Who are the most likely remaining characters to join Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as DLC characters in the Fighters Pass?
With Dragon Quest’s Hero making RNG waves and with Banjo-Kazooie’s release slated for fall 2019, fans of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate find their hype and speculation levels in an unusual position. The final two DLC characters that make up the Fighters Pass are completely unknown at this point, after having months of fan expectations for Dragon Quest and Microsoft involvement rewarded. That said, the most fervent Smash Bros. enthusiasts here at Nintendo World Report have put our heads together, regarding who those two remaining playable fighters might be.
#5
We start this list by acknowledging the slight possibility that Nintendo may want to promote one of their own characters in the Fighters Pass. Does it make more sense for a third-party to want a cut of the revenue, all so that gaming’s greatest crossover series can continue to grow its connections to new franchises? Absolutely. But let’s take Masahiro Sakurai’s fervor for the Fire Emblem franchise into account, as well as the recent release of Three Houses, to say that Edelgard von Hresvelg would be the most likely Nintendo representative.
Before the Smash Bros. fanbase goes into an uproar about the inclusion of ANOTHER Fire Emblem character, it’s important to consider that not only would a female Lord be a refreshing representation choice, but Edelgard’s use of an axe as a primary weapon would be a first for a Smash fighter. Sure, the case could be made for Byleth, the Three Houses player avatar, but when Smash already has Robin, Byleth’s inclusion would be redundant and they would be an echo fighter, at best. Since Fire Emblem: Three Houses launched, in-game leaderboards have indicated that the Black Eagles are the most popular house choice for players, giving Edelgard’s inclusion chances a leg up over Dimitri or Claude. Other possible characters that could promote Switch-exclusive games could be Travis Touchdown for No More Heroes III or Sylux for Metroid Prime 4. While the DLC trend so far has been third-party characters from franchises that are new to Smash, we didn’t want to leave out the possibility of a Nintendo character in a Nintendo game.
#4
It stands to reason that Bandai-Namco would want some representation in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s Fighters Pass. After all, since they played a significant role in developing the base game, why not give them some more love in the game’s DLC? While there was speculation at one time for Tekken’s Heihachi to be included, a few factors regarding the fate of the character now leave Lloyd Irving from Tales of Symphonia as the most likely Bandai-Namco representative.
Representation from the Tales Of series would be a natural fit alongside other popular JRPG series in Smash, such as Final Fantasy and now Dragon Quest. Tales of Symphonia was a stand-out exclusive on the Gamecube, upon its initial Japanese release in 2003, and its simplified combat control scheme drew many parallels to Super Smash Bros. Melee at the time. As far as movesets go, Lloyd would bring dual swords to the fray, which only Pit and Dark Pit currently utilize in the roster. Ultimately, while some fans would prefer Tales of Vesperia's Yuri Lowell, Sakurai said in an interview translated by Source Gaming that he “really think[s] it has to be Lloyd here” and he is “not sure if there [is] any other appropriate choice” for the franchise. Other possible Bandai-Namco characters could include Soulcalibur's Nightmare and Dark Souls' Chosen Undead. But if you ask us, if Bandai-Namco gets a DLC spot, Lloyd's likely to move from a Mii Costume in Smash for Wii U to a playable character in Ultimate.
#3
The industry could feel the love at E3 2019, when the inclusion of Banjo-Kazooie into Super Smash Bros. signified that Microsoft worked with Nintendo to get this deal done. What if a partnership like this could bear fruit again, with a character that many associate with Sony and PlayStation? Of course, the catch here is that the rights for Crash Bandicoot currently belong to Activision, who must be thrilled with the recent performances of N. Sane Trilogy and Team Racing Nitro-Fueled on Switch.
Now, Spyro the Dragon would be another tempting PlayStation-turned-Activision mascot. But Crash’s spins and jumps are just begging for another platforming icon to join the battle. On top of that, Sakurai must surely remember the infamous mascot megaphone ads. To put differences in the past, to have a show of unity across all three major console manufacturers, and to stick it to PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale one last time? Crash Bandicoot would be a sneaky DLC pick that would have a Banjo-like reaction across the industry.
#2
Sega has Joker, Square-Enix has Hero, and we’ve already talked about Bandai-Namco, so where is the love for more Smash representation from Capcom? If any character is most likely to join Mega Man, Ryu, and Ken in the fighting fray, look no further than the demon slayer himself, Dante from Devil May Cry.
You could honestly pick any look for Dante from his history of featured games and it would be a good pick, though Devil May Cry 3 would be a safe, youthful bet. We wouldn’t say no to any alternate skins, or even a nod to Vergil, though! Dante’s biggest potential in his favor for inclusion is his moveset and what variety that can bring to Super Smash Bros. Cycling between his Trickster, Swordmaster, Gunslinger, and Royal Guard styles should keep those sword, gun, and jumping skills fresh and varied. After all, we know with Joker that simply firing a gun isn’t a sticking point for a moveset. And speaking of flashy characters with guns, just imagine how cool a dream duel with Bayonetta would be! Other possible Capcom representatives still waiting in the wings could be Leon Kennedy, Phoenix Wright, and Monster Hunter. However, there’s only one fighter that would allow you to slap that sticker with “Featuring Dante from the Devil May Cry series” on the package.
#1
Picture the scene. It’s The Game Awards 2019. One more character still has to be announced for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, before a February 2020 release. It’s the same stage where Joker sent shockwaves throughout the world last year. The lights go out. And then the music hits you.
If there’s one thing that’s clear about Masahiro Sakurai, it’s that the man has a profound respect for and immense knowledge of the video game industry. Whether you call the character Doom Marine or Doomguy, the Doom Slayer represents the popularization of an entire genre in the early 90s. Today, Bethesda is one of the biggest supporters of the Switch among AAA Western publishers, making The Game Awards a perfect place for a reveal, especially after Doom Eternal releases a couple weeks before the show airs. It’s likely that the character’s violence would have to be toned down slightly, but a moveset made up of guns, a chainsaw, punching, and grappling is entirely reasonable. The Doom Slayer is a character that’s meant to utilize the arena space to its fullest and to go on the attack, which is perfect for a platform fighting game. And can you imagine if Sakurai uses his classic face as the character portrait near his damage percentage? Other characters from Bethesda could include Skyrim’s Dragonborn and Wolfenstein’s B.J. Blazkowicz. But with the recent return of the classic first-person shooter franchise, combined with its historical roots, all supported on Switch by Bethesda - now’s a perfect time for the Doom Slayer to rip and tear his way into Super Smash Bros.
So we wanted to make the case for characters like Shantae, Rayman, Scorpion, and Jibanyan, but those are our top five choices for remaining DLC characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, here at Nintendo World Report. Thank you so much for reading!