Considering just how competitive and cocky Sonic can often be, it's no wonder why he's ended up forging so many rivalries over his many adventures, but he's not the only one who's been part of a fiery feud or two. In fact, there are plenty of intense rivalries that have been showcased throughout the series, and though this is usually just because two characters don't get along or simply want to prove who's the strongest, other times, it can be a lot more personal and a little more complicated than it initially seems on the surface.

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Of course, considering just how long the Sonic franchise has been around, some of these characters have learned to move on from these feuds, and have even made peace with their rivals, but this hasn't been the case for some of the more stubborn characters. With that being said, here are some of the most well-known Sonic rivalries that have been a joy to watch in action over the years.

7 E-123 Omega & Eggman

Omega Dedicates Himself To Hunting Down Eggman After His Master Discarded Him

It's not often that one of Eggman's lethal robots ends up actually turning on its own master, but in the case of E-123 Omega, he decided that the doctor deserved to be punished for what he ended up doing to his companion. As the strongest and most dangerous robot in the E-100 series, Omega felt that he would be destined for great things and may even get to be on the front lines to try and apprehend Sonic, but instead, he was shut down and sealed in an abandoned base to act as a guardian to Shadow, who had then been sealed in a stasis capsule.

After he was accidentally re-activated by Rouge the Bat, Omega quickly realized that his immense power had been completely wasted, and as a result, he would go on to swear vengeance against the man who treated him like a fool. Anytime Omega shows up in a game, he's always talking about how he can't wait to catch up to Eggman, resulting in the two having a pretty personal feud that hasn't seemed to have slowed down one bit since it started in Sonic Heroes.

6 Sonic & Jet

Jet Might Be The Only Character Capable Of Matching Sonic's Cockiness

Though he only shows up in the Sonic Riders spin-off series of games, Jet makes it clear right from the get-go that he's not exactly interested in getting to know Sonic and the gang on a personal level. Instead, the outgoing leader of the Babylon Rogues is only concerned with earning as much money as possible from his races, and if that means playing dirty, then so be it. Sonic may be known for being pretty cocky now and again, but Jet takes this to a whole new level, constantly speaking highly of himself and always trying to get into the head of Sonic by hurling insults his way every chance that he gets.

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Despite knowing that Sonic was a fast and experienced racer from the moment he set eyes on him, Jet only really started taking him seriously when Sonic managed to catch up to him in the last race of the World Grand Prix. Not someone to be outdone by a rival, Jet decided to cheat his way to victory, making their fearsome rivalry even more personal as a result. They did eventually start to respect one another after the events of Sonic Riders, but considering how competitive the two are, there's no doubt that they'll revert into rivals whenever they hop back onto their Extreme Gear hoverboards.

5 Tails & Wave

Tails And Wave Are In Constant Competition To See Who's The Smarter Of The Two

Tails has always been known as being the tech-savvy mechanic of Sonic's group throughout the games, but the plucky young fox comes to meet his match when he encounters Wave, a technician who excels at creating and modifying Extreme Gear boards. While it's pretty obvious that Wave is secretly quite impressed with Tails' expertise as a mechanic, she hides this admiration by mocking him, calling him an "Amateur" and even giving him the nickname of "Shrimp" to try and belittle him even more.

Needless to say, these backhanded comments easily get under Tail's skin and encourage him to prove his worth on the racetrack where he can demonstrate just how much faster his board is than his brand-new rival. What makes this rivalry so much fun to watch is the fact that, although Wave is most likely less tech-aware than Tails, she still knows exactly how to press his buttons, resulting in a comical but also quite passionate competitive feud being shared between the two.

4 Sonic & Metal Sonic

Designed To Imitate Sonic In Nearly Every Way, Metal Sonic Is One Of The Blue Blur's Most Dangerous Rivals

After inevitably failing to take down Sonic on numerous occasions, Eggman decided that the best way to try and apprehend him was to create an exact copy of the Blue Blur, which would possess all the same abilities and techniques as its counterpart. This led to the development of Metal Sonic, one of Sonic's most dangerous enemies who relentlessly hunts down the hedgehog time and time again, even after it's been beaten. Usually, Sonic can use his immense speed to run circles around his opponents, but in the case of Metal Sonic, who is just as fast as his rival, this isn't an option, resulting in some of the series' most memorable and intense boss fights.

Though they both look nearly identical, the way these two characters view the world couldn't be any more different. While Metal Sonic is bound to his strict rule of taking down Sonic, no matter who or what gets in his way, Sonic lives a free life where he's able to forge his own adventure, without being tied down to any set of restrictions. It's a fascinating rivalry that has spanned many years, with Metal Sonic still making regular appearances in the games to this very day.

3 Knuckles & Rouge

Knuckles And Rouge Have A Comical Rivalry That Stems From Knuckle's Dedication To Protecting The Master Emerald

Knuckles and Rouge are complete opposites, so it's no wonder why they would almost immediately become rivals upon first meeting. While Knuckles is a loyal echidna who's dedicated to protecting the Master Emerald, which has been watched over by the last survivors of the Knuckles clan for over three millennia, Rouge is simply a no-good thief who simply wants to get her hands on anything that looks like it might be worth a good sum. As a result, Knuckles makes it very clear on numerous occasions throughout the series that he doesn't trust Rouge, but because fate always seems to bring them together, they have sometimes begrudgingly teamed up to achieve the same goal, such as throughout Sonic Adventure 2.

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Even after the events of Sonic Adventures 2 in games like Sonic Heroes, Rouge still teases Knuckles by hinting that she may have set her eyes on the emerald, even though this could well be a big fat lie. After years of back and forth between the two, their relationship gradually started to ease as Rouge began to respect Knuckles and his determination to protect the emerald, causing her to seemingly give up her chase, for now at least.

2 Sonic & Shadow

Though They Have Teamed Up On Numerous Occasions, Sonic And Shadow Are Still Always Trying To Out-Do One Another

The Ultimate Life Form, commonly known as Shadow, may not know too much about his past or origins, but one thing he's very clear on is that Sonic, the outgoing and optimistic version of himself, is without a doubt his sworn rival. The two may have started their long-standing rivalry back during the events of Sonic Adventure 2, but ever since, they've always been trying to outdo one another, even when they're forced to work together to take down a common foe.

Since Shadow's reformation, he's gradually formed a mutual respect for Sonic, but that doesn't mean that he won't still willingly turn on him if Sonic ever steps out of line. One big reason why Sonic and Shadow's rivalry has managed to remain so wildly popular over all these years is due to how the two of them are virtually identical in their powers, which has resulted in some of the most epic battles and team-ups ever seen in the series.

1 Sonic & Knuckles

Sonic And Knuckles Will Always Find A Way To Butt Heads, But This Is Just A Core Part Of Their Brotherly Bond

When it comes to Sonic's most recognizable rivals, Knuckles stands out as being one of the only ones who isn't comparable to Sonic in any way. He doesn't look like Sonic, nor can he keep up with the blue hedgehog on foot, and this means that the reason they even started going head-to-head is because of the simple fact that they've been around one another for so long, with it becoming a core part of their brotherly bond. Sure, they may have got off on the wrong foot when Knuckles accused Sonic of being a thief in Sonic 3, but over time, Knuckles comes to recognize that Sonic doesn't have bad intentions, and is always doing what he can to save those around him.

With that being said, Sonic loves nothing more than teasing Knuckles about their past confrontations as a way to demonstrate just how far they've come over the years. While some rivalries can be left out of the spotlight for some games, Sonic and Knuckles are always butting heads in one way or another whenever they can be seen together, whether it's part of a board game in Sonic and the Black Knight, or simply racing one another in Sonic Frontiers.

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