The fastest he can run is the speed sound. I forget if it's the speed of sound in a vaccum or on the Earth.

I can only think of two possible explanations:

1) Eggman's an excellent short-distance sprinter.

2) Sonic WANTS to let Eggman get to his horrible death machines so he can destroy them.

As for flat out speed...

In an issue of Sonic X, Sonic covered the distance between "a field in Wisconsin" and Las Vegas, Nevada in about 5 minutes. Assuming a distance of 1839 miles, that would mean he went 367 miles a minute, or 22,020 miles an hour. By comparison, the speed of sound is about 767 miles per hour, which means Sonic made that run at Mach 28, or 28 times the Speed of Sound.

XD I remember once years ago I made up a rough translation between screen lengths and metres based on Sonic's height according to the character profile and would see how long it would take to go across so many "screen lengths" (ie. once what was at the far right edge earlier was at the far left edge, look at where the far right edge is until it reaches the left... in debug I think) and guessed the speed to be a few dozen km/h; nowhere near supersonic. Well maybe they have it that the player can only make Sonic go so fast in-game but according to the story itself he can go much faster...

Oh and SV2, sound requires a medium to travel.

Also, in a recent issue of the Archie Sonic comic, Sonic was fighting Eggman, who had beaten the crap out of everyone and their dog but Sonic, taunted him that he knew his limits. Sonic proceeded to run all the way around the world in a matter of seconds to prove him dead wrong. Eggman still beat him though. I think Sonic must be kind of like Superman; he has no natural limits, but holds himself back out of fear he will hurt someone, or, in Sonic's case, run too fast. *shrug*

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=CCPgdrHKQA4

Would be the fastest I have ever seen him go in a game, Due to its nature, take it with a pinch of salt. But assuming 'Sonic Speed' is the speed of sound, that video suggests our blue hog can run at speeds at least above 4 times the speed of sound. And that is from stand still to mach4+ in 32 seconds.

I always assumed that Boost mode from Advance 2, (and Advance 3 where it was changed to be Sonic exclusive (ish.)) was Mach 1, aka sonic speed.

And from that Rush and Rush Adventure (And Advance 3 with Tag action) suggest that Mach 1 can be achieved instantly from rest.

Talking purely game mechanics however Sonics has no top velocity, as it can increase indefinitely, as seen in the Sonic Advance 2 TAS ( http://tasvideos.org/947S.html) due to the air dash.

Anyway, my summary;
Sonic can run at Sonic Speeds instantly whenever he wants/needs.
His top speed is at least mach 4.
He can reach speeds as high as he wants.
Super Sonic can do even more, even faster.
Comic books are not relevant here.
It is a game. Eggman out runs him as games without final bosses are dull. Get over it.

Also, in a recent issue of the Archie Sonic comic, Sonic was fighting Eggman, who had beaten the crap out of everyone and their dog but Sonic, taunted him that he knew his limits. Sonic proceeded to run all the way around the world in a matter of seconds to prove him dead wrong. Eggman still beat him though. I think Sonic must be kind of like Superman; he has no natural limits, but holds himself back out of fear he will hurt someone, or, in Sonic's case, run too fast. *shrug*

I just thought he just ran across the continent but I could be wrong....

Looked like he ran one direction, and reappeared from the other direction, but I could be wrong. Sonic was screaming "LIMITS?! WHAT LIMITS?!?!?!" at the time, though, so it seemed entirely possible.

It is a game. Eggman out runs him as games without final bosses are dull. Get over it.

o.o No need to be condescending. I think the point was more so that it doesn't make much sense (as in, in terms of story as opposed to gameplay) that they'd do it that way when the main character's main trait (if not the original focus of the series itself) is speed and yet they'd have a human villain who could outrun the main character at as fast as you can go in-game.

Ice's point there is as canon as you're going to get. Sonic typically loves a challenge and sees any opportunity for action as a chance for adventure. If Eggman is escaping to a doomsday machine, he'll let him so he can fight it.

I mean, out of all the Sonic games, he's never once caught Eggman. The guy is capable of mach speeds, catching Eggman would be no problem at all for him, but he never does. Possibly because he wouldn't have fun without him.

...of course, his friends wouldn't get cramped into metal cages and have their souls enslaved by heartless machines if he just stopped Eggman when he had the chance.

Thus, Sonic is a douche.

If Sonic gets Eggman, what are the chances that Eggman will end up escaping.

Furthermore, if Sonic does not know about Eggman's plans, how can he know about his friends being trapped in soulless machines?

In other words, Sega made Sonic a douche.

Well, Craig's point has some logic to it.

After all, look what Sonic did in Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood.

As soon as they thought Eggman was done for, period, Sonic immediately took off to search the world for more adventure. He's just the kind of guy who needs to keep doing something.

And in that Archie Scene you were talking about, ("LIMIT?! I'VE GOT YOUR LIMIT RIGHT HERE!") Sonic had ran all the way across the continent (according to Snivley's readings from the satellite, Sonic had ran all the way from about just west of the center of the continent all the way to the East Coast) in seconds, revved up a Figure-8 Dash, and blasted back in an even shorter amount of time.

So I'm buying The Turtle Guy's explanation, with Sonic having no natural speed limits, only holding himself back because he has to (or as far as the games are concerned, because the player has to).

"Because he has to" makes a lot of sense, actually. I've always wondered how everything looks to Sonic when he's travelling at high speeds. I mean, this guy can be running past at Mach 1 and be able to look at those barely-distinct blurs on the side of the road and still be able to tell the difference between Tails, Robotnik, and a giant robot.

(Betcha he just assumes anything orange is Tails).

Sonic and Eggman is like Joker and Batman. They need each other.

So is possible that if Sonic ran too fast he'd die?

If you want to be really picky, he could get to a speed so high that it could tear him apart. Also I don't think anything can travel faster than light. So if Sega/Archie/whoever else was bothered about any of the laws of physics then there's your theoretical maximum right there. They probably aren't though 😀

You all know about the thing that the closer to the speed of light you get, the slower time passes for you right? I guess that means that Sonic will age slower than everyone else. That's pretty cool.

Super Sonic travels at the speed of light, I believe it was said, but it may have just been assumed. Not sure.
But since none of the characters age, and some of them age backwards due to retcon, I don't think Sonic has to worry about aging slower than everyone else. XD

So what you're saying is that everything and anything that comes into contact (or close proximity) with Sonic is trapped in some kind of temporal flux, wherein they cease aging indefinitely until contact is broken? Fascinating...

Sooo... when Sonic left Amy at the end of Sonic CD and then met again in Sonic Adventure... time DID pass for Amy!! OMG!!

Super Sonic travels at the speed of light, I believe it was said, but it may have just been assumed. Not sure.
But since none of the characters age, and some of them age backwards due to retcon, I don't think Sonic has to worry about aging slower than everyone else. XD

The only place I know of that said Super Sonic ran at the speed of light was in Sonic-Grams back when they answered the questions as if Sonic was talking; a kid asked how fast SS could run and Sonic said light.

If Super Sonic can travel at the Speed of Light(in the traditional sense of speed), would that mean that Hyper Sonic is capable of warping the space around him to allow faster than light speeds? In other words, would Hyper Sonic be a living warp drive?

On a related note: Does the Light Speed Dash/Attack actually function at Light Speed, and can Chaos Control be classified a method of faster than light travel?

If you want to be really picky, he could get to a speed so high that it could tear him apart. Also I don't think anything can travel faster than light. So if Sega/Archie/whoever else was bothered about any of the laws of physics then there's your theoretical maximum right there. They probably aren't though

You all know about the thing that the closer to the speed of light you get, the slower time passes for you right? I guess that means that Sonic will age slower than everyone else. That's pretty cool.

...what made you think we all knew about it?

Anyway, I personally knew about it; recently. I saw a couple references to it in C&H comics years ago but to me it seemed more like something out of science fiction than out of real life, and I never gave it much thought. I recently did a modern physics course where time dilation was one of the subjects, though. Otherwise I'd have misinterpreted the realism of the entertainment not because I misinterpreted the entertainment but because I misinterpreted reality. o.o

Matt =(

I just assumed. The vast majority of members on this forum are over the age of 16, and it's a fairly well known theory among older teenagers and adults. That's all. If someone didn't know and called me out I would have happily explained it to them to the best of my ability in a PM or something.

Anyway if you want to continue this discussion with me (I'd be happy to, by the way. Been missing my science) we'd better do it in PM before we drag this topic further away than needed.

Matt =(

I just assumed. The vast majority of members on this forum are over the age of 16, and it's a fairly well known theory among older teenagers and adults. That's all. If someone didn't know and called me out I would have happily explained it to them to the best of my ability in a PM or something.

Anyway if you want to continue this discussion with me (I'd be happy to, by the way. Been missing my science) we'd better do it in PM before we drag this topic further away than needed.

o.o What makes you think I was trying to drag the topic away? I was just using it as an example of misinterpreting realism because of misinterpreting real life as opposed to just the entertainment. Anyway, I knew you just assumed we knew, I just wanted to know why you assumed that. It's not covered in high school, even in the honours physics (at least where I live; granted different educations systems may differ) and I don't think most people here are physics majors.

Anyway, as for something more on topic... kind of agree with Craig's point about the adventure-seeking. It seems the story tries to mix portraying Sonic as virtuous with portraying him as some reckless guy looking for excitement, but I don't think the two are really compatible in the first place...

Anyway, as for something more on topic... kind of agree with Craig's point about the adventure-seeking. It seems the story tries to mix portraying Sonic as virtuous with portraying him as some reckless guy looking for excitement, but I don't think the two are really compatible in the first place...

Why not? Its possible to be a thrillseeker with virtues...

The thing about Sonic is, he's a good guy, but he gets bored easily. Thusly, he's always running, looking for something to do. In another Sonic X Issue, Sonic was screaming bloody murder about being bored after Eggman was sent to jail, and was running around bugging everyone trying to find something... anything... to do.

So he's always on the hunt for adventure, but don't think for a second that he won't arrive just at the right time if any of his friends end up in danger.

Anyway, as for something more on topic... kind of agree with Craig's point about the adventure-seeking. It seems the story tries to mix portraying Sonic as virtuous with portraying him as some reckless guy looking for excitement, but I don't think the two are really compatible in the first place...

Why not? Its possible to be a thrillseeker with virtues...

Maybe, but it seems a bit contradictory, since being motivated more so by thrill-seeking than by the desire to do what's right probably isn't that virtuous...

Maybe, but it seems a bit contradictory, since being motivated more so by thrill-seeking than by the desire to do what's right probably isn't that virtuous...

Wut? You can seek thrills without hurting other people. I don't understand what you're saying.

Beating up the bad guys and having fun at it sounds fairly virtuous. At least Sonic does not go around causing mayhem in the pursuit of thrills.

Or DOES he?

dun dun dun

<strong class="quote-title" B Vulpix wrote:

---

Maybe, but it seems a bit contradictory, since being motivated more so by thrill-seeking than by the desire to do what's right probably isn't that virtuous...

Wut? You can seek thrills without hurting other people. I don't understand what you're saying.

See Craig's point earlier about the creatures not getting enslaved if Sonic stopped Eggman when he had the chance. o.o

Other than that, though, my general point was that the idea that Sonic "only has a heart of gold" (something from one of the in-game songs, I think) seems to contradict the idea that when he does heroic things he did them for the thrill of it instead of for the sake of doing what's right...

Sonic "only has a heart of gold" (something from one of the in-game songs, I think).

That is part of a line from 'It Doesn't Matter", Sonic's theme song from Sonic Adventure 1&2. The entire verse in question is:

Well, I don't show off, don't criticize
I'm just livin' by my own feelings
And I won't give in, won't compromise
I just only have a steadfast heart of gold

I don't know why, I can't leave though it might be tough
But I ain't out of control, just livin' by my word
Don't ask me why, I don't need a reason
I got my way, my own way

  Regardless, I think it should be noted that Sonic often stumbles onto Eggman's plots after they are already underway. 

Yeah that whole verse seems to have the "solid uncompromising virtue" portrayal in there; but the idea that when he did the right thing he did it for the lulz doesn't seem to qualify as solid uncompromising virtue to me...

Don't forget a later chorus in the same song (at least the SA1 Version)

This fight is not for anybody
This is purely for myself
There is no way I'm gonna give up
'til the very end

I can't tell what is wrong and what is right
I've got to find the answer
But until I do there's no way I will
Ever give up

Place all your bets
On the one you think is right!

On the subject of his speed, I think we can conclude that how fast he can go varies from continuity to continuity, but in the end, it's just like the question of how many licks it takes to get to the Tootsie roll center of a Tootsie Pop: The world may never know.

Don't forget a later chorus in the same song (at least the SA1 Version)

This fight is not for anybody
This is purely for myself
There is no way I'm gonna give up
'til the very end

I can't tell what is wrong and what is right
I've got to find the answer
But until I do there's no way I will
Ever give up

Place all your bets
On the one you think is right!

On the subject of his speed, I think we can conclude that how fast he can go varies from continuity to continuity, but in the end, it's just like the question of how many licks it takes to get to the Tootsie roll center of a Tootsie Pop: The world may never know.

o.o Wow, it isn't even consistent within the same song. But anyway, yeah, you'd really only be guessing in terms of his speed, even if you're "measuring" it like I described earlier... IIRC, I think either Sonic Chaos or Triple Trouble had a speed indicator for how fast Sonic or Tails was going at the end of a level, and that usually gave hundreds of km/h; quite different from the "dozens" I mentioned earlier...

The fastest he can run is the speed sound. I forget if it's the speed of sound in a vaccum or on the Earth.

Speed of sound in a vacuum? ARE YOU INSANE, MAN? There is no sound in a vacuum.

...Anyways, Sonic doesn't run at the speed of sound. He's usually a lot slower than sound. Though it depends on what game/show/comic you're looking at.

o.o Wow, it isn't even consistent within the same song.

Songs generally aren't consistent, and Sonic's probably just too complicated (or perhaps, too simple) of a character to be summed up so easily.

In the Sonic X, So Long Sonic episode (the final one after the defeat of the Meterex), as Chris is going home in Eggman's pod, Sonic is keeping up with the pod as a display in the pod counts up from around "M 0.80" to "M 2.90". "M" probably stands for "Mach" so Sonic is running at almost Mach 3. Is there anyone who still doubts my super nerd-dom?