'Smash Ultimate' Leaks: 4Chan Leakers Allegedly Reveal 12 Roster Additions

We’re closing in the official release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but there’s still plenty of time for Nintendo to announce more additions to the game’s final roster. On that note, a pair of leaks that recently surfaced from the depths of the internet (aka 4chan) suggest that as many as 12 more characters may be joining the fight.

Before we dive in, it’s worth noting that these 4chan rumors are as sketchy as Waluigi’s tacos. But with a little over a month until Smash Bros. Ultimate’s actual launch, we might as well have some fun speculating about these alleged roster leaks while we still can. So take everything that follows with a grain of salt.

The first 4chan leak (spotted by YouTube user Casualverse), claims to come from an actual Nintendo insider working for the company’s localization efforts. The post goes on to reveal a list of leaked internal files from Smash Bros. Ultimate, including four new characters:

MmelChara_01_shadow

MmelChara_01_ken

MmelChara_01_jino

MmelChara_01_rayman

The leaker adds that it’s unclear which of these characters are Echos and which are totally original creations. However, it’s worth noting that “Geno” is spelled wrong, which feels like a pretty huge red flag. Rayman is also already confirmed for Smash Bros. competitor Brawlhalla, so that seems unlikely, too.

Shadow and Ken are both highly rumored additions to the game, likely as Echos for Sonic and Ryu, respectively. Geno is also a popular guess, and feeds into leaks that Square Enix could add another of its characters to the series with Ultimate. As for Rayman, I’m still not convinced, and this alleged leak hasn’t done much to change my mind.

The second 4chan leak, via YouTuber mariotehplumber, begins by claiming that another Ultimate-focused Direct presentation is coming “within the next two weeks.” That seems like a reasonable guess, though, the leaker offers little evidence to back it up.

They go on to list four brand new characters and four additional Echo fighters based on a “bit of information” they claim to have:

Newcomers:

69: Decidueye (from Pokémon) Has some moves shared with Ivysaur and Mewtwo

70: Bandana Waddle Dee (from Kirby) Can use his spear as the second longest ranged melee attack

71: Shantae (from Shantae) Based on her appearance in Half Genie Hero

72: Geno (from Mario) Will be the final character reveal of the Direct

Echos:

11ε: Black Shadow (from F-Zero) Uses Ganondorf’s old moveset from Smash 4

32ε: Black Knight (from Fire Emblem) Will be slower, but more powerful

38ε: Shadow (from Sonic) Will have a modified Wario Bike and Teleport instead of Spindash and Spring

60ε: Ken (from Street Fighter) Will have a multi hit Shoryuken. Half of his models will be based off of Street Fighter 4, while the others will be based off Street Fighter 5

Again, this leak is a bit of a mixed bag. The Echoes mostly check out, and we’ve seen all those names before in previous Smash Bros. Ultimate leaks. But from the list of totally new fighters, only one seems particularly likely.

Geno commonly tops the list of leaked Ultimate roster additions, so you shouldn’t be surprised if he makes it into the game. However, the majority of reports rule out Decidueye (from Pokémon Sun and Moon) in favor of Incineroar.

As for Bandana Waddle Dee and Shantae, both are reasonable but definitely not guaranteed. The Kirby villain seems possible, especially since Ultimate hasn’t added any new characters from that franchise yet. Shantae from the third-party title Shantae: Half-Genie Hero feels likely, but we wouldn’t rule it out, either.

For now, we’ll just have to wait and see, but with a Nintendo Direct allegedly coming in the next couple weeks, we could learn a lot more Ultimate very soon.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate launches December 7 for Nintendo Switch.