Super Smash Bros. Ultimate recently broke Twitter when Steve from Minecraft was added to the roster. Besides the shock value, Steve's inclusion matters because it marks the first time a character with indie game roots was added to Super Smash Bros.
With indie games becoming more and more respected in recent years, fans have speculated on what indie characters should join Smash Ultimate's ever-expanding roster. With dream picks like Shantae and Shovel Knight suddenly inching closer to being a reality, here are five indie game characters we want to see playable.
Zagreus from Hades
Zagreus is the protagonist of Supergiant Games' recent roguelike hit Hades in which players must attempt to escape the Underworld with assistance from other Greek gods. Not only does Zagreus have the moveset for a Smash game, but Supergiant Games has the history for it too.
Supergiant's first game was Bastion, a critical title in making indie development a mainstream success. If a new fighter was to be added to represent the rise of indie games as a whole, a Supergiant character would be a strong pick. Zagreus seems to fit best as a Smash character due to his wide range of boons that could supplement his five core abilities. His moveset could even serve as a representation of the roguelike genre, focusing heavily on movement and projectiles.
The Knight from Hollow Knight
The protagonist of Hollow Knight, known as the Knight, is one of the many popular fan requests for Super Smash Bros. Developed by Team Cherry, Hollow Knight is an action-adventure Metroidvania with an emphasis on exploration and boss fights. The Knight uses a sword called a nail for melee combat and a series of spells for long-range attacks.
Hollow Knight received a huge amount of praise for its story and hand-drawn graphics. Its combat also was also complimented for rewarding players who took advantage of staggering bosses and the parry system. These elements, along with the game's "Charm" upgrade system, combat arts and spells, could make the Knight a wonderfully diverse and unique fighter in Smash.
The Farmer from Stardew Valley
The Farmer from ConcernedApe's Stardew Valley certainly feels like an incredibly weird character for a fighting game. However, Super Smash Bros. is the king of taking weird ideas and making them work as fighters, with series regulars R.O.B., Wii Fit Trainer and Mr. Game & Watch being prime examples.
The Farmer could work a bit like how Steve does, utilizing Stardew Valley's core gameplay loop of farming and harvesting to fight in Smash. Being often called a successor to Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley's one man development team and resounding success would make it a perfect candidate to represent indie games in Smash.
Undyne from Undertale
Toby Fox's 2015 indie RPG Undertale has seen a huge amount of critical acclaim, earning praise for its unique approach to combat, storytelling and characters and quickly finding itself ported to both the PlayStation 4 and the Nintendo Switch. Undertale is already represented in Smash, with its most recognizable character, Sans, receiving a Mii Gunner costume bundled with a new "Megalovania" remix by Toby Fox.
But Sans isn't the only Undertale character who deserves to join the fight; others would also fit perfectly. Undyne would be a great candidate for Smash, as the mechanics of her boss fight would translate well to a fighting game. With her attack patterns focused around throwing spears at the player, she could work as a projectile-focused combo character to honor Undertale's bullet hell inspired roots.
Cadence from Crypt of the NecroDancer
The idea of a rhythm-based fighter that has to time their attacks and movements to one of Smash's 950+ music tracks is possibly one of the most unique character ideas out there. Cadence is the main character of 2015's Crypt of the NecroDancer, a rhythm-based roguelike in which the player has to time their actions to the beat of the level's music. Crypt of the NecroDancer has already crossed over with another Nintendo IP via 2019's Cadence of Hyrule, which was the first time Nintendo allowed one of their main IPs to be used by an indie developer.
With Nintendo already having a working relationship with developer Brace Yourself Games, Cadence has a very real chance of being added into Smash Ultimate. She would also be perfect, as she represents a rare cooperation between Nintendo and an indie developer. Combining Smash's fighting game mechanics with elements of a rhythm game would certainly be a challenge, but considering this is the team that incorporated Minecraft mechanics into a fighting game, nothing is impossible.