Who is Sonic the Hedgehog‘s Official Girlfriend – Princess Sally or Amy Rose?
As a hardcore Sonic the Hedgehog fan since the 90s, one of the most hotly debated topics in the fandom is Sonic‘s love life. After decades of adventures across endless games, shows and comics, two leading ladies have stood out among Sonic‘s potential love interests – the relentless Amy Rose, and the kind princess Sally Acorn.
These two couldn‘t be more different in their approaches to romance. But the question remains – which one (if either) holds the elusive key to Sonic‘s heart? After tons of analysis and evidence gathering across 30+ years of history, I‘m finally ready to weigh in on this timeless debate!
Amy Rose: Sonic‘s Self-Proclaimed Soulmate Since 1993
No discussion of Sonic‘s love life can start without mentioning Amy Rose. This headstrong, hammer-wielding hedgehog has boldly and publicly declared her goal of becoming Sonic‘s girlfriend since crashing onto the scene in 1993‘s Sonic CD.
Back then, Amy was described by the game developers as an "undying admirer" who Sonic rescued and earned the devotion of. Right from the start, her entire character concept was crafted around infatuation with Sonic.
Across games, shows and comics of the 90s and 2000s, Amy‘s relentless chase for Sonic‘s heart became her signature trademark. Who could forget her famously clingy, lovestruck quotes like:
“I‘d be lost without you!”
“We should get married!”
“One day, you‘ll marry me Sonic the Hedgehog!”
Amy rarely misses a chance to shower Sonic with affection or beg him for a date. It‘s gotten to the point where "Amy chasing Sonic" has become an almost meme-level part of the franchise!
So when it comes to desire and initiative in romance, Amy takes the gold medal! Her passions are so fiery that fan polls consistently rank Amy as one of the top 3 most popular Sonic franchise characters behind just Sonic and Tails:
| Character | Overall Franchise Popularity |
|---|---|
| Sonic | 1st |
| Tails | 2nd |
| Amy Rose | 3rd |
However, there are some hints that Sonic might secretly return some of Amy‘s feelings…
Does Sonic Have Hidden Feelings for Amy?
Amy‘s aggressive pursuit of Sonic can be rather suffocating. The blue hedgehog is known for valuing freedom above all else, after all. So he often brushes Amy off and tries escaping all her clingy affection.
However, there are subtle signs underneath suggesting Sonic cares about her more than he usually lets on:
In Sonic Adventure, Sonic is shown quickly noticing Amy‘s absence from Station Square at the start.
In Sonic Unleashed, Sonic quietly sits through Amy gushing about feelings until she notices his discomfort. Other times he firmly draws boundaries, showing this time he didn‘t mind.
As recently as 2022‘s Sonic Frontiers, leaked dialogue shows Sonic reacting with jealousy when Amy calls another guy cute!
Moments like these hint that Sonic may secretly appreciate and even return some of Amy‘s feelings. It seems to be an open secret among Tails, Knuckles and other friends that Sonic has a soft spot for Amy.
Of course, romance will likely never be Sonic‘s top priority. But that doesn‘t mean he‘ll be able run from Amy‘s crush forever! As the most prominent re-occurring female character with an explicitly romantic interest in Sonic, Amy can‘t be counted out as an endgame soulmate.
Princess Sally Acorn: Sonic‘s Alternate Future Wife
Now, Amy Rose may be the most iconic and loud suitor vying for Sonic‘s heart. But she does face some competition from Sonic‘s earliest and longest-running female friend – the alternate future wife herself, Princess Sally Acorn!
Sally entered the Sonic multiverse back in the early 90s cartoon Sonic SatAM portraying her as the princess heir to the kingdom Sonic fights for. Whereas Amy Rose only exists in zones inspired explicitly by the games, Sally was created as an original character for these early TV series and comics intended to give Sonic more complex stories and relationships.
In SatAM, Sally leads the "Freedom Fighters" rebel group against Dr. Robotnik alongside Sonic, with the two forming a very close bond. Sally plays the level-headed yin balancing out Sonic‘s high-speed yang. They seem to operate flawlessly in sync.
Now, the main series mostly kept Sonic and Sally‘s relationship platonic. But once alternate future storylines came into play – suddenly wedding bells were ringing!
Multiple potential futures depicted Sonic settling down with Sally as Queen of Mobius, having kids and basically becoming royal husband & wife power couple royalty:
| Storyline | Details |
|---|---|
| Mobian: X Years Later (1996 Comic) | Sonic becomes King, marries Sally and has kids Sonia and Manic |
| 25 Years Later (2009 Comic) | Sonic seen ruling New Mobotropolis with Sally, unclear if married |
| Wayne‘s World (2020 Comic) | Sally calls Sonic her boyfriend outright, romance clearly blooming before reboot |
So across multiple future timelines, Sally has been cemented clearly as THE woman for Sonic in domestic bliss scenarios. Their natural chemistry and shared leadership in earlier Freedom Fighters adventures also can‘t be ignored.
So even though Sally sat out of main continuity for awhile, her sudden return to the modern timeline in the 2020 IDW comics clearly re-ignited plans for her banner relationship role alongside Sonic!
Sally vs Amy: Contrasting Romance Strategies for Sonic
Now with plenty of history behind both candidates covered, I think the differences between Sally and Amy‘s approaches to winning Sonic are key:
Amy Rose
- Publicly vocal about her burning crush, showering Sonic with very visible affection
- Aggressive pursuer, initiating most contact moments and romantic gestures
- Physically demonstrative, often seen hugging or trying to kiss Sonic spontaneously
- Fun-loving energy, complementing Sonic‘s own high-adrenaline personality
Princess Sally
- Subtly affectionate demeanor around Sonic in private moments
- Patient build-up, letting deeper relationship grow naturally over years
- Verbally engaging, bonding with Sonic through long conversations
- Cool-headed contrast to Sonic‘s recklessness, keeping him grounded
As we can see, Amy employs public spectacle and lively passion to advertise her goals, whereas Sally uses incremental bonding and stable chemistry. These differences actually work to each female‘s advantages in wooing the introverted speedster hedgehog!
So when all is said and done – it seems both leading ladies wield compelling cases for winning over Sonic‘s heart using their unique approaches. All we can do is wait and see whether our lovable blue hero will let his guard down.
But with Amy‘s rising prominence lately and Sally‘s entire recent comic return to rekindle their old chemistry – the race is clearly on ladies! Let the best female win!
After breaking down 30 years of romantic history along with hints of Sonic‘s own private feelings – I still can‘t render a definitive verdict here! Both Amy Rose and Sally Acorn wield compelling cases strengthened by their latest portrayals and story hints.
As of 2023, Sonic remains his usual footing – lightheartedly brushing off public romance while keeping whatever private emotions he has carefully guarded. But the rising jealous dialogue, time travel reunions and clearer picture being painted around these two special ladies at least confirms one thing…
…Out of all his potential love interests, Princess Sally Acorn and Amy Rose clearly lead the pack by miles when it comes to winning the key to Sonic the Hedgehog‘s heart! The battle wages on!
Who do YOU think Sonic should end up with – Sally or Amy? Let the debate rage on in the comments!
