Knuckles has taken the spotlight over Sonic in the new Paramount series. With all eyes now on the red echidna, some wonder why Knuckles is called Dreds by some Sonic fans.
Officially, Knuckles is not called Dreds, though some believe that Dreds was originally going to be his name. This is a reference to his hair which looks very much like dreadlocks, at least in his original game designs.
Was Knuckles Originally Jamaican? Dreds Nickname Explained
Knuckles the Echidna is an iconic Sonic the Hedgehog character. He originally debuted in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 as the villain and Sonic’s rival. Soon though, he became one of Sonic’s closest friends.
Since then, Knuckles has been a constant presence in the various Sonic the Hedgehog games. He even appeared in the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie where he was voiced by Idris Elba.
When the concept for Knuckles was being developed, it was reported that the Knuckles is supposed to be Jamaican in origin, or at least his look takes cues from Jamaican style.
For instance, Knuckles may be red, but he has green and yellow accents in his footwear which may be a reference to the Jamaican flag.
What’s more, his hair is patterned to look like dreadlocks, to the point that he was supposed to be called Dreds originally.
There have been many discussions about this on various sites like Reddit, and it was even reported by The Gamer. It’s said that Knuckles's Jamaican origins are detailed in a Sonic guidebook.
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Is Knuckles the Echidna Called Dreds in the New Paramount Series?
Paramount+ recently released a new miniseries that’s simply titled Knuckles, and it sees Idris Elba reprise his role as the red echidna.
This series is six episodes long and premiered today. Its story is set between the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and the upcoming third movie.
Given that the new series is set in the same continuity as the movies, Knuckles is not Jamaican here, and he’s not really called Dreds.
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Sonic Prime’s Knuckles the Dread: Is it a Dreds Reference?
In the Sonic Prime Netflix series (which is not in the same universe as the live-action movies), there’s a character called Knuckles the Dread.
This character is an alternate version of Knuckles, and he’s not a reference to Knuckles’ supposed Jamaican heritage. Instead, he is more akin to the typical pirates in fiction.
Have you started watching the new Knuckles series? Share with us what you think about it in the comments.
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