Dark Fright

The Dark Fright (スプーキー, Supūkī^?, lit. "Spooky"), also known as Fright, is an enemy that appears in the nighttime Stages in Sonic Unleashed. They are a variant of Dark Gaia's Minions.

Appearance

The Dark Frights mostly resemble balloon-shaped birds with small wings, a small knot on the bottom of their body, and a small horn on their forehead. They have dark blue and black skin, and have markings on their body that resemble a face, while their actual black faces with yellow eyes are hidden inside their "mouths".

The Dark Frights' body markings differ in color between the versions of the game; in the Wii/PlayStation 2 version, they are colored magenta, while in the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 version they are yellow.

Game appearances

Sonic Unleashed

The Dark Frights and the rest of Dark Gaia's Minions came into being when Dark Gaia broke apart at the beginning of Sonic Unleashed due to its premature awakening by Dr. Eggman. These fragments were then spread across the earth and became Dark Gaia's Minions, with the Dark Frights amongst them. It is thought that for every quiet sigh, gossip and insult that occurs in everyday life, a Dark Fright is created.^[1] They first appear in Apotos Night Act I: Moonlit Town in the Wii/PlayStation 2 version and Windmill Isle Night Act 1 in the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 version.

The Dark Frights have little health and do not cause much damage, making them amongst the weakest of Dark Gaia's Minions. However, they rarely appear alone and frequently attack in packs to overwhelm the player. The Dark Frights can easily be grabbed by Sonic the Werehog and used as weapons, but they do not cause much damage in the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 version due to their low density. They also come in a stronger variant called Red Frights.

In battle, the Dark Frights attack by either tackling Sonic at high speed or bouncing on top of him. When not attacking, they move erratically around in the air by rolling which makes their movements hard to predict and target properly.

Upon the reconstruction of Dark Gaia by Dr. Eggman, all of the Dark Frights (along with the other types of Dark Gaia's minions) were returned to the beast, who was later defeated and sealed within the planet's core.

Sonic Runners

In Sonic Runners, a red and green variant of the Dark Fright can be obtained from the Premium Roulette as Rare Speed Type Buddies called Crystal Monsters (S). These Dark Frights carry either a red or green Crystal with their tails, depending on the color of the monster, and will turn all small Crystals red or green when a certain combo is reached.

Powers and abilities

The Dark Frights are able to move around by either teleporting into an area in a puff of purple smoke or emerging from black puddles on the ground. As a Dark Gaia Minion, the Dark Frights can possess people by latching onto the deepest, darkest part of the heart, and generate despair, negative emotions or even erratic behavior that are completely opposite to the person's personality.

The Dark Frights are capable of flight, allowing them to float through mid-air in any direction. They are also able to dash through the air at high speed.

In other media

Archie Comics

Main article: Dark Fright (Archie)

The Dark Frights make an appearance in the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-off comics published by Archie Comics. In this media, they are Dark Gaia Creatures that began emerging from the core of Sonic's World during the Shattered World Crisis. They first appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog #261, where several Dark Frights and other Dark Gaia Monsters were roaming the waters surrounding Meropis. Once the city lost its protective shield, the Dark Frights and their kind invaded the city.

Trivia

• The Dark Frights' behavior makes a reference to what they resemble; they chirp like birds and "deflate" like balloons upon their defeat.

Gallery

Concept artwork

Artwork

The Red Crystal Monster (S), from Sonic Runners.

Screenshots

Xbox 360/PlayStation 3

Gallery
The Dark Fright's profile in the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 version of Sonic Unleashed.

Wii/PlayStation 2

Gallery

References