Espio the Chameleon

Template:CharacterSheet Espio the Chameleon (Japanese: エスピオ・ザ・カメレオン, Esupio za Kamereon) is a is a recurring character in the Sonic the Hedgehog games and related media. Introduced to the Sonic series in Knuckles' Chaotix in 1995, Espio is a member of Chaotix and later Team Chaotix, the detective agency, with Vector the Crocodile and Charmy Bee. In Sonic Heroes and subsequent outings, Espio has taken the role of a calm, disciplined ninja, well-versed in concealment and wielding the largest shuriken known to man.

Origin

Espio's debut in Knuckles' Chaotix gives a different story to the chameleon in the Japanese versus the English manuals. The former doesn't actually mention Espio (or any of the rest of the Chaotix) at all, but relates that a the Chaos Rings - lost for eons on the sea bed - underwent some kind of remote reaction with the Master Emerald thanks to the descent of Angel Island in Sonic 3 & Knuckles. A new landmass has been raised out of the sea, which Dr. Robotnik immeidatly seizes and converts into Newtrogic High Zone. Knuckles goes to investigate, and there finds the Chaotix, who presumably are likewise investigating.

In the English manuals, Knuckles is (for some reason) the security guard of "Carnival Island", and Robotnik is trying to drain the park's power because he apparently doesn't want to pay for his own electricity. The fat man captures Knuckles' "friends" in the Combi Confiner, and it's up to the echidna to free them and chase Robotnik off.

Espio's change of age in Team Chaotix's reintroduction in Sonic Heroes corresponds to Takashi Iizuka's statements that he 'reinvented' the Chaotix for their 2004 return. While Chaotix and Sonic the Fighters didn't give any of their protaganists much in the way of characterisation, in Heroes Espio is firmly established as a serious and sceptical ninja, working with Vector and Charmy as part of a rather venal detective agency. Previously of no fixed residence - like most of the rest of the cast - Team Chaotix' story shows that the detectives are based in a single-storey shack in the middle of a stagnant swamp. Which raises the question of how they expect to get any business at all.

Personality and Traits

Espio's cool and businesslike nature makes him the one straight man of Team Chaotix, having to put up with the rather more anarchic capering of Charmy and their nominal boss, Vector. Suspicious and level-headed, the chameleon isn't afraid to voice his opinion that when things look too good to be true, they usually are, though his complaints are generally ignored by his team-mates when the prospect of profit rears its head, and Espio finds himself dragged along on another madcap moneymaking scheme.

His ninja skills - and Chroma Camo ability to turn invisible - make Espio an invaluable asset to the Chaotix's detective work. He prefers to use his cloaking abilities for combat or espionage, but sometimes Vector and Charmy may require Espio to use it for thievery, which he dislikes. He also seems to be quite good with computers, although he states that hacking isn't exactly his specialty. Espio's main interests include camping and battle training. One thing he strongly dislikes, though, is Eggman. One can presume that most Sonic characters dislike the evil doc, but Espio's particularly strong loathing of Eggman is stated in the Japanese Chaotix manual.

Espio first appeared in Knuckles' Chaotix. It has been speculated that he was originally meant to be the game's main star. He later appeared in the arcade game Sonic the Fighters (Sonic Championship). He also appeared in Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog, where he helps out in the Mad Matrix level and the Mad Matrix Egg Breaker boss battle. In Sonic Rivals 2, Espio makes a playable appearence in the absence of the other Chaotix members, tailing Silver the Hedgehog to get to the bottom of the recent chao disappearances.

In the Archie comic, Espio is a bona fide hothead, which causes friend Charmy to remind him of his manners. In Sonic the Comic, he is a friendly (or sometimes not so friendly) rival to Mighty.

Voice Actors

• Yuuki Masuda (SH+)

• Bill Corkery (SH)

• David Wills (SonX, ShTH)

• Troy Baker (Sonic Colours)

Trivia

• Strangely enough, Espio states in Sonic Heroes (during the Egg Emperor battle) that it was "nothing personal", and that he was fighting against Eggman because it was "strictly business". This is one of many instances in Sonic Heroes that contradict things that were stated in the Knuckles' Chaotix manual(s), or the game itself.
• Espio can play the samisen, this Japanese banjo being his instrument during Team Chaotix's "Team Blast" move in Sonic Heroes. But given the horrible cacophony the trio create during the move, it's questionable whether or not he can play it well.
• In the Japanese version of Sonic Heroes, Espio is the only character that does not shout "Level up!" when obtaining a Power Core. Instead, he shouts "Level chousho!".