Sarah Henderson Or Needlemouse

The Vengeful Spirit In the contemporary narrative, Sarah is wholly consumed by her desire for vengeance. She has forsaken her former friends, leading her to murder them, a descent into moral decay that accelerates when she targets Tom and Kyle, two innocent children. This distorted sense of justice has rendered her overly controlling, resulting in violent outbursts, especially when faced with resistance from Luther.

Her decade-long reign of terror is a direct consequence of the power she wields following her death, reflecting her inability to relinquish the past. Despite her violent behavior, Sarah refrains from harming her family and Lily, as their grief after her passing profoundly affects her. Learning that Lily adopted Kyle in her memory further devastates her after she kills him.

While Sarah was flawed in life, she was not the monster she became post-mortem. Her relationships within her friend group, particularly with Michael and Martin, were strained, yet her bond with Luther was genuine, heightening her anguish, as he dealt her fatal blow. Conversely, her familial ties and relationship with Lily were notably positive, marked by promises of eternal love prior to the tragedy.

Ultimately, Sarah embodies a complex character, acutely aware of her transgressions yet driven by an inner conflict, exacerbated by Atem, to persist in her destructive quest for revenge. This turmoil renders her a deeply conflicted entity, on a path of self-destruction that corrodes her very essence.

The Tale:1943-1963 (Pre-Series) Sarah Henderson, born in 1943 to a relatively affluent family, is primarily remembered as a college student and member of a close-knit group known as the "Fun Gang," which included her friends Michael, Martin, and Luther Artwright. During this time, she was also in a devoted relationship with Lily King.

Tragedy struck in 1963 when a bar fight erupted during a party involving the Fun Gang. The details remain unclear, but the aftermath is well-remembered: Luther accidentally killed Sarah and persuaded Michael and Martin to conceal her body in a lake, leading to the group's dissolution and a collective vow of silence regarding the incident. Lacking evidence, Sarah was designated as missing, a designation that faded over the years. In her grief, Lily adopted Sarah's last name and named their adopted son Kyle after Sarah's grandfather, seeking a path forward.

Meanwhile, Sarah's spirit lingered in a void, eternally reliving her tragic death. Her resentment grew, overshadowing her affection for her former friends. Within this void, an entity emerged, drawing strength from her rage and likely bestowing upon her the powers she possesses today. Fueled by her desire for vengeance, Sarah vowed to confront her former friends.

In 1993-1995, a video game company, SEGA, uprooted the tranquil environment by constructing a building over the lake where Sarah's remains lay. Known for its Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, SEGA inadvertently facilitated Sarah's revenge. Her spirit inhabited a game disc, and she plotted against her murderers.

First, she targeted Michael, inflicting horrific injuries and trapping him within the character Knuckles the Echidna, subjecting him to torment through visions of a lost family until he was utterly broken. Sarah recorded her vengeance, sending a threat to Martin, demanding he confess his guilt or face harm to his family. Although she spared them, she ultimately killed Martin with prolonged suffering, transferring his essence into a vessel resembling Dr. Robotnik.

While enduring Sarah's torment, Martin managed to warn Luther of the danger posed by the disc, urging him not to engage with it and to destroy it, along with revealing the game's location. Heeding this advice, Luther took the disc home but, instead of destroying it right away, recorded a confession about his role in concealing Sarah’s fate. Just as he prepared to destroy the disc, it moved unexpectedly, activating the game and leading to Luther's swift demise. His essence was then trapped in the character Tails. With her collection complete, Sarah's eternal vengeance began anew.

2008-2009 (Season 2) Years later, the disc came into the possession of Thomas Bentley Artwright, the son of Luther, and Kyle, the son of Lily Handerson. These two close friends created the YouTube channel "Speedduo64," focusing primarily on Sonic the Hedgehog. Presenting the cursed game as a beta disc, they began exploring its file contents.

Unbeknownst to them, Luther was observing their activities. Anticipating Sarah's next move, he gradually began to undermine her control, although she eventually caught him in the act. Nevertheless, Luther persisted in his efforts for the sake of his son.

As time passed, Tom experienced troubling nightmares about an unfamiliar woman. Conflicted by the game's connection to his father, he chose to abandon it with Kyle, deciding to search through Luther's old possessions, which led him to discover a peculiar VHS tape. This decision proved disastrous, as it allowed Sarah to materialize in reality alongside Kyle. Ignorant of her lethal intentions, Sarah violently attacked Kyle, dismembering him and leaving him to die slowly, ultimately transforming him into Mecha Sonic MK1.

Meanwhile, Tom reviewed the VHS recordings, uncovering the grim details of Sarah's killing spree. Confused by the targeting of his best friend, Tom grieved Kyle's loss. Meanwhile, Luther, undeterred, announced his intention to confront Sarah in a desperate effort to reach his son.

Amidst the turmoil, Sarah grapples with inner conflict, feeling empty from her latest act and dissatisfied with the outcome. Yet, an unseen force compels her to continue these heinous acts. Nevertheless, she strives to maintain control over her reality.

In the outside world, Tom observes the game operating autonomously, with Kyle and Sarah engaged in combat. As expected, Kyle is defeated, prompting Sarah to target Tom. However, before she can act, Luther intervenes, redirecting the conflict back into the game.

During the altercation, Michael and Martin realize they could have fought all along, but the years of suffering have dulled their will to resist. Sensing a shift, Michael frees Kyle from his bonds before both he and Martin pass on, taking their characters with them.

Meanwhile, Luther's mental state deteriorates as he blames himself for the unfolding chaos, questioning his role as the hero. This self-doubt invites the entity Atem to remind him of his pivotal role in the tragic events, subjecting him to painful visions of the past, leaving him in distress.

From this anguish emerges a new being, Del, enveloped in light. Del appears before Luther, encouraging him to move forward. It is only when Kyle arrives that Luther begins to find solace.

Back with Tom, he accomplishes what his father could not by destroying the disc. Despite this, Sarah relentlessly attacks Tom, still unwilling to recognize her own monstrosity. Fortunately, Del intervenes to protect him, allowing him to hold on just a little longer. Kyle, arriving alongside Del, bids farewell before permitting Del to inhabit his body and confront Sarah.

Thus, only Sarah and Kyle remain: the two "hedgehogs" in the game. Del, through Kyle's vessel, seeks to confront Atem, making him visible to all. Despite Del's entreaties for Sarah to change, Atem persists. He forcibly regains control and, alongside Sarah, attacks once more, leaving Kyle in a state as dire as his death.

At this moment, Sarah realizes the futility of her actions. Her self-righteousness has proven flawed and self-serving, rooted in a savior complex that only she understands. Ultimately, she has killed an innocent boy her own son over something he did not commit. Acknowledging that she is no better than those who instigated this chaos, Sarah chooses to depart, allowing her soul to find peace. Atem, representing her hatred, remains indifferent, simply bidding her farewell.

The doors to forgiveness, once barred by anger, now open. Beyond lies an infinite white field, where Kyle awaits. Recognizing him for his true self brings Sarah joy, prompting tears of happiness at the prospect of reunification with her son. Though darkness momentarily overtook her spirit, it need not endure indefinitely.

Trivia Earlier on, JoJo and ZeroRythm, a friend and assistant that worked on the series, really went out of their way to clarify and state that Needlem0use "was not an EXE, and never was". This rightfully confused and upset many people, as the series clearly took more than slight inspiration off the original stories, as the three victim structure (Tails, Knuckles, Eggman), the use of certain iconic lines (I AM GOD), the fact the Season 2 newcomers literally share the names with the protagonist and side character of the original story (Tom and Kyle) and the literal appearance and namedrop of the "SONIC.EXE" disk in finAle make it clear Sarah's story is a direct adaptation of said story, making her invariably an EXE. However, two years down the line, JoJo would confirm to us that it was a move done only to spite the EXE community at the time. It has since been walked back on. The reason why Needlem0use has such a name is because the intention behind the series was to be a spritual origin for Sonic.exe as a mythos. This is why the "Needlem0use" name is used, as it originates from a mistranslation of the original concept art for Sonic the Hedgehog's design which fans called "Mr. Needlemouse" until Naoto Oshima himself came and confirmed the error, stating the intended name was simply "Mr. Hedgehog". The "Needlemouse" name has become intrinsically tied to Sonic's origins, and as such, it was given to Sarah as her series revolves around a take on the origins of Sonic.EXE. Michael and Martin claimed that Sarah would "walk all over them", implying that Sarah wasn't the nicest person or that this was something she did when they argued. It's also possible that they were lying, referring to when she was drunk, or they were drunk themselves while saying it. However, Michael and Martin's statements seem to be contradicted by the flashbacks in Season 2, which shows that Sarah did genuinely care for Luther and wanted to look out for him. This could only further validate Sarah's hatred and desire for vengeance on them. As confirmed by the series creator, ShutUpJojo, "Sarah was always a cunt when she was alive"[3], having been interpreted to make the viewpoints of Martin and Michael hold more weight. This interpretation is inaccurate, being clarified later from ShutUpJojo to mean, that Sarah often was one to go into lighthearted banter with others, not that she was a bad person or hated her friends. It is notable that much of this situation is left to interpretation, due to the possiblility of alchoholism and fan theories to go further into the backstory. ShutUpJojo states that viewers aren't supposed to know exactly what happened and that it's meant to be ambiguous. In the Season 1 finale, Sarah's name is accidentally written as "Susie" on her Fun Gang photograph. Funnily enough, Susie is the name of one of the main characters of the indie game Deltarune that was created by Toby Fox, and in that game, Susie is also the member of a group nicknamed "The Fun Gang". When talking about her family, Needlemouse mentioned someone named Lily, which caused some to believe that Lily was her sister until it was confirmed that Lily was Sarah's girlfriend when she was alive. It was also confirmed that Sarah is Asian. Allegedly, Sarah was always a bit of an alcoholic. Originally, Sarah was going to possess the body of an unwilling, sentient Sonic. This "Sonic" half would be suppressed as Sarah took over. This was evidently scrapped, with Sarah merely taking on the form of Sonic instead as Sonic remains a fictional character. Sarah finds a strange comfort in being Sonic, although she can switch between the forms of other Sonic 1 characters. Sarah's Epitaph form was inspired by OG X's 2016 True EXE form. Many wikis claim that Sarah is bisexual. This is false, however. At least for the canon incarnation of the character, since the Sarah depicted in JoJo’s doodles is the "Fanon" variant of the entity, which has no relevance to the plot. The canon variant is, and always has been a lesbian.[5] She appears in the unfinished build of VS. Sonic.EXE 3.0 as an opponent in Round-A-Bout, a song created by SimplyCrispy. Notably, the name of the song is mentioned near the end of the series, when Kyle is pleading with Sarah. While both projects were being worked on around the same time, "Round-A-Bout" was presumably a choice originally done exclusively for the mod. Additionally, she was planned to have a second song, along with a song featuring Luther known as "Her World". Both of these songs were never finished. The series' creator, ShutUpJoJo, previously stated that Sarah's last name is deliberately left out due to its irrelevance to the plot. However, this changed with the reveal that her last name is "Henderson" and that she is the deceased, unofficial adopted mother of Kyle. Additionally, they reveal that Sarah was around 18-23 years old when she died. It was eventually revealed that Sarah's definitive date of birth was April 20th, 1943, making her twenty years old at the time of her death. Needlemouse's design is partially based off of the physics of Sonic's quills in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) and a render of Sonic in Sonic 3D Blast. She's also more based on Modern Sonic than Classic Sonic. An official QnA hosted by JoJo reveals some more information around Sarah. In college, she used to enjoy studying history. Her favorite song is "Daisy Bell", hence why it plays during "n0way". Because she was buried before SEGA and Sonic even came about, she doesn't have any proper knowledge about the character. In canon, she has no knowledge of other exes, but simply shrugs them off, preferring to be the center of attention in her disc. Sarah was originally going to look much different, being short-haired and having her eyes fully covered while wearing a blue hoodie. This short hair can still be seen in early official art of Needlemouse, displaying Sarah as a silhouette behind her vessel. It was then explained her design was changed because she looked too much like Noodle from Gorillaz. Additionally, Sarah's gender was going to be ambiguous and left up to the viewer, but was later changed to be male. This was changed again as her gender changed to female. Sarah was originally planned to appear in the webcomic HoodRats! (which is made by the same creator of the series) but she was eventually scrapped initially since the creator didn't want people to think that HoodRats! and Needlem0use share the same universe and they also wanted to keep the fans of the two works separated. As of now, she's currently planned to appear in "HoodRats!". This "Hoodrats!" variant is named "Sarah the Alien", or "Prime Sarah". Needlem0use has managed to land a spot on IMDb as a series. Additionally, the series also lands a spot on TVTropes. In the final scenes and credits of the series, a cover of "The Suffering" by Coheed and Cambria was used. If you would like to listen to the cover, click here. Though, in the series, the cover was altered slightly, becoming a bit more lower pitched. In the episode "2008", it uses a song called "He's Gone", by The Chantels. This song is also slightly altered. During production of the series, there was originally going to be a chase scene that featured Luther and Atem. Sarah makes an appearance in this scene. It was cut due to time management. The episode "c0mings00n.mp4" was the first video of series to be uploaded. However, it is also used as the episode after "n0way".

Appearance: Biographical information Alias(es):Needlem0use, Needlem0use Sonic, Susie (accidental name), & Mrs. Henderson Age:20 (before death) Gender:Female Pronouns:She/Her Sexuality:Lesbian Date of birth:April 20th, 1943 Date of death:November 24th, 1963 Girlfriend:Lily King (before death) Species:Ghost (formerly human) Alignment Allies:Atem Friends:Luther, Michael, & Martin Best friend(s):Luther Artwright (formerly) Arch-enemy:Luther Artwright Victims:Luther (Tails), Michael (Knuckles), Martin (Eggman), Kyle (Mecha Sonic MKI), & Tom (attempted; failed) Goal:Torture her friends for eternity. Kill count:4 Physical description Height:5'7 (formerly, when alive), & 3'3 (hedgehog form) Fur color:Purple Eye color:Red Vessel:Sonic Combat Potential Ghost Physiology:As a deceased entity, Sarah utilizes her ghostly form to its fullest, showcasing typical abilities such as flight, phasing through objects, and possession. Immortality:Conventional attempts on Sarah’s life are ineffective due to her lack of a physical form. She remains in the mortal realm until she chooses to transition to the afterlife. Video Game Manipulation:Sarah possesses complete control over the video game universe in which she resides. Sonic's Abilities:Assuming the identity of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sarah inherently possesses all of Sonic's skills, including super speed, significant strength, and combat expertise. Shapeshifting:Sarah can seamlessly alternate between her hedgehog and human forms, altering either as desired. Soul Transferal:She is capable of capturing the souls of her victims within her disc, imprisoning them in forms reminiscent of Sonic characters. Reality Warping:Sarah has the power to manipulate her environment, reshaping it at will. Additionally, she can briefly penetrate the real world to eliminate individuals who engage with her game, a feat beyond typical specter capabilities. Physical Manifestation:Sarah can present herself in the physical world, even when her disc is not in use. Sentience Manipulation:To a certain extent, Sarah can influence the consciousness of her victims. Nightmare Inducement:Following his inquiry into the disc, Tom begins experiencing nightmares involving Sarah.

Appearance Like most Sonic.exe incarnations, Needlemouse manifests as a corrupted sprite of Sonic the Hedgehog, often in horrifyingly supernatural ways. In In-game, Needlem0use tends to appear as a variant of Sonic the Hedgehog, albeit with pale skin and purple quills that droop downwards. Somewhat lanky with a notable snout, orange gloves, vertical slits for eyes that open up to reveal deep red pupils, and a somewhat frozen grin plastered on her face that can open to reveal sharp red teeth, Needlem0use's appearance is notable enough for even the most uninformed to know that something is wrong. That being said, most of these changes are hidden away unless Sarah wants them to be present. When upset, Needlem0use's head may be covered in shadow, and her skin may turn to a bright red.

In a sort of battle mode revealed in "Atem", Needlem0use gains a red X on her chest and red markings become visible on her quills.

Sarah Henderson, when she was alive, was an Asian young adult with freckles and messy black hair, typically seen wearing a purple-striped sweater, dark blue jeans held up by a brown belt, and white socks with gray highlights. When manifesting in-game, Sarah's skin turns to a gravely pale complexion due to her death, and from there can manifest into a decayed corpse to torment her former friends.