All Easter Eggs and references in ‘Knuckles,’ explained

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Paramount Plus’ Knuckles.

Knuckles is a delightful spinoff of Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog movies. But, surprisingly, the series isn’t wall-to-wall Easter Eggs and references. 

Instead of betting on nostalgia and video game nods to grab Sonic fans’ attention, Knuckles puts all its creative energy into telling a wacky story with a lot of heart. As such, Easter Eggs pop up sporadically, never stealing the spotlight from the series’ main characters. Nevertheless, there are some clever references to the Sonic video game franchise and pop culture in general. Here’s every Easter Egg and reference we spotted in Knuckles’ first (and hopefully not last) season.

Episode 1: The Warrior

• The story of Knuckles begins in Green Hills, a small Montana town that serves as headquarters for Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) and his friends. The city has already appeared in both Sonic the Hedgehog movies. Still, for those needing a reminder, “Green Hill Zone” is the first level in 1991’s Sonic the Hedgehog game, the blue speedster’s first adventure.
• At the start of Episode 1 of Knuckles, we watch as the red echidna (voiced by Idris Elba) runs through an obstacle course. At the end of the course, Knuckles taps a sign, which spins a few times before showing its backside. Knuckles face is painted on the back of the sign. The scene is a nod to the classic Sonic the Hedgehog video games, where you turn a sign with your face at the end of every level, precisely like Knuckles does in the obstacle course.

• During Knuckles’ fight against the construction workers, he mistakes them for trespassers, and the furry warrior digs himself into the ground to surprise his enemies. In the games, the ability to dig was first introduced in Sonic Adventures, where Knuckles could collect the Shovel Claws to find treasures and hidden passages on the ground. Because of that, digging became an ability associated with the character.
• When Sonic tries to share his hobbies with Knuckles, he shows him VR equipment, underlining how video games “came a long way since the 1990s.” That’s an obvious nod to the first Sonic the Hedgehog game, released in 1991 for the Mega Drive.
• G.U.N. is back for the Knuckles spinoff after playing a significant role in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The Guardian Units of Nations is an international government organization responsible for surveilling alien activity and protecting humanity from intergalactic threats. G.U.N. first appeared in 2001’s Sonic Adventures 2.

• The bowling alley that becomes the stage for the first episode’s big fight is named Neon Nightz. No “Neon Night Zone” level exists in any official Sonic game. However, there is a “Neon Palace Zone” in Sonic Rivals 2 and a “Casino Night Zone” in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The bowling alley name could be a mash-up of these two different levels. Or it could be an homage to a fan-made game named Sonic Axiom, which indeed has a “Neon Night Zone.”

Episode 2: Don’t Ever Say I Wasn’t There For You

• The resort where the villains trap Knuckles is called Ice Cap Ski Resort. That refers to the “Ice Cap Zone” level in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
• When Wade Whipple (Adam Pally) has a flashback to his time studying to become a cop, we learn that he got all his police knowledge from movies. In the flashback, Wade is watching 1995’s Bad Boys, starring Martin Lawrence and Will Smith.
• Knuckles’ ability to glide was used first in Sonic & Knuckles. Since then, gliding has become a signature move of the red echidna. If you are wondering how Knuckles can glide, the official explanation is that he can hold pockets of air under his dreadlocks to break his fall.

• While Wade and Knuckles are gliding, they pass in front of the full moon. The scene nods to Steven Spielberg’s E.T., which introduced the wildly famous shot of children riding flying bikes.

Episode 3: The Shabbat Dinner

• The third episode of Knuckles takes us to Wade’s childhood bedroom. The walls are covered with posters from 1990s movies and TV shows, which Wade introduces to Knuckles as his personal pantheon, the people who inspire him to be who he is. In case you missed any reference, there are posters for Beavis and Butt-Head, Ren & Stimpy, Total Recall, Karate Kid, Robocop, The Addams Familly, The Big Lebowski, Speed, Robin Hood, The Naked Gun 2 ½: The Smell of Fear, and Wayne’s World 2. In addition, Wade’s bed linen is from the 1990s animated series of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
• The movie Mama Whipple (Stockard Channing) is watching with Knuckles in the living room is Pretty Woman, starring Julia Roberts as a sex worker who falls in love with a client. Knuckles does not know why people treat Roberts’ character with disdain in the movie, but Mama Whipple is there to explain people are judgmental and closed-minded. Who had “The Sonic franchise is sex-positive” on their bingo card?

Episode 4: The Flames of Disaster

• During Episode 4’s rock opera sequence — which is a masterpiece of television storytelling, by the way — Wade puts on a Knuckles costume and experiences a fever dream about the Echidna’s past. The sequence makes another nod to Green Hill Zone by having Wade-Knuckles traverse obstacles inspired by the first level in Sonic’s gaming history, wasps enemies included.
• Episode 4 reveals Knuckles fought a demon after the Echidna Clan was slaughtered, and he was forced to wander alone through the galaxy. While the demon in the rock opera remains unnamed, he is most likely a member of the Zeti species. The Zeti are ancient demons determined to conquer Earth, serving as Sonic Lost World‘s main enemies. The creature’s design even resembles Zavok, the leader of the Zeti in the game.
• When Knuckles was introduced, he had sparkle powers similar to Sonic’s. However, in Sonic Adventures 2, the designers decided to give Knuckles’ attacks a twist by adding fire particles to them. Since then, Knuckles has been associated with fire attacks in multiple games, including the successful Sonic Frontiers. The series gives a new origin for Knuckles’ flaming fists, as the warrior won his powers after defeating a mighty demon.

• Before dueling Wade, Jack Sinclair (Julian Barratt) reveals that Hattori Hanzo forged his swords. Hanzo is a legendary Japanese historical figure known for his combat prowess and ninja skills.

Episode 5: Reno, Baby

• The bowling championship of Episode 5 has been graced with the presence of Kevin James. James is known for his stand-up comedy career and for appearing in movies such as Hitch, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, Pixels, and Becky.

Episode 6: What Happens in Reno, Stays in Reno

• Episode 6 finally reveals Knuckles Flames of Disaster, which increases the warrior’s attack power and turns his fists into incandescent weapons.
• At the end of the episode, the bowling championship hosts reveal the competition had another incident involving an alien in 1974. The only difference is that the previous alien wasn’t red. There’s no record in Sonic lore about an alien incident in 1974, but the year has two galactic events in the real world. First, in 1974, we sent the Arecibo message, a radio wave containing basic information about humanity for aliens to find in the cosmos. 1974 was also the year a family found the Betz mystery sphere, a metallic artifact of unknown origins that many believe to be alien. The year 1974 might also be foreshadowing Shadow’s cinematic story. As the post-credits scene in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 reveals, Shadow is kept in a secret facility. So, he might have been captured in 1974.

All six episodes of Knuckles are currently available on Paramount Plus. The next chapter in the cinematic universe is Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which comes to theaters on December 20, 2024.