‘Sonic the Hedgehog 4’ Needs To Downplay the Worst Aspect of Kristen Bell’s Amy Rose

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 has officially confirmed the voice of Amy Rose for the upcoming sequel, and it’s a picture-perfect choice with actress Kristen Bell, the star of Veronica Mars, Frozen, and The Good Place. The character of Amy Rose, the Sonic franchise's pink female hedgehog, first appeared in the mid-credits scene for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, saving Sonic from a group of Metal Sonics who attacked the Blue Blur. Now that we know who's voicing Amy Rose, it will be crucial for Sonic the Hedgehog 4 not to overdo it with one of the character’s more prominent attributes for the movie to be a success.

Amy Rose Started as a Sonic-Obsessed Fan-Girl

Amy Rose makes her first video game appearance in the 1993 game, Sonic CD. She's introduced as a Sonic-obsessed character who believes she was destined to meet and fall in love with him. It's a recurring trait of Amy that she is madly in love with Sonic, while Sonic fails to return her affection. It's present in both the game versions and animated adaptations of the character, including animated shows like Sonic X and Sonic Boom. Sonic Boom even plays up Amy's crush on Sonic as bordering on the obsessive, as she even owns a life-size Sonic doll for "non-creepy reasons."

Amy's often one-sided, unrequited romantic attraction for Sonic has been a major ongoing part of her character throughout her history, just as Knuckles is an echidna warrior who wants to protect the Chaos Emerald and loves grapes, Sonic is a mischievous hedgehog with an attitude who loves chili dogs, and Tails is an inventor and engineer. It's Amy's gimmick. However, to translate Amy to the big-screen live-action format, the character will need to become something more.

Amy Rose's Character Needs To Evolve in 'Sonic the Hedgehog 4'

In adapting Amy Rose for the big screen, it will be important to evolve her character beyond her early video game roots. She will need to be developed beyond being a Sonic fan-girl who sometimes displays stalker-type behavior, even if it's done for comic relief, like in Sonic Boom. In presenting Amy to a broader audience, it will be crucial to present her as a fully-formed character, with a robust character arc, and not just as the pink girl version of Sonic who is overwhelmingly obsessed with him.

A romantic subplot or attraction between Sonic and Amy might work, but Amy needs more layers to allow the character to stand on her own so that other moviegoers will grow to love and appreciate her. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 also found success in strongly developing the characters of Knuckles and Shadow (Keanu Reeves), who start as adversaries to Sonic but eventually come to realize the errors of their ways and show personal growth. Knuckles eventually forms a bond with Sonic and Tails, creating an unbreakable friendship. Shadow eventually realizes destroying the world dishonors Maria's memory. The characters grow to become more than just their well-known tropes.

Likewise, Amy might go on a journey where she realizes that she can become more than just "Sonic's girlfriend" and become a hero as well. Another idea that would also be amusing is if Sonic 4 attempts to invert the trope by having Sonic as romantically interested in Amy, but she’s the one who rebuffs him, which would amusingly switch up their character dynamic.

Amy's Character Eventually Grows Beyond Her Crush for Sonic

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 should also reference how Amy's character has grown beyond her crush for Sonic in her more recent game and comic appearances. Amy's more recent media appearances still maintain her love for Sonic, but there's more to her character beyond that. She's also proven to be a strong fighter and ally against Doctor Eggman. For example, the 2017 video game Sonic Forces depicts Amy as a strong and proactive member of the resistance against Doctor Eggman's tyrannical empire after he defeats Sonic, when Sonic is MIA and presumed dead. Likewise, during her brief movie appearance in Sonic 3, it's Amy who saves Sonic from Metal Sonic, which contrasts with her being more of a damsel in distress when the characters first meet in Sonic CD.

The good news is that Kristen Bell is a great actor and more than capable of performing Amy's various character facets. Bell will undoubtedly bring a strong, layered performance as Amy, portraying her as more than just a lovesick girl hedgehog with a huge crush. Case in point, her tremendous performance as Princess Anna in Disney's Frozen franchise, an incredibly strong, nuanced character who undergoes many changes and grows throughout the Disney animated movies. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is the perfect chance to present a new iteration of Amy Rose for the big screen while referencing her overall evolution as a character. Ultimately, based on the last two movies, the character of Amy Rose is in good hands, and it will be exciting to see how Bell brings the character to life.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 comes to theaters on March 19, 2027.