In 1974, a meteor strikes rural Oklahoma and delivers an alien lifeform that the U.S. military quickly seizes. Scientists at a clandestine G.U.N. research facility place the hedgehog in containment, where Professor Gerald Robotnik conducts experiments under the supervision of Captain Walters. Gerald's young granddaughter Maria forms a bond with the creature, whom she befriends and names Shadow. One night Gerald, Maria, and Shadow attempt to flee the compound to prevent Shadow from being taken away for further study. During the escape a firefight erupts; a stray bullet detonates equipment and an explosion engulfs Maria, killing her. Commanders shut down the facility, imprison Gerald for his actions and place Shadow into suspended animation in a secured cell.

Decades later, in 2024, someone breaches that off-shore G.U.N. prison. Alarms fail as an unknown intruder overrides security protocols; containment fails and Shadow awakens, discharging his teleportation abilities to fling himself free and incapacitate guards. He breaks his pod, fights across the compound, and disappears into the night.

Meanwhile in Green Hills, Montana, Sonic celebrates the anniversary of his arrival on Earth. He and his friends--Tails, Knuckles--and adoptive parents Tom and Maddie Wachowski gather for a party; the town marks Sonic's presence with cake, decorations and a race among the three fast creatures. During the festivities Sonic slips away to his old cave and finds a childlike drawing he made of Longclaw, his former guardian. He tells Tom he still misses her, and Tom tells Sonic that despite everything he has endured he remains the same hedgehog at heart.

The celebration is cut short when Director Rockwell of G.U.N. arrives in Green Hills. Rockwell recruits Sonic, Tails and Knuckles--whom media has nicknamed "Team Sonic"--and urgently transports them to Tokyo. There G.U.N. wants them to help locate Shadow, whose reawakening has produced chaos across the region. Team Sonic tracks Shadow into the city; Shadow proves more formidable than anticipated. He rides a motorcycle at high speed, shoots at them, and evaporates into a crowd after employing teleportation and superior combat skills. Sonic pursues but loses him.

Commander Walters meets the group at the Chao Garden and explains Shadow's origin: the meteor, the experiments, Maria's death, and Gerald's incarceration. Walters warns that Shadow possesses Chaos Energy and is dangerous. Before Walters can offer more help, Dr. Ivo Robotnik's Egg Drones arrive and open fire. The automated craft rip through the garden and critically wound Walters. With his last breaths Walters presses a G.U.N. keycard into Sonic's hand and instructs them to keep searching without official support. Walters succumbs to his injuries and dies on the spot.

Immediately after the drone attack a biker disables the drones and rides away, and Team Sonic pursues. They catch the rider and discover he is Agent Stone, Dr. Robotnik's long-serving assistant. Stone insists he and Robotnik had no hand in Shadow's escape. Stone brings Sonic, Tails and Knuckles to Ivo, who has fallen into a recluse of junk food and despair after previous defeats. Ivo sits amid piles of wrappers and junk, but the sight of Sonic's quill and the memory of power revive something in him. Team Sonic reluctantly forms an uneasy alliance with Ivo and Stone as they trace the hijacked drones to an abandoned G.U.N. facility.

At the ruined installation the team tries to investigate but Shadow ambushes them and captures Tails and Knuckles while Sonic is separated. In the control room they discover Gerald Robotnik alive and well, a ghost from Ivo's past who reveals himself to be the architect behind Shadow's release. Gerald explains that more than one keycard is required to operate his weapon: the Eclipse Cannon, an orbital laser weapon he designed for G.U.N. that can target and obliterate any location on Earth. He has already obtained one keycard; he needs a second. Gerald claims his motive is vengeance against G.U.N. and decides the only solution is to annihilate G.U.N. headquarters in London itself. Ivo listens, torn between family reunion and horror. Gerald treats his grandson as a tool; Gerald's fixation on Maria is revealed in a series of flashback images showing his obsession and his grief. Before Team Sonic can derail Gerald's plan, Shadow seizes the keycard the team has and activates a device that opens a localized black hole, swallowing hallways and destroying the facility. Gerald, Ivo, Shadow and Stone leave aboard an Egg Drone as the base collapses; Sonic, Tails and Knuckles scramble to a ring and jump through a portal that ejects them to safety.

Reeling from the revelation that Gerald is alive and that the Eclipse Cannon exists, Team Sonic returns to Green Hills to gather allies. They recruit Tom and Maddie to travel to London and steal the second keycard before the Robotniks can secure it. Using crude disguises--Tom and Maddie impersonate G.U.N. personnel and other staff--they infiltrate G.U.N. headquarters. Tails hacks into the station's systems with a drive Tom plants, and the team navigates corridors to the vault that holds the keycard. Sonic and company find Ivo and Gerald already aboard with high-tech suits that allow them access. A security team led by Director Rockwell confronts them and manipulates the gravity controls in the room, causing bodies to float and smash into ceilings while others pin to the floor. Knuckles crashes into the gravity keypad and breaks it, producing a chaotic mix of floating and grounded figures. In the crush of bodies Rockwell seizes the keycard and flees.

Tom, desperate, improvises by disguising himself as Commander Walters. He confronts Rockwell and uses the charade to coax her into handing over the keycard. Rockwell, duped by the ruse, releases the device. Shadow, meanwhile, appears in the commotion and mistakes Tom for Walters; in a cold burst of fury he punches Tom with full force, believing he is striking the man who ordered Maria's death. The blow knocks Tom unconscious and he collapses; the Robotniks seize the keycard and begin the sequence to fire the Eclipse Cannon. Tom is rushed to the hospital with grave injuries.

Sonic, watching Tom fall, is consumed by rage. He abandons Tails and Knuckles and vows to get revenge on Shadow for what he has done to Tom. To become powerful enough to face Shadow Sonic seeks the Master Emerald. Knuckles, sworn guardian of the Emerald, refuses at first, but cracks under Sonic's insistence and reveals the Emerald is being kept by a friend named Wade. Sonic steals the Master Emerald from Wade and uses its energy to access the seven Chaos Emeralds contained within it, transforming into Super Sonic. His speed and power increase dramatically; he streaks across London and into space in pursuit of Shadow. Shadow himself absorbs Chaos Energy as well and becomes Super Shadow. The two collide and their duel rips across the sky and space. In the fight Sonic launches a devastating uppercut that sends Shadow hurtling all the way to the Moon. Sonic stands poised to finish Shadow but pauses; he hears his own memories of Longclaw and sees the cost of vengeance reflected in Shadow's eyes. Sonic restrains himself and refuses to kill.

Back aboard the hovering Eclipse Cannon Gerald reveals his true aim: not to merely topple G.U.N., but to annihilate Earth. He views destruction as recompense for Maria's death and for the world that took her from him. Ivo recoils; he had expected to rule, not to die. In the command bay a confrontation escalates. Tails and Knuckles fight their way onto the Cannon while Ivo pleads with Gerald to abort the firing sequence. Gerald destroys controls and advances his plan regardless. In the struggle Tails and Knuckles manage to shove Gerald toward the reactor core; the pair and Ivo grapple with him, and Gerald is knocked into the unit. Chaos energy engulfs him and vaporizes his body, killing him instantly.

With Gerald gone, the weapon's reaction becomes unstable. Ivo, Tails and Knuckles work furiously to steer the Cannon away from Earth before the core overloads. Sonic and Shadow, still infused with Chaos Emerald power, intercept the beam as it erupts. The two hedgehogs place themselves between the Cannon and Earth, using their combined power to hold the destructive blast at bay while Ivo and the others attempt to alter its trajectory. The beam finally shifts, slicing through space and striking the Moon; a shard of lunar mass is sent tumbling loose. The strain exhausts Sonic. He collapses as the Chaos energy dissipates and loses consciousness, falling back toward Earth. Tails leaps through a ring portal in a desperate bid to retrieve him but blacks out as well; Knuckles arrives, seizes both friends and drags them through a ring back to Green Hills.

As the Cannon's core melts down, Ivo realizes the only way to prevent a detonation near Earth is to move the device farther away. He attempts one last maneuver to send the weapon into deep space. He broadcasts a final transmission to Stone, who watches helplessly from London. In a brief, static-filled message Ivo acknowledges Stone's loyalty and thanks him for staying by his side. Ivo then sacrifices his chance to escape in order to guide the Cannon safely away. He and the mechanism that controls it vanish into space as the core collapses. The weapon's reactor detonates far from Earth; shockwaves and debris trail outward. Shadow, who fought alongside Sonic to contain the beam, appears to push the Cannon in its final moments and is later shown to have survived the destruction--hours later a fragment of his inhibitor gear lies on a lunar surface and he is seen picking up one of his rings, alive.

On Earth, Tom awakens in a hospital and slowly recovers from his injuries. Sonic regains consciousness in Green Hills; Tails and Knuckles stand over him as the two reconcile with apologies and forgiveness. They return to lighthearted competition: a race through the hills to test their speed and friendship once more. After their run Sonic accidentally bolts along a trajectory that carries him far from Montana: he finds himself in New York City where an army of gleaming Metal Sonic robots ambush him. Metal Sonics converge and attack with precision, but another hedgehog intervenes. Amy Rose appears and single-handedly dismantles several Metal Sonics, saving Sonic and driving the rest off. The encounter ends abruptly and the hedgehogs part ways; Amy rides away.

In a mid-credits sequence the New York park scene plays out in full: Sonic arrives, confronts a lone Metal Sonic and takes it down, then faces an army of copies before Amy Rose arrives and defeats them. In the post-credits scene, Shadow is shown alive somewhere distant; amid glowing debris he picks up one of his inhibitor rings and strolls away.

Across the film's closing moments the surviving characters reclaim a semblance of normal life. Tom and Maddie return to Green Hills and resume building their family life; Sonic settles back into his adoptive home with friends at his side. The fallout from Gerald Robotnik's plan, the deaths resulting from the Eclipse Cannon and the sacrifices made to protect Earth leave their mark, but Team Sonic remains intact, and the final images show them racing and regrouping as a new chapter begins.

At the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024), Gerald Robotnik reveals himself as the true villain, attempting to use the Eclipse Cannon to destroy humanity. Sonic and Shadow, both in their Super forms, engage in a climactic battle but ultimately realize revenge is not the answer and join forces to stop Gerald. Ivo Robotnik sacrifices himself to help stop his grandfather. The film ends with Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles reuniting with Maddie and Tom, followed by a race. A post-credits scene confirms Shadow survived the Eclipse Cannon explosion and has returned to Earth, setting up future stories.

The ending unfolds as follows:

Gerald Robotnik, the grandfather of Dr. Ivo Robotnik and Maria, emerges as the mastermind behind the film's central threat. He activates the Eclipse Cannon, a powerful weapon designed to wipe out all of humanity. This revelation shifts the stakes dramatically, positioning Gerald as the ultimate antagonist.

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles confront this dire threat. Shadow, who has been allied with Gerald throughout the movie, stands in their way. The confrontation escalates into an intense battle between Sonic and Shadow, both transforming into their Super forms, showcasing their peak powers. Despite Sonic's overwhelming strength, he refuses to defeat Shadow out of a belief that revenge is not the solution. This moment marks a turning point where both hedgehogs recognize the futility of their conflict.

Realizing the gravity of Gerald's plan, Sonic and Shadow cease fighting and unite to stop the Eclipse Cannon. Meanwhile, Ivo Robotnik, who has been caught between his loyalty to his grandfather and his conscience, decides to act against Gerald. In a poignant and emotional moment, Ivo sacrifices his own life to help thwart the catastrophic plan, underscoring his redemption.

With Gerald's plan foiled, the immediate threat to humanity is neutralized. The film then shifts to a lighter, more hopeful tone as Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles reunite with Maddie and Tom (who survived his earlier injuries). The group enjoys a moment of peace and camaraderie, culminating in a friendly race among the trio, symbolizing their enduring friendship and the return to normalcy.

The post-credits scene reveals Shadow's fate. After the Eclipse Cannon's explosion, Shadow is shown removing two golden bracelets, indicating he survived the ordeal. He is seen returning to Earth, holding these bracelets, which hints at his continued presence and potential future involvement in the franchise, either alongside Team Sonic or in his own storyline.

In summary, the ending resolves the immediate conflict with Gerald Robotnik's defeat and Ivo's sacrifice, restores the core group's unity, and leaves an open thread with Shadow's survival, setting the stage for future adventures. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Maddie, and Tom all survive and are reunited, while Gerald Robotnik is stopped, and Ivo Robotnik dies heroically. Shadow's survival is confirmed but his future path remains open.

Yes, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024) has two post-credits scenes.

1. Mid-credits scene: Sonic is seen racing through a dark forest and suddenly realizes he has entered New York City. As he stops, a robotic figure named Metal Sonic emerges from an electric crackle and attacks him with an arm cannon. Sonic fights back, but then multiple robot variants appear to surround him. Just as Sonic is overwhelmed, a hooded figure appears wielding a hammer and smashes the robots. The figure reveals herself to be Amy Rose, a pink hedgehog who is a key character from the Sonic video games and has a complicated relationship with Sonic. This scene introduces Amy Rose to the movie franchise and teases her role in future stories.

2. End-credits scene: This is a shorter scene that teases the return of Shadow the Hedgehog, another major character from the Sonic universe. It follows up on Shadow's fate and sets up his involvement in upcoming installments of the franchise.

These scenes are important for setting up future plotlines and expanding the Sonic cinematic universe with fan-favorite characters from the games.

Shadow the Hedgehog is the main antagonist who escapes imprisonment after 50 years and wreaks havoc worldwide. His backstory reveals he arrived on Earth via a meteor, has no knowledge of his origins, and shares a tender bond with Maria, the daughter of the professor who created him. His motivations are driven by revenge against humanity, and the film explores his emotional depth and past through flashbacks and interactions with the hidden professor who reappears after decades.

Sonic and his friends initially try to stop Shadow alone but find his powers overwhelming. After an attack by Robotnik's drones and a mysterious motorcycleman named Agent Stone, Team Sonic discovers Robotnik is not behind the chaos. Despite past enmity, Sonic and Robotnik form a reluctant alliance to track down Shadow and uncover the true threat, leading to a global adventure where they must cooperate to save the planet.

Knuckles and Tails reunite with Sonic to confront Shadow. They assist in the pursuit and battles against Shadow's destructive rampage. Tails and Knuckles participate in key action sequences, including a race that leads Sonic outside New York where he is ambushed by Metal Sonic robots. Their teamwork is crucial in the effort to stop Shadow, although they are initially outmatched by his powers.

Maria is the daughter of the professor who created Shadow and shares a close, tender relationship with him. Scenes of Maria and Shadow lying under the stars highlight their bond and her importance in his emotional backstory. Maria's presence humanizes Shadow and adds depth to his motivations, emphasizing themes of family and loss that influence his actions throughout the film.

Agent Stone is a mysterious motorcycle-riding character who intervenes during an attack by Robotnik's drones, helping Team Sonic. He claims Robotnik is not responsible for the current chaos and offers to prove it. Stone leads Team Sonic to Robotnik's fortress, facilitating the uneasy alliance between Sonic and Robotnik. His role is pivotal in uncovering the true antagonist behind the destruction and advancing the plot.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024) is generally considered family-friendly, suitable for children and fans of the franchise, with a PG rating indicating it is appropriate for most ages with parental guidance. The film features thrilling action, humor, and emotional moments without intense or graphic content.

Potentially objectionable or upsetting aspects for sensitive viewers or young children include:

• Action and violence: There are several action sequences involving battles and fights, typical of adventure films, but nothing excessively graphic or disturbing.
• Rude humor and mild language: Some humor may be slightly rude or sarcastic, and there is mild language, but nothing strong or inappropriate for a general audience.
• Thematic elements: The movie touches on some emotional and darker backstory elements, especially related to the character Shadow, which might be a bit intense or haunting but handled in a way suitable for families.

Overall, the film balances excitement and humor with emotional depth, making it enjoyable for children and adults alike, though very young or highly sensitive children might find some scenes involving conflict or emotional themes a little intense.