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The Antlion (also called the Antlion Mecha or Egg Antlion) is a robot created by Dr. Eggman that appears in various Sonic the Hedgehog games. It is a large robotic insect capable of burrowing through the ground and attacks with its huge, scissor-like mandibles.
Game appearances[]
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-Bit)[]
The Antlion Mecha appears as the first boss of the Master System/Game Gear version of Sonic 2. In the third act of Underground Zone, Sonic is grabbed by Dr. Eggman's Egg Mobile and dropped on a sloping platform. At the foot of the slope is the Antlion Mecha constantly snapping its mandibles. It cannot move from its spot but Sonic must keep his distance; there are no rings in this act and Sonic will die if he touches the Antlion Mecha.
From off-screen, Eggman will start throwing bombs down the slope. The bombs bounce and Sonic must time his jumps carefully so as not to get hit or risk sliding towards the Antlion Mecha. Sonic must keep avoiding bombs and let them hit the boss at the bottom of the slope. After running out of bombs, Eggman will charge towards Sonic and Sonic must jump to avoid him. The Egg Mobile will smash into the Antlion Mecha and finish it off.
Sonic CD[]
The Antlion was originally planned to appear as a regular enemy in Sonic the Hedgehog CD, but was scrapped from the final game. However, it did appear in the game's ending cinematic. Having undergone a redesign following Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the Antlion's colour was changed from red to lavender and its pincers now support teeth. During Sonic CD's end sequence, Sonic can be seen running along as sinkholes suddenly appear in the ground. One sinkhole opens directly beneath him and he narrowly avoids being clenched in an Antlion's mandibles.
Sonic Lost World[]
The Antlion reappears as a mass-produced Badnik in Sonic Lost World, having been redesigned once again. In this game, the Antlion's entire body can be seen rather than just its head. The mandibles on its head have shrunk down, but it now sports a pair of large claws on its body. Its body is similar to other caterpillar-styled Badniks such as the Caterkiller and Sandworm, consisting of spherical segments adorned with spikes on either side. Alternatively, its tail segments resemble the Star Bumper obstacles which are common throughout the Sonic franchise.
Appearing in the Desert Ruins and Sky Road Zones, the Antlion will attack Sonic when he burrows underground using the Yellow Drill Wisp. They will charge through the earth and attempt to bite Sonic. Sonic can destroy them by striking the head or body, though doing so will more often than not hurt him as well, causing Sonic to lose his rings. Striking the Antlion's tail will cause Sonic to bounce back.
Antlions also appear in Sky Road's sand-sliding segments as obstacles. Sonic cannot defeat them in these segments and will die immediately if he touches them.
Other appearances[]
Archie Comics[]
The Antlion Mecha (now renamed the Egg Antlion) made an appearance in the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics. It is one of the first generation Super Badniks, sent alongside Coconuts to challenge Sonic the Hedgehog to a brief brawl. Luckily, Sonic tricked Coconuts into dropping bombs towards Egg Antlion which destroyed the Super Badnik, leaving Sonic with no competition.