A deleted scene inSonic the Hedgehog 3explained how Dr. Ivo Robotnik survivedSonic the Hedgehog 2. Jim Carrey’s return as Dr. Robotnik in the thirdSonic the Hedgehogmovie was not an absolute certainty given his character’s ambiguous fate in the previous installment.Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s endingseemingly included Robotnik’s death after Ivo fell off the top of his giant robot. Once it became known that Carrey would return forSonic the Hedgehog 3, there was an expectation that the film would explainhow Robotnik survivedSonic 2.
The setup for Robotnik’s survival came inSonic the Hedgehog 2’s post-credits scene. Members of GUN are at the wreckage of Robotnik’s battle with Team Sonic, andthey mention that Ivo’s body has not been found. This was followed by Agent Stone, disguised in the GUN uniform, hearing the agents say that no one could survive that fall. Although Robotnik is very much alive in the threequel, no explanation is given for how this is possible. It turns out thatSonic the Hedgehog 3originally planned to explain this plot point, but it was cut out of the film.
Agent Stone Saved Robotnik After Sonic 2’s Ending In A Sonic 3 Deleted Scene
As part of the film’s home video and digital release,everySonic the Hedgehog 3deleted scenecan now be seen. While some of them are just funny gags, one called “Stone Saves Ivo” is incredibly important. The 44-second scene includes the explanation for how Robotnik survivedSonic 2. As suggested by the deleted scene’s title, it revolves around Agent Stone saving Ivo Robotnik from the wreckage and nursing him back to full health.Stone is shown pulling pieces of the robot off of Robotnik’s bodyand then carrying him away from the location.
TheSonic 3deleted scene shows that Robotnik’s survival was a bit of a miracle. He had to have multiple surgeries in Mexico as a result of the fall. According to Stone,Robotnik"broke every bone and punctured every organ in his body"during the sequel’s ending. The scene even shows Ivo in a full-body cast as Stone serves him food as part of his recovery. Based on the context of the scene, the explanation was meant to come when Team Sonic first discovers that Robotnik is still alive and sees him in his crab mech.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3’s Explanation For Robotnik’s Survival Creates A Plot Hole
GUN Is Made To Look Incompetent
Knowing how Robotnik survived is great, butSonic the Hedgehog 3’s explanation is not perfect. The issue here is with how it makes GUN look.Finding Robotnik was the organization’s top priorityat that point, even if they learned of Project Shadow shortly thereafter. Whether Robotnik was dead or alive, GUN would not have left the scene without confirming with absolute certainty that the villain was dead. Having Stone find him first could have worked, but the deleted scene makes GUN just look incompetent.
This is because Robotnik is not that difficult to spot among the wreckage. The scene shows only a single piece of metal lying on top of Robotnik before Stone finds him. He did not have to search through a pile of debris to find the scientist, sothe GUN agents should have found him relatively quickly. The fact that they did not and Stone could carry Robotnik away undetected doesn’t make sense. Even if this rescue may have happened at night based on the darker lighting, GUN agents could have found Robotnik before Stone.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Shouldn’t Have Cut This Robotnik Survival Scene
It Was A Necessary Piece Of The Story
Jim Carrey as Ivo Robotnik pointing at Gerald in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
Setting the plot hole aside,Sonic the Hedgehog 3should have included this scene in the final cut. How Robotnik was still alive was a big question for audiences and characters alike. Not addressing how he survived only meant that there was a massive unanswered question still lingering by the timeSonic the Hedgehog 3’s endingwrapped up. And since Ivo dies (or so it seems), there was no indication that this plot point would ever be resolved.
Jim Carrey is not opposed to returning as Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog 4
It would be more forgivable forSonic the Hedgehog 3to ignore the specifics of Robotnik’s survival if it was something the filmmakers never wanted to explore. Knowing that there is a deleted scene that directly answers the question changes that. This scene could very easily have been included in the film without sacrificing much. Adding less than a minute to the runtime would have been worth it. The only real silver lining is that the franchise is not beholden to this explanation going forward. Perhaps that’s why it was cut, as a future installment could offer a different answer.
