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:''For the scener with the same name, see [[Master Emerald (scener)]]''
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[[File:SA1 MEShrine.PNG|thumb|right|350px|The Master Emerald on [[Angel Island]]'s [[Emerald Shrine]] in ''[[Sonic Adventure]]''.]]
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[[File:S3&KEmeraldChamber.PNG|thumb|right|350px|The Master Emerald (''top, center'') and [[Super Emeralds]] in [[Hidden Palace Zone (Sonic & Knuckles)|Hidden Palace Zone]]'s [[Emerald Shrine]] in ''[[Sonic & Knuckles]]''.]]
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{{cleanup}}
  
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The '''Master Emerald''' is a large, green emerald depicted in the [[Sonic the Hedgehog]] video game series.
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{{quote|''The seven Chaos are the servers. Chaos is power, enriched by the heart. The controller is the one who unifies the Chaos.''
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|[[Tikal]], in ''[[Sonic Adventure]]''}}
  
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==Origin==
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The '''Master Emerald''' is a massive, mysterious gem, held on [[Angel Island]] and guarded by [[Knuckles the Echidna]]. It is a jewel of immeasurable power and the only force in the [[Sonic games|''Sonic'' universe]] that can neutralize the energy of the [[Chaos Emeralds]], and as such has been embroiled in numerous plots by [[Doctor Eggman]] and [[Pachacamac|other]] [[Mecha Sonic (Sonic & Knuckles boss)|villains]] seeking to harness the crystal for their own nefarious ends.<ref>[[TailsTube #3 (feat. Knuckles)]]</ref> This powerful gem first appeared in [[Sonic & Knuckles]].
  
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Little is known about the origin of the Master Emerald except that it resided in a shrine on [[Angel Island]] for an unspecified amount of time, guarded by [[Knuckles the Echidna]].
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The green jewel's principal effect is to control or negate the energies of the [[Chaos Emeralds]] (being the "controller" mentioned in Tikal's incantation). But on top of this it is also an artefact of awesome potency in its own right, able to [[Angel Island|levitate continents]], [[Kyodai Eggman Robo|power giant lasers]], and more.
  
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==Purpose==
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==General==
  
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The Master Emerald contains an immeasurable amount of power which is used to keep [[Angel Island]] afloat in the sky. It also possesses the ability to negate the effects of the [[Chaos Emeralds]].
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Nothing is known about the origin of the Master Emerald. It has, however, been on [[Sonic's world]] for at least tens of thousands of years, it's earliest known location being in the fields of the [[Mystic Ruins]] before it even became territory of the ancient [[Knuckles Clan]].{{intref|Sonic Frontiers}} After the [[Perfect Chaos|first Perfect Chaos cataclysm]], Angel Island was blasted out of the surface, with the shrine attached. Three thousand years later,{{ref|[https://web.archive.org/web/20220507000119/https://twitter.com/SonicOfficialJP/status/1522727938852286465 Sonic Japanese twitter account]}} the Island and the Emerald is guarded only by the hermetic [[Knuckles the Echidna]].
  
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==Role in the Story==
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It was the backlash from [[Tikal]] sealing [[Chaos]] inside the Master Emerald which formed Angel Island, and it is the Master Emerald's energy which ''keeps'' the Island afloat in the sky.
  
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==History==
 
The Master Emerald first appeared in ''[[Sonic & Knuckles]]'', where it was stolen by [[Dr. Robotnik]] in his bid to take over the world.
 
The Master Emerald first appeared in ''[[Sonic & Knuckles]]'', where it was stolen by [[Dr. Robotnik]] in his bid to take over the world.
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The scene originally thought that the green emerald in the [[Hidden Palace Zone (S2)|Sonic 2 version of HPZ]] was the Master Emerald, but the interview with [[Craig Stitt]] revealed it was supposedly nothing more than a breakable block.
 
  
 
[[Image:Master_Emerald.gif|right|thumb|The Master Emerald, as it appears in [[Sonic 3 & Knuckles|S3K]]]]
 
[[Image:Master_Emerald.gif|right|thumb|The Master Emerald, as it appears in [[Sonic 3 & Knuckles|S3K]]]]
  
 
===''Sonic 3 & Knuckles''===
 
===''Sonic 3 & Knuckles''===
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{{quote|1=Sonic knows that many Emeralds, including the Master Emerald, are hidden somewhere on Floating Island. He bets this Knuckles character knows where they are! Sonic can't let Robotnik get his hands on the Master Emerald. He'd have Death Egg fuel forever — and Floating Island would be destroyed!|2=''Sonic & Knuckles'' US manual|ref={{fileref|S&K MD US SonicJam manual.pdf|page=3}}}}
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The Master Emerald's part in the game includes being stolen by [[Dr. Eggman]], being used to power the [[Death Egg]], [[Kyodai Eggman Robo|fire lasers]], allow [[Mecha Sonic]] to achieve his [[Super Mecha Sonic|Super form]], and eventually be restored to [[Angel Island]]. If the player collects all of the [[Super Emeralds]], the Master Emerald will begin glowing and grant the player characters their Hyper forms (Super form in [[Miles "Tails" Prower|Tails]]' case).
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===''Sonic Adventure''===
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The Master Emerald appeared again in ''[[Sonic Adventure]]'' for the [[Sega Dreamcast]], where it was again shown keeping [[Angel Island]] afloat.  The emerald also held within it the ancient monster known as [[Chaos (character)|Chaos]]. In the game, it was shattered by a mysterious force, causing Angel Island to fall, and [[Chaos]] and [[Tikal]] to escape the jewel's confines. [[Knuckles]] spends the game tracking down the scattered shards of the Master Emerald, butting heads with [[Sonic]] and unwittingly aiding [[Eggman]] in his pursuit of the [[Chaos Emeralds]]. All the pieces of the Master Emerald are eventually recovered, though Angel Island cannot rise for long without Chaos sealed inside.
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An additional power of the Master Emerald is showcased in the course of the game; A nearly complete Master Emerald shows Knuckles where its remaining shards are (aboard the first [[Egg Carrier]]) after Knuckles audiably ponders where they could be. The source of this vision and the Master Emerald's apparent omnipresent knowledge are not revealed.
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===''Sonic Adventure 2''===
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In ''[[Sonic Adventure 2]]'', the Master Emerald was again a source of contention as Knuckles fought with [[Rouge the Bat]] for possession of it. [[Dr. Eggman]] tried to steal it again while they were distracted, but Knuckles voluntarily shattered the Emerald in order to keep it out of his hands. Knuckles and Rouge then set off separately to gather the shards of the emerald for their own reasons. Once all the shards are recollected and the Master Emerald is made whole again, it is used to negate the destructive powers of the [[Chaos Emeralds]] in [[Cannon's Core]].
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===''Sonic Advance 3''===
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The Master Emerald is found in [[Altar Emerald]] at the end of ''[[Sonic Advance 3]]'', and the fight against Altar Emerald's second boss takes place at the base of its shrine. The Master Emerald apparently has the ability to reunite the seven separated pieces of the planet, reversing the effects of Dr. Eggman's worldwide [[Chaos Control]]. This is seen at the end of the game's normal ending.
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===''Sonic Rivals''===
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[[File:Emerk.png|thumb|Card of the Master Emerald in ''Sonic Rivals'']]
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The disappearance of the Master Emerald is the primary reason for Knuckles's involvement in both ''[[Sonic Rivals]]'' games. In the original, Knuckles' episode reveals that the game takes place almost entirely on Angel Island's future form, renamed [[Onyx Island]] in the future. It is also revealed that the Master Emerald is a transcendent object, existing simultaneously in all timelines. Its disappearance from the future caused its disappearance in all timelines.
  
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The Master Emerald's part in the game includes being stolen by [[Doctor Eggman]], being used to power the [[Death Egg]], the robotic [[Mecha Sonic]], and eventually being restored to [[Angel Island]].
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===''Sonic Rivals 2''===
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The Master Emerald goes missing once again in ''[[Sonic Rivals 2]]'', forcing Knuckles' hand in the story. The situation also causes the team up of Knuckles with Rouge, much to his chagrin. At the end of the game, the heroes find they were in possession of the jewel the entire time. It was sealed within the Chaos Emerald detector they stole from [[Eggman Nega]].
  
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===''Sonic Adventure''===
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===''Sonic Mania''===
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In ''[[Sonic Mania]]'', the Master Emerald appears on its altar at the end of [[Lava Reef Zone (Sonic Mania)|Lava Reef Zone]] Act 2 like in ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'' along with the [[Super Emeralds]] which are now cracked and drained of their power. During Knuckles' exclusive boss fight against the [[Heavy King]], leader of the [[Hard-Boiled Heavies]], the Heavy King uses his scepter to absorb the Master Emerald's power and unleash various types of attacks against the echidna.
  
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The Master Emerald appeared again in ''[[Sonic Adventure]]'' for the [[Sega Dreamcast]], where it was again shown keeping [[Angel Island]] afloat.  The emerald also held within it the ancient monster known as [[Chaos (character)|Chaos]]. In the game, it was shattered by a mysterious force, causing Angel Island to fall.
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===''Sonic Frontiers''===
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In ''[[Sonic Frontiers]]'', it is revealed that the Master Emerald has been on Earth since ancient times even before the arrival of the [[Chaos Emeralds]], which were attracted by the power of the Master Emerald. Unlike the Chaos Emeralds, which were created by the [[Ancients]], the origin of this gem is still covered in mystery.
  
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===''Sonic Adventure 2''===  
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===''Sonic Superstars''===
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In ''[[Sonic Superstars]]'', the Master Emerald was seen at the beginning and end of Knuckles' story in the game. While Knuckles was guarding the Emerald, it awoke him from his rest as Sonic and Tails flew by. This made him decide to travel with them to the [[Northstar Islands]].
  
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The Master Emerald was again a source of contention as Knuckles fought with [[Rouge the Bat]] for possession of it.  [[Doctor Eggman|Eggman]] tried to steal it again while they were distracted, but Knuckles voluntarily shattered the Emerald in order to keep it out of his hands.  Knuckles and Rouge then set off separately to gather the shards of the emerald for their own reasons.
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==Non-canon game appearances==
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===''Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood''===
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[[Imperator Ix]] of the [[Nocturnus Clan]] echidnas initiates an intricate scheme in order to capture the Master Emerald and use its power to open a wormhole to the [[Twilight Cage]], where his civilization has been imprisoned by [[Argus]]. Manipulating the link which the [[Chaos Emeralds]] share with their Master, [[Procurator Shade]] pulls [[Angel Island (Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood)|Angel Island]] over [[Metropolis (Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood)|Eggman's Metropolis]], before Ix steals the Emerald from the [[Emerald Shrine|Shrine]], sending the Island plummeting into the city.
  
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Sonic and friends travel into the Cage to recover the Master Emerald from the [[Nocturne]], and manage to bring it back through the portal.
  
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==='''Sonic Rivals'''===
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==In other media==
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===[[Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie comics)|''Sonic the Hedgehog'' (Archie comics)]]===
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In the [[Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie comics)|Archie comics]], the Brotherhood of Guardians is a group of echidnas in charge of protecting [[Angel Island]]. Knuckles is a descendant from these male echidnas, and is now guardian of the island, doing what his ancestors have done for quite a bit of time. The ''Archie'' continuity has the Angel Island echidnas as protectors of a distinct set of Chaos Emeralds, which are amalgamated into the Master Emerald as part of a plan to combat [[Mammoth Mogul]] in [[Sonic the Hedgehog 056 (Archie)|issue 56]]. [[Scourge the Hedgehog|Evil Sonic]] while on a heist with Rouge the Bat, double crossed her to harness the power of the Master Emerald himself, but Locke intercepted him and due the interruption of Evil Sonic's attempt to transform into a [[Super transformation|Super State]], the fur and eyes of Evil Sonic had changed colors to green and blue respectively and proceeded to rechristen himself "Scourge".
  
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The disappearance of the Master Emerald is the primary reason for Knuckles's involvement in both [[Sonic Rivals]] games. Throughout Knuckles's episode, it is revealed that the game almost takes place entirely on Angel Island, which was renamed Onyx Island in the future. It is also revealed that the Master Emerald is a transcendent object, existing simultaneously in all timelines. Its disappearance from the future caused its disappearance in all timelines.
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===''[[Sonic the Comic]]''===
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In ''[[Sonic the Comic]]'', the history of the Emeralds is expanded considerably, though some points contradict the storyline of the games. The Grey Emerald is said to be the most powerful of the seven, and has the ability to control the energy of the other Emeralds. However, the Master Emerald can still over-rule its power. The original form of the seven Emeralds were what is now known as the [[Super Emerald]]s. They were taken from the Floating Island by persons unknown and began to lose their power, reverting to the small emeralds that are familiar to all the Sonic games. Dr. Kintobor planned to use the Emeralds as a storage device to contain all the negative energy in the world, but a freak accident infused him with pure Chaos Energy and turned him into Sonic's lifelong antagonist.  
  
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==='''Sonic Rivals 2'''===
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At some point in the past six of the seven original Chaos Emeralds were split into twelve, with only the Grey Emerald remaining whole. These twelve Emeralds were later fused back into six by Dr. Robotnik.
  
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The emerald goes missing once again in Sonic Rivals 2, forcing Knuckles' hand in the story. The situation also causes the team up of Knuckles with Rouge, much to his chagrin. At the end of the game, the heroes find they were in possession of the jewel the entire time.  It was sealed within the Chaos Emerald detector they stole from Eggman Nega.
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In Sonic the Comic (and contrary to ''[[Sonic Adventure]]''), there is no positive energy in the Emeralds; only Chaos Energy. The Emeralds absorb Chaos Energy through contact, draining the victim and growing more unstable. In contrast to this, Sonic absorbs Chaos Energy, which is why he is the only one (storyline-wise) who is able to harness their power and transform into [[Super Sonic]]. The only way to stop the transfer of Chaos Energy to and from the Emeralds is to keep them at a cold temperature. In the comic, Super Sonic was an insane, all-powerful version of Sonic created when he absorbs too much Chaos Energy and goes out of control.
  
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===''Sonic Chronicles: TDB''===
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===''[[Sonic X]]''===
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{{sectstub}}
  
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[[Imperator Ix]] of the [[Nocturnus Clan]] echidnas initiates an intricate scheme in order to capture the Master Emerald and use its power to open a wormhole to the [[Twilight Cage]], where his civilization has been imprisoned by [[Argus]]. This time [[Angel Island (Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood)|Angel Island]] crashes into [[Metropolis (Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood)|Eggman's Metropolis]] instead of the ocean.
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===[[Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW comics)|''Sonic the Hedgehog'' (IDW comics)]]===
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While Knuckles was away from Angel Island, [[Neo Metal Sonic]] had discovered that the Master Emerald was left unguarded, prompting him to invade the island.{{intref|Sonic the Hedgehog 003 (IDW)}} Once his takeover was complete, Neo Metal Sonic built himself a throne on top of the Master Emerald and a fortress around its shrine. With the gem under his control, Neo Metal Sonic possessed the means of neutralizing Super Sonic in case Sonic tried to use the Chaos Emeralds against him. While this happened, the Master Emerald would call out to Knuckles in distress.{{intref|Sonic the Hedgehog 009 (IDW)}}
  
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==The Master Emerald in the [[Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie)|Archie Comic]]==
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During the Battle for Angel Island, Sonic and Knuckles would confront Neo Metal Sonic, who then harnessed the gem's power and transforms into [[Super Neo Metal Sonic]], putting up a fierce fight for the two heroes. Shadow then showed up and subdued Super Neo Metal; however his presence would allow the robot to copy his biodata and combine it with Sonic's biodata and the Master Emerald's power to transform into [[Master Overlord]].{{intref|Sonic the Hedgehog 010 (IDW)}} This metal monstrosity incorporated the Master Emerald into himself as his power source, effectively cutting Angel Island off from its power, meaning the island was about to fall into the sea. To take down the metallic beast, the [[Resistance]] banded together to distract Master Overlord while Knuckles tried pounding the Master Emerald loose. [[Miles "Tails" Prower|Tails]] ramming an [[Egg Fleet]] vessel into Master Overlord was just enough for the Master Emerald to be lodged free, defeating him and allowing Knuckles to stop Angel Island from falling.{{intref|Sonic the Hedgehog 011 (IDW)}} With Neo Metal Sonic defeated and the Emerald back in its altar, Knuckles disbanded the Resistance and resumed his duties as guardian.{{intref|Sonic the Hedgehog 012 (IDW)}}
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The Brotherhood is a group of echidnas in charge of protecting [[Angel Island]]. Knuckles is a descendant from these male echidnas, and is now guardian of the island, doing what his ancestors have done for quite a bit of time.
 
  
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==Guardians==
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===[[Sonic the Hedgehog (film series)|''Sonic the Hedgehog'' (film series)]]===
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{{sectstub}}
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In the ancient past, a group of [[Echidna]] warriors collected seven [[Chaos Emeralds]] and fused them together into a singular Master Emerald. Whoever wielded the Master Emerald had the power to turn their thoughts into reality. Fearing the devastating power of the Master Emerald, the Giant Owls fought a long and brutal war against the Echidnas, eventually managing to steal it from them. The Master Emerald was hidden in a shrine on [[Earth]], with a lineage of guardians assigned to keep it protected from evildoers.
  
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Contrary to popular belief, the emeralds were '''not''' protected by [[echidna]]s originally, but by Chaos, a water like being that protected both these emeralds and the [[Chao]] that lived there.
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During [[Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (film)|''Sonic the Hedgehog 2'']], [[Knuckles the Echidna]] travels to Earth to claim the Master Emerald and take revenge against [[Sonic the Hedgehog]] for the destruction of the rest of his species. While on the run, Sonic and Tails find a secret message from [[Longclaw]] encoded in a map of Earth she'd given him. In the message, Longclaw explains that she was the previous guardian of the Master Emerald, and that with her passing, the duty of protecting it now falls to Sonic.
  
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[[Tikal]] found Chaos and the [[Chao]] in her ancient echidna family. She loved them and cared for them, but her father found out about them and wanted the power of the chaos emeralds for himself. He attacked the emeralds and tried to steal them for himself, but Chaos absorbed the power of the Emeralds and became Perfect Chaos, before Tikal appealed to the Master Emerald to seal Chaos away inside it, sealing herself in the process. We know this because Tikal's spirit is of the age when she was sealed, which is the age at which her father attacked the emerald. The Perfect Chaos catastrophy almost totally obliterated the [[Knuckles Clan]], and the backlash from the event hoisted [[Angel Island]] into the sky. The Chao lived on and bred, however.
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The map leads the two of them to a secret Owl temple hidden in the mountains of Siberia, which contains a compass pointing to the Emerald's location, as well as a more detailed history of the Master Emerald and its power. Knuckles and Eggman track them there, and in the ensuing battle, they manage to steal the compass. The compass reveals a [[Labyrinth Zone|hidden labyrinth]] located near Hawaii, where the Master Emerald is hidden.
  
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This is the point at which the echidnas took over in protecting the emeralds. [[Knuckles the Echidna|Knuckles]] is the echidna that protects them in the time of the current ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' timeline, and, for most of his life, believed himself to be the last of his race (at least in the Sonic Team storyline; adaptions like the American Sonic comics have more echidnas in existence). The game canon finally took a leaf out of [[Archie]]'s book in ''[[Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood]]'', with the introduction of the [[Nocturnus]].
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Arriving at the labyrinth, Sonic battles Knuckles, but Eggman double-crosses him and steals the Emerald for himself, supercharging himself with the Master Emerald's power and using its abilities to transform [[GUN]]'s military forces into a [[Death Egg Robot|giant robot]] for himself. Sonic, Tails, and a reformed Knuckles use a stolen biplane to give chase. Knuckles manages to punch the Master Emerald out of Eggman, causing it to shatter back into the seven Chaos Emeralds it was originally made from
  
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==Chaos Emeralds in the Comics==
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Just as the robot is about to stomp on Sonic, [[Tom Wachowski|Tom]], and [[Maddie Wachowski|Maddie]], Sonic absorbs the seven Chaos Emeralds and turns into [[Super Sonic]] and effortlessly defeats the robot. Afterwards, Knuckles repairs the Master Emerald. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles swear an oath to protect the Master Emerald together, which also includes not using it themselves, fearing the devastating power it possesses.
  
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In Fleetway's [[Sonic the Comic]], the history of the Emeralds is expanded considerably, though some points contradict the storyline of the games. The Grey Emerald is said to be the most powerful of the seven, and has the ability to control the energy of the other Emeralds. However, the Master Emerald can still over-rule its power. The original form of the seven Emeralds were what is now known as the [[Super Emerald]]s. They were taken from Angel Island by persons unknown (though it was probably Dr. Ovi Kintobor, the original form of Dr. Ivo Robotnik) and began to lose their power, reverting to the small emeralds that are familiar to all the Sonic games. Dr. Kintobor planned to use the Emeralds as a storage device to contain all the negative energy in the world, but a freak accident infused him with pure chaos energy and turned him into Sonic's lifelong antagonist.
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In [[Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (film)|''Sonic the Hedgehog 3'']], after [[Shadow]] nearly kills Tom, Sonic angrily demands the Master Emerald from Knuckles so that he can put a stop to Eggman's scheme. Knuckles tries to warn him against using the Master Emerald, warning that its power is too much for any one person to wield, but Sonic refuses to listen; he deduces that the Emerald is being guarded by Knuckles' protege [[Wade Whipple]], and he easily steals it, shattering it back into the seven Chaos Emeralds and using their power to turn back into Super Sonic.
  
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In the Fleetway comics (and contrary to ''[[Sonic Adventure]]''), there is no positive energy in the Emeralds; only chaos energy. The Emeralds absorb chaos energy through contact, draining the victim and growing more instable. In contrast to this, Sonic absorbs chaos energy, which is why he is the only one (storyline-wise) who is able to harness their power and transform into [[Super Sonic]]. The only way to stop the transfer of chaos energy to and from the Emeralds is to keep them at a cold temperature. In the comic, Super Sonic was an insane, all-powerful version of Sonic created when he absorbs too much chaos energy and goes out of control.
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The Master Emerald's current location is unknown after the events of the film; it is not seen being reformed after the film's climax, and its component Chaos Emeralds were last seen being used by Shadow before his sacrifice.
  
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It is also implied that it was the Emeralds which created the Special Stages in order to protect themselves from Dr. Robotnik. The comics also claim that the seven original Emeralds were split into fourteen - the emeralds from ''Sonic 2'' and ''Sonic 3'' respectively. These Emeralds were then fused back into seven in the comics. However, this is never proven or implied in the games.
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==References==
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<references/>
  
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{{Powerful Items}}
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{{Items}}
 
[[Category:Items]]
 
[[Category:Items]]

Latest revision as of 18:20, 3 January 2025

The Master Emerald on Angel Island's Emerald Shrine in Sonic Adventure.
The Master Emerald (top, center) and Super Emeralds in Hidden Palace Zone's Emerald Shrine in Sonic & Knuckles.
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“ The seven Chaos are the servers. Chaos is power, enriched by the heart. The controller is the one who unifies the Chaos. „

— Tikal, in Sonic Adventure

The Master Emerald is a massive, mysterious gem, held on Angel Island and guarded by Knuckles the Echidna. It is a jewel of immeasurable power and the only force in the Sonic universe that can neutralize the energy of the Chaos Emeralds, and as such has been embroiled in numerous plots by Doctor Eggman and other villains seeking to harness the crystal for their own nefarious ends.[1] This powerful gem first appeared in Sonic & Knuckles.

The green jewel's principal effect is to control or negate the energies of the Chaos Emeralds (being the "controller" mentioned in Tikal's incantation). But on top of this it is also an artefact of awesome potency in its own right, able to levitate continents, power giant lasers, and more.

General

Nothing is known about the origin of the Master Emerald. It has, however, been on Sonic's world for at least tens of thousands of years, it's earliest known location being in the fields of the Mystic Ruins before it even became territory of the ancient Knuckles Clan.[2] After the first Perfect Chaos cataclysm, Angel Island was blasted out of the surface, with the shrine attached. Three thousand years later,[3] the Island and the Emerald is guarded only by the hermetic Knuckles the Echidna.

It was the backlash from Tikal sealing Chaos inside the Master Emerald which formed Angel Island, and it is the Master Emerald's energy which keeps the Island afloat in the sky.

History

The Master Emerald first appeared in Sonic & Knuckles, where it was stolen by Dr. Robotnik in his bid to take over the world.

The Master Emerald, as it appears in S3K

Sonic 3 & Knuckles

“ Sonic knows that many Emeralds, including the Master Emerald, are hidden somewhere on Floating Island. He bets this Knuckles character knows where they are! Sonic can't let Robotnik get his hands on the Master Emerald. He'd have Death Egg fuel forever — and Floating Island would be destroyed! „

— Sonic & Knuckles US manualMedia:S&K MD US SonicJam manual.pdf[4]

The Master Emerald's part in the game includes being stolen by Dr. Eggman, being used to power the Death Egg, fire lasers, allow Mecha Sonic to achieve his Super form, and eventually be restored to Angel Island. If the player collects all of the Super Emeralds, the Master Emerald will begin glowing and grant the player characters their Hyper forms (Super form in Tails' case).

Sonic Adventure

The Master Emerald appeared again in Sonic Adventure for the Sega Dreamcast, where it was again shown keeping Angel Island afloat. The emerald also held within it the ancient monster known as Chaos. In the game, it was shattered by a mysterious force, causing Angel Island to fall, and Chaos and Tikal to escape the jewel's confines. Knuckles spends the game tracking down the scattered shards of the Master Emerald, butting heads with Sonic and unwittingly aiding Eggman in his pursuit of the Chaos Emeralds. All the pieces of the Master Emerald are eventually recovered, though Angel Island cannot rise for long without Chaos sealed inside.

An additional power of the Master Emerald is showcased in the course of the game; A nearly complete Master Emerald shows Knuckles where its remaining shards are (aboard the first Egg Carrier) after Knuckles audiably ponders where they could be. The source of this vision and the Master Emerald's apparent omnipresent knowledge are not revealed.

Sonic Adventure 2

In Sonic Adventure 2, the Master Emerald was again a source of contention as Knuckles fought with Rouge the Bat for possession of it. Dr. Eggman tried to steal it again while they were distracted, but Knuckles voluntarily shattered the Emerald in order to keep it out of his hands. Knuckles and Rouge then set off separately to gather the shards of the emerald for their own reasons. Once all the shards are recollected and the Master Emerald is made whole again, it is used to negate the destructive powers of the Chaos Emeralds in Cannon's Core.

Sonic Advance 3

The Master Emerald is found in Altar Emerald at the end of Sonic Advance 3, and the fight against Altar Emerald's second boss takes place at the base of its shrine. The Master Emerald apparently has the ability to reunite the seven separated pieces of the planet, reversing the effects of Dr. Eggman's worldwide Chaos Control. This is seen at the end of the game's normal ending.

Sonic Rivals

Card of the Master Emerald in Sonic Rivals

The disappearance of the Master Emerald is the primary reason for Knuckles's involvement in both Sonic Rivals games. In the original, Knuckles' episode reveals that the game takes place almost entirely on Angel Island's future form, renamed Onyx Island in the future. It is also revealed that the Master Emerald is a transcendent object, existing simultaneously in all timelines. Its disappearance from the future caused its disappearance in all timelines.

Sonic Rivals 2

The Master Emerald goes missing once again in Sonic Rivals 2, forcing Knuckles' hand in the story. The situation also causes the team up of Knuckles with Rouge, much to his chagrin. At the end of the game, the heroes find they were in possession of the jewel the entire time. It was sealed within the Chaos Emerald detector they stole from Eggman Nega.

Sonic Mania

In Sonic Mania, the Master Emerald appears on its altar at the end of Lava Reef Zone Act 2 like in Sonic 3 & Knuckles along with the Super Emeralds which are now cracked and drained of their power. During Knuckles' exclusive boss fight against the Heavy King, leader of the Hard-Boiled Heavies, the Heavy King uses his scepter to absorb the Master Emerald's power and unleash various types of attacks against the echidna.

Sonic Frontiers

In Sonic Frontiers, it is revealed that the Master Emerald has been on Earth since ancient times even before the arrival of the Chaos Emeralds, which were attracted by the power of the Master Emerald. Unlike the Chaos Emeralds, which were created by the Ancients, the origin of this gem is still covered in mystery.

Sonic Superstars

In Sonic Superstars, the Master Emerald was seen at the beginning and end of Knuckles' story in the game. While Knuckles was guarding the Emerald, it awoke him from his rest as Sonic and Tails flew by. This made him decide to travel with them to the Northstar Islands.

Non-canon game appearances

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood

Imperator Ix of the Nocturnus Clan echidnas initiates an intricate scheme in order to capture the Master Emerald and use its power to open a wormhole to the Twilight Cage, where his civilization has been imprisoned by Argus. Manipulating the link which the Chaos Emeralds share with their Master, Procurator Shade pulls Angel Island over Eggman's Metropolis, before Ix steals the Emerald from the Shrine, sending the Island plummeting into the city.

Sonic and friends travel into the Cage to recover the Master Emerald from the Nocturne, and manage to bring it back through the portal.

In other media

Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie comics)

In the Archie comics, the Brotherhood of Guardians is a group of echidnas in charge of protecting Angel Island. Knuckles is a descendant from these male echidnas, and is now guardian of the island, doing what his ancestors have done for quite a bit of time. The Archie continuity has the Angel Island echidnas as protectors of a distinct set of Chaos Emeralds, which are amalgamated into the Master Emerald as part of a plan to combat Mammoth Mogul in issue 56. Evil Sonic while on a heist with Rouge the Bat, double crossed her to harness the power of the Master Emerald himself, but Locke intercepted him and due the interruption of Evil Sonic's attempt to transform into a Super State, the fur and eyes of Evil Sonic had changed colors to green and blue respectively and proceeded to rechristen himself "Scourge".

Sonic the Comic

In Sonic the Comic, the history of the Emeralds is expanded considerably, though some points contradict the storyline of the games. The Grey Emerald is said to be the most powerful of the seven, and has the ability to control the energy of the other Emeralds. However, the Master Emerald can still over-rule its power. The original form of the seven Emeralds were what is now known as the Super Emeralds. They were taken from the Floating Island by persons unknown and began to lose their power, reverting to the small emeralds that are familiar to all the Sonic games. Dr. Kintobor planned to use the Emeralds as a storage device to contain all the negative energy in the world, but a freak accident infused him with pure Chaos Energy and turned him into Sonic's lifelong antagonist.

At some point in the past six of the seven original Chaos Emeralds were split into twelve, with only the Grey Emerald remaining whole. These twelve Emeralds were later fused back into six by Dr. Robotnik.

In Sonic the Comic (and contrary to Sonic Adventure), there is no positive energy in the Emeralds; only Chaos Energy. The Emeralds absorb Chaos Energy through contact, draining the victim and growing more unstable. In contrast to this, Sonic absorbs Chaos Energy, which is why he is the only one (storyline-wise) who is able to harness their power and transform into Super Sonic. The only way to stop the transfer of Chaos Energy to and from the Emeralds is to keep them at a cold temperature. In the comic, Super Sonic was an insane, all-powerful version of Sonic created when he absorbs too much Chaos Energy and goes out of control.

Sonic X

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Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW comics)

While Knuckles was away from Angel Island, Neo Metal Sonic had discovered that the Master Emerald was left unguarded, prompting him to invade the island.[5] Once his takeover was complete, Neo Metal Sonic built himself a throne on top of the Master Emerald and a fortress around its shrine. With the gem under his control, Neo Metal Sonic possessed the means of neutralizing Super Sonic in case Sonic tried to use the Chaos Emeralds against him. While this happened, the Master Emerald would call out to Knuckles in distress.[6]

During the Battle for Angel Island, Sonic and Knuckles would confront Neo Metal Sonic, who then harnessed the gem's power and transforms into Super Neo Metal Sonic, putting up a fierce fight for the two heroes. Shadow then showed up and subdued Super Neo Metal; however his presence would allow the robot to copy his biodata and combine it with Sonic's biodata and the Master Emerald's power to transform into Master Overlord.[7] This metal monstrosity incorporated the Master Emerald into himself as his power source, effectively cutting Angel Island off from its power, meaning the island was about to fall into the sea. To take down the metallic beast, the Resistance banded together to distract Master Overlord while Knuckles tried pounding the Master Emerald loose. Tails ramming an Egg Fleet vessel into Master Overlord was just enough for the Master Emerald to be lodged free, defeating him and allowing Knuckles to stop Angel Island from falling.[8] With Neo Metal Sonic defeated and the Emerald back in its altar, Knuckles disbanded the Resistance and resumed his duties as guardian.[9]

Sonic the Hedgehog (film series)

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In the ancient past, a group of Echidna warriors collected seven Chaos Emeralds and fused them together into a singular Master Emerald. Whoever wielded the Master Emerald had the power to turn their thoughts into reality. Fearing the devastating power of the Master Emerald, the Giant Owls fought a long and brutal war against the Echidnas, eventually managing to steal it from them. The Master Emerald was hidden in a shrine on Earth, with a lineage of guardians assigned to keep it protected from evildoers.

During Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Knuckles the Echidna travels to Earth to claim the Master Emerald and take revenge against Sonic the Hedgehog for the destruction of the rest of his species. While on the run, Sonic and Tails find a secret message from Longclaw encoded in a map of Earth she'd given him. In the message, Longclaw explains that she was the previous guardian of the Master Emerald, and that with her passing, the duty of protecting it now falls to Sonic.

The map leads the two of them to a secret Owl temple hidden in the mountains of Siberia, which contains a compass pointing to the Emerald's location, as well as a more detailed history of the Master Emerald and its power. Knuckles and Eggman track them there, and in the ensuing battle, they manage to steal the compass. The compass reveals a hidden labyrinth located near Hawaii, where the Master Emerald is hidden.

Arriving at the labyrinth, Sonic battles Knuckles, but Eggman double-crosses him and steals the Emerald for himself, supercharging himself with the Master Emerald's power and using its abilities to transform GUN's military forces into a giant robot for himself. Sonic, Tails, and a reformed Knuckles use a stolen biplane to give chase. Knuckles manages to punch the Master Emerald out of Eggman, causing it to shatter back into the seven Chaos Emeralds it was originally made from

Just as the robot is about to stomp on Sonic, Tom, and Maddie, Sonic absorbs the seven Chaos Emeralds and turns into Super Sonic and effortlessly defeats the robot. Afterwards, Knuckles repairs the Master Emerald. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles swear an oath to protect the Master Emerald together, which also includes not using it themselves, fearing the devastating power it possesses.

In Sonic the Hedgehog 3, after Shadow nearly kills Tom, Sonic angrily demands the Master Emerald from Knuckles so that he can put a stop to Eggman's scheme. Knuckles tries to warn him against using the Master Emerald, warning that its power is too much for any one person to wield, but Sonic refuses to listen; he deduces that the Emerald is being guarded by Knuckles' protege Wade Whipple, and he easily steals it, shattering it back into the seven Chaos Emeralds and using their power to turn back into Super Sonic.

The Master Emerald's current location is unknown after the events of the film; it is not seen being reformed after the film's climax, and its component Chaos Emeralds were last seen being used by Shadow before his sacrifice.

References

  1. ↑ TailsTube #3 (feat. Knuckles)
  2. ↑ Sonic Frontiers
  3. ↑ Sonic Japanese twitter account (Wayback Machine: 2022-05-07 00:01)
  4. ↑ File:S&K MD US SonicJam manual.pdf, page 3
  5. ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog 003 (IDW)
  6. ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog 009 (IDW)
  7. ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog 010 (IDW)
  8. ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog 011 (IDW)
  9. ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog 012 (IDW)
Items in the Sonic the Hedgehog Game Series
Collectibles   Ring | Super Ring | Special Ring | Rich Ring | Heal Ring | Red Star Ring | Number Ring | Silver Moon Ring | Sonic Medal | Sun Medal | Moon Medal | Sun Tablet | Moon Tablet | Planet Tablet | Secret Item | Secret Mission | Red Orbs | Blue Orbs | Green Orbs | Emblem | Chaos Drives | Special Stage Key | Material | Portal Gear | Memory Token | Vault Key | Red Seed of Power | Blue Seed of Defense | Dream Orb
Power-ups   Shield (Water, Lightning, Fire, Gold, Magnetic) | Invincibility | Power Sneakers | Rocket Shoes | Propeller Shoes | Hyper Heli-Tails | Eggman Mark | Super Ring | Combine Ring | Forcejewel | Power Core | Light Cores | Special Combination
Level Objects   Item Box | Item Panel | Spring | Spring Pole | Crane Lift | Accelerator Gun | Rocket | Bobsled | Buggy | Dash Rail | Spikes | Checkpoint | Time Warp Plate | Signpost | Goal Ring | Hidden Treasure Ring | Giant Ring | Dash Ring | Rainbow Ring | Capsule | Water Barrel | Ice Generator | Fire Generator | Crate | Door | Button | Dark Energy Key | Bumper | Speed Booster | Air bubbles | Chao container | Exploding Balloon
Powerful Items   Chaos Emeralds | Super Emeralds | Master Emerald | Time Stones | Chaos Rings | Precioustone | Sol Emeralds | Jeweled Scepter | World Rings | Excalibur | Phantom Ruby | Reverie | Dream Core
Weapons   Piko Piko Hammer | Chaos Energy Cannon | Caliburn | Wispon
Devices   Remote Robot | Combi Confiner | Mother Computer | Nega's Camera | Arks of the Cosmos | Miles Electric
Other   Chili Dog | Fortune Cards | Speed Down Boots | Chao Egg | Scepter of Darkness | Cacophonic Conch
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