Sonic the Hedgehog 3isn’t out yet, but the upcoming film is already setting up a dark twist with one series character’s fate.Sonic the Hedgehog 3is one of the most highly-anticipated movies of the year, and while many suspected that it would keep the lighthearted and comedic tone of its two predecessors, this may not be the case. Thefirst trailer forSonic the Hedgehog 3implies that the series might be taking a dark turn with the upcoming third film, and while this works for this story, it may cause one character’s fate to be tragic.

The first trailer forSonic the Hedgehog 3is out now, giving a first look at the exciting third film in the live-actionSonic the Hedgehogtrilogy. The trailer gives a first look atKeanu Reeves' Shadow the Hedgehog, with the beloved character making his proper debut after being teased in theSonic the Hedgehog 2post-credits scene. The trailer also gives looks at some of the returning characters from the previous films,including Team Sonic’s Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, as well as a new GUN soldier version of Tom.

imagery from Sonic 3

Sonic The Hedgehog 3’s Trailer Hints That Tom Could Get Hurt Or Be Killed

He Could Die During The Prison Island Escape

After the release of theSonic the Hedgehog 3trailer, one big theory began making the rounds online, with some fans speculating that the upcoming film could kill off Tom.Tom has been Sonic’s main human friendthroughout the live-action series so far, and while he has been a staple of the movies, he is getting a major upgrade inSonic the Hedgehog 3. The trailer reveals that Tom is now a member of the GUN organization, but the shot that he appears in seems to occur right before something awful happens.

When appearing in the trailer,Tom is lying on the ground, appearing as if someone has forced him into this position. It could be that he has been injured or that he is being held captive, which are bad enough. However, a later shot shows Shadow the Hedgehog escaping a destroyed Prison Island, with this seemingly being how he gets out into the world. It could be that Tom is one of the GUN soldiers tasked with monitoring Shadow, with Shadow killing Tom during his breakout and destruction of Prison Island.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Sonic the Hedgehog 3releases June 03, 2025.

On top of that, the trailer forSonic the Hedgehog 3is full of dialogue about Sonic losing the people he loves and Tom warning Sonic about a currently unknown event. One exchange between Shadow and Sonic could even be referring to Tom’s death, with this awful bit of foreshadowing setting up a horrifying fate for Tom.

Why Shadow The Hedgehog Is So Much More Powerful Than Team Sonic In Sonic 3

Shadow’s powers in the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 trailer suggest he’s already gained a powerful abilitiy from the games that gives him an edge over Sonic.

Bringing Sonic To A Tragic Place

The death of Tom would obviously have a massive impact on Tom, leading to a dark Sonic transformation inSonic the Hedgehog 3. Sonic has always been jovial and comedic throughout the live-actionSonic the Hedgehogmovies, but something seems to have changed throughoutSonic the Hedgehog 3. Throughout the trailer, Sonic seems a lot more serious, and while he does occasionally crack jokes throughout, the trailer even opens with Sonic worrying about losing who he is on the inside.

These small glimpses of Sonic’s character are telling,highlighting that Tom’s death could drive him to a dark place that audiences haven’t seen before. While some may say that this soundstoo gritty for a sillySonic the Hedgehogmovieto tackle, hardcore fans know thatSonic the Hedgehoghas attempted to tell some uncharacteristically mature and dark storylines before. It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch forSonic the Hedgehog 3to have Sonic lose himself, with his arc involving him powering through his grief at Tom’s death.

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Dark Sonic’s Powers & History Explained

He’s A Real Character In Sonic X

Although Sonic will undoubtedly go through an internal dark transformation if Tom dies, he could also go through an external one. Dark Sonic is a Sonic transformation from theanime seriesSonic X, with it literally being a different form that Sonic takes on upon him losing himself. This happens after the powers of dark chaos energy use Sonic’s anger to transform him, with this being triggered by Sonic seeing that his two friends Chris and Cosmo are being trapped by a villain. Thus, Sonic’s anger turns him into an entirely new being.

Dark Sonic takes on a darker shade of blue than regular Sonic, with his anger even causing a dark aura to surround him. Dark Sonic gets an increase in power similar to what he gets when he becomes Super Sonic, with his speed and strength increasing immensely. The most dangerous part of Dark Sonic is that he doesn’t hold back, with him tearing through robots and being incredibly deadly while in this form. Sonic’s friends and enemies were shocked upon seeing Dark Sonic, highlighting just how different this version of the character is.

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Character Guide: Every New & Returning Actor In The Cast

Sonic the Hedgehog 3’s cast brings back many of the stars and supporting characters of previous entries, along with a big new star as Shadow.

How Dark Sonic Would Change Sonic The Hedgehog 3

He Would Have A Massive Impact On The Movie

Dark Sonic would changeSonic the Hedgehog 3in some big ways, many of which are exciting. Firstly, a Dark Sonic storyline would probably be the main story of the film, as it would be a major arc for Sonic to go through. The Dark Sonic story is very similar to Spider-Man’s symbiote suit storyline, with the character having to learn to break away from this much more powerful version of himself. The Dark Sonic form could lead Sonic to hurt the people he loves, taking the story ofSonic the Hedgehog 3to a much more tragic place.

Dark Sonic also implies thatdark chaos energy will appear inSonic the Hedgehog 3, and this makes sense. The movies have already used the Master Emerald and the Chaos Emeralds, so bringing back chaos energy wouldn’t be a stretch.

The most exciting part of the potential for Dark Sonic is how it could work in a Shadow the Hedgehog storyline. Sonic’s anger over the death of Tom would be a perfect way to parallelShadow’s anger over the death of Maria, allowing the film’s protagonist and antagonist to be mirrors of each other. Since Shadow is an antihero, it is expected that he won’t be the film’s final villain, meaning that Dark Sonic could be. Shadow could join Tails and Knuckles in taking Dark Sonic down and saving Sonic, which would be an exciting way to endSonic the Hedgehog 3.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Cast

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 reunites Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails as they face a formidable new adversary, Shadow. With Shadow’s unprecedented powers posing a significant threat, Team Sonic seeks an unexpected alliance to thwart his plans and safeguard the planet.