Due to its nature as a sequel, spoilers for both Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) are unmarked. You Have Been Warned!
Sonic Drone Home is a CGI animated short film set in the Sonic the Hedgehog film continuity. It is produced by Marza Animation Planet and is included with home media releases of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, starting with the digital release on May 24, 2022.
Shortly after the events of the second film, Sonic, Tails and Knuckles are out on a trip to the library to return some books — or "sacred tomes", as the echidna refers to them — but Sonic detours the group towards the local junkyard, as Wade's informed him of mysterious noises coming from there late at night. Right after arriving, the trio find the source: one of Robotnik's badnik drones, acting on its own and upgrading itself using the junkyard's scrap to fulfill its programmed directive: conquer the world! Can our heroes put a stop to this robotic menace, or is there more to this "Unit" than meets the eye?
Ben Schwartz reprises his role as Sonic from the films, with Alicyn Packard and Fred Tatasciore filling in for Colleen O'Shaughnessey and Idris Elba on Tails and Knuckles, respectively.
Sonic Drone Home containing the following examples:
- Armor-Piercing Question: During the battle, Unit mentions that it was programmed to think for itself. When Sonic asks why it's "doing all of this," it responds that its programming is to conquer the world. Sonic tells Unit that that sort of thinking sounds more like Robotnik and asks what Unit really likes doing.
- Art-Shifted Sequel: Unlike the films, which are live-action/CGI hybrids, the short is entirely CG animated, resulting in a brighter and slightly-less realistic look compared to the films. Sonic, Tails and Knuckles also have cartoonier expressions as a result.
- Batman Gambit: Sonic breaks off a seemingly vital part of the badnik's trash body. This turns out to be a trap to leave Sonic open.Sonic: I hope this wasn't doing anything important.
Unit: Not yet.
The device Sonic swiped sprays purple paint all over his eyes - Character Narrator: Sonic begins the short by narrating directly to the audience. This is then lampshaded and Played for Laughs by Tails and Knuckles, who take note of Sonic's narration and provide their own narrations.
- That Cloud Looks Like...: As Sonic finishes his ending narration (announcing the team's greatest adventure involving picking up chili dogs on the way home) the camera focuses on a cloud shaped like said food item at the end.
- Comically Serious: Knuckles treating the errand of returning library books like a hero's quest.
- Continuity Nod: Among the trash and rubble of the junkyard is the scoreboard from Green Hills' baseball field, complete with the hole Knuckles left in it at the end of Sonic 2.
- Denser and Wackier: Thanks to the shift from a mix of live-action and CGI to full animation. The characters have noticeably cartoonier expressions and movements compared to the films.
- Down in the Dumps: Green Hills' junkyard, which acts as the main setting of the short.
- Elite Mook: Unit is a Badnik which can upgrade itself with junk, which enables it to nearly succeed in killing Sonic if he and Tails didn't convince it to follow its true passion.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus: The books Knuckles is returning to the library for Maddie are entitled "Parenting Adopted Children", "The Blended Family" and "North American Mammals".
- Hidden Depths: It turns out that Unit likes writing poetry, but doesn't have much confidence in its ability to do so.
- Improbable Weapon User: Unit manages to weaponize a traffic signal out of all things
- Insistent Terminology: Unit associates everything it does with "taking over the world" even if its something as harmless as poetry.
- Just Following Orders: Despite being programmed to think for itself, Unit's primary goal is to take over the world, which is Robotnik's primary goal.
- Leeroy Jenkins: Rather than listen to Sonic's plan (as Knuckles himself lampshades) Knuckles tries to take down Unit all on his own and gets curb stomped as a result.
- Lighter and Softer: Compared to Sonic the Hedgehog 2 as the stakes in the movie were more dire and Dr. Robotnik was much more menacing in the movie. This short doesn't have Dr. Robotnik himself and it just focuses on Sonic and his friends trying to fight one of Dr. Robotnik's robots while said robot turned out to not be a major threat and eventually becomes friends with Sonic, Tails and Knuckles.
- Musical Nod: A brief snippet of Green Hill (specifically the piano version by Jon Batiste) plays in the beginning.
- Near-Villain Victory: Unit nearly manages to succeed in killing Sonic without the aid of a near limitless power source, but changes its mind when asked about what it actually wants to do.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Tails' attempt at tying up Unit ends with Sonic's legs being tied up after Unit deflected the rope.
- Pet the Dog: Both Sonic and Tails have the patience to listen to Unit's poem and seem to show some actual interest in it.
- Plug 'n' Play Technology: Unit looks like a standard badnik drone, but it can attach pretty much anything to itself to make itself a perfectly functional body.
- Suddenly Speaking: Unit is the first badnik in the film continuity to speak full sentences.
- The Worf Effect: Turns out that not even Sonic and Knuckles' destructive powers can stop a robot who literally built itself out of trash.
