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| Series | Sonic the Hedgehog (“SatAM”), ABC |
| Season | Season 1 (1993) |
| Episode | Season 1, episode 12 (guide and DVD order) · aired 10th · WildBrain no. 111 |
| First aired (US) | 20 November 1993 · ABC |
| Written by | Barbara Slade |
| Directed by | Dick Sebast |
| Story editor | Len Janson |
| Opening theme | “Sonic the Hedgehog” main title – Noisy Neighbors Productions |
| Previous episode | Warp Sonic (S01E11) |
| Next episode | Sonic Past Cool (S01E13) |
Rotor’s big momentThe KrakenExpedition
Sub-Sonic is episode 12 of Season 1 of Sonic the Hedgehog, the ABC cartoon fans call SatAM, in the order of our original episode guide and the Shout! Factory DVDs. It was the tenth Season 1 episode to air, on 20 November 1993. It was written by Barbara Slade and directed by Dick Sebast.
Synopsis
The Great Forest is dying, poisoned by Robotropolis, and Robotnik’s snake-like probes are drilling deep underground in search of oil. Then the Freedom Fighters find a strange green water that makes plants shoot up at astonishing speed. Hoping it can save the forest, Sonic, Sally, Antoine and Rotor set out to find its source.
A whirlpool sweeps them into a hidden world beneath the surface, full of snapping plants and dark passages, and one by one the group starts to disappear. The culprit is the Kraken, the last of an underground people, who blames the surface-dwellers for poisoning his home.
For once it is Rotor who saves the day, rescuing his friends from a vat of toxic techno-junk, while Sonic climbs onto Robotnik’s drilling platform, sets the snake probes to self-destruct and mashes the controls until the rig collapses. Rotor’s canteen of green water cleans the Kraken’s lake, and the grateful creature sends them home with enough to revive the forest. Rotor decides he would rather stay a handyman.
When the trees in the Great Forest begin dying off, the Freedom Fighters search for answers, hopefully before their hide-out is exposed. Sonic accidentally discovers some magical water that causes plants to grow rapidly and to large sizes, and the Freedom Fighters embark on a search for more, to save their forest. They begin disappearing one by one on their journey, but who is responsible?
— From Luke’s original SatAM episode guide on Sonic Scene
Key Moments
- Robotnik’s snake probes drill for oil beneath the Great Forest.
- The Kraken, last of an underground people.
- Rotor saves the team.
- The Kraken’s green water revives the Great Forest.
Trivia
- Tenth to air, on 20 November 1993 (Sonic Retro, Wikipedia); Sonic Wiki Zone gives 27 November.
- Frank Welker voices the Kraken (Behind the Voice Actors).
- Released on NCircle’s 2009 DVD Sonic Goes Green – an apt home for an episode about saving a forest.
Watch the Episode
The full episode, uploaded by WildBrain’s official Sonic The Hedgehog – WildBrain channel (checked 5 November 2026).
Part of our SatAM Season 1 guide. See the SatAM series page for the show’s history, cast and credits.
Sources: air date, writer and director from Sonic Retro (Wayback copies), Wikipedia and Sonic Wiki Zone, cross-checked; synopsis written for Sonic Scene from the episode and the official DiC description; title card and screenshots via Sonic Wiki Zone, copied to our media library.