manual_0022.jpg, http://youtu.be/CI_d2gkDUKY?t=32

Uppercut - While in front of his opponent, Knuckles focuses a punch into a powerful uppercut that possesses enough force to pierce armor and damage the opponent directly. http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Uppercut

Volcanic Dunk - Knuckles slightly jumps into the air, and then punches into the ground with his fist, and depending on how hard Knuckles hits the field, the results will vary. Knuckles will either hit the ground and create a slight tremor which releases a fiery shockwave that damages enemies within close range to it or he hits the ground and forms a bigger flaming shockwave and creates a larger earthquake. This causes attack radius to be increased by a couple of meters and the resulting damage dealt is doubled, or Knuckles punches into the ground to create a powerful volcanic eruption for a few seconds which makes fireballs spew out of the ground, capable of damaging airborne enemies if contact with the fireballs is made. http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Volcanic_Dunk


STRENGTH AND PUNCHING POWER


Knuckles' trademark ability is his immense superhuman physical strength, so vast that he can turn massive boulders into dust, punch through thick steel and lift objects several times his size and weight with ease. Knuckles' strength is said to be equal to Sonic's speed; taking Sonic's normal speed (Mach 1) would mean that Knuckles is capable of casually lifting and pressing 100 metric tons. Naturally, as Sonic can run beyond Mach 1, Knuckles is, therefore, capable of lifting beyond 100 metric tons in correspondence. Knuckles' strength seems to lie in his upper body, particularly in his arms and fists, the latter of which are noted to be 'rock-hard,' and with them, he is capable of creating fissures, tremors, and even small volcanic eruptions by punching the ground. Knuckles can additionally hit with such power that the hydrogen molecules split in the air which causes him to leave trails of fire behind his punches, and his punches can even create explosions with enormous power. In Sonic Heroes, he has shown to pack enough force in his punches to where he can hit objects through the air and cause them to ignite. However, even more impressively, it is shown that Knuckles packs enough force in his punches to hit Sonic into a Light Attack, meaning that his punches exert 1.57e18 joules, that is over seven times stronger than the Tsar Bomba; nearly 400 megatons of energy. This would give him enough power to destroy New York City thousands of times over. On top of his punches having much power behind them, Knuckles is also capable of punching in rapid succession. To put into perspective, in Sonic Riders, Knuckles was capable of landing four blows alongside an uppercut to Storm while he was riding his Extreme Gear at high speed. Note that this is all happened within arm's length and Knuckles was capable of punching fast enough to stop and lift Storm off of his feet while he is only inches away from him. Even so, he was capable of disallowing him the ability to either pass him up or collide into him despite that he was moving at high speed.

Calculation: Knuckles' Strength Predicated On Sonic Running Mach 1

A 100-ton object requires a force that is at least equal to 1,000,000 newtons
Force x distance = Work = Energy
To figure out the number of joules Sonic produces when moving Mach 1, we use the Kinetic Energy formula, which is 1/2 x M X V^2; thus 0.5 x 35
(Sonic's mass in kilograms) x 340^2 (Mach 1), which would be equal 2,026,452 joules
Work needed to lift a 100-ton object for a distance of 2 meters is also 2 million joules, therefore, if Knuckles' strength is equal to Sonic's speed, then he should have enough energy to lift a 100-ton object 2 meters, no problem since his arms do not even extend that far.

Calculation: Power of Knuckles' Punch That Sent Sonic Into A Light Attack

We have to use Newtonian Mechanics because reality requires an infinite amount of energy for Sonic to move at the speed of light.
Thus we have to use the Kinetic Energy Equation
The equation for kinetic energy is 1/2m(v^2), where m = mass, and v = velocity
In this case, the mass is 35 kg and the velocity is the speed of light (c)
35 / 2 = 17.5 kg
c^2 = 8.98755179e16 m/s
17.5 (8.98755179e16) = 1.57e18 joules.
That is seven times stronger than the Tsar Bomba.

Sources:

http://youtu.be/Zcv9kaZs9HI?t=19 (Knuckles shatters boulders)

http://sonicrunners.sega-net.com/en/index.html (states that Knuckles can turn massive boulders into dust)

http://web.archive.org/web/20080225070243/http://www.sonic-city.com/en/characters/knuckles/index.html (states that Knuckles is as powerful as Sonic is fast and that Knuckles can punch through thick steel)


http://youtu.be/CI_d2gkDUKY?t=30(causes powerful tremor that affects the entire vicinity; tremor is robust enough to make characters fall)

http://youtu.be/ovlFVatRpds?t=492 (creates volcanic eruptions)

http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Deep_Impact (hydrogen-splitting punches)

http://youtu.be/Amm-y-4kSaM?t=563 (punches are hard enough to ignite objects; for a clearer view, see photo above)

http://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_Overdrive (information on Team Blast); http://youtu.be/QmcyehtoWMY?t=89 (Knuckles hits Sonic into a Light Attack)

http://youtu.be/LAM5TdgP4sM?t=57 (one example that proves Sonic games are not being played in real time and are massively slowed down at certain points in order to be playable by humans; when Sonic does the Light Speed Attack, his movements can be followed by the human eye, which should be physically impossible) http://info.sonicretro.org/Yuji_Naka_and_Takashi_Iizuka_interview_for_Sonic_Heroes_website (more proof; in this interview, Yuji Naka outright states that the signature gameplay of Sonic games is "light speed action" and that it's a tough task to create a game with this concept, but just before anyone shouts "hyperbole", no, that isn't the case, and the proof is the games themselves. Naka cannot be exaggerating because we have seen that light speed moving techniques can be followed by human eyes, which is physically impossible. As for why Naka noted that it is difficult, the reasons have already been addressed; the games need to be based on the concept of having light speed action, yet still be playable by humans. This is a challenging because we do not want a Sonic game to feel sluggish, we want it to be fast, yet we obviously want to be able to react accordingly and not run into everything as well. Naka's statement is not an exaggeration because it is backed up by many instances which would negate the possibility of human reflexes being capable of handling them)

http://youtu.be/M7rVMMUSKzQ?t=352 (video starts at that point to show how fast the Extreme Gear riders are moving; Knuckles executes a combo fast enough that, despite Storm moving this fast and being within arm's length from Knuckles. He was still able to do four punches followed by an uppercut before Storm could go past him or even collide into him)

FOOTSPEED

Knuckles' upper body strength is impressive, but his lower body is nothing to sneeze at, as he possesses the ability to run at breakneck speeds, and to such a degree that he has no issue keeping up with both Sonic and Shadow's speeds. He can even keep up with the latter's when he uses his Hover Shoes, which Sonic Battle states is when Shadow is moving at supersonic speed. Even so, Knuckles has no issue keeping up with him in Shadow the Hedgehog when he is using them for transportation. Knuckles' ability to break the sound barrier is further evidence by Sonic Advance 2, in which Knuckles would visually create a Mach cone after running long enough, thus activating the 'Boost Mode,' the period in which a character is running at faster than the speed of sound.


Sources:

http://youtu.be/Uvfp6QiVB0M?t=191 (Sonic is running through the desert, obviously at his trademark speed, which everyone knows is Mach 1)

http://youtu.be/Uvfp6QiVB0M?t=233 (does Knuckles seem worried about keeping up? No, he is pretty confident and can't wait to smash some Eggman. He hops out of the Tornado alongside Tails and proceeds to run after Sonic at the same speed Sonic has been running the whole time)

http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Shadow_Run (states that Shadow runs beyond supersonic and Sonic's trademark speed (Mach 1) when utilizing his Hover Shoes)

http://youtu.be/C1NvKuv01z0?t=171 (Shadow using his Hover Shoes; Knuckles keeping up with no issue)

http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Sonic_Advance_2#Trivia (states that the when the Boost Mode is activated, this is when the sound barrier is broken),

http://youtu.be/j6busIFYFU0 (sound barrier is broken, evident by purple cone)

DURABILITY AND ENDURANCE

Knuckles possesses near-maximized physical endurance to match his astounding strength, allowing him the capability of taking as much extreme punishment as he can dish out, which is supported by numerous feats of impressive durability. These include easily tanking a bomb that exploded in front of him and was meant to kill him, and not being phased by exploding battleships, being in outer space with no problem, going through atmospheric reentry and landing on the ground afterward unharmed. Also, despite that his fists receive an opposite reaction when he is punching at high forces, he is not phased by the recoil regardless of what Knuckles is hitting or how hard he is hitting it. Knuckles additionally has enough stamina to hold out against an army of enemies, such as Eggman's robots without rest. As a testament to Knuckles' durability and adaptability, he has been shown to handle nearly any environment, such as deserts, tundras, jungles, mountains, thunderclouds, volcanoes, and outer space.

Sources:


http://youtu.be/r7gG5Ta6YCU?t=200 (tanks being inside of an exploding battleship)

http://youtu.be/fIZb52Ef21E?t=1263 (tanks atmospheric reentry unharmed)

http://youtu.be/Tq7p27PiwY4?t=112 (taking on an army of robots)




http://youtu.be/Gd4xuh4YC3g?t=10 (mountainous environment)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1hoK8p5BCk (unaffected by the harsh conditions of outer space)

PHYSICAL ABILITIES

By stretching his arms and legs outwards while airborne, Knuckles can catch the air under his dread-lock-like spines, allowing him to glide long distances through mid-air indefinitely and with excellent control over his movements. If found in an upwards draft, this can also be used to fly, even while holding two others of similar mass in a form known as the Triangle Dive. Likewise, Knuckles is a very experienced swimmer, which allows him to dive into incredible depths with both great speed and skill. Of note, where Sonic sinks like a rock in water, Knuckles can remain relatively buoyant by trapping air bubbles in his dread-lock spines much like he does air when gliding. Additionally, by using the spikes on his fists, Knuckles can attach himself to walls and climb any surface with great speed and ease, no matter the material. Knuckles is also a proficient at burrowing and can dig into nearly any wall or floor and excels at tunneling through subterranean regions with great speed, even to such a degree to where he can equal Classic Sonic's jogging speed in Generations. Knuckles is also shown to have sharp reflexes and acrobatic skills, enough to allow him the ability to grind on rails at speeds and talent equal to Sonic's, which gives him the agility to jump from rail-to-rail and evade incoming obstacles. Even more impressively was Knuckles being fired from a cannon and being able to have excellent control over his movements all while rapidly spinning and never showing any sign of vertigo upon traveling in this fashion, meaning that Knuckles must possess great reaction time and excellent athleticism. Though that is not the end of it, as Knuckles is additionally capable of leaping to impressive heights and across remarkable distances, a testament to said athleticism.

http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Glide, http://youtu.be/Riz4rvVr0Iw?t=28 (showing the ability to glide with proficient control over his movements),

http://youtu.be/aDyXHx4Rk48?t=255 (using air currents to fly, even while holding two others of similar mass)

http://youtu.be/NeOqOY1fFiI?t=249 (proficient swimming skills)

http://youtu.be/NeOqOY1fFiI?t=85 (adept climbing abilities)

http://youtu.be/0LKvqMSRVSo?t=28 (good reaction time; saves Rouge fast enough to break her fall and possibly even before she realized that she could fly),

http://youtu.be/ImOO7JUo1H0?t=57 (sharp reflexes and acrobatic skills; the camera is centered towards Sonic, but watch in the background as Knuckles is showing precision, athleticism, and acrobatics on par with Sonic's. Remember, this is all happening after a battleship blows up, and Team Sonic is hopping from one piece of debris to another as it is rapidly scattering through the air, all with high speed and relative ease.) http://youtu.be/xb0pyrBkbcY?t=340 (Fired from cannon, spins quickly, able to control his movements enough to choose the option of evading or going into an object, and no signs of vertigo after stopping)

http://youtu.be/PoUCKOHgJKY?t=71 (burrowing roughly equal to Classic Sonic running, granted it is not what Classic Sonic's top speed is during gameplay, but this is impressive nonetheless)

http://youtu.be/BjnWv1zQnP0?t=251 (high jumping abilities), http://youtu.be/aDyXHx4Rk48?t=237 (Knuckles, Sonic, and Tails jumping up and across a vast distance)

COMBAT SKILLS

Being the guardian of the Master Emerald, Knuckles is a very powerful fighter. He is a martial arts master and stays fresh and determined during battle, and while in one, Knuckles makes use of his powerful arms and fists to take on his foes, with his specialty lying in punching moves where he uses his spiked fists for some devastating effects. Knuckles primarily focuses on hand-to-hand combat and is capable of taking on even the most powerful of opponents without rest. Regarding his fighting style, Knuckles' focuses specifically on power, using robust and powerful punches, such as power-packed jabs or piercing uppercuts to deal damaging blows to his opponents. Once he catches an opponent in his combos, he will keep them trapped by keeping up his strikes, not allowing his opponents a chance to counterattack. Knuckles will also take advantage of his burrowing abilities, where he will hide underground and hit his opponents with an uppercut as he leaps out when his opponent least expects it. http://youtu.be/JYDum49BI4M?t=889 (watch the fight you will be linked to and the one afterward that occurs underground. Now, while these are fan-made sprite battles and are for entertainment, the point of watching those fights was to see Knuckles' canon move-set (at least the moves he has sprites for) in action and what kind of combos he is capable of. This is in no way made up, these animators find sprites from official video games online and use them to make these battles, it is what the animators of Death Battle do as well. The moves taken are the ones which come from official video games, so it is, therefore, showing a part of his canon fighting style and the combos he can do with his techniques. The fights utilize a combination of most of the things you have read about so far, such as Knuckles' fighting style, speed, acrobatics, a martial arts master skill level, etc., and for that, it was worth showing. It is evident that Knuckles has a broad range of techniques and a plethora of options for executing powerful combos, making him a formidable opponent, so that is why I am going to cover his combat feats next.

http://sonicrunners.sega-net.com/en/index.html (states that Knuckles is a martial arts master)

http://youtu.be/pO2_GpdQ3tw?t=108 (assists in defeating several members of the Nocturnus Clan soldiers), http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Nocturnus_Clan (information on Nocturnus Clan)

http://youtu.be/YA_6jbigARE?t=101 (stalemates with Sonic), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj1R2fXtASY (Team Sonic stalemates with Team Dark; both teams move onto Hang Castle. Thus the battle was a draw between the two teams as one of the teams would not have progressed to the next stage if they were left defeated there)

http://youtu.be/m6kR9kGDo-c?t=106(shows some of Knuckles' fighting style predicated on his moves from Sonic Battle, such as his tendency to use his powerful arms, and how he can burrow underground to hide and make surprise attacks)


TESTAMENTS TO COMBAT SKILLS

As a testament to his unique fighting skills which allow him to fight a wide variety of enemies, Knuckles has defeated countless of opponents, such as Eggman's armada of machines, no matter how large, heavy, or powerful, which makes him a very formidable foe. Ever since his debut into the Sonic the Hedgehog story, Knuckles has been racking up a plethora of wins, but I will present the most notable of his victories, situations where he beat some of the toughest of opponents, either on his own or with some assistance.

Notable Victories - Mecha Sonic/Super Mecha Sonic, Metal Sonic Kai (with help), Chaos 6, Void (with help), King Boom Boo, Egg X, Hyper EggRobo (with help), Egg Emperor (with help), Metal Overlord (with help), Master Core: ABIS (with help), Metal Sonic, and Ifrit (with help).

Sources:

http://youtu.be/MwsoVj9rFZE?t=31 (defeats Mecha Sonic), http://youtu.be/B0BtvgZ-5oA?t=121 (defeats a giant Metal Sonic), http://youtu.be/ICWAFHFkPbg?t=90 (helps beat Void), http://youtu.be/o9QT8czqFno?t=11 (defeats King Boom Boo), http://youtu.be/angrsBrG8Bs?t=36 (defeats Egg-X), http://youtu.be/aymaEJPUBsM?t=153 (defeats Ultimate Gemerl and Hyper EggRobo alongside Sonic), http://youtu.be/I22IrKEoex4 (helps defeat the Egg Emperor), http://youtu.be/gkWCEPLk4u0?t=222 (helps defeat Master Core: ABIS), http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Egg_Destroyer (no video for the Egg Destroyer available), http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Ifrit (no video for Ifrit available)


ENHANCEMENTS VIA CHAOS ENERGY

EMERALD POWER

Knuckles can harness the Master Emerald's power, where he is granted invulnerability and the ability to fly near the speed of light (Knuckles' All-Star move is only a bit slower than Super Sonic, who is stated to fly down the track at the speed of light).

Note: 'Emerald Power' is not a transformation, which is something that Knuckles attains when harnessing the power of the Chaos/Super Emeralds.

Sources:

http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/All-Star_Move#Sonic_.26_Sega_All-Stars_Racing (info on All-Star Moves), http://info.sonicretro.org/images/thumb/5/5a/SonicSegaAllStarsRacingManual_3.jpg/800px-SonicSegaAllStarsRacingManual_3.jpg (states that Super Sonic moves down the track at light speed), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne07tqsJByk&feature=youtu.be (it is visibly evident that Emerald Power allows Knuckles to go very close to Super Sonic's speed)

SUPER/HYPER KNUCKLES

Super Knuckles: By harnessing the energy of the Chaos Emeralds, Knuckles can undergo a transformation to enhance his power. Akin to every other Super Form, Knuckles' super transformation confers the traditional effects of a Super State, which include an enhancement of innate talents alongside the user becoming indestructible, invulnerable, and thus invincible, making this transformation the excellent defense.

Hyper Knuckles: To take it a step further, Knuckles can enhance his Super State by harnessing the power of the Super Emeralds to become Hyper Knuckles, wherein Knuckles' innate talents are multiplied many times over, such as his impressive strength, speed, and accuracy all being vastly increased. As Hyper Knuckles is an enhanced version of Super Knuckles, all of his physical abilities surpass that of the Super State, and he gains additional abilities as well. Also, this form grants him a new ability. When Knuckles hits a surface, he can perform the Gliding Shock Wave Attack, which causes an earthquake so powerful that it destroys all opponents in the vicinity. Additionally, Hyper Knuckles has shown the ability to breathe underwater, whereas his other forms will drown.

Sources:

http://info.sonicretro.org/Super_Knuckles, http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Sonic_%26_Sega_All-Stars_Racing#Character_biographies (bios state that the Super Form grants indestructibility and invulnerability; see Sonic's and Shadow's bios), http://info.sonicretro.org/Hyper_Knuckles


FINISHED, THANKS FOR READING!

I would like to credit 'PhysicsGuy1000', 'chicken nuggets,' 'cybercrash7', and Miles Wright for helping out with some calculations, as well as 'comicking428' and 'kaihedgie' for making suggestions when clarification was needed.









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