Character Chronicle: Tails Doll

Thanks to Hamada for helping with edits.

Miles “Tails” Prower, Sonic the Hedgehog’s stalwart sidekick and an occasional headliner, usually tails his idol on his adventures. When their nemesis, Dr. Eggman, designs his contraptions, he often bases them on local wildlife or Sonic himself. Sometimes, the neerdowell even looks towards the Blue Blur’s social circle for inspiration.

Tails Doll, seen in 1997’s Sonic R (Image: SEGA)

The SEGA Saturn never acquired a proper installment in the company’s flagship series to call its own. It did, however, score Sonic R, a racing spin-off by third-party developer Traveller’s Tales. Countless titles bearing the hedgehog’s mug have released since, though Sonic R hasn’t been forgotten. Not only does it host a memorable soundtrack, it also cursed Sonic‘s world by introducing one of its most bizarre inhabitants…

Tails Doll’s History

Sonic R’s threadbear story dealt with the World Grand Prix, a tournament Eggman entered in pursuit of the seven Chaos Emeralds. Among his ranks was Tails Doll, a newcomer he built as “a last resort” to “catch Sonic unprepared.” According to longtime Sonic Team character designer Kazuyuki Hoshino, the Doll was created by a background artist (who’s since loaned his talents to 2013’s Sonic Lost World) as a shootable “gimmick within the Eggman stage.” When reiterating that factoid, Hoshino clarified the Doll was originally designed for Sonic Adventure, referencing the Final Egg training course E-102 Gamma transversed.

E-102 Gamma Final Egg Sonic Adventure Knuckles Tails doll

Yoshitaka Miura is assumed to be Tails Doll’s creator, given his credits on Sonic R, Adventure, and Lost World. (Image: SEGA)

All of R’s default stages contained five gold tokens; collecting them all in one go while scoring third place or higher rewards players with a race against a hidden challenger, with Tails’ namesake serving as Radical City’s residential rival. Though boasting respectable levitating capabilities, the Doll’s racing potential is let down by its underwhelming stats. Curiously, the Doctor siccing a rag doll after Sonic is reportedly canon; longtime Sonic comic writer Ian Flynn, during his tenure at Archie, received notes from SEGA that affirmed R’s inclusion within the series’ continuity, a claim that hasn’t since been refuted.

Sonic R remains Tails Doll’s biggest appearance, though it’s accrued cameos elsewhere. Nineteen years after introducing the character, Traveller’s Tales’ revisited their prop in LEGO Dimensions, honoring it with two homages: Sonic stumbles upon the discarded doll in the infamous Marble Zone, and he’ll implore Ghostbusters’ Peter Venkman to examine it if they converse. Sonic Mania made an aesthetic call to it with the stylized, explosive Amy miniatures Eggman utilizes in his Gachapandora contraption, too. Tyson Hesse, prior to his days working on the brand officially, included the Doll in his fancomic, and it loomed over Flynn’s serialized Archie series, appearing as a saboteur Eggman dispatched to infiltrate the Freedom Fighters.

Tails’ adversary is a soft plushie whilst the two “cool” heroes in SEGA’s mammalian trifecta inspired more intricate replicas. (Image: SEGA)

So, what’re my thoughts on the Doll?

Unmatched ambition, futuristic technology, and seemingly infinite resources fuel Dr. Eggman’s endeavours, none of which factored into Tails Doll’s creation. The only thing distinguishing it from a nugatory plush is the Doll’s paltry powersource, the ruby protruding from its head. It’s an appreciated accoutrement; red gemstones are said to “boost energy,” it synergizes with the curio’s patchwork “shoes,” and adds flair and mystique to the character’s otherwise simplistic design. Nevertheless, the character’s still an antediluvian toy, starkly contrasting the machines it raced alongside. Eggman harbored enough respect for Sonic and Knuckles to construct cold, high-tech beings in their likenesses, and even the mass-produced Eggrobo units are more imposing, advanced combatants than a stuffed animal. Such a half-hearted effort in engineering a parallel for Tails suggests Eggman didn’t think highly of him, an insinuation the fox laments in the Archie realm. It’s ironic, since he’s a technology-savvy genius on par with the mad scientist – Sonic Adventure 2 even posited the kid as Robotnik’s heroic analog just three years after R’s release.

Game developers sometimes invent new characters to pad out spin-off rosters, a phenomenon that isn’t new and occasionally results in persistent franchise fixtures. Likewise, Tails’ inorganic foil cultivated its own fanbase, albeit for reasons beyond its pitiable debut. Juxtapositions between wholesome, unassuming things and violence can be amusing. Corrupting toys, playthings made for children, through dark magic or demonic possession is an enduring concept, one encapsulated through the Child’s Play knife-wielding villain Chucky. Given the ease of sharing stories through the internet and Sonic’s popularity, it’s unsurprising the Doll’s distinctive, vaguely unnerving facade became a compelling canvas for creepypastas (joining other urban legends rooted in this medium like Sonic.exe and Majora’s Mask victim Ben Drowned). And though the yarns are lackluster, the Doll and supernatural grew so synonymous that Flynn’s portrayal of Tails’ competitor played into its Lovecraftian characterization. Seeing such an element borne out of a fandom embraced by its franchise is weird, startling, yet somehow validating – kind of like when SpongeBob SquarePants incorporated its own infamous creepypasta, except less disturbing.

Confucianism links the color orange with transformation, and the depraved doll underwent a monstrous one in Archie’s universe. (Image: SEGA)

Sonic’s accrued a massive cast over the years, some would argue to its detriment. Several of those characters are unimportant, scoring only a scant few appearances before falling into obscurity. Tails Doll transcended that limbo, carving a cozy niche for itself within Sonic’s iconography. Whereas the rag-wearing Pokémon Mimikyu is sympathetic in its inability to emulate its paragon, Eggman’s rag doll is a comical prop, one well-suited for the Mephistophelian memes it’s woven. The Doll’s master may never assign it another mission, but that’s okay – its spirit lives on.

Congratulations, Tails Doll! Sonic gets Metal Sonic, and Tails gets you!

I originally planned for this to be my Halloween article last year, but my computer broke shortly after I began writing it. Could that be a coincidence…? (Image: SEGA)

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Cart Boy

Cart Boy wants to be the very best, like no one ever was. When the stars align properly, he also writes articles, edits his peers' work, and helps run Source Gaming's social media.

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