Compare Sonic's voice in the 90s with his voice now, and you'll notice he sounds completely different! In the last 2 decades he's changed voice actors again and again. But why is that? Well, let's find out!
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CORRECTION: at 4:25 I misspoke when I said 1993. The actual year written in the script was 1999.
SOURCES/CREDITS
Jaleel White
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XwWHTigA9s Jaleel White story of becoming Sonic voice
Jun'ichi Kanemaru
- https://www.animatetimes.com/news/details.php?id=1458548005 Jun’ichi Kanimaru hand-picked as voice of sonic interview
Ryan Drummond
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRgqOL3T1do Ryan Drummond footage, courtesy of FortOfBlankets
- https://web.archive.org/web/20071013184207/http://www.sonic-cult.org/dispart.php?catid=3&gameid=4&subid=2&artid=1 Ryan Drummond audition story
- https://web.archive.org/web/20160406160240/http://ryandrummond.com/html-swfs/current_articles/c_03july.shtml Ryan Drummond discusses 4Kids’ recast - Part 1
- https://web.archive.org/web/20150716164520/http://www.ryandrummond.com/html-swfs/current_articles/c_03july2.shtml Part 2
- https://web.archive.org/web/20160406152608/http://ryandrummond.com/html-swfs/current_articles/c_03july3.shtml Part 3
- https://web.archive.org/web/20171129181100/http://www.ryandrummond.com/html-swfs/current_articles/c_03july4.shtml Part 4
Jason Griffith
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owQGh2KWayQ Interview with Jason Griffith, courtesy of FTCR
Roger Craig Smith
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZkdGv9h9Hw Roger Craig Smith interview footage, courtesy of GameSpot
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwbmBr8ASuY Roger Craig Smith interview, courtesy of Sonic's Channel/1upTV Games
- https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/01/sega_says_goodbye_to_sonic_the_hedgehogs_voice_actor Roger Craig Smith leaving role…?
- https://twitter.com/RogerCraigSmith/status/1354805293369024520 Leaving Sonic Roger
- https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-05-26-sonic-the-hedgehog-voice-actor-announces-surprise-return-to-role-four-months-after-departure#comments Roger Craig Smith not leaving role
https://web.archive.org/web/20200814064523/https://www.sonicstadium.org/2010/10/roger-craig-smith-sega-wanted-sonic-to-sound-older/ - SEGA asked RCR to make Sonic sound older
With much thanks to the Sonic News Network for much additional background information
- https://sonic.fandom.com/wiki/Sonic_News_Network
MUSIC
- Various songs from Sonic game soundtracks
- Habanera from Carmen, via Kevin Macleod @ incompetech.com
CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
0:56 Sonic's first voice
3:57 The wishy washy zone
5:06 A new voice for Sonic
6:48 Sega's big controversy
10:40 Who took over Sonic's voice?
14:20 Sega recasts AGAIN
19:04 Outro