The Phantom Ruby: The Gem That Connects Mania and Forces

A small magenta gem capable of bending reality and creating illusions more real than life itself: this is the Phantom Ruby, the mysterious object that connects two major games from 2017, Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces. Let's delve into it.

💎 To place this gem among the stones of the saga, (re)read our article on the Chaos Emeralds.

What is the Phantom Ruby?

The Phantom Ruby is a magenta ruby shaped like an icosahedron (a 20-sided polyhedron) with wavy black patterns, small enough to fit in the palm of a hand. According to Dr. Eggman, its abilities even surpass those of the Master Emerald — to the point of having once disrupted Angel Island's levitation.

A Power of Illusion and Distortion

Its primary power is perception manipulation: it deceives sight and the brain to create a false "reality." But its illusions are not mere images: they possess real mass and form, indistinguishable from the genuine article. The jewel can also distort space-time: teleporting beings and objects, and even creating alternative dimensions.

The Phantom Ruby in Sonic Mania

In Sonic Mania (2017), a prototype of the jewel is unearthed on Angel Island by Eggman's robots. Contact with its energy transforms them into Hard-Boiled Heavies, more powerful and endowed with their own will. When they bring the Ruby back to Eggman, he snatches it from them, and an energy wave propels Sonic and his friends through the Zones — this is the starting point of the adventure.

🎮 This cult game involved real technical work: (re)read why Sonic Mania's physics engine was so well-received.

The Phantom Ruby in Sonic Forces

In Sonic Forces (2017), Eggman studies the Phantom Ruby and creates numerous duplicates (the "prototypes"), before arriving at a finalized version. This is the one he merges with a defeated mercenary, who then becomes Infinite: the jewel, embedded in his chest, is the source of his power.

Thanks to it, Infinite creates an army of illusory copies (the "Phantom Copies") of existing characters — Shadow, Metal Sonic, Chaos… — real threats, but which vanish if the Ruby powering them is destroyed.

🖤 The wielder of the jewel has their complete profile: (re)discover Infinite, the Masked Jackal.

🤖 The Ruby also strengthened an old rival: (re)read Metal Sonic.

The Jewel's Bearer

Sonic Plush — Infinite the Jackal (35 cm)

Infinite draws all his power from the Phantom Ruby in Sonic Forces.

€45.90

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The Thread Connecting the Two Games

The Phantom Ruby is the link between Mania and Forces: at the end of Mania, the Chaos Emeralds react with the jewel and draw Classic Sonic into an unknown location — a narrative bridge to the events of Forces. This link has been officially confirmed by producer Takashi Iizuka. However, the ancient origin of the Ruby is never explained in the games.

🕹️ Both titles are featured in our complete ludography of Sonic games.

Summary Table

FAQ

• What is the Phantom Ruby?
  A magenta gem with powers of illusion and space-time distortion, central to Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces.
• What is the power of the Phantom Ruby?
  To create illusions with real mass (indistinguishable from reality) and distort space-time (teleportation, dimensions).
• What is the connection between the Phantom Ruby and Infinite?
  In Sonic Forces, Eggman merges the finalized version of the jewel with Infinite: it is the source of his power.
• What are the Hard-Boiled Heavies?
  Eggman's robots transformed and made autonomous by the Phantom Ruby prototype in Sonic Mania.
• Does the Phantom Ruby connect Mania and Forces?
  Yes, an officially confirmed link: the end of Mania propels Classic Sonic towards the events of Forces.

🧸 Bring the jewel bearer home with our Sonic plush toys & cuddly toys.

🔎 To learn more: the Hard-Boiled Heavies, Little Planet and the Time Stones, Titanic Monarch Zone and the EggRobo.