Gerald Robotnik
| Prof. Gerald Robotnik | |
|---|---|
| 'Sonic the Hedgehog' character | |
 Gerald Robotnik, as seen in Sonic X | |
| First game | Sonic Adventure 2 |
Professor Gerald Robotnik (ジラルド・ロボトニック, Jirarudo Robotonikku) is a fictional character in the Sonic the Hedgehog universe. The grandfather of Doctor Eggman, Professor Gerald Robotnik is the creator of Shadow the Hedgehog and was introduced in Sonic Adventure 2. He also created the Space Colony ARK and was noted as "one of the most brilliant minds of all time." According to Sonic X, Gerald was 170 cm tall and weighed 88 kg[1].
Professor Gerald loved his granddaughter, Maria Robotnik, and was working on a cure for a fatal illness she had, until GUN came. Maria was killed by GUN while assisting Shadow in escaping them.
Backstory
Sonic Adventure 2
Prof. Robotnik had just launched the ARK. The current president of the United Federation came forth and requested his expertise on a project involving prevention of death: an immortality formula. Gerald was outraged by the thought and told the President that he would not work on such a project, for fear it would be easily abused. However, his granddaughter Maria Robotnik had been suffering from an illness known as "NIDS" (Neuro-Immune Deficiency Syndrome), which had no known cure. Knowing that otherwise she might die, Gerald reluctantly agreed to work on the project.
While he himself called it the Ultimate Life Form, his doubtful coworkers frequently referred to it as "Project Shadow", due to its nigh impossible goal, akin to catching one's shadow. The name stuck, and eventually Gerald officially referred to the project as Project Shadow. As revealed in Sonic Battle, during this time, he also came across an ancient robot known as the Gizoid, which was able to copy melee and weapon abilities and use them. The government and its military organizations became uneasy about Project Shadow, believing that is could be a potential threat to Earth. To buy some time, Gerald gave them the Gizoid to use for their own purposes. However, this did not change their feelings about "Shadow". After the creation of Shadow, Gerald went on to do other things, while he was away, GUN eventually attacked the ARK. Maria was killed and Shadow was launched toward Earth.
When the professor found out that Maria was killed by GUN, he lost his grip on sanity. During some time, he created a program that would smash the ARK into the Earth, destroying it. In order for the program to work, it needed to be powered by the seven chaos emeralds. Whether or not he completed the trap at said time is somewhat debatable, due to the fact that his final recording in Sonic Adventure 2 was done while he was in custody (and moments from execution). Some speculate that he took the time during the military's invasion to 'program' the Biolizard for the destruction of humanity (for a long time, it was believed that he programmed Shadow's mind, but this would result in a plot hole, and it is now believed that he was speaking of the Biolizard, as that removes the plot hole), while others suspect it was done in secret during Professor Gerald's time in prison.
Shadow the Hedgehog
In the storyline of Shadow the Hedgehog, the alien Black Doom reveals to Shadow that Gerald teamed up with him to create the Ultimate Lifeform. Shadow's purpose was to serve both of them, as part of an agreement: Gerald would have Shadow to further his research, while Black Doom would have Shadow to collect the Chaos Emeralds for his own sinister purposes: to use Chaos Control to bring the Black Comet, the home of his alien species, down to Earth and conquer it. In the last story, the Chaotix activate a lost video in the ARK that is played in numerous places (GUN Headquarters, Black Comet...) and it says the following:
Shadow, my son...
If you're listening to this, then the worst has happened... you need to know the truth. The government plans to shut down this research facility...
The government plans to cease all of our research... and imprison all who know about you. I made a terrible mistake, Shadow... It's all my fault... making contact with that Comet...
Now listen very carefully...
In fifty years, the Black Comet will return... They plan to harness its powers to destroy this planet! The only way to stop them... was to develop a way to use the very power THEY intended to use AGAINST them. Shadow... it's up to you and only you can stop them! I developed the Eclipse Cannon... It's the only weapon that can destroy that Black Comet. Shadow, you are the only hope to save mankind as we know it... The future of this planet depends on... you!
It turns out that before Gerald went insane, unlike his grandson, he was actually a good person, like Maria. It wasn't until her death that he abandoned his original intentions for the Eclipse Cannon and decided to use it on the Earth.
Creations of Gerald
Here is listed the robots and lifeforms and other things that Professor Gerald created.
The Space Colony ARK
The former home of Gerald, Maria, the commander of G.U.N, and various researchers and soldiers, the ARK is a gigantic space colony where great research used to be performed. While Gerald focused on making inventions for the good of mankind (such as the Chaos Drives and Heal Units), little known devices of mass destruction were being made (The Ultimate Lifeform and the Eclipse Cannon), mostly under the influence of Black Doom. When Shadow failed to protect the ARK from an inside attack , the ARK was shut down. Many died (including Maria) and Gerald himself went insane. The ARK was later rediscovered by Doctor Eggman, who used it as a temporary base. After this, it seems GUN took control over the ARK once again.
Eclipse Cannon
The Eclipse Cannon is an extremely powerful weapon that is located inside the "nose" of the Space Colony ARK. It is powered by Chaos Emeralds, and can destroy planets or even stars with all seven. Gerald built it to destroy the Black Arms when they arrived near Earth, but after he went insane, he reprogrammed it to send the ARK flying into the Earth the next time it was activated with all seven Emeralds.
Artificial Chaos
Artificial Chaos are Gerald's first noteworthy creations. They resemble Chaos from Sonic Adventure and are most likely modeled after him as Maria states that Gerald created them based on "a god of an ancient culture". The Artificial Chaos are made up of a core (the head, shaped like that of Chaos 0) and trillions of nanobots that both protect the core and provide the body for it. While the early Artificial Chaos seen in Shadow the Hedgehog had red, half-closed eyes and red marking on their heads, the final Artificial Chaos from Sonic Adventure 2 have larger green eyes and an emblem on their foreheads.
When first created they began acting out and attacking the ARK (according to Gerald in Shadow the Hedgehog's Expert Mode, they had their electrode conductors reversed), but GUN (and possibly Shadow), stopped them. They were later repaired, and then adopted by the government to protect the ARK. In Shadow the Hedgehog when the Black Arms invade the ARK, Doom's Eye calls the Artificial Chaos "the legacy of Gerald" and then announced that they belonged to the Black Arms now, suggesting that the aliens somehow took control of them. There are several types of Artificial Chaos that are listed below.
Somewhat notable is the fact that if Shadow stands around on the Lost Impact level where one hunts for the Artificial Chaos for some time, Shadow says "The research experiments are resonating with me... I can feel it".
Artificial Chaos P-1
These Artificial Chaos, which are believed to be the first prototype of the series (hence the name), are tall, stationary, and are able to pull their head into its body to protect itself. They had the ability to cling to any surface and attacked using either a laser built into its eyes, long tentacle-like extensions from its body, or a combination of both.
Float Type Artificial Chaos
These Artficial Chaos would float in midair with its water-part shaped as a large sphere. It either waits for someone to come within range, or floats toward them in the air. They attack with the same tentacles and lasers as the normal one.
Artificial Chaos P-100
This type of Artificial Chaos, which are believed to be the final prototype for the Artificial Chaos line (hence their name), have the ability to split up the nanobots that make up its body into dozens of smaller robots called "Cells". This, however, left the head open to attack and easy to destroy. When the head was destroyed, all the Cells that it spawned would self-destruct. These are also believed to be the version that Shadow destroyed when they ran amok on the ARK, though they acted a bit different, as they attacked with tentacles and only split up when damaged. In Shadow the Hedgehog, they can also grow to immense sizes, possibly by fusing with each other (several GUN soldiers suggest this during the attack).
Artificial Chaos Cell
When the Artificial Chaos P-100 splits its body up, the pieces turn into small blob-like cyborgs that are referred to as its "cells". In Sonic Adventure 2, the cells would crawl on the ground and try to surround you, at which point they would start to self-destruct. In Shadow the Hedgehog, they would emerge from the body of the P-100 when struck, would float around the body for a few seconds, and then re-merge with the head. The cells would all be destroyed when the head is taken out.The cells look sort of like the P-100's head though.
Project Gizoid
Project Gizoid was Gerald's experiments with the ancient robotic being known as the Gizoid. Gerald discovered that the robot could mimic anything it saw, and that it was powered up by Chaos Emeralds. Gerald soon had to hand the Gizoid over to to the impatient government in order to buy time for research on his Project Shadow. After the government did their own experiments with the Gizoid, it went crazy and destroyed a large part of the ARK, leading to the government closing down Project Shadow and the ARK itself.
Project Shadow
Project Shadow was Gerald's project to create the Ultimate Lifeform, a being that would be immortal and would never age. The project was successful, but was deemed too dangerous by the government, who sent GUN to shut it down. It was named "Shadow" due to the fact that creating a shadow is impossible[2].
Biolizard
Biolizard was the prototype to the Ultimate Lifeform. It was a giant lizard hooked up to a life support system. The Biolizard was deemed a failure as it went out of control and had to be sealed up. After Gerald went insane, he programmed the Biolizard to stop anyone from hindering the ARK crashing into the Earth, but it was eventually destroyed.
Shadow the Hedgehog
Gerald's most brilliant achievement, this was the finished result of Project Shadow, the immortal Ultimate Lifeform who would never age. Shadow was created after Gerald had gone into a pact with the alien leader Black Doom, using his alien blood to create Shadow with a promise that Shadow would help Black Doom retrieve the Chaos Emeralds 50 years later. However, Project Shadow was cancelled a week after Shadow was completed[2], and Shadow was eventually captured and hidden away by GUN.
Chaos Drives
Chaos Drives are small, rod-like power cores that Gerald invented while researching Chaos Emeralds[2]. They come in red, green, yellow and purple, and are commonly used in GUN robots. They only appear in Sonic Adventure 2, where they can be collected after destroying GUN robots and used for Chao raising.
Heal Units
Portable devices that look very similar to the Item Boxes that are found in most Sonic games, but contain a light blue energy of some kind. Upon being thrown, the boxes break and spread out the energy within a small area, replenishing the health of anyone that touches it. They are still used to this day by GUN, and were thought by Maria to be Gerald's greatest invention. The Heal Unit may have inspired the creation of the Heal Cannon, a bazooka-like "weapon" that fires energy shots with the same healing capabilities.
Diary and journal
Sonic Adventure 2
In Sonic Adventure 2, Gerald had written a diary on his computer and put it on a disc. This is what he wrote:
"I don't quite know what happened or what went wrong. Was it a mistake to create the ultimate lifeform? I thought it would be something that would benefit mankind. But then the military guards landed on the colony that day. They were sent to destroy the research project that I had been working on. My colleagues at the research facility, my granddaughter, Maria, I hope you are all safe. The colony was completely shut down, probably to keep the prototype from falling into the wrong hands.
The ARK was shut down under the premise that there had been an accident. I found Maria's name among those who died when the ARK was shut down. She meant everything to me and I couldn't bear the thought that she died because of my research. I lost everything. I had nothing more to live for... I went insane. All I could think about was to avenge her...somehow, someway. I got scared as I no longer was able to control my thoughts. All I could think about was that I wanted it all to end.
"Based on my original projections, I was able to complete my project: Shadow. I designed its mind to be perfect, pure. I will leave everything to him. If you wish, release and awaken it, to the world. If you wish to fill the world with destruction..."
Eggman had read this before the story's events and then decided to free Shadow from the military base in order to conquer the world.
Sonic Battle
Research on the Gizoid is also documented in his journal which was revealed in Sonic Battle. It is shown when the characters' stories are finished twice.
-Entry #1
"I have uncovered a most interesting specimen from the warehouse. I believe it is some sort of puppet or robot made by ancient people. At first, I didn't think anything of it, but when I was experimenting on a Chaos Emerald it began to move. This suggests the possibility that even the ancient civilizations could harness the power of the Chaos Emeralds.
When I was researching various papers related to the power of the Chaos Emeralds and this robot, I discovered that there was a possibility that this robot was something incredible. I don't want to get ahead of myself, but this robot may be the cause of the destruction of the Fourth Great Civilization. I'm not sure I believe it just yet, though."
-Entry #2
"I am no longer able to ignore the possibility that this robot did in fact destroy the Fourth Great Civilization. I have discovered a stone tablet that explains as much. According to the tablet, 'When the figure falls from the heavens, and the Stone of the Gods is joined, all that exists will become one again.' Though it is difficult to believe, this robot has been watching my movements, and mimicking all that I do.
I was amazed by my scans of this being. Surprisingly, reams and reams of data scrolled and caused my most powerful computer to crash. More intriguing was that the data was all about melee combat and weapons of that age. Eventually, if this being is ever restored to its former state, it will put all that data to use, and recreate all the weaponry and combat abilities that it once had... And that's not all. If my guesses are correct, it will also have the ability to absorb modern weaponry as well. What have I done? I have uncovered a horrible weapon."
-Entry #3
"I now understand why this being was named 'Gizoid'. In the ancient tongue, it means 'everything'. According to the stone tablet, if the Gizoid establishes a 'link' with someone, the Gizoid will swear loyalty to that person. Perhaps it still lacks Chaos Emerald energy, but it has still been saying the word 'Link' to me in broken tones. It went on to explain, 'Show me your true strength and I shall obey. I am all things, and all shall belong to me.' So as it suggested, I brought before it my collection of model guns, and fired them all. Then, suddenly, it said, 'I shall follow your every command, and never leave your side.' And since then, it refuses to listen to anyone but me. While it still remains under my control, at least it won't be used for evil. However, if someone with evil intentions ever forms a 'Link' with the Gizoid... I don't even want to think about what will happen. I must research how one can re-establish a 'Link' with the Gizoid."
-Entry #4
"The upper echeion is going crazy. Perhaps they aim to freeze Project 'Shadow'. Soon the ultimate life form, 'Shadow' will be completed... The application to my granddaughter is also innocent. I cannot just let them stop my study at this point. Because I am the only one who can save my granddaughter's life."
-Entry #5
"The higher-ups are threatening to shut down this research facility. I had no choice but to hand them the Gizoid to buy more time for my research. I tried to be careful and commanded it to never absorb any dangerous technologies. However, I have heard that other researchers have been making the Gizoid absorb weapons. Apparently, the way to cause the Gizoid to form a new 'Link' is to show it power that surpasses any of its former master. While this poses immense danger, I cannot risk losing Maria."
-Entry #6
"My worst fears have come true. The Gizoid has absorbed enough weaponry and technology that it has started to go out of control. The resulting rampage resulted in the destruction of most of the Ark.
...I have deciphered the rest of the stone tablet. It says, 'When the Gizoid had learned all that it could, it became a god of wrath, and all was destroyed.' The researchers somehow managed to subdue the Gizoid and sealed it away. Luckily, it only had one Chaos Emerald installed. If it were to have all 7 Emeralds installed, it might destroy the whole planet. The Gizoid is too much of a liability. I tried destroying its core, but nothing I did worked. I understand too little of the technology that built him. My best hope is to try and reprogram its AI into a free-willed, emotions-based AI..."
-Entry #7
"I have heard there was an accident at the research facility... ... ... Everything...Everything is gone. My own Maria's name was among the list of casualties. My beloved granddaughter... They tell me her parting words were 'Bring hope to humanity.'
I have decided that the keyword to activate the Gizoid's free-willed emotions-based AI program will be those very words. 'Bring hope to all humanity.' My poor, poor Maria..."
-Entry #8
"A heritage of the past I dug out, 'Gizoid'... And the ultimate life form I created with my own hands, Shadow... I have equipped both with a heart.
If all powers are not what is to be obtained for oneself, but what is to be born from hearts that yearn for someone, I believe all conflicts should cease to exist.
Please...If there is anyone listening to my prayers... bring hope to humanity."
Sonic X
A small portion of Gerald's diary is seen only on the anime series Sonic X, where Eggman finds it[3].
20XX-OO-08
"How could you possibly believe someone would throw ME into jail?!
Union Army Prison? Oh, hell.
I am the father of the pseudo-perpetual mobile "Chaos Drive" for christ's sakes.
Could this possibly be the sinister conspiracy of those attempting to take over "Eclipse Cannon" and "Artificial Chaos"?
Then I'll show them that I am not going to succumb to such immorality. For the complete picture of the ultimate biosis development project "Shadow" lies only in my mind..."
Voice actors
- Sonic Adventure 2 - Marc Biagi
- Sonic X, Shadow the Hedgehog - Mike Pollock
References
In addition to information taken from the Sonic the Hedgehog games themselves, content from the instruction booklets of the U.S. and Japanese versions of the games were also used as references for this article.
