A well-known figure tells his story about the downside to being a hero.

Disclaimer: Sonic characters belong to Sega/Sonic team.

To Be a Hero

Some people think it's easy, doing what I do. They believe I have no worries. That my life, the life of a hero, is an easy one. Because that is what I choose to show them.

At first, it was fun to beat up robots and save citizens. The people always thank me, and at times they help me. Then they started expecting it.

Now, whenever there's trouble, they always assume that I should be the first one to be there and save the day. If I don't show up, they ask why I wasn't there or why I hadn't heard of it.

It's not as if I'm the only one who can fight. All of my friends can fight. And they all look up to me as a leader and as a friend. I could never let them down. If my friends were ever hurt, I blame it all on myself. My friends tell me that it's never my fault, that I did all I could. I nod and say they're right, but in my mind I believe that I should have done better, ran faster, fought harder. I always have to keep fighting, no matter what.

I cannot show any weakness. If I do, people can take advantage of it and hurt people I know. They would try to break me, to use my feelings so that I would lose, fall into a trap, or do something I would later regret. That's why I always try to look calm, energetic, and optimistic.

One time, though, I gave way to my anger. I turned to a darker form of myself. As black as the midnight sky with eyes of white-hot flames. A form of rage, of anger, of revenge, of the driving need to destroy and defeat my enemies and the pleasure of doing so. I was horrified with myself. Luckily, someone I knew helped to calm me down. They reminded me that if I don't control my emotions better, I will always be seen with rage and anger within me. I don't know what would have happened if I wasn't stopped; I might have went ahead and destroyed everything. For that, I thank them.

My life is full of responsibilities and expectations. I have to look after the needs of others before my own. I have to appear incapable of losing, a figure of hope and safety. No one knows the truth of how hard it is to be me.

To be Sonic the Hedgehog.

To be a hero.

Now you know, from Sonic himself, what he has to go through while he's out on adventures and saving worlds. I referenced an episode of one of the Sonic shows.