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We can't let Eggman have those Emeralds--or leave you hanging. Whattaya say, bud? Up for another adventure?


— Mighty the Armadillo, Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Special

Mighty the Armadillo (マイティー・ザ・アルマジロ Maitī za Arumajiro?) is a character that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is a peaceful anthropomorphic armadillo with a passion for traveling. Though he dislikes violence and roughness, Mighty is more than capable of such when trouble arises.

Concept and creation[]

Mighty the Armadillo was designed by Manabu Kusunoki for SegaSonic the Hedgehog. Kusunoki reasoned that in order to control like Sonic, the new characters would need to be animals that could have the same proportions as Sonic. Additionally, since Sonic is a hedgehog, a relatively obscure animal, Kusunoki wanted his companions to be equally unusual. With this in mind, Kusunoki decided upon an armadillo and a flying squirrel.[2]

Appearance[]

Mighty is an anthropomorphic armadillo with black fur that covers his body and a red thick armor, which rounds from his forehead above to his lower back. His pointy tail is black, like his body. Mighty's ears are side facing and funnel-shaped, and he has a medium-long and sharp black nose. Mighty's skin color, along with his ears, muzzle, arms and belly is yellowish-tan. He also has interconnected, cartoonish, circular eyes with black pupils, and wears white gloves with sock-like cuffs.

During the Eggman Island incident, Mighty wore shoes that were almost identical to Sonic's shoes at the time, being red sneakers with white straps and white cuffs. However, Mighty's shoes were a slightly darker shade of red. However, during the Newtrogic High Zone incident, Mighty began wearing slightly different shoes - thick white soles were added and the white straps rounded off at each end and do not reach the soles.

History[]

SegaSonic the Hedgehog[]

SegaSonic G2

Mighty being captured by Dr. Robotnik, from SegaSonic the Hedgehog.

In SegaSonic the Hedgehog, Mighty was captured by Dr. Robotnik and imprisoned on Eggman Island, where he was to be executed along with Ray the Flying Squirrel and Sonic the Hedgehog. The trio joined forces though and managed to break out of their cell, only to get blown to the other side of the island by a geyser triggered by Robotnik. Regardless, Mighty and his friends managed to get through the island's defenses and confront Robotnik in his control room. However, Robotnik proceeded to activate the island's self-destruct sequence. Despite that, Mighty, Sonic, and Ray managed to get off Eggman Island in time, which got destroyed in the process.

Knuckles' Chaotix[]

In Knuckles' Chaotix, Mighty happened to stumble upon Newtrogic High Zone's island during his explorations. As it turned out, however, Dr. Robotnik had occupied the island at the time while he carried out a plan to steal the Master Emerald. Mighty himself ended up getting captured by Robotnik and turned into a statue by Robotnik's Combi Catcher. He was soon freed by Knuckles the Echidna and Espio the Chameleon, however, and joined their growing group in order to stop Robotnik's operations.

MSKaiFight

Mighty and Knuckles facing Metal Sonic Kai, from Knuckles' Chaotix.

While securing the prestigious Chaos Rings, Mighty and his crew stopped Robotnik's usage of his Dark Rings on several occasions. When the time came for final showdown, the team was attacked by Metal Sonic. During the resulting battle, Mighty and the Chaotix fell into another room where they were attacked by the transformed Metal Sonic Kai, Robotnik's final trump card. Regardless, Mighty and his crew still defeated him, thus restoring peace to the island.

Sonic Mania Adventures[]

At some point, Mighty went missing, prompting his friend Ray the Flying Squirrel to go look for him.[5] During his absence, Mighty managed to find a Chaos Emerald.[6]

SMA4-11

Mighty protecting Ray from Metal Sonic, from "Mighty and Ray".

Mighty eventually found Ray being attacked by Metal Sonic and rushed to his side to defend him. Mighty was able to briefly incapacitate Metal Sonic but soon found himself faced with an ultimatum. Metal Sonic held Ray in a chokehold and demanded Mighty's Chaos Emerald in order to release him. Having no choice but to comply, Mighty gave the evil robot his Emerald and watched him fly away despite attempting to stop him. He then helped Ray do a quick reconnaissance to find Metal Sonic flying towards an unknown fortress. Ray informed Mighty of this, and they chased after the robot.[6]

Having arrived at Dr. Eggman's base, Mighty and Ray found a Chaos Emerald-powered Metal Sonic fighting Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles "Tails" Prower. He and Ray joined the duo in their fight against the robot but to no avail. Tails soon managed to trap Metal Sonic and strip him of all the Chaos Emeralds. Eggman then attempted to use the Master Emerald to empower Metal Sonic and finish the four heroes off, but both villains were stopped by Knuckles. With nothing else to do, Mighty joined Sonic, Tails, and Ray on a small picnic with chili dogs.[7]

Sonic Mania Plus[]

SMPJP1

Mighty and Ray imprisoned on Angel Island, from Sonic Mania Plus".

In Sonic Mania Plus, Mighty was captured by Dr. Robotnik, now known as "Eggman", and imprisoned together with who appeared to be Ray in a trap box on Angel Island. Eventually, the Phantom Ruby showed up at their location, with Mighty's old friend, Sonic arriving soon after.[8] After Sonic freed Mighty and Ray from their capsule however, Ray was revealed to be the Heavy Magician in disguise. The robot proceeded to take the Phantom Ruby and flee with it. Though Sonic and Mighty gave chase, they were too late to stop the Heavy Magician from using the Phantom Ruby to revive the Hard Boiled Heavies who had been destroyed. The robots' resurrection also warped them all to Green Hill. There, the revived Hard Boiled Heaves ran off with the Phantom Ruby. Mighty subsequently teamed up with Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and the real Ray to search for the Phantom Ruby.

The group was eventually attacked by Dr. Eggman and his Death Egg Robot. Even so, they managed to defeat Eggman, causing him to fall into a hole. Following Eggman, Mighty and co. saw Eggman take the Phantom Ruby from the Hard-Boiled Heaves, who refused to obey him. Once Eggman obtained the ruby, Mighty and his group got sent to Chemical Plant Zone by the gem's power. Not set back by their displacement, Mighty and co. continued their pursuit of Eggman, occasionally clashing with the Hard-Boiled Heavies and other foes along the way. Whenever they caught up to Eggman however, the doctor either gave them the slip or sent them away with the Phantom Ruby.

Eventually, Mighty and his friends found out that Dr. Eggman had kidnapped Little Planet, where he and the Hard-Boiled Heavies had rebuilt their base of operations: the Titanic Monarch. Eventually, the heroic group made their way to the heart of the rebuilt Titanic Monarch where they faced Eggman in his Phantom Egg mech and four of the recently re-upgraded Phantom Heavies. Despite the odds, Mighty and his comrades managed to defeat Eggman, resulting in the Phantom Ruby creating a rift that began devouring the Titanic Monarch. Assuming their Super States with the aid of the Chaos Emeralds, Mighty and his group managed to escape the rift, whereas Eggman got swallowed by it. Afterward, the crew closed off their adventure with a trip to an ice cream parlor, only for the Heavy King to make an appearance and surprise them with a sundae.

Other game appearances[]

Sonic Generations[]

In the console/PC version of Sonic Generations, Mighty and Ray can be seen on missing posters dotted throughout the City Escape. The poster mentions that they have been missing since 1993, referencing their debut in SegaSonic the Hedgehog. Curiously, the poster misspells the name of Mighty's species as "Armaddilo".

Personality[]

Swift as the wind and strong as the mountains, Mighty is a powerful ally who tempers his incredible power with a gentle heart. His sturdy shell can repel some projectiles.


— Description, Sonic the Hedgehog Encyclo-speed-ia

Mighty is a friendly and welcoming person.[9] While he is already strong, Mighty is a pursuer of strength and growth, seeking to become the best he can be with his training and by facing new challenges. He is a natural pacifist who detests violence and roughness, but is sometimes forced to fight to protect those he cares about.[10] Mighty is willing to show restraint against foes that he does not deem too much of a threat. Conversely, he will take "kindred spirits", like the bruiser Bark, seriously.[1] He can also be irritable, especially when under pressure.[6]

Mighty is also a loyal and trustworthy companion who values his friends' lives more than anything. Such was the case when he surrendered a Chaos Emerald to Metal Sonic in exchange for the safe release of his best friend, Ray.[6][10] Unlike Ray, Mighty does not necessarily roll with fortunate events, like when he got puzzled by how the Chaos Emerald he was looking for landed on top of his head while Ray just got happy and did not question his lucky break.[1] He loves to travel, and his aim in life is to journey to all the places in the world. Some of the things Mighty enjoys include forest bathing, peace and nature.[3]

Powers and abilities[]

Despite being a pacifist, Mighty is said to have great fighting abilities[3] and is stated to be strong as the mountains and fast as the wind.[4] He is powerful enough to lift large rocks and hurtle them with ease,[6] and even send Ray flying with a casual fist bump.[6] He is also capable of running at speeds greater than Mach 1,[11] which is at the blistering speed of about 768 mph (1236 km/h), and keep up with even Sonic,[6] who can run at supersonic speeds (which ranges from 915-3,840 mph). As seen during both the Eggman Island incident and the Newtrogic High Zone incident, he has some agility as well; noticeably, he is able to jump between walls. It is also stated that Mighty possesses great strength. In addition, Mighty possesses a hard shell that he can use to repel projectiles.[4]

Said to possess remarkable defensive power,[10] Mighty's shell is shown to be quite durable; not only can it protect him from attacks and projectiles,[10] but it is also tough enough to take an attack from Metal Sonic's claws without receiving damage.[6] Also, by curling into a ball, he can use his hard shell to smash through enemies.[10]

Mighty can perform the basic Spin Attack, a technique where he curls into a concussive ball or cutting disk and directs himself at his targets. With it, Mighty can shred or burrow through just about any substance given enough speed. He can also perform variants of the Spin Attack, like the Spin Jump and the Spin Dash.

Super Mighty[]

Main article: Super Mighty

With the seven Chaos Emeralds, Mighty is able to attain a Super State known as Super Mighty. In this state, all of Mighty's abilities far surpass his normal ones. In addition, he is virtually invulnerable. However, this transformation consumes a lot of energy and requires Rings to be maintained.

Relationships[]

Ray the Flying Squirrel[]

SMA4-16

Mighty and Ray, from "Mighty and Ray".

Back to training to be the best I can be.
And maybe another adventure or two?
Sounds like a plan, little buddy.


— Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel, Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Special

Ray the Flying Squirrel is Mighty's best friend.[10][12] Wherever Mighty goes, Ray is never too far away and supports him in any of his choices. Mighty is even willing to sacrifice a lot to save Ray, like when he handed over a Chaos Emerald he had to Metal Sonic to save him from the robot.[6]

Sonic the Hedgehog[]

Friends/allies[]

Enemies[]

In other media[]

Books and comics[]

Sonic the Comic[]

In the Sonic the Comic series and its spin-offs published by Fleetway Editions, Mighty is the son of the elder superhero Blockhead Bill, and the strongman of the Chaotix. He possesses super strength, making him a valuable asset, but he frequently acts without thinking. He has a rivalry with Espio, and the two sometimes bicker about who was the better fighter.

Archie Comics[]

Mighty Archie Post-SGW

Mighty the Armadillo, from Sonic the Hedgehog #263.

In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics, Mighty was born into a family of thieves. While he was still too young to realize his parents' actions, they were imprisoned by the law. Seeking a method to free them, he was confronted by Mammoth Mogul, who used his powers to grant the armadillo his incredible super strength. However, even with his new power, he was unable to free his parents. With failure heavy in his heart, he forced a guilty exile on himself. He later joined the Chaotix. Since then, Mighty would get involved in many adventures while helping Sonic and his allies overthrow the dictatorship of Dr. Ivo Robotnik, and later Dr. Eggman. In one occasion, he also met his sister, Matilda, for the first time after years.

After the Super Genesis Wave rewrote history, Mighty became a hero who would wander Sonic's World with his best friend Ray, having worked with Sonic and his allies in the past to thwart Dr. Eggman's ambitions of global domination. Eventually, the armadillo found a mentor in Moss the Sloth, who taught him to master his considerable powers and temper.

IDW Publishing[]

Seasons of Chaos[]
IDWMighty

Mighty the Armadillo, from Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Special.

While training in Spring Valley Zone with Ray by throwing boulders at him, Mighty discovered Amy after he nearly hit her with a stray boulder. As Mighty apologized to her, introductions were made between them. Mighty then learned that Amy was a friend of Sonic and that Dr. Eggman was hunting the Chaos Emeralds again. Amy then asked Mighty and Ray for their help locating the Chaos Emeralds, as she had an Emerald Radar, but knew it was too dangerous for her to go alone. Not willing to let the Chaos Emeralds fall into the wrong hands or ignore Amy's request, Mighty and Ray decided to come with her. As their Emerald hunt took them to Summer Falls Zone, Mighty discovered a Chaos Emerald when it landed on top of his head. With one Chaos Emerald in hand, Mighty's team continued with their hunt.[1]

Sonic30OneShotHooligansBackstory

Mighty learning about and threatening Fang's gang, from Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Special.

After arriving in Autumn Forest Zone, the trio found another Chaos Emerald in a tree, only to encounter Fang, Bark and Bean, who were hunting the Chaos Emeralds too. After Amy told him about Fang's gang, Mighty threatened them to go, only for it to come to blows. However, after overpowering Fang, Mighty was subdued by Bark. Metal Knuckles soon after came by and escaped with the Chaos Emerald.

As the group gave chase to Metal Knuckles, Mighty and the others came across Sonic, Tails and Knuckles, who had Eggman cornered. Eggman proceeded to explain that Heavy King had overthrown him and begun collecting the Chaos Emeralds to gain ultimate power and conquer the world. Hearing this, Mighty joined forces with their gathered friends and enemies to stop Heavy King. The group subsequently went to Winter Caverns Zone, where they got to the entrance of Eggman's base, only to come under attack by Metal Sonic and Metal Knuckles.

While Mighty defended Ray from Metal Sonic, Eggman managed to regain control of the Metals and have them team up with them. Mighty and Bark then tried to open the doors to the base by force until Eggman opened it for them. Inside the base, the group found Heavy King, who began battling them using the power of the seven Chaos Emeralds. In the end though, Heavy King was stripped of the Chaos Emeralds and defeated.

Afterward, Mighty and his allies departed the base and decided to share the Chaos Emeralds between them to keep Eggman from getting them. Taking the turquoise and white Chaos Emerald with them, Mighty and Ray departed to continue their training and adventures.[1]

Amy's New Hobby[]

While Mighty and Ray were passing by Amy's house, they got called back by Tails, who wanted them to see Amy's self-made comics. Seeing Amy's portrayal of themselves and their adventures in her comics, Mighty and Ray thought that they were funny in a good way, and so eagerly read more of them when Tails presented them. When Mighty later saw Sonic arrive to see what the commotion was all about, Mighty noticed Amy acting distraught for a while Sonic took a look at her comics.[13]

Amy's 30th Anniversary Special[]

Mighty and Ray would fight off Metal Sonic, but Mighty would tell Ray to go ahead of him, leaving Mighty to get captured and trapped in a Capsule. Ray would free Mighty on Eggman Island and afterwards, would join Amy and friends in a picnic.[14]

Trivia[]

Sonickmightysheet

Comparison of Sonic's sprites from Sonic Crackers to Mighty's sprites from Knuckles' Chaotix.

  • In the April 1992 issue of Shogaku Gonensei, Mighty appeared alongside Ray, Vector, Sharps, and members of the Sonic the Hedgehog manga cast. His design matches that seen in Naoto Ohshima's concept art of "Sonic's Friends".[15]
  • In the prototype of Knuckles' Chaotix, dubbed in the thought-to-be ROM form as Sonic Crackers, Sonic the Hedgehog was originally playable along with Miles "Tails" Prower. Sonic's movements and standing animations are exactly the same as Mighty's, thus leading to the belief that Sonic was taken out of Knuckles' Chaotix fairly late in game production and got replaced by Mighty.
  • In Knuckles' Chaotix prototypes (Knuckles' Ringstar), Mighty was referred as "Nat".[16]
  • Mighty's name was misspelled "Mighity" in the Japanese manual for Knuckles' Chaotix. This is most likely a direct result of errors in translation.
  • If Mighty falls from a high location in SegaSonic the Hedgehog, his shell will comically stay in the air for a few seconds. He is completely black underneath.
Shogaku Gonensei April 1992

Mighty, Sharps, Vector, Ray and others standing among Nicky's family and friends.

  • Oddly, Mighty's poster in Sonic Generations says "Missing since 1993", which is incorrect, since his last appearance prior to Sonic Generations was in 1995 (in Knuckles' Chaotix) and may instead refer to his first appearance in SegaSonic the Hedgehog.
  • Mighty made a cameo appearance as a swinging ornament chain on the windshield in Gale Racer, the Sega Saturn port of the arcade game Rad Mobile released in 1994.
  • According to Takashi Iizuka, Mighty is considered to be part of the "Classic world" and the "Classic group of characters" and that he still exists in that world. He also added that there is a possibility of bringing him back in the future in some "Classic iteration".[17] This was proven true during SXSW 2018, where Mighty was confirmed to appear in Sonic Mania Plus, alongside Ray the Flying Squirrel.
    • However, Sonic the Hedgehog DLC that was released for the Bedrock Edition of Minecraft included "Modern" versions of Mighty and Ray.
    • Due to him being mentioned and shown by the modern cast in TailsTube #5 that rule may have been removed or lessened.
MightySonic KusunokiOhshimaCollab

The fan art collaboration by Mighty and Sonic's creators.

  • On 21 March 2018, Naoto Ohshima posted a fan artwork on his Twitter page of Sonic and Mighty, in which he collaborated with Manabu Kusunoki; Mighty's creator.[18] Kusunoki drew Mighty and Ohshima drew Sonic. Mighty appears to have updated black ears in the artwork unlike the yellowish-tan of his original design.
  • During the early stages of Sonic Heroes, Mighty was considered to be included as one of the playable characters on a team consisting of him, Ray the Flying Squirrel, and Metal Sonic.[19]
  • In "TailsTube #5 (Remember When?)", Sonic claims that he has not seen Mighty in "forever", suggesting the two lost contact at some point. This would also explain his absence in the present events of games. Amy, however, theorizes that he may still be traveling the world or seeking new adventures and challenges as Sonic likes doing even now.[20]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Special, "Seasons of Chaos"
  2. 2.0 2.1 Szczepaniak, John (21 February 2018). The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers: Volume 3. SMG Szczepaniak. p. 309. ISBN 978-0992926083. "Manabu Kusunoki: Yes, I designed the armadillo and flying squirrel characters. I did come up with backstories for them, but I can't recall them anymore. I do recall why I chose those two animals, though. In order for them to control just like Sonic did, they needed to be animals that could have the same proportions, with heads that were roughly half the size of the body. And since the game starred a hedgehog, which is a relatively obscure animal, I wanted his companions to be equally unusual."
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Chaotix (Sega 32X) Japanese instruction booklet, pg. 7.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Flynn, Ian; Sega (8 December 2021). "SegaSonic Arcade". Sonic the Hedgehog Encyclo-speed-ia. Dark Horse Books. p. 18. ISBN 978-1506719276. "Mighty the Armadillo - Swift as the wind and strong as the mountains, Mighty is a powerful ally who tempers his incredible power with a gentle heart. His sturdy shell can repel some projectiles."
  5. Hesse, Tyson (31 May 2018). "& Knuckles". Sonic Mania Adventures. Season 1. Episode 3. YouTube.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 Hesse, Tyson (22 June 2018). "Mighty and Ray". Sonic Mania Adventures. Season 1. Episode 4. YouTube.
  7. Hesse, Tyson (17 July 2018). "Metal Mayhem". Sonic Mania Adventures. Season 1. Episode 5. YouTube.
  8. Sonic Mania Plus (PC) English instruction booklet, "Story".
  9. Sonic Mania Plus - Official Trailer. YouTube. Sonic the Hedgehog (25 April 2018). Retrieved on 15 December 2018.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 Webber, Aaron. The Art of Sonic Mania. Sega. p. 6. "Mighty is an Armadillo with remarkable defensive power. His hard shell can protect him from attacks and projectiles, and when he curls into a ball, he can use it to smash through enemies. Mighty is a natural pacifist, but is sometimes forced to fight to protect those he cares about, like his best friend, Ray."
  11. Christian Whitehead, Headcannon, PagodaWest Games, Tantalus Media (17 July 2018). Sonic Mania Plus. Nintendo Switch. Sega. Area/Level: Special Stage.
  12. Sonic Mania Adventures: Part 4. YouTube. Sonic the Hedgehog (22 June 2018). Retrieved on 22 June 2018.
  13. Sonic the Hedgehog Free Comic Book Day 2021, "Amy's New Hobby"
  14. Sonic the Hedgehog: Amy's 30th Anniversary Special
  15. knnosr on Twitter. Twitter (14 October 2020). Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved on 15 October 2020.
  16. Source image
  17. Shea, Brian (10 June 2017). More Burning Questions About The Sonic The Hedgehog Franchise Answered. Game Informer. Retrieved on 10 August 2017.
  18. Naoto Ohshima on Twitter. Twitter (21 March 2018). Retrieved on 20 December 2018.
  19. Shiro Maekawa on Twitter (Japanese). Twitter (26 April 2018). Retrieved on 5 May 2018.
  20. TailsTube #5 (Remember When?). YouTube. Sonic the Hedgehog (October 10, 2023). Retrieved on November 1, 2023.
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