Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a haven for all things Nintendo. It's a celebration of its glorious IPs and partnerships with third-party developers. With so many characters and several still to come, the massive fighting game already pleases casual and hardcore fans alike. However, as long as there are characters that could be added, there will be players begging Nintendo for their inclusion. One character who has come up time and time again is Rayman.
While the original Rayman game didn't debut on a Nintendo console, it was eventually ported to several Nintendo handhelds. Every other entry, including the Raving Rabbids spin-offs, has found success on Nintendo's platforms. With a long-lasting professional relationship between Nintendo and Ubisoft, it's well past time for Rayman to join the fight.
Rayman's design already looks like something Nintendo would create, and he would fit well within Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He comes from the brightly cartoonish Glade of Dreams and wears a perpetual smile on his face. More importantly, Rayman's moveset seen throughout his games could be easily transitioned into a fighting game. Since his feet and hands are disconnected from his body, he's got a surprising amount of range for such a small character. Even in the most recent game, 2013's Rayman Legends, Rayman can charge up a punch and send his fist barreling towards enemies. That would make for a deceptive smash attack with a range similar to the recently-added Min Min.
Then, there are his special moves to consider. In 1999's Rayman 2, he has the ability to shoot balls of energy from his fists. These balls of energy could be assigned to the B button, as they're not very large or powerful. Also, Rayman can glide by rapidly spinning his hair. Most of the time, it doesn't let him ascend and is used to get over larger jumps, but a power-up in Rayman 3 did let him fly normally for a brief amount of time. In Smash, Rayman's Up Special would probably propel him upward before gliding back down, similar to Peach or Daisy's umbrella.
The power-ups from Rayman 3, known as Laser-Washing Powders, could also be used for Rayman's Up and Down Specials. Some would be completely overpowered if used in Smash, such as the vortex that shrinks enemies, but others could be easily implemented. The Shock Rocket that lets Rayman shoot a guided missile would make for a great Up Special like Samus' own rockets. Heavy Metal Fist would make for a good Down Special. This briefly increases his melee attack power.
As far as his Final Smash goes, Rayman could bring in some of his allies to wallop an opponent. It would be wonderful to see Globox, the ax-wielding Viking women from Rayman Legends or even a pack of Raving Rabbids pummel whoever gets caught.
It's worth noting that Ubisoft supports Rayman's inclusion in Smash. In 2015, a fake leak reported Rayman joining the franchise. When asked about the possibility on Twitter, Ubisoft said it would love to see him appear. Fan desire has only increased since then, as has Ubisoft's partnership with Nintendo, so Rayman feels like a no-brainer.
However, it isn't up to Ubisoft. Nintendo provided a list of DLC fighters for director Masahiro Sakurai to choose from when creating the first Fighter's Pass, and it likely did the same for the second one. But fans begged Nintendo for years to put Banjo and Kazooie in before they were finally added in 2019, which shows Nintendo is listening. With Ubisoft's close relationship with Nintendo, Rayman being a fan-favorite pick and a moveset that would transition well to Smash, it's hopefully only a matter of time before he's added.