Sonic the Hedgehog protagonist Sonic the Hedgehog, a blue hedgehog able to run at supersonic speeds, and recurring villain Dr. Eggman, an evil scientist whose ambition is to conquer the world. Among Sonic's many allies, the most well-known include: Miles "Tails" Prower, a twin-tailed, highly intelligent yellow fox who is Sonic's sidekick and best friend; Amy Rose, a pink hedgehog who is Sonic's self-proclaimed girlfriend and a hero in her own right; Knuckles the Echidna, a coolheaded red echidna who is the guardian of the Master Emerald; Shadow the Hedgehog, an anti-heroic doppelgänger of Sonic with a dark past; and Metal Sonic, a
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 coloration was inspired by Jamaica's flag. The original name for the character was "Dreds", referring to his dreadlocks. In 2005, Hector stated that Sega hired American pop musician Michael Jackson, a "Sonic" fan, to compose music for "Sonic 3." According to Hector, Jackson's involvement was terminated and his compositions reworked following the allegations of sexual abuse against Jackson. The website of musician Cirocco Jones, who contributed music to "Sonic 3" and is credited as "Scirocco", credits himself along with Jackson and Jackson collaborator Brad Buxer for musical cues for "levels 2 & 3" of ""Sonic the Hedgehog"". Sonic co-creator Naoto