While the main attraction of the long-awaited Sonic the Hedgehog 3 The film is Keanu Reeves’ Shadow the Hedgehog. Attentive fans will notice various Easter eggs and references to the franchise in the film’s first official trailer. One of these Easter eggs is only visible for a split second, but features the cute and cuddly Chao creatures.

First appearing in the 1998 Sega Dreamcast game Sonic Adventure, Chao is a fairy-like creature whose large heads are much larger than their tiny bodies. Due to their shape, size, and the fact that they could be bred in Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2, Chao are considered the mascots of the Sonic the Hedgehog series (excluding Sonic and the rest of the main cast, of course).

While all Chao can fly thanks to their wings, some of them, like the mutant Chao Chaos, possess powers such as immortality, shapeshifting, and the ability to absorb energy from Chaos Emeralds. Most Chao, however, are too vulnerable for combat and are content to be pampered and live their simple lives.

The Chao in the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 trailer, while similar to those in other Sonic media, don’t seem real. First of all, they’re much larger than Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, and their human adoptive father Tom Wachowski. The Chao on stage are also less animated than the film’s anthropomorphic cast, suggesting that they may just be real people in mascot costumes. Although the sign at the back of the stage says “Chao Garden,” referring to areas where Chao live and breed, this is likely just a theme park based on the real Chao creatures.

There’s still a chance that the real Chao could appear in the Sonic the Hedgehog films. Real Chao Gardens are located on Sonic the Hedgehog’s version of Earth, after all, and the idea of ​​creating the Chao Garden theme park must have come from somewhere for him to appear in the film. Fans might be disappointed to see Chao mascots instead of the real Chao, but their appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 means the film’s makers paid attention to the source material. Hopefully there’s room for more digitally recreated characters in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, with Chao at the top of the wish list.