Who Is Gerald Robotnik In Sonic 3? Jim Carrey’s New Character Explained

Sonic 3 is one of the much-awaited films of 2024, and finally, we have an official trailer for the third installment. Fans were already aware that Shadow (voiced by Keanu Reeves) would feature in the trailer, but they weren’t expecting an old man resembling Eggman to also appear. So, who exactly is Gerald Robotnik, and what significance does he hold in the story of Sonic, the Hedgehog? Let’s find out.

Gerald Robotnik Was a Skilled Scientist

Gerald Robotnik belonged to an influential family of brilliant scientists, so he was obviously destined to become one after growing up. His first appearance was in Sonic Adventures 2, and since then, he has been a prominent part of the series. Throughout the years, Gerald proved his worthiness as a scientist to the world. Initially, all he wanted was to make everyone’s life easy through science. So, he overwhelmed humanity with several unbelievable inventions, like Space Colony ARK and Ifrit, the multiversant beast.

If we talk about his appearance, he resembles a lot to his grandson, Doctor Ivo Robotnik aka Eggman. Be it the big torso, the huge hands and feet, or the bald head, Gerald majorly looked like Eggman. And that could be the primary reason why creators chose Jim Carrey to portray both the grandfather and the grandson in Sonic 3.

Gerald Robotnik Was the Creator of Shadow

What do you think is the ultimate dream of humanity? It’s immortality, of course. So, when the higher-ups of the United Federation decided to go ahead with the Project Shadow, Gerald Robotnik was approached by the President. The government wanted Gerald to lead the project, but initially, the scientist wasn’t sure if it would be a harmless invention for humanity, so he refused. For the unacquainted, Gerald had a granddaughter named Maria, whom he loved the most, but she had an incurable disease. So, after giving Project Shadow a thought, he decided to lead the project as he planned to use the invention for his granddaughter’s cure as well.

The project involved great risks, but Gerald didn’t shy away from facing them, as his efforts could give Maria a chance to live a disease-free life. He researched day and night and conducted several tests for the project. He also came across Black Arms, and that’s why, after the completion of Shadow the Hedgehog, the government started seeing it as a threat, so they decided to cease Gerald and his researched copies.

On the other hand, the military wanted to use Shadow as their weapon, and Gerald wanted his creation to be used for the betterment of humans and not for war. So, he asked Maria to flee and protect Shadow from the military. However, before they could escape, the military killed Maria and destroyed Shadow.

After arriving on Prison Island, Gerald learned about his granddaughter’s killing, so blinded by hatred for the military, he made up his mind to take revenge. Moreover, on the arrival of his military at Space Colony ARK, he inserted a chip into Shadow that could help the hedgehog avenge Maria’s death once he is awakened. He also left a diary behind in which he left a note requesting the reader to awaken Shadow so that he can cause global destruction and avenge his grandaughter’s death.