Sonic 2 Score Deep Dive: Hidden Themes & Knuckles' Motives

Okay, so I finally got around to re-watching Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (yeah, a bit late to the party, I know!). I'm always listening closely to the score. While I thought the overall direction was pretty solid – a lot of familiar themes popping up and some fun new additions – I had a specific thought about Knuckles and what his musical cues might imply about his actual motivations. Throughout the movie Knuckles is portrayed as this brute force character, but his music hints at something deeper, right? Like, there's a noble undertone there. I think it suggests he's more manipulated by Robotnik than he lets on, almost like he's being played to believe Sonic is a threat to his people. I dunno, maybe it's just wishful thinking (I'm a sucker for a good redemption arc!), but the contrast between his fierce actions and the almost mournful quality of some of his theme elements had me thinking. Specifically, that scene where Knuckles almost gets the Master Emerald? The music there isn't triumphant. It's...regretful? I think Robotnik deliberately uses Knuckles's loyalty against him, and the score subtly amplifies this tension. Makes me wonder if they were originally planning a darker, more nuanced portrayal but maybe dialed it back for a PG rating (sadly). Anyway, just a thought! Am I overthinking things or did anyone else catch a similar vibe from the music and Knuckles' perfomance? Happy to discuss!