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zippityzap · 3 years

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Sonic Tarot Card Project: explanations for character picks

Recently I completed a summer-long project where I created Sonic themed versions of the tarot major acana. I put a lot of research and thought into what characters to assign to which cards, and I wanted to explain my rationale behind each one! (Everything’s under the read more cut because this is a very long post!)

To start off, let me explain why I did this project in the first place. This summer I watched Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure for the first time, and in Part 3, Stardust Crusaders, the majority of the stand abilities are named after the tarot major arcana. Thanks to cultural osmosis I vaguely knew the meanings of a few of the cards and I realised that one of the characters suited his assigned card pretty well. I was curious if this matched anyone else and so once I finished watching that part, I did research on tarot and found that yeah, a lot of them do match! That got me interested in tarot and since I like combining things I’m interested in, I decided to make Sonic versions of the cards.

I do want to note that while Jojo did inspire this project in a lot of ways, I tried not to let my character picks be influenced by Stardust Crusader characters, although there did end up being some picks that did coincidentally happen to match nicely anyway. Also, I’m not gonna lie, ever since picking these card choices I’ve been highly tempted to draw Sonic as Polnareff.

Anyway, on to my explanations for character choices!

0: The Fool (Charmy Bee)

The Fool represents innocence, spontaneity and recklessness. I believe Charmy’s happy and carefree nature, along with the simple fact that he’s essentially just a little kid who likes to have fun makes him a great fit for this card

1: The Magician (Infinite)

The Magician represents creation and strength, but also manipulation and narcissism, a good match for Infinite and the powers of the phantom ruby. (I was also very pleased to notice that the traditional art for the card has an infinity symbol- everything lined up very well!)

The Rider Waite version of the card also depicts a sword, a wand, a cup and a pentacle; the suits of the minor arcana. I have attempted to depict these with various objects from the Sonic series, namely Infinite’s sword from the IDW Forces prequel comic, the sceptre of darkness from '06, a chaos emerald, and a ring respectively.

2: The High Priestess (Princess Elise)

The High Priestess represents secrets, repression, and the unknown, which I believe fits with Elise’s initial desire to control her emotions and her sadness. (Admittedly this is one of the looser character/card connections for this project, but my two other picks for this card I felt were better suited to different cards)

3: The Empress (Vanilla the Rabbit)

The Empress represents nurturing, fertility and childbirth, all traits that I believe make this card a good pick for a kind, caring mother like Vanilla

4: The Emperor (Dr Eggman)

A card fitting for the leader of the Eggman Empire! The Emperor represents authority, power, and tyranny, all traits Dr Robotnik desires, if not possesses in many continuities.

5: The Hierophant (Espio the Chameleon)

The Hierophant represents wisdom and tradition, and in both upright and reversed forms it has large connections to the concept of social conformity. Perhaps I’m drawing more from the various comic versions of Espio, but he comes across to me as someone who is hyper-aware about how he presents himself.

Fun fact: a hierophant is essentially another word for a religious leader, although I’ve never seen it used outside the context of tarot. I assume the religious connection is the reason why in the OST of the Jojo part 3 anime, Kakyoin’s theme is called Noble Pope.

6: The Lovers (Amy Rose)

The Lovers represents love, communication, and passion; and Amy is certainly a character who wears her heart on her sleeve! She’s a good example of a character who I feel fits a number of different cards, however there are no other characters who suited The Lovers quite as much as her.

7: The Chariot (Sonic the Hedgehog)

The Chariot represents journeys, wanderlust as well as the ambition and willpower to achieve your goals, which I believe is the perfect match for Sonic’s adventurous and heroic spirit. This was one of the first cards I decided on and it’s probably the one I’d defend my interpretation of the most.

If you’re wondering why there’s dark and hero chao in the artwork too, it’s because the original card art depicts the titular chariot being pulled by black and white sphinxes, and this is my way of calling back to that.

8: Strength (Maria Robotnik)

This card pick might seem unusual at first if you take the word ‘strength’ at face value, however considering the original card art depicts a maiden peacefully taming a lion, perhaps the Strength card represents inner strength, courage and determination rather than physical strength. These are traits that I believe Maria possesses.

9: The Hermit (Knuckles the Echidna)

The Hermit signifies awareness and independence but when reversed can mean isolation and resignation, traits that parallel well with Knuckles and his duty to be the protector of the Master Emerald

10: The Wheel of Fortune (Big the Cat)

The Wheel of Fortune represents fate, karma and luck! This is admittedly a bit of a cheeky dig at myself since I’m awful at the Big fishing levels in SA1 and mostly got through them through luck. But that’s not to say the card doesn’t apply to Big himself! His frequent cameos do have a bit of a fate/destiny vibe to them and in IDW Big is lucky enough to manage to avoid the metal virus for quite a long time.

11: Justice (Vector the Crocodile)

The meaning of the Justice cards is… pretty much what it says on the tin: fairness and clarity. Of course the Team Chaotix detective agency represents this as a whole, but that trait especially shines through with Vector himself. He may be a little money oriented, but doing what is morally right always takes priority.

12: The Hanged Man (Shadow the Hedgehog)

The thing about Shadow is that he’s a fairly complex character which means there are a number of cards in the Major Arcana that match him well, but I knew early on when tackling this project that I wanted to assign Shadow to The Hanged Man. This card represents change, release and sacrifice, which all align well with the character arc that Shadow goes through during the course of SA2 and beyond.

13: Death (Tikal the Echidna and Chaos)

Despite the morbid name of the card, (and the admittedly macabre scene I’ve depicted) the Death card is not an inherently negative card to draw. Yes, it can mean endings and grief, but it can also mean letting go and new beginnings. The story that Tikal and Chaos go through in SA1, their anguish and how they later find peace, is something that I think pairs well with this particular card.

Fun fact: this is the only card in this project that has two significant characters on it rather than just one. I felt I needed both of them to be on the card in order to fully represent its meaning

14: Temperance (Blaze the Cat)

The Temperance card signifies balance, harmony and patience, which matches Blaze’s very poised and graceful demeanour. Admittedly I had a little bit of trouble deciding on a card for Blaze since the High Priestess and the Hierophant are also good matches for her.

15: The Devil (Rouge the Bat)

The Devil card represents temptation, seduction, and materialism and well… look, Rouge is one of my favourite Sonic characters, I’d be one of the first people to tell you that there’s a lot more to her than what initially appears, she is so much more complex than just sex appeal and a gemstone obsession. However, I felt there was no other character that matched the traits of this specific card better than Rouge, and so my choice was decided by that.

16: The Tower (E-123 Omega)

The Tower card represents a number of things; disruption, disasters, sudden changes etc, however the trait that made me believe that Omega would be the best selection for the card was violence.

17: The Star (Miles ‘Tails’ Prower)

Tails’ character arcs normally centre around him gaining independence and self-confidence and learning to believe in himself. He is also largely characterised by his unyielding faith and trust in Sonic. These traits are the reason why I believe The Star card represents him well, as it symbolises hope and faith.

18: The Moon (Shade the Echidna)

The Moon card symbolises mysteries and the unknown, and when Shade is first introduced in Chronicles, she and the rest of the Nocturnus Clan are certainly presented as mysterious. The Moon can also represent misconception, which fits well with how Shade was initially unaware of the true nature of Ix’s plans.

19: The Sun (Cream the Rabbit)

The Sun, when drawn in an upright position, has a lot of positive meanings! Freedom, fun, happiness, good luck etc. Cream’s cheerful and optimistic disposition makes her a good match for this card

20: Judgement (E-102 Gamma)

The Judgement card symbolises liberation, awakening, redemption and second chances, all of which I believe represent Gamma and his character arc in SA1 well

21: The World (Metal Sonic)

In the upright position, The World card symbolises triumph, completion, strength and happiness while in reversed position can mean failure, anxiety, lack of self-confidence etc. I had both positioning of the card in mind when connecting it to Metal Sonic; he is devoted to the tasks given to him and is self-assured in his belief that he is the true/superior ‘sonic’ yet he repeatedly finds himself at the hands of failure. But he doesn’t let previous failures hold him back, thus starting the cycle anew. (Another connection to the World card as it also symbolises cycles)

#sonic the hedgehog #tarot cards #I'd be curious to hear if people agree/disagree with my choices

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jubilantrose-blog · 5 years

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in-depth timeline ;

( TIMELINE FROM PREGAMES TO HER CURRENT CANON / AGE 18 )

while my previous post was more of an outline? this is a fully in-depth look into her timelines. this can and might change with any new information canon gives or if things come up in roleplays ( i will not be going into full depth of the plots of these games -- just the basic jist of them. also some games will not include a summary as i don’t feel there’s a need for one. ALSO I WON’T INCLUDE GAMES AMY ISN’T A PART OF. those games happened, of course, but i’m just doing amy’s game timeline. );

PRE-GAMES ;

( entirely headcanon based ! )

Amy was originally an orphan / street hog. Her original parents weren’t prepared to raise a child and left her in the hands of what they hoped was a ‘suitable’ location. Though the people she was left with weren’t ideal and Amy ran away at a very young age. Surviving on the street for a good while by herself. She became known by people for being a ‘rascal’. And, given she didn’t talk much so people couldn’t know her name, her nickname became ‘Rosie’ which is where the moniker ‘Rosie the Rascal’ comes from.

Luckily, by age 6, she was taken in by a family of travelling fortune tellers. They taught her all about tarot cards and always believed she had a true gift or ability in the art of it. She considered them the closest thing to a family she ever had. And they helped her realize there are good people in the world. They saw the good in her, a mere street hog that often swiped and stole food and acted brash, and made her realize the world isn’t as cruel and lonely as she had thought.

During their travels and home life Amy was able to see the good they brought others. Learning about true love, seeing the best in people, and that ‘even those who are bad might have some good in them somewhere’. She decided to keep her name as Amy and adopt the ‘Rose’ to the end of it. No longer going by ‘Rosie’ anymore.

With Amy as part of their family? The travelling stopped. Them wanting to give her a normal life in a town compared to dragging her place to place.

By the age of 7, Amy had learned a lot about a certain blue hedgehog. Admiring him via newspapers, stories, and tales told by others on their journeys. Hearing about Sonic passing through towns and forest to stop the ‘bad guys’. Her crush and admiration is what inspired her to announce to her family ( after doing a tarot card reading ) that she’d meet him. Her family was supportive but grew concerned about letting her be so young and heading out there. Nevertheless this willful ( and stubborn ) little lady was gone in a flash.

AGE 8 - 11 ;

SONIC CD / MANIA ( the shorts / comic series ) ;

Amy truly had no idea what she was getting into. She was starstruck meeting her idol, her crush, and she went in without thinking. Only to soon be caught by Metal Sonic. Being kidnapped when meeting her idol was terrifying to her. Sure, her life beforehand wasn’t ideal. She got chased back on the streets, dealt with some angry individuals who she stole food from before meeting her family, but nothing like this. Nothing deadly or that serious.

Luckily, she was rescued.

And that made her crush on him grow even more.

Wanting to keep up with him, plus possibly defend herself from being kidnapped, she begins working hard using her piko-piko hammer. Continuing to chase after Sonic and join him along the way. Allowing herself to meet Tails and Knuckles in the process as they all go after Eggman.

AGE 11 - 12 ;

PRE SONIC ADVENTURE ( headcanon based ! ) ;

As the years had passed Amy found herself losing track of Sonic and the others for about a year. She decides to return home to visit her parents. She had been keeping in contact with them and visiting them on most holidays. Telling them stories about her adventures with Sonic. But when she arrived she had found the house abandoned and couldn’t get into any contact with them. A neighbor, spotting her confused, tells her that they decided to return to their traveling ways. Believing that, since Amy was so independent and had been proving herself as such, she didn’t need them as much.

Having spent the last few years chasing after Sonic, plus off on adventures, it dawns on her that...she doesn’t have a home ! So she heads off and, after looking at brochures and other things, decides that Station Square is the perfect place to find an apartment ! Plenty of shopping districts, work opportunities, and more !

She ends up getting an apartment there and happens to find work rather easily. Working at a small diner where she helped an elderly couple that ran the place. It didn’t pay much but it allowed her to keep food on the table and gave her something to do to pass the time.

AGE 12 ;

SONIC ADVENTURE ;

However, while work was ‘something’ to do ? She found herself bored sitting around in the same place. Every day she did the same thing. Wake up, get dressed, go to work, go shopping til she dropped, go home, go to bed. It was mundane compared to those years of being rescued by Sonic and following after him. With him gone, with her having nothing to do, she was bored !

That would soon change.

Little did she know her reminiscing and longing for some excitement would, quite literally, fall from the sky in the form of a Flicky. With a desire to protect it, plus a robot now chasing after her, she soon finds herself running into her hero himself ! Sonic would help her ! He would know what to do to keep this birdie safe ! He would--

Except.... he runs away.

She does manage to catch up to him, though ! And, though admittedly a little scatterbrained, she gets distracted by Twinkle Park. This leads to her being captured and taken aboard Eggmans ship in hopes Sonic would come and rescue her. But it’s not Sonic that frees her from the cell. Instead, she befriends a robot that seems to be different from the others. She would end up standing up to Sonic to protect the robot from being destroyed.

Now this is where my version sort of veers off though not by much ;

Unlike the Sonic Adventure game ? Amy witnesses Gamma’s death and the events happen similar as the show Sonic X. With Amy witnessing their final battle and seeing, to her horror, the destruction caused. While it helped reunite the family it also meant having to see a robot she befriended sacrifice itself. She was able to say her goodbyes and thank the robot. Knowing, in the end, the sacrifice had to be made to reunite the family even if it was painful.

She’s happy to see them together and walks out onto the deck with them. Only to witness the same robot from earlier ( the one that had kidnapped her ) shoot down the small Flicky much to her horror. Angered, plus not wanting Gammas sacrifice to go in vain, she challenged the robot. Vowing herself that this time she would be the one laying down her life if need be to keep the Flicky and its family safe.

She takes the robot on with all her might. And manages to win ! Though she doesn’t celebrate much as she worries and frets over if the Flicky was safe. Fearful that it was dead. However, much to her happiness, it’s okay ! She wishes them all well and is happy to see them all together.

Amy realizes, at that moment, she did something on her own. She saved herself, she helped the Flicky, she made a friend of the robot. She vows from that moment on she would do things by herself ! No more waiting for Sonic, no more being the damsel, no more running away ! She was determined to make Sonic realize she could handle herself !

( She also ends up befriending Big & Froggy during this time ).

SONIC SHUFFLE & SONIC ADVANCE TAKE PLACE.

AGE 13 ;

SONIC ADVENTURE 2 TAKES PLACE ;

Amy is stunned to find out Sonic has been captured. She decides, at this moment, she had to free him ! For once she would be the one to save him and not the other way around ! However, it seems no matter what she’s done she’s left behind. She felt as if nobody had faith in her. Everyone kept running away, leaving her behind, acting as if she’s incapable. And she began, in some ways, to feel the same. When she’s held captive by Eggman and watches in horror as Sonic seemingly dies. She blames herself for it. She’s supposed to be strong. And, once again, Sonic saved her ! But this time he’s....dead ! He’s dead ! And it’s HER fault ! She couldn’t even help Tails fight Eggman out of her own grief ! Yet she soon realizes Sonic is alive. Thank goodness.

Amy, along with the others, listens in to the diary that’s being played. Finding out about ‘Maria’ dying, the grief of the man there, and realizing he’s signed a death wish for the Earth. As everyone goes off to help she fnds herself. again, alone. She contemplates this to herself until she sees him -- Shadow, and realizes that while everyone is fighting she’s doing nothing but standing there. She had to help out, do her best, even if it might be futille !

While the events of the game are canon, with Amy going to help out and sticking around, the only thing that differs is her interactions with Shadow.

While in the game the interaction was brief in her helping Shadow remember ? I personally prefer Amy having sort of a similar role to how they did in Sonic X. With an actual back and forth between them that’s tension filled as it shouldn’t have been so easy to trigger Shadows memory after so long.

She ends up mourning Shadows passing yet is glad he was able to fulfill Maria’s final wish.

SONIC ADVANCE 2 TAKES PLACE ;

Amy meets Cream, Cheese, and Vanilla and begins to form a close-friendship / bond with them all.

AGE 14 ;

SONIC HEROES TAKES PLACE.

SONIC BATTLE TAKES PLACE.

I’m not gonna say much about these two games. Nothing against them but I don’t feel like anything I add will be important. I do, however, dislike how Amy is portrayed in both. And I tend to view this as a time period when Amy thought if she was more ‘aggressive’ and ‘assertive’ that she’d be seen as strong. As she felt that she was seen as weak and dainty beforehand.

Luckily, she grew out of this phase.

( However, she was extremely relieved to find out Shadow was ‘alive’ and was very happy to see him again. )

AGE 15 ;

SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG TAKES PLACE.

SONIC ADVANCE 3 TAKES PLACE.

AGE 16 ;

SONIC RIDERS TAKES PLACE.

SONIC RIVALS TAKES PLACE.

AGE 17;

SONIC UNLEASHED TAKES PLACE.

SONIC LOST WORLD TAKES PLACE.

SONIC GENERATIONS TAKES PLACE.

AGE 18 ;

SONIC FORCES / THE IDW COMIC SERIES TAKES PLACE ;

Amy is stunned to find out that Sonic was defeated in battle. But she believes, like always, he will show up eventually. But as time ticks by, months passing and the world under siege, she’s left with this grim realization: he’s not coming back. She ends up joining Knuckles in his Resistance along with a bunch of others. Being forced to grow up more and realize all those ‘fun adventures’ were no longer fun. With it being months after Sonics’ ‘death’ she still longed for him to be alive yet, each time she felt hope, it was dashed by the realistic explanations by the others. It was also hard as, during this time, she had to keep Cream and her mother safe and also help take care of a Tails that was visibly grieving and not in a proper state of mind.

So, upon finding out he’s alive, she’s relieved. Though, upon being able to see him, she does hug him but mostly keeps the warm welcomes for Tails who needs Sonics’ hugs and support more.

She’s a bit surprised to find out, as time passes and they defeat Eggman ( plus begin rebuilding and trying to get the world back to normal ), that her once ‘love’ for Sonic was...diminished. She still loved him. Yet she’s more quiet about it. Just enjoying the fact she has her friend back and wanting to work alongside him to help rebuild and bring happiness to others again. She recognizes that romance isn't a priority in her life anymore and realizes that, perhaps, the world should come first as it’s a place Sonic loves and a place so many people love as well.

She buries herself in work in the resistance and bettering herself physically and mentally. She may still love that hedgehog, in many ways, but she knows that she’s able to enjoy his friendship and decides that she will no longer be chasing after him and focus on herself / her work instead.

#( ♥ ; nobody took into account how much she’s grown. // * hc )#IT'S FINALLY DONE.#it's not perfect but it definitely captures what's canon to my amy and how she's changed over the years

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