I posted this in the social chat, but I want to put this here. In Japan, our boy was the fourth most waned character (really surprised Japan actually has pretty good taste overall). The best part is that this was prior to games like Star Allies where he had a major role.
At this point I'd be surprised if he wasn't the most wanted newcomer in Japan. And because of games such as Star Allies, which sold extremely well for the series in Europe, his popularity in the west has also probably increased.
Seeing this list has really made me believe we're in to see characters like K. Rool and Bandanna Waddle Dee the nest Smash. I'd also like to point out he even beat out the Inkling in a poll from the country where Splatoon sells the most, and Inkling is already in Smash.