Smash Ultimate’s last character could fix the game’s biggest problem
Please don’t add another anime swordfighter.
We don’t know who Smash Ultimate fighter 82 is yet, but we have a lot better idea of who it isn’t.
Playing as Kazuya from Tekken and all of the new Mii Fighters is fun, but we can’t help but wonder who the final member of the roster will be. Pretty much every new addition since the game’s release seems to have defied predictions, so there’s plenty of reason to expect the unexpected.
That said, the latest batch of Mii costumes has made us confident (possibly naively) about one thing: the final Super Smash Bros. Ultimate fighter won’t be an anime-inspired swordfighter.
It’s become a running joke within Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s community that the game is overcrowded with “anime sword fighters.” Nearly every Fire Emblem character, in addition to others like Cloud, Sephiroth, Hero, Pyra and Mythra, all three Links, and Shulk, could technically fall under this description.
For a game that will ultimately have 82 distinct fighters, there’s a lot of similarity within the roster. As such, this is probably an archetype that Sakurai and Nintendo would want to ignore when creating the last fighter for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
We’re more confident in that assumption after the showcase for Kazuya on June 28, where the team revealed four new Mii fighters.
- Lloyd from Tales of Symphonia
- Dante from the Devil May Cry series
- Shante from the Shantae series
- The Dragonborn from The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim
Lloyd and Dante are both highly requested characters from Japanese games, but both would most likely end up in the “anime swordfighter” category as full roster additions. Shantae is another anime-inspired character, while The Dragonborn is another sword fighter.
Mii Fighters have historically been a way for Nintendo to acknowledge certain fandoms without giving them a fully fleshed-out roster addition, and the latest costumes are likely an attempt to satiate those fans. By offering up all of these sword-wielders as Miis instead, Nintendo may be subtly signaling that the game’s final DLC character will break from that trend.
It’s fair to expect that Nintendo and Sakurai plan to go out on a high note with the final addition to the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster. That means a fan-favorite request, or an unexpected character with a complex moveset. Another sword-wielder just wouldn’t be that interesting.
It’s hard to say who the last fighter will be — anyone from Crash Bandicoot to Waluigi to Agent Jones from Fortnite is possible. Regardless, the reveal of the final Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighter will be a historic moment for the franchise. Here’s hoping it’s a great surprise.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available now for Nintendo Switch.
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