Knuckles

Knuckles the Echidna (ナックルズ・ザ・エキドゥナ Nakkuruzu za Ekiduna?) is a fictional character from the Sonic the Hedgehog series.

History
He is an anthropomorphic echidna and the current guardian of the Master Emerald, a powerful ancient relic which is his solemn duty to protect from anyone seeking to abuse it. He is also the sole remaining descendant of the Knuckles Clan and last of the echidnas on Earth. His dominant traits are his super strength, and the two spike-like knuckles on each of his hands, from which his name is derived from, which he can use to dig with and climb walls. He can also trap the wind under his dreadlocks to glide through the air.

A loner by nature, Knuckles is independent, headstrong and serious, yet gullible and short-tempered to a fault. He is entirely devoted to his duty, spending most of his time on Angel Island protecting the Master Emerald, and rarely cares for anything that is of no importance. When his friends and others are in need of his help, however, Knuckles can always be relied on being willing to leave his post and prove himself a faithful and good-hearted hero. He is also one of Sonic's oldest friends and rivals.

Gameplay
Knuckles is ranked 6th, at the bottom of S tier. Knuckles is extremely strong, as best exemplified by his down attack, which can easily KO other characters despite lacking the typical instant-KO behavior. His other moves also deal great damage and knockback as well. Despite his strength, he also has a surprisingly fast speed on the ground and in the air.

However, Knuckles has some overall terrible, almost Blade-level instant-KO attacks due to his very short range outside of his rock throw. Said range problems give Knuckles a hard time dealing with swordsmen. His Rock Throw has a slow startup, limited range and cannot be used in the air, making it an unviable option when fighting projectile-heavy characters. This means that Knuckles must be very careful with his spacing in order to avoid a disadvantageous situation. Despite his problems, Knuckles is a brilliant character, which puts him near the top.