Warning! This article contains spoilers for Knuckles season 1.

Summary

• Knuckles' journey with Wade Whipple establishes Earth as a home for the Echidna warrior, finding a sense of belonging on the planet.
• Knuckles' villains, G.U.N. agents and The Buyer, set up a thrilling showdown that ends with Knuckles defeating them and finding peace.
• Wade Whipple's transformation into a braver character and ally hints at exciting developments for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, setting the stage for new adventures.

Knuckles is a spin-off of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, with the six episodes on Paramount+ ending the show in an action-packed fashion. Since Sonic 2's release in April 2022, Sonic the Hedgehog 3's story has been highly anticipated. In order to make the wait for the third installment slightly easier, Paramount has crafted a spin-off TV show centered around Knuckles, telling a solo story about the Echidna warrior.

Knuckles' voice cast sees Idris Elba return as the titular character, while Adam Pally leads the human cast as the returning Wade Whipple from the Sonic the Hedgehog movies. While many will question how much Sonic and Tails are in Knuckles, the show solidifies itself as a Knuckles-centric storyline. Journeying across the United States to train Wade in the ways of an Echidna warrior, Knuckles' ending is suitably action-packed, expectedly hilarious, and even features some elements that set up the story of Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will release in theaters on December 20, 2024.

Why Knuckles’ Journey With Wade Whipple Was Important

Knuckles' adventure with Wade is a story about finding a home.

By the time of Knuckles' ending, the titular Echidna and Wade Whipple had traveled to Reno, won a bowling tournament, and defeated the G.U.N. agents pursuing them. Concerning what the point of this journey was, it was to establish Earth as a home for Knuckles. After Sonic the Hedgehog 2, it became clear that Tails and Sonic have acclimatized to Earth well. Knuckles quickly established that this was the opposite for him, with the warrior struggling to adapt to the more peaceful ways of everyday life on Earth.

Knuckles finally accepted Earth as somewhere he could live rather than begrudgingly stay to watch over the Master Emerald.

Similarly, a big part of Knuckles' story is that he is without a family after his tribe was destroyed. That said, through Knuckles' journey with Wade, he came to accept that Earth could be his home. Through his newfound friendship with Wade, his connection to Wade's family, the people he met, and the places he saw throughout the show's six episodes, Knuckles finally accepted Earth as somewhere he could live rather than begrudgingly stay to watch over the Master Emerald.

Knuckles Villains Explained: Who Are The G.U.N. Agents & The Buyer?

Knuckles' antagonists are connected to the Echidna, Sonic, and Doctor Robotnik.

The three villains of Knuckles were introduced earlier in the show; two of the villains are G.U.N. agents who wish to track Knuckles down and sell him to the other of the show's villains, The Buyer. The G.U.N. agents are called Agent Willoughby and Agent Mason and are played by Ellie Taylor and Scott Mescudi respectively, while The Buyer is played by Game of Thrones alum Rory McCann. Concerning the two agents, they are tasked with capturing Knuckles, driven by the money they will be paid for this but also their disillusionment with G.U.N.

Willoughby and Mason are annoyed that G.U.N. began allowing aliens like Knuckles, Sonic, and Tales to live on Earth after supposedly being an agency that prevents such instances from occurring. McCann's aptly named Buyer is the one who will be paying the agents to capture Knuckles in a bid to steal the latter's power. By the time of Knuckles' ending, The Buyer is revealed as a former lackey of Jim Carrey's Doctor Robotnik, desiring Knuckles' power to exact revenge on the aliens that caused him to lose his position as a G.U.N. agent.

What Happened To The G.U.N. Agents In Knuckles' Ending?

Knuckles' ending sees the G.U.N. agents and The Buyer face off with the warrior.

In Knuckles' ending, the titular Echidna is cornered by the G.U.N. agents. This leads to a lengthy action sequence in a hotel penthouse in Reno, in which Knuckles faces off against his enemies while Wade Whipple saves his family. Eventually, Knuckles uses the power of two rings to defeat Willoughby and Mason, sending the two to an unknown location. The agents are not seen again by the time of Knuckles' ending, proving that the Echidna defeated them once and for all.

Knuckles uses a giant globe-like structure atop a nearby building to crush The Buyer and his suit, ending the threat to Knuckles' life and allowing Knuckles' ending to be a happy one.

However, Knuckles' ending then has The Buyer ambush Knuckles as the two battle on the streets of Reno. Sporting a massive exoskeleton that runs off Knuckles' power via GUN experiments, The Buyer quickly overpowers the hero. Wade Whipple then comes to Knuckles' aid, buying enough time for the Echidna to regain his strength, before he begins destroying The Buyer's robotic suit. After a battle, Knuckles uses a giant globe-like structure atop a nearby building to crush The Buyer and his suit, ending the threat to Knuckles' life and allowing Knuckles' ending to be a happy one.

Wade Whipple Learned What It Means To Be An Echidna Warrior

Wade's journey is just as transformative as his alien friend's by the time of Knuckles' ending.

Despite the show being named after Knuckles, Wade Whipple is arguably as important a character as the Echidna himself. Knuckles' ending allows the warrior to come around to the ways of Earth, coming to call the planet his new home. Where Wade is concerned, the journey allowed him to become a much more confident, competent character as he learned the ways of an Echidna warrior from his new friend Knuckles. In Knuckles episode 4, Wade is shown fighting through his fears and becoming much braver.

Wade's arc then came to a head in Knuckles' ending, where he came up against his father, who had abandoned him. Cary Elwes' "Pistol" Pete Whipple is cartoonishly evil as the show's bowling antagonist, but serves a purpose in that Wade confronts him for his mistakes. After proving his father was wrong to abandon Wade, his mother, and his sister, Wade beats Pete in a bowling competition. This, combined with Wade standing up to The Buyer after Knuckles was momentarily defeated, proves that Wade found his inner warrior by Knuckles' ending.

How Knuckles' Ending Sets Up Sonic The Hedgehog 3

The next installment in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise can include many Knuckles elements.

Knuckles is admittedly more self-contained than many assumed it would be and has little in the way of explicit setup for Sonic the Hedgehog 3. That said, several character changes, thematic elements, and small world-building aspects could be tied into the story of Sonic 3 when it releases in December 2024. Knuckles' ending sets up Sonic the Hedgehog 3 with the Echidna now being more willing to protect Earth. While he swore a vow to protect the Master Emerald, his experiences with Wade could see Knuckles fight not just for that, but for Earth itself in the future.

The Buyer's mention of Doctor Robotnik also sets up Jim Carrey's return in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 as Eggman.

Similarly, Wade's character change could see him be more of a direct ally in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Rather than just being a bumbling friend of Tom's, Wade could present his newfound bravery in a way that directly impacts the third film. Furthermore, The Buyer's Knuckles storyline indicates that G.U.N. has a lot of ways to harness the powers of creatures like Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. With Sonic the Hedgehog 3 officially including Shadow the Hedgehog, it could be the case that the villain's powers are used to create a larger arsenal of G.U.N. weaponry.