Knuckles the Echidna (ナックルズ・ザ・エキドゥナ Nakkuruzu za Ekiduna) is a character that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is an anthropomorphic echidna and Knuckles the Echidna's counterpart from another dimension set in the recent past. The last descendant of the ancient Echidnas, Knuckles is the guardian of the Master Emerald, a powerful ancient relic which is his solemn duty to protect from anyone seeking to abuse it, and lives alone on Angel Island.