Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is one of the biggest games for the Nintendo Switch. Even though the game is now out and in the hands of players, fans still have a lot to speculate on, with which new characters could be added to the game with the Fighters Pass DLC. Joker from Persona 5 was revealed to be the first of five new characters included in the Fighters Pass. Now everyone is wondering who the other four are.
This list will focus on potential characters that could be
added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate through one of the four remaining Fighters
Pass DLC slots. We will be focusing on series that do not already have
characters in the Smash roster, as Sakurai said that would be the focus. We will
be looking at series and companies that have had at least one release on a
Nintendo console or, at the very least, have a well-publicized, friendly
relationship with Nintendo. Characters already included in Ultimate as assist
trophies, spirits, stage elements, or Mii Fighter costumes are disqualified,
but characters not included as any of those are still on the table.
As a heads-up, most of these entries are going to be
third-party characters, as with so many Nintendo characters disconfirmed in
some way or another, it could be reasoned that most, if not all, new
representation would come from outside Nintendo.
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10. Lara Croft (Tomb Raider - Square-Enix)
The first of three Square-Enix characters, this British
archaeologist is one of the most famous females in gaming. Though primarily
associated with the PlayStation, the Tomb Raider series has had games on
Nintendo consoles before, including the GameCube and the Wii, and the series
has remained relevant to this day, in large part thanks to the remake series
started in 2013. Lara brings a lot of weapons to the battle, including her
trademark dual pistols as well as her bow and arrow, climbing axe, other
firearms, and other gear that would help her make it through one of her
globe-trotting adventures.
9. Erdrick (Dragon Quest - Square Enix)
The Dragon Quest series may be a cult hit in the West, but
it is very popular in Japan, and in this February’s Nintendo Direct, several
Dragon Quest games were announced for release outside Japan on the Nintendo
Switch. Combine that with some potential hints from the game’s developers and a
strong argument can form that Erdrick, one of the series’ biggest recurring
characters, could be entering the fray of Smash Ultimate. While he can easily
be seen as another swordfighter, Erdrick is able to use various weapons and
even cast spells, so he won’t be hurting for variety.
8. Master Chief (Halo - Microsoft)
Just a year or two ago, the idea of putting Master Chief in
Super Smash Bros. was unthinkable, the kind of stuff joke rosters were made of.
He was not only the main character of a violent M-rated first-person shooter,
but also the front man of Xbox’s golden game series, essentially the Mario of
Microsoft. But now, it actually seems at least somewhat possible. These days,
Microsoft is closer than ever with the big N, allowing crossplay between the
Xbox One and Switch, doing commercials with Nintendo, social media posts
regarding how well Nintendo’s been handling things lately, and the recent
announcement that Microsoft plans to bring Xbox Live to the Nintendo Switch,
meaning that for the first time Xbox games can be playable on a Nintendo
console. A good way to bookmark the occasion might be by having Microsoft’s
biggest, most recognizable character enter the roster of Super Smash Bros.
7. Neku Sakuraba (The World Ends With You - Square-Enix)
From the DS to the Switch, The World Ends With You is a
quirky and stylish title that flies in the face of JRPG conventions and, as a
result, has garnered a cult following. Given Square-Enix’s relation with
Nintendo and the fact that the publisher only has one guest character in the
roster while others have three, it could stand to reason that with Final
Fantasy already represented, the next series to look at might be this
well-received Nintendo exclusive, with its headphone-wearing asocial protagonist
Neku as its chosen fighter. Neku’s moves could come from any number of
psych-granting pins from the game, though special mention to the ones he gets
for free at the start of the game.
6. Travis Touchdown (No More Heroes - Grasshopper Manufacture)
Travis Touchdown is the vulgar yet charismatic, beam katana-wielding
assassin otaku that serves as the main character of the No More Heroes series,
created by famous developer Suda51. The first game in the series was one of the
highest-praised third-party games for the Wii and one of the first third-party
series shown during the debut of the Nintendo Switch, so it’s clear that
Nintendo fans love this series. Because of that, his entry may be more likely
than other indie or semi-indie characters, like Shovel Knight, Shantae, or Sans
from Undertale, who were respectively made an assist trophy, made a spirit, and
not included at all.
5. Dr. Coyle (ARMS - Nintendo)
Ironic that, in a list about Super Smash Bros., this is the
only Nintendo character.
Being a new Nintendo IP, and a fighting game at that,
that did reasonably well on the Switch, several Smash fans thought that ARMS would be a perfect addition to the
crossover platform fighter. Fast forward to Ultimate’s release however, and the
closest it got to the roster was Spring Man being an Assist Trophy and Ribbon
Girl being a Mii Fighter costume. But the playable inclusion of Piranha Plant
shows that a character doesn’t have to be the main protagonist or even a
secondary character to be a Smash fighter and while several ARMS characters are
represented in Smash in smaller roles, some aren’t included at all. This
includes the game’s main antagonist, deranged scientist and wannabe ARMS
champion, Dr. Coyle. This could mean that she can still be a contender to
represent this newer Nintendo series.
4. Yuri Lowell (Tales of Vesperia - Namco-Bandai)
Like Square-Enix, this is the first of three Namco
characters to make the top 10 (hint hint). Seeing how they helped develop Super
Smash Bros. Ultimate, it seems a bit odd that Pac-Man is the only character
representing Namco in the roster. A popular suggestion for a Namco character
has been Lloyd Irving from Tales of Symphonia, a beloved GameCube exclusive
title, and Lloyd was even included as a Mii Fighter costume in Smash 4.
However, a more likely choice might be Yuri Lowell, a main character from the
more recent Tales of Vesperia. Yuri has appeared in crossover games like the
Project X Zone series and a definitive edition of Vesperia released on the
Switch, which may help his case.
3. Banjo & Kazooie (Banjo-Kazooie - Microsoft/Rare)
We’ve already talked about how close Microsoft has gotten
with Nintendo recently, but if there’s a Microsoft character with a better case
for Smash inclusion than Master Chief, it’s Banjo the Bear. Banjo and his
feathered friend Kazooie headlined two well-received games for the Nintendo 64
before Rare was bought up by Microsoft and since then, they’ve only starred in
one game that was a far cry from their previous outings. With Phil Spencer, the
head of the Xbox brand, saying on different occasions that he’d like to see
Banjo & Kazooie in Smash, all it could take is a few talks between Nintendo and
Microsoft, and maybe an inclusion of Xbox services on the Switch to sweeten the
deal, to bring the bear and bird back home.
2. Klonoa (Klonoa - Namco-Bandai)
Another Namco character, this animalistic kid is one of
Namco’s lesser known mascots, better known for his games on the PlayStation. With
his last appearance in the West being a remake of the first game in the series
on the Wii, he may be relatively obscure, but a Smash inclusion could be a good chance to revive interest in the
character. Not only does he fit in visually with characters like Mario, Sonic,
and Mega Man, but he also has a lot of quirky moves involving wind and
potential help from allies Guntz and Pango, and he is no stranger to crossovers
having appeared in the large crossover game Namco x Capcom.
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Before revealing the number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Crash Bandicoot (Crash Bandicoot – Activision) - Crash may
have appeared in other games on Nintendo consoles, but the release of N-Sane
Trilogy on the Switch turned heads. The character is once again relevant enough
to make his inclusion in Smash a big deal.
Mason Rana (Starlink: Battle for Atlas – Ubisoft) - He is
the main original character of a Ubisoft game with heavy StarFox content and
the game’s continued support through Nintendo is a big example of the
partnership between Nintendo and Ubisoft, even if it’s technically a
multiplatform game.
Connor Kenway (Assassin’s Creed – Ubisoft) – Like Mason,
this would be an example of the partnership between Nintendo and Ubisoft, shown
through some of their exclusively made games for the Switch, but this time,
using a character from one of their most popular series getting a port on the
console.
Spyro the Dragon (Spyro the Dragon – Activision) – He may
not have recently appeared on Nintendo systems the way Crash has, but Spyro is
still a beloved video game icon that has had games on Nintendo platforms.
Steve (Minecraft – Microsoft) – Minecraft is one of the most
popular indie games in the world and even ahead of any deals or collaboration
between Nintendo and Microsoft, it is still available on other platforms. This
would be a major inclusion to announce.
Crono (Chrono Trigger – Square-Enix) – Often regarded as one
of the best games of all-time, Chrono Trigger is a beloved game for the SNES
and a lot of classic Nintendo fans would get excited hearing about the main
character’s inclusion.
And a couple of dishonorable mentions...
Goku (Dragon Ball – Shonen Jump) - He may be popular, he may
be a good character from a good series, and he may have been in a lot of video
games, but he is primarily an anime/manga character, not a video game
character. If he makes it in, then anyone can make it in.
Shrek (Shrek – DreamWorks) – His case for inclusion may be
worse than Goku’s. While neither are video game characters, Goku is at least
currently relevant, with Dragon Ball Super still fresh in people’s minds, while
the Shrek movies haven’t seen a new entry in years, mainly kept relevant through
memes.
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1. Heihachi Mishima (Tekken - Namco-Bandai)
This could possibly be one of the best characters for
inclusion in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. As a recurring villain of the Tekken
fighting game series, currently popular and relevant with inclusion in
tournament events like EVO, he is up there with Pac-Man as one of Namco’s most
recognizable characters. He is a major presence, having appeared in other crossover
games like Project X Zone, Street Fighter X Tekken, and PlayStation All-Stars
Battle Royale. He even appeared as a Mii Fighter costume in Smash 4. While he
could be seen as similar to Ryu, inspiration could be taken from his games and
different crossover appearances to make him a distinct fighter.
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What did you think of this list? Who would you like to see added to the roster of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate? Make yourself heard in the comments below.
Thanks for coming!
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