I’m not sure how E3 factors into the hype factor of our last characters considering the fact that even if characters were chosen and arranged with reveal time in mind, Min Min and overall COVID-shenanigans probably messed up the timing. They can’t save the best for E3 because these are just...the last two characters.
Considering Sakurai had gone on record saying development remained more or less on track, it's not hard to imagine they may have anticipated one of the last remaining characters could end up at E3. I don't think the timing for say, Sephiroth at TGAs and then Pythra at a normal Nintendo Direct are particularly a coincidence. They probably plot this stuff out roughly beforehand, and even if they don't... we already know they develop like three characters at a time already, so it might be a bit more flexible than we know.
But yes, if we simply don't have two more "hype" picks left we'll just get whoever remains.
See that's the issue, trying to convince people that characters that aren't first parties from the past six months can still join the battle. We still don't want to believe Nintendo characters could get in for any other merits, even when ARMS proved that first-parties older than that could join the battle as DLC, the goalposts were moved so that we could still think all first-party DLC was 1000% like Corrin.
Okay, so who would it be? Who is the character you believe could get in on additional merit right now? Everyone just loves to speak in abstract terms and say like, "a Nintendo character" without elaborating or thinking hard about where we're at with Nintendo characters and where to go from here. That's why I'm not convinced.
ARMS isn't exactly an "older" first party, it's a new IP on the Switch. Xenoblade 2 is also a game released in the last five years on the Switch. I'm not suggesting these characters are shill picks, and I think they're actually great worthwhile additions. But they were also the two most obvious additions to modernize the roster in line with the Switch's output - from Sakurai's mouth, even. Otherwise reasonable suggestions like Astral Chain or Ring Fit have been spirited and it makes their case a lot harder to sell. And beyond this, the precedent is not in favor of Nintendo characters who don't at least correlate with a title from the current generation (ie Corrin and Byleth).
I mean, if we wanna talk precedents and put stock in arbitrary stuff like ending on an underwhelming character, I think it's equally reasonable to acknowledge Nintendo's trend of picking decidedly newer characters from their own pool.
I should also clarify, since you said we don't want to
believe it, I WANT to believe Nintendo characters can get in on merits beyond marketability on current gen. More than anything, really. My literal most wanted character is anyone from Rhythm Heaven. There are plenty of retro picks I still want to see, new IPs I want represented, supporting characters from a variety of mainstay first party franchises. But there's just nothing there for me to believe these characters have a shot right now.
Also speaking of Arle, Trails of Azure has a Puyo Puyo minigame which I've sunk about half an hour into today and I must say, I'm kinda hooked now
