All Versions Of Sonic The Hedgehog From Weakest To Most Powerful (2024)

Sonic The Hedgehog is one of the most powerful platforming heroes ever. Sega's beloved mascot has single-handedly defeated entire armies of heavily armed robots, massive god-like beings, and even the physical representation of death. But which one of his many versions is the most powerful?

The Blue Blur has quite a collection of transformations and alternate versions spread across several games and continuities. While most versions share the ability to run at the speed of sound and take damage as long as they have rings, they also have many differences that make some way more powerful than others.

Updated on October 17, 2023 by PJ Molloy: In Sonic Superstars, the Blue Blur is back to speeding through 2D levels in the classic format. It's a blast from the past, featuring retro character designs, returning special stages, and fan-favorite enemies from the Genesis and Game Gear era. But Sonic Superstars is not just a nostalgia trip, thanks to the introduction of Emerald Power, which gives the fastest thing alive a bunch of new abilities to spice up his moveset. The inclusion of these new powers begs the question: can Classic Sonic compete with his other versions? Which version of Sonic is the strongest?

11 Boom Sonic

Has A Range Of Skills, But Lacks Speed

Many people, including Sega, would prefer to forget this version of Sonic. Nonetheless, Boom Sonic is skilled in hand-to-hand combat and can destroy robots with a few punches. His Enerbeam allows him to grab distant objects, perfect for deflecting missiles and reaching faraway enemies.

Sonic's biggest weakness is water, and the version from Boom has a way around that. In Sonic Boom: Fire And Ice, he can summon ice magic to freeze water and create new paths. However, where Boom Sonic falls short is his speed, which is mostly relegated to scripted segments and doesn't hold a candle to his other versions.

10 Classic Sonic

Can Harness The Emerald Power

Classic Sonic has starred in some of the best retro platformers ever and has defeated powerful foes like Metal Sonic and the Death Egg Robot. He's more than capable of putting up a fight, and thanks to Sonic Superstars, his moveset is more versatile than ever.

Classic Sonic can spin dash and drop dash to gain instant momentum and destroy enemies as long as he's curled into a ball. In Sonic Superstars, every Chaos Emerald he collects grants him a new Emerald Power, including the ability to clone himself, swim up waterfalls, turn into a fireball, and even slow down time. It’s not a bad moveset by any means, but his other versions have performed more remarkable feats.

9 Super Smash Bros Sonic

A Top-Tier Fighter

You know someone is cool when they can defeat horrifying villains like Ganondorf and Sephiroth. Sonic is widely considered one of the best fighters in Super Smash Bros Ultimate, and it's easy to see why. He's the fastest character in the game, has an incredible recovery, and his spin attack can land several hits on an opponent in the blink of an eye.

What makes Sonic's Smash Bros version unique is his hand-to-hand combat, a rare skill for the Blue Blur. He's not the strongest fighter on the roster, but you can rack up some powerful combos with the right strategy. While he's a top-tier character in Super Smash Bros Ultimate, his moveset is a little lacking compared to his appearances in his mainline games.

8 Movie Sonic

Toppled A Massive Tank

Despite being arguably the least experienced out of all the versions of Sega's mascot, Movie Sonic performs some shockingly impressive feats. He doesn't have Modern Sonic's boost or homing attack, but he makes up for it with one of the strongest spin attacks in the series, capable of toppling a tank.

Movie Sonic stands out thanks to his ability to generate lightning with his quills, which, when released, is powerful enough to cause a city-wide power outage. His speed is nothing to laugh at, either. He can move so fast that the world around him stands still. His only setback is his inexperience, which leads him to lose multiple fights to Knuckles.

7 Adventure Sonic

Can Use Chaos Control

The Sonic Adventure titles are some of the best 3D platformers, largely thanks to this version of the famous hedgehog. Adventure Sonic can cross large gaps with the Light Speed Dash, summon fire at will with the Flame Ring, store up energy to unleash on enemies later with Ancient Light, and so much more.

While Classic Sonic harnesses Emerald Power from the Chaos Emeralds, Adventure Sonic is the only version that uses Chaos Control. This allows him to teleport away from near-death experiences and travel through time. He even single-handedly defeated Chaos in his second most powerful form.

6 Modern Sonic

Has An Incredibly Powerful Boost

Modern Sonic trades the spin dash for the Boost ability, significantly increasing his power. The Boost allows him to run faster than ever and mow down hoards of enemies with ease. He's so strong that he managed to beat Perfect Chaos without the help of the Chaos Emeralds.

Sonic Frontiers further expanded his moveset thanks to the skill tree. The new abilities give him enhanced strength, more rapid attacks, and many possibilities for devastating combos, allowing Sonic to take down towering robotic beasts in no time.

5 Werehog Sonic

Trades Speed For Brute Strength

What the Werehog lacks in speed, he more than makes up with pure strength. He can tear metal like paper and lift massive bosses over his head with minimal effort. His punches are devastating, shattering giant ice blocks and sending bosses flying across the room.

His signature skill is the ability to stretch his arms and enlarge his hands to reach faraway enemies and increase his strength. He can also harness the power of the demigod Dark Gaia to enter Unleashed Mode, further enhancing his strength. Needless to say, you do not want to get on his bad side.

4 Darkspine Sonic

Defeated A Demigod

Darkspine Sonic is one of the most forgotten characters in the series. This transformation only appears in Sonic And The Secret Rings during the final boss. While he's the weakest of the super forms, he's still a force to be reckoned with.

Darkspine Sonic has many abilities. He can fly, slow down time, and summon fire around his hands and feet for brutal attacks in hand-to-hand combat. He's able to deflect powerful spells with his bare hands, and unlike Super Sonic, being in the Darkspine form doesn't drain rings. The only catch is that he's not invincible like other super forms.

3 Excalibur Sonic

Can Turn Into A Meteor

Excalibur Sonic shows up during the final boss in Sonic And The Black Knight. Like Darkspine, he doesn't require rings to stay transformed and is not invincible. But make no mistake; he's a powerhouse.

This super form wields the legendary sword Excalibur, which is strong enough to cut through anything. He's a master of sword combat, able to swing Excalibur dozens of times in a matter of seconds. At his maximum speed, he can summon enough energy to turn himself into a meteor and plunge through a god-like being with ease.

2 Super Sonic

Defeated Death Itself

Super Sonic has beaten god-like entities, a time-eating monster, and even the physical manifestation of death. He can create a shield to block devastating attacks and make bubbles for his friends to grant them temporary flight. He's even invincible as long as he has rings.

Super Sonic has tremendous speed and strength. He's so fast that he can fly into Outer Space in a matter of minutes. He can even penetrate through an entire planet just by flying into it. He is one of the Blue Blur's most powerful versions, with almost no weaknesses.

1 Hyper Sonic

The Strongest Version Of Sonic

What's better than seven emeralds? 14, of course! After collecting all the Chaos Emeralds and Super Emeralds in Sonic 3 & Knuckles, you can transform into Hyper Sonic. Enemies beware. This guy does not mess around.

Hyper Sonic can fly faster than Super Sonic, if that's even possible. He can also perform the Hyper Flash, a catastrophic attack that eliminates all enemies on screen. He can even breathe underwater, making it almost impossible to die during water levels. He is, without a doubt, the most powerful version of Sonic.