The Legendary Transformation: Fang the Hunter's Epic Evolution from Nack the Weasel

Highlights

Dr. Eggman enlists the help of Fang the Hunter, a familiar face in Sonic's rogues gallery, to control the Northstar Islands in Sonic Superstars.

Fang the Hunter, formerly known as Nack the Weasel, finally receives a singular identity in the Sonic lore initiative, solidifying his presence as a consistent character.

While previously restricted to brief appearances or absence in prior Sonic games, Fang maintained his presence in Sonic comics, serving as a beacon of hope for his eventual comeback. This long-awaited return has finally materialized in Sonic Superstars.

In Sonic Superstars, players may be surprised to learn that the apparent new villain is actually a familiar face. Dr. Eggman has enlisted the help of Fang the Hunter, a bounty hunter who has a history of working for cash. Fang has been involved in various tasks, from assisting in stopping Sonic and his friends to collecting valuable artifacts like the Chaos Emeralds. He has been a longstanding member of Sonic's group of enemies, with his origins dating back to the era of the Sega Game Gear.

In the past, Fang was known as Nack the Weasel for English-speaking audiences, and he first appeared in Sonic Triple Trouble. However, the character has been referred to as "Fang" or even "Jet" in other instances. It was also unclear what type of animal Fang represented, whether he was a weasel, jerboa, wolf, or a combination of these choices. As part of the recent Sonic lore initiative, these details have finally been solidified, resulting in a simplified and unified character. Fang the Hunter is now ready to reclaim the spotlight.

Fang the Hunter and His Many Names

Fang, originally known as Nack the Jerboa, was created by Shinichi Higashi as a character for the Sonic Superstars return. However, concerns arose that his name sounded too similar to "Knuckles" in Japanese, leading to confusion among fans. To resolve this, a contest was organized in a Japanese gaming magazine to rename him, resulting in the name "Fang the Sniper." Unfortunately, due to a miscommunication between Sega of America and Sega of Japan, English-speaking audiences ended up with the name "Nack the Weasel" instead, and he was even mistakenly referred to as "Jet" in one magazine. This inconsistency caused further confusion for fans, particularly in games like Sonic the Fighters, which still used the name Fang. As a result, Fang gradually became obscure and only made a cameo appearance in Sonic Mania. Despite this, he had a significant fanbase and was highly requested by Sonic fans for a comeback, just like Mighty and Ray.

How Sonic Comics Kept Fang the Hunter Alive Until Sonic Superstars

Despite being limited to minor appearances in both mainline and spin-off Sonic games, Fang continued to feature in other projects such as the Sonic Archie, Fleetway, and IDW comics. In these comics, he was often referred to as "Nack" and frequently teamed up with Bark the Polar Bear and Bean the Dynamite as Team Hooligans, likely due to their shared presence in Sonic the Fighters. Although they received updated designs, the three characters eventually became part of the classic cast.

However, when Archie comics went through a soft reboot that removed many long-standing characters, Fang, Bean, and Bark managed to survive, giving fans hope for their return. This indicated that Sega still valued their ownership of these memorable characters. They continued to appear in special classic Sonic comics until Sonic Superstars, where Fang made a significant comeback thanks to notable Sonic comics writer Ian Flynn, who joined the new Sonic lore team. This development brought the situation full circle.

In the prequel comic of Sonic Superstars, it is revealed that all the aliases used by the main character have been fake names to evade the law due to his numerous crimes as a bounty hunter. It is also confirmed that Fang is indeed a jerboa, as initially intended. Even the incorrect name "Jet" is playfully mentioned in the comic, as a reference by Flynn himself. With efforts made to integrate Fang into the new Sonic universe across various projects, it suggests that Fang may become a familiar character in classic titles, potentially indicating the inclusion of Bean and Bark as well.

Sonic Superstars is currently available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.