First of you can see, this roster is pretty much based upon the same sort of style that 4 had. And the main focus point of this thread is the roster, so that’s what I’m going to talk about too. While I do not wish to make any cuts, I do have to point out that I could envision some of these clones with slots to be just another costume, like Alph, but because of the last game, I’ll let Dark Pit, Lucina and the good ol Doc to be their own for now, with also talking about a few more types like these that would rather get the Olimar/Alph treatment at the very end, when I talk about characters that are not in the core roster, but is worth mentioning (same goes for some of the ideas for “reps” as you see them in the roster)
Newcomers;
Captain Toad – While there is no secret that the Mario franchise is huge, and that the universe keeps expanding, not only by itself but usually also in Super Smash Bros, we got to think of who would really make the roster more unique, who plays a central role in the universe, and who’s still not there already. That’s when Toad came up. Looking at Toad, he is like Yoshi, a simple generic creature of its own kind, and unlike Yoshi, Toad has not had his own ga--… Wait a minute!? There was a Toad who had its own game?! Yes, there is, and that is of course Captain Toad, an explorer centred Toad who solves puzzles and other fun stuff. It gave Toad a bit more than just being its standard generic species, but an ideal identity, and of something Smash thus far lacks. Therefore, I believe Captain Toad to be the ideal candidate of the Mario Universe, but is he alone?
Waluigi – You got that right, and what time to be alive. Now I’m a big fan of Waluigi, ever since his debut in the earlier sports titles, and what better way is there to incorporate a character that could fill the void of all those ridiculous spin-offs that the Mario franchise have had. While also that, think of the line-up of Wario with Waluigi, finally happening in Smash. Even lord Sakurai was not sure if he would label him a Mario character or a Wario character, therefore, he would not only have a chance to represent the Mario spin-off’s, but also Wario? (Come On’, Waluigi is from Waluigi <3)
Dixie Kong – Smash is no stranger to adding two editions, and that I’d like to say straight off the bat. Dixie Kong is a great filler character, being a semi-clone, like Luigi and Falco, only for Diddy Kong, who will now appear in its third Smash. It’s time for Dixie, the pink, hair swirling, banana hunting female primate. She would not take too much time, and now that other series like Kid Icarus and Fire Emblem has been thrown into the oven and baked, it’s time for another series, thus comes Donkey Kong. Come on, you know you want Dixie there. Yes, even you Kutthroat.
King K. Rool – No doubt in hell that Nintendo finally have got a vocally loud, and dedicated fanbase, and I’m not going to even compare it to Ridley, but rather state the fact that THE KING finally got some bloody recognition, and trademark at that too. While we were not fully satisfied for a mii costume, it was a start, and finally we got a glimpse of hope. A hope that our king got a bright future ahead of him, when it comes to the next Smash game, but who am I kidding? We thought so, ever since pre-brawl, did we not? Still, this time, it’s different, and a good different. He deserves to become a playable, and if there are any left in Nintendo’s library, he is one of them.
Tingle – WHAT!? NO IMPA!? Don’t kill me. Here, have a rupee while I draw you this cool map. We cool? We cool, bruh? … Now Tingle does have a fanbase in Japan, and he is an additionally, supporting character to the franchise, and has been for a long time. He also spawned a couple of games over his time. He is small, he is funny and he is annoying as hell, but do you know what? That makes him a great addition that you just love to beat up, win-win, huh? (Also, if you want me to talk a little bit about Impa, scroll further down.)
New Metroid Rep (Franchise Rep) – Now I won’t spoil this discussion yet, as I have 2 candidates that I want to do separately further down on this page. This will be the same for “Fire Emblem”, “Star Fox”, “Pokémon”, “Xenoblade” and “3rd Parties”.
Balloon Fighter – Now, I’ve been wanting this character since brawl, and hoped that he would potentially become more apparent in the Smash universe, and now that our god, former president Satoru Iwata has left us, this is his best-known legacy. Balloon Fighter will not only be that one retro-rep, but also our love for Iwata. Having Balloon Fighter here would also make up for some interesting fighter/playstyle potential. Also, I look at Tingle and Balloon Fighter VERY DIFFERENTLY from one another.
Medusa – So, since we got Pit, Palutena and Dark Pit, I figured out that there should also be a “Dark Palutena”, instead of anything else. Medusa, the first last boss of the Kid Icarus series still had a prominent role in the “Uprising” game, and would be the perfect partner character for Dark Pit, as opposite to Pit and Palutena. Also, Medusa would definitely play very differently from any other fighter presented thus far, or existing.
Isaac – Raise your hand if you were disappointed Isaac did not become a playable character in Smash 4. Now, raise your hand if you thought it was unfair that he was left out as an assist trophy in smash 4, after not becoming playable. Yes, it’s quite unfortunate that we did not get anything Golden Sun related, other than a track if I recall correctly. And while this is quite a wild card pick, I still feel certain that we have come thus far in Smash picking that we have to look into new places for ideas, or reflect on our history… See? Perhaps Smash 5 is the time we take a step back, to look at what we could have done differently, and there I believe Isaac could get his uprising.
Waddle Dee – Waddle, Daddle, Fladdle, Raddle, Bandana Dee, oh my. So were back to the Yoshi, Toad incident we talked about earlier, and all those above are not aliases, except for Waddle and Bandana Dee, I just wish to ramble, since Waddle Dee is so absolutely cute. As said, generic? No, this one pops a cool bandana and wields a deadly spear, like anyone could generically do, still… After Kirby, Metaknight and King Dedede, there is only one who appear quite often as a very memorable member of the group, and that’s the cool bandana wielding Waddle Dee. My whole point is back to that of, he is the 4th remaining missing member. He is the Toad, or the Charizard, the popular, generic, still relevant character of the series. Yes, I do support this charmer.
Samurai Goroh – People always bash on F-Zero being obscure, but hell, no one bat an eye when Kid Icarus, which were more obscure than F-Zero got a playable in brawl, only to spawn a new feature game, and 2 new playable characters for the next game. Now, what did F-Zero get? A bloody falcon punch meme. Goroh however have been present since Melee, first in the introduction (same as Wolf & Ridley), and therefrom an assist trophy, and we know how that can help some people (Little Mac). So if there are any other characters from the F-Zero line-up that really deserves a playable part that, it should be Goroh in my opinion. I also am going to mention another F-Zero character further down, don’t worry too much. (Also, personal vendetta that he is my all-time favourite F-Zero pilot.)
Inkling – Like everyone else have understood, Splatoon was a major salespoint and a commercial success as a new brand in a though market of thousands of game franchises that comes and dies, Nintendo has proven that they still got it. Who did not fall in love with the idea of having Inkling as a new playable for Smash? Heck, Inkling did not even have an official name, it was Squid Kid, but look at it now, everyone calls them the Inklings. And yes, if there are some none brainers out there, I bet my money on a Squid Kid.
Spring Man – Just as pointed out from before, Nintendo certainly know how to create new franchises still, and ARMS is not an exception. However, while you see Spring Man there, I do want to talk about another character that I do favour from the franchise more, but have thought of it as a gender thing, you might already know what I’m talking about, but I’ll do it more official further down. Spring Man on the other hand is the poster boy for the new Switch exclusive ARMS, and the character would indeed be quite different from Little Mac, with perhaps only the body build in common, and that hair though.
Rhythm Troupe – Ok, this one is a little bit different than just a “New rep” type for a franchise, like the others. This is instead a standalone, NEW franchise type of entry that I quickly just want to go over. As I’ve never tried the games personally, I still think they look tons of fun. It’s hard to pick out just one of these wacky creatures, and therefore I place Rhythm Troupe as my character, which basically applies to any Rhythm Heaven representative there is. As I do believe that this franchise is strong enough on its own to spawn a playable in the next Smash game.
Chibi-Robo – Another cute little entry that I want to place out there. I was a huge supporter for Chibi-Robo’s inclusion to Smash 4, even made a fake little thing to compensate for his absence. I think the design of Chibi is really cute, and would be fun to use the character. If Smash Flash 2 have thought me anything, then it is that Chibi-Robo is full of potential, fun to use and belongs in Smash.
Ice Climbers – Why, oh, why are you gone, my loves? It was icebreaking to see them absent from the game, and is there one thing that should be the main priority of the next game, it’s to include our beloved duo of Smash, the Ice Climbers. I can understand that it has been difficult to make the character work properly for the handheld, but this time around Nintendo do not have a handheld to work with (if Switch is the only thing that is). So, the console should be strong enough to power them up.
Takamaru – I do not know much about Takamaru or the Murasame Caste game, but in design aspects, I do like Takamaru. I also respect the history, as it reminds me a lot of Kid Icarus type of opportunity, not only for the character, but the series itself. Having Taku as an assist trophy might have been a smart move on Nintendo’s part, making people realize who he actually is when they present him as playable for the next game, they be like “Oh yeah, that blue haired samurai assist from the previous game, cool.”
Geno – Not gonna lie, I support this inclusion, fully. After playing the build for the Project M I was sold on Geno as a concept. The fact that Sakurai went through all troubles to include the Mii costume just comes to show that there are both claim for the character, as well as interest. While that’s said, people have been joking about Geno & Sakurai for years, but in an interview some time ago, Sakurai admitted that he tried to get Geno into the game, and why not give it one more chance, now that we see how well it went with Cloud Strife?
Bomberman – Ok. You will probably call it a dumb idea, or tell me he is in Konami hell, or how about, FIRST WE GET SNAKE BACK. Well, I’ll take Bomberman over there any day than take back Snake, NOW WHILE THAT’S SAID, I do not mind having Snake back, in fact I would love it, as I think his style is unique and cool, I just favour Bomberman, it’s personal. (Snake will return down below). Bomberman got that’s cutsie look and appeal that I think fits well with the likes of Megaman, Pac-Man, Mario and Sonic. Therefore, I place him high as a want, but it’s all up to Konami to even let this poor Hudson out of his shell.
Crash Bandicoot – I used to think that Crash was not only the face of Sony’s platform, but that he actually WAS PlayStation. Who would have thought that Crash had tons of games on the GameCube, as well as Wii and the Gameboy Advance? Him? The Playstation mascot? Dude, Sony did not even get him to be part of Sony Playstation All-Stars. So, screw that Mandela effect. Crash is just a washed-up mascot who got a firm reboot of his series, with history ties in with Nintendo. I do see this as the best possible time to introduce the character. He was also popular in Japan, unlike other western mascots.
That’s it for the first part. The official roster of mine part. The second part will be explained along the way, but it’s the same basis as the first part.
(Same with this one, so here is a link if it does not show;
https://imgur.com/a/5yck3 )
Dark Samus – The first Metroid character that I do believe have a chance. If they go with the vendetta against Ridley, then the second-best way to go up about it is to introduce the dark edition of another loved character, like Dark Pit for Pit. Dark Samus on the other hand is not just a clone, far from it. Dark Samus has a lot of different moves that would set it apart from ordinary Samus. We did get a taste of that when it became an assist trophy in Smash 4.
Ridley – Now this is a character I’d love to see. I do hope that one day we could use Ridley, Goroh and Wolf in the same game, as a tribute to the Melee intro. Also after playing these mods of Brawl, I fell in love with the Ridley mod. It proved to me that this was indeed a character worth hoping for. Size is definitive not an issue, they have toned down Bowser, and other characters, so it should not be a problem, even Smash have sized Ridley down 3 times. (Melee intro, SSE in Brawl and as the Hazard of S4). So, even though I’m not as loud as with others, I do fully support Ridley to take part.
Krystal – She would become a new Star Fox character introduced, as well as the first female character from said series. She has great range of potential ideals to make a move pool out of, and she would definitive be a recognizable fighter (for those who know Star Fox that is), because she does have a quite lively audience. Her biggest issue is the comeback of everyone’s favourite Wolf. Speaking of…
Wolf O’Donell – Wolf has indeed once been part of the roster in the third instalment, and is still being howled after by his glorious fans. Cutting Wolf again? I can’t let you do that Sakurai. Or, I don’t have the power to do anything, but I do believe it’s very likely that there will be another Star Fox character, and if it’s the return of Wolf or introduction of Krystal, that I do not know, but I lean towards the epic return, before the new encounter.
Skull Kid – Honestly, I do not know how likely it is, but I don’t want to meet with a terrible fate, so I’ll cover it. Because, I do really like Skull Kid and the Majora’s Mask as a design. The magic aspect of this character could make him quite interesting. I’m just quite unsure how high of chances he got unlike other characters, but that’s just my thought.
Impa – Alright, here she is. Well… Now that she’s here, I do not know what much to say, to be honest. I do not know too much of Impa, other than she has multiple incarnations. Also, that she was watching over Zelda, and had something to with her transformation into Sheik, as some clan sort of thing, other than that I can’t say too much. I do believe she would make an interesting fighter however as a semi-clone of Sheik or not.
Masked Man – Again I enter a realm of something I do not know much of, and that’s the “Mother/Earthbound” series, but Ness is indeed one of my mains, so a new character from this universe would not hurt, if it’s not a semi-clone. Therefore, Masked Man/Claus, with his jet pack, and sword style could be very unique and interesting to me. If they want a villain for Lucas, or a villain for Ness, that’s the question?
Porky Minch – As said, if Mother 3 would get a localization, then I could see Masked Man be the one, but if they would go for another crazy whacky unique style, then Porky and his machinery could indeed become something very unique. We did have him as a boss in the SSE, so why not do something out of it, as people would at least somewhat know who he is.
Black Shadow – While I did say that Samurai Goroh would be the best fit for a newcomer, I do think that Black Shadow also would be a very interesting choice. People claiming, he would be taking Ganondorf’s old move-set just don’t know Black Shadow. Most things Ganon could do, so could Black Shadow, he got magic, power and brute strength. He would have to become something different from Falcon and Ganon, and that’s where I don’t see the effort coming inn, as it’s F-Zero, unfortunately.
Pious Augustus – Now this is a very obscure choice, and I’ll back it up by the fact that it would show of some of the “horror” sides that Nintendo has built up under the radar. I do think it’s quite far-fetch’d, but I do think it could have been interesting to see how Nintendo would do this.
Deciduye – The new Pokémon starter favourite, which is not bad, as it’s finally the grass starter that is shown some love, and what does the current line-up of Pokémon lack? Exactly, fly and ghost! I mean, grass. While that’s true, it would also be winged, and focus around being an archer type, with ghost effects, so that’s cool. Did I mention that he was popular? AND for its record, it’s a new fighter at Pokken Tournament too.
Meowth – Alright, this is more or less a guilty pleasure choice. Ever since the early days of Smash, I still followed the Pokémon series as crazy, thinking that with Pikachu, Jigglypuff and Mewtwo, there should be a Team Rocket member to even out the odds of the anime, so Meowth was a character that I could see fit. He is still relevant to the plot, but is often brushed off as a simple normal type in the game, so that hurts him quite much, unfortunately.
Pichu – I hated Pichu in Melee, and I don’t think too much of it in the games either, but I still really want this character to return. Why? Nostalgia? Perhaps, but it’s cute, and the glass cannon type of fighter was a great design executed poorly in game, and deserve a revisit. So, if there is any Pokémon I want back, then Pichu is a welcoming addition.
Sceptile – Damn, Sceptile, back again with the grass type. Yes, most people seem to blame their interest in Sceptile on a few things; One, being a grass, and a starter. Second is that around the release of Smash 4, the Hoenn remakes where making their ways and was heavily supported, hence Greninja from X & Y. I do think Sceptile is a great Pokémon to be considered, but personally not my first thought.
Andy & Sami – Alright, I want to do these together, as I do step into a realm that I do not know much about, the “Advance Wars”, and I do know that these two are from the same game. Sami spawns an automatic machine gun, while Andy wields a wrench, right? Well, I do agree that the Advance Wars deserves some love, as I think squeezing inn much obscurity and reviving old IP’s would be a fantastic idea, and this is one of the series I believe could easily make a great comeback to the markets. People do say, and I agree, that Sami could easily take over Snake’s old move-set if Snake himself does not return, and Andy could also easily become his own character.
Prince Fluff – I just had to think of something that could be good for the Kirby series after Waddle Dee, and while there are a lot of others; Adeline, Magolor, Whispy Woods and even Waddle Doo, there is one character that stands out a bit more, and that’s Prince Fluff, as not only would he look like a Kirby clone, but he could represent the “Yarn” series as its own, which makes him a much more tempting addition in my opinion.
Wonder-Red – All I could say about this is that it would represent a brand-new series, and that he looks like he could fit. He always reminded me of Viewtiful Joe. Also, what did happen to this series? It’s not like Splatoon or ARMS who really skyrocketed into popularity. I would not mind it, but I do not really see it happen either.
Doshin – Remember that kid who dreamt of having the Duck Hunt Dog as part of Smash? Well, I’m that kid who wanted Doshin, so dreams can go far beyond… I know it’s very unlikely, but he is a weird guilty pleasure of mine. Size as we stated should not be an issue, as he only grows by love, he is not a giant entirely or at all time. Also, there are tons this yellow goofball could do which would make him stand out. Go Doshin <3
Lip – Second guilty pleasure is the young fairy girl known as Lip, from the Japanese exclusive series “Panel de pon”, which ported overseas as Yoshi’s cookie, or Pokémon Puzzle League (ß One of my favourite games of all time, if I may say so myself). What draws me to this fairy girl is that she is a simple, yet super entertaining design, her weapon, the “Lip’s stick” has been presented ever since Melee, so she is no stranger to Smash by lore. Also, Sakurai considers the series she hails from a masterpiece, and if my love for PPL was not enough, then I couldn’t agree more.
Goose – or any Pilot Wings character for that matter would be another wild card guilty pleasure. I do not know what it is, but I really would like to see something more presentable from this series, and I think that Goose looks rather lanky enough to stand out, and that he looks somewhat memorable from the cast itself.
Ms. Game & Watch – Now this is something I’d love to see get an “Olimar/Alph” treatment. It would make Game & Watch evolve as a character and a series within Smash, and since Mr. G&W has been present since Melee, I would not mind something new about him, or the character slot. So, with all those gender swaps, why not Ms. Game & Watch too?
Princess Daisy – As you could tell, I’ve started the “Olimar/Alph” treatment road at this point, but in Daisies case, before you kill me, I’m quite aware that she could make her own character quite unique, either as a semi-clone or not. I do think that our best shot at this point is having her as an alternate for Peach, which I would love, and that’s the most support I do lend this design at this given game.
Ribbon Girl – I do like Ribbon Girl way more than I like Spring Man for some reason, and I think that if they went down this road, I’d appreciate the ARMS represented much, much more. I think Spring Man looks a bit too stiff and awkward with colours for my taste, but Ribbon Girl feels more balanced in this regard.
Blood Falcon – Of course I’d have to mention Blood Falcon, and yes, I’d love to have Blood Falcon as an alternative for Falcon, and not just a colour palette. I want to see that evil flare within his eyes, feeling like the true Blood Falcon, not see a smiling Cap with Blood’s colours.
Before I go any further, I want to talk quickly about the Fire Emblem and Xenoblade representation. You don’t have to go deep into it to understand that within Smash, Fire Emblem is huge, and as its own franchise it grows. It grows thus far, as most likely a new fighter from one of the new games would take stage. While that is said, please don’t be a swordsman/or woman for that matter, but a Female something which is not sword fighter come forth. And for the Xenoblade, I’ve never tried the series, so Elma, Fiora or any new cool character from the new Xenoblade is welcome to me, I’m not going to be picky, but as a realist, I believe that a new Xenoblade is certain.a
Solid Snake – Here we are. Yes, I’d love to see Snake return. If I can get a bundle from Konami of both Snake & Bomberman, I’m all game. He was a very unique addition in Brawl, a little bit out there, but with Zero Suit, Shulk and Bayonetta present, the more Snake sort of characters makes Snake fit even better at this point, but that’s all I got.
Banjo & Kazooie – Figured I’d rather just talk quickly about Banjo. If RARE was still owned by Nintendo, I do believe that he would have been present since Brawl. While that was not how the story went, the effort of adding this character will be more difficult, but I would not be against it. Head of Xbox said they would be interested with collaborating with Nintendo on the matter, but is it worth it? Or are there others that should be given the priority first?
Rayman – True that Rayman already held a trophy in Smash 4, and people went crazy over the fake leak, that Rayman was coming, hyping up the fans out for more, and cry out their love for supporting this arm-less icon. I don’t mind seeing him in, and I do believe that either with or after Crash Bandicoot, he is the right one to get inn.
Rabbid – If anyone would suggest this character a half year ago, I’d laugh, and be ignoring the **** out of that… Fast forward to the Mario & Rabbid game, and a very interesting discussion by Source Gaming, and what do we have? A total changed opinion of some of the most annoying creatures of video game or digital entertainments history. I would not mind it happening, but it’s not a high wish of mine for it to happen if you catch my drift.
Professor Layton – Now this is a 3rd party guilty pleasure of mine. I do think he looks very entertaining and funny. I also think that there are a lot of things to take inspiration on when creating a move-set for Layton. I also know there are plenty of others who would love to see Layton in their Smash, but will it happen? Likely not.
Shantae – Now, we know we are leaning towards the end when someone is starting to rabble about indie representation within Smash, and it is, it’s the second last addition to the discussion list. Why Shantae? Well, it’s a female, pirate, genie who can whip her hair better than Willow Smith. She has had a lot of support, pushing towards an indie representation, while that it’s not new, it has not happened yet, and others would agree that this last one might be more plausible?
Shovel Knight – This is the last character, and it’s definitively a character that I would support. It’s just something about the character concept that feels so appealing to me while thinking of the Smash Bros universe. He has also been perhaps the most pushed indie character to ever been called out into the Smash void.
Alright, that’s about it. I hope you liked to read about my predictions, wants and whatnot about some characters we might or might not share a common interest inn. Peace out fellow Smashers.
