Sega takes a moment of their valuable time to remind everyone that Sonic the Hedgehog is canonically a homeless drifter

Turns out that Sonic the Hedgehog is canonically a homeless drifter and always has been. I did not know this. I doubt you knew this? I mean I figured he just went somewhere. Hedgehogs live in little burrows, right? Or perhaps hedges? Anyway, not Sonic, he's too fast to be tied down by concepts such as "home."

This is something I've learned due to a clarification by one of Sonic's professional story managers, who herds the hedgehog's canon like eagle-eyed Polyphemus watches his sheep. Per Automaton, in the latest Sonic the Hedgehog Annual comic—that's your 2025 edition, the Sonic Fact File is not correct—which required a clarification from one Chris Hernandez, professional Sonic the Hedgehog lore wrangler.

"Sorry to burst the bubble so late here! This was something we caught early on but it looks like an older draft got through on accident. Sonic doesn't have a home, he's still a drifter," said Hernandez via twitter.

The comic stated that Sonic's home was in Green Hill Zone, the iconic and much-lovedf first level of the original Sonic the Hedgehog game. This was, of course, simply not true and Mr. Hernandez is professional employed to be sure you—and the writers of Sonic the Hedgehog tie-in comics—know it. It's on them. Not on him.

Either way it's not so bad as all that. Sonic could just currently live in Green Hill Zone's wild rolling plains, roughing it amid the waterfalls and coconut palms and bizarre looping rock formations and perfectly parallax effected scrolling backgrounds.

If this all seems strange to you, well, this is a more common job than you think. I've met more than a few of them in my time writing about games. There are lore managers for everything from Sonic to Halo to My Little Pony or Warcraft or League of Legends and yeah that's someone's full-time salaried job and no you can't have it, it's their job already. Don't ask, I've tried.

Anyway, I'm off to watch extremely upsetting 1973 western film High Plains Drifter, but the whole time I'm going to imagine Clint Eastwood as Sonic the Hedgehog.

Contributor

Jon Bolding is a games writer and critic with an extensive background in strategy games. When he's not on his PC, he can be found playing every tabletop game under the sun.

Read more
An image of Hornet from Hollow Knight: Silksong standing amidst a verdant landscape.
1,465 consecutive days of (mostly) no Silksong news: I spoke to the Sisyphean internet hero that's kept folks informed, every 24 hours, for 4 whole years
Hollow Knight: Silksong — Hornet, the heroine of the Hollow Knight sequel, leaping into action.
The cake was a lie, but Silksong 'is real, progressing and will release' say devs, after flurry of conspiracy theories revealed to be a 'nothingburger'
Majima from Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii looking at a document
I thought Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii would burn me out on the Like a Dragon series, but now I know that's never going to happen
GTA 5
It's time we talked about how wild it is to be a pedestrian in GTA 5
A trio of Guardians adorned with Baron gear in Destiny 2.
Destiny 2 players have found the true endgame: Composing spooky remixes on a giant gothic space organ
A man in a long coat and hood carries a very expensive shopping bag up some stairs.
ZA/UM gets away with $165 plastic bags because its execs know hypocritical moaners are the same 'ones ordering the expensive items' anyway, says former Disco Elysium writer
Latest in Games
Split Fiction trailer still - Zoe and Mio standing side by side, wearing glowing neon sci-fi jammies
Split Fiction sells 1 million copies over 2 days
A soldier looks out over the Verdansk map, as a single tear rolls down his cheek.
The original Verdansk map is returning to Call of Duty: Warzone, to celebrate which we get a soldier crying to Nat King Cole
More than 5 years after launch, Control gets a surprise patch that lets everyone play the Hideo Kojima mission
Swen Vincke
Swen Vincke stamps seal of approval on Stardew Valley mod that yoinks the Baldur's Gate 3 cast out of D&D and into a cosy pastoral life
Maximillian from Evil Genius 2
Rebellion CEO says Evil Genius 3 could happen but wonders 'what else could we do with it other than a base-building game?'
FragPunk codes - A close-up shot of a mercenary wearing a mask with glowing eyes.
All FragPunk codes and how to redeem them
Latest in News
Pedro Pascal as Joel in a coat in winter looking unhappy
'Don't you know what he did?': The truth comes out in The Last of Us Season 2 trailer
Aloy
'Creepy,' 'ghastly,' 'rancid': Viewers react to leaked video of Sony's AI-powered Aloy
Split Fiction trailer still - Zoe and Mio standing side by side, wearing glowing neon sci-fi jammies
Split Fiction sells 1 million copies over 2 days
A soldier looks out over the Verdansk map, as a single tear rolls down his cheek.
The original Verdansk map is returning to Call of Duty: Warzone, to celebrate which we get a soldier crying to Nat King Cole
More than 5 years after launch, Control gets a surprise patch that lets everyone play the Hideo Kojima mission
Swen Vincke
Swen Vincke stamps seal of approval on Stardew Valley mod that yoinks the Baldur's Gate 3 cast out of D&D and into a cosy pastoral life