>>46257740Yes, but those aren't the stereotypical edgy, stoic 2kool4skool kind of designs that autists self insert as. Normal people see a memorable design and they admire and appreciate it, that's as far as their attention will go. But autists... autists don't just ADMIRE a design... they IMPRINT themselves onto it. They want to BECOME it until it's a part of their persona.
They're not satisfied with simple things because that would make them simple. They want the "cooler, more alternative" version of those things, kinda like how Mario is incredibly simple and memorable, easy to appreciate as a bystander, but for an autist, to associate with a Fat Italian Plumber is a no-go. That's why they latched onto the at-the-time "Cooler" alternative mascot known as Sonic and why its fandom is just as bad as Pokemon's. It's not enough for it to be humanoid. It has to present itself as something superior to it, and this ugly thing fires energy from its hands, can communicate telepathically (a trait exclusive to Legendary Pokemon, mind you) and in most appearances is shown to be more intelligent than other pokemon too, Is fast and agile, can "read your heart", has a cool, stoic personality and it's based on a dog, which is arguably the most beloved species of animal on earth, except with proportions altered to more closely resemble a human, making it even easier to self insert as it. It's the holy grail all-in-one package of autism magnet traits in modern popular design.
