Shahra the Ring Genie

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Shahra the Ring Genie (シャーラ) is a special, eager young genie/djinn who enlists the help of Sonic in Sonic and the Secret Rings. She is voiced by Bella Hudson in the English version and by Mai Nakahara in the Japanese version. In the game, she grants Sonic special abilities and bonuses to help Sonic in his quest. She appears as a ball of light in the stages (much as Tikal did in Sonic Adventure), and she appears to have a strong relationship towards Erazor. Her name suggests the 1001 nights character Scheherazade. She has a habit of calling Sonic "Master" (she's likely used to calling whoever possesses the ring her master), even though he prefers her to just call him by name. While she does have high magic power, she seems to be unable to undo the works of any of the Erazor Djinn's magic, such as the cursed flaming arrow that he embeds in Sonic's chest. It is hinted that she and the Erazor Djinn were once in love or were friends, but when Shahra tells Sonic in the Last Chapter, "I just want to be back with him," the former seems most likely.

In the end of the story she is revealed as having a partnership of sorts with Erazor. However, she does not believe this is the "right path" when Sonic wishes for her to "Do what you truly think is right!" When Erazor attempts to sacrifice Sonic, she saves him, sacrificing her own life. She is later brought back to life with Sonic's first wish on the Erazor Djinn's lamp. After Sonic last wish (that Erazor spend eternity in his lamp) is granted, Shahra cries, overcome with grief at both her betrayal of Sonic and the loss of her former lover, and Sonic, in an act of compassion, wishes for a mountain of handkerchiefs so she can cry as long as she needs to, which was a reference to the beginning of the story.

[edit] Trivia

• In Sonic Rivals 2, Shahra is referred as Shanhra, a possible typo.

• Shahra's appearance seems to have passed on to Merlina the Sorceress from Sonic and the Black Knight. While they are both Sonic's friends, Sonic had to battle Merlina as the final boss when Sonic never fought Shahra at all (unless Sonic trying to talk Shahra out of giving Erazor Djinn the rings wasn't an actual "fight", more like a psychological struggle).

• She is the fourth (fifth if events prior to the time reboot in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) count) Sonic character has actually died. The first and second were E-101 Beta and E-102 Gamma in Sonic Adventure, the third was Maria Robotnik in Sonic Adventure 2 and the fourth is Sonic himself in Sonic 06.

• Few fans speculate Shahra to have very few similarities with Farah from the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (and The Two Thrones). For example, they have similar names, they are both game characters from Arabic times, their voices sound similar, they both die of tragic deaths near the ends of both games but were soon brought back to life, and they both aided the main character in the games as well.

• It is unknown what happened to Shahra after Sonic defeated Erazor Djinn for the final time and sealing him away in the lamp after wishing Shahra back to life.

• Shahra could now possibly be immortal after Sonic wished her back to life and her powers might have something to do with it.

• Shahra was brought back to life by Sonic's first wish on Erazor. According to the original Arabian Nights, the Genie of the Lamp can't do that. It is possible that Sonic wished that first because the Arabian Nights weren't restored yet, so he took the opportunity to make the wish for Shahra.

• Shahra is currently the only Storybook Series character who has appeared in Sonic's world (Though Merlina was able to bring Sonic into her story with a spell, though).

• The name Shahra is the Arabic word for "desert".

Storybook Characters

Secret Rings	Sonic | Ali Baba / Tails | Sinbad / Knuckles | Shahryār / Eggman | Shahra | Erazor | Uhu | Solomon | Captian Bemoth | Ifrit Golem | Amy | Shadow | Silver | Blaze | Omochao | Big | Darkspine
Black Knight	Sonic | Merlina / Merlin | Black Knight / Arthur | Excalibur / Caliburn | Nimue / Amy | Blacksmith / Tails | Gawain / Knuckles | Lancelot / Shadow | Percival / Blaze | Galahad / Silver | Lamorak / Jet | Excalibur-Sonic