Sonic the Hedgehog Returns

Sonic the Hedgehog Returns (abbreviated to SatAMR) is a Sonic the Hedgehog fanfiction series created and written by Ryan Nurse and Animatron Studios. It is presented as a reboot and spiritual sequel to the 1993 animated series Sonic the Hedgehog (Sonic SatAM), featuring the same main cast and premise but with significant alterations, as well as a number of new characters.

The series is set in a dystopian future where the evil Dr. Robotnik has taken over the planet Mobius, converting almost all of its population into cyborg slaves. A band of Freedom Fighters, led by Sonic and Princess Sally Acorn, fight to overthrow Robotnik, free Mobius' citizens, and restore peace to the planet.

Setting
The series takes place in the far future on the planet Mobius, which had previous been ruled by the peaceful Kingdom of Acorn. Ovi Kintobor, one of the king's main scientific advisors, was testing a new invention when it backfired, transforming him into a being of pure evil. The scientist, now calling himself Dr. Ivo Robotnik, began building a robot army and eventually overthrew the Kingdom of Acorn in a violent coup d'etat. Robotnik banished the usurped king to a parallel dimension, the Phantom Zone, and transformed Mobius into a polluted, heavily-mechanized planet, its citizens turned into his robotic slaves.

The king's daughter, Princess Sally Acorn, managed to escape the fall of the royal capital and was taken to Knothole, a sanctuary hidden in the Great Forest that Robotnik is unable to find. Ten years after Robotnik's coup, she and several other survivors have banded together to form a resistance group known as the Freedom Fighters, who battle to defeat Robotnik, restore the monarchy, and de-roboticize the populace.

Returning

 * Sonic the Hedgehog: The cocky, arrogant, self-proclaimed leader of the Freedom Fighters. His super-speed makes him an invaluable member of the resistance movement, and he is considered by both sides to be the rebels' greatest hope.
 * Princess Sally Acorn: The true leader of the Freedom Fighters and rightful ruler of Mobius, whose father was deposed by Robotnik during his coup. She admires Sonic's ability, but is also frustrated by his arrogance and recklessness.
 * Bunnie Rabbot: A rabbit girl who the Freedom Fighters saved from being roboticized, though her legs and right arm are still bionic. She is able to convert her arm into a powerful laser cannon, and her robotic limbs give her super-strength and endurance.
 * Antoine d'Coolette: The son of the former Royal Guard leader. Though a skilled and willing fighter, he is traumatized by his memories of Robotnik's coup and freezes up whenever he sees a SWATbot.
 * Rotor Walrus: The Freedom Fighters' lead technician and engineer. His rotund physique makes him unfit for field work, but his technical skills are unparalleled.
 * Miles "Tails" Prower: A young orphan taken in and raised by the Freedom Fighters, particularly Sally and Sonic. He is Rotor's apprentice, and the only one capable of flying his plane, the Tornado.

New

 * Amy Rose: A young hedgehog eager to join the Freedom Fighters. She has a huge crush on Sonic, and is the head (and only member) of his official fan club. Despite her cutesy appearance, her Piko Piko Hammer is deadly.
 * Knuckles the Echidna: The guardian of the Master Emerald, a jewel said to contain infinite power. While he cannot leave his post, he is happy to give the Freedom Fighters information about the Chaos Emeralds.
 * Sgt. Nero: An ex-Royal Guard member and the leader of a separate faction of Freedom Fighters. When his own group is betrayed and destroyed, he moves to Knothole to join Sonic. He fights using a plasma gun.
 * Solstice the Fox: A messenger who worked for Nero's freedom fighter group, and who joins the Knothole Freedom Fighters at the same time as him. She is very nimble and agile.
 * The Chaotix: A group of freedom fighters led by the powerful Vector the Crocodile.

Villains

 * Dr. Ivo Robotnik: Formerly a kindly scientist and advisor named Ovi Kintobor, a tragic accident completely reversed his personality, turning him evil. He took over Mobius in a violent coup and has reduced most of the planet to a polluted, deserted wasteland.
 * Snively Kintobor: Robotnik's nephew and right-hand-man.
 * Metal Sonic: A machine constructed by Robotnik in Sonic's image, in an attempt to outclass the original. Metal Sonic will appear throughout the series, and in at least two different versions.
 * Nack the Weasel: A bounty hunter and mercenary occasionally hired by Robotnik. He rides a motorbike, the Marvelous Queen, and carries a revolver.
 * Bark the Polar Bear: A bounty hunter and mercenary occasionally hired by Robotnik. He is calm, and speaks seldomly, but is immensely strong and powerful.
 * Bean the Dynamite: Bark's partner and fellow bounty hunter. He is fast-talking, excitable, and loves explosives.

Changes from the original series
[note: these may be merged into individual character pages]

Existing characters
Sally Acorn's personality has been altered to make her more of a tsundere. She cares deeply for Sonic, but is irritated by his arrogance and recklessness; she knows he is the resistance's greatest hope and hates to see him put himself in harm's way. Her outfit has been changed from the original series, in which she wore merely an open jacket and boots: in SatAMR the jacket is buttoned up, and she also wears shorts. Her computer, NICOLE, has been redesigned into a clamshell device resembling a Nintendo 3DS, incorporating a holographic projection of her lynx form from the comics, as well as her original comics backstory (that she had been created by Sally's future self and sent back in time).

Antoine's personality and backstory have been altered so that he contracted post-traumatic stress disorder after witnessing the fall of the royal capital, explaining his extreme fear of Robotnik's machines; he is also much less arrogant and antagonistic towards Sonic. Bunnie's arm cannon from the comics was incorporated into the series, with the added detail that its energy usage causes her to become drowsy afterwards.

Neither Dulcy nor the Wolf Pack will appear in SatAMR.

New characters
Several characters who did not appear in SatAM are set to appear in SatAMR, including Amy Rose and Knuckles. While Amy joins the Freedom Fighters, Knuckles will only appear in his capacity as guardian of the Master Emerald, as in Sonic Underground. Nack, Bark, and Bean will appear as occasional antagonists, as will Metal Sonic, who Robotnik constructs in an attempt to outmatch Sonic. The Chaotix are set to appear in an unspecified role, comprising Vector, Espio, Charmy, Mighty, and Honey the Cat as their secretary.

Nurse has stated that he wishes to limit both the quantity and prominence of "original characters" within SatAMR. However, alternate versions of Mystery the Hedgehog and Solstice the Fox (the former renamed "Sgt. Nero") will appear as members of the Freedom Fighters. Other original characters are as yet unknown.

Characters exclusive to the Archie Comics series are not set to appear, due to copyright issues, although Nurse has previously stated his intent to add Mina Mongoose as a cast member. The Nocturnus Clan, who heavily resemble the comics' Dark Legion, will appear as the primary antagonists of a story arc at the end of Season 1, loosely adapting Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. Tiara Boobowski, the lead heroine of the cancelled Sonic Xtreme game, will appear in an episode inspired by said game.

Planned content
The series is planned to comprise 2 seasons of 26 episodes each, for a total of 52 episodes, which would make it the longest of Nurse's projects (not counting projects that lack a set length).