The identity of Sonic 3's post-credits character might have been revealed – thanks to this incredible poster theory

Knuckles, Sonic and Tails in Sonic 3 (2024)
(Image credit: Paramount)

Never underestimate a Sonic fan's eye for detail. Case in point: the identity of Sonic 3's post-credits character may have just been revealed – and it's all thanks to a single poster.

While the arrival of Sonic 3's clutch of character posters is certainly something to shout about, Twitter user MationMiss has zeroed in on Tika Sumpter's Maddie.

In her character poster, Maddie is wearing a bright pink sweater. So what's the big deal? In previous movies, her choice of clothing has seemingly been a subtle nod to the characters who show up in the after-credits stinger.

In the first movie, Maddie's dress matched the color of Tails' fur; in the 2022 follow-up, her red top with black overcoat mirrored the color scheme of Shadow. As for pink, that could mean all signs are pointing towards Amy Rose showing up in Sonic 3. See for yourself below.

While some are calling it a reach, it's certainly playing to the sort of theorycraft that Sonic fans lap up. After all, a recent Sonic 3 image has seemingly been edited to airbrush out a mystery character – and Amy has long been speculated, especially given director Jeff Fowler's recent comments in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

"It's fun to see the fan debates online about who's coming up next, who's going to be teased at the end of the film," Fowler said.

The director continued, "We have a lot of the same conversations. We've all got our favorites on the filmmaking side, and we're all making great cases for 'it should be this one or that one.' It is fun to keep that anticipation. This movie is no different in terms of teasing new characters."

So whether it's Amy, Rogue, Blaze, or another pink-themed character (a reminder, everyone that Big the Cat is purple), it appears Sonic 3 is going to bring in another fan favorite – and all you had to do was look at one of a dozen character posters to figure it out. Obviously.

Sonic 3 is racing into cinemas on December 20 and stars Ben Schwartz, Keanu Reeves, Jim Carrey, Idris Elba, James Marsden, and Colleen O'Shaughnessey.

For more, check out our guide to upcoming video game movies and ranking of the best Sonic games.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.