Infinite

Lore & Background

Infinite was originally a leader of the Jackal Squad, a mercenary group eliminated by Shadow the Hedgehog during a reconnaissance mission. Humiliated after being called "weak" and unable to handle the pain of that insult, he covered up his past and gained power from the Phantom Ruby, rechristening himself as Infinite. This transformation occurred roughly one month before the main plot begins. He is not a hedgehog but a former Jackal Squad leader who now serves the Eggman Empire. His primary ability involves using the Phantom Ruby to create illusionary doppelgangers of villains like Shadow, Chaos, Zavok, and Metal Sonic, allowing for limitless numbers to be mass-produced. These illusions serve as a psychological weapon; Infinite demonstrates this by manipulating memories in Green Hill Zone, making Shadow believe Rouge is talking nonsense and that E-123 Omega is still alive despite being badly damaged.

In Their Own Story

The story begins when Sonic sets out to stop Doctor Eggman's attack on a city, only to be ambushed by Infinite. The mercenary defeats Sonic, who is subsequently taken prisoner aboard the Death Egg. Without Sonic to stop him, Eggman and his forces, including the illusionary versions of Shadow and others, conquer the world within six months. Later, during the resistance's final charge toward Metropolis, Infinite enacts Eggman's endgame: creating an asteroid-like second sun over the planet that threatens to eliminate everything in its path upon impact. Although the Rookie uses a prototype Phantom Ruby to dispel the sun, Sonic and the Rookie battle Infinite directly and defeat him. Following this, Eggman moves the original Phantom Ruby into his personal battle mech. Once the resistance defeats Eggman and the Phantom Ruby is neutralized, all of the doppelgangers serving the army cease existing.

Reader's Guide

Infinite functions as a primary antagonist whose threat relies on deception rather than just physical strength. Players encounter him first as the force that incapacitates Sonic, setting the stage for the resistance's formation. His gameplay role involves testing players' ability to distinguish reality from illusion, particularly in levels where he manipulates the environment or creates fake allies and enemies. To defeat him, players must navigate through his illusions, such as the flashback sequence sent to Shadow in Episode Shadow DLC. In the final confrontation, Infinite is defeated by the combined efforts of Modern Sonic, Classic Sonic, and the Avatar. His presence is crucial to the plot's twist regarding the false villains and the ultimate threat of the second sun, which is only averted by the Rookie's intervention before the final battle with Eggman.

Did You Know?

• Infinite was originally the leader of the Jackal Squad before being defeated by Shadow and gaining power from the Phantom Ruby.
• He creates illusionary doppelgangers of Shadow, Chaos, Zavok, and Metal Sonic to mass-produce them for Eggman's army.
• The character's design and existence were inspired by Sonic fan art that developers had come across over the years.
• Infinite enacts an endgame where he creates an asteroid-like second sun over the planet to eliminate everything in its path.