With the surprise announcement of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, four key Zelda characters are back in the spotlight. Breath of the Wild's champions - Urbosa, Daruk, Mipha and Revali - are some of Hyrule's most legendary characters. After their introduction in Breath of the Wild, fans have been itching to play as the quartet. After being relegated to NPCs, the champions will finally be playable in Age of Calamity.
Set one hundred years prior to Breath of the Wild, Age of Calamity sees a Hyrule under direct assault from Ganon's forces. In addition to Link and Zelda, the champions will be at the player's control in a desperate struggle to repel the forces of evil. With the consistently empowering gameplay of the Warriors series and the excellent fan service in Wii U's original Hyrule Warriors, Age of Calamity is sure to be a perfect avenue to experience the might of the champions. However, there is somewhere else these characters should be playable too: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Hylian History
As storied as The Legend of Zelda series is, its representation in Super Smash Bros. has always been underwhelming. The franchise's major players are all represented: Link, Princess Zelda and Ganondorf. Considering that each represents one-third of the Triforce, these are obvious choices. However, the franchise is so much more expansive, but the Smash Bros. roster doesn't reflect that.
Sheik is perhaps the most unique Zelda character on the roster, but considering that Sheik is Zelda's secret identity, that isn't saying much. There's Toon Link and Young Link, but they're clone fighters, as is Ganondorf himself. His playstyle mirrors Captain Falcon and doesn't represent Ganondorf's iconic swordsmanship. Ultimate attempted to address this, as Link got an update to reflect his Breath of the Wild moveset, and Zelda got a cosmetic overhaul. Still, these felt like small modifications when the unrepresented facets of the Zelda series remain so vast.
Choosing the Champions
As such, few characters would make for more refreshing additions than the champions. Each has a unique fighting style and mastery over a unique element. Regardless of which champion was chosen, they'd play differently from anyone else on the Smash Bros. roster. As such, the development team would probably select one champion to add. There is the possibility that, like Pokémon Trainer, there could be a general "champion" fighter, allowing the player to cycle between all four. This could be tantalizing, but it's more likely that Masahiro Sakurai and the team would double-down on fleshing out a single champion.
If only one were to be chosen, Urbosa would be an excellent choice. While she is a sword user, Urbosa offers much more than that. In Breath of the Wild, her blessing gives Link the power of Urbosa's Fury, summoning a literal dome of thunder that causes an extremely powerful, localized storm. It's awe-inspiring visually and a unique tool in Link's arsenal. It could translate very well to Smash Bros., and getting to see Urbosa herself command such powers could be incredible. The Age of Calamity trailer already showed a glimpse of Urbosa in battle. The elegance of her movement and presence on the field would translate into a very swift, well-animated fighter.
Urbosa would not only expand the Zelda representation in Smash Bros. but the overarching female representation too. Nintendo has an excellent cast of female characters, but not many have made it into Smash Bros. yet. Urbosa could help Min Min lead that charge, while also being another example of modern Nintendo's brilliant character design.
However, even if a different champion is selected, they'd fit the role just as well. All four are some of Nintendo's most interesting contemporary creations with striking designs and varying abilities. Considering that the Fighter Pass Volume 2 is largely a mystery still with five unannounced characters, there are plenty of opportunities for the champions to come over. In the meantime, though, we'll have to enjoy playing as these iconic figures in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity come November.