Big the Cat is a laid-back purple feline who debuted in Sonic Adventure on the Dreamcast and has stuck around as one of the franchise's most distinctive characters ever since. He's best known for his easygoing attitude, his unwavering loyalty to his best friend Froggy, and his love of fishing—he's basically never seen without his fishing rod.
Physical traits:
Species: Anthropomorphic cat
Appearance: Purple fur, yellow eyes, long ears
Big is strong but gentle, and fans often note his slower, more deliberate way of speaking matches his laid-back personality. He lives a peaceful life in the jungle with Froggy, fishing and minding his own business.
Game appearances:
In Sonic Adventure, Big's story kicks off when Froggy accidentally swallows a Chaos Emerald and part of Chaos's tail, dragging Big into the main conflict. He teams up with Sonic to save Froggy and eventually helps defeat Chaos by handing over one of the Emeralds.
He returned in Sonic Heroes as part of Team Rose, where he helps rescue both Froggy and Chocola (Cheese's twin) from Metal Sonic, then assists in stopping Metal Madness. He was also a main story character in Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, joining your team in Mystic Ruins as the fifth member and providing crucial help throughout the game.
In Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, Big rides a small green motorcycle, and his All-Star move lets Froggy grow to enormous size before ramming his opponents.
Big has made cameo appearances in Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic and the Secret Rings, and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (usually as a referee). He's also appeared in Sonic X and its tie-in comic.
Voice actors:
Japanese: Shun Yashiro (late) and Takashi Nagasako
English: Jon St. John and Pete Zarustica
Cultural moments:
Big appeared in a McDonald's Happy Meal promotion from December 3–27, 2004, as one of eight handheld consoles, depicted fishing.
He's gotten mixed reactions from the gaming press. Xbox World called him Amy and Cream's "gay best friend" in their Sonic Heroes preview, while Nintendo Power was notably harsh in a Secret Rings preview, calling him a "dim-witted, morbidly obese feline"—though he ended up in that game anyway.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
