Elise is better than Sara

Look, Elise is not the best female Sonic character, or even the best female human Sonic character. If anything, though, she's better than Sara from "Sonic: the Movie" or as fans refer to it, the OVA ("Original Video Animation").

History

In 2006 the over-hyped (and then over-hated) game Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) was released.

The game debuted several new characters, including reoccurring time-traveler, Silver, and the series darkest villain, Mephiles. "Princess Elise the Third," meanwhile, wasn't everyone's favorite.

Right after the game's opening, she is kidnapped, and continues to be a damsel in distress. Making matters far worse, her role in the Last Story quickly became controversial.  

The OVA was a brief 2 part-er released originally in Japan (1996).

In 1999, it was dubbed and turned into a short "movie." It's often praised for it's "CD" like animation and being closer to the games, but it's voice acting and use of cliches is often criticized.

There were a few changes in the American version ("Robotnik" instead of "Eggman," for example), but even the original story itself added some unique characters and ideas that were never seen before (like Knuckles' hat).

Among these changes was the addition of a "cat girl," Sara. She took Amy's place in the story, which was inspired from Sonic CD. There is some opposition to the character, but she's never received the same amount of hate as Elise. In fact there are many who like her and are sympathetic toward her character. 

The Bad

As mentioned, Elise gets kidnapped a number of times within her debut. Her "relationship" with Sonic is shallow, and her promise not to cry is often sighted as unrealistic. What really pushed players over the edge when she kissed sorta-dead Sonic.

Sara is a brat. She's annoying, demanding, and doesn't seem to care about anything except her own needs. She and Sonic don't interact much, but if she really does like him, she's too busy kissing Knuckles and getting grouped by Robotnik and Tails.

Though only "kidnapped" once, Sara is a hostage most of the movie (though it seemed like she was content with that).

The Good

Elise is haunted because she's the "seal" or the "Iblis Trigger." In the game she learns to take chances (a bit) and to find happiness in little moments. While the Last Story took things too far, in Sonic's episode the two had (a bit of) potential.

Though the game didn't exactly allow it too play out right, there was at least an attempt at character development.

Sara has a cute design, and her girlishness contrasts many of the other characters.

So...

I feel bad for Elise. She wasn't great, but she had some promise. Which is far more than I can say about Sara. Cute anime appearance aside, I can't really think of anything positive to say about the character or her part in the movie. It's no contest; Elise is better than Sara.