Sonic Timeline: The Movies and Knuckles Series in Order

The Sonic movie timeline in order is Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022), the Knuckles series (2024), Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024) and then Sonic the Hedgehog 4 (2027). Each story picks up after the one before it, so release order and story order match for everything set in the present day.

1. Sonic the Hedgehog (2020): Sonic is sent to Earth, lives in hiding for ten years in a cave near Green Hills, Montana, and finds a family.
2. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022): eight months later, Sonic and Tails race Robotnik and Knuckles to the Master Emerald.
3. Knuckles (2024, Paramount+): six episodes set between the second and third films.
4. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024): Shadow arrives, with a flashback to 1974.
5. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 (March 19, 2027): the next film, now in post production.

The three films carry a PG certification in the US, UK and Australia, which makes the whole run an easy family pick if you are working out what to put on for a mixed age group. For a plain viewing list that also covers streaming and the order of the series, see our sonic movies in order guide, and for the full lineup see the sonic movies hub.

The timeline begins with sonic the hedgehog 2020, directed by Jeff Fowler, where a young hedgehog is sent to Earth after an attack on his home world. His guardian Longclaw gives him a bag of magic rings and stays behind to hold off the attackers.

Sonic then spends ten years in hiding in a cave near Green Hills, Montana, watching the town and admiring Sheriff Tom Wachowski and his wife Maddie. When a bout of loneliness makes him lose control of his speed, the resulting power outage brings in Dr. Robotnik, played by Jim Carrey. Sonic and Tom set off on a road trip to San Francisco to recover the lost rings, and along the way Robotnik learns that Sonic's quills can power his machines.

The story ends with Sonic sending Robotnik to a faraway mushroom planet, and with Tom and Maddie giving up their San Francisco move to stay in Green Hills and welcome Sonic into their family. A mid credits scene shows Tails arriving through a ring portal, and Robotnik stranded and plotting his return. That is the foundation for everything after it.

The second chapter, sonic 2 movie, also directed by Jeff Fowler, takes place eight months after Sonic sent Robotnik to the Mushroom Planet. Robotnik escapes and teams up with Knuckles the Echidna, who is hunting for the Master Emerald, while Sonic is now settled on Earth and Tails comes along to help him.

The middle of the film moves from an ambush at a wedding involving G.U.N. to an avalanche, and then to Robotnik betraying Knuckles and leaving both him and Sonic to drown. Tails arrives in a biplane to rescue them. The finale in Green Hills has Robotnik build a giant robot, and during the fight the Master Emerald breaks into seven Chaos Emeralds, which Sonic uses to become Super Sonic. Robotnik goes down with his machine, and Knuckles repairs the Master Emerald, after which he, Sonic and Tails promise to protect it together.

The mid credits scene is the timeline's hinge: Agent Stone overhears G.U.N. discussing a secret facility linked to Project Shadow, and Shadow appears briefly in live action in a non speaking cameo. That scene sets up a later film.

The Knuckles series fits between Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3, so you watch it after the second film and before the third. It premiered on Paramount+ on April 26, 2024, with all six episodes available at once, and it was created by John Whittington and Toby Ascher.

After the events of the second film, Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) lives in Montana, where he works with deputy Wade Whipple, played by Adam Pally, who also appears in the films. Wade's quarrelling family, including Wanda, Wendy and "Pistol" Pete Whipple (played by Edi Patterson, Stockard Channing and Cary Elwes), and a group of agents hired to catch Knuckles all get pulled into the trouble, and Wade ends up training in the ways of the echidna warrior. Christopher Lloyd plays Mac (Pachacamac), the former leader of the Knuckles Clan. Jeff Fowler, who directed the Sonic films, directed the pilot.

Tika Sumpter was reported to reprise Maddie as a guest star. If you only want the films, you can skip the series and go straight to the third film. No renewal for a second season has been announced, and Ascher has only said the team would explore more seasons if they had a strong idea and story.

Sonic the hedgehog 3, directed by Jeff Fowler, opens in 1974 when the alien hedgehog Shadow is taken by G.U.N. and studied by Professor Gerald Robotnik. Shadow befriends Gerald's granddaughter Maria, who dies during an attempted escape, and he is put into suspended animation.

In the present day Shadow is released from a prison facility, and G.U.N. sends Sonic, Tails and Knuckles after him in Tokyo, where he proves more powerful than anything the heroes have faced. Jim Carrey now plays both Ivo Robotnik and Gerald, and Keanu Reeves voices Shadow. The plot builds toward the orbital Eclipse Cannon, which Gerald plans to fire at G.U.N. headquarters in London. Gerald's real aim, it turns out, is to destroy the Earth to avenge Maria.

Sonic uses the Master Emerald to become Super Sonic and fights Shadow, who becomes Super Shadow, before the two agree to stop the cannon together. Gerald dies in the reactor core, the beam cuts into the Moon, and Ivo and Shadow give themselves up to push the failing core away from the planet. Sonic survives and makes up with his friends and family. The film has no post credit scene, so the ending leaves the future of Shadow and the Robotnik family open.

Sonic 4 is the next point on the timeline, and Paramount has set its US release for March 19, 2027. TheWrap reported the date as announced on January 21, 2025, and Dexerto reported that filming began on March 2, 2026. The film is now in post production, and no UK or Australian dates have been published.

It follows Sonic the Hedgehog 3 by release order. One report from December 2025 claimed a delay to December 22, 2027, but it is unconfirmed, because every later source, from March 2026 on, still gives March 19, 2027. For footage and updates, check the sonic 4 trailer page.

Searches for a Sonic timeline mostly land on the video games from Sega, so it helps to say plainly that the movie timeline is a separate and much shorter thing. In my opinion it is easier to follow than a games timeline because it moves forward one film at a time. Terms such as the Classic Era, the Modern Era and Sonic Forces, and characters such as Amy Rose, belong to that games side. If you want the games version, our sonic games page is the place to go.

The films bring in Tails and Shadow through credits scenes: Tails arrives through a ring portal in the mid credits scene of the first film, and Shadow appears in the mid credits scene of the second. Knuckles is different, because he is introduced directly in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 as Robotnik's ally. It could be argued that the best example is Shadow the Hedgehog: the mid credits cameo in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 sets him up, and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 pays him off with a 1974 flashback. That is the closest the series comes to a retcon, because it adds history behind Sonic's world without changing what came before.

So, what should you actually do? Perhaps the simplest advice is to watch in release order, which is also the story order for the present day events. Slot the Knuckles series between the second and third films if you want every beat, and skip it if you only want the films. If you are choosing for children, all three films carry a PG certification, and the sonic characters page will help younger viewers keep track of who is who. Once you are caught up, our sonic movies ranked page gives my verdicts.