Here we go, 1000th post time.
Ah, the classic Fire Emblem debate. So much controversy, so much arguing, and the vast majority of it stems from this one particular character; Chrom. On one hand, Chrom is considered to be a shoo-in for SSB4 due to being the poster boy for the latest, and very successful, installment in the Fire Emblem series. And considering how every previous Smash Bros. had the protagonist of the latest Fire Emblem game on the roster, surely he's the hands-down obvious choice for the roster. On the other hand, though, Chrom has some issues when it comes to being unique. Chrom not only bears a strong resemblance to both of the Fire Emblem characters we had in Brawl, but also has the same abilities as them. Most of what could potentially be used to make a moveset for him is already done by the other two Fire Emblem characters. Thus, there's a split amongst Smash fans as to whether or not Chrom really is the best choice for the roster, and if not, who is? This is where Robin enters the debate, in hopes of proving that anything can change.
Now, as some of you may know, I'm a very strong advocate for Robin. So, for my 1000th post, I'm going to analyze the Fire Emblem situation to see who's likely or not, in the most unbiased way I can. Hopefully I can shed some light on Robin's viability as a character. So, perhaps the best place to start would be with Chrom himself.
Chrom, as I'm sure you all are aware of, is a main protagonist of Fire Emblem Awakening, the most recent installment in the series. He's a descendant of Marth who wields the same Falchion sword (although it's been reforged through generations), and is pretty much the main lord of the game. He's also the poster boy of Awakening, being the most advertised character from the game, and is also one of the most popular. All that considered, it would seem that Chrom is an obvious shoo-in for SSB4. Those are some very good qualities for a character choice, and it's from these qualities that he gets the majority of his likelihood. So, why does Chrom receive all the controversy he has? Uniqueness. As previously stated, Chrom is very similar to both Marth and Ike, not only from an aesthetic perspective, but also from a gameplay perspective. The vast majority of Chrom's key abilities, such as his signature move Aether, are already utilized by one of Marth or Ike. The problem with this is how much this installment of Smash seems to emphasize uniqueness. Every character introduced has brought something new to the table, whether it be in playstyle (like Mega Man, who almost exclusively uses projectiles), or by introducing an entirely new mechanic to the game (Rosalina, Wii Fit Trainer, and Little Mac). In comparison to those characters, Chrom lacks a lot of potential for a unique move set that could help him stand out as an interesting newcomer. Now, there are a couple of ideas of how to make him unique, but for one reason or another, these ideas, while creative, seem very unlikely to actually be used. For instance, one popular idea for Chrom is for him to be a stance-change character, taking advantage of his ability to use lances in Awakening to base a move set around. While this succeeds in making him unique, it's a very unlikely idea. Chrom's ability to use lances is not one that is at all tied to his character; it's more of a bonus ability he gets down the road. The only weapon he wields that has any significance to him is the Falchion sword. To have Chrom utilize such a minor ability of his for such a significant part of his move set and playstyle comes off as very odd and uncharacteristic. For a comparison, it would be akin to Mario using a move set entirely composed of F.L.U.D.D based attacks. It's something Mario can do, but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't make sense to base his character off of that one ability. Another popular idea is that Chrom could be a sort of middle ground between the swift Marth and the powerful Ike. This is perhaps the most likely possibility. However, is such a play style truly unique or interesting enough to match the precedent that previous newcomers have set? Aside from those ideas, there are several smaller concepts such as Chrom using a lance or the healing properties of the Exalted Falchion for specials. While those are fine ideas for some specials, they can't really constitute an entire move set. Basically, Chrom's underlying problem is that it's difficult to make him totally unique. This is what really hurts his chances and is arguably the reason why alternative Fire Emblem characters are even considered. Despite all of that, Chrom still does have the aforementioned positive traits that could very easily get him into the game. If there are no better options, then his (lack of) uniqueness could be overlooked, and with effort and creativity, could be remedied. However, there is one other viable option for a representative of Fire Emblem Awakening; Robin.
Robin, much like Chrom, is one of the main protagonists of Fire Emblem Awakening. In actuality, his/her importance to the game overall is roughly equal to that of Chrom. It could be argued that one is more important than the other, and both sides would have valid points, but for the purpose of this analysis, I'll assume they are about equal. Perhaps the most noticeable thing about Robin is the fact that he/she is an avatar character with a customizable appearance. This, and the subsequent effects it has, is the main reason Robin is not considered to be as likely as Chrom, or even considered a possibility at all by some. However, I believe that Robin has a bit more of a chance than most think. So, I'll go through the common arguments against Robin and respond to them the best I can.
1.) Robin is an avatar character! He/She doesn't have a set appearance! No way will he/she get in!
This is quite easy to disprove. The Villager is already a playable character, and in Animal Crossing, his appearance is significantly more customizable than Robin's is. On top of that, Robin is not a true avatar character. The purpose of an avatar is to allow the player to place himself or herself into the game through a character that is typically void of personality, save for the one the player imagines it to have. Robin, on the other hand, is a fully fleshed out character, with a preset personality and backstory. Therefore, rather than an actual avatar character, Robin is more of a customizable character. And, again, the Villager demonstrates that this isn't an issue. Wii Fit Trainer takes this a step further by showing that alternate genders can be made into costumes for characters that need them. So, Robin being an "avatar" is not a significant issue by any means.
2.) Robin's not the main character!
As I've previously stated, Robin and Chrom are roughly equal in terms of overall importance. This becomes especially apparent towards the latter parts of the game, where Robin's past begins to play a significant part in the story. In fact, the entire climax of the game is centered on Robin, complete with a grand variation of his/her theme song playing in the background (Oh yeah, Robin is one of the few characters to have a theme song, and the only one with multiple variations of it). Even beyond story elements, Robin has a lot of significance, being one of very few characters that are able to re-class into any available class in the game, as well as the only character capable of marrying anyone of the opposite gender, complete with a special cut scene only used for Robin. Clearly, there was a lot of effort put into making Robin; one could even argue that Robin is the heart of Awakening.
3.) Robin's not the face of Awakening!
When I mentioned earlier that being an avatar-esque character had side effects that made Robin less likely, this was what I was referring to. Since Robin doesn't have a set appearance, Robin isn't frequently used for promoting the game in advertisements. He does appear in some advertisements, but very little compared to Chrom. However, I don't think this argument means that much in the grand scheme of things. For one, while Robin isn't used often to promote Awakening, his inclusion in Smash would still do just that. Chrom wouldn't necessarily promote Awakening better by being in Smash just because he was advertised more beforehand. Both are important characters from Awakening, and thus, both of them promote it. There's also another interesting point that can be brought up due to the recent reveal of Greninja. Greninja was NOT the face of Pokemon X and Y. In fact, the character wasn't even officially revealed until after the game's release. Pokemon like Sylveon and Mewtwo were much more promoted before the game's release. And yet, Greninja made it into Smash. While we may not know the exact reasons for his inclusion, it does show that a character doesn't have to be significantly be promoted or be the "face" of their game in order to get into Smash.
I believe I've covered the biggest counter arguments to his inclusion at this point. But I've still failed to address one key point; what does Robin offer as a character to Super Smash Bros.? After all, the whole reason Robin is considered is because Chrom offers very little in that regard. Well, that's where Robin shines. From the start of Awakening, Robin is capable of wielding not only a sword, but also three different kinds of elemental magic. This capability is even noted by Chrom and Lissa in the first chapter of the game, as well as a couple of support conversations. On top of that, one of Robin's defining abilities is that he/she is able to re-class into any available classes in the game, and as a result has an incredibly large pool of potential skills he/she can utilize. All this opens up a wide variety of possibilities for a unique move set. My personal favorite has always been the stance change set. Unlike Chrom, who's primary weapon is definitely his Falchion sword while lances are a side thing, Robin equally uses swords and magic right from the start of the game, and is able to switch between the two at will. This translates very easily into a stance change move set, where Robin could quickly switch from attacking with a sword to blasting opponents with magic from a distance. This, like several other newcomers, would introduce another brand new mechanic to Smash that has yet to be seen, keeping in line perfectly with the idea of uniqueness in newcomers. Of course, there are plenty of other possibilities. Robin could use magic for the majority of his/her moves, use sword swipes for standard attacks and magic for specials, utilize the multitude of skills from Awakening, the list goes on. So, in short, Robin could easily be made into a very unique character that would stand out not only among other Fire Emblem characters, but among the Smash roster as well.
So, how likely do I think Chrom and Robin are? Well, at the end of the day, I'd have to give them these ratings.
Chrom Chance: 60%
Robin Chance: 30%
Yeah, Chrom is still more likely than Robin, I'll admit. However, 30% isn't that bad. It's more than likely not going to happen, but there is a very real chance that it could. And that's what I hope I managed to get across to whoever took the time to read this. Robin, while certainly a less than likely character, is not an impossible one. The reasons that people say he/she would be excluded for are not really so bad when you take a look at what we've already seen from other characters in this iteration of Smash. And when there's so much Robin could bring to the table as a character... I think Robin has a very legitimate chance at appearing on the roster. Not a huge chance, but a good chance, nonetheless.
Chrom Want: 30%
Robin Want: 100%
After writing for this long about Robin, you'd have to want him in 100% too.
