Princess Sally Acorn
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Her Royal Highness, Princess Sally of Mobius (Sally Acorn or Princess Sally Alicia Acorn) is a fictional character appearing in the North American Sonic the Hedgehog cartoons (commonly referred to by fans as SatAM) in 1994 and Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog comics.
In Archie's comic Sally is considered to be part chipmunk (on her mother's side) and part squirrel (her father's side). In DiC's Sonic the Hedgehog she's considered to be a ground squirrel. Incidentally, squirrels and chipmunks are a part of the same family in the animal kingdom - in fact, the sub-category of ground squirrels includes chipmunks.
Beyond DiC's cartoon series and Archie's comic, Sally has appeared in STI's Sonic Spinball for Sega Genesis as a non-playable character in a bonus stage, and has made cameo appearances in Sonic Christmas Blast and Fleetway's Sonic the Comic. An earlier design of Sally appeared in the "Before SatAM" cartoon, which was animated but never aired.
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SatAM Sally
Image:Princess Sally (SatAM Style).jpg
In SatAM, Sally is the leader of the Freedom Fighters. She holds feelings of possible love for Sonic the Hedgehog, the hero who fought with Antoine Depardieu (D'Coolete was Antoine's surname in the Archie series) for the prize (Sally) to be won so to speak. Sally is also something of a mother to Tails (Sally acts like a mother or an older sister to Tails, because her and Sonic seem to share parent roles over Tails, and usually she puts Tails to bed) and a "girlfriend" for Bunnie Rabbot. Sally is trying to defeat Doctor Robotnik and to free her father, the King.
It has been speculated that initially, Princess Sally could be the adapted version of SEGA's Ricky Squirrel, one of Sonic's small furry friends. One of the biggest supports of the claim would include the fact a lot of the Freedom Fighters are animals that are the same types as the small furry animals, and are quite similar in design in the pre SatAM cartoon. The Fleetway STC version of the Princess also resembles Ricky tremendously save a difference in color, and has a similar role to his in the games. Of course, in SatAM and beyond (Save Fleetway, and SoJ related games), Ricky would be given a gender change and be given the title "Princess Sally of the House of Acorn". In SatAM, Sally is voiced by Kath Soucie.
Generally speaking, Sally is portrayed in SatAM as more jovial character than the Sally featured in the Archie comic, who is more concerned with politics and royal obligations than her animated counterpart.
In Season Two, Sally is given black pupils in the middle of her blue eyes (as in the above picture) which she did not have in Season One. She also gets a vest, though evidently it doesn't have any pockets because she still carries around her portable computer, NICOLE, attached to one of her boots (previously her only attire.)
In the SatAM continuity, after Sonic and Sally destroy both the Doomsday device and Robotnik himself, Sally flirts with and tries to kiss Sonic, but the hedgehog flies off with Sally hot on his heels. Then at the ceremony, Sally and Sonic reveal their love to each other and kiss.
Archie Sally
Image:Princess Sally (Archie Style).jpgAs is often the case in spin off comics, the Archie versions of the SatAM characters were intended to be the same characters as were seen on TV, but lack of communication between DiC animators and the Archie staff led to noticible differences. Sally, in particular, had a very different design in the comic initially - she was colored pink in early issues, a design used only in the unaired pilot for SatAM. As of issue 16, she adopted the proper SatAM look. The Archie comic has continued for several years since the cancellation of the animated series, and the additional stories featuring Sally have led to the comic version being noticibly distinct from the animated version.
Sally is currently about 17 years old (according to Ken Penders) and is the Daughter of King Acorn and Queen Alicia Acorn. She is also the younger sister of Elias Acorn, sister in law to Elias' wife Meg and aunt of Alexis Acorn. She is the heiress to the throne of the royal family, next in line after Elias Acorn (according to Ken Penders). Alexis, being his stepchild was barred from a chance at the throne, and Elias has made clear in issue #121 that he didn't want his children involved in a life of politics.
Sally's family ruled over Mobotropolis for many generations. Their official dynasty ended shortly after the Great War, to which the treacherous Warlord Dr. Julian Ivo Kintobor (an overlander defector) staged a coup d'etat, usurping the Kingdom of Acorn. Re-christened Ivo Robotnik, the newly proclaimed dictator turned the city into a ruined place and used the horrific roboticization process to transfigure 85% of the city's population into his mindless robot slaves.
A young Sally, of only five years, was hidden from Robotnik's grasp and sent to live in the protected Knothole Village within the bowels of the Great Forest. Sally grew up to lead a band of ragtag rebel militiamen from Knothole starting at age 10, living with her friends, her governess Rosie, and her mentor Julayla. Early on in the fight, Princess Sally would lose her mentor Julayla, but through the long period of fighting lying ahead of her, Sally would rely on her deceased mentor for strength to lead the Freedom Fighters. The goal of the "Freedom Fighters" would be to oust their oppressive ruler. In relatively close proximity to Robotropolis (capital of Mobius), they carried out numerous guerrilla attacks against Robotnik, constantly striving for his overthrow. The Knothole Freedom Fighters soon discovered that they were not the only ones to start an insurrection... and united their cause around the globe.
Finding the former Princess a definite threat to his reign, Robotnik devised an elaborate assassination plot, nearly taking the now 15-year-old rebel leader's life. Victory seemed to be in the dictator's grasp when he discovered the location of Knothole, to which he built a massive super-weapon in order to wipe it off the face of his world. His "Endgame" scheme was foiled by the rebellion and Robotnik ended up MIA during the weapon's destruction, presumed killed by its backfiring. During the years to follow, Sally worked hard to reestablish her father's government... encountering a myriad of hardships, including the arrival of an alternate reality Robotnik (Robo-Robotnik), who retook Mobotropolis. Robo-Robotnik was destroyed in battle, but through the digital transfer of his consciousness into a new robotic body, he was able to live on as "Doctor Eggman". Now she presides over the newly established Kingdom of Knothole, once a haven from the destructive powers of Eggman until he too, like his mighty predecessor, learned of the location.
She has a compact super computer with her called NICOLE, which can speak and perform other tasks and helps with research, this nifty computer being sent from an alternative future where Sally is queen, feeling that apparently this reality's Sally would seriously need a friend. Sally is also among the few individuals who can wield the Sword of Acorns, a legendary weapon capable of being wielded only by the ruler of Mobius that allowed its bearer to control minds at will. Other characters who have been able to use it include: Sonic the Hedgehog, Mammoth Mogul and King Max Acorn.
From Freedom Fighter to Princess Bride
Sally once commanded a ragtag militia called the "Knothole Freedom Fighters" attempting overthrow the evil dictator Ivo Robotnik. The Freedom Fighters were ultimately successful, and as of Sonic #132, Sally found herself a royal princess of a now established kingdom. This has led to the character taking on a significantly different role, unable to lead her friends in combat enemy lines because the kingdom could not afford to risk their only heir to the throne. According to Karl Bollers, (the main writer of the Archie Sonic comic book at the time), there is no longer "Freedom Fighters" because the status quo has changed from a group of "ragtag" rebels to a group of soldiers fighting against Doctor Eggman's terrorism. Others took on the role of field commander (with Sonic occassionally filling that role, but ultimately prefering to act on his own). With the return of her parents, Sally's role has become increasingly unclear - while she was still considered too important to the kingdom to be allowed to endanger herself on missions, at the same time she was no longer allowed any meaningful power in government, with her father retaking the throne. More recent stories about Sally have focused on her growing lack of control over her own life, culminating in a royal marriage that her father had arranged - a marriage quickly annuled when her groom was revealed to be a traitor.
Endgame
When the four-part saga known as "Endgame" (issues #47-50) was first written, the writers' intent was to remove Princess Sally from the comic permanently. An attempt was made to kill the character with enough dignity to not not drive away any of the character's fans. Issue #47, written by Ken Penders, showed Sally being killed, with Sonic framed for the crime. The reasoning at the time was that her father's arrival would displace her power, making her unnecessary, and that the restrictions placed on the book by SEGA made it too difficult to continue writing the character as having a relationship with Sonic. SEGA, however, had promotional plans for the character and ordered her to be revived. The character's return was written into issue #50, which interfered with the planned schedule and caused many pages to be cut. Later the issue was revised and reissued as a Sonic Super Special.
Love life
While Sally has shown the most interest in Sonic the Hedgehog, he hasn't been her only suitor. In the comic she has shown interest in others, particularly Geoffrey St. John, (now married to Hershey the Cat), and Knuckles the Echidna, Sally's childhood friend (who has since fallen for Julie-Su). Geoffrey was the more serious case of those two, and for a period Sally felt she might have been in love with Geoffery. In the end she decided not to persue Geoffrey until she learned what she had with Sonic.
Sonic, however, has clearly been the dominant figure in her love life. Initially (in much of the the DiC cartoon and early comics) the two were portrayed as cute semi-sweethearts, with Sonic usually running away or changing the subject whenever confronted with the possibility of a romance (although Sally was known to bashfully dodge the issue herself). Over the years their relationship progressed, with Sally and Sonic eventually metting with the King to discuss getting married when they came of age. The road to that point was far from an easy one. Aside from the other love interests they had both had, they had also faced strong opposition from King Max. The King, in accordance with royal tradition, had used the mystical Source of All to decide who Sally's husband should be. Upon learning The Source had decided her husband should be Antoine, Sally was outraged at the lack of control the King had decided she should have in the choice. She would quarrel with her father over this for some time, and thus it was a surprise when he gave his blessing to her and Sonic. Mere moments after the King had spoken with them, however, Sonic found himself in conflict with the alien Xorda - a battle that would result in his being sent to the other side of the galaxy. It would be a year before he would return home, during which time the people of Mobius assumed he had died a hero's death.
Upon returning Sonic and Sally were quickly reunited, with Sally professing that she had never given up her belief that he was still alive. The two barely had time to be reunited before Sonic was faced with another crisis - Eggman was threatening to destroy Knothole and Station Square. Nearly losing Sonic again after having been without him for a year affected Sally deeply. When the king and queen decided to leave her in charge of the Kingdom while on a diplomatic tour of the world, Sally asked for Sonic to be at her side governing; but Sonic believed he would make a bigger difference in the world through direct actions. Not wanting to have her heart broken again, Sally gave Sonic an ultimatum - her or adventuring. Sonic felt that his role in the field was too important and refused to give it up, at which point she slapped him and ran away crying; a break up between Sonic and Sally soon followed. Image:Sallyultimatum.jpg
In the issues that followed, the relationship between the two was strained - they had to work together, but cleary they were deeply affected by the breakup. Sally confessed that she still loved Sonic, but could not continue the relationship as it had been. In issues #155 & #156, the arranged marriage to Antoine finally came to pass. What nobody knew was that the real Antoine had been replaced with his evil double from Anti-Mobius, Patch, who had preyed on Sally's uncertainty and feelings of royal obligation, convincing her it was her duty to go through with the marriage. The anti-Antoine had been secretly poisoning the King for some time, with the intent of finishing the job after the wedding, and assuming the throne. Sonic reacted with surprise and jealousy upon learning of the engagement, however was clearly uncertain of his relationship with Sally. Later, Sally and Antoine married, but the reception was interrupted by Elias, who didn't trust Antoine. Although Elias had previously abdicated his position in line to the throne to marry a commoner, he declared his right as the eldest to be the new king. Patch, furious, attempted to assassinate the new king, but was stopped and sent back to his dimension. Elias annulled Sally's marriage, telling her that with him as King, she can do whatever she wants. The Source of All's prophecy, which had stood in her way to being with Sonic for so long, had come to pass and had been put behind her - yet, ironically, though she had finally gained freedom from her royal obligations she still could not be with Sonic. Sonic made it clear in a discussion with Fiona Fox (that Sally overheard) that he was not in the mood for a serious commitment.
Ultimately, Sally's first love is her people, and it is for their wellbeing that she frequently sacrifices herself. In issue 144, Sally would reveal that while most of the world believed Sonic dead, there were times that her faith in him would falter, and the thought of their time together brought her great grief. "But then something opened my eyes and I saw my people," she said. "I saw what the war with Eggman had done to them, and seeing it again reminded me about something. It's true... I love Sonic... but I love my people more. And I'll do anything I can to help them."
Possible Future
In a possible future (which the Archie editors have stated is not the definite canon future, as per SEGA's wishes) , Sally is now Queen while her husband King Sonic helps rule by her side. They have two children, Princess Sonia and Prince Manik (obviously named after Sonic's siblings (Sonia and Manic) from the Sonic Underground universe).
Other friends
Other members of her circle of friends include Miles "Tails" Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, Bunnie Rabbot, Amy Rose, Antoine D'Coolette, Hershey the Cat, Lupe the Wolf, and Geoffrey St. John.
Alternate Selves
Like several characters in the Archie Comics, Sally has a variety of other-reality counterparts. Prominent amongst these is Sally Moon, a version of Sally from a Sailor Moon themed Mobius. This version of Sally is the enemy of Ivana Robotnik. In addition, she is the girlfriend—to Sonic's eternal displeasure—of her dimension's Knuckles, known as Tuxedo Knux. Another version of Sally is a superhoine with powers based on those of Dr. Light.
Differences from SatAM
While there are many similairities between the Archie and SatAM versions of Sally Acorn, many differences in their history have also been noted within both the show and comics that have in turn affected their ambitions, roles and public opinion of the two.
Sally in the comic series was raised to be a good princess since she was very young, which consequently gave her trouble socializing with peers. Even after Robotnik took over, her mentor, Julayla would work to help make Sally a future queen. On the other hand, there was little if any emphasis in the show regarding the issue of any formal training the cartoon Sally could've received to become a queen after her father.
The comic version of Sally has when a freedom fighter, held the dream of restoring the kingdom (which she most recently noted in the 90s whilst deep in thought during a parade in the honor of the royal family). Whereas in the show it was more important to Sally to simply have her father back, and the general restoration of freedom.
It is because of Sally's ambition to rule, and her proven competence, that she nor her family look to see her leave the palace much. The apparent idea behind it is that her safety is protected, and thus the future of the government she's worked hard to restore isn't threatened. It appears she now continues on a similar path she did as a child where she in fact lacked a lot of contact with peers before she fought with them during the war. Sally has expressed missing her friends and was never isolated from them in the show nor the early comics for an extensive period of time. In both the comics and cartoon, Sally relied on friends when she wasn't feeling her best to an extent. Blast to the Past for instance provided an example of Sonic the Hedgehog cheering Sally up when she grew depressed over a failed mission that costed two freedom fighters.
However, such examples can also indicate another difference between the two. The comic version has more difficulty letting people in on her problems than the show's, whom has an easier time doing such in her relationship with the Freedom Fighters. Sightings of the comic Sally showing difficulty leaning on others range to early comics such as SIYF (Sonic In Your Face) to later ones (issue #122), where Sally showes in the comic a problem with telling others how she feels. Fortunately for her in the beginning of the series, her friends were there to see signs of her problems, and confront her until she relented and again let them in on it. In her current life, that happens less often. Factors could involve the fact she is less accessible for her friends to see her problems because she is in the palace a lot more (while her friends fight and are shown in the comics as hanging out in more common places like they're used to), she is gradually showing signs of succumbing to the stresses of new problems, without the means of emotional support (her friends) that she was used to. In turn, her stress has led to behavior that many fans question morally, including slapping Sonic and making occasional outbursts. It's been noted by Rosie in issue #84 that Sally's emotional outbursts have to do with points in time where she is overwhelmed by stress.
Fleetway Sally
Sally Acorn appears briefly in early issues of Fleetway's Sonic the Comic. Unlike her Archie counterpart, Sally has no title and resembles the small furry animal known as Ricky Squirrel on which all the Sallys may have been based. Of course, this version of Sally is more rotund and a bit of a crybaby, and has a brother named Tufftee.
Unlike previously mentioned Sallys, this Sally never develops into a love interest for Sonic, and is replaced as a female lead by Amy Rose.
Christmas Blast Sally
Sally is her old "pink Sally" self in Sonic's Christmas Blast, and has no spoken lines. Sonic gives her Christmas presents at the end of the special.
"Pink" Sally
Sally had gone through several character design and color scheme changes in the beginning of her career. Originally, DiC designed her as pink with black hair and blue boots with white trim. The Archie comics used the same design for the Sonic the Hedgehog limited series (which preceded the current, ongoing series), though strangely made her orange with yellow hair. This has been attributed to lack of color choices from the publisher, and at the beginning of the on-going series, Sally was changed to pink.
Though the pink Sally was in used in the comics, DiC changed her look again, modifying her design and changing her to brown with red hair (the pink Sally can still be seen in the pilot episode, "Heads or Tails", which also has an overall lighter color scheme than the finished series). The pink Sally was still used for the comic until issue #16, where she was changed to the modern SatAM look.
In the comic, these color changes (even pink Sally) have been attributed to lack of color choices in the early days of the comic, and was later written into the story line as Sally's fur responding to immersion in chemicals in a chemical vat while on a mission.
Pink Sally made a brief return in Sonic Christmas Blast, based on the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog syndicated series. Though she used the modernized SatAM design, she was still pink with black hair.
Before SatAM Sally
Long before SatAM ever aired there was an advertising in the UK Sonic comic "Sonic the Comic" telling people to watch "The Mystery cartoon" (or what is now known as Before SatAM, Pre-SatAM or Sonic The Hedgehog - The Prototype) [1] which simply pre-dates before AoStH was ever aired. This what would of been SatAM showed a completly different Sally with yellow fur, blond hair, a red dress, red & white like shoes with the toes sticking out, a bigger mouth and a red bow on her head. This Sally shared no similarities in appearance when compared with the Sally we all know today but they do share the same skill of swinging from a rope, which could prove that this is where Sally originated from. This cartoon however ended up getting scrapped along with the character designs but the idea of the character was later taken on by DIC. Template:Sonic