Metal Sonic

"Sonic... I was created for the sole purpose of destroying you."

- Metal Sonic to Sonic the Hedgehog.

Metal Sonic is a robotic version of Sonic the Hedgehog built by the mad scientist Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik. He is the secondary antagonist in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, appearing as the main antagonist of Sonic Heroes and of Year 1 of the IDW Sonic comics. He also appears as the secondary antagonist in various other games; he is the second most recurring antagonist, only behind Eggman himself.

Powers and Abilities
Metal Sonic is Dr. Eggman's greatest creation to date, capable of fighting Sonic to a near standstill. He can match Sonic's speed, curl into a ball and spin like a projectile towards his targets just like his organic counterpart. Being modelled after Sonic, Metal is able to predict all of his moves. In addition to having all of Sonic's other abilities, Metal can also scan the abilities of any target and can copy them to near perfection, such as Shadow the Hedgehog's Chaos Control and Chaos' ability to turn into a liquid form.

Metal Sonic's other natural abilities include flight, an indestructible black shield, Laser and Plasma beams, as well as impressive durability and strength.

Transformations
In addition to his regular abilities and the abilities he can copy, Metal Sonic also has several other forms he can transform into.

Neo Metal Sonic
Metal Sonic assumes this form for the majority of Sonic Heroes. While the specifics on most of this forms powers and the requirements for changing into this form in the first place, remain unknown, he is shown to be able to shape-shift and fire electrical beams from his claws as well as gaining the ability to speak.

Metal Overlord
After copying all the abilities from Team's Sonic, Dark, Rose and Chaotix, Metal transforms into this form using parts from other Eggman machines. Metal Sonic also gains in this form flamethrowers, missile launchers, a whip-like tail with spikes, and claws that can shoot spikes and crystals. In this state he is so powerful and durable that even Super forms (Super states achieved by the 7 Chaos Emeralds) cannot harm him directly.

Personality
Metal Sonic thinks of himself as the real Sonic and as such has an intense hatred for the Blue Streak and his friends. Unlike the true Sonic, Metal Sonic is also a complete megalomaniac who sees himself as the ultimate life-form and is happy to do whatever it takes to prove it, even being shown on several occasions to betray his own creator in order to achieve his goal. He is motivated to defeat Sonic, and has little or no interest in anything that does not further this goal. However, in the Sonic OVA movie, he redeemed himself towards the end. And in Sonic Heroes, he played at being a dictator, bent on world domination. Other than that, he is a cold, emotionless robot, with a stoic and remorseless nature. He appears to have no personality quirks outside of his egotism and dislike of apparently all life. However, he does possess at least one emotion, hate. In the fleetway comics, he is called Metallix, and cloned an army, and became a fully-fledged dictator.

Sonic CD
Metal Sonic is one of the main antagonists of Sonic CD. After Eggman attacks the Miracle Planet, Metal Sonic takes full control of it (as seen on holograms). Metal Sonic first appears to kidnap Amy and escapes with her to the Stardust Speedway. Sonic (and Tails as the 2011 re-release is made canon to help understand Sonic 4: Episode II and Metal) later races Metal Sonic in the speedway and after an intense battle, Metal Sonic is defeated, sending him crashing into a wall and falling over the edge.

Episode I
After Eggman's defeat, Eggman hovers over an unknown figure and laughs. The unknown figures eyes glow, revealing him to be Metal Sonic.

Episode Metal
Metal Sonic is the main character in Episode Metal. He first awakens on the Stardust Speedway and is powered up by Eggman after his defeat in CD, he then leaves and meets Eggman at the Mad Gear, Eggman powers him up again and sens him to gather an ancient Negative-Chaos artifact. Metal Sonic goes to the Labyrinth and obtains the artifact, Metal Sonic is substantially powered up by the Negative Chaos and flies off through the Casino in search of Sonic, the continuing to Splash Hill Zone, he then sees Sonic and Tails flying away and follows them on Tails' rocket.

For some reason, Eggman robots would always attack him, though it can assumed that the Badniks assume Metal is Sonic or that they're meant to help sharpen Metal's skills.

Episode II
Metal Sonic eventually catches up to Sonic and Tails in the Carnival, Metal Sonic proceeds to battle them with his new powers, but is defeated by their combined abilities. Metal Sonic then appears to attack them as they are about to catch Eggman, he pilots his Metal Carrier and attempts to shoot down the Tornado, but leaves after being damaged. He then returns with his Metal Carrier to fight them, but is defeated and retreats to the Death Egg MK.II with Eggman, he and Eggman then engage Sonic and Tails in battle, with Metal Sonic launching powerful attacks at the two while Eggman uses his vehicle as a shield, after being defeated they retreat. Metal Sonic then retreats the duo on a copy of Stardust Speedway and races them, they just barely defeat him.

Knuckles' Chaotix
Metal Sonic appears as the second to last boss and is defeated by Knuckles, Mighty, Espio, Charmy, and Vector. He later serves as the final boss alongside Dr. Robotnik, as a massive, red version of himself (although it is unclear if this is his first transformation). They defeat them, but Metal Sonic and Dr. Robotnik escape.

Sonic Triple Trouble
Metal Sonic appears in the Atomic Destroyer Zone as the second to last boss. He is defeated by Sonic and Tails, and flies away.

Sonic the Fighters
Metal Sonic, again, is the second to last boss, although he serves as more "final boss" material as Robotnik goes down quicker. The fighter defeats him and knocks him out, setting the Death Egg 2 to self-destruct. However, Metal Sonic and Robotnik both escape the explosion.

Sonic R
Metal Sonic appears as one of the contestants racing Sonic on Eggman's behalf. In the final stage, Sonic defeats Metal Sonic, Tails Doll, Metal Knuckles, and Egg Robo.

Sonic Adventure
Metal Sonic makes a cameo appearance in Sonic Adventure, seen inside a tank aboard the Egg Carrier, presumably being modified into his Modern appearance and updated, after his defeat in Sonic R. He also appears in a flashback in the opening of Amy's Story, chasing after her and Sonic.

In Sonic Adventure DX Director's Cut, Metal Sonic is unlocked after collecting all 130 emblems, as an alternate costume for Sonic. He serves no role to the story and is a copy of Sonic's Story. It is likely that his story is a Training Simulation.

Sonic Adventure 2
Metal Sonic appears as a character in Multiplayer mode, competing with the other characters. Metal Sonic can use Sonic and Shadow's moves along with the impenetrable Black Shield.

Sonic Heroes
"All living things kneel before your master!"

- Metal Sonic's famous quote as Neo Metal Sonic in Sonic Heroes.

Metal Sonic is also the true main antagonist of Sonic Heroes. He was disguised as Eggman throughout most of the game, while locking the real Eggman on his flagship, and also pretends to be Sonic for a short time, he takes on the form of Neo Metal Sonic. Metal Sonic confronts the heroes multiple times so that he can defeat them and copy their data, he succeeds in copying all of their data and reveals that he is Metal Sonic and he fires a lightning bolt that destroys the ship and rebuilds himself into an incomplete form known as Metal Madness. Team Chaotix, Rose and Dark fight against him but are no match for his power and Metal Sonic completes his transformation into Metal Overlord so Team Super is forced to battle him. Once defeated, he returns to his original form and is knocked out. Sonic says he's ready for a rematch if Metal Sonic ever wants one.

Sonic Free Riders
Despite being taken by Shadow and Omega after his defeat, Metal Sonic returns, apparently having been taken back by Eggman and reprogrammed to serve him again. However, Metal Sonic betrays Eggman again. Disguised as E-10000B, he absorbs racing data, seemingly for Eggman's Extreme Gear, but really takes it all for himself and races Sonic as the final boss, but loses, and runs off. Before racing Sonic, he seems to challenge him to the rematch Sonic promised him in Sonic Heroes.

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
Metal Sonic was originally going to appear as a playable character with his own story but was scrapped (as with Tails, Knuckles, Rouge, Omega, Amy, and Blaze's own stories). He would be doing various things in the coastal kingdom of Soleanna for Eggman, such as kidnapping Princess Elise the Third or leading the Badniks. He also would have fought Tails, Sonic, Omega, and Silver, and would have been the antagonist of Tails's story in an attempt to parallel their roles as sidekicks (as well as the fact that both have the same abilities such as supersonic speed and flight). In his story, he would have also questioned his existence, such as asking himself why Eggman was against him in trying to destroy Sonic in Heroes, despite being the reason for his creation. In the end, he would have sadly decided that his true purpose was to serve Eggman regardless of his own thoughts.

In his story, whenever he was thinking, he would have had an audible voice provided by Jason Griffith, but whenever he attempted to speak outside of his thought, he would communicate with his usual beeping noises, leading to awkward situations with most of the cast who could never understand him (Silver calls him "outdated" because of this, which caused their fight), with only Eggman, Sonic, Omega and Tails being able to understand him. When fighting Sonic, Omega and Silver, it would've been a regular rival battle (he would have beaten Silver in the fight and draw with Omega, but lose to Sonic) but when fighting Tails (whose story he was the antagonist of), he would have fought him three times; the first two with Eggman's boss machines, and the last in a brutal high-speed sky battle while Sonic fought the Egg Wyvern, on his own. In the end, Tails would've kicked Metal in the head, causing him to malfunction and fall into the sea, but would later be rescued by Eggman (who survived his own battle with Sonic).

Sonic Rivals
Metal Sonic appears working for Eggman Nega, possibly reprogrammed to serve him. Sonic, Knuckles, Shadow, and Silver must fight him as well as Eggman Nega. He takes part in the final battle.

Sonic Rivals 2
Eggman reprograms Metal Sonic as a more mindless servant loyal to him, and pairs him up with Shadow to defeat Eggman Nega and prevent his plans for releasing the Ifrit on Earth. Upon entering the Ifrit's dimension, Shadow and Metal Sonic close the portal from the inside, but fight the Ifrit and Metal Sonic 3.0. In the end, they destroy the Ifrit, and presumably Metal Sonic 3.0 as well (since Eggman Nega turned to his enemies Silver and Espio for help when he was trapped under rubble). Presumably because of being the last ones to fight the Ifrit and having to deal with Metal Sonic 3.0, Shadow and Metal Sonic don't make it through the portal, but Metal Sonic cuts out his chassis to reveal a Chaos Emerald inside him, which he and Shadow use to teleport back to Earth.

Sonic Generations
In Sonic Generations, Classic Metal Sonic is a rival boss. While waiting for Sonic in the Sonic CD timeline, he enters the limbo created when Eggman used the Time Eater to break the timeline, and challenges Classic Sonic to a racelike battle over the purple Chaos Emerald. In the Handheld version, Metal Sonic engages in a race across the Casino Night. In the Console version, They enter the bad future of Stardust Speedway from Sonic CD and battle while running across a crumbling path, and the fight ends with Classic Sonic kicking Metal Sonic into the air, and he explodes. He can still be found in the White Space and will offer a challenge if you approach him. (much like every stage and boss in the game).

Sonic Forces
In Sonic Forces, Metal Sonic appears as a supporting antagonist. He, alongside Zavok, Shadow, and Chaos, have several Replicas of themselves created by Infinite using the powers of the Phantom Ruby. He also appears as one of the highest in command of Eggman's Army.

The replica Metal Sonic attacked Sonic and the Avatar when they arrived at the Red Gate Bridge, but was destroyed with their Double Boost technique. Hundreds of Metal Sonic replicas were later present in the final battle between the Eggman Empire and the Resistance. After Eggman and Infinite were defeated, the replicas vanished, leaving the Resistance victorious in reclaiming the world.

"Sonic the Hedgehog OVA" (Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie)
A robot called Hyper Metal Sonic appears in this film. He looks nearly identical to Metal Sonic.

Allies

 * Dr. Eggman
 * Shadow the Hedgehog (Occasionally)
 * Orbot
 * Cubot
 * Infinite
 * Zavok
 * Chaos

Enemies

 * Team Sonic
 * Sonic the Hedgehog (Organic template and arch-enemy)
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * Team Dark
 * Shadow the Hedgehog
 * Rouge the Bat
 * E-123 Omega
 * Team Rose
 * Amy Rose
 * Cream the Rabbit
 * Big the Cat
 * Chaotix
 * Vector the Crocodile
 * Espio the Chameleon
 * Charmy Bee
 * Silver the Hedgehog
 * Eggman Nega
 * Metal Sonic 3.0

Other Robot Sonics
Metal Sonic is often confused with Mecha Sonic and Silver Sonic, in some media they are the same villain but in others they are separate beings - this is a trait shared by many Sonic villains (perhaps due to the original games having little true plot, thus the later games and comics had to improvise). Metal Sonic is the second robotic version of Sonic to appear chronologically, and has appeared in many games (whereas Mecha Sonic and Silver Sonic have only appeared in very few games). With the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode Metal it is confirmed that Metal Sonic is separate to Silver Sonic and Mecha Sonic.

Trivia

 * The help file included with the initial PC port of Sonic CD claims that some early material refers to Metal Sonic as Mecha Sonic. This is considered a mistake, as Mecha Sonic never officially referred to Metal Sonic.
 * In Fleetway's Sonic the Comic, Metal Sonic was known as Metallix, the Metal Sonic, first appearing in a five-part story based on the character's game debut called "The Sonic Terminator".
 * Although Metal Sonic 3.0 appears in Sonic Rivals 2, it is unknown which (if any) of the previous versions of Metal Sonic are versions 1.0 and 2.0. In the Archie universe, the original Metal Sonics made by Dr. Ivo Robotnik was 1.0 and 2.0, and the other Metal Sonics made by his alternate counterpart, Doctor Eggman, were all 3.0.
 * Sonic Rivals 2 was the first Sonic game where Metal Sonic has done some heroic deeds.
 * GameDaily placed Metal Sonic 13th on their "Top 25 Video Game Robots" list, describing him as Dr. Eggman's "greatest creation" and praising the strength of his abilities.
 * In Sonic Heroes, Metal Sonic wants to prove himself to be the "real" Sonic and even greeted his organic counterpart with the words "loathsome copy". This is in contrast to his depiction in Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie, in which he solemnly accepts his fate with his sole line "There is only one Sonic".
 * Though Metal Sonic is playable in Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, in the DS version he is also a boss character.
 * Metal Sonic's pose during the ending of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I, looks just like his pose in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games.
 * Metal Sonic rarely speaks and his voice is only heard during Sonic Heroes, while in all of his transformations (Neo Metal Sonic, Metal Madness, and Metal Overlord, as well as when he is disguised as Eggman). Interestingly, he share's Sonic's voice actor. He also speaks with a text bubble in Sonic Generations, even though it was previously believed that the capability of speech was a Heroes-only ability.
 * Metal Sonic's 2D Sonic Channel artwork looks similar to his Sonic Rivals 2 pose.
 * Metal Sonic has the most alternate forms of a character that is not a hero.
 * Metal Sonic is considered Sonic's first rival in the series.
 * Metal Sonic is the most recurring robot in the series, next to E-123 Omega.
 * In the game "Spiral Knights", players who purchased a copy of Sonic CD on Steam before 31 January 2012 received a Metal Sonic costume for their knight. This costume was also available to purchase in-game.
 * Metal Sonic is one of the four of Eggman's robots who betray their creator, the other three being Gamma, Gemerl, and Omega.
 * Out of all of them, Metal Sonic is the only robot that has not turned good.
 * In Sonic Generations, Metal Sonic is the only rival that doesn't appear in the Center of Time before Modern and Classic Sonic confront the Time Eater, or appearing at the party within completion of the game.
 * Another possible explanation for this is that Metal Sonic is Sonic's enemy in addition to rival, so he would not be cheering the Sonics on during the final boss. Since he is obviously not Sonic's friend, he would also not be at the party.
 * Metal Sonic was planned to be playable in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), but at one point was scrapped.
 * When Metal Sonic absorbs the ancient artifact of Lost Labyrinth, he somewhat resembles Hyper Metal Sonic when he activated in the OVA.
 * In Sonic the Fighters, Metal Sonic is not playable. But by using the Action Replay for Sonic Gems Collection on the GameCube and, he can be made playable. Metal Sonic is also one of three characters to be added to the playable roster in the HD re-release.
 * In Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, he is one of only four characters to drive an ATV; the other three are Beat, Knuckles, and Joe Musashi.
 * He is the only character who appears in Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, but not Sonic Colors.
 * Oddly enough, Metal Sonic can drown when he is played in Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut, despite being a robot and therefore should not require air. This may be due to how in this title, he is simply a re-skin of Sonic.
 * Aside from in Sonic Heroes, Metal Sonic speaks only in beeps and other mechanical sounds.
 * Another robotic replica of Sonic, Mecha Sonic, was often confused for Metal Sonic. The confusion initially started back when the US release of Sonic & Knuckles labelled Mecha Sonic as Metal Sonic. However, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 officially established Mecha Sonic and Metal Sonic being entirely separate beings.
 * Ironically, in Alvin-Earthworm's fanmade series, Super Mario Bros Z, Mecha Sonic was established as being a fusion of Metal Sonic and other robotic replicas of Sonic.