Sega Makes Irish The Hedgehog Official Canon

The official Sonic the Hedgehog Twitter had a fun St. Patrick’s Day treat for fans, as they revealed a new character, Irish the Hedgehog, earlier today. The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has inspired a lot of fan content in the years since its initial release. Fans have shown a deep dedication to the franchise’s characters, both real and imaginary, as well as a strong affinity for the speedy blue hedgehog himself. SEGA has developed plenty of games featuring Sonic, from character-packed racing games to timely collaborations with Mario at the Olympics. All of these games have been vital in encouraging fans and their creative endeavors.

Last year, Sonic the Hedgehog‘s official Twitter posted a photo of Jet the Hawk dyed green standing next to a pot of gold, when famous Sonic fan Sean “JackSepticEye” McLoughlin asked about voicing an Irish the Hedgehog character. Other fans immediately took to the idea, and finally, a year later, SEGA has delivered an official in-canon version character.

Irish the Hedgehog’s reveal happened on the company’s official Twitter page (thanks, Polygon) where a video was posted featuring art of the character by Mark Hughes and a short story ostensible being told by Irish himself set to festive music composed by Hyper Potions and Jun Senoue. The new character is a one-off to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day, and is inspired by JackSepticEye and general fan support over the past year. Check out the official reveal of Irish the Hedgehog below:

Sonic the Hedgehog, and the other characters featured in the video game, television, and now-movie franchise, have long been the subject of Sonic fan art and turned into amazing cosplays. So when JackSepticEye brought up the possibility of a new, fun, holiday original character, other fans quickly jumped on the bandwagon and supported the idea.

Irish the Hedgehog’s debut shows SEGA’s commitment to its acknowledgment and love of its fans. SEGA heard what Sonic the Hedgehog fans wanted, and instead of dismissing those requests, the company instead worked to deliver a well-executed holiday post. It’s a small effort, in the grand scheme of things, and a short video featuring a new character doesn’t guarantee anything more will be done with Irish, but SEGA wanted to show fans that they had heard their request. SEGA’s support of Irish the Hedgehog demonstrates that they also support their fans and their creative interpretations of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, including its original, fan-made characters.

Source: Twitter (via Polygon)