Sticks

Those that don't want Sonic to make any more chatty friends, look away now. Sega has unveiled Sticks, a jungle badger that will be a new member of the "core ensemble" in Sonic Boom, which takes in a TV show, licensed toy and merchandise range and, of course, the Wii U and 3DS games.

Hiroyuki Miyazaki, Chief Content Officer for the Sonic Brand, says that "Sticks is a significant addition to the Sonic Boom universe and the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. She brings a quirky personality and perspective to the team dynamic, and we look forward to sharing this energetic and funny new character with the world." She does have a handy boomerang, which will no doubt be used for various combat and puzzle scenarios in the team-driven games that are on the way; the Sega Blog describes her as follows.

Sticks is new to Sonic’s circle of friends – actually new to friends in general – and as the most primal character in the Sonic universe, she is a force of nature in every way. Sticks is wilder than the other members of Sonic’s team with unparalleled animal instincts and extremely sharp survival skills. She’s a fearsome combatant and a tenacious hunter who’s armed with handmade weapons at all times, most notably a handmade boomerang that she keeps in tow.

Her wildness means that her social skills need plenty of work and she’s not the most trusting individual. Full of outrageous suspicions, Sticks’ instincts often prove to be accurate. While the concepts of sharing, compassion and friendship are foreign to her, Sticks has a good heart and a genuine desire to get closer to her new friends, particularly Amy, who helps Sticks adapt to civilization. Sticks and Amy quickly become best friends, with Sticks willing to go to extremes to protect her new pal, a quality that will play out through new Sonic Boom content. Her eccentric character adds an endless amount of humor and surprise to the Sonic team.

So there you go, you can also see more concept drawings and see voice actor Nika Futterman bring her to life in the video below.

Are you a fan of Sticks, based on what we've seen so far, or will she join the — lengthy — list of friends we wish Sonic didn't have? Let us know your thoughts below.

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[source blogs.sega.com, via neogaf.com]