The mythology of TERRA is built around six central figures. Each has a mythological role, and as they fulfill their respective roles within the story, the world itself gradually takes shape.
※This work includes original characters (OCs) who do not appear in the original source material.
the “Six Pillars”
Six beings who hold important roles in the mythology.
Shadow
The Ultimate Life Form who lives a solitary existence.
As the Ultimate Life Form, his thought processes and actions lack intermediate steps, and unconscious reactions, reflexes, and powerful impulses often drive him to uncontrollable extremes.
Despite possessing vitality and combat ability among the strongest in the world, he shuts out all emotion and operates as an agent directly under the World Government.
However, a certain event causes him to become strongly drawn to Knuckles, and a resonance of souls begins to occur between them.
Roles: Moon / Darkness / Judge of the Underworld / Knight / Hero / Traveler
This version of Shadow is modeled primarily after Shadow from Sonic Prime. What happened aboard the ARK and the events of his past are barely mentioned. This is not a Shadow/Knuckles story built on the premise of Shadow/Maria; it is a Shadow/Knuckles story set in a timeline where Shadow/Maria never came to exist in the first place. Chapter 5, “At Mount Cor,” briefly hints at Shadow’s past, but establishes only that “he once lost something important in the past.” It is never clearly stated whether Maria even exists in this world.
Knuckles
The solitary descendant of the Echidna tribe, who continues to guard the Master Emerald all alone on the ancient floating island of Angel Island.
Simple and pure-hearted by nature, he acts according to the vocabulary and way of thinking of an ancient warrior, and has almost no understanding of abstract concepts such as romance or philosophy.
He has a tendency to face everything head-on and prefers straightforward fights with his fists.
Roles: Sun / Light / Divine Mother / Warrior / Bride / Earth Mother Goddess / Sanctuary
This version of Knuckles is modeled primarily after Knuckles from Sonic Frontiers, with some light influence from Sonic Chronicles as well. This is a more serious take on Knuckles. His intelligence is somewhat higher, and he sees things sharply through logical reasoning and the practical reasoning of the battlefield. However, because he grew up alone on an ancient island, his vocabulary is limited, and he rarely uses abstract language concerning romance, ethics, philosophy, or emotions.
This story revolves around Knuckles. Most of the characters have some kind of history or connection with him, become fixated on him, and form their own unique relationship with him. He is the story’s center of gravity—and its heroine.
Sonic
A cheerful, easygoing hedgehog who moves at the speed of sound. He is kind to everyone and gets along with anyone, yet belongs to no one. A hero who is both an angel and a trickster.
He loves cracking jokes, has sharp instincts, and is quick to act. He is also carefree, and sometimes makes careless mistakes by acting without thinking.
He considers Knuckles his best friend and frequently shows up on Angel Island just to mess with him.
Roles: Wind / Angel / Trickster / Brother-Knight
This version of Sonic is modeled primarily after the Japanese versions of Sonic Frontiers and Sonic Prime. Although the story centers on Shadow and Knuckles, Sonic is also portrayed as one of the strongest beings in the world, standing alongside Shadow. He is the third protagonist. Throughout the 40 chapters of the main story, he plays an active role as the angel and trickster who connects Shadow and Knuckles, and he himself is not paired with anyone. However, in the later After Stories and some of the what-if stories, a BL pairing between Sonic and an original character named Sieg—Sonic × Sieg—does become established, so please be aware of this.
Cui
An agent directly under the World Government who works in intelligence. Shadow’s colleague.
A calm observer and recorder.
He rarely shows his emotions, but develops a deep respect for Knuckles’s way of being as a warrior and gradually comes to support him quietly.
Roles: Observer / Reason / Recorder / Guardian / Order
An original character unique to this story. He exists to support the Shadow × Knuckles story. From his perspective as Shadow’s colleague, he supports both Shadow and Knuckles. He first appears in Chapter 5. From the “Gray Habish” arc in Chapter 2, Chapters 8–11 onward, he forms his own unique bond of trust with Knuckles and gradually evolves into one of the story’s most devoted secret Knuckles supporters. His relationship with Knuckles is Cui + Knuckles (friendship), with no romantic element. From the After Stories onward, Habish × Cui becomes an established pairing. Although the main story contains almost no sexual elements involving him, the After Stories reveal that Cui is actually the most ××× of the Six Pillars.
Habish
An artificial life-form created in imitation of Shadow, the Ultimate Life Form.
Treated as a failure by the research organization that created him, he has had his dignity and personal boundaries repeatedly violated. Though his soul is broken, he still carries within him the possibility of regeneration.
As a result of severe abuse in the past, the organ responsible for emotion is damaged, leaving him with a severely diminished capacity for empathy toward others. He is nihilistic and mentally extremely unstable.
After a certain event, he develops a powerful fixation on Knuckles, whom he sees as “innocent” and “healthy.”
Roles: Broken God / Foreign Entity That Follows Law (Logos) / Intruding Foreign Entity / Regenerating Soul
An original character unique to this story. He has a sexual fixation on Knuckles and acts as a foreign entity that intrudes between Shadow and Knuckles. He first appears in Chapter 7.
He appears in the form of an almost-but-not-quite Mob × Knuckles pairing (Habish × Knuckles). From the After Stories onward, Habish × Cui becomes an established pairing. Because he acts according to his mythological nature as an “intruding foreign entity,” he sometimes behaves in ways that can be difficult to understand without reading the commentary.
Sieg
A mage who appeared from a destroyed otherworld. He is a wielder of the Crimson Prism, an emerald from another world.
A crimson hedgehog with deep faith and a strong sense of chivalry, burdened with a solitary destiny.
He becomes deeply involved in the story as a “mirror” reflecting the destinies borne by Shadow and Knuckles.
Roles: Oracle Mage / Sacrifice / Proxy Knight / Bearer of Original Sin / Mirror
An original character unique to this story. He is the second heroine, mirroring Knuckles in the role he plays in relation to the world, and mirroring Shadow in the sin he bears in relation to the world. The reason is: “Knuckles plays both the heroine and the hero.” Sieg serves as the heroine—or rather, the sacrifice—when Knuckles takes the role of the hero. Early on after his introduction, he enters as a romantic rival who comes between Shadow and Knuckles, in an almost-but-not-quite Mob × Knuckles pairing (Sieg × Knuckles, never established). Toward the end, the relationship becomes Sieg → Knuckles and Sieg + Knuckles: romantic feelings × friendship. From the After Stories onward, Sonic × Sieg becomes an established pairing. Despite Sonic × Sieg being his pairing, Sieg himself prioritizes them as “Knuckles >>>> Shadow > Sonic,” making him one deeply complicated man.
Those Connected to the Six Pillars
Beings who do not belong to the center of the mythology, but are involved in its chain of cause and effect and influence the story.
Rouge
An agent directly under the World Government. Shadow’s colleague. She considers both Shadow and Knuckles her friends.
Neither too close nor too distant, she stands between Shadow and Knuckles and watches over them both.
Symbols: Society / Romance
This version of Rouge is modeled primarily after Rebel from Sonic Prime (Rouge from New Yoke City). If you’re thinking, “That’s not even Rouge anymore,” then all I can say is, sorry. Sonic Prime caused the site administrator, Kanoko, to shift from Knuckles × Rouge to Rouge × Knuckles, and her overflowing fantasies about Mama Rouge (?) became impossible to contain. As a result, the Rouge of this timeline has a calm, mature personality and dotes on Knuckles like a younger brother. So, Rouge + Knuckles (like sister and brother). Or rather, she’s basically Mom. Sorry to those who prefer the strong-willed, free-spirited Rouge from the original games.
Tails
A young genius inventor and Sonic’s partner.
He tags along with Sonic and occasionally visits Angel Island.
Symbols: Future / Science
He does not appear very often. His role is mainly to provide explanations and support. However, the possibility remains that Tails → Knuckles may be written in the future. Never give up on the future of Tails → Knuckles with Shadow × Knuckles as the premise.
Ilda
A rising fashion designer who travels all over the world.
She instantly recognizes Knuckles’s exceptional potential as a model and leads Knuckles into the midst of the festival.
Role: Priestess
An original character unique to this story. In the main story, she appears only in Chapter 33. Although she has very few appearances, she enters the story at an important turning point leading into the final battle near the end. Knuckles describes Ilda as “a female version of Sonic,” but in nature, Ilda is actually “a female version of Shadow.” She instantly recognizes Knuckles’s hidden potential and sacredness, values them highly, becomes fixated on him, and, without any ill intent, tries to elevate him to the center of the “festival story.” She is “captivated by Knuckles’s appeal,” “loves Knuckles by worshipping him,” and “instantly understands his core on an unconscious level and articulates it with precision.” If the Shadow of this world were a woman, had a cheerful personality, and were a designer, Shadow might have been Ilda herself.
Other Companions
Even without a connection to the mythology, they each forge their own unique bond with Knuckles. Such beloved companions.
Silver
Appears in the Reincarnation Stories and what-if stories. Silver + Knuckles. In pretty much every timeline, he and Knuckles are good friends. He often clashes with Shadow over Knuckles, but he does not have romantic feelings for Knuckles.
Silver could not appear in the main story due to the needs of the plot, so he appears in the Reincarnation Stories and what-if stories instead. The long-awaited Silver + Knuckles (friendship). Thank you, Silver + Knuckles. Silver + Knuckles is a symbol of peace.
Amy
Appears briefly in some what-if stories.
Amy + Knuckles (friendship). The reason she barely appears in the Terra series comes down to the writer, Kanoko, being way too tangled up in her own preferences: she likes Shadow × Amy with Sonic × Amy as the premise, but that cannot be established in the Terra universe, and Sonic ultimately ends up in a BL pairing, and I don’t want to write Amy getting rejected just because of that…! I love the sweet, pure-hearted, and kind Amy from Sonic Frontiers.