Sonic the Hedgehog: Freedom Fighters

Sonic the Hedgehog: Freedom Fighters is an animated television series based off of the  video game franchise Sonic the Hedgehog: Freedom Fighters, otherwise known as Freedom Fighters within the Sonic fanbase, was announced in December of 2018, releasing a year later to coincide with the Sonic the Hedgehog movie. The series is animated and produced by (notable for animating Samurai Jack) with the partnership of, Sega, and Sonic Team.

The series aired on Cartoon Network, premiering on December 1st, 2019. The first season of the show met positive reviews, though the series had been cancelled after the first season.

Cast

 * as Sonic sixteen-year-old anthropomorphic hedgehog who lives freely, loving adventure and advocating for freedom. He's quick-witted and easygoing, but has a short temper and is often impatient towards slower things. He's notable for his super speed. Roger Craig Smith was offered the role of Sonic due to his roles as him in the video games, an offer he accepted.


 * as Princess Sally/Sally Acorn: A fifteen-year-old anthropomorphic chipmunk who is more opinionated and headstrong, with a logical mindset. She has a playful side as seen when with Sonic but also is shown to be a great leader and the leader of the Freedom Fighters. Sally doesn't have any powers, but is a responsible leader and can hack into technology. Kath Soucie returned to voice Sally Acorn.


 * as Miles "Tails" Prower: An eleven-year-old anthropomorphic fox with a positive attitude, being gentle and sweet-natured. Sonic took him up as his "sidekick", a role he enjoys. He has a love for mechanics and is shown to utilize these skills well, creating vehicles such as the Tornado which Sonic currently pilots. Colleen Villard returned from the video games to voice Tails.

Episodes
Main Article: Sonic the Hedgehog: Freedom Fighters/Episodes

Synopsis
Sonic the Hedgehog: Freedom Fighters is a series heavily based off of its source material, with two to three arcs in each season and each arc being based on either the games, Archie comics, or the cartoons. There are typically two to three arcs per each season, and there may be an arc going on at the same time as another arc.

Production
Sonic the Hedgehog: Freedom Fighters was co-created by and, with the partnership of Sega and the Sonic Team. The animation was done by who had done the animation for the fifth season of Samurai Jack, in a similar art style. Sega had proposed for a Sonic television series based on the video games and the upcoming film for movie synergy.

Man of Action Studios pitched the idea to Cartoon Network after Sonic Boom had finished airing and greenlit the series, and a pilot was produced; titled "The Blue Blur" which later became the television series pilot.

A sneak peek was then revealed to the public on July 21, 2019. The series was then announced by Cartoon Network on July 22, 2019. In early August, more information on the series was revealed along with the characters. Sonic the Hedgehog: Freedom Fighters made its worldwide premiere on December 1st, 2019.

Reception
When the series debuted, it was rated the best-animated television series in its demographic of 8 - 11-year-old kids. Episodes averaged around 1.2 million viewers, becoming one of Cartoon Network's major animated television shows, rivaling Cartoon Network's other shows such as. The series has become a cult following in the Sonic the Hedgehog fanbase due to being cancelled early on.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Freedom Fighters has received critical acclaim, with critics praising its art style and characterization, along with its plotlines. IGN has given the series an 8.0, claiming that "Its faithfulness to the series and elements from the games to the shows to the comics has made it an amazing series, and an excellent way to celebrate the franchise's 25th anniversary.". IGN has later gone on to say that the series was "a mix of Samurai Jack, Teen Titans, and Avatar: the Last Airbender in terms of style".

Cancellation
The series was cancelled after airing one season of twenty-six episodes, with Sega explaining that it was due to low toy sales after the negative reception of the film. The toy sales were the series' primary source of funding and with no source of funding for the series, the series was pulled after only one season.

Glenndy Tartakovsky has stated that the series would've gone on to have five full seasons, and that the second season would've saw the adaptation of Sonic Adventure 2 and along with that the debut of Shadow the Hedgehog. It also would've explored Earth and how Dr. Robotnik came to find Mobius.

Trivia

 * Ryan Drummonds was originally going to play Sonic, instead of Roger Craig Smith.
 * The art style of the series resembles Samurai Jack and Avatar: the Last Airbender, along with Teen Titans' anime-like influence.