Who did Knuckles best?

[castell-neath]

With it being Knuckles week, I was wondering what people's views were on "who did it best" with Knuckles in the various comic series?

I'll be honest and say my only exposure has been to fleetway's STC in the 90s and the 4 volumes of the IDW "Collection" series. I am aware of Archie's series and Penders' shenanigans but am no expert by far.

Based on the two that I do know, I'd probably go with Fleetway. I know it was a different era - Pre Shadow - but I feel they did a great job of introducing him as a serious, hard as nails rival to Sonic, and did a great job of writing him as an antagonistic ally of Sonic in the later half of the Death Egg Saga.  After this, he was shown as an independent, tough, one man band wrecking machine ridding all Traces of Eggman and as a very competent investigator solving a range of mysteries.

Idw do a decent job of him...in limited doses, from what I've seen.  That being said, he's just shown as a guardian who has no real value or input to the stories being told. Tangle and Whisper are more involved in the stories, and when he does appear its only grudgingly and only in a rather  self centred "protect the emerald"  manner. I just feel he's not as cool / tough / clever as Fleetway Knuckles and would love to see him developed far more.

What do others think?

Edited April 25 by castell-neath

[The Swordsman]

I really liked what Ian was able to do with him in the Archie series, with the battle against Dr. Finitevus being my favorite moment for the old run. Though pre-reboot Archie is really too different IMO to really count as your quintessential Knuckles so my vote instead has to go to how hes portrayed in the Classic Era of the IDW comics. (with the Knuckles vs Shadow arc post reboot coming in a close second)

[MetalSkulkBane]

My favorite Knuckles will always be the Sonic X version.

Thanks to the unique setting this was the most active take on character. He traveled, he had adventures, he fought robot ninjas and mafia. He TREASURE HUNT, Knuckles was an actual treasure hunt. Also, Knorouge was at its peak.

Admittedly part of his 'strength' was everyone's weakness AKA Amy, Cream and Tails being much more useless.

There is a lot to say about other versions, but maybe later.

[StreetSonic2022]

I enjoyed Ian Flynn's run for Knuckles, both pre-reboot and post-reboot eras of Archie and currently in IDW, despite being now in the backburner. I also think Karl Bollers did a splendid job during the Return of Angel Island arc. If it weren't for a certain writer having hissy fits and clashing with him, I would want more Knuckles' adventures from Bollers.

Edited Wednesday at 01:47 PM by StreetSonic2022

[cosmichaos]

I'd agree that Fleetway's Knuckles was the best iteration of the character, but Movie Knuckles was pretty great too. I haven't read all of Archie (namely because I'm just not as interested in it as I am in Fleetway), but he seems like he can either be the best character in the series and then quickly become the worst at the drop of a hat, and then go back to being the best (thanks, Ken Penders). Frontiers/Ian Flynn's Knuckles is alright. I liked him most of the time in Frontiers, but I think the problem that the modern cast suffer from is they just appear as too one dimensional sometimes.

So, yeah, I'd say my vote goes to Fleetway Knuckles. He retained that "cool guy" personality without overdoing it or being vastly out of what had already been established as his characters. I also really liked his chemistry with Sonic.

[Maple Syrup]

Movie Knucks

[GeAr-DX]

My favorite is X, because it's just the canon Knuckles in a different (even if not to much) setting, he has that serene and headstrong personality that is more common in japanese media. Also, the show gives a good amount of attention to him even after Shadow appeared. To me, Knuckles must be a recurrent rival and not only a friend. Until today I disliked the idea in Generations of putting Metal-Sonic as a rival in the classic era, I know that he's a rival, but the relationship with him is more of a enemy, he should be a boss instead.

After him it's the Paramount version, I like that his innocent warrior personality, which is very close of that serene and headstrong that I talked. I think he was a perfect adaption for a different setting.

My least favorite, without any doubt, it's the Archie-Knuckles while Penders was writing. Penders normally never get the characters right, and Knuckles wasn't a exception and was the worst in this part. He just transformed Knuckles lore in Superman and after that made everything in the comics work to make him the perfect character, the only one above him was Locke.