51 characters total, reasoning inside.

[EbonyRubberWolf]

This seems to suggest that the Miis are having a big slot that takes up to 3 slots of space.

Nah, that's just symmetry being enforced.

 

[Rosalina&Greninja]

I disagree with all this, I think we are getting 44 characters, 47 counting each Mii as separate.

Wii U- 4 x 11
3DS- 5 x 9

Wii U:
Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Rosalina, Yoshi, Wario, DK, Diddy, Samus, Zero Suit
Link, Zelda, Sheik, Ganondorf, Toon Link, Villager, Pit, Palutena, Kirby, Meta Knight, Dedede
Fox, Falco, Marth, Ike, Chrom, Shulk, Greninja, Lucario, Charizard, Jigglypuff, Pikachu
Olimar, Capt. Falcon, Little Mac, Wii Fit Trainer, Chorus Men, Ness, Mr Game & Watch, Pac-Man, Megaman, Sonic, Random/Mii

3DS:
Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Rosalina, Yoshi, Wario, DK, Diddy
Link, Zelda, Sheik, Ganondorf, Toon Link, Samus, Zero Suit, Pit, Palutena
Marth, Ike, Chrom, Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede, Little Mac, Fox, Falco
Pikachu, Jigglypuff, Charizard, Lucario, Greninja, Ness, Capt. Falcon, Villager, Olimar, Chorus Men, Wii Fit Trainer, Shulk, Mr Game & Watch, Pac-Man, Megaman, Sonic, Random/Mii

 

[EbonyRubberWolf]

I disagree with all this, I think we are getting 44 characters, 47 counting each Mii as separate.

Wii U- 4 x 11
3DS- 5 x 9

Wii U:
Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Rosalina, Yoshi, Wario, DK, Diddy, Samus, Zero Suit
Link, Zelda, Sheik, Ganondorf, Toon Link, Villager, Pit, Palutena, Kirby, Meta Knight, Dedede
Fox, Falco, Marth, Ike, Chrom, Shulk, Greninja, Lucario, Charizard, Jigglypuff, Pikachu
Olimar, Capt. Falcon, Little Mac, Wii Fit Trainer, Chorus Men, Ness, Mr Game & Watch, Pac-Man, Megaman, Sonic, Random/Mii

3DS:
Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Rosalina, Yoshi, Wario, DK, Diddy
Link, Zelda, Sheik, Ganondorf, Toon Link, Samus, Zero Suit, Pit, Palutena
Marth, Ike, Chrom, Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede, Little Mac, Fox, Falco
Pikachu, Jigglypuff, Charizard, Lucario, Greninja, Ness, Capt. Falcon, Villager, Olimar, Chorus Men, Wii Fit Trainer, Shulk, Mr Game & Watch, Pac-Man, Megaman, Sonic, Random/Mii

You make interesting choices here. While I can understand Wolf's cut(he's the weakest member of the Star Fox rep crew, and I'd think him gone were it not for Gematsu naming Lucas), it is rather.. Intriguing that you've elected to dismiss R.O.B. and Ice Climbers as well. Any particular reason? R.O.B.'s popularity may be suspect sure, but unpopular characters do retain representation in Smash(Jigglypuff, ZSS). As for Ice Climbers, Rosalina does step on their territory somewhat, but not to a particularly fatal degree, I'd imagine.

 

[Rosalina&Greninja]

You make interesting choices here. While I can understand Wolf's cut(he's the weakest member of the Star Fox rep crew, and I'd think him gone were it not for Gematsu naming Lucas), it is rather.. Intriguing that you've elected to dismiss R.O.B. and Ice Climbers as well. Any particular reason? R.O.B.'s popularity may be suspect sure, but unpopular characters do retain representation in Smash(Jigglypuff, ZSS). As for Ice Climbers, Rosalina does step on their territory somewhat, but not to a particularly fatal degree, I'd imagine.

Luma looks like a simple Nana and Sakurai already stated they are having difficulties with them and Nana is far more complex then Luma and considering Rosalina was a nobody when they decided to add her, she could easily be a replacement while the Polar bear was an enemy in Melee and makes sense to bring back, and it could be a nod to the cut pair. And it would also get rid of their broken chain grab

And when roster is small, in the end being unpopular is what gives him low priority and the boot. The only thing from his series thats in Smash is himself so we wouldn't really lose anything if he was cut besides R.O.B. himself. Someones gotta get cut and we wouldn't lose anything if R.O.B. went.


I believe the roster won't be that big and some have got to go. Original 12 aren't going anywhere, G&W was semi confirmed in Pac-Mans trailer, Cutting 2 characters from a 3 rep series without it getting a newcomer would be horrible and Falco is popular, We've seen the wario symbol so he is coming back, Ganondorf is the main antagonist of a gigantic series and Meta Knight is a kirby character, need I say more?

That leaves these characters not coming back

 

[EbonyRubberWolf]

Luma looks like a simple Nana and Sakurai already stated they are having difficulties with them and Nana is far more complex then Luma and considering Rosalina was a nobody when they decided to add her, she could easily be a replacement while the Polar bear was an enemy in Melee and makes sense to bring back, and it could be a nod to the cut pair. And it would also get rid of their broken chain grab

And when roster is small, in the end being unpopular is what gives him low priority and the boot. The only thing from his series thats in Smash is himself so we wouldn't really lose anything if he was cut besides R.O.B. himself. Someones gotta get cut and we wouldn't lose anything if R.O.B. went.


I believe the roster won't be that big and some have got to go. Original 12 aren't going anywhere, G&W was semi confirmed in Pac-Mans trailer, Cutting 2 characters from a 3 rep series without it getting a newcomer would be horrible and Falco is popular, We've seen the wario symbol so he is coming back, Ganondorf is the main antagonist of a gigantic series and Meta Knight is a kirby character, need I say more?

That leaves these characters not coming back

IC vs RosaLuma seems to suggest ICs will be fine though, especially with the Polar Bear tease. Why tease for an absent character? Didn't happen in Brawl, after all, when Mewtwo got dumped. Also, given that the Chorus Men are likely a reality, system strain might not be quite as large a problem as previously thought.

R.O.B.'s got a unique moveset and importance to Nintendo's history, however flawed. He is what got them on store shelves over here, after all. I'd argue that Falco should be the one to go if we're looking for a cut that doesn't actually bite too deep, especially with the likelihood that Fox could become Falco with a few B-swaps in customization. No one can really duplicate R.O.B.'s moveset, and that includes confirmed characters, leaked characters, as well as possible veterans..

 

[Rosalina&Greninja]

IC vs RosaLuma seems to suggest ICs will be fine though, especially with the Polar Bear tease. Why tease for an absent character? Didn't happen in Brawl, after all, when Mewtwo got dumped. Also, given that the Chorus Men are likely a reality, system strain might not be quite as large a problem as previously thought.

R.O.B.'s got a unique moveset and importance to Nintendo's history, however flawed. He is what got them on store shelves over here, after all. I'd argue that Falco should be the one to go if we're looking for a cut that doesn't actually bite too deep, especially with the likelihood that Fox could become Falco with a few B-swaps in customization. No one can really duplicate R.O.B.'s moveset, and that includes confirmed characters, leaked characters, as well as possible veterans..

Chorus men may not act anything like Ice Climbers. Luma has a much MUCH simpler AI, and remember when the Polar Bear popped up on the Website? They immediately took it down as if not to draw attention to it. I expect Chorus Men to act as a simple entity.

And R.O.B.s importance can easily be replicated with an Assist Trophy or DLC. This is simply what I think the initial roster is, from a company view point it would make more sense for the clones to be on the roster while unique characters must be bought. Clones are also easier to make allowing for the initial roster to be a bit larger.

 

[FalKoopa]

This is simply what I think the initial roster is, from a company view point it would make more sense for the clones to be on the roster while unique characters must be bought. Clones are also easier to make allowing for the initial roster to be a bit larger.

You do know how lazy that sounds, right? Do you realize how much negative publicity that would create?

People dislike clones because they lack the originality and creativity that goes into making a unique character. Making you pay for unique characters is... beyond stupid. It's one of the worst money-grubbing tactics they could come up with.

 

[Neo Zero]

You do know how lazy that sounds, right? Do you realize how much negative publicity that would create?

People dislike clones because they lack the originality and creativity that goes into making a unique character. Making you pay for unique characters is... beyond stupid. It's one of the worst money-grubbing tactics they could come up with.

*meanwhile at Capcom*

"Guys, I just read this great idea for how we present the roster for Street Fighter V"

So we all still arguing 47vs51?

 

[EbonyRubberWolf]

*meanwhile at Capcom*

"Guys, I just read this great idea for how we present the roster for Street Fighter V"

So we all still arguing 47vs51?

I think folk are finally accepting 47 until one of the 'Venerated Four'(Krystal, K. Rool, Ridley, Mewtwo) are revealed. 51's the realm of dreamland now.

 

[IronFish]

I think folks are finally accepting their lord and savior Gemastu

No you just think they're "accepting"

 

[Xenorange]

Lol if this roster ends up being 47 characters i'll lose all faith in nintendo. With that said I doubt that's all we'll get. there's nothing to accept, especially when you consider how likely it is that Ridley will end up being playable.

51 is hardley a dreamland, that's what I believe the roster will be. It's silly to me that someone considers it to be a dreamland.

 

[EbonyRubberWolf]

No you just think they're "accepting"

More and more people are embracing 47 + R. See the RTC from a while back. ~49% think the roster's already done. (Link: http://smashboards.com/threads/rate-their-chances-day-265-owain-and-bowser-jr.351920/page-128) They may not be happy with it, but rarely are folk happy when everything's revealed and done and it turns out to not be to their specifications. Remember, Sakurai doesn't control the Gematsu leak. Which is what makes its accuracy all the more impressive. Plus, RosaLuma was revealed, I believe, before the second part of the leak, so there was no need to include her at that point. Considering the third part did not reveal any additional new characters, and it hasn't been wrong yet, well...

Lol if this roster ends up being 47 characters i'll lose all faith in nintendo. With that said I doubt that's all we'll get. there's nothing to accept, especially when you consider how likely it is that Ridley will end up being playable.

51 is hardley a dreamland, that's what I believe the roster will be. It's silly to me that someone considers it to be a dreamland.

At the risk of a Ridley derail, I'll say this: Sakurai called him a boss. He was clearly present and the subject regarding the topic of bosses. He was only mentioned in a segment that was discussing boss mechanics. Yet, somehow, this adds up to playability. Didn't we hear this exact same train of logic six years ago?

 

[Phaazoid]

I think folk are finally accepting 47 until one of the 'Venerated Four'(Krystal, K. Rool, Ridley, Mewtwo) are revealed. 51's the realm of dreamland now.

Krystal is still in people's minds at all? I've hear lots of chatter about the other 3, but not much on her.

As much as I hope 47 isn't the final number, I admit, I've been steeling myself for it for awhile now.

 

[Xenorange]

More and more people are embracing 47 + R. See the RTC from a while back. ~49% think the roster's already done. (Link: http://smashboards.com/threads/rate-their-chances-day-265-owain-and-bowser-jr.351920/page-128) They may not be happy with it, but rarely are folk happy when everything's revealed and done and it turns out to not be to their specifications. Remember, Sakurai doesn't control the Gematsu leak. Which is what makes its accuracy all the more impressive. Plus, RosaLuma was revealed, I believe, before the second part of the leak, so there was no need to include her at that point. Considering the third part did not reveal any additional new characters, and it hasn't been wrong yet, well...


At the risk of a Ridley derail, I'll say this: Sakurai called him a boss. He was clearly present and the subject regarding the topic of bosses. He was only mentioned in a segment that was discussing boss mechanics. Yet, somehow, this adds up to playability. Didn't we hear this exact same train of logic six years ago?

I don 't share your pessimistic mind frame, I just can't see there being absolutely no surprises remaining to be revealed. No matter what point either of us makes I can guarantee that neither of us will stray from our opinions. So, you can believe what you want about the roster size and I'll continue to hold onto my beliefs.

 

[IronFish]

More and more people are embracing 47 + R. See the RTC from a while back. ~49% think the roster's already done. (Link: http://smashboards.com/threads/rate-their-chances-day-265-owain-and-bowser-jr.351920/page-128) They may not be happy with it, but rarely are folk happy when everything's revealed and done and it turns out to not be to their specifications. Remember, Sakurai doesn't control the Gematsu leak. Which is what makes its accuracy all the more impressive. Plus, RosaLuma was revealed, I believe, before the second part of the leak, so there was no need to include her at that point. Considering the third part did not reveal any additional new characters, and it hasn't been wrong yet, well...


At the risk of a Ridley derail, I'll say this: Sakurai called him a boss. He was clearly present and the subject regarding the topic of bosses. He was only mentioned in a segment that was discussing boss mechanics. Yet, somehow, this adds up to playability. Didn't we hear this exact same train of logic six years ago?

I think you're the one who won't accept some of the glaring flaws in the leak. That and how the reasoning for a 47 roster is very roundabout.

 

[AustarusIV]

And when roster is small, in the end being unpopular is what gives him low priority and the boot. The only thing from his series thats in Smash is himself so we wouldn't really lose anything if he was cut besides R.O.B. himself. Someones gotta get cut and we wouldn't lose anything if R.O.B. went.

Why do people keep dropping R.O.B. from their predicted rosters? What do they have against him?

This is almost like the times in which people dismissed Mr. Game & Watch during the pre-Brawl days, because they "never heard of him until Melee".

 

[Spazzy_D]

@ EbonyRubberWolf so, are you not arguing for a sub-40 roster anymore? I remember you were saying you would ask for a perma-ban if the roster exceeded 40 before.

 

[egaddmario]

@ EbonyRubberWolf so, are you not arguing for a sub-40 roster anymore? I remember you were saying you would ask for a perma-ban if the roster exceeded 40 before.

At this point, that's like asking for a perma-ban if Mario was in the game....

 

[Phaazoid]

Sub 40's kinda impossible at this point. Add the gematsu 3 and we have 36. Throw in Ganondorf, Falco, Meta Knight, and Wario (most people agree at least these are returning) and you have 40.

And then you're cutting IC, G&W, ROB, Wolf, Falcon, Ness, and Jiggly.

At the very least, Falcon and Ness aren't going anywhere, and we've already seen G&W. So even the most pessimistic people should see at this point, we're going to have at LEAST 42/3 characters, if there are substantial cuts.

and no more newcomers

and that's counting Mii's as one fighter, instead of 3, which is probably going to be argued over through the game's release.

 

[EbonyRubberWolf]

@ EbonyRubberWolf so, are you not arguing for a sub-40 roster anymore? I remember you were saying you would ask for a perma-ban if the roster exceeded 40 before.

I didn't think Gematsu was anything approaching true at the time. Then again, remember all of the madness in the Brawl Mewtwo thread? WFT was an intriguing guess, but it didn't seal its legitimacy. With the Sneaky Spirit in Smash Run though, it's all but a done deal, and 47 is the most likely number to come of that.

Sub 40's kinda impossible at this point. Add the gematsu 3 and we have 36. Throw in Ganondorf, Falco, Meta Knight, and Wario (most people agree at least these are returning) and you have 40.

And then you're cutting IC, G&W, ROB, Wolf, Falcon, Ness, and Jiggly.

At the very least, Falcon and Ness aren't going anywhere, and we've already seen G&W. So even the most pessimistic people should see at this point, we're going to have at LEAST 42/3 characters, if there are substantial cuts.

and no more newcomers

and that's counting Mii's as one fighter, instead of 3, which is probably going to be argued over through the game's release.

Miis are one character slot. The only way they're not is if you buy into the PT = 3 characters nonsense, and then that means the Miis are a lot of characters.

 

[BKupa666]

The only way they're not is if you buy into the PT = 3 characters nonsense

And here...we...go!

 

[EbonyRubberWolf]

And here...we...go!

Well, that's my point. If people honestly think that PT = 3 characters based on what Sakurai said(rather than what he did), then that makes the Miis a lot more than just three characters, and as such pushes any numbers you can affix to the roster into absurdity.

 

[BKupa666]

Well, that's my point. If people honestly think that PT = 3 characters based on what Sakurai said(rather than what he did), then that makes the Miis a lot more than just three characters, and as such pushes any numbers you can affix to the roster into absurdity.

He does count Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard as separate characters, although I don't think he counts customizable movesets as new characters. They certainly waste development time that could have otherwise gone to new characters, though.

 

[EbonyRubberWolf]

He does count Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard as separate characters, although I don't think he counts customizable movesets as new characters. They certainly waste development time that could have otherwise gone to new characters, though.

Then the Miis count as at least nine characters(as per Sakurai's words in the Digital Event).

 

[MasterOfKnees]

Krystal is still in people's minds at all? I've hear lots of chatter about the other 3, but not much on her.

Krystal hasn't been a very popular subject since Brawl no. It's basically cut down to three at this point: Ridley, K. Rool and Mewtwo, there's nobody left that's even close to being discussed as much as these three who isn't already in or is mentioned in the leak. Isaac is closest I think.

Then the Miis count as at least nine characters(as per Sakurai's words in the Digital Event).

By that logic every character counts as 3 characters. Miis are at most 3 characters, customization is something that comes with every character, and even then all 3 Miis share aesthetics, animations and more.

 

[Spazzy_D]

Krystal hasn't been a very popular subject since Brawl no. It's basically cut down to three at this point: Ridley, K. Rool and Mewtwo, there's nobody left that's even close to being discussed as much as these three who isn't already in or is mentioned in the leak. Isaac is closest I think.



By that logic every character counts as 3 characters. Miis are at most 3 characters, customization is something that comes with every character, and even then all 3 Miis share aesthetics, animations and more.

Isaac and the nebulous concept of a retro character are next up.

 

[Xenorange]

Then the Miis count as at least nine characters(as per Sakurai's words in the Digital Event).

So Palutena counts as 3 characters then?

 

[EbonyRubberWolf]

Krystal hasn't been a very popular subject since Brawl no. It's basically cut down to three at this point: Ridley, K. Rool and Mewtwo, there's nobody left that's even close to being discussed as much as these three who isn't already in or is mentioned in the leak. Isaac is closest I think.



By that logic every character counts as 3 characters. Miis are at most 3 characters, customization is something that comes with every character, and even then all 3 Miis share aesthetics, animations and more.

Isaac and the nebulous concept of a retro character are next up.

So Palutena counts as 3 characters then?

That's why I argue counting characters by movesets is ridiculous and does nothing to aid discussion of the final roster. It's the same as saying 'Dark Pit alt costume = Dark Pit totally a separate character from Pit!'

 

[BKupa666]

The Miis waste fill up three characters' worth of development time because the Swordsman/Gunner/Brawler each have different standards as well as specials. Regardless of what specials they have, all other characters keep their same standards.

 

[Smashoperatingbuddy123]

Oh not related but recent news

We have a surprise

http://wiiudaily.com/2014/07/miyamoto-wanted-pac-man-in-ssb/

Pac-man is the history repeats its self but differently. So pac-man is another one of the characters sakurai changed his mind on not being playable.

So it helps ridley because its another thing sakurai had a change of heart of.

(Snake requested for melee.)

 

[MasterOfKnees]

That's why I argue counting characters by movesets is ridiculous and does nothing to aid discussion of the final roster. It's the same as saying 'Dark Pit alt costume = Dark Pit totally a separate character from Pit!'

Except that Squirtle, Ivysaur, Charizard, Shiek, Zelda, Zero Suit Samus and Samus were all vastly different in their animations, movements, stats, movesets and playstyles, where as Mii Fighters are only different in the latter three.

A huge part of the Miis development is saved in the fact that they're all so similar in appearance and aesthetics, they have been able to reuse a lot of assets for them. In general there's much more to characters than just their moveset. However, I'm still unsure whether I'd call the Mii Fighter three characters, but I'm leaning towards yes, which sucks.

Obviously all this doesn't really matter for the topic at hand, which is the roster size, so I'm not really going to argue that much further, and as is we don't even know if they have a spot on the roster itself.

 

[EbonyRubberWolf]

The Miis waste fill up three characters' worth of development time because the Swordsman/Gunner/Brawler each have different standards as well as specials. Regardless of what specials they have, all other characters keep their same standards.

PT's little trio didn't share standards either, nor Sheik/Zelda. The Miis can at least exist without one another present though. If you believe the Trio are separate characters, or that Sheik/Zelda or Samus/ZSS were separate characters in the past, then the Miis are, again, at least 3 characters.

 

[BKupa666]

If you believe the Trio are separate characters, or that Sheik/Zelda or Samus/ZSS were separate characters in the past, then the Miis are, again, at least 3 characters.

Correct.

 

[Smashoperatingbuddy123]

I still think its just going to be the mii logo then you choose your type then the head.

So in other words i think its still only 1 slot.

 

[EbonyRubberWolf]

Correct.

Then I guess there's no convincing. If you believe that multiple characters can exist in a single slot, then so be it. I believe one slot = one character, so we're simply at an impasse. I guess it helps inflate numbers for those looking for >50 roster counts, however.

 

[BKupa666]

Then I guess there's no convincing. If you believe that multiple characters can exist in a single slot, then so be it. I believe one slot = one character, so we're simply at an impasse. I guess it helps inflate numbers for those looking for >50 roster counts, however.

Hypothetically, if there were a single Pokemon Trainer who could summon all 700 Pokemon, would you still call that one character?

 

[IsmaR]

The way I see it, it's not that Krystal is or isn't as popular of a choice as she used to be so much as it is people think that something needs to be done with StarFox representation. Whether that entails declonifying all of them, dropping the one they liked least, or just adding a new one in addition to bringing all of them.back to humor what is probably the straw-graspingest trend/rule (one new SF rep has been added every game), or they could just be as much of an actual diehard Krystal/SF fan as I.

The other thing i believe most subconsciously consider is that the idea of DK, Pokémon, Metroid and StarFox being the remaining series to get new reps seems much more appealing than say already over saturated popular ones (Mario/Zelda) or dead/less popular ones already scraping the bottom of the barrel as is (new F-Zero soon, right Ninty? ;-; ). Admittedly I fall under this category, but I don't think my opinions mean much, and I know there are a lot of people would think the opposite (more Mario/Zelda, Metroid is fine as is, etc.).

 

[Phaazoid]

By that logic every character counts as 3 characters. Miis are at most 3 characters, customization is something that comes with every character, and even then all 3 Miis share aesthetics, animations and more.

No, see, because then Palutena would be 3 characters too, because all her specials are different.

Mii's are three different characters, all with 3 different movesets. It's an order of magnitude higher.

Miis are one character slot. The only way they're not is if you buy into the PT = 3 characters nonsense, and then that means the Miis are a lot of characters.

I think there are good arguments for mii's being one slot, but I don't buy this one.

first of all, PT was 3 characters. That's why 1 of them was announced solo, and two haven't been yet. There were 6 playable pokemon in Brawl, not 4. Regardless of whether or not they were in one slot on the board, you could choose between all 3, like Zelda/shiek and samus/zamus, and they've all been given full roles this time around, showing that even sakurai considers them separate

Mii is where it gets tricky. Because no matter how many types of Mii there are, they are all still Mii's. But Samus/ZSS are still both Samus, and get 2 slots, because they're different. And there are 3 distinct types of Mii's all with very different movesets.

But here's my argument against them being 3 separate characters, it doesn't hold up much, but it's the best I can think of -
Most of the moves are taken from other characters, so they are more akin to the fighting polygons than a set of characters.

But, as I said, it's very debatable, we don't have away of getting a right answer at the moment.

 

[JaidynReiman]

Mii's are, in theory, unlimited characters. Its a customizable option. Development time wise, they took about the same as other characters, except the Mii's are clearly based on the movesets of other characters as well, so its not quite the same thing. I think its fairly obvious Mii's will have one slot. It makes no sense to me to have "Mii Brawler," "Mii Gunner," and "Mii Fighter" as three separate slots, its still a Mii. You probably won't even be able to customize them from this slot; instead you'd go up to the "Customizations" tab at the top, create your Mii Fighter, and then they'll be selectable on the Mii slot. Regardless of the moves Mii use, they still probably took the development time of three characters also because of all the clothing options you can give them.

Pokemon Trainer was three characters in Brawl, Zelda and ZSS were two each. Simple as that.

 

[Erimir]

I think you're the one who won't accept some of the glaring flaws in the leak. That and how the reasoning for a 47 roster is very roundabout.

The thing that he doesn't mention very often is that he's combining Gematsu with the Rosalina X leak, which doesn't really have any positive evidence for it. That's where he gets his figure of four cuts.

I didn't think Gematsu was anything approaching true at the time.

Hmmmm... So I guess I can expect you to stick around if the 47 character roster you propose is wrong too, eh?

Well, that's my point. If people honestly think that PT = 3 characters based on what Sakurai said(rather than what he did), then that makes the Miis a lot more than just three characters, and as such pushes any numbers you can affix to the roster into absurdity.

Technically I consider the Mii Fighters to be three characters that are highly similar in appearance and "flavor". But they are three complete, distinct move sets. No, distinct customizable specials do not make them equivalent of 9 characters. Special moves are just 4 moves out of a few dozen moves in a typical move set.

There are also smashes, tilts, jab combo, dash attack, aerials, throws, ledge attacks, Final Smash. For attacks. There are also taunts and dodges. And of course there are also basic movements like walking, dashing, jumping. ledge grabbing, etc. Each Mii Fighter (and Palutena) presumably has a unique set of those that does not change with customization. They share some aspects of their models. But I doubt they even share that much of their animations, as the gun and especially the sword prevent them from having exact copies of the brawler's animations.

They won't even be connected in the way that Zelda/Sheik, Samus/ZSS and Squirtle/Ivysaur/Charizard were - as far as we know, you cannot swap between the three types of Mii Fighter within a match. They're one character as far as "flavor" (they're all Mii Fighter), and likely as far as slots on the CSS... but mechanically they are very clearly distinct.

Anyway, I don't expect them to have three slots on the character select screen. And that's what we're speculating on here, of course.

Then the Miis count as at least nine characters(as per Sakurai's words in the Digital Event).

He said as many specials as 9 characters. Which is true only if you mean totally distinct specials anyway, since all characters have customizable moves...