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I'm sure that I, like many others who heard it before, find themselves in disbelief about the official ages listed for the Sonic cast. I for one cannot believe the good majority of them. Who would believe that a 6 year old could be a detective? Or that a 14 year old is the leader of a much older gang of thieves? And so, as a form of self-therapy, I have created the following list, detailing what I think the actual character ages should be, along with rationale for these decisions.
Sonic - 16/17
Sonic has been around for so long that he should be in his 20s, but because none of them ever age it's easier to just reflect his long time as a video game icon in an age boosted by at least two years. This way he maintains his youth and energy while still reflecting the experience he surely must have gained from years of fighting Robotnik.
Tails - 13
Perhaps one of the most unbelievable ages was Tails'. For starters, you will not find an 8 year old alive who has the patience or intelligence to become one of the greatest engineers in the world, let alone knowledgable enough to fly a plane or construct a walking robot battle suit. Bringing Tails up to age 13 gives him the chance to develop the maturity, intelligence and patience it would take to give him the kind of skill he is supposed to have, and still make him young enough to idolize Sonic as an elder brother figure.
Knuckles - 18/19
Knuckles was listed as being 16, which is far too young for one such as him who seems to have a level of maturity and solemnity far beyond that age. I know there are people out there who could be mature for their ages, but I would expect that at 16, given Knuckles' situation, he would be quite angry and rebelious towards the place he has been given. Making Knuckles a late teen means he has the age and maturity to be able to consciously accept his role and do it with the kind of dignified solitude we have come to expect from him.
Amy - 14/15
Aside from my initial argument about Amy that those CANNOT be twelve, Amy seems quite independent and unusually level-headed for someone who operates on her own as much as she does. It has been my experience that pre-teens lack the kind of independence and serious drive that Amy displays. If time and games have proven one thing it's that Amy considers her affections for Sonic to be more than a simple schoolgirl crush, and thus to give her legitimacy as a romantic interest for Sonic and as an independent hero character herself, I believe Amy's age should be raised to at least 14. She would be old enough to know for sure whether or not her infatuation with Sonic is legitimate or not, plus she would have a few years of puberty to grow into that chest.
Shadow - 17/18
Shadow has technically been alive for over 50 years, but considering he is Sonic's doppleganger, his age should be close to Sonic's in order to create the sense that they are indeed quite similar. Shadow seems to have more solemn maturity and a sense of self than many mid to early teens have, and so I propose listing his age as being around 17 to 18. That gives him a year on Sonic at least, and allows him to fit more easily into the roles he has been given in recent memory, such as a gun-toting alien fighter and new agent of G.U.N.
Rouge - 20
Rouge's age listed on Sonic Channel is currently 18. Okay, she's legal. I can deal with that. Makes her 'assets' a little more believable, but only just. Though at 18, logically, Rouge would just be out of high school. Not exactly in a good condition to be a world class jewel thief and secret agent for the President. Boosting Rouge's age to 20 gives her at least two years of leeway to grow into a role as a master thief, a secret agent, and the seductive femme fatale most fans percieve her as.
Cream - 8
Cream's age is one that bothers me the least. For one thing she actually acts her age, which is something few of these characters seem to do. But regardless of that, she IS still 6. And her mother apparently seems to let her go out and battle evil robots bent on world domination. Do YOU know any parents that would let their 6 year old daughters go out and battle a great evil with nothing but a Chao? Didn't think so. While Cream does act her age, I feel she should be given at least two years so that she becomes slightly more believable as a character in general.
Big - 18
Big the Cat has such an insignificant role that I could care less about how old he is. But considering he carries himself like a stoned slacker, he seems like he could believably be 18. Sitting around in the jungle talking to frogs? Yep, he's gotta be on something.
Vector - 21
Vector's age does not bother me too much either. He needs to be at least out of his teens in order to run a business, and so he does. And despite the company he keeps, Vector does act like the boss. But to be safe, I have added an extra year to him, to give him that further sense of maturity by making him one of the oldest characters.
Charmy - 12/13
Okay, Charmy CAN NOT be 6. How many 6 year old detectives do you know? None, that's how many. Why do you think nobody took Detective Conan seriously? Ah, but Conan had an excuse for being a detective. Charmy has neither the intellectual capacity, the attention span nor the maturity required for such work. Thus in the effort of making Charmy even remotely believable, I am raising his age to at least 12, placing him in his early teens. That would allow him the emotional immaturity he seems to have, and make it SLIGHTLY more likely for him to be working at a detective agency than he would if he were 6. Who hires 6 year olds, honestly?
Espio - 18
Espio is a ninja, and to become a ninja takes years and years of training. 16 years old is getting there, but I don't think long enough to make him a master ninja yet. I know Naruto would have us believe there are greater ninjas even younger than Espio, but that is hardly what I would call an accurate depiction of ninjas in any way. And so I add about two years to Espio's age, making him legally an adult, and therefore much more believable as a ninja.
Jet - 17/18
Now according to SEGA, Jet is 14. That makes him the youngest of the Babylon Rogues. And somehow he leads them. This does not compute. With Wave and Storm both apparently in their late teens, I cannot honestly see either of them willing to follow an obviously much younger and percieved as more immature person. Besides, who ever heard of a 14 year old master thief? Just because Jing could do it doesn't mean you can, Jet. I was willing to suspend my disbelief for him, but you haven't earned what Jing has. I have raised Jet's age to at least 17. This makes it easier to imagine him in a position of authority over other thieves, and easier to imagine him as a thief in general. Plus, the extra years mean more time to hone his skills, making him an even bigger challenge for Sonic.
Storm - 19
Storm's age was listed as 19, and I really don't have much of a problem with that. Yes he is the oldest of the Rogues, but with his size and strength I can believe it. Plus he can be seen as a follower, even of a boss younger than he is, due to his comparably lower intelligence. Thus I leave Storm's age the way it is.
Wave - 16
Despite looking a little underdeveloped for an 18 year old girl, Wave being significantly older than Jet asks many questions. Most notably, why is she bothering to take his s**t? Sonic Riders established that she already thought she should be in charge, but if that's so, why not just oust Jet? Giving her a lack of respect for Jet's leadership capabilities coupled with a large age gap of Wave in her late teens to Jet in his early teens, I can't see why Wave wouldn't have ousted Jet some time ago. So in the only instance thusfar, I am dropping Wave's age by two years. This leaves her slightly younger than Jet, allowing us to assume that some connection or form of respect that wouldn't have been able to exist previously is present. Wave could still believably possess the Extreme Gear skill she has, and the balance of power and control within the Rogues could be much easier to buy into.
Blaze - 16/17
Blaze's age has not officially been announced yet, but if I were to wager a guess I would say it's 16/17, the same age I have given for Sonic. Blaze is considered by many to be a counterpart of Sonic's in many respects, with some even going so far as to assume that Blaze is essentially an alternate version of Sonic, given their similar roles in the grand scheme of things. Thus in the interest of maintaining this seeming parallel between the two, it is easy to assume that Blaze's age is the same as Sonic, furthering the connection the two seem to share.
Silver - 15
Silver's personality has been described as being very dutiful and driven, but with an immature streak in him. Given the solemn nature of his duty, I can see his age as being similar to Sonic's, but the idea he is more immature makes me reduce his age from 16 to about 15. If his immature side is played in any way, this age would give Silver the excuse to show some immaturity while at the same time working to prevent the apocalypse. Of course Silver's age hasn't been stated officially yet, but given the circumstances I feel this age is accurate.
I don't expect everyone to share my perspective on the issue, but I feel that attempting to give the characters reasonable ages as opposed to blatantly trying to fabricate a sense of connection between the characters and a younger audience would serve to create a greater sense of believability in the characters.
Sonic - 16/17
Sonic has been around for so long that he should be in his 20s, but because none of them ever age it's easier to just reflect his long time as a video game icon in an age boosted by at least two years. This way he maintains his youth and energy while still reflecting the experience he surely must have gained from years of fighting Robotnik.
Tails - 13
Perhaps one of the most unbelievable ages was Tails'. For starters, you will not find an 8 year old alive who has the patience or intelligence to become one of the greatest engineers in the world, let alone knowledgable enough to fly a plane or construct a walking robot battle suit. Bringing Tails up to age 13 gives him the chance to develop the maturity, intelligence and patience it would take to give him the kind of skill he is supposed to have, and still make him young enough to idolize Sonic as an elder brother figure.
Knuckles - 18/19
Knuckles was listed as being 16, which is far too young for one such as him who seems to have a level of maturity and solemnity far beyond that age. I know there are people out there who could be mature for their ages, but I would expect that at 16, given Knuckles' situation, he would be quite angry and rebelious towards the place he has been given. Making Knuckles a late teen means he has the age and maturity to be able to consciously accept his role and do it with the kind of dignified solitude we have come to expect from him.
Amy - 14/15
Aside from my initial argument about Amy that those CANNOT be twelve, Amy seems quite independent and unusually level-headed for someone who operates on her own as much as she does. It has been my experience that pre-teens lack the kind of independence and serious drive that Amy displays. If time and games have proven one thing it's that Amy considers her affections for Sonic to be more than a simple schoolgirl crush, and thus to give her legitimacy as a romantic interest for Sonic and as an independent hero character herself, I believe Amy's age should be raised to at least 14. She would be old enough to know for sure whether or not her infatuation with Sonic is legitimate or not, plus she would have a few years of puberty to grow into that chest.
Shadow - 17/18
Shadow has technically been alive for over 50 years, but considering he is Sonic's doppleganger, his age should be close to Sonic's in order to create the sense that they are indeed quite similar. Shadow seems to have more solemn maturity and a sense of self than many mid to early teens have, and so I propose listing his age as being around 17 to 18. That gives him a year on Sonic at least, and allows him to fit more easily into the roles he has been given in recent memory, such as a gun-toting alien fighter and new agent of G.U.N.
Rouge - 20
Rouge's age listed on Sonic Channel is currently 18. Okay, she's legal. I can deal with that. Makes her 'assets' a little more believable, but only just. Though at 18, logically, Rouge would just be out of high school. Not exactly in a good condition to be a world class jewel thief and secret agent for the President. Boosting Rouge's age to 20 gives her at least two years of leeway to grow into a role as a master thief, a secret agent, and the seductive femme fatale most fans percieve her as.
Cream - 8
Cream's age is one that bothers me the least. For one thing she actually acts her age, which is something few of these characters seem to do. But regardless of that, she IS still 6. And her mother apparently seems to let her go out and battle evil robots bent on world domination. Do YOU know any parents that would let their 6 year old daughters go out and battle a great evil with nothing but a Chao? Didn't think so. While Cream does act her age, I feel she should be given at least two years so that she becomes slightly more believable as a character in general.
Big - 18
Big the Cat has such an insignificant role that I could care less about how old he is. But considering he carries himself like a stoned slacker, he seems like he could believably be 18. Sitting around in the jungle talking to frogs? Yep, he's gotta be on something.
Vector - 21
Vector's age does not bother me too much either. He needs to be at least out of his teens in order to run a business, and so he does. And despite the company he keeps, Vector does act like the boss. But to be safe, I have added an extra year to him, to give him that further sense of maturity by making him one of the oldest characters.
Charmy - 12/13
Okay, Charmy CAN NOT be 6. How many 6 year old detectives do you know? None, that's how many. Why do you think nobody took Detective Conan seriously? Ah, but Conan had an excuse for being a detective. Charmy has neither the intellectual capacity, the attention span nor the maturity required for such work. Thus in the effort of making Charmy even remotely believable, I am raising his age to at least 12, placing him in his early teens. That would allow him the emotional immaturity he seems to have, and make it SLIGHTLY more likely for him to be working at a detective agency than he would if he were 6. Who hires 6 year olds, honestly?
Espio - 18
Espio is a ninja, and to become a ninja takes years and years of training. 16 years old is getting there, but I don't think long enough to make him a master ninja yet. I know Naruto would have us believe there are greater ninjas even younger than Espio, but that is hardly what I would call an accurate depiction of ninjas in any way. And so I add about two years to Espio's age, making him legally an adult, and therefore much more believable as a ninja.
Jet - 17/18
Now according to SEGA, Jet is 14. That makes him the youngest of the Babylon Rogues. And somehow he leads them. This does not compute. With Wave and Storm both apparently in their late teens, I cannot honestly see either of them willing to follow an obviously much younger and percieved as more immature person. Besides, who ever heard of a 14 year old master thief? Just because Jing could do it doesn't mean you can, Jet. I was willing to suspend my disbelief for him, but you haven't earned what Jing has. I have raised Jet's age to at least 17. This makes it easier to imagine him in a position of authority over other thieves, and easier to imagine him as a thief in general. Plus, the extra years mean more time to hone his skills, making him an even bigger challenge for Sonic.
Storm - 19
Storm's age was listed as 19, and I really don't have much of a problem with that. Yes he is the oldest of the Rogues, but with his size and strength I can believe it. Plus he can be seen as a follower, even of a boss younger than he is, due to his comparably lower intelligence. Thus I leave Storm's age the way it is.
Wave - 16
Despite looking a little underdeveloped for an 18 year old girl, Wave being significantly older than Jet asks many questions. Most notably, why is she bothering to take his s**t? Sonic Riders established that she already thought she should be in charge, but if that's so, why not just oust Jet? Giving her a lack of respect for Jet's leadership capabilities coupled with a large age gap of Wave in her late teens to Jet in his early teens, I can't see why Wave wouldn't have ousted Jet some time ago. So in the only instance thusfar, I am dropping Wave's age by two years. This leaves her slightly younger than Jet, allowing us to assume that some connection or form of respect that wouldn't have been able to exist previously is present. Wave could still believably possess the Extreme Gear skill she has, and the balance of power and control within the Rogues could be much easier to buy into.
Blaze - 16/17
Blaze's age has not officially been announced yet, but if I were to wager a guess I would say it's 16/17, the same age I have given for Sonic. Blaze is considered by many to be a counterpart of Sonic's in many respects, with some even going so far as to assume that Blaze is essentially an alternate version of Sonic, given their similar roles in the grand scheme of things. Thus in the interest of maintaining this seeming parallel between the two, it is easy to assume that Blaze's age is the same as Sonic, furthering the connection the two seem to share.
Silver - 15
Silver's personality has been described as being very dutiful and driven, but with an immature streak in him. Given the solemn nature of his duty, I can see his age as being similar to Sonic's, but the idea he is more immature makes me reduce his age from 16 to about 15. If his immature side is played in any way, this age would give Silver the excuse to show some immaturity while at the same time working to prevent the apocalypse. Of course Silver's age hasn't been stated officially yet, but given the circumstances I feel this age is accurate.
I don't expect everyone to share my perspective on the issue, but I feel that attempting to give the characters reasonable ages as opposed to blatantly trying to fabricate a sense of connection between the characters and a younger audience would serve to create a greater sense of believability in the characters.
I side with this guy. How about you?
