Since the company’s official formation in 1960, Sega has produced many well-known and prolific video game franchises. The company is known for its library of unique games and certain titles which were, in many ways, ahead of their time upon release.Segahas also left a lasting legacy on multiple genres of video games.
Sega’s presence in the arcade, home console and third party publishing markets has, over the years, yielded a large cast of memorable characters. Fromtheir iconic hedgehog mascotto the Blue Rogues, certain characters stand out as truly unique and have a large fan following. However, many characters have a uniqueness of their own, but have suffered from being overlooked. Though these characters debuted years ago, they haven’t, in recent years, really had a major chance to shine.
The three detectives had a large presence at one time. They made their playable debut in the Sega 32X titleKnuckles’ Chaotix, and were one of four teams inSonic Heroes,with a unique play style focusing on exploration and collecting items. Between these two games, their characters were revised: Charmy Bee in particular, changed drastically from a polite teenager to a mischievous child.
However, sincethe 2005 titleShadow the Hedgehog, the Chaotix haven’t had any major appearances. They’ve made numerous cameos in games likeSonic Forces, but other titles have welcomed only one member of the group. Espio appears inSonic Rivals 2, and Vector forms a team with Blaze and Silver inTeam Sonic Racing. Despite being sidelined, this trio offer comedic value and are characters with vivid personalities.
An intelligent young man, Noise is a dependable and trustworthy character. He’s a vital ally to Ulala, being her co-worker. His skills chiefly lie in anything technological, from repairing Channel 5’s ship, theAstrobeat, to inventing new gadgets to support Ulala’s work. In fact, he’s reminiscent of Sonic the Hedgehog’sloyal sidekick, Tails the Fox.
At 15 years old, Noise has a likable personality, offering much encouragement to Ulala, even saving her life by helping her escape a self-destructing space station. However, he can also be sarcastic and witty. Though not in the original game, or the more recentSpace Channel 5 VR, Noize played an important supporting role inSpace Channel 5: Part 2,which shouldn’t be overlooked by fans.
4Segata Sanshiro
Segata Sanshiro is one of Sega’s most unique characters. Played by Hiroshi Fujioka, he was used in commercials to promote the Sega Saturn console in Japan. Sanshiro would “encourage” people into playing the console, by ambushing and attacking them. He had a personal theme song, a catchphrase, and even his own video game.
Whenthe Sega Dreamcastwas unveiled in his final commercial, Sanshiro sacrificed himself to “ensure” the console’s launch, a personification of the end of the Saturn’s lifespan. He protected Sega’s HQ from a missile attack, supposedly from rival video game companies. However, he’s acknowledged by a small cameo inSonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed, where he’s still riding the missile.
In other countries, many might not know how legendary this formidable warrior character was. He had a real presence in Sega advertising, and arguably helped the Saturn be successful in Japan.
If it wasn’t for Clara, major protagonists Aika and Fina wouldn’t have survived after being knocked unconscious when their ship was attacked. A warm-hearted woman, Clara was willing to help the girls all she could. She even supplied them with money upon landing in Nasrad, to help them in their search for Vyse.
Clara is also an Air Pirate, belonging to the same faction as Aika. She is the captain of her ship, thePrimrose, and her recruits, who are all young women. Clara is a capable and kind commander, willing to help those in need, even coming to Vyse and Gilder’s rescue later in the game. She’s alsoreminiscent of Amy-Rosefrom fellow Dreamcast gameSonic Adventure, for her selfless deeds, pink attire and mad pursuit of the man she believes is her true love.
2Alex Kidd
Sega’s Long Lost And Forgotten Mascot
He may be lesser-known now, but Alex Kidd was Sega’s former mascot before being overshadowed bya certain blue hedgehog. Prior to Sonic stealing his spotlight, Alex Kidd had a solid collection of games, primarily on the Sega Master System. However, for over 30 years, he didn’t appear outside of cameos until the remastered version of his very first game,Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX.
Despite being a prince, he’s a very selfless character. Though he doesn’t have Sonic’s super speed, Alex Kidd has great physical strength, fighting skills and, unlike Sonic, can swim. One interesting cameo is in the Dreamcast Japan-exclusive parody game,Segagaga.Itsees Alex sadly telling players how he is upset to have been demoted as the brand’s mascot.
Jet, Wave and Storm, the so-called “Babylon Rogues” are a unique team which unfortunately haven’t seen a mainline appearance. Featured in theSonic Ridersseries, they seek to be the fastest on Extreme Gear, and to find Babylon Garden’s ancient treasure. Jet and Wave both appeared in certain titles in theMario and Sonic at the Olympic Gamesseries. However Storm didn’t, except that players could unlock a costume of him for their Mii characters. The trio, and their Babylonian culture,seemingly made a cameo appearancein theSonic the Hedgehog 2movie.
The group act as aSonic Heroes-style team, with each member having their own unique character traits. With Jet as the young boastful leader, Wave is the technical genius and Storm supports the group with his intense strength. The three serve as the perfect rivals to Sonic, Tails and Knuckles’ respective character traits. They deserve to have featured more often in the franchise.
