How "Sonic The Hedgehog 2" Sets Up An Exciting Sequel

    The race isn't over yet.

    Anthony Orlando
    by Anthony Orlando

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has finally been released in theaters, and it has proved itself to be a worthy sequel that builds up Sega's cinematic universe.

    Sonic running across the ocean in "Sonic the Hedgehog 2"
    Paramount / Via YouTube

    There are plenty of possibilities for the third film currently in development, so let's race through all the ways Sonic the Hedgehog 2 sets up an exciting sequel.

    WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!

    Shadow the Hedgehog

    Shadow the Hedgehog in "Sonic Boom"
    Cartoon Network / Via YouTube

    In the film's obligatory mid-credits scene, the military organization G.U.N. uncovers a file from 50 years in the past with coordinates to a facility holding "Project Shadow." The last shot we see is of a chamber containing Shadow the Hedgehog, the "Ultimate Life Form," so chances are, he'll be the antagonist of the third movie. And since Eggman's assistant Stone somehow survived the battle against Sonic, we could see him awaken the black hedgehog to help him get revenge on Sonic.

    Space Colony ARK

    The Space Colony Ark charging its Eclipse Cannon in "Sonic Adventure 2"
    Sega / Via YouTube

    The ARK is a space station very similar to the Death Star (complete with a planet-destroying "Eclipse Cannon"). Here, Eggman's grandfather, Gerald Robotnik, created Shadow in an attempt to discover the secret to eternal life and cure his ill granddaughter, Maria. The US government soon shut down the station after they attacked it, killing Maria. With Shadow's discovery at the end of the film, we could see the ARK also awaken from its 50-year slumber in the sequel.

    The Chaos Emeralds

    Multiple Chaos Emeralds from the "Sonic" franchise
    Evgenii_bobrov / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    The film showed the seven Chaos Emeralds embedded inside the Master Emerald, which broke during the final battle against Eggman. After Sonic defeated him, the hedgehog gave up his divine power and sent the Emeralds into space. The sequel could see our heroes race against Shadow in an Infinity War-esque quest to claim the seven Emeralds, which could have been scattered by Sonic to multiple planets across the galaxy.

    The Master Emerald

    Eggman with his hands hovering the Master Emerald in "Sonic the Hedgehog 2"
    Sega / Via YouTube

    Though the Master Emerald was shattered in the film's third act, Knuckles took the shards and immediately reforged the big green gem. Now that it's fixed, it could once again serve an important purpose in the threequel, since according to the lore of the games, it has the power to stop the Chaos Emeralds. If these seven gems are pursued by the villains of the next film, the Master Emerald could be used in a last-ditch effort to stop them.

    Is Eggman dead?

    Dr. Eggman in the Mean Bean in "Sonic the Hedgehog 2"
    Paramount / Via YouTube

    The film didn't clarify if Eggman survived his great fall, but hey, if Stone made it, he could've, too. However, if Eggman did die during that battle, this could drive Stone to use Shadow to help him seek out the seven Chaos Emeralds to try and revive his dead master. Jim Carrey recently stated that he now plans to retire from acting, but unless he likes the script to Sonic 3, this may have been the last time we see his Eggman on-screen.

    Sonic Heroes

    Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles together in the intro sequence to "Sonic Heroes"
    Sega / Via YouTube

    The end of the film saw Sonic form his own "tribe" with Tails and Knuckles. This looks like the beginning of him starting a team of alien superheroes to protect the world from evil. If the third film takes Sonic and his friends back into space, we could see him add aliens from other planets to his team to help him fight the next bad guy. There are countless other characters from the games that have appeared alongside Sonic. Who knows which heroes they'll introduce in this third movie?

    Do you agree with this list? What predictions do you have for Sonic's third adventure? Please let me know in the comments section below.