- For other uses, see Time Eater (disambiguation).
The Time Eater (タイム・イーター Taimu Ītā?) is a character that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Initially an ancient[2] supernatural creature with dominion over time and space, the Time Eater was discovered by Dr. Eggman who used it in an attempt to conquer the world by erasing his past failures at the hands of Sonic the Hedgehog with the help of Classic Eggman, his past self. After inflicting almost irreversible damage to the universe, the Time Eater was used by the doctors to face Sonic's past and present selves in an attempt to erase Sonic completely but was destroyed in the ensuing battle.
Appearance[]
In its primordial form, the Time Eater was but a floating dark mass. This mass had a sinister glowing face in its middle, showing narrow eyes and a serrated mouth.
In its incomplete modified form, the Time Eater was a ghostly humanoid whose body seemed to be made up of purple smoke. It had no legs, a wide chest, and five-fingered hands with sharp claws. It also had a dark, low-set face with two horn-like protrusions on top of it, blue-glowing eyes, and a blue-glowing mouth with several sharp teeth. Lastly, it had various gears floating behind its back.
In its completed modified form, the Time Eater was a complex robotic being whose parts were constantly moving. It retained its incomplete form's facial expression and low-set face, except now it consisted of what could be described as a black mask. Its face had many pointed edges, including pointed edges that seemed to be its top row of teeth. It also had long ears/horns and a mechanical jaw with golden teeth and gears. Its upper body had two cockpits with purple-colored dome covers for the Egg Mobile to fit into, and had purple-glowing spikes all around it. Directly below its lower body, it had a purple-glowing orb held in place by golden claws attached to a thin spine. Its lower torso was an additional joint with purple-glowing bulbs surrounding his spine and golden frames surrounding its purple-glowing surfaces. It also had four arms (two on its upper body and two on its lower torso), each one thin with layers of golden gears and spinning disks along them, a purple-glowing spike near its elbows, and round hands with five golden fingers each and purple-glowing claws. Lastly, it had three sets of wings on its back, each one having golden gears at the joins and hexagonal-based energy fields as membranes.
In the Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Generations, the Time Eater's complete modified form was different: it lacked its lower torso and had only one pair of wings.
History[]
Past[]
The Time Eater discovered by Dr. Eggman, from the console/PC version of Sonic Generations.
The Time Eater was originally an ancient supernatural being of unknown origin whose primordial form drifted through the space of Sonic's universe. Eventually, he was found by Dr. Eggman, Cubot and Orbot at some point after the Wisp incident. Discovering the Time Eater's abilities, Eggman had the idea of using it to undo his numerous defeats at the hands of Sonic by erasing Sonic's history, thus changing his failed attempts for world conquest to successes. Taking the Time Eater with him, Eggman converted it into a cyborg-like machine that let him control it, though he needed help from someone as smart as himself to perfect the process. Even so, Eggman began using the Time Eater to interfere with history.[3]
Sonic X Shadow Generations[]
Sonic Generations[]
In the console/PC version of Sonic Generations, the Time Eater traveled back in time to the past during Classic Sonic's time period in order to enter White Space. Back in the present, the Time Eater crashed a birthday party for Modern Sonic (the current Sonic) where Eggman had it create Time Holes that scattered Sonic's friends throughout time to bait Sonic into his traps. In the process, the Time Eater knocked out Modern Sonic when he tried to stop him and took him to White Space too.[4]
The Time Eater reappeared in the aftermath of Classic Sonic's victory over the Death Egg Robot on the Death Egg where Eggman had it abduct his Classic self to help finish construction of its new mechanical form.[5] With Classic Eggman agreeing to help, the two doctors teamed up to defeat the Sonics and complete the Time Eater. As the Time Eater tore apart more eras in time, it passed through White Space several times, during which it collided with a Chaos Emerald.[6] When Modern Sonic later defeated the Egg Dragoon, the Time Eater appeared briefly and took Modern Eggman with it.[7]
The Time Eater defeated, from the console/PC version of Sonic Generations.
After the Time Eater had been perfected, both Classic and Modern Sonic arrived in its dimension, having teamed up to stop it. It was then that Modern and Classic Eggman revealed themselves as the ones controlling the Time Eater. As they explained everything to the heroes, the doctors unveiled their endgame: to destroy both Sonics with the Time Eater and erase the Sonics from the timeline entirely. The Sonics tried engaging the Time Eater, but Modern Eggman ambushed them by launching the Time Eater's arm through a Time Hole, squashing the duo. As the Time Eater got ready to finish them off, however, Sonic's friends arrived and cheered them on, causing the Chaos Emeralds to emerge and transform the pair into Super Sonics.[8] The Sonics then faced the Time Eater in another dimension and destroyed it, leaving both Eggmen stranded in White Space and undoing all of the Time Eater's actions.[9]
Shadow Generations[]
In Shadow Generations, the Time Eater appeared at the Space Colony ARK, emerging from a Time Hole to erase history and sending Shadow to White Space in the process. The Time Eater also encountered E-123 Omega and Big the Cat elsewhere, pulling them into White Space too. Black Doom took advantage of these temporal anomalies to form his own section of White Space around the Black Moon, where he would torment Shadow and imbue him with Doom Powers in an attempt to take over his body and soul.
Personality[]
As its unique nature implies, the Time Eater is more of a universal force than a living creature; when Espio the Chameleon looked into its soul, he saw only darkness.[10] The Time Eater is mostly devoid of intelligence, acting like a mindless monster and roaring instead of speaking. It seems to possess limited capacity for independent thought, being one of the few beings who could be totally controlled by Dr. Eggman without betraying him or breaking free of his control. However, it still has some form of awareness, growling and showing a dislike of dangerous objects such as the Chaos Emeralds.
Powers and abilities[]
The Time Eater is a very powerful being, requiring the combined power of two Super State users to be defeated.
The immense strength of the Time Eater, from the console/PC version of Sonic Generations.
In its modified state, the Time Eater has demonstrated immense super strength; even in his incomplete form, it easily knocked Modern and Classic Sonic unconscious with a single hit. After being completed, the Time Eater was able to effortlessly repel both Classic and Modern Sonic's and knock them out using brute force alone (Eggman even admitted he was holding back the Time Eater's strength) and even briefly immobilize Super Sonic in his grasp. It is also capable of flight at high speed, even when compared to Super State users, but is ultimately not as fast as Super Sonic.
The Time Eater's warping arm attack, from the console/PC version of Sonic Generations.
The Time Eater can form yellow homing shots in his hands that can track the opponent and fire them in several rows. It can also perform a move called the "warping arm attack" where it detaches his arms and sends them through space-time to attack the foe from across space and time, allowing it to strike opponent from afar and at select points in the future, making this move ideal for ambushes and impossible to predict.
The Time Eater is capable of energy projection, allowing it to fire small purple orbs that can immobilize the opponent, form a large, vortex-like laser, manipulate objects in a manner similar to telekinesis or fire up to three small green lasers as seen in the 3DS version. Its arguably most powerful attack though is the Sun Burst where it summons a miniature sun and fires it at the opponent. This attack is so powerful that it requires the power of two Super Sonics to repel it.
The Time Eater creating Time Holes, from the console/PC version of Sonic Generations.
The Time Eater possesses a vast mastery over space-time manipulation so advanced that can interfere with alternate timelines such as Crisis City or Stardust Speedway's bad future, both of which are supposed to be removed from the original timeline. Its primary application of this skill is its ability to obliterate time and space, allowing it to erase events and places from history. Its signature skill, however, is creating Time Holes,"[11] spatial rifts that lead to different points across time and space, including alternate timelines and different dimensions. It can also build up time energy to cast a seal resembling a watch interior which can slow down the time float without affecting itself. In the Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Generations, it can also form clock-shaped shields that can block even a Super Sonic Boost.
Despite its vast dominion over time and space, the Time Eater's temporal abilities are a double-edged sword; when moving through time, it literally tears space apart by removing places from their time, drains them of color and life, and sends them to White Space, a strange world devoid of space and time. Living creatures put into this state experience it as "floating without a body in a black limbo." This process effectively damages the world and throws the universe into chaos,[11] which can bring the end of the world and possibly reality itself, making the Time Eater one of the most dangerous beings in the series.
Relationships[]
Friends/allies[]
Neutral[]
Enemies[]
- Amy Rose
- Blaze the Cat
- Big the Cat
- Chao
- Cheese
- Cream the Rabbit
- E-123 Omega
- Knuckles the Echidna
- Miles "Tails" Prower
- Rouge the Bat
- Shadow the Hedgehog
- Shadow Chao
- Silver the Hedgehog
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- Sonic Chao
- Team Chaotix
In other media[]
Books and comics[]
Archie Comics[]
The Time Eater, from Sonic the Hedgehog #230.
In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics, the Time Eater's first appearance was in Sonic the Hedgehog #230 as part of the comic's adaptation of Sonic Generations. Since this took place in an alternate reality, the events did not completely happen in the comic's main timeline.
During the Worlds Collide crossover, the Time Eater came into existence when Drs. Eggman and Wily rewrote the timeline with the Genesis Wave. Dr. Light also implied that, unlike in the games, Dr. Eggman failed to take control of the Time Eater and needed Sonic to save him. Following the reboot of the continuity due to the Super Genesis Wave, the Time Eater became a part of the new timeline, identical to its game counterpart.
IDW Publishing[]
The Time Eater, from Sonic the Hedgehog #5.
In the Sonic the Hedgehog series and its spin-offs published by IDW Publishing, the Time Eater was one of the many means Dr. Eggman used to threaten the world with. Eventually, the Time Eater and Dr. Eggman faced off against Sonic the Hedgehog, but were defeated.[12]
Sonic X Shadow Generations X Chao[]
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Trivia[]
- The Time Eater is the only original boss in Sonic Generations, as the rest are all re-imaginings of previous bosses.
- The Time Eater’s Battle theme repeats the Latin phrase “Dominus Tempus” which literally translates to “Master of Time” or “King of Time".
- The Time Eater's scene in the boss trailer depicts it confronting the two Sonics and Tails in Green Hill, which never happens in the released game.
- The Time Eater is one of the few final bosses who have been fought by more than one super character. The other bosses with this distinction are the Finalhazard in Sonic Adventure 2, Metal Overlord in Sonic Heroes, the Egg Salamander in Sonic Rush, Solaris in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), and the Egg Wizard in Sonic Rush Adventure. The Time Eater, however, is the only one of these bosses to be defeated by more than one Super Sonic.
- The two Super Sonics' destruction of the Time Eater resembles Super Sonic and Burning Blaze's defeat of the Egg Salamander. In the 3DS version, the two Sonics also switch enemies as Super Sonic and Burning Blaze do, each handling their respective Eggman.
- The Time Eater bears a few other similarities to Solaris; both are time manipulators responsible for the destruction of the timeline, and both have a weak point in a sphere at the center of their bodies.
- The Time Eater bears some physical resemblance to the real-life Corpus Clock, which consists of irregularly-moving golden-colored gears. This clock also includes an element called a "chronophage", literally "time eater" in Greek, a small grasshopper-like machine which appears to "eat" each second as it passes on the clock.
References[]
- ↑ Sonic Team (November 22, 2011). Sonic Generations. Nintendo 3DS. Sega. Cutscene: Event 11. "Modern Eggman: The Time Eater obliterates time and space! Did you really think you could escape him just by running around?"
- ↑ TailsTube #4 (feat. Amy Rose). YouTube. Sonic the Hedgehog (March 17, 2023). Retrieved on July 31, 2023.
- ↑ Sonic Team (4 November 2011). Sonic Generations. PlayStation 3. Sega. Cutscene: The Final Battle!. "Modern Eggman: After my most recent setback, I stumbled upon the primordial form of this unique creation. Which I discovered had amazing abilities even I have never been able to master. It could erase time and space! I then had the brilliant idea to use my discovery to undo my previous defeats! In order to perfect it, I needed the help of someone as smart as I am. The only person that smart... is me!"
- ↑ Sonic Team (4 November 2011). Sonic Generations. PlayStation 3. Sega. Cutscene: Abducted Friends.
- ↑ Sonic Team (4 November 2011). Sonic Generations. PlayStation 3. Sega. Cutscene: Eggman Abducted.
- ↑ Sonic Team (4 November 2011). Sonic Generations. PlayStation 3. Sega. Cutscene: The Dark Monster and the Chaos Emerald.
- ↑ Sonic Team (4 November 2011). Sonic Generations. PlayStation 3. Sega. Cutscene: Eggman Abducted.
- ↑ Sonic Team (4 November 2011). Sonic Generations. PlayStation 3. Sega. Cutscene: The Final Battle!.
- ↑ Sonic Team (4 November 2011). Sonic Generations. PlayStation 3. Sega. Cutscene: Trapped.
- ↑ Sonic Team (4 November 2011) Sonic Generations. Playstation 3. Sega. Cutscene: Rescuing Espio.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Sonic Generations (Xbox 360) United Kingdom instruction booklet, pg. 3.
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #5, "The Fate of Dr. Eggman, Part One"
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