The dilemma with Silver’s nerf (and how to “solve” it in one move)
I know this isn’t my usual current content and it’s been a long time since I’ve talked about Sonic; but revisiting and catching up (by the way, loving that this is the year of the Chaotix and that the Chaotix casefiles exist) there’s one thing that’s really bothered me = Silver the hedgehog.
It’s worth clarifying here that I’m a huge Silver fan; he’s my main in Sonic Rivals. I adore his design, I really liked Sonic ‘06, and I love that they’re bringing him back so he doesn’t get forgotten and that they want to bring him back regularly… BUT, I must admit that I agree with the complaints about him.
While I’m aware that the other complaint is his personality change (←which, although I understand, I’ll skip over for now), the complaint I want to focus on is a very common one: his power nerf.
In his first appearance in Sonic 2006, he is shown to be a powerful psychic, or at least capable enough to face a threat like Iblis (who is half-god), to maintain a reasonably decent pace while fighting Sonic (at this point and very likely an incarnation of Caps himself) and Shadow (the ultimate life form), and with the Chaos Emeralds, together with Shadow and Sonic, they were able to stop Solaris itself. A truly great feat… before his timeline was erased.
Then we see him again in Sonic Rivals, where his nerf becomes evident; he tires more quickly in the story, and in Rivals 2, he allies himself with Espio because he knows the situation will get out of hand on his own. From here, his abilities decline and become a bit more confusing and weaker, as someone who could fight on par with Sonic and Shadow struggles to withstand more weight than he should or faints from sudden explosions; it is also mentioned that his powers decrease when something is affecting him or his self-esteem …which seemed nonsensical to me.
For me, the situation was obvious: the power difference was because, unlike his 2006 version, they were separate characters, and the current Silver didn’t have the same experience dealing with powerful enemies as his original counterpart. This was supported by information like the existence of ESP Silver in Sonic Runners, separate from the current Silver. Or at least, that was the explanation until the massive rewrite they did to unify everything as much as possible. This included making the Mania universe separate, showing that in Sonic Generations they were traveling through space-time and not just to the past, more references to the Sonic X series, the erasure of the characters’ ages, and of course, unifying the existences of Silver and ESP Silver.
…unless…
And here’s my contribution on how that nerf could be “fixed” or “justified”.
This is a warning that seems more like fan fiction than a theory, based on pure speculation… but at least it’ll be entertaining, I promise.
Ready?
And I feel this points to one thing: Silver is holding back something worse from his time as a seal while still trying to help as much as he can in the past. What it contains also “cursed” or “contaminated” it with the ability to summon portals to the past, so it would travel constantly but trying to keep what it contains locked away. Sacrificing brute power for freedom, and using that freedom to try to save everything he can; but it’s something that makes him feel guilty and that’s why he’s more vulnerable than before.
Think of it a bit like Hollow Knight with The Radiance as a reference.
That would explain his nerf, isolation, and even yearning for peace when it’s already been achieved, and he’d have no reason to stay or return, unless he’s searching in the past, hidden by his genuinely naive personality, for a way to prevent his fate from being sealed because he knows that sooner or later what he’s holding back will come out.
But what would he be holding back, and why?
Well… what if Nega or a new villain managed to perfect what Eggman couldn’t do even with two versions of himself?
(Yahh …. this was the best I could come up with… in my defense; Silver NEEDS a villain that isn’t reused and preferably a cosmic entity that he can’t defeat in his time but only slow down)
⠀⠀⠀The telekinetic hedgehog grumbled beneath his breath, body glowing with a faint teal hue as his brow furrowed at the human. His eyes scanned her up and down for a moment, his more aggressive expression not budging at all.
⠀⠀⠀“I really don’t want to hear that from someone dressed like a clown,” he taunted back, “I may not look like a threat, but at least I don’t look like a joke.” There was no denying the sheer vitriol on those words. Silver didn’t take lightly to be made a fool out of, too many people had done it to him in the past.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀“I’d suggest you take it back. Unless you want this to get messy.” His stare hadn’t shifted from the woman, but his hand extended forwards. The same mark as what was on his gloves glowed on his forehead, a large chunk of debris coming to a stop in the air just above the woman.
⠀⠀⠀“And this is me not even trying. You sure you want to do this?” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀The pale hedgehog hadn’t really been paying attention. He was trying, he really was, but technology was always something that he struggled with– and the holo-lynx’s instructions were very thorough. He didn’t understand most of it, and since he couldn’t understand, he couldn’t focus, eyes drifting closed every now and then as the time-traveller struggled to stay awake.
⠀⠀⠀His eyes came to a full close, head lulling forwards ever so slightly - just enough to snap him out of his stupor and shoot him awake again, eyes widening as he gasped. He glanced up at Nicole’s holographic form, somewhat embarrassed by the slip-up. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀“Sorry, Nicole,” he sheepishly apologised, “I really appreciate you trying to explain this stuff to me, but… I just don’t get any of it. It’s going totally over my head.” He sighed, eyes shifting downwards to the ground. He felt bad, Nicole seemed so excited to be teaching somebody something again.
⠀⠀⠀“It’s not your teaching, I promise. I’m just no good with technology.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
After having played with their new bubbles with their Chao friends, Cobalt wound up taking a nap on the grass, with other Chao huddled up in a nap pile. Even Sonic wound up taking a nap in his hammock.
‘I guess that’s our cue to leave soon.’ Silver thought as he watched the napping Chao. The scene was so adorable though, even Sonic looked adorable as he slept with the plush of a Tails Chao. He’ll give them a few minutes.
[[MORE]]
Though seeing Sonic… He knows Sonic was fluffy as a hedgehog, but as a Chao, he’s possibly the fluffiest Chao Silver has ever seen (next to Cobalt). He wondered what that fluff felt like…
'Maybe I’ll just sneak a few pets, just to see what he feels like.’ He knew it wasn’t right of him to not ask Sonic first, but Silver was losing the impulse battle, and in the end, impulse won.
Silver pets Sonic. 'Wow, he’s softer than I thought.’ He even started giving him scritches.
Sonic was blissfully asleep the whole time, he even started to purr. “(That feels niiiice…)”
Silver’s now giving him chin scritches. “Who’s a good Chao? Who’s a good Chao?” He softly teased.
Sonic chuckles a little as he continued purring, until he started waking up. “(Hm..?)”
Silver retacts his arm back quickly.
Sonic looks to Silver. “(What were you doing..?)”
“Uuhh, I was about to wake you up to tell you we’re leaving soon!” Silver then grins awkwardly.
“(Were you petting me in my sleep..?)”
“What makes you say that? You must’ve just dreamt it.”
