Hey again, people. This will be a deep dive into Sonic's adaptation of the Arabian Nights, and what becomes applicable from it (some of which is already on the profiles, but which I'd like to have compiled all the evidence for). To make note of it, I'll be using the ENG dub of the game due to its release being first.
Intro[]
For context, the beginning of the game opens with Sonic the Hedgehog being woken up from a nap by Shahra. She requests Sonic's help and explains that Erazor Djinn is a being no longer content within the Arabian Nights, causing him to "set the inscriptions free" and absorb the power of the book. This is also reinforced within page 28 of the official game guide.
This sets a precedent we'll be diving into further as we continue, so let's begin.
Lost Prologue[]
During Lost Prologue, the area that Sonic enters immediately upon entering the Arabian Nights, Sonic encounters Erazor Djinn. While Shahra proclaims him as "who is striking the words of our world from the pages", Erazor notes that Sonic had just been added to the story from Shahra's wish. This sort of narrative terminology persists when Shahra defers to King Shahryar as the creator and main character of the Arabian Nights.
Arabian Nights[]
Throughout Sonic's journey to gather the seven World Rings before his Flame (life force) extinguishes, we're given further glimpses into the mechanics and lore of the Arabian Nights.
- Erazor Djinn is the genie of the magic lamp from Aladdin, having gained a profound hatred of people after paying for his misdeeds. It is even directly stated that his cursed destiny came from the story he was written into. Additionally, throughout the game, he's repeatedly either stated or shown to be destroying their world by deleting the text and such things are implied by other moments like with the Ifrit Golem.
- As mentioned above, Sonic is added to the narrative of the Arabian Nights and is recognized by those aware of it. In fact, it was Erazor's plan all along to have him be the sacrifice of the World Rings as foreshadowed previously.
- The destruction of the text does indeed have a tangible effect on the Arabian Nights, as Shahra desires for the Arabian Nights to return to what they were and we see the text literally fly from Erazor once Sonic forces him to give up the power he's absorbed.
- Erazor reveals that the seven World Rings are the "seven hearts that make up the stories" and "bind these pages together", in obvious reference to the Arabian Nights
What Does This Grant?[]
For Erazor Djinn:
- Text Manipulation, Reality Warping, & Absorption (By literally carving out the texts of his reality, Erazor is able to absorb the text to boost his own power. He is able to strike the words of the world from the pages)
- Plot Erasure (Was destroying the world of the Arabian Nights by destroying the texts and manuscripts that comprises reality, causing the world to vanish entirely and threatening the existence of the reality within the book due to its nature)
For Modern Sonic:
- Resistance to Text Destruction (Can withstand flames from the Ifrit Golem even while being a part of the story, whose fire can burn away the pages of the Arabian Nights)
- Resistance to Fate Manipulation, Plot Manipulation, & Law Manipulation (The Arabian Nights reality is one comprised of literal stories and the texts/manuscripts which make them up. Despite being added to the story of the Arabian Nights, something that the ending confirms, Sonic ultimately defeated Erazor Djinn despite him being implied to be the sacrifice that would be key to controlling the World Rings and Erazor having planned such from the beginning. Defied the grim fate that was said to await him by King Solomon, as those who are written into the story have it become their destiny, being a fundamental principle that the Arabian Nights' reality functions on)
For the World Rings:
- Text Manipulation & Plot Manipulation (The World Rings make up the stories and bind the pages of the Arabian Nights)
For Time Eater:
- Text Erasure & Plot Erasure (Erased all of reality down to White Space, reducing reality to a white void, on the level of erasing the totality of space-tine. This would include the erasure of the Arabian Nights, a reality made of literal stories which are comprised of actual texts and manuscripts that begin to vanish in Sonic's world once their reality is being threatened)