Appreciate Non-Playable Characters Roles in Smash

Fans of Super Smash Bros. consider playable characters to be the hallmark of a Smash game. In midst of all the hype playable characters receive, those who earn non-playable roles are often met with disappointments, if not scorn, since it’s often not the role the fans wanted. These roles highlight important parts of Nintendo history and give non-playable characters mainstream exposure they otherwise wouldn’t have.

Non-playable characters come in all shapes and sizes, be it Pokéballs, background characters, Assist Trophies or stage bosses. While you can’t control them, characters like Saki Amamiya and Scizor deal a significant amount of damage to your opponents. Others, like Goldeen and Starfy, tease the fighter that unleashed them by being useless. They may seem unimportant at first, especially to competitive gaming, but it would be foolish to diminish the role they play in Smash.

In the first game, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 64, Pokéballs represent the concept of trainers capturing Pokémon in a ball in order to battle against other trainers. While Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has nine playable Pokémon so far, they do not adequately represent the franchise’s diversity. With Pokéballs, Pokémon of all types, be they Legendary, Mystical, or even jokes throw themselves into the ring and change the battlefield for a few seconds. Having Palkia in Ultimate changes the dynamic of a stage by turning it upside down is a sight to behold. As the world’s biggest media franchise, Pokémon deserves all of its Smash contents. Yet, Nintendo would do themselves a disservice if they ignored their non-mainstream franchises.

Assist Trophies (ATs) showcase important parts of Nintendo or gaming history they can’t make playable. Introduced in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, they were the biggest item debut of that game, featuring characters from various different franchises, unlike Pokéballs that focused on one. Like Pokéballs, the fighter must activate the AT to see who will help them fight against other opponents. Obscure characters are also more favored for joining the battle. For example, Super Smash Bros. for 3DS & Wii U introduced the titular protagonist of Sheriff as an AT role, representing one of the earliest Nintendo games. It’s a neat insight into what Nintendo was like before Donkey Kong came and revolutionized the gaming industry.

Non-playable roles can also give franchises like Bomberman exposure to their games. At the time of the first design document proposal in December 2015, the franchise was on hiatus with no foreseeable future. While Super Bomberman R released at the Nintendo Switch’s launch last year in March, it was likely too late to influence Sakurai’s character decisions. Instead, Bomberman fights alongside other playable characters for a short time as an AT. His trademark use of bombs, his bomb kick, and remote bombs provide a taste of his fighting potential as he zips across the stage, blasting the competition.

Sakurai gave him a lot of attention, discussing what he can do as an AT in the monumental Ultimate trailer and a feature in @SmashBrosJP’s Today’s Memory briefly discussing the start of his gaming history. Jamesman provided an amazing comic that puts his AT status in a good light. One thing is for certain, Bomberman is not forgotten and neither are other ATs. It’s also a respectful tribute to Shoji Mizuno, Bomberman’s modern designer who sadly died before finding out Bomberman’s AT role. I’m sure if there’s an afterlife, he’s happy that Bomberman’s legacy lives on.

Of course, we can’t have a non-playable character article without addressing the elephant in the room — Ridley. In spite of his thunderous debut as a playable character in Ultimate — one well deserved — he has been in Smash through other roles since the beginning. He started in Smash 64 as a background character in the Planet Zebes stage. In E3 2001’s Super Smash Bros. Melee trailer, he was seen fighting Samus Aran, convincing the audience that he was a playable character. Later in Brawl, he was one of many bosses in the Subspace Emissary alongside his Meta-Ridley form, Porky, Rayquaza, and Petey Piranha. While he was absent from Smash 3DS, Smash Wii U promoted him to stage hazard in the Pyrosphere stage, sharing many characteristics of a playable character, including having stocks. Each game elevated him to a larger non-playable role, which is largely responsible for spawning the infamous “Too Big” meme that Sakurai would later poke fun at in the tag line to his playable debut “Ridley HIts The Big Time!” Ridley's representation in Smash is a fascinating retrospective.

While they’re not playable now, being in a non-playable role does not doom characters from being playable in the next game. Already, Charizard, Little Mac, Villager, and Ridley made the transition from non-playable to playable. It shows, especially with popular characters, that rejection is not permanent, and that mainstream exposure can help gain traction for making them playable in the next game. Even if not, being heavily acknowledged in one of the biggest gaming franchise is a win by itself.

 

Still no mention of Whispy Woods, who’s the only non playable character that appears in all Smash games?
That tree got quite the story in Smash Bros.

 

This is why it really hurt when Sakurai disconfirmed Toad twice in SSB4 with these two Pics of the Day.

And I was salty AF when Meowth finally came back in Brawl... as a Pokeball Pokémon.

"Meowth. It’s considered a major Pokémon, but it did not show up in Melee. It now makes its first appearance since the original Smash Bros."

Imagine how hyped everyone would be if Meowth finally came back in Brawl after skipping Melee... as a playable fighter?!

Oh, and look. Sakurai acknowledged in the Brawl Dojo that Meowth is "considered a major Pokémon".

Honestly. Toad and Meowth were robbed!

#JusticeForToad

#JusticeForMeowth

Come on, no one cares about this glorified joke character that is only halfway relevant because he is a major character of, for half of the pokemon fanbase, a mediocre adaptation, and for the other half, the worst anime adaptation of all time... In the games, he is just a forgettable preevolution of a pokemon with zero usable qualities, that appears on a midgame route and that you won't even bother to catch until you feel like completing the pokedex.

 

Come on, no one cares about this glorified joke character that is only halfway relevant because he is a major character of, for half of the pokemon fanbase, a mediocre adaptation, and for the other half, the worst anime adaptation of all time... In the games, he is just a forgettable preevolution of a pokemon with zero usable qualities, that appears on a midgame route and that you won't even bother to catch until you feel like completing the pokedex.

Oh look! Another detractor! Bye!

 

Still no mention of Whispy Woods, who’s the only non playable character that appears in all Smash games?
That tree got quite the story in Smash Bros.

I had forgotten about Whispy Woods myself. However, unlike Ridley, his role doesn’t significantly change game to game, especially not since Brawl.

Oh look! Another detractor! Bye!

If you have a problem with another person’s argument, at least address it. It’s like dismissing criticism based off avatar choice; it’s judging by the front of the cover.

 

Come on, no one cares about this glorified joke character that is only halfway relevant because he is a major character of, for half of the pokemon fanbase, a mediocre adaptation, and for the other half, the worst anime adaptation of all time... In the games, he is just a forgettable preevolution of a pokemon with zero usable qualities, that appears on a midgame route and that you won't even bother to catch until you feel like completing the pokedex.

Hey, he was considered one of the best leads in the LC metagame and he's a cat! That's more than and even who's a pretty poor Pokemon in the competitive format, let alone can't be used in LC due to and . Not to mention, Jigglypuff was also more of a gag character in the show with even less appearances in them and isn't too great in the games (though I still love her) yet is in every game. Jigglypuff has the exact same status but even less relevant to marketing, the games and the show. (Meowth has had roles in several spin-offs and also some neat roles in Sun/Moon) but got in for the same reasons they can add him.
And whatever Pokemon you find memorable is subjective, I don't care at all for but I can respect his inclusion because there's logic behind it, the least you can do is speak for yourself, rather than for everyone.
has as much merit as any of the other Pokemon contenders, it's fine if you don't want him or find him interesting, a lot of people want Decidueye and I don't find him interesting myself at all, but you can't speak for everyone like that like there aren't people who care for him.

If I'm taking bait then it was a delicious one.

 

If you have a problem with another person’s argument, at least address it. It’s like dismissing criticism based off avatar choice; it’s judging by the front of the cover.

What argument? It was a long way to say “Meowth sucks!”

 

The nerve of some people here.

My most wanted playable character got in Brawl as an Assist Trophy and was cut in Smash 4 without so much of an explanation or a simple trophy to make up for it. And I have yet to see him being acknowledged at all in Ultimate either.

The worst outcome may or may not seem as heartwrenching as it was for Smash 4 when Ultimate releases and I can find out for myself. Yet you don't see me whining about it.

Please do me a favor and beg Sakurai to remove the ENTIRETY of Meowth/Waluigi/Bomberman's acknowledgement in SSBU (since that's literally what some people would prefer instead of seeing them as summons, judging by some replies here). Just do it, I'm sure he'll gladly grant you that favor and give their spots to some of the thousands of other characters whose fans would be delighted to see them make it in as a mere AT.

 

Please do me a favor and beg Sakurai to remove the ENTIRETY of Meowth/Waluigi/Bomberman's acknowledgement in SSBU (since that's literally what some people would prefer instead of seeing them as summons, judging by some replies here). Just do it, I'm sure he'll gladly grant you that favor and give their spots to some of the thousands of other characters whose fans would be delighted to see them make it in as a mere AT.

Might as well. Because let me tell you something. Those assists are only a delightful surprise to those who really love them. Being an assist does nothing for these characters otherwise.

I want to tell you a story. When I used to play Brawl with my friends, most of the time items were off or atleast Assist Trophies were off. The rare times we did play with items on, it was still quite uncommon the characters I like would show up as an assist, and when they did the reaction is always the same... "Get this yellow thing out of my face." or "Who's this tiny boxer dude again?"

They didn't know who that boxer was and they didn't care. They've probably only saw Little Mac five times they've ever played Brawl. They didn't know his name, his series, nothing.

Then came Smash 4. Little Mac is a playable character. They think the guy is kickass and kind of hilarious that he can't jump. One of my friends got interested in Punch-Out because of Smash 4... Not Brawl. I reminded him that Little Mac was an AT in Brawl, he didn't seem to remember.

So yeah. Being an Assist means you practically don't exist. People who are unfamiliar with the character will more than likely not remember them. Being a playable character on the otherhand will absolutely make people aware of the character. Sukapon will only show up on that screen for 5 seconds and most people will be like "some random floating pink shapes are attacking me!"

 

Might as well. Because let me tell you something. Those assists are only a delightful surprise to those who really love them. Being an assist does nothing for these characters otherwise.

I want to tell you a story. When I used to play Brawl with my friends, most of the time items were off or atleast Assist Trophies were off. The rare times we did play with items on, it was still quite uncommon the characters I like would show up as an assist, and when they did the reaction is always the same... "Get this yellow thing out of my face." or "Who's this tiny boxer dude again?"

They didn't know who that boxer was and they didn't care. They've probably only saw Little Mac five times they've ever played Brawl. They didn't know his name, his series, nothing.

Then came Smash 4. Little Mac is a playable character. They think the guy is kickass and kind of hilarious that he can't jump. One of my friends got interested in Punch-Out because of Smash 4... Not Brawl. I reminded him that Little Mac was an AT in Brawl, he didn't seem to remember.

So yeah. Being an Assist means you practically don't exist. People who are unfamiliar with the character will more than likely not remember them. Being a playable character on the otherhand will absolutely make people aware of the character. Sukapon will only show up on that screen for 5 seconds and most people will be like "some random floating pink shapes are attacking me!"

IIRC in one of the streams for Smashified had Omni get requests for Starfy, upon which he actually laughed along others and apparently said he lost interest on Starfy while other streamer enjoys his new "funny role" as an Assist:

I think this speaks volumes for itself about how most view Assists as, right up to the fans of the characters featured as one.

 

I'm not even going to watch that video because I know what to expect. Idiots like that probably only play Smash and don't dig into the source material outside of Mario, Zelda and Pokemon. I brought Stafy's fifth game not because of Smash but because I wanted something different and it was. I wrongfully compared Stafy to Kirby and I shall apologize for that misinformation. The two series are nothing alike outside of the cute protagonists. Even more heartbreaking was the director/creator wanting the games to come to the west yet focus groups deemed the games as 'too Japanese'. Doesn't help that Sakurai seems to hate the little guy based on his previous comments around him. Smash can ruin the public's perception of a character, just look at Wario.

 

Making excuses for the poor treatment of Bomberman, are we? Well you're not winning me over.
Obscure characters as assists are a nice nod to small parts of gaming history but Bomberman is a freaking genre. He doesn't deserve this carp!

 

Doesn't help that Sakurai seems to hate the little guy based on his previous comments around him. Smash can ruin the public's perception of a character, just look at Wario.

Smash certainly distorts how the populous see fans, as well.
Look at "our" collective opinion of Waluigi fans after the E3 direct.

Perhaps its fair to remember, Sakurai does state he tries expressively hard to stay true to the characters. I believe he does do his best. That is what makes Smash such art. His interpretation affects the globe regarding our perception of characters.

 

I'll add on to my previous comment, i think brawl handled the assists better because, aside from Waluigi and Starfy, most of them were characters that wouldn't have appeared in the game otherwise, and were implemented in a way that they're unique and fun when you're goofing around, like Andross, the Lakitu, or Grey Fox.

Smash 4 was more so just quickly shoving a character in so it could be there, like Skull Kid merely shows up for a second and places some sort of effect on the gameplay, Ashley did the same, Riki does this with positive effects.

It was less a focus on characters and items that wouldn't have worked, and more just throwing as many as they could, it was rushed, and boring. and on top of that put together with a rude Miiverse post for a lot of them.

If we get new assists, i'd hope for Odolwa, Kracko, or King Bob-omb. characters that are fun, big, and give a good impression for the role.