Who Is Pachacamac? Knuckles Clan Leader & Video Game Differences Explained

The following contains spoilers for Knuckles, now streaming on Paramount+

Knuckles features Pachacamac the Echidna in a minor but important supporting role, all while making some big departures from the original games. In both the original Sonic the Hedgehog games and the subsequent film franchise adapting them for the big screen, Knuckles has been established as being one of the last of his people in the universe. Certain games like Sonic Adventure delved into the history of how that happened, highlighting how past crimes can come back to haunt the world. The cinematic Sonic the Hedgehog films and Knuckles series use the games primarily as inspiration instead of direct adaptations.

This allows for new characters and remixed concepts to exist alongside the more iconic elements of the franchise. This includes Pachacamac, who plays a very different role in the Knuckles show than he did in the original games. In fact, while the games used him as a vital piece of lore to explain ancient battles and powerful forces, the show reinvents the character into someone that is far more befitting the comedy legend that the Knuckles series cast for the character. Here’s how Pachacamac factors into the Paramount+ Knuckles series and how much he differs from his original game incarnation.

Pachacamac Was The Chief Of The Knuckles Clan

How Knuckles Became The Last Of The (Living) Echidnas

In the Knuckles series and in the original Sonic the Hedgehog game franchise, Pachacamac is one of the most important Echidnas besides Knuckles. In Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2, it was revealed that the Knuckles clan eventually ended up at war with other species, including owls like Longclaw. In fact, Pachacamac has a subtle cameo in the first Sonic the Hedgehog film as the Echidna who confronts and shoots Longclaw with an arrow, preventing her from reaching Earth alongside her adopted son, Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 set up more of the motivations of the Echidna Clan.

This a departure from the video games, where he was portrayed as a more villainous and dangerous figure with little direct connection to Knuckles. By contrast, Pachacamac is treated with a sense of reverence by Knuckles, who mentions the impact the older figure had on him in his youth — and continues to have on him years since their last meeting. Pachacamac is a potential key to the Sonic the Hedgehog cinematic universe expanding to include more members or stories about Knuckles’ people, even if the character himself is revealed to actually be long-dead by the events of the Knuckles show.

Why Pachacamac Appears To Knuckles & Wade

Pachacamac’s Role In Knuckles, Explained

In Knuckles, Pachacamac serves as something of a spiritual guide to both Knuckles and Wade. Pachacamac exists as a ghostly figure in the show, appearing to the two of them separately during moments of doubt. In both instances, Pachacamac appears to give the heroes advice and perspective on their troubles. For Knuckles, this inspires him to take on Wade as an apprentice so that they may keep the traditions and honor of the Knuckles Tribe alive. For Wade, Pachacamac adjusts his approach and instead appears in a more familiar guise: a bowling alley attendant, complete with uniform and name tag.

Pachacamac is portrayed as a friendly figure in the show, willing to work through Knuckles and Wade’s issues alongside them. He offers commentary on Wade’s attempts to find a shortcut through his emotional growth and showcases a great deal of patience with Wade’s short attention span. In both instances, Knuckles and Wade grow from the lessons that Pachacamac shares with them, helping them find motivation to get out there and change their lives and others. It’s interesting to see Pachacamac brought to life like this, especially considering how different this version of the character is from the original Sonic games.

How The Knuckles Show’s Pachacamac Is Different From The Games

Pachacamac Was An Ancient Villain In The Original Games

In the Sonic the Hedgehog games, Pachacamac was established as a long-dead Echidna villain and aggressive conqueror. In the game continuity, Pachacamac was the chief of the Knuckles Clan roughly 3,000 years before the primary series. Pachacamac’s life and actions form much of the backstory for Sonic Adventure. Driven by ambition, Pachacamac led the Echidnas into several conflicts and wars. However, part of his conquest took him to the Altar of Emerald, where he intended to claim the Chaos Emeralds. Doing so unleashed the powerful entity known as Chaos. The entity killed the chieftain and nearly wiped out the Echidnas.

Pachacamac’s daughter Tikal — who resisted his violent plans for expansion — sacrificed herself to seal Chaos within the Master Emerald. Long dead by the events of Sonic Adventure, Pachacamac’s arrogance and violent nature resulted in Knuckles being one of the last of his kind and set the stage for Chaos to become a threat centuries later. The Pachacamac of the Knuckles show is a far-softer heroic character. Even his attack on Longclaw from Sonic the Hedgehog, stemming from a similar motivation for confronting and defeating rival tribes, pales in comparison to the mistakes and brutality of the game version of Pachacamac.

Who Plays Pachacamac In Knuckles

Pachacamac Is Played By Christopher Lloyd

Pachacamac is played by Christopher Lloyd in Knuckles, which fits into the character’s revamped personality. While Lloyd has played villains before, like Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, the actor is far more known for his eccentric mentor characters. He’s perhaps best known for the role of Doc Brown from the Back to the Future trilogy of films, where he played an over-the-top scientist who nevertheless proved to be a dependable and honorable man. This fits well into the approach Knuckles takes to Pachacamac, which largely seems to remove the darker edges of the character from the original games.

While he was still a warrior who fought against nominally heroic characters like Longclaw, the new Pachacamac is shown to be an honorable (and goofy) figure. He has a strong relationship with Knuckles that transcends life and death. This is a far cry from the antagonistic relationship he developed with Tikal in Sonic Adventure. The show reinforces that the Knuckles Tribe, including Pachacamac, were committed to protecting the Master Emerald instead of taking it for themselves. This more heroic approach to the characters fits well into the lighter tone of Knuckles and makes it an ideal role for Christopher Lloyd.