At the 2018 E3 conference, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was announced with the promise that "Everyone is Here." Even though the Nintendo title boasts over 70 characters from various gaming franchises, that promise still isn't entirely accurate. With five DLC fighters have already been released and more are in development, Fire Emblem's Byleth was just announced as the game's next DLC fighter.
Smash Ultimate's inclusion of characters like Piranha Plant and Persona's Joker have already broken some of the assumed rules for who can be a fighter. That being said, the game's director Masahiro Sakurai has confirmed that only characters who originated in video games will be considered for Smash, so frequently requested characters like Goku and Shrek will never be in serious contention. With that in mind, we're going to take a look at some of the iconic gaming characters we'd like to see join the ultimate gaming brawl, along with one who we wouldn't mind waiting on for a little while longer.
TRACER
As of now, all of the DLC fighters announced as part of the Fighters Pass have been from third-party franchises not previously represented in Smash. Nintendo and Blizzard have been getting along recently with Diablo III and Overwatch heading to the Switch, which could be the perfect scenario for Tracer to join the fray. Overwatch director has expressed enthusiasm towards an Overwatch character joining Smash, stating that, while Nintendo is welcome to use any of them, Tracer would be his "first choice."
Of course, Blizzard got into trouble late last year with their Hong Kong stance overshadowing many of their major announcements. Still, Tracer would be a great addition to the roster as a strong female fighter, something Ultimate's DLC has lacked.
TRAVIS TOUCHDOWN
With No More Heroes III scheduled to release sometime this year for the Switch, Travis Touchdown would be a smart addition to Ultimate. Following a seven-year hiatus, last year's Travis Strikes Again was released to mixed reviews. Adding the franchise's protagonist could bring positive attention to the series, much like the excitement surrounding the trailers that debuted during last year's E3 and during the Game Awards.
While Travis is darker than most Smash characters, the No More Heroes star wouldn't be too out of place for a game that also includes Bayonetta and Joker.
Edelgard
Given the fact that the previous DLC fighters have all come from third parties, a character from one of Nintendo's franchises seemed unlikely to be the next fighter. While Byleth from last year's surprise hit Fire Emblem: Three Houses is the game's next fighter, Edelgard von Hresvelg would still be an excellent addition to Ultimate.
Many fans may scoff at the idea of another Fire Emblem character joining the roster, but the axe-wielding Edelgard could prove once and for all that not all Fire Emblem characters are blue-haired sword-wielding anime boys.
ANY INDIE GAMES CHARACTER
The Nintendo Switch has been an amazing home for indie games both old and new. Games like Cuphead, Celeste and Night in the Woods have found tremendous success on the Switch, and games like Untitled Goose Game, My Friend Pedro, and Gris even hit the Switch before the other consoles. What better way to show appreciation to these games and their studios than to include one of their characters in Ultimate?
While Shovel Knight is already an Assist Trophy and the titular Cuphead will join the game as an alternate costume for Mii Gunner, there's an entire world of indie games that can still be represented. Alternatively, Nintendo could do something truly bold by dropping Untitled Goose Game's Goose into Smash. Since Sega once put a car in a fighting game as a playable character, it wouldn't be the craziest thing that's ever happened in the genre.
CRASH BANDICOOT
If Banjo-Kazooie, a Rare character now owned by Microsoft, could make it into Smash, so can Crash Bandicoot.
Unlike Banjo-Kazooie, Crash has already appeared on the Nintendo Switch with the Crash Bandicoot N-Sane Trilogy and Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled. While the character was originally a Sony icon, Crash games have appeared on Nintendo consoles since the Game Boy Advance. Other PlayStation associated characters like Joker and Cloud have made it into Smash, but Crash could stand out as a true throwback to the console wars of the '90s.
GOOD WITHOUT: GENO
Gen, one of Mario's allies from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars has been a long-requested character, but now doesn't seem like the right time to add him. Out of the already released DLC fighters, two have come from JRPGs, and one has come from the Mario franchise.
On top of that, Super Mario RPG was developed by Square, now Square Enix, a company already represented in the Smash DLC with the addition of Dragon Quest's Hero. While Sakurai has said that he wants to add Geno to Smash, Geno wouldn't be adding a new franchise or game to the roster, which seems to be a priority for Ultimate. For now, Geno's fans will have to settle for his presence in the game as a Spirit.