Knuckles, the guardian of the Master Emerald, brings brute force and unique traversal options. His abilities include:
- Glide: Press the jump button twice to glide horizontally, allowing him to cross large gaps and reach distant platforms.
- Climb: While gliding, touch a wall to cling to it and climb vertically. This opens up many hidden paths and shortcuts.
Knuckles is slower than Sonic but his gliding and climbing abilities make him exceptional for finding secrets and accessing areas inaccessible to other characters. He can often bypass entire sections of levels by taking vertical routes.