Knuckles the Echidna

"'Oh no!' - knuckles " Knuckles is a fictional character from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is an anthropomorphic sixteen-year-old red echidna and the latest guardian of the Master Emerald, a powerful ancient relic which is his solemn duty to protect from anyone who wants to abuse it.

He is also the sole remaining descendant of the Knuckles Clan and last of the echidnas on earth. His dominant traits are his superhuman strength, and the two spike-like knuckles on each of his hands, from which his name is derived from, which he can use to dig with and climb up walls with ease. He can also trap the wind under his dreadlocks to glide through the air.

A loner by nature, Knuckles is independent, headstrong and serious, yet gullible and short-tempered to a fault. He is fully devoted to his duty, spending most of his time on Angel Island protecting the Master Emerald, and rarely cares for anything else. When his friends and others are in need of his help, however, Knuckles can always be relied on being willing to leave his post and prove himself as a true and good-hearted hero. He is also one of Sonic's oldest friends and rivals.

According to official Sonic Team polls, Knuckles is the fourth most popular character in the series, behind Tails, Shadow and Sonic.