Sonic the Hedgehog 2 delves into themes of family, with Sonic even calling Tom "dad," but the movie never talks about his real father. The original Sonic the Hedgehog film doesn't give much backstory to Sonic besides how he arrived on Earth. Although his dad isn't fully known, Tom Wachowski takes it upon himself to be the father that Sonic never had in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 sees the return of the villainous Dr. Robotnik, who once again has to be stopped by the titular blue blur. The film sees the reappearance of both Tom and his wife Maddie, the couple that takes Sonic into their home in the first film. Although they initially clash, by the ending of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Sonic and Tom's bond is closer than ever before.
While the relationship between Sonic and Tom does seem like that of a child and their guardian, it doesn't seem like Sonic the Hedgehog was explicitly trying to make Tom a stand-in for Sonic's father. Sonic 2, on the other hand, is very clearly going for that, with Tom and Maddie referring to Sonic as their kid several times throughout the film. Seeing Sonic call a human his dad is pretty bizarre, but the film has a good reason for doing it because of Sonic's history with parental figures.
Who Is Sonic The Hedgehog's Father? Origins Explained
Neither of the Sonic films explicitly talks about Sonic's biological father at all. The facts of his birth or his creation are left very vague, with Sonic's mother figure Longclaw being the only relationship he is shown to have before being teleported to Earth. Considering that Longclaw is an owl, it is doubtful that she is the mother of Sonic the Hedgehog, meaning she doesn't offer any hints either. So far, the identity of Sonic's birth father is a complete mystery, but there are some possible directions the films could go based on other Sonic stories.
The most well-known origin of Sonic comes from a promotional comic that was released around the time of the original games. In this story, Sonic is a regular brown hedgehog that was given powers due to experiments by a scientist named Dr. Kintobor, meaning Sonic's father was a regular hedgehog. Since Sonic originates from an alien planet in the movies, it is doubtful that this will be the backstory they go with. However, a much more plausible explanation comes from Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog series, where Sonic's father is a warrior named Jules Hedgehog who was retrofitted with machinery after being injured during a battle. He does appear later in Sonic's life, so something along this route would be ideal - plus, it works as a Metal Sonic storyline. However, for now, the only father figure Sonic has in the movies is Tom, lovingly referred to by Sonic as "Donut Lord."
Why Sonic Calls Tom "Dad" In Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Sonic desires to have a family more than anything in the first Sonic movie, and after their adventure together, Tom becomes that family. Tom is one of the few humans in Sonic the Hedgehog's cast, so he plays a less action-heavy role than the animated speedsters and Dr. Eggman. However, his position as a guardian for Sonic means that he plays a big thematic role. Instead of returning home after the first movie, Sonic chooses to live with Tom, becoming close with his family and doing typical things kids enjoy like playing baseball and eating ice cream. Sonic is still a child, though, meaning that Tom has to keep Sonic out of trouble due to his antics. Because of this, Tom clearly acts as a father figure for Sonic throughout Sonic 2. While it is strange at first, Sonic calling Tom his dad in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 makes perfect sense because of the evolution of their relationship.