So who is the biggest third party icon not in Smash?

[NintenRob]

I thought this would make for interesting discussion so I'm making this. Smash has a tendency to only add the biggest names to the game. The only exception is Bayonetta, and she has a lot of reasons to be that exception. So who do you think is the biggest name? And how likely do you think these characters are.

 

[FunAtParties]

Master Chief. Halo is way bigger than most of those franchises and Master Chief is more significant to his series than someone like Steve is to Minecraft.

I'd also argue some secondary characters to series already in Smash are more iconic than many on this list. Eggman, for example, is a legend.

 

[Jetsurge]

Definitely Crash. Also the poll has Crash twice, was that a mistake or was it a fake Crash joke?

Master Chief. Halo is way bigger than most of those franchises and Master Chief is more significant to his series than someone like Steve is to Minecraft.

I'd also argue some secondary characters to series already in Smash are more iconic than many on this list. Eggman, for example, is a legend.

"You know what they say the more the merrier!"

 

[G-Guy]

I believe Minecraft Steve...Source Gaming‘s latest Video explained pretty well why he could be a serious newcomer.

And although I do not see him in the game myself, his reputation and Minecrafts impact on the gaming world cannot be denied

 

[Al-kīmiyā']

Saber Artoria. There are other interesting picks in the who would bring the most hype thread.

 

[Jetsurge]

I believe Minecraft Steve...Source Gaming‘s latest Video explained pretty well why he could be a serious newcomer.

And although I do not see him in the game myself, his reputation and Minecrafts impact on the gaming world cannot be denied

Can you really say Minecraft's reputation is good? Just take a look at the fanbase.

 

[Llort A. Ton]

My go to answer is Master Chief, but there are a few others that not many people are expecting. So here is a top 3-

1. Master Chief- He kinda speaks for himself. The original Halo trilogy shook the world when each of the entries released. Halo basically was the key game Microsoft needed to make Xbox a success, and now both Halo and Xbox are recognizable worldwide brands that are household names in every part of the world (well, maybe except asian countries like Japan).

2. Scorpion- Mortal Kombat is arguably the most important game after Super Mario Bros. While SMB took the industry out of its crash, MK put the industry on ice with its controversy. The games impact has lead to it affecting literally every game after it, even Nintendo games like Mario with the implementation of the ESRB and similar rating systems due to the series famous realistic gore and graphics. Despite getting famous for its controversy and visuals, the games are (mostly) high quality and have lead to 10 main entries, 2 movies and crossovers with DC and 80's horror movie icons. Also, if he ever were to join Smash Bros, the hype of finally seeing Ryu VS Scorpion would be UNREAL.

3.Steve- Minecraft is EVERYWHERE. This game has been going strong for about a decade and is showing no signs of stopping.

Honorable mentions are;
Doomguy (while he may not be iconic himself his series is VERY iconic and important to FPS and gaming as a whole)
Crash Bandicoot (Basically being the mascot of PS1 and giving Mario a run for his money, I would've put him in the top 3 if he wasnt on a decade long hiatus)
Resident Evil character (many people here suggest Monster Hunter or Phoenix Wright, but Resident Evil is way more important to Capcom and it helped make horror games so popular, and was iconic enough to get several movies).

 

[NintenRob]

Definitely Crash. Also the poll has Crash twice, was that a mistake or was it a fake Crash joke?

Eerrrr woops, I want to change it to scorpion but I don't think I can.

 

[Deleted member]

Considering how huge Minecraft is worldwide, it's definitely Steve.

 

[MoonlitIllusion]

I think it's a very close call between Crash and Lara tbh, but I'd probably go with Lara considering she's managed to stay relevant and not die out for her entire 20 year career (minus a couple missteps) and she's spread into other mediums like film, literally everyone knows Lara Croft and she's constantly referenced throughout pop culture

 

[G-Guy]

Can you really say Minecraft's reputation is good? Just take a look at the fanbase.

The reputation of the game as a whole does not equal the reputation of one part of Minecraft‘s Fanbase, which is pretty huge considering it‘s the world‘s 2nd most sold game.

 

[Skyblade12]

There's a difference between a franchise and a character. DOOM is an iconic franchise. Doomguy is a largely irrelevant character that most players wouldn't recognize.

Minecraft is a huge franchise. But Steve is barely a character. He'd be as much of a stretch as Mr. Game & Watch, but owned by a direct competitor instead of Nintendo.

 

[YoshiandToad]

Lara, Master Chief and Crash probably. Although Steve would be recognised easily due to his particular artstyle. I'd say Spyro due to Skylanders but they really phased the guy out after initially marketting him everywhere and his look changes constantly.

 

[Ura]

Scorpion easily even if MK doesn't have a big presence in Japan. It's status as a legendary fighter is right next to Street Fighter or even greater in some aspects. Just about everyone knows what Mortal Kombat is. Even if it is for the wrong reasons lol.

Crash, Sora, Lara, and Master Chief are all runner ups.

 

[Sheng Long]

My go to pick is Crash Bandicoot with Lara Croft, Master Chief, and Steve (and perhaps maybe Scorpion as well) following behind.

I think Frogger and Q*bert are being slept on here. While they may not be relevant anymore, they are still both large classic gaming icons and have had a massive impact on the gaming industry. They're basically near the same level as Mario and Pacman in my opinion.

 

[Kirby Dragons]

Scorpion or Rayman is what I'd say. They both come from super popular franchises with good history, that well represent their genres.

 

[QuickRat]

There's a difference between a franchise and a character. DOOM is an iconic franchise. Doomguy is a largely irrelevant character that most players wouldn't recognize.

Minecraft is a huge franchise. But Steve is barely a character. He'd be as much of a stretch as Mr. Game & Watch, but owned by a direct competitor instead of Nintendo.

I understand your point but... Isn't that the same we can say about Captain Falcon, Fox McCloud, the Villager...?

To be honest, the most likely 3rd party character to me is Rayman. He had a recent love story with Nintendo, he already had a trophy in Smash 4, and even his awful spin-off had an X-Com crossover with Mario.

In regards to other contestants... Namco will have another rep if they still develop the franchise. Sega has two reps (), so does Capcom (), so I guess it is logical that we see a Namco rep (apart from ). I know that many would suggest Llody Irving or some character from either Soulcalibur or Tekken... but my bet is Solaire of Astoria.

 

[Wyoming]

Essentially a handful of candidates:

Steve, Master Chief, KRATOS, Crash Bandicoot, and Gordon Freeman

Got the sales and legacy to go with them.

 

[Skyblade12]

I understand your point but... Isn't that the same we can say about Captain Falcon, Fox McCloud, the Villager...?

To be honest, the most likely 3rd party character to me is Rayman. He had a recent love story with Nintendo, he already had a trophy in Smash 4, and even his awful spin-off had an X-Com crossover with Mario.

In regards to other contestants... Namco will have another rep if they still develop the franchise. Sega has two reps (), so does Capcom (), so I guess it is logical that we see a Namco rep (apart from ). I know that many would suggest Llody Irving or some character from either Soulcalibur or Tekken... but my bet is Solaire of Astoria.

Sure, but those are all first party characters. The third party characters chosen so far have been big names. And, while Minecraft is, Steve isn’t.

 

[QuickRat]

Sure, but those are all first party characters. The third party characters chosen so far have been big names. And, while Minecraft is, Steve isn’t.

Yes, that is true. I don't see Doomguay, since not even 1% of the Japanese guys working in Smash 5 know anything about that. Neither I see Steve, since it is a Microsoft franchise.

Honestly, I think there is now an understanding between Namco and Nintendo that could bring Solaire. Think about it. Namco developed the game, but has less characters than Sega and Capcom. Namco presented the (mediocre) reedition of Dark Souls in a Nintendo Direct. Solaire of Astoria has his own Amiibo. I strongly believe he has lots of options...

 

[TumblrFamous]

Lara, no question. Maybe Master Chief.

Sora, Crash, and Steve are runnerups.

 

[Pacack]

If we're talking worldwide, then I think it's misleading to say that Lara Croft is the most iconic left. While decidedly iconic, her popularity is mainly a western phenomenon. Areas like Japan, China, and India are a huge portion of the world's population, and we have to keep a global perspective in mind here.

With that said, Minecraft is the second best selling game of all time, behind only Tetris. While the character is a blank slate, anyone who's played Minecraft with recognize the player character and associate it with the game. I'd have to give the title to Steve, even if it's a controversial one.

Second place is certainly Master Chief.

 

[Al-kīmiyā']

While the character is a blank slate, anyone who's played Minecraft with recognize the player character and associate it with the game.

They would recognize anyone made of Minecraft blocks as "some Minecraft guy." I'm pretty sure most people wouldn't know who the **** Steve is.

 

[Pacack]

They would recognize anyone made of Minecraft blocks as "some Minecraft guy." I'm pretty sure most people wouldn't know who the **** Steve is.

More people than you seem to realize. Minecraft has sold 144,000,000 copies - more than the Final Fantasy's entire series. If even half of the people who played it know the character, that's more people than copies of games in the Halo series sold. There are fan videos featuring the character online with several millions of views that you cal look at this very moment.

You're grossly misinformed if you think people (kids, mainly) don't know Steve the character.

Plus, it's not like we argue people don't recognize Link when they mistakenly call him Zelda - the character's iconic regardless of whether people know the exact name or not.

 

[Pallex]

A good number of them but I would pick Ryu Hayabusa

When I think of video Game Ninja, I would think Ryu Hayabusa.

 

[ErenJager]

Lara Croft (Tomb Raider) - 1996
Crash Bandicoot - 1996
Steve (Minecraft) - 2009
Master Cheif (Halo) - 2001
Bomberman - 1983
Frogger - 1981
Q*Bert - 1982
Doom - 1993
Mortal Kombat - 1992

I just can't help but feel that some people's opinion would differ had they been alive/ old enough to remember the arcade craze.
They don't seem like big deals now, but they used to be, they used to be.

In like the year 2050 there's gonna be some game that came out in 2038 and people will be saying it's more iconic then minecraft, just because they didn't see the craze back in its hay day.

 

[FunAtParties]

Lara Croft (Tomb Raider) - 1996
Crash Bandicoot - 1996
Steve (Minecraft) - 2009
Master Cheif (Halo) - 2001
Bomberman - 1983
Frogger - 1981
Q*Bert - 1982
Doom - 1993
Mortal Kombat - 1992

I just can't help but feel that some people's opinion would differ had they been alive/ old enough to remember the arcade craze.
They don't seem like big deals now, but they used to be, they used to be.

In like the year 2050 there's gonna be some game that came out in 2038 and people will be saying it's more iconic then minecraft, just because they didn't see the craze back in its hay day.

Things just get less significant in time. When I was young, Frogger was near the level of Pac-Man, now he's almost forgotten. It's like looking at cartoon characters, and seeing most Hanna Barbera characters now. At one point of time, they were everything to the medium, household names, but they failed to stay on the forefront through time, now most people don't even know they even exist.

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

I think the correct answer is Lara Croft, but I voted for Bomberman because I like him better

 

[HyperSomari64]

Tetris needs to be in smash as a character

 

[smashingDoug]

Biggest as in most iconic, Master Chief no questions asked.

 

[Buzzwole]

Surprised to see Crash winning the poll.
He's a big icon for sure, but bigger than Doom Guy? Bigger than Master Chief? I don't think so.

 

[Vilain]

Your poll should have Banjo...

 

[Good Guy Giygas]

Surprised to see Crash winning the poll.
He's a big icon for sure, but bigger than Doom Guy? Bigger than Master Chief? I don't think so.

Well, as others have mentioned, DOOM as a series is iconic, but Doomguy as a character really isn't. Not really sure how he compares to Master Chief, but I think Crash is undoubtedly a pretty well-known character in gaming. He's probably the closest thing Playstation's ever had to a Mario-esque mascot. That being said, I'm not really sure what Crash's inclusion would represent in terms of "gaming history."

 

[Dixie Kong]

I voted Laura, since she’s had three movies, but also Mrs. Pac Man would be another good answer.

 

[StormC]

In terms of characters who have an actually known presence in Japan as well as globally, it's probably Crash (and who I voted for).

If you're mostly looking at the west, it's either Master Chief or Lara Croft. All three of the series have comparable sales, but Tomb Raider and Halo don't have a ton of recognizability in Japan (especially Halo because lol FPS).

Minecraft is huge but Steve isn't. To put it in perspective, he isn't even named on the Wikipedia page, and the "player character" only gets a few mentions. It's also only one game, compared to the legacy of some of these series that have had multiple iterations over decades.

 

[UserKev]

Crash Bandicoot.

 

[Captain Shades]

Steve, he’s the main character of the 2nd highest selling game. Everyone here says he’s not recognizable, which is completely false as Minecraft merchandise has him plastered all over it. You see places like Minecon where people, especially kids, do Steve cosplay, and he’s had books written about him.

Minecraft is really the only 3rd party, besides Rayman, that I hope gets in Smash. I acknowledge the community’s faults, but that doesn’t demean the franchise as a whole, especially since Sonic’s is way worse. At least it’s children doing dumb things in the MC community, it’s harder to justify adults like Chris Chan, or the guy who literally held people’s computer up for ransom because he didn’t want them stealing his Sonic Gather Battle sprites. Both Sonic and Minecraft have earned spots in Smash even though their communities are toxic, so I say Steve on this one.

 

[BluePikmin11]

If we are looking at it from a third-party franchise sales stand-point, in terms of Japanese gaming franchises that have worldwide popularity, that honor easily goes to a Resident Evil character like Leon Kennedy and Jill Valentine, neither of which are listed as poll choices in this thread. Resident Evil is Capcom's biggest franchise with over 84 million in sales, slowly climbing its way to triumph the overall sales of another big Japanese gaming franchise, the Legend of Zelda. If Sakurai is looking to represent the remaining world-wide popular Japanese third-party franchises with playable characters in Smash, I think getting Leon Kennedy and Jill Valentine would definitely and EASILY be Sakurai's next choice for a guest fighter.

 

[Crap-Zapper]

Cash Banookas!

I mean. Crash Bandicoot.
Recognizable everywhere. Also been quite popular in Japan.
Biggest rivalry against Mario and Sonic in the 90's.

Not held hostage at Sony anymore.
Old games getting remasters on different consoles.
Also the fact that Crash had some exclusive Nintendo titles in his past.

 

[AustarusIV]

Master Chief and Sora are the two characters that come to mind. Master Chief is the Xbox icon who ushered in a new era of FPS-gaming, and Sora has been a very popular request for Smash since the beginning of Brawl speculation. If DLC is going to go for heavy-hitters again, I'd imagine these two are prime candidates for inclusion.