Media Essays: Thoughts on Sage

Written by The Wandering Fox

Freddy and Teddy were chatting with each other as the Wandering Fox got everything ready.

Freddy: He won’t be needing that Cynical Crown for this.

Teddy: Oh no he won’t! This is a more thoughtful insight by the looks of it, seems to be about Sonic again.

Freddy: Yeah it looks it. But hey, wonder exactly what it’s about?

Oh you won’t be needing to wonder for long, guys. Hey everybody, I’m the Wandering Fox and I know, been a few weeks since I last did anything for the blog but I’m back now. If there’s something I think that is a hot topic in Sonic these days, and it’s something that could potentially affect the franchise, it’s the newly added character we met in Sonic Frontiers. Sage.

It’s worth admitting she’s made a big impact on Sonic’s franchise already what with her appearing in The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Channel drawings, and Sonic Racing CrossWorlds. That and the fact that she’s meant to be the “daughter” of Eggman does carry a lot for her that could affect the franchise going forward. Could is the key word. She could affect it. Or not. But what do I mean by this? Well let’s go and take a look back on Sage’s story in Sonic Frontiers.

The Beginning of Sage

Back in Frontiers we first meet Sage as a new creation of Eggman, an A.I who he created to help him uncover the secrets of the Starfall Isles and uncover the Ancient’s Cyberspace, as well as protecting him. Sage senses there’s a danger to Eggman and traps him in Cyberspace for his own safety. During the game she opposes Sonic’s attempts at saving his friends, fearful that the further he breaks apart the barriers then the End will be released and that means her efforts of protecting Eggman are fruitless. She does begin to get curious of what drives Sonic forward, what his will is, his friendship with Tails greatly affecting her, as well as what she means to Eggman and his other creations. In the end (I’m guessing the Final Horizons DLC is the real ending?) Sage convinces Eggman to help revive Sonic to defeat the End and joins Tails, Amy, and Knuckles in helping Super Sonic defeat it. With that Sage can return with Eggman and carry on helping him.

Now, here’s the thing with the issues I have with Sage in the game. I get she’s meant to protect Eggman as that was among the reasons why he created her. Her trying to kill Sonic out of fear he will release the End makes sense as the End being released will kill Eggman, but what doesn’t make sense is that if she were to apply logic to the circumstances, she could have worked with Sonic earlier in explaining to him the dangers of the End, which could’ve made a odd team up in which she tries to help free his friends while hiding Eggman from him. That would have at least helped in grounding her and having her see more closely what drives Sonic and has her doubt herself and what Eggman is doing, cos yeah, they could defeat the End but then lo and behold, Eggman struts out of Cyberspace with him having twisted its tech to obey him and you get a whole other section of the game going back to Sonic vs Eggman, though Sage now has regrets of helping Eggman.

Granted she did argue with Eggman in the game that an alliance with Sonic would be key to Eggman’s survival with him bluntly refusing to want help. These arguments combined with her questioning if Orbot and Cubot are her “brothers” and takes in Sonic and Tails’ friendship does drive Sage in becoming more emotional and maybe feels guilty knowing Sonic will die and his efforts are fruitless. That’s good, but I think we needed more cutscenes that could’ve helped in this character for Sage, in fact not just for her but for Eggman. Because as we all know, much of Eggman’s thoughts on Sage are thrown into a lake.

In fact it’s not just his thoughts on Sage that are here but even his thoughts on Maria. The whole “family” theme falls flat on its face with how Eggman even at a young age didn’t understand why Maria was being prioritised over him when he knows now that Maria was incredibly sick. That just tells you how sick and evil Eggman is and that he cannot comprehend what love is. He admires Gerald but that’s not love. That’s why when you get bits like “Dear daughter” or Eggman’s loneliness in the original ending it’s a big clash.

Or the Final Horizons ending in which he holds hands with Sage as well.

Were SEGA to have at least focussed a bit more on the “family” theme by doing more cutscenes with Sage and Eggman in that we could have had Sage argue with Eggman on his thoughts of Maria that could maybe have him think a bit, and maybe some quieter cutscenes with Sonic, Tails and Sage in which she sees how much those guys cherish the other she could cry not only in awe of their friendship, but also out of sadness as she maybe thinks that Eggman will never give her that as he didn’t care about Maria, then maybe it could have worked. If you wanted Eggman to instead be more proud of Sage with her as a “creation” than as a daughter than you can’t do the whole “Dear daughter” thing. Cos ever since Frontiers a huge chunk of the fandom have jumped on the “Egg Dad” bandwagon of Eggman being a softer character for Sage when the games themselves haven’t really committed to yet and we had many contradicting stuff in the game. It’s funny how SEGA though are happy to bring up Maria and Gerald again but instead of doing anything meaningful with them like maybe exploring Eggman’s dark mindset about them and family, or how Sage looks at them, they’re brought back to repeat a story we did twenty years ago.

It’s something SEGA has to really think through. But they haven’t. I doubt Flynn would either as the guy contradicts himself a lot that his IDW reference to Blaze fighting Metal Sonic is a big contradiction.

Following Frontiers

With Sage she first returned in Sonic Channel drawings by SEGA which include dialogue.

In the Japanese dialogue Eggman remarks that Sage looked ugly without shoes. If he cared for Sage and loved her like a daughter I’m sure a loving dad wouldn’t call his daughter ugly.

Then there’s Sage going forward and already SEGA have failed themselves with her. There’s the fact she was fine helping Eggman in The Murder of Sonic. Then again judging by her bitter face she might’ve been annoyed her dad hasn’t let go of darkness.

Then there’s her dialogue in Crossworlds in which she’s way more aggressive towards the other characters, her chat with Silver with her bluntly saying she will try to continue the Eggman Empire in the future. Yeah, two hundred years in the future you’re gonna try to battle Silver, Sage?

Sage: Your presence implies my father will succeed if not opposed. He will be pleased by this.

Silver: Don’t use me to encourage that madman! I’ll beat you today and prove just how hopeless your cause truly is

Silver: There is no Eggman Empire in my time. This is your chance to change your ways and become a force for good!

Sage: Your observation means I must work harder to ensure my father’s vision becomes a reality

Okay so what became of this character trying to make Eggman rethink his life and goals? Did SEGA just give up on that?

This is the issue with Sage. She has lots going for her but everybody keeps tripping over themselves. funnily enough Ian Flynn said Sage’s relationship with Eggman will get worse but this is the guy who hadn’t a clue what she looked like while doing the translations of Frontiers’ script XD

But that’s the thing. Sage is meant to be:

Eggman’s “daughter”.

Grey character.

The next big thing in Sonic.

The thing is, they’ve failed at all that.

“BUT IAN FLYNN CAN SAVE HER!”

Get out of here, he can’t quit making green Sonics and he’s overrated.

Though I do see a theory that could work and maybe darken things between Sage and Eggman going on which could work. The theory is that Eggman altered Sage to be more loyal to him. It’s a theory but it could work in having us see why Sage is still wanting to help Eggman. That could work as a big story reveal in a future game that could do Sage well.

Going On

I would like it if SEGA were to take a step back and rethink on things before they do any stories. They have to think things through with Sage instead of just making her another Orbot and Cubot, otherwise they just wasted all that potential she has. If they were to go with that theory of Eggman twisting her personality to work for him then it could work in not only showing Eggman is a dark character who doesn’t understand love, while maybe setting her up as a character to stand on her own and go through her own journey of rediscovery. But please tell Ian Flynn to do his job right and not twist what you do.

Just think. Don’t just go and make another game and make her another Eggman lackey, she has lots of potential, but that involves having to look at your mistakes on Frontiers and try to smooth them out. I want Sonic to succeed but like everything else you must think carefully with your product, otherwise the years will look back more bitterly on your once supposed greatness. I’m not saying you should then get scared and go “Oh, uh, let’s have her betray Eggman now!” No. Tell a story. Take it easy. Let there be a game where she is still loyal to the guy but then we get little bits there where we find out there isn’t something right about the way she is. Then do another in which you find out what Eggman did and Sage leaves him.

It can delve well in Eggman’s mind as he can finally stand there and go “Daughter? Dear daughter? Ha! I cherish you as my creation, daughter! You saved me, that is true! But you’re mine, you’re made up of zeroes and ones, I can alter you in any way I like! But since you’re getting annoyingly empathetic again I better make a few adjustments to you, dear!”

It could tie back to Gerald in a way of how he’s the opposite of his grandson. He did create Shadow to save Maria, but he also grew to love him as his own son and hated the thought of Shadow being used for evil and kill others, hence he created the Eclipse Canon to kill the Black Arms to not only save the entire planet, but to save Shadow and unburden him from his past. Whereas Eggman doesn’t have that love for Sage, nor does he care about the planet, he wants to conquer it, and Sage is just the newest tool he’s made to help him. The fact that he never loved her, or even gave a toss about Maria, then adjusted her to make her more like him could utterly devastate Sage who ultimately gives up on helping him, though she still yearns for friendship and finds it in Sonic, Tails and maybe even Shadow and Omega.

Ian Flynn. Don’t copy this.

Closing Thoughts

I do think Sage could still work. I know there’s those who think she’s fine, then there’s those who don’t like her. I’m in the middle. I want more for her but SEGA needs to really think on what to do. Well up to them on what to do though.

Teddy: I was getting nervous yay we’re gonna be wearing that crown.

Oh no, I got a little cynical but not enough, I let my creative juices go and it makes me feel good.

Freddy: That’s good then.

Thank you, tell me what you think in the comments.

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