Jack Frost
Hee-ho, it's everyone's favorite fairy demon! Long-recurring demon summon and ATLUS's long-time mascot. Even had his own game,
Jack Bros. on the Virtual Boy (yes, it had to be
that console).
I even had a support thread for him. Feel free to build off of it for a new one.
The frontrunner pick for the series. Don't have a particular SMT character you want? You're likely going to default to him. Would fit well within Smash Bros.' cartoony environment, which only Teddie is the only other character who can attest to that. Uses ice magic and other spells in a variety of ways, which is welcome now that the Ice Climbers got cut. Has tons of alt costumes and recolors through alternate versions of him.
The thread linked above has my moveset for him, which I highly recommend reading for a cohesive idea of how he could work.
Far from being an iconic character and is even loosing his mantle gradually to Teddie, as some have observed. Huge obscurity factor. A big factor against him is that he could be covered as a summoned demon for any one of the Summoners or other protagonists.
Flynn
The samurai protagonist of
Shin Megami Tensei IV. A summoner thrown into the struggle for the apocalypse who uses a sword and a wristbound device to call demons, which make great series references and special fodder to boot. Basically the Robin or Lucina of his series at this time. Very recognizable and likeable character. Would be the most convenient for newcomers to be introduced to the series through the latest entry.
A far cry from iconic even to Jack Frost and might be less welcome as a result. Rather disposable and lacks star power due to the rotating nature of SMT protagonists. Could be covered under the Summoner.
Summoner (General Shin Megami Tensei protagonist)
*This image does not include every single Megami Tensei protagonist ever and mixes other subseries within it (even Catherine, WTF?). This is just meant to generally conceptualize what the Summoner(s) might look like.
A loose character slot akin to Villager that pulls a Koopalings with all 8-12 alt costumes being their own characters. Requires someone like Flynn to run the default costume and icon or would have to be whittled down to the more generic "Protagonist" designs for both genders across the entire series, character names optional.
Represents the core gameplay of the series. Semi-realistic anime humans who's specialty is summoning various demons throughout the series for special attacks or to serve as puppets a la Rosalina & Luma, Carl & Ada Clover, etc. Demon summoning alone is a huge referential opportunity that would strike awe into fans and strangers alike. Would use a sword and other magic as a primary means of attack.
Tricky to execute, especially with them all being uniconic. May lead to identity problems.
Demi-fiend
The protagonist of
Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne. A random human high school student caught into the circumstance of being transformed into a half demon. His design is the most distinct out of all the Summoners in that none of them even come close to it. A plus is that he can still maintain demon summoning, but with access to other demon abilities or close-combat attacks.
Not even a Nintendo star; his game was on the PS2. Rather dicey choice considering he's just one in the many of unimportant SMT protagonists. Could be covered as a Summoner. Unknown to many people outside the fanbase.
Abel
The protagonist of the
Devil Survivior subseries, a tactical strategy RPG series in vein of
Fire Emblem. Has just about all the abilities attributed to a Summoner. Can bring in mechanical elements exclusive to his subseries as an edge in his playstyle. Notably frontruns a heavily Nintendo-centric branch of SMT, especially with the 3DS.
Awkward, periphery choice for originating from a subseries rather than the namesake one. Even less of a star compared to SMT or
Persona offerings. Could be covered as a Summoner if it came down to it.
Yu
The protagonist of
Persona 4 and it spinoffs, a subseries so adaptable and popular that it could compete within its parent franchise. The Robin of his series, who can even be renamed! Even has
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth to his name, establishing his presence on the 3DS.
Uses Tarot cards to summon Personas and is often depicted with a katana as a main weapon. The Personas even cover most of the popular SMT demons. His own Persona, Izanagi, can assist him as a main feature of his moveset and has electric magic in its pugilist attack style. This would work as either a puppet, special move, or offers some sort of interplay.
Doesn't even come from the namesake series and may be seen more as a
Persona character than a SMT one. Most likely going to end up being cycled through with
Persona 5 around the corner.
Teddie
The adorable, comical teddy bear suit of
Persona 4. He's almost taking on a secondary mascot vibe due to his game's success.Even has
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth to his name, establishing his presence on the 3DS.
Fights with retractable claws and other objects within his suit, along with Kotoki-Douji and Kamui serving as Personas with ballistic attacks involving industrial-grade military missiles. Fits in great with Smash's cartoony environment and light atmosphere.
Competes with Jack Frost for star status, but has an edge in recency. Just lacks the legacy Jack and the other protagonists have. Not even the main character of
Persona 4, a subseries of the namesake series. Could be phased out in time with
Persona 5, but definitely will have a fandom.
Mara
"What are you talkin' about? That's Donkey Kong!"
Yeah, not exactly. Proof that SMT is no stranger to mature content, Mara's something Nintendo wouldn't touch with a 10-foot maypole.
If you want to see what the fuss is about, just Google it. Or wait, you probably shouldn't.