Rouge the Bat

Rouge the Bat
'Sonic the Hedgehog' character
File:Rouge2006.png Rouge the Bat as seen in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
First game	Sonic Adventure 2
Created by	Sonic Team

Rouge the Bat is a video game character in the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series, who is a determined treasure hunter and part-time government agent who plans to make all the gems and treasures of the world hers. Her main jewel obsessions are the Master Emerald and Chaos Emeralds. She made her debut in Sonic Adventure 2, released June 18, 2001, and has been featured in the all Sonic the Hedgehog console games except Sonic and the Secret Rings, along with three handheld games since.

In six of the eight games she has appeared in to date, Rouge wears a skintight black body suit with a large pink heart for a chest plate, white gloves, and thigh-high white boots with pink hearts on the toes. In Sonic Heroes and Sonic Riders, she wears different outfits, but often with similar color schemes and heart-shaped details.

Personality

Rouge is a strong-minded, fearless, ambitious, and flirty young woman, with generally, a playful, yet manipulative attitude towards most others. She has been known to seduce people with her attractiveness to get what she wants, such as rare gems. However, she is quite heroic, as she is a government agent, as well as sympathetic. In the events of Sonic Adventure 2, she pretended to work for Eggman and take his Chaos Emeralds to research Project Shadow. Rouge later returns all her found pieces of the Master Emerald to Knuckles, and in the Last Story, she helps to save Earth. In Sonic Battle, when Shadow was injured and needed a place to stay, Rouge aided him in her place, Club Rouge. In Shadow the Hedgehog, she did other laudable things, such as rescuing a Chaos Emerald from the doomed G.U.N mainframe, destroying the evil monster Black Bull, and assisting Shadow in defeating Black Doom as well as showing concern for Shadow's welfare at the end of the game. She is not that selfish even in her newer character actions, as can be seen by her actions towards Shadow the Hedgehog in Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Rivals. Rouge, along with Shadow, is one of the few characters in the series who could be described as an 'anti-hero', because of her actions.

Game appearances

File:Rouge 12.jpg

Rouge the Bat, as seen in Sonic Heroes.

Sonic Adventure 2

Rouge first appears in Sonic Adventure 2 as the treasure-hunting character of the Dark Story. She also drives a car in one level. She fights the boss Flying Dog (a G.U.N robot), and her rival, Knuckles who saved her from falling into the lava pit. In the last level, Cannon's Core, Rouge is the third of five characters to go through the level and is given Shadow's ring cufflink by Sonic after the defeat of the Final Hazard.

Sonic Heroes

In Sonic Heroes, Rouge is the captain and flight member of Team Dark. She releases Shadow from his stasis pod, and (accidentally) activates E-123 Omega, who attempts to destroy all of Eggman's robots, including Shadow, who Omega thinks is a robot clone. Rouge stops Shadow and E-123 Omega from fighting, suggesting that they work together as a team to find Eggman.

Sonic Battle

In Sonic Battle, Rouge is one of the most prominently featured characters in the game, with her story being the third to be played through. She is the owner of Club Rouge in the Night Babylon area (no relation to the Babylon Rogues from Sonic Riders). Most of her fighting techniques appear to be derived from kickboxing. She plans to use her position as a government agent to gather information on valuable treasures. She also knows a great deal about the Gizoid and tells most characters about the Gizoid, eventually telling Shadow the Hedgehog how to 'free' Emerl. She steals Emerl from Amy Rose, in order to train him as a master thief to steal more jewels for her. She fights with Amy numerous times, increasing the tension between the two. Rouge teaches Emerl to fight, evade capture, and pick locks. Rouge then uses Emerl to steal a Chaos Emerald (which he absorbs, much to Rouge's displeasure). At the end of the game, when Emerl thanks Sonic and his friends/acquaintances for taking care of him, Rouge is only mentioned in the Japanese version.

File:SR Rouge.jpg

Rouge artwork from Sonic Riders.

Shadow the Hedgehog

Rouge also appears in Shadow the Hedgehog, and helps on hero missions in the Digital Circuit, Death Ruins, and GUN Fortress levels. In Expert Mode, her voice can be heard at the beginning of Cryptic Castle, Lava Shelter (along with Omega's) and The Last Way (along with the voice of every other character that appears in Expert Mode).

Sonic Riders

She appears in Sonic Riders as an unlockable racer. She is a Flight type, and is the strongest Flight type character in the game. The Japanese website also mentions that she has some kind of rivalry with Wave the Swallow. Rouge is one of only three characters in Sonic Riders who do not wear any sporting gear on their heads, with the others being Amy and AiAi. She is also one of the few characters who do not take any part of the story.

Sonic 2006

In Sonic the Hedgehog, Rouge appears as an "Amigo" character, playable in stages White Acropolis, Kingdom Valley, Flame Core, and Tropical Jungle. At the start of Shadow's story, she had gone on a mission to recover an item from Eggman's base, and Shadow is sent by GUN to help her escape. After being rescued, Rouge then works with him very closely for most of the game, in various endevours, such as defeating Mephiles, tracking down the Chaos Emeralds, escaping from the future, and separately finding Omega, to aid Shadow, whilst he was stuck in a different time zone. Rouge also helps find the Chaos Emeralds to revive Sonic in the Last Story.

Sonic Rivals

Rouge appears in Sonic Rivals in Shadow's storyline. Rouge sends transmissions stating that she has stumbled across an interesting discovery about "Dr. Eggman's" true identity in the game, but the transmissions ended with her in danger. It is later revealed during Shadow's storyline that Rouge was turned into a card like Tails and Amy so Shadow sets out to save Rouge whilst also trying to discover what she was trying to warn him about. A mock-up boxart from Gamestop used for display purposes has shown that Rouge will be playable in Sonic Rivals 2. More proof is seen in Sonic Central.

Sonic Rivals 2

Rouge will appear along with Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, Metal Sonic, Silver and Espio as a playable character in this game. She is paired up with Knuckles. Its unknown what kind of role she will play. It is notable that she is the only playable female character in this game.

Abilities

Rouge, as a treasure hunter, has similar treasure hunting skills to those of her rival Knuckles (with the exception that she has a strapping lower body as opposed to his muscular upper body). Her signature attacks are powerful martial arts kicks. Rouge can fly and glide with her wings, and her flying speed is able to keep up with other speedy characters like Knuckles and even Sonic and Shadow (though she is not as fast as the supersonic hedgehogs). She can also climb and dig quite well. In many games, Rouge makes use of different advanced technologies and weaponry. However these are mostly game specific.

Interaction with Other Characters

Knuckles the Echidna

Rouge was first introduced as a rival for Knuckles the Echidna, both of them expert treasure hunters. Although they remain highly competitive, Rouge often goes to the extra length of playfully teasing and flustering Knuckles. Although Rouge often makes playful criticisms of Knuckles' treasure hunting skills, it can be said that the two have a shared respect for each other, in terms of abilities. Some official sources claim that Rouge has a secret crush on Knuckles that she would never admit to. They are mentioned to being a team in Sonic Rivals 2.

Shadow the Hedgehog

Rouge is Shadow the Hedgehog's closest and most loyal friend. When they first met, Rouge was assigned by the President to spy on Dr. Eggman and learn more about Project Shadow. Their original professional attitudes later changed, with Rouge growing to care for Shadow's well-being. A few times she also becomes a "damsel-in-distress", usually causing Shadow to end up saving her. But Rouge has also returned the favor a couple times as well. Additionally Rouge has shown that she is quite sensitive toward Shadow's feelings and has declared her loyalty to stick by him regardless of the circumstances. She has never shown any frustration over Shadow's mysterious and sometimes sarcastic personality, showing she accepts him as he is.

E-123 Omega

Rouge's closest ally besides Shadow is E-123 Omega, all three of them members of Team Dark. In Sonic Heroes Omega displayed somewhat matter-of-fact consideration for Rouge's feelings. Omega also performs any task Rouge assigns to him, from helping her find Eggman to assisting Shadow on multiple occasions. Omega and Rouge could also be interpreted as the 'comic relief' members of Team Dark, as demonstrated in the events of Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic '06.

Doctor Eggman Robotnik

Unlike most of the other characters in the games, Rouge has no particular dislike for Dr. Eggman other than he is the antagonist and that he is the one getting the emeralds. Her reasons for opposing him are mostly business related: she cannot get her hands on the Chaos Emeralds if he already has them. However, just like Shadow does, she will ally herself with Eggman if it is most profitable for her. In Sonic Adventure 2, her true reasons for doing so are that she needed to be in on everything in order to get any research on Project Shadow on the Space Colony ARK. Since her cover as a government agent for G.U.N. has been exposed to Eggman, all information she gathers on his schemes are retrieved by infiltrating his bases or computers as opposed to trying to trick him into trusting her with access to his plans.

Amy Rose

Rouge and Amy Rose could be seen to be rivals, as shown in Sonic Battle, with their personalities causing huge conflicts and disputes between the pair. However, they both prove to be quite a match for each other and show at least some consideration for the other's wellbeing.

Sonic the Hedgehog

Rouge and Sonic seem to be on a friendly terms for the most part as the majority of any teasing or confrontational insult is mostly directed towards Knuckles. Sonic and Rouge have demonstrated a sound respect for each other as in Sonic '06 as well as in the anime series Sonic X.

Miles "Tails" Prower

Rouge's first interaction with Tails was without his knowledge as she tracked him down during the events of Sonic Adventure 2 in an effort to retrieve his Chaos Emerald. Since then, the two have had little interaction other than being part of the group that helps assist in the final battle against whatever threat the circumstances rise. She has been known to refer to him as "Fox-Boy".

The Chaotix

The Chaotix proved to be an annoyance to Rouge during the events of Sonic Heroes, which ensued into a brawl. Since then, limited interaction has been between the group and Rouge other than the mutual alliances with Shadow the Hedgehog as well as against any threat that terrorizes the planet.

In other media

Sonic X

In Sonic X, Rouge is a jewel thief who gets caught by the government while looking for a Chaos Emerald. Despite previous jewel thefts, it signs her on as an agent, even allowing her to keep her stolen gems. Teamed with a human agent named Topaz, Rouge sets out to acquire the Chaos Emeralds and challenge Dr. Eggman. She often spies on Eggman from the rafters of his bases.

True to form, Rouge is constantly flirting with other characters. However, she often gets into heated disputes with Knuckles.

Rouge teams up with both Eggman and Sonic several times, seeking the side that will let her grab the Chaos Emeralds.

Although Rouge's role in the series is somewhat "minor," despite her being featured since the first episode, she does help Sonic and his friends defeat Eggman on several occasions and normally allies herself with Shadow, though his attitude seems to frustrate her a bit more in the anime than in the games.

Rouge has also appeared in the Sonic X comic series, and had a leading role in one issue wherein she was framed for stealing several rare gems including the Master Emerald. With the assistance of Sonic, Knuckles, and Topaz, it was revealed that the crimes were committed by a robotic duplicate created by Dr. Eggman. Once her doppelgänger was destroyed and the stolen goods recovered, she was cleared of all charges and reinstated as a GUN agent.

Sonic the Hedgehog (comics)

File:Rougebatish116.png

A captured Rouge, as depicted in issue #116 of the comics

Rouge is featured in the American Sonic the Hedgehog comics, having appeared first in the comic adaptation of Sonic Adventure 2. For the most part, she seems to be exactly the same as her video game counterpart, even being shown working as a covert operative for the President of Station Square, even rescuing him from an assassination attempt by Eggman just prior to the arrival of the Xorda. Rouge also had an encounter with Bunnie Rabbot, whom had been sent to rescue her when she was captured by Robotnik. She managed to escape on her own and soon after encounters Bunnie, attacking her when she mistakes her for one of her captor's cronies, resulting in an 8-page brawl between the two girls, which is only ended when Sonic steps in and breaks it up, the girls exchanging somewhat half-hearted apologies. She and Fiona Fox are rivals in both fighting and robbery, both having competed in an illegal tournament in which Rouge not only defeated Fiona, but also her teammates Nic the Weasel, Bark the Polar Bear, and Bean the Dynamite.

Knuckles already had a girlfriend named Julie-Su by the time Rouge debuted, but this hasn't stopped her from flirting with him in front of Julie-Su, sparking a rivalry between the two. Rouge has made it clear to Julie-Su that she believes Knuckles will soon belong to her, but she appears attracted to him only because of his good looks and the opportunity he would give her to steal the Master Emerald. Her unwanted advances towards Knuckles only began after he returned from the afterlife during the final battle with the Xorda-in which she participated-because she hadn't met him before that time.

Rouge made a pass at Knuckles' father Locke instead of Knuckles himself in an attempt to get near the Master Emerald, though there was no suggestion that she is romantically interested in the older Echidna as she is with Knuckles. Instead of Shadow the Hedgehog, Rouge then teamed up with Evil Sonic, not knowing the difference between Sonic and his evil doppelgänger, in another attempt to steal the Master Emerald; after Evil Sonic made off with a smaller gem for her, the two flew away to "discuss things in private." They returned not too much later, once again trying to steal the Master Emerald; although the plan failed, Evil Sonic was able to touch the Master Emerald and absorb some of its power. With a new look and a new name, he attacked and easily defeated Locke, only for Rouge to prevent him from killing the Guardian. Rouge then accompanied Scourge as he used Chaos Control to travel to Knothole to challenge Sonic. Despite their defeat and Shadow's pursuit, they managed to escape through a Warp Ring to an unknown location where she unwillingly joined the villainous Echidna scientist Dr. Finitevus, a renegade member of the Dark Legion.

Rouge later reappeared after she stole a Warp Ring to escape Finitevus, who discovered that she had destroyed missiles in his base. She joined the Chaotix, who had placed her under surveillance, and assisted in halting an android-manufacturing scheme Eggman had underway in Casinopolis. Rouge also delivered valuable intelligence concerning Finitevus' activities, including his liberation of the Destructix and his stealing uncorrupted information from Isaac. Not long afterwards, she spread word that she had stolen the Master Emerald and was auctioning it off. This turned out to be a sting operation on her part, which lured in not only several villains but also the Freedom Fighters. Sonic, Sally Acorn, Bunnie, and Antoine D'Coolette fought in a series of battles against Nack the Weasel, Bark, Bean, Ixis Naugus, and Mammoth Mogul that resulted in the capture of all five villains. Confronted, Rouge revealed that the "Master Emerald" she had hidden under a cloth was just a table with a lamp, and that she had planned the whole thing to arrange the capture of the renegade criminals. When asked why she didn't inform the Freedom Fighters of her real plans, she claimed that she worked best alone and that it was an attempt to prove herself to Knuckles.

Rouge was captured by Robotnik during his assault on Knothole and transported to the Egg Grape Chamber with roughly all but a handful of the city's inhabitants. Together with the other prisoners was promptly freed in the ensuing rescue mission orchestrated by Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy Rose, and Sally's computer NICOLE. As a result, she was transported to the city of New Mobotropolis by Robotnik's capture beam, which had been reprogrammed by NICOLE to teleport victims to the city. She then participated in a battle with the other Chaotix and Freedom Fighters against Robotnik's Egg Beater. Afterwards, she returned to working with G.U.N., and was reached by Sally through a badly garbled communication requesting aid against the new Enerjak, Knuckles' arch-foe reborn as Knuckles himself. Obliging, Rouge promised the aid of G.U.N.'s newest agent: none other than Shadow the Hedgehog.

Voice actresses

• Video games, Sonic X - Rumi Ochiai (Japan)
• Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Heroes, Sonic Battle - Lani Minella (US)
• Sonic X, Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Riders, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Rivals - Caren Manuel (credited as Kathleen Delaney) (US)

Theme songs

The Sonic the Hedgehog video games have featured several theme songs for the character.

• Sonic Adventure 2: "Fly in the Freedom" - Tabitha Fair, Todd Cooper.
• Sonic Heroes: "This Machine" - Julien-K. This was a team theme shared with Shadow and Omega.

The background music for the stage Security Hall (titled I'm a Spy) in Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Adventure 2: Battle is generally attributed to Rouge. Like most characters, Rouge is associated with a genre of music, specifically smooth jazz/bossa nova/fusion with some feminine sighs thrown in (similarly to how Knuckles is associated with the rap genre). It is interesting to note that the background music in her Club Rouge stage from Sonic Battle also has feminine sighing. No other BGM in the game has any form of vocal.

Also in the anime, Sonic X a BGM plays in the background of most of her events and appearances. The BGM is called "Mysterious & Sexy Thief Rouge" and was first heard in episode 11. In the American 4Kids dub, a saxophone jingle often plays in the same scenes.

External links

• Sonic Adventure 2: Battle Rouge's Sonic Adventure 2: Battle profile
• Sonic Central official character profiles
• Rouge at Sonic Channel
• Rouge the Bat Concept: "Mobius" (REAL Character Profile)