 Sonic X · TMS Entertainment · 2003–2006 | |
| Japanese title | ソニックX (Sonikku Ekkusu) |
| Type | Anime TV series based on Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog games |
| Studio | TMS Entertainment |
| Series director | Hajime Kamegaki |
| Executive producer | Yuji Naka (head of Sonic Team) |
| Character design | Satoshi Hirayama, from Yuji Uekawa’s original concept |
| Music | Yoshihiro Ike (Japan) · 4Kids music team (English version) |
| Japan | TV Tokyo, 6 April 2003 – 28 March 2004 (episodes 1–52); episodes 53–78 on Kids Station from 25 March 2020 |
| United States | Fox Box / 4Kids TV on Fox, 23 August 2003 – 6 May 2006 (all 78) |
| Episodes | 78 · three seasons of 26 · Season 1 · Season 2 · Season 3 |
| English version | 4Kids Entertainment |
| Home video | Victor Entertainment (Japan) · 4Kids Home Video / FUNimation, then Discotek Media (US) |
Sonic X is the Sonic anime: 78 episodes made by TMS Entertainment with Sega’s Sonic Team, first shown on TV Tokyo in April 2003 and brought to America by 4Kids Entertainment a few months later. A Chaos Control accident throws Sonic, his friends and Dr. Eggman into a human world, where a twelve-year-old called Chris Thorndyke fishes Sonic out of his swimming pool – and from there the show runs through three seasons, retellings of Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2, and finally a space opera against a robot empire called the Metarex.
For a generation of fans it was the Sonic cartoon – the one on Saturday mornings in the 2000s, with the “Gotta Go Fast” theme and the voice cast that went on to star in the games. It is also a show with two lives: the Japanese original and the 4Kids English version differ in music, dialogue and dozens of small edits, and even the episode count depends on where you watched it. This guide covers both.
Luke’s original Sonic X page (2017) was a complete episode table with every Japanese and English title and both sets of air dates. It is still here – in the full episode list below and in the season guides – checked against current sources, with a few dates and spellings corrected.
- 78episodes in three seasons of 26
- 52episodes shown on TV Tokyo, 2003–2004; the last 26 premiered abroad
- 16 yearsbetween the end of the TV Tokyo run (March 2004) and Season 3’s Japanese TV debut (Kids Station, 2020)
- 40issues of Archie’s Sonic X comic, 2005–2009
- 2game retellings: Sonic Adventure (eps 27–32) and Sonic Adventure 2 (eps 33–38)
Seasons & Episode Guides
Season 1 (2003–2004)Episodes 1–26 · Sonic lands on Earth, meets Chris and hunts the Chaos Emeralds; Super Sonic debuts.
Season 2 (2003–2005)Episodes 27–52 · Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 retold, the Chaotix, Emerl and the journey home.
Season 3 (2005–2006)Episodes 53–78 · Cosmo, the Metarex and the Blue Typhoon’s voyage across the galaxy.Each season page has the full episode guide with Japanese and English titles, both premiere dates and synopses, plus that season’s new characters, dub differences and home video; every episode has its own page with the official English upload.
Quick Answers
How many episodes of Sonic X are there?
78 – that is the headline number everyone agrees on. How they are split depends on the version:
- Japan (TV Tokyo): 52 episodes broadcast from April 2003 to March 2004, treated as one continuous run (“Series 1”). Episodes 53–78 (“Series 2”) were made but not shown on Japanese TV; they were available to rent and stream, and finally aired on Kids Station in March–April 2020.
- Japanese home video: 13 DVD/VHS volumes covering episodes 1–52 only.
- 4Kids English version: all 78, as three seasons of 26 – Seasons 1 and 2 (episodes 1–52) and Season 3 (53–78), the split we use.
- US DVD “saga” sets: six sets of about 13 episodes each, from New World Saga to So Long, Sonic, which some sources count as six seasons.
Did all 78 episodes air?
In the US, yes: Fox Box (later 4Kids TV) showed every episode between August 2003 and May 2006, and no full episode was cut. In Japan, only 52 reached TV at the time. Season 3 premiered in France in March 2005 and in the US that September, before Japan saw it on TV in 2020.
Is Sonic X based on the games?
Partly. Most of it is original, but Season 2 retells Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 and loosely adapts Sonic Battle, with touches of Sonic Heroes. See From Game to Anime.
Who is Chris Thorndyke?
The boy who rescues Sonic in episode 1 and the show’s human lead: a rich but lonely twelve-year-old whose family mansion becomes the heroes’ base. He is the anime’s own creation – see the new characters.
Where can I watch Sonic X?
TMS Entertainment’s official YouTube channel, Anime! on TMS, has the full English dub free to watch; our episode pages embed it. Discotek Media sells the series on DVD and on Blu-ray in English and in Japanese with subtitles.
The Story
Season 1: a hedgehog on Earth (episodes 1–26)
Sonic smashes Eggman’s Chaos Emerald machine and triggers Chaos Control, which carries Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Cream and Cheese, Rouge and Eggman to Earth. Chris Thorndyke hides the animals at his family’s mansion, his inventor grandfather Chuck helps Tails build the X-Tornado, and the heroes hunt the seven Chaos Emeralds while Eggman builds an empire. By the finale the whole world knows Sonic – and Super Sonic makes his debut. Season 1 guide →
Season 2: the game years (episodes 27–52)
Six months later, more of Sonic’s world crashes through: Angel Island, Big the Cat and, in the Master Emerald, the ancient monster Chaos. The season retells Sonic Adventure (Chaos and Perfect Chaos) and Sonic Adventure 2 (Shadow and the Space Colony ARK), then brings in the Chaotix, Cream’s mother Vanilla and the robot Emerl. It ends with the discovery that Earth and Sonic’s world are drifting together – so Sonic’s friends must go home, and Chris must let them.
Season 3: the Metarex (episodes 53–78)
Six months pass for Sonic, but six years for Chris, who builds a portal to follow his friends and arrives in a body twelve years old again. A plant-like girl named Cosmo brings word of the Metarex, robots conquering the galaxy for its Planet Eggs, and Sonic’s crew sets off in the starship Blue Typhoon, with Eggman, Rouge and a returned Shadow playing their own games. It ends with sacrifice. Cosmo gives her life to defeat the Metarex, and Shadow spends the last of his power so the others can escape: the 4Kids English version leaves him presumed dead, while the Japanese version shows him alive in a closing scene that the dub cut. Season 3 guide →
From Game to Anime: the Adaptation Arcs
Sonic X is mostly original, but it was made with Sonic Team at the height of the Dreamcast-era games, and Season 2 sets out to retell two of them. Here is what comes from where.
| Arc | Episodes | Based on | What it adapts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chaos Saga | 27–32 | Sonic Adventure (1998) | Eggman frees Chaos from the Master Emerald; the Egg Carrier; E-102 Gamma; Tikal’s past; Big the Cat and Froggy; the battle with Perfect Chaos in a flooded Station Square. |
| Shadow Saga | 33–38 | Sonic Adventure 2 (2001) | Project Shadow and Gerald Robotnik’s research; Sonic mistaken for Shadow and jailed on Prison Island; the Space Colony ARK on a collision course with Earth; Maria; a finale that uses SA2’s theme “Live & Learn”. |
| Emerl story | 42–46 | Sonic Battle (2003) | The robot Emerl learns from everyone it meets; it climaxes in the tournament two-parter “Sonic Battle – Face Off!!” / “Sonic Battle – Finale!!”. |
| The Chaotix | from 39 | Sonic Heroes (2003) | Vector, Espio and Charmy, revived as a detective agency for Sonic Heroes, arrive on Earth as the comic relief of late Season 2 and Season 3. |
| Cast and DVD tie-in | 33–38; Season 3 | Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) | The game was the first to use the Sonic X English cast. 4Kids timed its Project Shadow DVD (episodes 33–38, 15 November 2005) to the game’s release, and Shadow returns in Season 3. |
Elsewhere the show borrows freely: Emerald Coast, the Chao and King Boom Boo turn up in Season 1, and Cream and Cheese came straight from Sonic Advance 2 (2002) – early trailers even called Cheese just “Chao”, from before the game named him.
Sources: Wikipedia’s Sonic X article and episode list; ANN press release for Project Shadow (25 October 2005).
The Cast: Sonic X’s New Characters
Sonic X keeps the game characters close to their personalities in the Dreamcast era, but around them it builds a cast of its own. These are the characters you will only meet in the anime. Voices are Japanese / 4Kids English.
The Thorndyke household
Chris ThorndykeThe human lead: twelve, wealthy and lonely, with parents always away. Rescuing Sonic gives him the adventure of his life, and his growing up – and having to let his friends go – is the show’s emotional spine. In Season 3 he is eighteen on Earth but twelve again in Sonic’s world. Japanese actress Sanae Kobayashi said she found it worthwhile trying to convey how Chris grows through knowing Sonic.Voice: Sanae Kobayashi / Suzanne Goldish; adult Chris: Masakazu Morita / Michael Sinterniklaas
Chuck ThorndykeChris’ grandfather, a brilliant inventor who adopts Tails as a workshop partner; together they build the X-Tornado.Voice: Bin Shimada / Jerry Lobozzo
Nelson ThorndykeChris’ father, president of a big corporation – busy, distant, but devoted when it counts.Voice: Ken Yamaguchi / Ted Lewis
Lindsey ThorndykeChris’ mother, a movie star forever off on location; her film shoot sets up “Sonic’s Scream Test”.Voice: Naomi Shindō / Jennifer Blood (ANN) or Jennifer C. Johnson (Wikipedia)
EllaThe mansion’s chef and housekeeper, a second mother to Cream and Amy – and the one person Eggman should fear.Voice: Kujira / Mike Pollock
Mr. TanakaButler, bodyguard and martial artist, unflappable and fiercely loyal.Voice: Naoki Imamura / Darren Dunstan
Friends, cops and agents
DannyChris’ best friend at school.Voice: Naomi Shindō / Rachael Lillis
FrancesChris’ adventurous classmate.Voice: Yuka Shioyama / Kerry Williams
HelenChris’ classmate, a wheelchair user and one of Sonic’s first human friends.Voice: Noriko Hidaka / Amy Birnbaum
Sam SpeedChris’ speed-obsessed uncle, leader of the police S-Team and Sonic’s self-appointed racing rival.Voice: Sōichirō Tanaka / Frank Frankson
Mr. StewartChris’ teacher – secretly a government agent watching him.Voice: Michio Nakao / Andrew Rannells
TopazRouge’s government partner, suspicious at first and a friend in the end.Voice: Yukari Hikida / Jennifer Johnson and Kayzie Rogers (ANN lists both; Wikipedia only Rogers)
HawkA treasure hunter and Knuckles’ friend in Oriental City.Voice: Takeharu Ōnishi
Eggman’s crew
BocoeOne of Eggman’s two bickering robot assistants.Voice: Bin Shimada / Darren Dunstan
DecoeThe other half of the double act.Voice: Ken Yamaguchi / Andrew Rannells
BokkunEggman’s little messenger robot, whose deliveries usually explode.Voice: Yumiko Kobayashi / Andrew Rannells
Season 3: Cosmo and the Metarex
CosmoA gentle, plant-like girl from a world the Metarex destroyed. She joins the Blue Typhoon crew, grows close to Tails, and makes the sacrifice that ends the war – the heart of what Nintendo Life called an “emotional finale”.Voice: Etsuko Kozakura / Amy Birnbaum
Dark OakLeader of the Metarex – and, it turns out, once a member of Cosmo’s own people.Voice: Jōji Nakata / Matt Hoverman
Pale BayleafOne of Dark Oak’s four commanders.Voice: Jūrōta Kosugi / Marc Diraison (Wikipedia)
Black NarcissusAnother of the four commanders.Voice: Ken Narita / David Wills
Yellow ZelkovaThe bulkiest of the commanders, who gets an episode of revenge in “Zelkova Strikes Back”.Voice: Takeshi Watabe / Ted Lewis
Red PineThe fourth commander.Voice: Hōchū Ōtsuka / Jonathan Todd Ross (Wikipedia)
MollyA pilot from a planet under Metarex rule, who fights back in “A Revolutionary Tale”.Voice: Sachiko Kojima
The MetarexSeason 3’s villains
The Blue TyphoonTails’ starship in Season 3
EmerlFrom Sonic Battle, in Season 2
Character art via Sonic Wiki Zone. Voice credits from Anime News Network’s encyclopedia and Wikipedia; where they disagree we show both. Kobayashi’s comments come from a 2003 Japanese cast interview cited by Wikipedia.
Voice Cast: Japan and 4Kids
For five years the 4Kids cast were simply the English voices of Sonic: Sega adopted them for the games from Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) until its 2010 recast, and Mike Pollock stayed on as Eggman even then. In Japan the show mostly reused the game actors of the day, but 4Kids cast from its own New York pool: president Norman Grossfeld asked Jason Griffith and Pollock, both veterans of the company’s Ultimate Muscle and Kirby: Right Back at Ya! dubs, to try out for Sonic and Eggman. In interviews at the time Pollock said he had only brief clips of Eggman’s game voice to go on. Read our interview with Mike Pollock.
| Character | Japanese voice | 4Kids English voice |
|---|---|---|
| Sonic the Hedgehog | Jun’ichi Kanemaru | Jason Griffith |
| Miles “Tails” Prower | Ryō Hirohashi | Amy Palant |
| Knuckles the Echidna | Nobutoshi Canna | Dan Green |
| Amy Rose | Taeko Kawata | Lisa Ortiz |
| Cream the Rabbit | Sayaka Aoki | Rebecca Honig |
| Rouge the Bat | Rumi Ochiai | Kathleen Delaney |
| Dr. Eggman | Chikao Ōtsuka | Mike Pollock |
| Shadow the Hedgehog | Kōji Yusa | Jason Griffith |
| Big the Cat | Takashi Nagasako | Oliver Wyman |
| Tikal | Kaori Asō | Rebecca Honig (Wikipedia) |
| Vector / Espio / Charmy | Kenta Miyake / Yūki Masuda / Yōko Teppōzuka | Jimmy Zoppi (Wikipedia; ANN credits Carter Cathcart for ep 78) / David Wills / Amy Birnbaum |
| Chris Thorndyke | Sanae Kobayashi (adult: Masakazu Morita) | Suzanne Goldish (adult: Michael Sinterniklaas) |
| Chuck Thorndyke | Bin Shimada | Jerry Lobozzo |
| Ella | Kujira | Mike Pollock |
| Sam Speed | Sōichirō Tanaka | Frank Frankson |
| Topaz | Yukari Hikida | Jennifer Johnson and Kayzie Rogers (both per ANN; Wikipedia lists Rogers only) |
| Cosmo | Etsuko Kozakura | Amy Birnbaum |
| Dark Oak | Jōji Nakata | Matt Hoverman |
Sources: Anime News Network encyclopedia (anime 2266) and Wikipedia’s Sonic X article; interview details from TSSZ News (2004) and Shadow of a Hedgehog, a fan site hosted by Planet Dreamcast (2003), both Wayback copies. Where only one list has a credit we say so.
Japan vs 4Kids: How the Dub Differs
Every English episode of Sonic X passed through a weekly production line at 4Kids in New York. Michael Haigney, who wrote and produced the dub, described it to Anime Boredom in 2006: writers adapted a translation of each Japanese script, director Julie Rath recorded two episodes a week, music editors built a new underscore, and an editor reformatted every show to remove whatever Fox’s Standards and Practices department would not allow. The dialogue was rewritten from scratch, he explained, partly to deal with Japanese puns and references, and partly to match the characters’ lip movements.
- Music: none of the Japanese score survived. Haigney said it was replaced “for both artistic and commercial reasons”; 4Kids’ composers (John Angier, Craig Marks, Joel Douek, Louis Cortelezzi, Manny Corallo, Matt McGuire and Ralph Schuckett) wrote new cues, and “Gotta Go Fast” replaced the theme songs.
- Content: Fox’s rules, Haigney said, ruled out smoking, realistic gunfire and violence children could copy, and he denied any wish to “ruin” the shows. Destructoid’s list of what went is alcohol, swearing and romance; Wikipedia adds fourth-wall jokes and suggestive scenes.
- Length: scenes were trimmed, but Sonic X never lost a whole episode – Haigney contrasted it with Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, where Fox refused a dentist episode outright.
- Titles and voices: every episode got a new English title (our season guides give both), and an all-new English cast replaced the game actors.
- Background: asked whether he knew Sonic’s earlier games, comics or cartoons, Haigney said he had seen none of them.
Not everyone was convinced. Destructoid, announcing the first season on Hulu in 2010, put much of the show’s poor reputation down to a “horrible localization” and the in-house voice acting. Each season page has its own dub differences box, and episode pages note the changes that sources confirm for that episode – including the finale, where the two versions disagree about Shadow’s fate.
Sources: Anime Boredom’s Michael Haigney interview (12 February 2006, Wayback copy); Destructoid, “Watch Sonic X on Hulu this Easter” (2010, Wayback copy); Wikipedia’s Sonic X article.
Making Sonic X
Sonic X was the opening shot of Sega’s big Sonic push of 2003. Announcing it in March, Sega told GameSpot the series would come from TMS Entertainment, then part of the Sega group, start on TV Tokyo on Sunday mornings from 6 April, and reach North America, Europe and Asia that autumn, alongside new games, Sega Toys merchandise and a McDonald’s promotion. Yuji Naka, head of Sonic Team and the show’s executive producer, wanted the anime to do for Sonic what the cartoon had done for Pokémon. Looking back for 1UP, Sonic Team’s Takashi Iizuka agreed that 2003, with the anime, the Happy Meal toys and Sonic Heroes, had been a true “Sonic Year”.
Japanese fans had already had a preview. At the World Hobby Fair on 19 February 2003, Sega’s booth ran a trailer narrated in Japanese; The Next Level’s reporter spotted the whole game cast in their Sonic Adventure-era designs, plus a new human lead he was not sure about. The trailer also flashed a single image of a silver hedgehog who never made it into the series: fans called him “Nazo” (“mystery”), and Iizuka explained in 2015 that he was an early Super Sonic. An earlier trailer, made before Cheese had his name, just called him “Chao”.
On screen, the show combines cel-style animation with CGI effects drawn without outlines – most visibly Sonic’s homing attack, which THEM Anime’s reviewer disliked. Satoshi Hirayama designed the anime’s own characters from concepts by the games’ artist Yuji Uekawa. In Japan, Chikao Ōtsuka described Eggman as a balancing act: a villain children should root against without hating.
Sources: GameSpot, “Sega to begin major Sonic promotion” (18 March 2003); 1UP, “Afterthoughts: Sonic Heroes”; The Next Level, World Hobby Fair 2003 report; THEM Anime review (all Wayback copies); Wikipedia’s Sonic X article for the Nazo, Chao trailer and 2003 cast-interview details.
Theme Songs & Music
| Song | Version | Episodes | Performed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| “Sonic Drive” | Japanese opening | 1–78 | Hironobu Kageyama and Hideaki Takatori; lyrics Takeshi Aida, music Cher Watanabe |
| “Mi-ra-i” (ミ・ラ・イ) | Japanese ending | 1–13 | Run&Gun |
| “Hikaru Michi” (光る道, “Shining Road”) | Japanese ending | 14–39, 53–78 | Aya Hiroshige; music Masataka Matsutoya |
| “T.O.P” | Japanese ending | 40–52 | KP |
| “Gotta Go Fast” | 4Kids opening and ending (US) | 1–78 | Written by Norman Grossfeld and Russell Velazquez |
| “Sonic X” | Opening in PAL regions (UK, Australia and elsewhere) | 1–78 | – |
Yoshihiro Ike scored the Japanese version, and music from the two Sonic Adventure games turns up now and then – most memorably Crush 40’s “Live & Learn” in episode 38. When episodes 26 and 52 first aired in Japan, three Off Course songs played as inserts – “Natsu no Hi”, “Midori no Hibi” and “Kotoba ni Dekinai” – but they were replaced in later broadcasts and on home video. Ike’s score came out in Japan in March 2004 as a 40-track album, Sonic X ~Original Sound Tracks~; Wikipedia gives the date as both 3 and 8 March. Other dubs had their own takes: France and South Korea sang new lyrics to the Japanese tunes, and Italy had its own theme, “Sonic”.
Sources: Wikipedia’s Sonic X article and episode list (citing CBR and AllMusic).
Broadcast History
Where and when you saw Sonic X depends on where you lived: French and American viewers had the final season years before Japanese TV did. The milestones:
- 2003. TV Tokyo premieres the series on Sunday 6 April in the 8:30 a.m. slot Sega had announced, with a few stations outside the network following on delay. In August, Fox Kids Europe (soon renamed Jetix Europe) takes the rights outside North America and Asia, which stay with 4Kids and TMS respectively. 4Kids previews episode 1 on Fox Box on 23 August and starts the regular run on 6 September.
- 2004. TV Tokyo’s run ends with episode 52 on 28 March. Episodes 53–78 are made but never broadcast in Japan: they go to rental and streaming services instead, and never get a Japanese DVD. In Europe, Jetix reports Sonic X as number one in its slot in France for its 2004 financial year.
- 2005–2006. Season 3 premieres in France in March 2005, months ahead of the US, where 4Kids TV (as Fox Box was now called) shows it from 10 September 2005 to 6 May 2006.
- 2012–2021. After 4Kids’ bankruptcy, Saban’s Kidsco Media Ventures takes over the licence in June 2012. TMS later regains the US rights, licensing the home video to Discotek Media in 2015 and ad-supported streaming to FilmRise in 2021.
- 2020. Season 3 finally reaches Japanese TV, on Kids Station from 25 March to 30 April, timed to the Sonic the Hedgehog film.
- 2024–2025. For its 60th anniversary in August 2024, TMS streams Japanese episodes with English subtitles on YouTube for a limited time; by April 2025, ComicBook.com reports, the full English dub is free to watch on the studio’s Anime! on TMS channel.
| Episode count | Where |
|---|---|
| 78 (3 × 26) | 4Kids English version; Discotek DVD and Blu-ray; TMS YouTube |
| 52 | Japan: TV Tokyo broadcast 2003–2004 and Japanese DVD/VHS (13 volumes) |
| 26 (eps 53–78) | Japan: rental/streaming first; Kids Station TV in 2020 |
| 6 × ~13 | 4Kids/FUNimation “saga” DVD sets, 2006–2009 |
| 10 volumes | 4Kids/FUNimation single DVDs and VHS (episodes 1–52), 2004–2006 |
Sources: GameSpot (March 2003) for the TV Tokyo launch; Digital Spy (Fox Kids Europe); Jetix Europe’s FY2004 results; ANN (2012, 2015, 2024); advanced-television.com (2021); ComicBook.com (April 2025) on the YouTube upload – all Wayback copies – and Wikipedia’s Sonic X article and episode list for the Japanese and US dates.
Home Video & Streaming
| Release | Label | Date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonic X vols. 1–13 (DVD/VHS; “Hi-Spec” editions of vols. 1–10) | Victor Entertainment (Japan) | July 2003 – July 2004 | 1–52 |
| Vols. 1–10, from A Super Sonic Hero to The Beginning of the End | 4Kids Home Video / FUNimation (US; VHS until 2005) | June 2004 – May 2006 | 1–52 |
| Game Boy Advance Video vols. 1–2 | – | May 2004 | Season 1 episodes |
| Project Shadow (vol. 8) | 4Kids / FUNimation | 15 November 2005 | 33–38 |
| The Complete 5th Season and So Long, Sonic | 4Kids / FUNimation | 2006 – 13 February 2007 | 53–65, 66–78 |
| Four saga sets: New World Saga (1–13); Chaos Emerald Chaos (14–26); Chaos & Shadow Sagas (27–38); The Egg Moon, Emerl & Homebound Sagas (39–52) | 4Kids / FUNimation | 13 November 2007 – 22 September 2009 | 1–52 |
| Sonic X Collection 1 (8 DVDs) and Collection 2 (4 DVDs) | Discotek Media | November and 6 December 2016 | 1–52, 53–78 |
| Sonic X: The Complete Series (2 Blu-rays, English dub) | Discotek Media | 28 May 2019 | 1–78 (SD, from the 4Kids masters) |
| Sonic X: The Complete Series (Japanese with subtitles) | Discotek Media | 25 April 2023 | 1–78 (remastered, SD) |
The Blu-rays are “SD on Blu-ray”: the English set is taken from 4Kids’ standard-definition tapes, and even the remastered Japanese set is presented in standard definition. For streaming, the complete English dub is free on the Anime! on TMS YouTube channel (checked 6 November 2026).
Sources: Wikipedia (Sonic X; episode list), ANN press releases, Sonic Retro news (September 2016), Blu-ray.com, Crunchyroll News (October 2022). The Game Boy Advance Video date comes from AllGame via Wikipedia; sources disagree on the exact date of Collection 1 (4 or 22 November 2016).
Comics, Books & Games
Comics. Archie Comics launched a Sonic X comic in 2005. Planned as a four-issue run, it was extended to 40 issues because of demand, ending in January 2009 with a crossover into the main comic’s continuity that led into Sonic Universe. Its writers were Ian Flynn and Joe Edkin, with original stories set in the anime’s world, and some were reprinted in Jetix Magazine in the UK, Italy and Poland.
Books. Six Sonic X novels from Grosset & Dunlap (2005–2007) take their titles from Season 3’s first six episodes: Meteor Shower Messenger, Spaceship Blue Typhoon, Aqua Planet, Dr. Eggman Goes to War, Battle at Ice Palace and Desperately Seeking Sonic.
Games. McDonald’s gave away five single-button Sonic X handheld games with Happy Meals in 2003, plus a Big the Cat fishing game the following year. In 2007 LeapFrog released a Sonic X maths game for its Leapster handheld, in which Sonic and Chris rescue Tails, Amy and Knuckles across Station Square, Angel Island and Eggman’s base – see Luke’s Leapster box art and screenshots. Score Entertainment also made a Sonic X collectible card game in 2005.
Sources: Wikipedia’s Sonic X article, citing CBR, Grosset & Dunlap, Games Asylum, LeapFrog’s 2007 press release and KidzWorld.
Reception & Legacy
Reviews were mixed. Tim Jones of THEM Anime gave it two stars out of five, calling Chris dull, criticising the English voices and the CGI homing attack, but praising the first episode’s humour, the backgrounds and the Japanese themes. GamesRadar was unkind about the human characters but conceded that the theme song suited Sonic. Famitsu was enthusiastic before the premiere, praising how well the games’ speed carried over to animation.
Later verdicts have been warmer. Writing for Nintendo Life in 2013, Gaz Plant singled out the retellings of the game stories and the Chaotix as comedy relief, called it a surprisingly touching show with an emotional finale, and likened Season 3’s space voyage to Star Trek. Destructoid laid much of the criticism at the door of the localisation rather than the show itself.
Commercially it was a success. Sonic X regularly topped its time slot in the US and France, and by 2007 it was TMS Entertainment’s best-selling anime outside Japan, even though Season 3 never aired there at the time. Its English cast became the voice of the games for half a decade.
Sources: THEM Anime, GamesRadar, Famitsu, Nintendo Life, Destructoid (Wayback copies), Roland Kelts’ Japanamerica and Jetix Europe’s FY2004 results, as cited by Wikipedia.
All 78 Episodes
The complete list from Luke’s original Sonic X page, updated: English (4Kids) title, the Japanese title in translation, and the first air dates in Japan and the US. Japanese dates for episodes 53–78 are their 2020 Kids Station broadcasts.
Season 1 (episodes 1–26)
| # | English title (4Kids) | Japanese title | Japan | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chaos Control Freaks | “Supersonic Hero Appears!” 超音速ヒーロー登場！ | 6 Apr 2003 | 23 Aug 2003 |
| 2 | Sonic to the Rescue | “Infiltrate! Area 99” 潜入！エリア９９ | 13 Apr 2003 | 13 Sep 2003 |
| 3 | Missile Wrist Rampage | “Dr. Eggman’s Ambition” Ｄｒ．エッグマンの野望 | 20 Apr 2003 | 20 Sep 2003 |
| 4 | Chaos Emerald Chaos | “Get the Chaos Emerald!” カオスエメラルドを手に入れろ！ | 27 Apr 2003 | 27 Sep 2003 |
| 5 | Cracking Knuckles | “Clash!! Sonic vs Knuckles” 激突！！ソニックｖｓナックルズ | 4 May 2003 | 4 Oct 2003 |
| 6 | Techno-Teacher | “Fierce Battle! School Wars” 熱戦！スクール・ウォーズ | 11 May 2003 | 11 Oct 2003 |
| 7 | Party Hardly | “Giant Free-for-All! Chris’ House Party” 大混戦！クリスのホームパーティ | 18 May 2003 | 18 Oct 2003 |
| 8 | Satellite Swindle | “Emergency Launch! X-Tornado” 緊急発進！Ｘトルネード | 25 May 2003 | 25 Oct 2003 |
| 9 | The Last Resort | “Amy on the Beach” 渚のエミー | 1 Jun 2003 | 1 Nov 2003 |
| 10 | Unfair Ball | “Fierce Fight! Sonic Baseball Team” 激闘！ソニック野球軍 | 8 Jun 2003 | 8 Nov 2003 |
| 11 | Fly Spy | “The Beautiful and Mysterious Thief Rouge” 美しき怪盗ルージュ | 15 Jun 2003 | 15 Nov 2003 |
| 12 | Beating Eggman, Part 1 | “Eggman’s All-Out Base Attack! (Part One)” エッグマン基地 総攻撃！（前編） | 22 Jun 2003 | 22 Nov 2003 |
| 13 | Beating Eggman, Part 2 | “Eggman’s All-Out Base Attack! (Part Two)” エッグマン基地 総攻撃！（後編） | 29 Jun 2003 | 29 Nov 2003 |
| 14 | That’s What Friends Are For | “Chase the Hero Sonic!” 英雄ソニックを追え！ | 6 Jul 2003 | 6 Dec 2003 |
| 15 | Skirmish in the Sky | “Raiding Egg Fort the Flying Fortress!” 移動要塞エッグフォート襲来！ | 13 Jul 2003 | 13 Dec 2003 |
| 16 | Depths of Danger | “Aim for It! The Sunken Ship in the Southern Sea” 目指せ！南海の沈没船 | 20 Jul 2003 | 17 Jan 2004 |
| 17 | The Adventures of Knuckles and Hawk | “Knuckles! Clenched Fists of Anger” ナックルズ！怒りの鉄拳 | 27 Jul 2003 | 24 Jan 2004 |
| 18 | The Dam Scam | “Huge Shoot-out on the Savanna!” サバンナの大決闘！ | 3 Aug 2003 | 31 Jan 2004 |
| 19 | Sonic’s Scream Test | “The Ghost of King Boom Boo in the Old Castle” 古城の亡霊キングブーブ | 10 Aug 2003 | 7 Feb 2004 |
| 20 | Cruise Blues | “Departure! Egg Fort II” 出撃！エッグフォートⅡ | 17 Aug 2003 | 14 Feb 2004 |
| 21 | Fast Friends | “Speed Match! Sonic vs Sam” スピード勝負！ソニックｖｓサム | 24 Aug 2003 | 21 Feb 2004 |
| 22 | Little Chao Lost | “Summer Vacation Diary – Chao Observation” 夏休み・チャオ〜な観察日記 | 31 Aug 2003 | 28 Feb 2004 |
| 23 | Emerald Anniversary | “Mayhem! 6 Chaos Emeralds” 大混乱！６カオスエメラルド | 7 Sep 2003 | 6 Mar 2004 |
| 24 | How to Catch a Hedgehog | “Wild Sonic! Strategic Capture Operation” 暴走ソニック！捕獲大作戦 | 14 Sep 2003 | 13 Mar 2004 |
| 25 | A Dastardly Deed | “The Last Chaos Emerald” 最後のカオスエメラルド | 21 Sep 2003 | 20 Mar 2004 |
| 26 | Countdown to Chaos | “Birth! Super Sonic” 誕生！スーパーソニック | 28 Sep 2003 | 27 Mar 2004 |
Season 2 (episodes 27–52)
| # | English title (4Kids) | Japanese title | Japan | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | Pure Chaos | “The Beginning of Disaster” 災いのはじまり | 5 Oct 2003 | 18 Sep 2004 |
| 28 | A Chaotic Day | “Chaos the Mysterious Creature” 謎の生命体カオス | 12 Oct 2003 | 25 Sep 2004 |
| 29 | A Robot Rebels | “Amy in Distress” 囚われのエミー | 19 Oct 2003 | 2 Oct 2004 |
| 30 | Heads Up, Tails! | “The Egg Carrier Battle” エッグキャリアの戦い | 26 Oct 2003 | 9 Oct 2004 |
| 31 | Revenge of the Robot | “Gamma the Wanderer” さすらいのガンマ | 2 Nov 2003 | 16 Oct 2004 |
| 32 | Flood Fight | “The Scream of Perfect Chaos” パーフェクトカオスの叫び | 9 Nov 2003 | 23 Oct 2004 |
| 33 | Project: Shadow | “The Mystery of Project Shadow” プロジェクトシャドウの謎 | 16 Nov 2003 | 30 Oct 2004 |
| 34 | Shadow Knows | “Fugitive Sonic” 逃亡者ソニック | 23 Nov 2003 | 6 Nov 2004 |
| 35 | Sonic’s Big Break | “Escape from Prison Island” プリズンアイランドからの脱出 | 30 Nov 2003 | 13 Nov 2004 |
| 36 | Shadow World | “The Threat from Outer Space” 宇宙からの脅迫 | 7 Dec 2003 | 20 Nov 2004 |
| 37 | Robotnik’s Revenge | “The Space Colony ARK Battle” スペースコロニーアークの戦い | 14 Dec 2003 | 27 Nov 2004 |
| 38 | Showdown in Space | “Maria’s Wish, Everyone’s Wish” マリアの願い、みんなの願い | 21 Dec 2003 | 4 Dec 2004 |
| 39 | Defective Detectives | “Chaotix Detective Agency” カオティクス探偵事務所 | 28 Dec 2003 | 11 Dec 2004 |
| 40 | Sunblock Solution | “Eggman Corporation” エッグマン株式会社 | 4 Jan 2004 | 18 Dec 2004 |
| 41 | Eggman for President | “We Can See the Light!!” 光をわれらに！！ | 11 Jan 2004 | 22 Jan 2005 |
| 42 | A Date to Forget | “Amy’s Love Escape Journey!?” エミー愛の逃避行！？ | 18 Jan 2004 | 29 Jan 2005 |
| 43 | Mean Machines | “Huge Home Electronics Panic!” 家電大パニック！！ | 25 Jan 2004 | 5 Feb 2005 |
| 44 | Sewer Search | “The Ridiculous Epic Spy Battle” おかしなおかしなスパイ大作戦 | 1 Feb 2004 | 12 Feb 2005 |
| 45 | Prize Fights | “Sonic Battle – Face Off!!” ソニックバトル開催！！ | 8 Feb 2004 | 19 Feb 2005 |
| 46 | A Wild Win | “Sonic Battle – Finale!!” ソニックバトル決勝！！ | 15 Feb 2004 | 26 Feb 2005 |
| 47 | Map of Mayhem | “Big Decisive Battle on Latitude 0!!” 緯度０大決戦！！ | 22 Feb 2004 | 5 Mar 2005 |
| 48 | The Volcanic Venture | “Sonic Versus the Monster from Underground” ソニック対地底怪獣 | 29 Feb 2004 | 12 Mar 2005 |
| 49 | The Beginning of the End | “The Day the World Stood Still” 世界が静止する日 | 7 Mar 2004 | 12 Mar 2005 |
| 50 | Running Out of Time | “Morning of Farewells” 別れの朝 | 14 Mar 2004 | 19 Mar 2005 |
| 51 | Friends ‘Till the End | “Chris’ Long Journey” クリスの長い旅 | 21 Mar 2004 | 19 Mar 2005 |
| 52 | A New Start | “Memories of the Wind” 風の思い出 | 28 Mar 2004 | 26 Mar 2005 |
Season 3 (episodes 53–78)
| # | English title (4Kids) | Japanese title | Japan | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | A Cosmic Call | “The Messenger from a Meteor Shower” 流星雨の使者 | 25 Mar 2020 | 10 Sep 2005 |
| 54 | Cosmic Crisis | “The Spaceship Blue Typhoon” 宇宙船ブルータイフーン号 | 26 Mar 2020 | 17 Sep 2005 |
| 55 | H2 Whoa | “The Water Planet Hydo” 水の惑星ハイドー | 27 Mar 2020 | 24 Sep 2005 |
| 56 | An Enemy in Need | “Dr. Eggman Joins the War!” Ｄｒ．エッグマン参戦！ | 31 Mar 2020 | 1 Oct 2005 |
| 57 | A Chilling Discovery | “The Battle on the Ice Palace” アイスパレスの戦い | 1 Apr 2020 | 8 Oct 2005 |
| 58 | Desperately Seeking Sonic | “The Maidens’ Jungle Trap” 乙女のジャングルトラップ | 2 Apr 2020 | 15 Oct 2005 |
| 59 | Galactic Gumshoes | “Go into Space, Chaotix” カオティクス、宇宙へ行く | 3 Apr 2020 | 22 Oct 2005 |
| 60 | Trick Sand | “Shadow Rebirth” シャドウ・リバース | 6 Apr 2020 | 29 Oct 2005 |
| 61 | Ship of Doom | “Metarex Battleship Attack!” メタレックス戦艦襲来！ | 7 Apr 2020 | 5 Nov 2005 |
| 62 | An Underground Odyssey | “Secret of the Underground Valley” 地下渓谷の秘密 | 8 Apr 2020 | 12 Nov 2005 |
| 63 | Station Break-In | “Space Fortress Metal Plant” 宇宙要塞メタルプラント | 9 Apr 2020 | 19 Nov 2005 |
| 64 | A Metarex Melee | “Clash! Sonic vs Shadow” 激突！ソニックｖｓシャドウ | 10 Apr 2020 | 26 Nov 2005 |
| 65 | Mission: Match-Up | “The Chaotix’s Big Shocking Love-Love Mission” カオティクス電撃ラブラブ大作戦 | 13 Apr 2020 | 3 Dec 2005 |
| 66 | Clash in the Cloister | “Crossing the Galaxy Corridor!” 銀河回廊をわたれ！ | 14 Apr 2020 | 4 Feb 2006 |
| 67 | Testing Time | “Black Trap” ブラック・トラップ | 15 Apr 2020 | 11 Feb 2006 |
| 68 | A Revolutionary Tale | “On a Destroyed Planet” こわれた星の上で | 16 Apr 2020 | 18 Feb 2006 |
| 69 | The Planet of Misfortune | “Please Marmolin!” お願いマルモリン！ | 17 Apr 2020 | 25 Feb 2006 |
| 70 | Terror on the Typhoon | “The Eggman Fleet Appears!” エッグマン艦隊現る！ | 20 Apr 2020 | 4 Mar 2006 |
| 71 | Hedgehog Hunt | “Cafe Chaotix” カフェ・カオティクス | 21 Apr 2020 | 11 Mar 2006 |
| 72 | Zelkova Strikes Back | “The True Form of the Metarex!?” メタレックスの正体！？ | 22 Apr 2020 | 18 Mar 2006 |
| 73 | The Cosmo Conspiracy | “Assassin Shadow!” 暗殺者シャドウ！ | 23 Apr 2020 | 1 Apr 2006 |
| 74 | Eye Spy | “Lost Planet” ロスト・プラネット | 24 Apr 2020 | 8 Apr 2006 |
| 75 | Agent of Mischief | “The Day of the Plantations” 森化の日 | 27 Apr 2020 | 15 Apr 2006 |
| 76 | The Light in the Darkness | “Showdown! Dark Oak” 決戦！ダーク・オーク | 28 Apr 2020 | 22 Apr 2006 |
| 77 | A Fearless Friend | “I Can Do It for Your Sake” 君のためにできること | 29 Apr 2020 | 29 Apr 2006 |
| 78 | So Long Sonic | “The Place Where Planets Are Born” 星の生まれるところ | 30 Apr 2020 | 6 May 2006 |
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources in November 2026. Where they disagree we say so.
- Luke’s original Sonic X page, Sonic Scene (2017; Joomla article 470).
- Wikipedia: Sonic X and List of Sonic X episodes, with the sources they cite.
- Anime News Network encyclopedia: Sonic X – casts and staff.
- Sonic Wiki Zone: Sonic X – character art, title cards and screenshots; “So Long Sonic” and “Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic X)” for the finale’s Japanese and English endings.
- THEM Anime review (Wayback copy).
- Destructoid: “Watch Sonic X on Hulu this Easter” (Wayback copy).
- Anime Boredom: Michael Haigney interview (Wayback copy).
- TSSZ News: Mike Pollock interview and Shadow of a Hedgehog (Planet Dreamcast): “An Interview with Mike Pollock”, 11 November 2003 (Wayback copies).
- The Next Level: World Hobby Fair 2003 (Wayback copy).
- GameSpot: Sega to begin major Sonic promotion and 1UP: Afterthoughts – Sonic Heroes (Wayback copies).
- Nintendo Life: A Supersonic History of Sonic Cartoons (2013, Wayback copy).
- GamesRadar: The absolute worst Sonic moments (Wayback copy).
- Jetix Europe: results for the year ended 30 September 2004 (Wayback copy).
- Digital Spy: Fox Kids Europe adds three new shows (Wayback copy).
- ANN: 4Kids assets deal, June 2012, ANN: Discotek licenses Sonic X, April 2015, ANN: TMS 60th anniversary streams, August 2024 (Wayback copies).
- ANN press release: Project Shadow on DVD and AWN: 4Kids June 2004 releases (Wayback copies).
- Sonic Retro news: Discotek update, September 2016, Blu-ray.com and Crunchyroll News, October 2022 (Wayback copies).
- advanced-television.com: FilmRise acquires TMS titles (2021, Wayback copy).
- CBR: Archie launches new Sonic X series (Wayback copy).
- ComicBook.com: “You Can Stream This Classic Sonic Anime for Free” (April 2025, Wayback copy).
- Anime! on TMS Official Channel (YouTube) – official English episodes, checked 6 November 2026.