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WithSonic the Hedgehog, Paramount managed to kick off a successful cinematic universe. The studio has expanded the franchise with the spinoff series Knuckles, featuring the voice of Idris Elba as the titular Echidna warrior.
The Knuckles trailers teased the returning characters that jumped from the movies to the TV shows, including Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) and Tails (voiced by Colleen O’Shaughnessey). Surprisingly, though, the trailers also tease the return of Pachacamac, the leader of the Echidna tribe we all thought to be dead.
Who Is Pachacamac In The Sonic Cinematic Universe?
Pachacamac was introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 asone of the most influential people in the reed Echidna’s life. He’s alsoconnected to the Master Emerald, an artifact that Knuckles protects in the Sonic games.
The origin of the Chaos Emeralds remains a mystery in the Sonic cinematic universe, but the movieshave already deviated from the games’ lore of the Master Emerald. Long before the movie’s events, seven Echidna warriors united the Chaos Emeralds to form the Master Emerald,a tool capable of transforming thoughts into reality. The Echidnas used the Master Emerald to wipe out entire armies, making them a threat to the world.
The Owls stole the Master Emerald and hid it away, believing no one should have that much power. The Owls’ surprise attack on the Echidnas turned the two tribes into bitter enemies for life, as each side viewed the other as barbaric killers. This grudge would define the fate of both Sonic and Knuckles in the cinematic universe.
As leader of the Echidnas,Pachacamac helped to raise Knuckles in the warrior ways of the Clan, so he could one day be prepared to fight the Owls. However, Knuckles never finished his training, being left behind alone after his whole tribe was killed.
When Knuckles was a child, Pachacamac led the Echidna Clan to the island where the Owl Longclaw (voiced by Donna Jay Fulks) hid information about the Master Emerald. Knuckles was the only child of the Clan, so he was left alone as his father joined the frontlines.
Pachacamac’s goal was to retrieve a mystical map that showed which world and precise location the Owls had kept the jewel. Pachacamac and the Echidnas thought the Master Emerald was their birthright and the Owls were only thieves. So, blinded by historical resentment between the two tribes,the elderly Echidna led his people to their doom.
The opening scene of the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie shows this attack, as Longclaw fends off masked warriors while pushing Sonic into a portal for his safety. As it turns out, Sonic and Knuckles became orphans that day, asthe Echidnas and Longclaw perished in the bloody battle.
Sonic would jump between worlds, hiding from an unknown threat and unaware he was holding the key to retrieve the Master Emerald. Knuckles, conversely, crossed the universe chasing an enemy he didn’t know was Sonic. All this time, Pachacamac remained dead and nowhere to be seen. So, how is Pachacamac part of the Knuckles series?
How Is Pachacamac Back In Knuckles?
Contrary to what some fans believed, Pachacamac does not come back from the dead in Knuckles.The elder Echidna only appears as a ghost, determined to guide Knuckles in his new journey.
In Knuckles, the titular hero has trouble finding his place on Earth. After his Clan was slaughtered, Knuckles roamed the galaxy alone in search of the Master Emerald. All he ever knew was the duty of the battle, so it’s hard for him to acclimate to times of peace.
After Knuckles, Sonic, and Tails join forces to defeat Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) and retrieve the Master Emerald, the trio forges an alliance to keep the jewel safe on Earth. However, without an enemy to destroy, Knuckles is lost. In the series, Pachacamac gives Knuckles a new purpose:to train a disciple in the Echidna ways to restore the Clanc to its former glory.
Knuckles' apprentice turns out to beWade Whipple (Adam Pally), the goofy Green Hills cop who appears in the Sonicmovies. Pachacamac is confident that Wade has the heart of a champion and will one day inherit the strength of the Echidnas. That’s why Knuckles and Wade go on a road trip together so that the cop can claim victory on his personal battlefield.
While Knuckles is used to punching his enemies into defeat,Wade has a different purpose.As a wannabe bowler, Wade is going to Reno, Nevada, to claim the country’s most crucial bowling trophy. It might seem a minor task, but Knuckles soon understands that each person is fighting a different battle. In Wade’s case,bowling is his only connection with his stranded father, who abandoned him when he was only a child. So, becoming a warrior means mastering bowling and getting closure from his childhood trauma.
After a few days on the road, Wade iscaptured by bounty hunter Jack Sinclair (Julian Barratt), who traps the cop inside an electrified cage. Wade has a near-death experience, which allows him to meet Pachacamac himself.
The leader of the Echidna clan greets Wade in the afterlife, ready to teach him the secrets of a warrior. The afterlife, however, takes the form ofa bowling alleyto reflect Wade’s vision of a battlefield.
As for Pachacamac, he appears as the alley clerk, giving Wade instructions on how to win and revealing Knuckles’ mysterious past. That’s why the elderly Echidna shows up in the trailer wearing a uniform. It’s not that Pachacamac was living a secret life on Earth. It’s just that his ghost transforms depending on the needs of the Echidna’s disciples.
Pachacamac’s appearance in Knuckles indicates thatthe Sonic cinematic universe has a well-established afterlife. That means Longclaw and other deceased characters may also return in the future to guide the heroes when they need them most. More importantly, the Sonic cinematic universe afterlife is flexible, capable of receiving the visit of living beings and adapting to their worldview. That’s an interesting concept we hope will be further explored.
