Sonic X Skylanders 3: Project Shadow is the fourth film in the Sonic X Skylanders franchise. It is the sequel to Sonic X Skylanders: A New Beginning and Sonic X Skylanders 2: Quest for the Emerald.
Synopsis[]
Around a month after the events of the Dark Master incident, the film follows the Crystalwing Clan as they face the return and latest scheme of Dr. Krankcase, all while a mysterious adversary emerges.
Plot[]
Sometime after the events of the third film, on Prison Island in the Winter Keep, an anthropomorphic red-and-black hedgehog named Shadow is being kept in suspended animation while being monitored by Guardian Units of Nations. One of the guards expresses concern for the project, but another guard assures him that Shadow has not moved in fifty years. In his capsule, Shadow recalls old memories, such as listening to a young girl play on a guitar, watching the stars with her, and a tragedy that occurred long ago. Suddenly, Shadow's heart rate begins to spike, then one of the guards notices that their system has been hacked and the containment tank is destabilizing. As the heart rate monitor glitches, the guards realize that Shadow is waking up and immediately calls for security. Multiple G.U.N. soldiers surround and aim at the capsule containing Shadow. Despite his heart rate flatlining for a brief moment, Shadow suddenly awakens and shatters the glass keeping him contained before teleporting out of sight. He then knocks out the soldiers one by one, using his ability to disappear and reappear in between each attack. One of the guards' requests backup, only to realize that there is nobody left. Shadow breaks through the compound and teleports onto the half-melted ice, skating away from Prison Island and toward the Winter Keep's capital city.
Elsewhere, in a forest near Skylander Academy, Sonic, Spyro, Scratch [now having a silver tiara and is donned in silver armor as opposed to her normal gold set with a cyan bow and eyeshadow replacing her purple ones], Tails, Knuckles, Cynder, Midnight, Flame, Ember, Stealth Elf [with a hot pink flower hair clip in her hair, on the right side of her head], Eruptor, Malefor, Ignitus and Wynter are out enjoying a camping trip. While Scratch, Spyro, Tails and Knuckles start to prepare for a race, Sonic walks up to them dressed in his swimming gear, under the assumption that they were going tubing. Realizing that they are actually having a race, Sonic discards his swimming gear and asks Malefor, Wynter and Ignitus to start the countdown as Flame, Ember, Stealth Elf, Eruptor, Midnight and Cynder watch on as the audience. Ignitus assures Wynter and Malefor that a bit of sibling rivalry is healthy and that he and late brother were similar, to which Wynter responds that his brother was a lunatic and wasn't born with the ability to trigger a global cataclysmic event. Ignitus concedes her point as Malefor asks the five to keep the race "cataclysmic-less", which they all agree to.
Once Wynter finishes counting down, the race begins. Sonic is confident that he is in the lead as Scratch and Spyro tail him, but they are surprised to see both Tails and Knuckles ahead of them. The hedgehog, dragon and feathercat quickly take back the lead, with Sonic using his Spin Dash to gain more speed as Scratch and Spyro use an air current to also gain speed until they reach the goal, causing them to argue about who really won. The argument is cut short when they see that Tails and Knuckles were somehow already there, meaning they have lost, but they soon realize that they are actually holograms. Sonic is initially excited to know that he, Spyro and Scratch are still the fastest of the group, but then becomes curious as to what is going on, to which the dragon and feathercat agree with.
They rush back to the starting point to find Wynter, Malefor, Ignitus, Flame, Ember, Stealth Elf, Eruptor, Cynder, Midnight, Cotton, Tails and Knuckles surprising them with a party. Wynter explains that today is the anniversary of the day that Sonic came to Skylands and became a member of Scratch's family, dubbing it "Happy B(Sky)day" as Cynder had accidentally made a spelling error while making the banner earlier. Knuckles states that today is the day they not only honor Sonic; but to entire clan as well because they began a new era of peace in Skylands from the events of the third film, while the others comment on how the hedgehog, purple dragon and feathercat have improved the group's lives and brought them together as a family (except for Cotton, who slightly envies Sonic due to the fact that he "stole [her] dragon" despite liking him).
After the party, Sonic thanks Wynter for setting it up. He then notices a familiar location nearby and immediately rushes toward it with Spyro and Eruptor, slightly annoying Wynter by going too fast as usual but is glad that Flame, Ember, Stealth Elf and Scratch stayed with her.
After arriving where the boys went to, Wynter quickly realizes that it is the cave where Sonic used to live and was turned into the hangout spot for Sonic, Scratch, Spyro, Stealth Elf and Eruptor back when they were cadets at the academy. Flame is surprised that Sonic lived in such a poor environment for so long while Sonic plays with the nunchucks that Stealth Elf gave him as a previous birthday gift back before they and their friends enrolled at the school that he refers to as his "state-of-the-art security system". Flame then notices a mural on the wall, which Sonic explains that he drew it on his first night in Skylands to remember his origins and time with Longclaw. When the time came for the cave to be turned into a hangout place, everyone agreed to leave the mural as it is to honor Longclaw's memory.
As Sonic wonders if Longclaw would be proud of him, Wynter assures him that she would due to the fact that despite losing her at such a young age, he did not let his pain change who he is in his heart. She goes on to explain to her children, step-niece, step-nephew and their friends that life is about the choices people make, both good and bad, and that as long as they listen to their hearts, they will make the right choice when it matters most. Sonic thanks his foster mother for the advice and wonders how different his life would be without the feathercat family, to which Spyro believes that Sonic would probably be a completely different hedgehog, being just like Shadow.
In the Winter Keep, Shadow is walking the streets, gradually growing accustomed to his new modern surroundings. Then he turns to see a promotional ad and discovers that it's the year 2024, leaving him shocked to discover that he was trapped for 50 years (1974 - 2024). All of a sudden, a horde of G.U.N. soldiers and vehicles surround the area and rally around Shadow. Annoyed by G.U.N.'s continued pursuit of him, Shadow prepares for a fight as his eyes glow with red and orange energy.
Back at the campsite, Ember then discovers a small stone monument at the edge of a cliff stating: "In Memory of Scar the Feathercat/A Father, A Skylander and Friend/R.I.P.". This makes her and Flame realize that this is Scar's memorial stone that was placed there after his death. As Scratch and Sonic bid their late father with a kind greeting and apologizing to him for not seeing him as often because much has happened, Wynter greets her late first husband after a long while, telling him that she is now home and a new era of peace has come. She then wishes he was around to see what has happened but is glad to have finally have the chance to see him in Skylands. She then introduces Flame and Ember to Scar before she thanks her children for giving her the chance to see the memorial as the red and pink dragons speak with Scar.
Soon, Sonic's group is relaxing and roasting marshmallows, with Malefor, Wynter and Ignitus appreciating the opportunity to have some peace and quiet. However, they are interrupted by the sudden arrival of a G.U.N. helicopter, from which Director Rockwell emerges. She explains to them that Commander Buzz is requesting the Crystalwing Clan's immediate assistance in dealing with the situation in the Winter Keep. In response to this, Knuckles questions how G.U.N. knew the name while Sonic immediately agrees to it given the fact that he, Scratch and Spyro are the main leaders of the clan. As they set off on the helicopter, Malefor calls out to the clan, reminding them to make good choices.
After using a Ring to reach the Winter Keep, Sonic asks Tails, who is piloting the helicopter, how to find Shadow. At that moment, a giant explosion erupts, providing them with a clear sign of where to start looking. Tails proudly displays his newly made titanium handcuffs as Stealth Elf shows off her new pair of golden, crescent shaped blades while Scratch is eager to field test her new silver armor and Spyro states that he is saving his Avalarian magic for a last resort due to its power, which Knuckles all dismissively ignores, claiming he is "one million percent muscle." This assertion slightly annoys Sonic and the other clan members, as they have heard it numerous times before (or almost everyday as Midnight puts it). The co-pilot informs the Crystalwing Clan that they are over the drop zone and the group agrees to stick together, regardless of who or what is down there. Director Rockwell approaches them, prompting Sonic to make a quip before the clan exits the helicopter.
Upon landing at the scene, they observe that G.U.N. has been defeated and wonder what transpired. As Tails picks up strong energy readings on the Miles Electric, a truck is suddenly hurled toward them. Knuckles catches it and tosses it aside, once again boasting about his strength. Then, Shadow appears before the Crystalwing Clan, surprising them with his similar appearance to Sonic. Both hedgehogs question why the other looks like him, but Shadow quickly dismisses the conversation as a waste of time. He warns the trio to walk away before they get hurt. Wanting to resolve the situation without conflict, Spyro pulls out the handcuffs that Tails made and passes them to Sonic as the blue hedgehog asks Shadow to talk with them. However, Shadow refuses, citing their association with G.U.N. and turns to walk away.
Having had enough, Knuckles charges at Shadow to attack him despite Cynder and Ember telling him to stop, but Shadow uses his teleportation ability, which shocks Stealth Elf since she was the only one to be known to have that power, to overwhelm and send Knuckles crashing into a nearby shop. After helping Knuckles up, the clan prepares to fight Shadow together, only to be swiftly defeated by the black hedgehog. He then picks up a energy gun and drives off on a motorbike, warning them not to follow. Tails tries to advise Flame against pursuing Shadow, calling it a bad idea, but Flame, believing that has never stopped him in the past, goes after him anyway, much to his sister's chagrin, prompting Sonic to go after him; asking Ember and Tails to help the others. After chasing him through the streets of the Winter Keep and bantering along the way, Sonic and Shadow clash with their respective chaos energies as Flame assists by using his fire breath, resulting in a citywide power outage. The city's backup generators turn on shortly after and Sonic and Flame wake up to find themselves handcuffed to a nearby railing, which they quickly escape from thanks to Flame's quadruped body structure making it easy for him to slide out of the railing but are unable to get the cuffs off as Sonic states that this is what Flame gets for not listening to his fellow clan members. Luckily, Spyro, Scratch, Tails, Knuckles, Cynder, Midnight, Ember, Stealth Elf and Eruptor quickly find them, with the feathercat, fox and pink dragoness also upset that Flame went off by himself despite them being a team while stating that he was lucky that Sonic went with him to keep him safe. Flame apologizes, still not fully accustomed to the concept of teamwork as he and Ember had only been working as a duo before the events of the third film, while Sonic decides they need to regroup and get some answers from G.U.N. before continuing.
To this end, they decide to take shelter at a Chao Garden café, where they are later joined by Commander Buzz, his son; Flynn, and Rockwell's daughter; Cali. After having a brief reunion with Cali and Flynn, Sonic asks who Shadow is. Buzz, deciding to tell Flynn the truth about their family secret, explains that Shadow's story is similar to his own, but while Sonic found family and friends in Skylands, Shadow only encountered pain and loss. Buzz recounts that Shadow's story began over fifty years ago with a meteor crash in a quiet corner of Oklahoma. Inside the meteorite was a lifeform, specifically referred to as the "ultimate" lifeform. Scientists who discovered him experimented continuously with his Chaos energy, believing it could usher in a new era for humanity. However, they eventually deemed it too dangerous. During an attempt by G.U.N. to secure Shadow, a terrible accident occurred that destroyed the lab and resulted in many fatalities. The project leader was blamed for the incident, leading to his imprisonment and the cancellation of the program. Convinced that Shadow was too dangerous to release but also too valuable to destroy, Buzz decided to place him in stasis indefinitely on Prison Island.
In the present, Stealth Elf realizes that if Shadow spent 50 years in stasis, someone must have helped him escape which makes Midnight theorize that the person in mind is someone from the project and they have somehow reconnected with Shadow. Buzz agrees, but he points out that only a few people in the world are aware of Shadow's existence. A live show then begins with the Chao mascots dancing on stage, much to Tails and the girls' excitement (sans Cali yet she is pleased by the show), only for it to be cut short by an attack from several Drone Badniks, who destroy the table Flynn, Cali, the Crystalwing Clan and Commander Buzz are sitting at. As the civilians flee in terror, Sonic notices that they are the same robots previously used by Dr. Krankcase, who was assumed dead after his last defeat. A motorcyclist, whose face is concealed by his helmet, then crashes into the building, skidding to a halt in front of the drones. One of them attempts to shoot him with a missile, which he easily dodges, causing it to blow up part of the restaurant behind him. He then disables the drones using a device on his wrist before riding away. Flynn, Cali and the Crystalwing Clan then find Commander Buzz trapped beneath some rubble, which Knuckles and Eruptor lift off, revealing the commander to be badly injured from the attack, much to Flynn's worry as Stealth Elf, after accessing his wounds, states that they are too damaged to repair. Before succumbing to his wounds, Buzz gives Sonic a key to what he describes as the most powerful weapon G.U.N. has ever created, trusting only Sonic to keep it safe as well as telling Cali of the location of the lab where Project Shadow was done at before telling his son that he was the best thing that ever happened to him. Flynn then cries at his father's death, prompting a sympathetic Scratch, who is reminded of her own father's death, to comfort him by giving her condolences, which Flynn thanks him for. However, the moment is then interrupted when several trucks of G.U.N. troops then arrive at the scene, with Director Rockwell among them. Searching Buzz's body, she notices that his launch key is missing and instead finds a photo of Flynn, Cali and the Crystalwing Clan, leading her to believe that they had stolen it, have Flynn and Cali captive and that they could not be trusted; namely because Rockwell distrusts aliens.
Meanwhile, Flynn and Cali ally with the Crystalwing Clan and use parts of Chao costumes to disguise themselves and manage to sneak out of the building undetected. Tails and Ember question why they were running from G.U.N. if they were supposed to be on the same side, but Sonic replies that they would not trust anyone until they had more information as Cali has a feeling that her mother would undoubtedly get the wrong idea if she and Flynn told G.U.N. what had happened. The Crystalwing Clan and their allies chase down the mysterious biker, until they catch them at the docks. The motorcyclist removes his helmet to reveal himself as Hood Sickle, much to Knuckles' surprise, as the echidna refers to Hood as the "Goat Milker." causing Hood to mock him. Hood informs the heroes that he is not here to fight. Stealth Elf and Cynder demand to know why he is here and why he had freed Shadow. However, Hood explains that the last thing they want was more super-powered hedgehogs running around and that Krankcase had nothing to do with the attack.
He then summons the Mecha Crab from the ocean and invites the clan and their allies inside, where they find an overweight and unshaven Krankcase watching a telenovela, listening to music and eating junk food. Hood, Flynn, Cali and the Crystalwing Clan are here, with the heroes watching in disgust at how much Robotnik had let himself go while the girls cover their eyes before Spyro lets them know its safe to look now. While Midnight asks to be sure if Krankcase really is the one who attacked Sonic and his family in the past two times, to which Sonic confirms it while he, Tails, Scratch and Eruptor express their surprise at seeing Krankcase—whom Sonic, Spyro and Scratch still refer to as "Eggman"—alive while also being disturbed by his disheveled appearance as Spyro states that Krankcase is at his lowest point, which Stealth Elf agrees to. However, the doctor dismisses their comments, not caring what they think he looks like. Hood informs Krankcase of an impostor using his technology, showing footage from the attack at the Chao Garden. Annoyed at having his persona and "precious babies" stolen, Krankcase cross-references the coordinates of each drone's energy spikes in order to track down the impostor's base of operations. In order to get closer to finding Shadow, the clan and their friends reluctantly decide to team up with Krankcase, but not before he makes Sonic hand over one of his quills, reinvigorating him with a burst of its Chaos energy. With the alliance formed, Krankcase has Hood shave his head and help him make his suit fit.
Meanwhile, Shadow is walking through an abandoned G.U.N. facility in the snowy mountainside when he comes across an old roller skate, causing him to reminisce on his late friend, Maria Krankcase. In 1974, she is roller skating through the then-active facility while carrying a box of her personal belongings. A guard tries to stop her as she approached the laboratory, but Buzz, who was a captain at the time and not a father yet, allows her to enter due to her being granddaughter of Professor Gerald. Buzz tells Maria where her room was while asking her to take her skates off. Shortly after, Maria comes across a room containing the capsule where Shadow was being held for research. Hesitantly approaching the capsule, Maria tries to touch it, only for Shadow to suddenly turn around and glare at her. Although taken aback at first, Maria playfully glares back before drawing a funny face on the capsule to amuse herself. Upon seeing Shadow calm down a little, Maria puts her hand on the capsule, and Shadow puts his hand up to meet hers.
From this point onwards, the two form a close friendship, enjoying various activities together such as dancing, skating and watching a movie. However, during the latter, Shadow becomes upset due to the appearance of a monster that was referred to as an "alien freak". Later on, Maria takes Shadow up to a field outside the facility, where they watch the stars. Maria comments on their beauty while explaining that it can take hundreds of years for the light of a star can to reach Earth, and that the star itself may no longer exist by the time people are able to see it. This prompts Shadow to wonderingly comment that "the light shines, even though the star is gone". Maria wonders which star Shadow came from, although he has no memory of his home. Maria responds by telling Shadow that Skylands is his home now. Shadow asks Maria if she thought he was dangerous like that movie monster was, as he could tell that the scientists thought so from the way they looked at him. She tells Shadow that he was her friend, and that he could be whoever he wanted to despite his powers and origins. Shadow, now reassured, takes her hand gratefully and they both continue gazing at the stars.
Back in 2024, Shadow arrives at the now-destroyed room where he first met Maria, silently grieving until he notices Gerald behind him. The professor greets Shadow, having known he would come "home". Shadow tells Gerald he is unable to stop thinking about Maria as the pain from losing her is overwhelming, which Gerald states is the reason they must punish those who took Maria's life.
Around the same time, Krankcase, Hood, Cali, Flynn and the Crystalwing Clan arrive at the base via a Ring after Cali gave them the location itself that Buzz told her before he died. Krankcase tries to figure out a way to open the door, only for Knuckles and Eruptor to break it down with a punch. Hearing their arrival, Shadow prepares for a fight, but Gerald tells him these are the guests he was expecting and that they should give them a "warm welcome". As the clan, Flynn, Cali, Krankcase and Hood walk into the base, Hood wonders what this place is. Sonic replies that it looks like a military base but nobody has been in here for years, leading Ember to wonder if it's haunted, to which Cali agrees on since Buzz told her that there were many lives lost when the incident that happened in the base occurred. This thought frightens Knuckles, Flame and Eruptor, who are uneasy at the mention of ghosts. Hood then asks the three red guys if they are afraid of ghosts, but Knuckles insists that nothing scares an echidna warrior as Eruptor and Flame agree with him by stating that they aren't afraid either. However, Stealth Elf recalls the clan's last movie night which was also Flame and Ember first movie night, where Knuckles, Flame and Eruptor were scared so badly while they were watching the live-action Casper film that Knuckles grabbed Sonic and Tails' hands tightly in panic, causing both the hedgehog and the fox to spill their bowls of popcorn and scream in pain while trying to break free from Knuckles' grip, begging him to let go as Eruptor threw up lava in front of Stealth Elf and Midnight, prompting them to leave the area and jump onto the couch the fox, echidna and hedgehog were on to get Knuckles to let go of Sonic and Tails' hands while Flame accidentally blackened Cynder, Spyro and Scratch in soot by using his fire breath out of pure fear.
Back in the present, Knuckles says that there is no such thing as a friendly ghost despite Spyro stating ten times that it was just a movie at the time of the night and that the echidna, red dragon and lava monster hadn't even gotten to the gross parts of the film yet. Sonic and the others come across three separate paths and realize they need to split up to cover more ground. Not wanting to let Krankcase out of his sight, Sonic chooses the right pathway with him, Spyro, Midnight and Scratch. Meanwhile, Ember, Cynder, Tails and Hood head down the left, while Knuckles takes the middle with Flame, Eruptor, Stealth Elf, Flynn and Cali. Knuckles, Flame and Eruptor attempt to keep their cool while navigating the tunnel with the comfort of their friends, but are quickly caught by Shadow after he startles them.
Meanwhile, Hood, Ember, Cynder and Tails are walking through another tunnel, with the hooded being admitting that he finds Tails adorable and the girl dragons cute. Hood asks Tails what it is like being Sonic's assistant, wondering if he has a daily routine or any benefits, but Tails tells him that he and Sonic are actually teammates, with Sonic, Spyro and Scratch as the leaders, Knuckles and Eruptor as the muscle, Stealth Elf as the weapons expert and Tails as the inventor. Flame, Cynder, Ember and Midnight are still trying to figure out their roles in the clan since they're new members but the pink dragon is certain that they will figure it out as Tails explains that their team is made special by their unique roles and their bond as best friends and Cynder asks Hood if he and Krankcase are the same. Despite not truly believing it himself, Hood tells him that they are indeed best friends. Shadow then appears from behind them and kidnaps them.
Elsewhere, Sonic, Scratch, Midnight, Spyro and Krankcase enter a room and Sonic and Scratch realize from the items scattered about, including a photo of Shadow and Maria, that this was an actual home where people lived and that Shadow had a family. Midnight and Spyro ask Krankcase if he has ever wondered what he would be like if he had a family to keep him from turning into a villain, although the doctor rejects this idea, stating that he never had a family and believing himself to be "undesirable to all possible genders". Sonic, Scratch and the dragons enter the room where Shadow used to be kept, only for the latter to ambush and knock them out.
While wondering where Sonic and the others went, Krankcase comes across several of his stolen drones, prompting him to joyfully hug them. However, he is interrupted by the appearance of the "impostor" and activates the drones to threaten him. Despite this, the man simply praises Krankcase for his "magnificent creations" and explains that he borrowed them to lure Krankcase here and reunite their family. When Krankcase does not respond, the man removes his glasses and properly introduces himself as Gerald Krankcase, Ivo's grandfather. Despite noticing the uncanny resemblance between them, Ivo does not yet believe they are relatives and begins interrogating Gerald asking him many hard questions. After Gerald answers each question correctly, Ivo is convinced and hugs him, asking where he has been his entire life. Gerald tells him he has spent the last fifty years imprisoned, preventing him from contacting anyone. Gerald is about to tell Ivo why he brought him here, but Ivo retorts that he used his unparalleled intellect to track him down. Gerald counters that it was for the plan he concocted with his own unparalleled intellect, and leads Ivo to the spot where the Crystalwing Clan, Flynn, Cali and Hood Sickle are tied up in chains.
As Scratch regains consciousness, she is horrified to see "two Eggmen" approaching her. Shadow confronts Ivo, referring to him as "the long-lost grandson." In response, Ivo calls Shadow "another stinking hedgehog." The clan and their allies realize that Gerald is the one responsible for Shadow's escape and the attack on Buzz. Shadow then takes the key to G.U.N.'s superweapon from the clan, claiming that he and Gerald intend to use it to reclaim everything G.U.N. has taken from them. Gerald presents a hologram of the superweapon, an orbital satellite called the Eclipse Cannon. He explains that he provided G.U.N. with this powerful weapon, the most advanced mankind has ever seen, in exchange for his freedom. The Eclipse Cannon is capable of delivering a precision strike anywhere in the Skylands. Gerald decides that their first target will be G.U.N. Headquarters (which is located in Scholarville), callously dismissing Eruptor's warning about the innocent lives that will be threatened. He then informs Ivo that in order to fire the Eclipse Cannon, they need two keys, with the second key being locked away in G.U.N. Headquarters. Ivo agrees to join him, and they set off, accompanied by Hood aboard the Mecha Crab. Before they depart, Ivo sarcastically thanks Sonic for "inspiring" their adventure, as it ultimately worked out in his favor, further justifying Sonic, Spyro and Scratch's lack of trust in him.
Spyro pleads with Shadow not to allow his pain to change who he is inside. However, Shadow coldly replies that he has spent fifty years reliving what G.U.N. did to Maria, and that this pain has shaped him into who he is today. He drops a small, marble-like device before teleporting away. Sonic is initially unimpressed by it, but it turns out to be a miniature black hole that is consuming all the matter in the base. It starts pulling Flynn, Cali and the clan in, but Knuckles grabs a rope with his teeth, holding them in place while Sonic uses one of Tails' rings to open a portal. Although it takes a while for the portal to actually open due to the ring bouncing off the surrounding debris, they manage to narrowly escape, ending up on a nearby cliff where they watch the last of the base being swallowed up by the black hole.
Aboard the Death Crab, Ivo, believing Sonic to be dead, is impressed by how quickly Gerald managed to dispose of him. Gerald, in turn, assures him that there is nothing they cannot destroy together. Hood charts a route to G.U.N. Headquarters in Scholarville, informing the Krankcases that they will arrive in about four hours. Realizing that they are ahead of schedule, Gerald decides to take the opportunity to spend quality time with his grandson, much to Ivo's joy. Using virtual reality headsets, they enjoy a variety of recreational activities together, with Hood trying but failing to join in. He prepares lattes for them but ends up discarding them after seeing how much fun they are already having.
Back at the Crystalwing household, Malefor, Ignitus and Wynter are enjoying their new hobbies and interests, getting used to the peace. Suddenly, the place shakes, as a ring portal opens in front of them and Flynn, Cali and the Crystalwing Clan suddenly appear in the living room, asking for their help on a mission. Eager for excitement, the adults immediately agree, having become bored without the rest of their family. Later, after getting free from their binds, Tails uses the Miles Electric to create a holographic simulation of G.U.N. Headquarters so they can devise a plan. Sonic initially thinks he can run across the water and into the base, but he quickly realizes that this would get him incinerated by the energy shield. Tails explains that to disable the shield, they need to gain control of it by planting a USB drive in the server room, a task that will fall to Flynn, Cali, Eruptor and Stealth Elf. After that, Sonic, Scratch, Spyro and Stealth Elf will need to navigate through a laser hall to access the vault, despite Scratch's slight discomfort about the idea of sending her best friend in the room due to the deadly lasers. However, G.U.N. has wiped all images and schematics of the vault from their database, leaving them unaware of its design and preventing them from using a ring to access it. Malefor suggests that the plan would work a lot better if Sonic, Spyro, Stealth Elf, Eruptor and Scratch could use the Master Emerald to transform into their Super forms and obtain the key. Sonic, Stealth Elf and Spyro, however, refuse, stating that the Master Emerald is far too powerful to be used again and that they made a promise to keep it hidden so they are only allowed to use it in case of an emergency. As the only one who knows the Master Emerald's location, Knuckles asserts that as its guardian, anyone who attempts to take it for any reason that is not considered an emergency to the clan will become a sworn enemy of his. Cynder reassures the adults that this is the right decision and they set off for Scholarville.
Around the same time, Team Krankcase arrives right outside G.U.N. Headquarters. Shadow, fueled by his desire for revenge, wants to quickly grab the key and destroy anyone in his way, but Gerald tells him to be patient and let him and Ivo handle it, promising the hedgehog that he will soon have his revenge on an unimaginable scale. Hood Sickle provides the Krankcases with their bodysuits for the mission and is instructed by Ivo to watch Shadow in the meantime while keeping the Mecha Crab hidden. While Ivo and Gerald set off, Stone invites Shadow into the Mecha Crab to have guac, to which Shadow responds, "revenge guac".
Meanwhile, Sonic impatiently waits for his team to start the operation with Spyro and Scratch on a cart of the Scholar Eye ferris wheel as the hedgehog complains about waiting all day, though Tails points out they have only just begun as his team land on the roofs of the building in Vine Grind Gulf. He, Ember, Cynder, Midnight and Ignitus ask for Flynn, Cali, Stealth Elf, Eruptor, Malefor, Wynter, Flame and Knuckles' status, with all of them in position and ready to proceed. Stealth Elf's team (herself, Eruptor, Flynn and Cali) are located at a bridge that is not too far from the castle; which is GUN Headquarters. Knuckles, who has taken position atop the Big Ben clock tower alongside Wynter, Flame and Malefor, is tasked with "breaking glass in case of an emergency" alongside his group, although he and Flame initially ignore the emergency part out of eagerness for the chance to punch something before Wynter, Ignitus and Malefor tell them to wait. In order to gain access into the headquarters like how Flynn and Cali can, Eruptor and Stealth Elf use Tails' hologram technology to assume the likeness of G.U.N. agents, with Stealth Elf taking on Stormblade's appearance. Eruptor critiques the elf's initial enthusiasm as Stormblade for being out of character, causing her to immediately display the more aggressive attitude that the lark is known for. Eruptor responds that it is perfect and takes on the appearance of the lark's husband; Spitfire.
As the four approach the front desk of the headquarters, Eruptor, disguised as Spitfire, requests to have lunch upstairs with his wife and friends. However, the agent at the front desk informs him that the facility is currently locked down and that only those with command-level clearance are allowed access. Flynn quietly contacts Tails and his group through the intercom, prompting Midnight to realize that security had tightened following Shadow's escape. At that moment, Stealth Elf, disguised as Stormblade, steps in and delivers an intimidating speech to the agent, threatening to have him fired if he does not comply. Yielding to her pressure, the agent allows them to proceed. Once upstairs, the elf and lava monster switch out of their holograms. Stealth Elf transforms into Captain Rockwell and attempts to gain access to the server room using facial recognition. However, Cali notices the real Rockwell approaching with several guards.
After a tense moment, Rockwell take a moment to stop so she can speak with Flynn and Cali while expressing her relief that her daughter is safe before leaving and the group seizes the opportunity to enter the server room. Tails and his group guide Flynn, Cali, Eruptor and Stealth Elf to the location of the security server, while Sonic, Flame, Knuckles and even Spyro, Wynter and Scratch grow impatient, ready to carry out their part of the mission. Stealth Elf inserts the drive, but it has no immediate effect, leading Sonic, Spyro and Scratch to question whether she had inserted it correctly or not while also wondering if it was inserted in the wrong spot as Malefor, Cynder, Ignitus, Wynter and Ember discourage Flame and Knuckles' suggestion of punching the USB. In a moment of inspiration, Flynn suggests blowing on the drive before reinserting it, which successfully activated it despite Midnight's dismissal that the plan wouldn't work. As Tails and his group are about to shut down the outside sensors, Stealth Elf and her group notice another USB drive next to theirs, this one with a giant mustache.
Meanwhile, Cynder (who is assigned to detect intruders alongside Ember and Ignitus as Tails and Midnight hack into G.U.N.'s security) detects two heat signatures moving toward the vault. It turns out to be the Krankcases, who were using the camouflage feature in their suits to sneak past the guards undetected.
In the Mecha Crab, Shadow and Hood are watching La Última Pasión, the same telenovela Ivo was watching earlier. Shadow believes that Gabriella, the show's female lead, should kill Juan and, Pablo, the two men, competing for her love as she is not a prize to be won. Hood tells Shadow to lighten up, reminding him that they are about to rule the world. Shadow, however, replies that there will be nothing left to rule once they are done. This comment concerns Stone, causing him to ask what he and Gerald are up to. Meanwhile, Ember detects an outside signal from the Mecha Crab. She and Cynder destroy it by flooding the sewer where it is concealed in, resulting in both the Mecha Crab and Hood being washed away.
Meanwhile, the Krankcases arrive at the laser hall, where Gerald asks Ivo what their next move is. When Ivo unexpectedly pushes him into the lasers, Gerald initially panics and flails around. However, he soon realizes that his bodysuit is protecting him from the lasers. Ivo explains that he designed the suits to be impenetrable to lasers, but he was previously unsure if the design would work. After Gerald compliments Ivo on his cruelty and heartlessness, they begin to dance their way through the laser hall, demonstrating perfect synchronization and coordination in their movements.
Outside, Cynder notices that the Robotniks are nearly at the vault, prompting Sonic, Spyro and Scratch to take action despite Tails' warnings about the active traps as Stealth Elf also rushes to the vault while evading the guards. After quickly taking in the sights of Scholarville, Sonic's group approaches G.U.N. Headquarters, with their friends and family telling them that they aren't going to make it. At the last moment, just before they collide with the barrier, Malefor grabs them and gives them a boost, allowing Sonic, Spyro and Scratch to get inside unharmed as the hedgehog thanks the Dragon King for his help.
Having arrived at the vault, the Krankcases watch as the doors open, revealing to them a room with the Eclipse Cannon key at the center. When Sonic and his group arrive behind them with Stealth Elf, they make a run for the key, only to be pinned to the floor by an artificial gravity trap. Sonic taunts them and attempts to grab the key himself, but is caught in a similar trap that causes him to float in the air. As Spyro quickly figures out that the trap affects certain parts of the floor by using a coin, Director Rockwell arrives, commending Spyro for figuring it out while also explaining that the vault is armed with variable gravity, with green panels containing reduced gravity while the red panels have the opposite effect. Scratch attempts to warn Rockwell about the Krankcases' plan but she disregards the feathercat and her friends, still under the impression that they want to steal the key. A group of G.U.N. soldiers then enter the vault, having captured Flynn, Cali, Ignitus, Cynder, Ember, Midnight, Eruptor and Tails. Eruptor and Ivo briefly exchange insults as Cali reveals that she knows what had happened to Gerald back then from Buzz but she is interrupted by her mother before she can answer, who plans to arrest all of the clan and punish Flynn and Cali for their actions of aiding the clan.
However, Sonic takes the opportunity to call in Knuckles' group, who glide toward the headquarters at high speed as the echidna uses the Flames of Disaster to break through the barrier and into the vault to allow Malefor, Wynter and Flame safely enter the building, the impact of which knocks the gravity control device out of Rockwell's hands, allowing Flame to take it. Sonic tells Flame to disable the gravity trap, but Knuckles breaks the device instead, causing the gravity in the vault to go haywire and send everyone in different directions. Sonic is pinned to the floor while a large piece of debris starts to collapse above Wynter, Ignitus, Cynder, Ember, Tails and Malefor, who are also stuck on the other side of the vault. Rockwell attempts to reach the key while floating in the air, pushing her way past soldiers until she and the key suddenly fall to the ground, with Ivo right across from her. As they both slowly inch toward the key, Sonic, still under the effects of the red gravity panel, uses his Chaos energy to build up enough strength to launch a Spin Dash, destroying the debris and saving Wynter, Ignitus, Malefor, Cynder, Ember and Tails. At the same time, the gravity in the vault returns to normal, causing everyone who was floating, including Knuckles, Spyro, Stealth Elf, Scratch, Eruptor, Midnight, Flame, to fall back down. Rockwell grabs the key before Ivo can and walks out of the vault, prompting Eruptor to follow her with Wynter secretly following him.
As Rockwell retreats down the hallway, she encounters Eruptor, who is disguised as Commander Buzz and wearing an arm cast. He thanks Rockwell for keeping the key safe and asks her to hand it over. Although she is initially suspicious, Rockwell does not question his authority and gives him the key. Eruptor then asks her to organize the reinforcements. After getting out of sight, Wynter exits her hiding spot as Eruptor reverts to his normal self and informs the others that he has the key before taking on Buzz's appearance again. At that moment, Shadow suddenly breaks in through the roof. Enraged at the sight of Buzz, Shadow attempts to strike him with a Chaos energy-fueled punch but Wynter takes the hit for the lava monster instead by tackling him out of the way, immediately knocking her out. However, Wynter's action causes the key to slip out of Eruptor's grasp. As he picks up the Eclipse Cannon key, Shadow discovers that Buzz was actually Eruptor in disguise as the lava monster drops it to check on Wynter. Sonic, Scratch, Spyro, Flame and Ember then arrive to inform Wynter and Eruptor that the others have cleared the building, only to see Wynter's unconscious body lying in front of Shadow as Eruptor looks over her. Horrified, Scratch rushes to her mother and she, Spyro and Sonic desperately plead for her to wake up as their cousins and friend surround her with worry. This scene reminds Shadow of his own reaction to Maria's death. Scratch then turns to Shadow, angrily demanding to know what he did. In response, Shadow simply says he did what he had to before teleporting away. Ignitus, Malefor, Cynder, Stealth Elf, Eruptor, Midnight, Cali, Flynn, Tails and Knuckles soon arrive, all crouching worriedly over Wynter's body.
Back in the vault, Ivo and Gerald find themselves surrounded by G.U.N. soldiers as they try to get back on their feet. Suddenly, Shadow appears and swiftly defeats all the soldiers. He hands Gerald the second key before teleporting the three of them aboard the Eclipse Cannon. While Ivo admires the design of the station, Gerald reveals a pair of new suits he has crafted for both of them, causing Ivo to squeal with excitement. Ivo crawls over and begins to kiss Gerald's feet affectionately. Meanwhile, Hood Sickle slowly emerges from the river as the Mecha Crab sinks behind him. He calls Ivo to inform him about Shadow's earlier comments, implying that Gerald may not have been completely honest with them. Ivo interprets Hood's remarks as jealousy toward the bond between him and Gerald, leading him to fire Hood for his insolence. However, Ivo decides to keep Hood around until he is "successfully cloned." Hood pleads with Robotnik, expressing his reluctance to lose him again, but Ivo hangs up and blocks Hood, leaving him to sadly give up. Gerald then hands Ivo the two keys. Ivo inserts them into the slot on the computer of the Eclipse Cannon, causing it to rise from the River of the Tame, with the Crystalwing Clan, Flynn, Cali, the adult dragons, Hood Sickle and the people of Scholarville all watching in horror.
Outside G.U.N. Headquarters, multiple police cars and ambulances arrive to assess the situation, accompanied by reinforcements from G.U.N. as Wynter is taken to an ambulance while Ignitus, Malefor, Flynn and Cali follow closely behind. The Crystalwing Clan sadly watches on as the ambulance doors close and it drives away to the hospital. Ignitus, Malefor, Flynn and Cali turn to Sonic, Spyro and Scratch and silently reassure them that it’s not any of their faults. Despite Tails and Ember trying to comfort them by saying that Wynter will be okay; calling her strong, an enraged Scratch responds that comfort is not what she needs right now. She insists that she needs to stop them, by any means necessary, brushes her brothers, friends and step-cousins' concerns off and decides to use the power of the Master Emerald, considering the event that is happening right now is an emergency, much to Eruptor's worry. Knuckles immediately disagrees, reminding Scratch that the Master Emerald must never be used for vengeance and that they swore an oath to each other as Spyro tries to convince her to not to do it, but Scratch calls him and Sonic cowards for not stopping Shadow, deeply hurting the blue hedgehog and purple dragon. She insists that they are out of options and that she will do it alone if necessary. Knuckles tells her that her heart is being consumed by anger and that she is not in a suitable state to make decisions, with Ember and Stealth Elf adding that they are all upset about what happened to Wynter. Still refusing to back down, Scratch gives Knuckles one last chance to reveal where the Master Emerald is located. As tension rises and it seems a fight may break out, Chaos energy crackling through both of their bodies, Knuckles finally relents. He states that part of their oath is to trust each other and that he will uphold this principle, even if his sister does not. He reveals that the Master Emerald is guarded by a "group of fearsome warriors" and that Scratch will have to get through them. As soon as she gets this information, Scratch encases everyone in a large crystalline cage and tells them not to follow her unless they want to live as they protest in shock and worry for her actions while Scratch ignores them and opens a ring portal to the location of the Master Emerald. Just as she leaves, Sonic breaks through by spin dashing hard enough to shatter at least a few bars. Now free, he then has the winged fliers with him to stop Scratch while assigning Elf and the others to try their best to find the space station and shut it down.
It is then revealed that the newly graduated cadets (Hex, Skull, Roller Brawl, Echo, Flashwing, Wind-Up, Chill, Food Fight and Trigger Happy) are the group of fearsome warriors guarding the Emerald and that they are currently using it as a hockey puck on the roof of the their new shared home. Scratch appears from athe ring she made earlier and tells the new Skylanders that she is here for the Emerald. Wind-Up refuses, feeling a sense of responsibility over protecting the Emerald alongside his friends. Scratch effortlessly takes the Emerald, leaving the group to stand there and give up immediately after seeing that Scratch is angry and they know better than to mess with her when she is angered with Skull saying "Well, we tried." Scratch uses the Chaos Emeralds within it to transform into Super Scratch before flying to the Eclipse Cannon. Sonic, Spyro, Cynder, Midnight, Flame and Ember arrive from a ring too late but they are tipped off by the new Skylanders of what had happened and Cynder begins to try and track Scratch's location by using her psychic abilites.
Meanwhile, the Eclipse Cannon continues its ascent until it reaches outer space. News channels in Scholarville, the Winter Keep and Avalar report on its appearance, as well as on the Krankcases who have taken control of it, which also alerts Jasmine, Hunter, Sparx and Elora as they decide to watch from the feathercat singer's home for their own safety. Overlooking the Skylands, Shadow asks Gerald if this is truly what Maria would have wanted. Taking advantage of Shadow's grief, Gerald responds that it is not about Maria's desires but rather what the world deserves. He urges Shadow to remember the significance of Maria in their lives and what the world stole from them. Gerald's words lead Shadow to reminisce about the past, specifically the day he lost Maria.
At the same time, in the new-Skylanders' backyard, Spyro's magic sparks while trying to use it to help Cynder find Scratch's location and everyone is transported to a vision of the same memory Shadow is experiencing. They can see but can't interact with the people in the vision, so they agree to watch until the vision is over.
At that moment, both Shadow and Maria were sitting in their room when Gerald suddenly entered, informing them that they needed to escape because G.U.N. was trying to take Shadow away. The three of them fled down a hallway in the base, pursued by G.U.N. soldiers. One soldier aimed his weapon, but Buzz tried to intervene, not wanting Maria and Shadow to get hurt, as they were just kids. However, the soldier fired anyway, hitting a nearby canister that caused a massive explosion. The explosion also impacts Sonic and the others despite being in the vision, making them realize that certain events can also harm them. As Shadow recovered, he noticed Gerald kneeling over Maria, who had been killed by the blast. While they both grieved her death, the soldiers approached Shadow and Gerald to apprehend them.
Back in the present, the vision ends as everyone realizes that this was what Cali was trying to say back at G.U.N. Headquarters. With this in mind, Cynder continues searching for Scratch, this time with more effort, as Sonic resolves to not only save Scratch but Shadow as well, to which everyone agrees on just as Cynder finally discovers where Scratch is at and asks for a ring portal to get to their location.
Meanwhile, Shadow, filled with rage, starts to run furiously around the Eclipse Cannon's core. As he charges it at high speed, he infuses the core with his Chaos energy. Curious, Ivo asks Gerald what Shadow is doing. Gerald explains that Shadow is powering up the core by infusing it with Chaos energy, and the Eclipse Cannon is about to turn the Earth into a flaming pile of rubble, wiping out everything in a 25,000-mile radius, as well as the two of them. Ivo is confused by this revelation, as he had hoped that they would rule humanity together with their combined genius. However, Gerald, with a sense of nihilism, declares that humanity is a failed experiment. He believes that Ivo should understand this better than anyone, since he has been rejected by the world all his life. He goes on to tell Ivo that he has nothing down there nor anyone who cares about him. Ivo points out that he and Gerald are family and still have each other, but Gerald coldly disregards this, stating that he is "no Maria" and that the only way for him to give her life meaning is to destroy the world that took her from him. Shadow then informs Gerald that he is done, allowing the professor to prepare the firing sequence that would fully charge the weapon in ten minutes.
Looking out the window, Shadow declares that Maria will soon receive justice. He then notices a bright streak of light approaching the cannon and wonders if G.U.N. is launching missiles at them. However, Gerald observes that the object is moving too fast. Ivo pulls out Sonic's quill from earlier as well as Scratch's feather that he sneakily stole without her knowledge and watches as the feather turns a pale grey, leading him to realize that it's Super Scratch. Super Scratch goes through the window, rams Shadow and takes him out of the station. Super Scratch tells Shadow that he crossed the line by hurting her family and that everything ends at that moment, Shadow tells her that this makes her understand the anger and the pain he has felt for 50 years and declares that Super Scratch also chose revenge. Enraged, she tells him that she is not like him; to which Shadow tells him that they are going to see that. Scratch and Shadow start fighting and crash in Skylands. Shadow hides in the dust from the impact and Scratch yells at him to show himself, calling him a coward. As if on cue, Shadow reveals himself and hits Scratch hard enough to knock the Chaos Emeralds out of her. The feathercat and black hedgehog try to grab the Chaos Emeralds to use them against each other, but they both reach for them at the same time and simultaneously, transforming them into Super Scratch and Super Shadow. Scratch tries to hit Shadow, but he easily blocks it and tells Scratch that she was right about everything ending at that moment.
The two start a brutal fight that takes them around the world while Ivo and Gerald observe from the Eclipse Cannon, unable to keep track of the feathercat and hedgehog's speed. Ivo distracts Gerald and attempts to stop his grandfather's plans, although Gerald uses his suit's nanotechnology to create a giant gauntlet and fight back.
Super Scratch and Super Shadow continue furiously exchanging blows until they end up in Dark Water Cove. Shadow asks the feathercat why she is alone and questions her as a hero saying that she abandoned her friends and family to get revenge. Scratch warns Shadow not to mention her family, but Shadow goes too far and tells Scratch that he thought she cared about her family, especially Wynter. Hearing her mother's name causes Scratch to be overcome with rage and hits Shadow with a blow so strong and powerful that it throws him into space. Shadow crashes against the Moon and returns to his normal form. A feral Scratch appears, drags him against the lunar surface and immobilizes him. Scratch grabs Shadow to give him the final blow and Shadow tells her to end everything and destroy him, Shadow points himself in the chest and tells the feathercat to hit him in the heart to kill him, but Sonic, Spyro, Cynder, Midnight, Flame and Ember arrive through the Ring Portal that Cynder requested to have made earlier to stop her but she is too blinded by rage to listen and unwittingly reveals her feelings towards Midnight before she accidentally scars Cynder's face when the violet dragon grabs the feathercat's shoulder.
This causes her to wake up from her rage and realize her actions as Spyro restates his stepmother's words about how Sonic did not let his pain change him, which allows Scratch to realize that these words were also meant to apply to her regarding her biological father's death as she finally calms down and doesn't make the same mistake as Shadow and let the pain and rage turn her into something she is not, something that she almost did back when she was a cadet. She frees herself from her rage, lets go of Shadow and returns to her normal form, profoundly apologizing to her friends; especially to Cynder for what she had done. Cynder accepts the apology as she and Ember comfort Scratch by telling the feathercat that it was her rage that did everything and not the feathercat herself while also letting Scratch know that everything will be alright now that she has her loved ones with her.
Shadow is confused as to why Scratch is not taking her revenge after winning the battle, but Sonic and Midnight tell him that there are no winners with revenge, as it would only lead to more pain and suffering. Shadow looks at space and reminisces on the night he and Maria went stargazing, commenting that he has felt the pain of losing her for so long that it is all he knows. When Sonic and Scratch reveal that they felt the same way after they lost Longclaw and Scar, Shadow asks if their pain eventually went away, which Spyro denies before explaining that with time he, Scratch and Sonic realized that there was something stronger than the pain: their and their late family members' love for each other. He tells Shadow that love is what he needs to hold onto, telling him that even though Maria is gone, his love for her will always remain. Shadow finally manages to free himself from the rage that blinded him for 50 years, at that moment, the sun starts to rise from behind the Earth and Shadow remembers what he told Maria, "The light shines, even though the star is gone", just as Sonic, his siblings, step-cousins and friends notice the Eclipse Cannon. Shadow blames himself for the problems he caused, realizing that he was so blinded by rage he thought he had no other choice. Sonic stands up, reminding him that he always has a choice, and offers his right hand to Shadow in a similar fashion to when he and his siblings convinced Knuckles to fight for the greater good. Shadow accepts the kind gesture, with Spyro and Scratch stating that the right choice is never easy to make, that "when you really screw something up, you can't fix it on your own" and that as long as you have friends and family by your side, nothing is ever impossible. With this, the two hedgehogs, dragon and feathercat re-enter their super forms and decide to have Flame, Midnight, Cynder and Ember enter their own Super forms as well and the four do so (with Flame's Super form's color scheme resembling a wildfire, Ember's resembling a rainbow, Midnight's resembling a sunset or dusk and Cynder's resembling the moon). After a brief admiration of their appearances and an exchange of quips, they all set off together to stop the Eclipse Cannon.
Meanwhile, Ivo and Gerald continue fighting, with both using their suits' nanotechnology to create weapons and appendages—such as those of a scorpion or mantis—to gain the upper hand. Ivo manages to cut off the left half of Gerald's mustache, but is knocked off the cannon's platform and left hanging off the edge. Gerald then notices the super hedgehogs, dragons and feathercat approaching via a camera feed, bringing him to the realization that Shadow has betrayed him. As such, he sends a horde of Gun Hunters to stop them, but they are no match for the Super-transformed heroes and are easily destroyed. Ivo pleads with Gerald not to do this, but Gerald coldly taunts him and steps on his hand, causing him to fall into space. While Gerald celebrates and gloats, he fails to notice that Ivo was saved by Tails, Stealth Elf, Eruptor and Knuckles and is being carried back into the cannon. Using Super Sonic's quill and Super Scratch's feather, Ivo shocks Gerald from behind, the impact of which sends him flying into the Chaos energy reactor, instantly killing him as it electrocutes and disintegrates his body on contact. Ivo compliments his now-late grandfather's "bug zapper" as he blows on and discards the quill and feather.
Tails declares that the five of them have to stop the laser and they all race to the console. While they cannot stop the laser, they can at least redirect its path, pulling on the levers with all their might to guide the thrusters into changing the laser's course. Outside, Super Shadow, Super Scratch, Super Ember and Super Cynder notice that the laser is about to fire and asks where Super Sonic, Super Spyro, Super Midnight and Super Flame are; they find them being chased by several GUN Hunters, asking for a hand. Shadow produces several Chaos Spears as Scratch does the same with crystal avatars of giant birds and destroys the horde with them, allowing them to proceed as Sonic tells his friends and family to follow him. As the people in both Skylands and Avalar below watch (including, back in Scholarville, Hood Sickle from the streets, Jasmine, Hunter, Elora and Sparx from the feathercat singer's home and Malefor, Ignitus, Cali and Flynn from a hospital room as they keep a still-unconscious Wynter company), the Eclipse Cannon fires, but the Super-transformed beings race to block it with their bodies (with Shadow incredulous and annoyed that this was Sonic's plan to avert disaster and Sonic, seeing his point, pleading for someone to stop the "giant death ray" with Flame pleading for that person to hurry). While Tails, Knuckles, Stealth Elf, Eruptor and Eggman continue to struggle moving the laser away from Skylands, Sonic and the girls begin to strain, unable to handle the force of the laser for much longer. Fortunately, the laser is successfully redirected in time, and the group is free to move out of the way, but Sonic and the girls begin to plummet to Earth after losing both consciousness and their Super forms out of exhaustion, much to Spyro, Flame and Midnight's horror.
The laser just barely misses Skylands and Tails, Knuckles, Stealth Elf, Eruptor and Ivo celebrate their victory (which Eggman immediately claims for himself), but are horrified as they watch it slice off a chunk of the moon instead (which Eggman blames the fox, elf, lava monster and echidna for) as the other Super-transformed beings wince at the sight with Spyro commenting that the incident is going to be hard to explain to NASA. Tails and Stealth Elf, however, are further horrified to see Sonic, Scratch, Ember and Cynder's unconscious bodies falling to Skylands, declaring that they have to save them. Eruptor asks Knuckles for a Ring; the echidna produces one, but warns that it is their last. The two race to an airlock, Tails asking Knuckles if he is "ready for some base of ball" as he clambers into the echidna's hand. Once the airlock opens, Knuckles positions himself so as not to be sucked into space before hurling Tails out, allowing the fox to get close to Sonic; however, as Tails grabs hold of Sonic and the girls and prepares to throw the Ring, he struggles to stay conscious against the forces of atmospheric re-entry.
Back aboard the Eclipse Cannon, Eggman stands alone as the Cannon begins to explode around him, only to be scared when Super Shadow, Super Spyro, Super Midnight and Super Flame teleport in, asking him what is happening. Eggman answers that the Cannon's reactor core is overloading and it will soon explode, bathing the Earth in radiation and rendering it uninhabitable. Shadow insists that the group is not done and orders Eggman to stabilize the reactor long enough for him and Spyro to push the Cannon safely away from Earth, stating that this is their last chance to do the right thing. Eggman agrees to the plan and wishes Shadow and Spyro well (in Spanish) before the hedgehog and dragons teleport back out. Spyro then sends Midnight and Flame to go save Sonic and the girls despite their reluctance to leave the purple dragon to die. Before leaving, Flame promises to help Scratch and Sonic lead the clan in Spyro's place if his cousin doesn't make it.
Eggman heads to the center platform, which raises up to allow him to begin stabilizing the reactor with his gloves. As he does, he releases a miniature camera drone that records him as he begins a final livestream dedicated to Hood Sickle, who watches it on a building's screen that Eggman has hacked into. The doctor declares that "if [he] can't rule the world, [he] might as well save it... for the one and only person who cared about [him]", all as a devastated Stone pleads with him not to do it. Meanwhile, Shadow, despite being reluctant to let Spyro help him, takes off his Limiter Rings to unleash his full power, beginning to push the Eclipse Cannon away from Earth as fond memories of his time with Maria flood his mind while Spyro uses his Avalarian magic to amplify Shadow's power. Ivo continues his message by admitting that Stone was not just a "sycophant" to him, but a "syco-friend", which touches the latter; he says that he will miss the agent's lattes with steamed Austrian goat milk, even adding "I love the way you make them" in a sentimental tone.
Back in Earth's atmosphere, Tails finally passes out just before he can throw the Ring and save Sonic and the girls, letting go of both it and them, but Flame, Midnight, Knuckles, Stealth Elf and Eruptor dive down towards them, managing to stay conscious long enough to finish what Tails started by tossing the Ring himself and grabbing their friends tightly as they fall into the resulting portal. Eggman finishes his message by imitating a robot as he often did and sarcastically stating, "It's been a real drag. Thanks for nothing." Simultaneously, Shadow shuts his eyes in acceptance as the Eclipse Cannon finally explodes into an celestial spiral of Chaos energy, but not without Spyro grabbing Shadow and casting a barrier spell right when the blast happens.
In Skylands, Sonic, Tails, Flame, Ember, Scratch, Stealth Elf, Midnight and Knuckles exit the Ring portal and land safely in a cornfield, all of them regaining consciousness as the two male dragons regain their normal forms. Like with Spyro, Stealth Elf, Scratch and Eruptor in the second film, Flame, Midnight, Ember and Cynder all gain markings on their bodies as a result of their exposure to the Chaos Emeralds (Flame has an orange wing ombre, horn and tail tips, paws and a 'mask'-like marking on his face, Midnight has a navy blue wing ombre, horn and tail tips, paws and a 'mask'-like marking on his face, Ember has a purple-pink tail spike area, horn and tail tips, paws and a 'mask'-like marking and Cynder [still bearing her scars] has a magenta tail spike area, paws and a 'mask'-like marking on her face).
The group looks up at the explosion in the sky as Tails mournfully notes that Shadow, Spyro and Eggman sacrificed themselves to save the planet, with Scratch trying to deny it until a barrier of magic falls a few miles from their location and they rush over to see Spyro and Shadow on the ground as the two revert back to their normal forms. Everyone rushes over and embrace Spyro in happiness and relief as the purple dragon apologizes for making everyone assume the worst. When they turn to Shadow, the black hedgehog apologizes for his actions that have resulted in what has happened, stating that his rage had blinded him from seeing the truth. Scratch accepts the apology and she, Sonic and Spyro decide to make Shadow a member of their clan, which is accepted as Sonic repeats his earlier line of "You always have a choice", also acknowledging his previously-self-serving arch-nemesis Eggman unexpectedly choosing to prioritize Avalar and Skylands' protection over his own life. Stealth Elf supports this decision by stating that she is willing to give Shadow a second chance as long as he promises to apologize to both Eruptor and Wynter for attacking them, which he agrees to do so.
Scratch then turns to her friends and apologizes for abandoning them, saying they are the best teammates and friends she could ever want before turning to Midnight and admitting her love for him, not as what he is but as who he is. When Midnight reveals that he has been aware of it and kept quiet about to go though his own feelings about her, Scratch is immediately embarrassed but the black dragon then reveals that his liking to her soon turned into a crush itself and the two then begin a romantic relationship as they admit their love for each other in the form of whispers before Scratch asks for forgiveness from her friends. Knuckles in particular stares at her intensely for a few moments before warmly holding his fist up for a power bump, showing he accepts the apology by asking, "Crystalwing Clan?" Scratch flies in to hug him instead and includes Tails and the others in the hug not long after with Sonic suggesting that they should just call themselves "clan" as they join Shadow in on the hug despite the black hedgehog feeling uncomfortable about it at first. Back in Scholarville, Stone looks up at the explosion himself, bidding Eggman a final goodbye before turning to walk off into the night.
Some time later, in the same forest outside Skylander Academy where the family had their last camping trip, they go on another adventure. As Malefor, Ignitus and Cotton sit nearby, the clan decides to create a giant s'more using various food items. Tails and Flame call out to a tent, announcing that it's ready, but when they turn around, they find that Spyro and the girls have already eaten it after Stealth Elf stole it from Knuckles, Sonic, Midnight and Eruptor. Spyro blames the girls for the mishap, even though Shadow calls Spyro out that the purple dragon is equally responsible, amusing Eruptor, Sonic and Knuckles. Midnight then informs the tent's inhabitant that they need to be faster. A mostly-recovered Wynter emerges from the tent with her left front leg in a sling. She insists that she is "still moving a bit slow," and the family gathers for a hug, which causes some discomfort for the injured adult feathercat when Knuckles embraces her, prompting Malefor to tell everyone to give Wynter some space. Knuckles declares that he is "having the love", a response to which Cotton bleats, "I want the love," and joins the hug as Stealth Elf encourages the uneasy Shadow to join in, meaning that Shadow has apologized to Eruptor and Wynter earlier like Stealth Elf had asked him to in order to get a second chance from her and now, he and the elf are on good terms. Tails and Cynder mention how great it is to have everyone together again with a happy ending as Knuckles and Flame add that their bond is stronger than ever despite some road bumps and Spyro and Scratch add that they now have a new member of their family and clan. Sonic concludes that nothing will stand in their way, except for a piece of "unfinished business". Soon, the Crystalwing Clan lines up for a more proper race with Shadow joining in at Ember's excitable request and Sonic's challenge, gleefully blasting off into the forest. Tails, in particular, activates his backpack-mounted jetpack to keep up with his faster friends as Eruptor uses his lava powers and Stealth Elf uses her new hover boots that were made by Tails as a birthday present to do the same.
After sunset turns into night, Sonic, Spyro and Scratch stop in their tracks, celebrating and soon arguing about who achieved victory and declare themself the family champion. However, they quickly realize that their friends and cousins have not joined them yet. As they look around, they notice a sign reading "Shellmont Shores State Park" as Sonic sheepishly admits that he and his siblings are in Shellmont Shores by "[overshooting] the finish line", much to Spyro's dismay and Scratch's bafflement. Unbeknownst to them, a crackle of electricity forms not far behind. A robotic hedgehog figure resembling Sonic emerges from the electric field, charging its arm cannon as it stomps toward him. The trio start to wonder how they will get back. The robot raises its arm and fires, creating a large electric explosion that destroys the sign and leaves a substantial crater where Sonic, Spyro and Scratch once stood.
Nonetheless, the trio quickly re-emerge behind Sonic's robotic doppelganger with Scratch asserting that the robot "better not miss" when dealing with "the fastest creature in the universe", the "most powerful dragon in the realm" and/or the "Feathercat Warrior". Sonic punches the robot hard enough to spin its head around, though it soon recovers. Now more aware of the robot's appearance, Sonic comments that he is "flattered by the cosplay", but points out some mistakes. However, he concedes once Spyro states it's "not easy to copy perfection". At that moment, several differently-colored variants of the robot emerge from the woods, surrounding the two. Caught off guard by the horde as they fly in to attack, Sonic, Spyro and Scratch are relieved when a hammer appears out of nowhere, smashing the variants to pieces. The hammer then flies into the hand of a hooded figure in midair, who swings it down onto the last remaining variant as they land on the ground. Scratch is amazed at the event that happened in front of her eyes while Spyro is surprised at the being's strength and Sonic, shocked by this unexpected entry, asks who they are. In response, the figure turns to him, slings the hammer over their shoulder and lifts their hood, revealing the face of a pink female anthropomorphic hedgehog who confidently smiles at him, his brother and sister.
Cast[]
Ben Schwartz as Sonic (A cocky anthropomorphic blue hedgehog with superhuman speed and is one of the three leaders of the Crystalwing Clan)
Justin Long as Spyro (An adventurous purple dragon with many elemental breaths [mostly specializing in fire], powerful magic and the ability to create and control fire and other elements with his mind and is one of the three leaders of the Crystalwing Clan, he is also Cynder's boyfriend)
Stephanie Beatriz as Scratch (A sassy feathercat [a predator cat and bird hybrid] {Snow leopard-lioness and hawk/falcon breed} donned in golden armor bearing sharp claws and a powerful laser with crystal powers which includes the ability to make crystalline avatar of other creatures to aid her in combat, and is one of the three leaders of the Crystalwing Clan, At the climax of the movie, she becomes Midnight's girlfriend after she unwittingly confesses her feelings about him during an argument)
Ashley Tisdale as Stealth Elf (A playful elf ninja who is Scratch's best friend with the ability to teleport and make clones of herself to aid her in battle)
Jack Black as Eruptor (A hot-headed lava monster who is Spyro's best friend and with the additional power to super-heat anything he touches at will)
Colleen O'Shaughnessy as Tails (An intelligent anthropomorphic fox who can fly with his twin-tails and create gadgets that can alter appearances and disable security)
Idris Elba as Knuckles (A serious anthropomorphic echidna warrior with super strength and the ability to wield the Flames of Disaster, a technique which allows his fists to burst into flames)
Jason Ritter as Midnight (An easy-going alternate version of Spyro who hauled from a destroyed dimension before settling into Skylands and is a new member of the Crystalwing Clan. At the climax of the movie, he becomes Scratch's boyfriend after she unwittingly confesses her feelings about him during an argument. He gains a navy blue wing ombre, horn and tail tips, paws and a 'mask'-like marking after becoming Super Midnight due to the exposure from the Chaos Emeralds)
Felicia Day as Cynder (An excitable violet dragon with electricity breath, intangible dark cloud transformation and psychic powers and is the daughter of the Dragon King Malefor who recently became a Skylander, she is also Spyro's girlfriend and a new member of the Crystalwing Clan. She gains a magenta tail spike area, paws and a 'mask'-like marking after becoming Super Cynder due to the exposure from the Chaos Emeralds. She also has a trio of scars across her face that was done by Scratch after she accidentally attacked the violet dragon in a blind rage)
Jay Baruchel as Flame (A head-strong and tough-as-nails red dragon with powerful fire breath who is Ember's brother and a new member of the Crystalwing Clan. He gains an orange wing ombre, horn and tail tips, paws and a 'mask'-like marking after becoming Super Flame due to the exposure from the Chaos Emeralds)
Kimiko Glenn as Ember (A sweet-natured pink dragon with tiny meta materials in her scales that can bend light around itself so no shadows are casted who is Flame's sister and a new member of the Crystalwing Clan. She gains a purple-pink tail spike area, horn and tail tips, paws and a 'mask'-like marking after becoming Super Ember due to the exposure from the Chaos Emeralds)
James Marsden as Ignitus (A wise purple dragon who is Spyro's father, Wynter's husband, Flame and Ember's uncle, Scratch's stepfather and Sonic, Tails and Knuckles' adoptive stepfather)
Daphne Rubin-Vega as Wynter (An open-minded and equality-loving lioness/falcon feathercat who is Scratch's mother, Ignitus' wife, Flame and Ember's step-aunt, Spyro's stepmother and Sonic, Tails and Knuckles' adoptive mother)
Keanu Reeves as Shadow (A gruff anthropomorphic red-striped black hedgehog that was part of a secret government program called Project Shadow. He has lived through tragedy and sought revenge before being convinced that revenge isn't the answer at the climax of the film, redeeming himself in the process and becoming a member of the Crystalwing Clan)
Patrick Dempsey as Malefor (The Dragon King of the Underworld who has redeemed himself as a better ruler and parent after the events of the third film and is Cynder's father)
Patrick Warburton as Flynn (An ego-centric yet loyal Mabu pilot, Buzz's son and an ally of the Crystalwing Clan)
Sumalee Montano as Cali (An ace pilot who is a friend of Stealth Elf, Rockwell's daughter and an ally of the Crystalwing Clan)
Jim Carrey as Dr. Krankcase 'Eggman' (A mad scientist and Sonic's arch-nemesis) and Gerald Krankcase (Eggman and Maria's grandfather and the head of Project Shadow)
Jason LaShea as Hood Sickle (Eggman's assistant)
Tom Butler as Commander Buzz (The leader of G.U.N. and is Flynn's father)
- James Wolk as Captain Buzz, the past in 1974
Krysten Ritter as Director Rockwell (A high-ranking officer of the military organization G.U.N. and is Cali's mother)
James Corden as Bad Breath (A new grumblebum Skylander with belching powers with better control over them thanks to his training with Knuckles and now guards the Master Emerald for Knuckles alongside his friends)
Sofia Carson as Flashwing (A new crystal dragon Skylander who guards the Master Emerald for Knuckles alongside her friends)
Barrett Wilbert Weed as Roller Brawl (A new vampiress roller-skating Skylander who guards the Master Emerald for Knuckles alongside her friends)
Isla Fisher as Hex (A new elven sorceress Skylander who guards the Master Emerald for Knuckles alongside her friends)
Josh Robert Thompson as Skull (Hex's familiar who helps Hex and her friends guard the Master Emerald for Knuckles)
Kevin Hart as Food Fight (A new anthropomorphic artichoke Skylander with a tomato blaster who guards the Master Emerald for Knuckles alongside his friends)
Tom Middleditch as Trigger Happy (A new gremlin Skylander with gold coin guns who guards the Master Emerald for Knuckles alongside his friends)
Ken Jeong as Wind-Up (A new living wind-up toy Skylander who guards the Master Emerald for Knuckles alongside his friends)
Annet Mahendru as Chill (A new ice-powered warrior Skylander who guards the Master Emerald for Knuckles alongside her friends)
Kesha as Echo (A new water dragon Skylander with sound powers who guards the Master Emerald for Knuckles alongside her friends)
Natasha Rothwell as Stormblade (Jet-Vac's lark bird niece whom Stealth Elf disguises as to infiltrate G.U.N. headquarters)
Shemar Moore as Spitfire (A fire spirit race car driver, G.U.N. agent and Stormblade's husband whom Eruptor disguises as to infiltrate G.U.N. headquarters)
Alyla Browne as Maria Krankcase (Gerald's granddaughter and Eggman's cousin who became a close friend to Shadow during his time in Gerald's lab. She was killed during a raid in the lab she lived in)
Community[]
- Shadow awakens from cryo-statsis.
- Scratch, her family and friends celebrate Sonic's anniversary of his arrival to Skylands as well as to the rest of the clan for bringing on a new era of Skylands and Scratch for becoming the newest Feathercat Warrior after the events of the third film.
- Dr. Krankcase is revealed to be alive and has a grandfather and a late cousin.
- The Crystalwing Clan encounters Shadow the Hedgehog and Gerald Krankcase.
- During her time in the Chaos Garden restaurant, Ember is revealed to be able to also speak in Japanese despite knowing Spanish from her step-aunt.
- Shadow is revealed to be an extraterrestrial anthropomorphic hedgehog from 50 years ago but was put into cryo-statsis after an accident destroyed the military lab where he was experimented on until the events of the film.
- Flynn is revealed to be Buzz's son and Cali is revealed to be a GUN agent in training from her mother; Rockwell, making Cali and Flynn childhood friends.
- Buzz is also revealed to be the captain of the first generation of GUN.
- Sadly, Buzz is killed by Gerald Krankcase but his death is avenged upon Gerald's death.
- Krankcase joins his grandfather but defects from him after learning of his true plan, eventually killing him.
- However, Krankcase supposedly dies after moving the ARK away from Skylands' space area.
- Wynter is badly wounded during a mission in Scholarville and Scratch nearly kills Shadow in rebuttal but her friends bring her back to her senses by having her recall her mother's words of wisdom. Meanwhile, Wynter survives from the attack but is in a recovery period as her front leg is in a cast on a sling.
- The cadets at the academy have become official Skylanders before the events of the film.
- Shadow eventually realizes his actions and redeems himself by helping Sonic and his friends stop Gerald's plot.
- The clan defeats Gerald Krankcase and foils his plan to destroy Skylands and Avalar.
- Shadow joins the clan at Spyro, Sonic and Scratch's recommendation.
- Midnight and Scratch begin a romantic relationship after admitting their feelings towards each other.
- Sonic, Spyro and Scratch meet Amy Rose, a pink female anthropomorphic hedgehog, after she saves them from an army of Metal Sonics in Shellmont Shores State Park, where the trio accidentally wound up at upon over-shooting the finish line during a race with the rest of their fellow clan members.
- Like in the second film, Flame, Cynder, Midnight and Ember all gain colored markings on their bodies and they possibly have also gained chaos energy due to being exposed to the Chaos Emeralds and turning Super for the first time.
- The film also includes Super Flame, Super Cynder, Super Midnight and Super Ember, where; like their predecessors, their color schemes are modeled after nature instead of being variant shades of golden (Super Flame's colors resembles wildfire, Super Cynder's resembles the moon [essentially making Super Cynder the equivalent of Super Spyro's sun color scheme to represent their romantic relationship], Super Midnight's resembles the sunset or dusk [essentially making Super Midnight the equivalent of Super Scratch dawn color scheme which would foreshadow and represent their future romantic relationship], and Super Ember's resembles a rainbow).
- This also reveals that certain residents of Avalar are also able to gain markings and possible chaos energy after being exposed to a crystalized form of it.
- Super Midnight and Super Scratch's color schemes were actually a foreshadowing that Midnight and Scratch would start a romantic relationship after Scratch unwittingly confessed her feelings about him during her fight with Shadow due to the black hedgehog accidentally attacking her mother when he mistook Eruptor's disguise as the real Commander Buzz and Wynter took the hit to save him.
- It is also revealed that Midnight has been aware of Scratch's crush on him ever since the events of Split, but kept quiet about it since he wanted to figure out his own feelings towards the feathercat.
- The film also includes Super Flame, Super Cynder, Super Midnight and Super Ember, where; like their predecessors, their color schemes are modeled after nature instead of being variant shades of golden (Super Flame's colors resembles wildfire, Super Cynder's resembles the moon [essentially making Super Cynder the equivalent of Super Spyro's sun color scheme to represent their romantic relationship], Super Midnight's resembles the sunset or dusk [essentially making Super Midnight the equivalent of Super Scratch dawn color scheme which would foreshadow and represent their future romantic relationship], and Super Ember's resembles a rainbow).
Transcript[]
Sonic X Skylanders 3: Project Shadow/Transcript
Future[]
Sonic X Skylanders 4
Trivia[]
- The film's logo is based on the one from Sonic Adventure 2, the game in which the film was modeled after from.
- Throughout the film and in the Knuckles X Skylanders sub-series, Stealth Elf has a hot pink flower hair clip on the right side of her head. This foreshadows Amy's appearance during the mid credits scene, as well as her appearance in the fifth film.
- The hair clip resembles the flower in Kate's hair from Alpha and Omega, a film that also starred Justin Long (the voice actor of Spyro).
- Super Stealth Elf and Super Eruptor are the only Super forms who don't appear in the film as their base forms were helping Tails, Knuckles and Krankcase on the ARK at the time.
- However, they do make a cameo appearance during the briefing in the Crystalwing household.
- Starting with this film, Cynder has three scars across her left eye that is done on accident by a rage-blinded Scratch. This was to be a reflection of Spyro's own singular scar across his right eye.
- Stealth Elf's new dual set of blades resemble her game counterpart's Series 3 Ninja blades.
- Scratch also now wears silver armor that is identical to the one from her game counterpart's 'Silver Claws' and 'Silver Mask' upgrades.
- She also wears a cyan hair bow and cyan cat's eye styled eyeshadow in the place of her original purple ones.
- Ember being able to also speak in Japanese is a reference to how her voice actress, Kimiko Glenn, is able to speak in Japanese herself despite not being very fluent in it.
- Unlike in the games, the Winter Keep is mostly seen at night, suggesting that the film version of the Keep is able of having nighttime despite the Illuminator bringing on eternal daytime.
- Unlike canon, Shadow joins the heroes instead of crashing down alone.
- Sonic also discovers the reason why Shadow was intent on revenge on humanity.
- The film has the first female characters from the Sonic video games to be introduced in the franchise. With those characters being Maria Robotnik and Amy Rose, with the latter debuting in the mid credits scene.
- This marks the day where Spyro and Scratch meet a female anthropomorphic animal that like Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Shadow.
- This also marks the day that they and their friends meet another anthropomorphic hedgehog (Shadow).
- This marks the day where Spyro and Scratch meet a female anthropomorphic animal that like Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Shadow.
- Although not owned by Actvision, Sega and/or Paramount, the 1995 Universal Pictures fantasy film, Casper, is seen during the movie night flashback sequence.
- There is a small, but noticeable continuity error in this film, regarding G.U.N. When Shadow first meets the Crystalwing Clan, he remarks that they "jumped from a G.U.N. helicopter". Yet, Commander Walters states in Sonic X Skylanders 2: Quest for the Emerald that G.U.N. was formed after the aftermath of Sonic and Krankcase's clash at the Academy's premises. This is further compounded by The Buyer, stating that he and Robotnik both worked for G.U.N. before it was called G.U.N.
- When Hood Sickle revealed his identity to the Crystalwing Clan, Knuckles referred to him as the Goat Milker. This was the same nickname that Knuckles gave Hood Sickle in Sonic X Skylanders 2: Quest for the Emerald.
- This is the only film where Sonic does not say "Uh, meow?"
- It is also the only film where the Mushroom Planet and Olive Garden were not seen or mentioned.
- This film is set in 2024. In real life, the film was released in 2024. This makes Sonic X Skylanders 3: Project Shadow the only film that was set in the same year that it was released.
- Knuckles' scream where he got his fist broken by Shadow, reacted to Casper in terror, entered to the G.U.N. department and moved the Eclipse Cannon was reused from the Knuckles X Skylanders episode, "What Happens in Reno, Stays in Reno", where he saved Spyro, the Tooth Quake skating team and the then-cadets from The Buyer.
- When asked about being afraid of ghosts, Flame does the main quote from the Ghostbusters theme song: "I ain't afraid of no ghosts!"
- Ember does the "Hulk Smash!" quote during the operation on Scholarville.
- Scratch accidentally scarring Cynder's face when the violet dragon tried to to stop the feathercat is the same as how Puss in Boots accidentally scarred Commandante's face in the first Puss in Boots film.
- Ironically, the voice of Scratch's father; Scar, was Antonio Banderas, who was the voice of the main character of the aforementioned film.
- When Scratch realizes the meaning of her mother's words after accidentally scarring Cynder's face as she breaks down the grief, she does the same lines as Post-Genesis Wave's Sally Acorn's breakdown in Sonic Archie Issue 256. Likewise, Cynder and Ember comfort her much like how Bunnie did for Sally.
- Sonic's first adoptive mother, Longclaw, did not make a physical appearance in this film. However, she was mentioned a few times and was also seen in a drawing that Sonic drew.
- Scar is also in the same position as Longclaw, but instead of a drawing, he has a gravestone located somewhere in the nearby academy forests.
- The cadets turned Skylanders had less screentime in this film, and none of the characters (excluding Sonic, Spyro, Scratch, Ember, Flame, Cynder and Midnight) interacted with them.
- Sonic X Skylanders 3: Project Shadow marks the first time that Jet-Vac and Pop Fizz do not appear in the films as they were taking a vacation or were retired by the time the film took place.
- The heroes' houses do not get destroyed in this film. The first film shows the Crystalwing house (which was owned by Scar at the time) getting damaged by Dr. Krankcase's drone, and Sonic X Skylanders 2: Quest for the Emerald shows Knuckles making huge holes in the walls of the school house.
- Just like Sonic and his siblings (mainly Spyro and Scratch), Cynder refers to Dr. Krankcase as Eggman. However, the only time that she referred to him as Eggman was when she, Tails and Ember were talking to Hood Sickle about his and Dr. Krankcase's friendship.
- Just like in the Knuckles X Skylanders TV sub-series, Dr. Krankcase's first name, Ivo, is mentioned in this film. This marks the second time Dr. Krankcase's first name gets mentioned in the Sonic Cinematic Universe. Also, Sonic X Skylanders 3: Project Shadow is the only film where Dr. Krankcase's first name gets mentioned.
- While going around Scholarville, Sonic, Spyro and Scratch reference several franchises:
- The trio do the Beetles Abbey Road album cover by posing as the four main characters of the photo.
- Sonic mentions Hogwarts from Harry Potter.
- Spyro mentions Excalibur, a reference to Sonic and the Black Knight; a game which was modeled after King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table where Sonic used a sword in battle.
- This is the second time where Sonic and the Black Knight is referenced in the series, the first being A Traitor Among Us.
- There is a bit of foreshadowing in the film. When Eruptor disguised himself as Commander Buzz, Wynter was hiding while he was wearing a cast so that he could trick Director Rockwell into thinking that he was still alive, and that his arm was still recovering from the Badniks' attack. At the end of the film, Wynter was wearing a cast because her front left leg was still recovering from Shadow's attack that she took to protect Eruptor.
- Unlike the first two films, the characters do not reference the Sanic meme or do the floss dance.
- In this film, Commander Buzz and Hood Sickle interact with Sonic, Spyro and Scratch, which is something that they did not do in the first two films.
- Hood Sickle also interacts with Stealth Elf and Eruptor in the film unlike in the last two.
- This film marks the first and currently only time that Sonic, Spyro and Scratch meet new characters in the mid credits scene instead of during the main events of the film or in a future sequel.