Knuckles The Echidna Sprite

Knuckles the Echidna (ナックルズ・ザ・エキドゥナ Nakkurusu za Ekiduna?) is a fictional, anthropomorphic red echidna with a white crescent symbol on his chest from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Both physically powerful and highly resilient, Knuckles is the last guardian of the Master Emerald, a powerful ancient relic which is his solemn duty to protect from anyone who wants to steal it. For a long time, he was thought to be the last of the echidna race, until the Nocturnus Clan was revealed to still be active.

Knuckles' name is derived from his four knuckles—two on each hand—which are actually sharp spikes. According to official Sonic Team polls, Knuckles is the fourth most popular character in the series, behind Tails, Shadow, and Sonic.

His first game appearance was in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, released on February 2, 1994 for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. He was described as being 15 years old when he made his debut, but since Sonic Adventure, he is now given the age of 16. Knuckles has two spikes on each hand, and his dominant trait is his strength and that can be used to dig. He can also glide by trapping air under his dreadlocks, can climb up walls with ease, and is very skilled at a wide variety of martial art forms.