Which Sonic Character has the saddest backstory?

I recently watched a video by YouTuber Tyrecordslol discussing how many fans believe Shadow the Hedgehog has the saddest backstory in the Sonic franchise. While I understand why Shadow’s story resonates with so many, I actually think there are two characters who could rival him: Knuckles and Silver the Hedgehog.

Let’s start with Shadow. Many fans see him as the most tragic character because he wasn’t born naturally—he was created in a lab, intended to be a cure for diseases, but ultimately became a weapon. His creation wasn’t solely the work of Professor Gerald Robotnik; Shadow’s biological father is Black Doom, an alien overlord and not a hedgehog at all.

Shadow’s only real family was Gerald Robotnik and his granddaughter Maria, who was terminally ill. Maria never treated Shadow as an experiment or outsider—instead, she saw him as a close friend, almost like a little brother. Their bond was incredibly strong, which made her loss even more devastating for Shadow. He lost Maria not once, but twice: first during the traumatic events on the Space Colony ARK, and again in the game Sonic and Shadow Generations, when the Time Eater briefly brings back both Maria and Gerald. After Sonic defeats the Time Eater, Gerald and Maria disappear, telling Shadow to let go of hatred and embrace happiness.

Knuckles’s story is equally tragic. You could argue that he suffers from PTSD, having grown up entirely alone from a very young age. This isolation was the result of the Master Emerald—a powerful artifact in the Sonic universe.

Because of greed and conflict over the Master Emerald, Knuckles’s entire species was wiped out, leaving him as the last of his kind.

Imagine living every day as the sole survivor, constantly guarding the very object responsible for your people’s extinction.

That level of loneliness and burden is truly heartbreaking.

But Silver the Hedgehog’s story is also worth telling. Imagine being born into a world that’s essentially dead—food is so scarce that you’re lucky to eat once a day, and even luckier if you get to eat again in the next few days. Water is a luxury, and sleep is just as rare. For Silver, being alone isn’t just a feeling—it’s a survival skill. The reason his world is in such a state is because of an immortal being called Iblis, a fire monster that destroys everything it touches. This creature is responsible for the destruction of Silver’s world and the loss of his entire family and community.

Silver grows up knowing nothing but survival. To stop Iblis and save what’s left of his world, he has to travel through time and adapt to a life completely different from the one he’s known—learning things like friendship, trust, even basic comforts like cold water and sleep. Silver also has to discover that asking for help isn’t a weakness; it’s okay to rely on others. Unfortunately, for most of his life, Silver didn’t have anyone to rely on—he had to do everything alone because everyone else was gone.

Tyrecordslol made some great points in his videos, but I’m curious about your opinion.

Some people argue that Sonic had a tragic life, too. For example, he lost someone like a mother figure in Longclaw the Owl. But that raises questions—who were Sonic’s real parents? Did he have any brothers or sisters? I’d be interested to learn more about characters like Manic the Hedgehog, who looks awesome.

You’re absolutely right—there are so many debates about which character’s story is the saddest because fans see themselves in these struggles. Whether it’s loss, loneliness, or the pressure of responsibility, people interpret these backstories through their own experiences, making the conversations deeply personal and varied. That’s part of the magic of the Sonic universe: it gives everyone a character to connect with on an emotional level.