Epitome of Surviving Horror: Leon for Smash Switch

[Radical Larry]

Disclaimer
As of me typing this post, as far as I'm aware, there has not been a thread posted about Leon S. Kennedy being a potential character for the possible Super Smash Bros. for Switch. If there is one already, that would stink, but I'd accept it being there. However, to my knowledge, there hasn't been one yet. If any have been posted around the same time, that would have been coincidental at best.

Leon S. Kennedy for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo Switch

Who Is Leon?​

Leon S. Kennedy is a character from the Resident Evil series, which is from the genre of survival horror. He is a tall person with an arsenal of weapons and skills to boot (depending on which game he's in anyways), and will not hesitate to give comebacks (in RE4 only). He's one of the main protagonists of the main series games, and is one of Resident Evil's most iconic characters to date.

What Games does he Appear In (especially on Nintendo)?​

Leon S. Kennedy first appeared in the game Resident Evil 2, for the Playstation, which eventually got ported over to the Nintendo 64; it's notable for being the first port to retain the original cutscenes themselves on the N64. He later appeared in the spin-off game for the Gameboy Color known as Resident Evil: Gaiden, and eventually came back to the main series stage in what's considered the best horror game of all time, Resident Evil 4 for the Gamecube, which ported over to the Wii (and subsequently Wii U backwards compatibility). Lastly on a Nintendo console, he appeared in Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, in two of its story modes no less, but has also appeared in later games such as Resident Evil 6 and Resident Evil: Revelations 2 (Raid Mode character).

Why Should Leon be in Smash Bros.?​

Leon should be in Super Smash Bros. for various reasons; popularity, potential moveset, etc. However, Leon would be special because he'd be the first [and only] horror game representative. We've never seen a character from horror get into Smash Bros. to date, and Leon could be the character to start the bandwagon. He should also be in Smash Bros. to add the final character to the "Capcom Three", which are Ryu, Mega Man and a Resident Evil representative [who are either Chris or Leon]. He would also boast a moveset that would have never been seen before in a Smash game to date with his weaponry, even if his guns are taken away. He'd also be the fourth average human (only next to Captain Falcon, Little Mac and Zero Suit Samus) without any special/magical abilities at their disposal, and would add even more personality, charm and gaming diversity if added.

But He Has Guns, how can he be in Smash?​

Leon doesn't have to use guns primarily. In fact, he has an assortment of weapons and melee attacks at his disposal, which are as follows: Roundhouse kick, backwards kick, suplex, backwards roundhouse, body slam, face slam, body slide, knifing, dash knifing for melee attacks and knives, axes, bottles, grenades, grenade launchers, rocket launchers and the PRL 412 for weapons. He doesn't just need guns to be in Smash, and while yes, they add to his iconic kit, they don't necessarily have to be with him.

Alternative Costumes for Leon?
​

That's the easy part. He can have the clothes he wore from Resident Evil 2, 4, 6 and Darkside Chronicles. In more detail, however, is that Leon could wear his RPD Uniform with and without the bandages, his clothes when he went to Save Ashley, with and without the jacket, the Mafia outfit from Resident Evil 4, and finally his clothes when he was in Tall Oaks (seen above) and Lanshiang in Resident Evil 6, respectively (since they're two different attires). But if we remove the duplicates, he could have his jackets and suits from all three Resident Evil CGI films, which are, ironically, different from each other.

But What about Chris Redfield?
​

Well, I thought about it and might say this; Chris Redfield could be an alternate for Leon S. Kennedy, in the same vein that the Koopalings are alternates to Bowser Jr. and Alph is to Olimar. We've seen how far developers would go to make immensely different costumes, or even alternate characters for some characters, so it wouldn't be a stretch to say that Chris Redfield could become an alternate of Leon S. Kennedy, or vice versa.

Predictions on Leon​

My predictions are that Leon, if he is in Smash, would be a new Super Heavyweight character with around a weight of 115, just above Ganondorf in weight. However, unlike other super heavyweights, he would be rather quick and more nimble than them. His running speed would likely cap out at 1.68, aerial speed being around 1.08 and him having an arsenal of burst mobility options. However, I would stay that some of his frame data would be slow coming out, especially on Smash Attacks, but his normals and aerials are what he excels at.

As he is a super heavyweight, his attacks would deal massive damage and knockback in short amounts of time, but unlike all of them, which are mainly grapple/punish characters, Leon wouldn't be the same due to his speed and possible zoning capabilities with his weapons.

However, he would have a tall frame and would definitely be easy to combo with a high falling speed of 1.68 and a fast falling speed of 2.688, which is comparable to Cloud and Lucario's falling speeds. And falling in line with his class of weight, he'd have a harder time getting out of it, but unlike most of them, he would have a weak frame 4 attack to knock opponents away, if he can.

...

Now that you've heard what I've said, how about you guys give your opinions on this? What would you think about Leon being in Smash for Switch, if the game would happen? Would you agree that he'd be a good choice? Would you disagree? I'd like to hear what you guys think.

 

[Yomi's Biggest Fan]

Sorry Kenith , you lost one round.

And here I am as the first supporter for this cool dude. He was always my favorite Resident Evil protagonist, though I'd blame RE4 for that. He's got style, grace, and a funny face a timed Nintendo exclusive.

 

[Ridley_Prime]

RE6 Leon (the image in the OP) does have a derpy funny face, I agree.

I could live with having him and Chris as an alt (pretty much a win-win for the protagonists outside of Jill), so I support.

 

[Kenith]

(****. I really did not think anyone else cared about this character. Anyway.)

I feel like it's really important to mention that Resident Evil 4 was launched on the Gamecube, and is also one of the most influential games of all time. I feel like RE4's influence is the only major reason Leon would be chosen over Chris or Jill, since they are all of comparable popularity/notoriety.

Similarly the header image should honestly be the RE4 boxart (or one of them). A lot of people hate how he's portrayed in RE6.

 

[AwesomeAussie27]

(****. I really did not think anyone else cared about this character. Anyway.)

I feel like it's really important to mention that Resident Evil 4 was launched on the Gamecube, and is also one of the most influential games of all time. I feel like RE4's influence is the only major reason Leon would be chosen over Chris or Jill, since they are all of comparable popularity/notoriety.

Similarly the header image should honestly be the RE4 boxart (or one of them). A lot of people hate how he's portrayed in RE6.

This.

I'd take Pretty Boy Leon over Manly Leon any day.

 

[Radical Larry]

Duly noted. I'll change the image to one with Leon's RE4 image.

 

[Ridley_Prime]

RE6 was quite arguably a disservice to both Leon and Chris tbh, although the same could be said for the latter with 5.

RE7 is more its own thing with not having one of the usual recurring protagonists (which I'll get eventually), but I like how the next cgi movie is continuing the uneasy partnership between Chris and Leon that 6 kinda started, and Rebecca having to get between them.

 

[Kenith]

This.

I'd take Pretty Boy Leon over Manly Leon any day.

i mean I don't hate him or anything but they definitely went in a different direction. RE4 made him a lot more memorable than he was before or after for being basically a cheesy action movie hero.

Also, I will say that I don't think a RE character will get in without any guns, unless it's Wesker. They are tied to the games' mechanics, story, and iconography. If it was Jill it might work, due to her also being good with explosives, but with Leon I think it'd be very weird to see him without his handgun.

 

[Radical Larry]

Also, I will say that I don't think a RE character will get in without any guns, unless it's Wesker. They are tied to the games' mechanics, story, and iconography. If it was Jill it might work, due to her also being good with explosives, but with Leon I think it'd be very weird to see him without his handgun.

Well, we have the recent Jack Baker, who doesn't use guns.

Now to argue about the weirdness of him being without a handgun, it wouldn't be that weird considering that every Resident Evil character is armed with a knife or melee weapon of some sort, which are also staples of the series in every sense.

As for Leon possibly having a gun due to the iconography, I think the developers would find a way to implement him with his handgun, a shotgun or something like that. It could be his Neutral B or Jab attack [a lower range obviously].

Speaking of shotguns, though, I think that could be a great Forward Smash, which deals more damage close to mid-range.

 

[Kirbeh]

But What about Chris Redfield?
​

But what about Jill Valentine?

EDIT:
Also if you don't mind, could I provide a moveset? I made one last year for a guest post on SG but was beaten to the punch by someone else. Only one article per character, so I've been sitting on this one for a while now.​

 

[Radical Larry]

But what about Jill Valentine?

EDIT:
Also if you don't mind, could I provide a moveset? I made one last year for a guest post on SG but was beaten to the punch by someone else. Only one article per character, so I've been sitting on this one for a while now.​

Go nuts.

 

[Kirbeh]

"Where's everyone going? Bingo?"

General Playstyle

Spoiler

In Smash, Leon is primarily based on his appearance in Resident Evil 4, though he also mixes in some moves from Resident Evil 6, and a few references to Resident Evil 2.

Like in the Resident Evil titles, Leon is slow, with his slow speed being his primary weakness. However, while his movement on the ground and in the air, is somewhat sluggish, his attacks come out fast just like in Resident Evil 4 and the other modern titles. Also like Leon’s fighting style in the RE games, he favors kicks, incorporating many into his move-set, while also throwing in the occasional swing of his trusty knife, and employing a variety of other weapons, also taken from the games.

Leon’s Neutral Special is his Handgun which serves as his main projectile. Like Fox’s Blaster, the bullets Leon fires will not cause opponents to flinch, but will deal a bit more damage than the former’s lasers. This design choice is made to reflect the zombies of the classic Resident Evil games. As much as you may shoot them, the handgun will not stop them and they will continue to advance on you. Similarly, Leon’s handgun will be useful for dealing damage, but has no stopping power, forcing him to retreat or change tactics when opponents get too close. The handgun must also be reloaded after every 10 shots.

His shotgun, the Striker, hails from Resident Evil 4, serving as his Smash attacks. Unlike the Handgun, the Striker has more power, and in this case, does deal knockback, but it lacks in range by comparison. It still has a bit more range that most standard Smash attacks, but cannot be charged, always dealing a set amount of damage and knockback. The Striker must also be reloaded for every 12 shots fired.

Leon also has Grenades and the Mine Thrower (all from Resident Evil 4 as well) to help with his zoning game, and can use them to keep opponents at more of a mid-range distance. This is where he excels, being able to pepper in some projectiles and either use the short distance to quickly move in to perform a follow up attack, or retreat as the situation calls for. This reflects the general gameplay of Resident Evil 4.

Rounding off his specials are his use of herbs. Herbs are a staple of the Resident Evil series, and like in their source material, they can be used to heal Leon. However, the Green Herb Mix is his Up Special, so like Yoshi or Jigglypuff, he doesn’t necessarily have a recovery move. These herbs do help him recover in a different way though; healing a set amount of damage to prolong his survival on stage. Leon will begin matches with an herb mix ready, but will need to stop and manually prepare more to use the move again. It’s somewhat like managing one’s inventory in a Resident Evil game, but in real-time like the more recent titles.

Lastly, Leon also possesses a grapple line which he can use as a tether recovery or as a Z-AIR. Though unlike Link’s Clawshot or Samus’ Grapple Beam, it cannot be used to grab opponents. This makes it the only grounded Z-AIR, though its main purpose is of course, to be used to aid Leon in recovery. The grapple line itself comes from Resident Evil 4, where Leon only makes use of it briefly during a cutscene, to save himself from falling to his doom, much like what he’ll need it for in Smash!

Overall Leon is a slow character, reflecting the speed of characters in Resident Evil, but his attacks are fast, like Resident Evil 4 and onward. He does however also have plenty of weapons to serve as projectiles and other tools to keep opponents at a mid-range distance while peppering them with damage. He’s a generally balanced character, suffering from poor movement options, but still being capable of dishing out good damage while maintaining good spacing to manage the neutral game.

Stats

-Are they mirrored when they face left? No
-Can they crawl? No
-Can they wall jump? Yes
-Can they wall cling? No
-Number of jumps? 2
-Do they possess a tether? Yes
-Do they possess any exclusive abilities? No

-Height Class: B; around as tall as Marth.

-Weight Class: B; around as heavy as Link or ROB.

-Speed Class: D; of similar speed to Dr. Mario. Also, note that his full walking speed, and running speed aren’t too far off from each other.

Movelist

Spoiler

Entrance

Leon will already be present on stage, facing away from the camera whiling listening to Hunnigan on his radio (though this will not be audible to the players.) He will then put it away while turning around and pulling out his handgun, taking up his idle stance

Idle

Leon will stand with his handgun at the ready; his idle position in Resident Evil 4.

Idle Action A

Leon will occasionally lower his gun and leave his arms hanging at his sides, looking around for a moment before taking up his idle stance once more.

Idle Action B

Leon will hold up his gun, examining it.

Walking

Walks very slowly and cautiously. Based off his walking animation from Resident Evil 4.

Running

Leon begins to run, though still somewhat slowly. Based on his running animation from Resident Evil 4.

Jumping

Standard jump similar to the other characters, though he retains his posture, holding up his gun during his first jump, and lowering it for his second.

Falling/Damage

Leon will flinch in a similar fashion to when being hit in Resident Evil 4.

Spot Dodge

Leon will hunch over and crouch, leaning into the background. Based on his ducking animation from Resident Evil 4

Forward Roll

Leon will dive forward and roll.

Back Roll

Leon will perform a backflip. Based on his backflip from Resident Evil 4.

Neutral Jab

Leon performs 2 kicks. Based off his basic attack string from Resident Evil 6

Forward Tilt

Leon takes a swipe with his knife. This move can be angled and is based off his knife swing from Resident Evil 4. Has low knockback and is good for combos.

Up Tilt

Leon hops in place, performing a high reverse roundhouse kick. The angle of this move hits a bit in front of him and a bit above. Opponents standing close to Leon but behind him will not be affected. Useful for knocking opponents away when you need breathing room. Based off his reaction command, counter against Novistador enemies in Resident Evil 4.

Down Tilt

Leon performs a sliding kick, also ducking safely under most projectiles. Based on the slide kick from Resident Evil 6.

Dash Attack

Leon tackles opponents with his shoulder. Based on his running attack in Resident Evil 6.

Forward Smash

Leon pulls out the Striker and fires. Has range similar to Mega Man’s Charge Shot Forward Smash, but with less power.

Up Smash

Leon pulls out the Striker, aims it upwards and fires. Decent bit of range but less power than other Smash attacks.

Down Smash

Leon pulls out the Striker and aims it diagonally downwards. He then fires and quickly turns, firing behind himself as well.

Neutral Air

Leon performs a swift swipe with his knife, hitting in a wide horizontal arc around his body.

Forward Air

Leon performs a strong, high kick forward. Based on his throw escape against Ganado enemies in Resident Evil 4.

Back Air

Leon performs a reverse roundhouse kick.

Up Air

Leon falls on his back and takes aim upward, firing a single round from his handgun. The “pose” itself does damage and knockback, while the “bullet” only deals damage. Catching opponents at point blank will get you a sweet-spot.

Down Air

Leon aims his handgun straight down and fires. The “pose” itself deals damage and knockback, while the “bullet” only deals damage. Catching opponents at point blank will get you a sweet-spot.

Grab

Leon reaches for the opponent with his free hand.

Pummel

Leon knees the opponent.

Forward Throw

Leon performs his signature roundhouse kick from Resident Evil 4.

Back Throw

Leon performs a judo throw, similar to Toon Link’s. Based on the Resident Evil 4 cut scene where he dispatches the executioner Ganado.

Up Throw

Leon performs a suplex, launching opponents upward. Based on the suplex attack he can use on Salazar’s castle guards in Resident Evil 4.

Down Throw

Leon spins the opponent around and flips them onto the ground. Based on one of his follow up attacks from Resident Evil 6.

Floor Attack – Front

Leon swings his knife in a wide arc as he gets up. Loosely based on his knife swings when attacking the Plagas of El Gigante enemies in Resident Evil 4.

Floor Attack – Back

Leon performs a kip-up, hitting with his entire body as he gets up. Based on his get up animation when knocked onto his back in Resident Evil 4.

Floor Attack – Trip

Gets up, performing a low kick while crouched. Based on one of his follow up attacks from Resident Evil 6.

Edge Attack

Swipes with his knife quickly as he climbs back up.

Neutral Special 1:

Handgun

Leon pulls out his default Handgun from Resident Evil 4 and fires for as many times as the button is pressed, reloading every 10 shots. The shots fired aren’t very strong and deal no knockback, but they reach far, and there’s a slight chance that a shot will be a “critical hit”, dealing twice as much damage.


Neutral Special 2:

Punisher

Leon pulls out the Punisher from Resident Evil 4 and fires each time the button is pressed, reloading every 10 shots. Like in Resident Evil 4, the Punisher is a bit less powerful than the standard handgun, however its shots can pierce through multiple opponents. Cannot crit.


Neutral Special 3:

Blacktail

Leon pulls out the Blacktail from Resident Evil 4 and fires each time the button is pressed, reloading every 15 shots. The Blacktail has more power than the standard handgun but has a slower firing speed and slightly less range. It compensates by having a larger clip, meaning you won’t need to reload as often. Cannot crit.


Side Special 1:

Grenade

Leon pulls out a grenade, which can be cooked by holding it for a few moments before throwing it. The grenade functions like other item projectiles such as Link and Toon Link’s bombs. They can be caught by opponents, picked up off the ground, and can still hurt Leon.


Side Special 2:

Flash Grenade

Leon throws a Flash Grenade that deals no damage but stuns enemies. Has a slightly smaller blast radius compared to the normal grenade. Enemies will stay stunned for longer, the higher their damage is.


Side Special 3:

Incendiary Grenade

Leon throws an Incendiary Grenade. Has a larger blast radius and deals more damage than the normal grenade, but less explosive power, resulting in much less knockback.


Up Special 1:

Green Herb Mix


Leon has a different type of “recovery move” compared to other characters. Instead of helping him get back on stage, he can heal to keep himself from being knocked around.


This is a combination of green herbs that heal Leon for around 15 percent. However, he must then manually prepare the next mix which will require him to stop and manage his inventory, taking about 8 seconds to do so.


Up Special 2:

Red Herb Mix

This is a combination of red and green herbs that heal Leon for around 25 percent and make him slightly resistant to knockback for a short period. However, he must then manually prepare the next mix which will require him to stop and manage his inventory, taking about 12 seconds to do so.


Up Special 3:

Yellow Herb Mix

This is a combination of yellow and green herbs that heal Leon for around 20 percent and reduce the damage he takes for a short period. However, he must then manually prepare the next mix which will require him to stop and manage his inventory, taking about 10 seconds to do so.


Down Special 1:

Mine Thrower

Leon pulls out the Mine Thrower from Resident Evil 4, and launches a mine a short distance forward onto the ground. Only one mine can be on the field at any given time. Keep in mind that they can still hurt Leon.


Down Special 2:

Flamethrower

Leon pulls out a Flamethrower, based on the one available to him in Resident Evil 2. Like Charizard and Bowser, the flames will die down if you keep the attack in use for too long and will need time to recharge.


Down Special 3:

Killer 7

Leon pulls out the Killer 7 magnum from Resident Evil 4. This move is very powerful, but only has about as much range as the other Down Specials despite being a gun. In addition, the move has lots of end lag, and after 6 shots must be reloaded, which has a lengthy animation.


Final Smash:

Rocket Launcher

Leon pulls out a Rocket Launcher and fires straight ahead. The explosion deals heavy damage and knockback, and the blast radius can also damage nearby opponents. Functions somewhat similarly to Zelda’s Light Arrow or Dark Pit’s Staff. The Rocket Launcher is a staple end game weapon of the Resident Evil series. It is used in most every game to date, being acquired late in the game or right before the final boss.


Up Taunt

Leon pops his knife out, twirls it, and sheaths it again saying “Hasta luego.” This line is taken from the boss fight against Bitores Mendez in Resident Evil 4. The taunt action is very loosely based on his brief encounter with Ada in Salazar’s Castle, and Leon’s general proficiency with it.

Side Taunt

Leon pulls out a photo of Ashley and looks at it for a moment. As an Easter egg, he will occasionally pull out a photo of Rebecca Chambers. The photo of Ashley Graham is one he has in his possession throughout Resident Evil 4. The photo of Rebecca references a hidden photo of her that can be found in Resident Evil 2. To notify the player that the Easter egg version of the taunt is active, the Resident Evil 2 cursor sound effect will play.

Down Taunt

Leon exclaims “Check and mate buddy!” holding his arms out slightly at his sides. Based on his Mercenaries taunt from Resident Evil 6.


Victory Animation 1

Leon, at first in his idle pose with his gun raised, will relax and holster his gun saying “Game over.” This line is used by Leon in Resident Evil 2.

Victory Animation 2

Leon tumbles in from off screen, rolling as he lands. He then remains crouched on the ground balancing on one arm and holding up his gun in the other. Based on the animation when jumping out of windows in Resident Evil 4.

Victory Animation 3

Leon will receive a call from Hunnigan and answer his radio. A “Good work Leon!” from Hunnigan will be heard when he does so.

Aesthetics & Sound

Spoiler

When picking up items with Leon, the classic ‘pick-up item’ sound from Resident Evil will play as opposed to the usual sound that plays for the rest of the cast. Leon’s animation when picking items up will also be like that of the one used in Resident Evil 2 albeit sped up a bit. Also, to mitigate the potential of Leon’s guns and knife putting the rating at risk, they will be given sound effects like the guns used by Bayonetta, as well as the standard slash sound for his knife.

Lastly, for victory fanfare, he could use a more triumphant rendition of the first few notes of the main melody in the Raccoon City theme from Resident Evil 2, followed by the Secure Place theme which would loop in a similar fashion to the Final Fantasy VII Victory Fanfare used for Cloud.

For reference, play the Raccoon City theme, beginning at the 0:20 second mark, and pause at around the 0:29 second mark for the initial fanfare. Then play the Secure Place music, and let the track play out normally.

Costumes - No mock up images, just text. Sorry ;-;

Spoiler

00 - Default. RE4 Leon w/Bomber Jacket.

01 - Above w/o jacket.

02 - w/Bomber Jacket. Red - Ada Colors

03 - Above w/o jacket.

04 - w/Bomber Jacket. Black - Wesker Colors

05 - Above w/o jacket.

06 - w/Bomber Jacket Orange - Ashley Colors

07 - Above w/o jacket.

08 - RE2 R.P.D. Uniform

09 - Above. Red & Black - Claire Colors

10 - Above - White & Blue - Sherry Colors

11 - Above - Green - Chris Colors

12 - RE6 Leon. Tall Oaks.

13 - Above. Gray & White - Helena Colors

14 - Above. Red & Black - Ada Colors

15 - Above. White & Black - Sherry Colors

 

[Radical Larry]

Nice moveset, though if I were to be honest, Leon would not work well with the speed of Doctor Mario, nor is his Up Special a decent recovery, even if it's a healing move. It'd have to do more healing than 15 for it to be effective for Leon at an 8 second cooldown, even if similar to Cloud's Down B. I'd argue the Rocket Launcher (or Rocket Jump) could be his Up B for recovery and meteor purposes.

As well, Leon's known to be fast in the Resident Evil games, so he would likely have a speed around Bayonetta's or Corrins at lowest in the ground, with his walking speed being worse than Ganondorf's. Heck, I could argue Leon would be Toon Link levels of fast with how his running speed is in RE2, 6 and Revelations 2.

Or he could have a similar system to the Resident Evil games (prior to 5) where you get progressively slower the more damage you're given. So say like Leon is at a running speed of 2.0 at around 0 to 50% damage. At 51% damage, his running speed dips to 1.7, and around 90% damage, his running speed becomes 1.4, with his walking speed subsequently being 0.92, then 0.78, then 0.42.

 

[Kirbeh]

Nice moveset, though if I were to be honest, Leon would not work well with the speed of Doctor Mario, nor is his Up Special a decent recovery, even if it's a healing move. It'd have to do more healing than 15 for it to be effective for Leon at an 8 second cooldown, even if similar to Cloud's Down B. I'd argue the Rocket Launcher (or Rocket Jump) could be his Up B for recovery and meteor purposes.

As well, Leon's known to be fast in the Resident Evil games, so he would likely have a speed around Bayonetta's or Corrins at lowest in the ground, with his walking speed being worse than Ganondorf's. Heck, I could argue Leon would be Toon Link levels of fast with how his running speed is in RE2, 6 and Revelations 2.

Or he could have a similar system to the Resident Evil games (prior to 5) where you get progressively slower the more damage you're given. So say like Leon is at a running speed of 2.0 at around 0 to 50% damage. At 51% damage, his running speed dips to 1.7, and around 90% damage, his running speed becomes 1.4, with his walking speed subsequently being 0.92, then 0.78, then 0.42.

Good points.

I honestly didn't know whether or not to reduce the cooldown and up the damage recovery. I originally had it at 20 (Green)/ 25 (Yellow)/ 30 (Red), but thought it might be a bit broken if he could heal that much all at once. Given the cooldown though, (which I actually made longer than Cloud's Limit, which is just shy of 7 seconds at like 6.6 or so iirc), it'd probably be fine to add a bit more given how hard it'd likely be to find an opportunity to use it. Though that also calls into question whether it's a move worth having if the utility is limited to the point that most won't use it. I was hoping that the payoff would be good enough to justify it's tricky use, but wasn't sure how to make it balanced.

As for why I used a health restoration gimmick in the first place; it was kind of precisely to avoid the Rocket Jump that I've seen a few others suggest. It's certainly functional, but I wanted to leave it as the Final Smash since I feel that's more fitting both in terms of practical use and it's legacy in the games. Aside from that, I wanted to work in the herbs, given how much of a staple they are as well. I thought having a different sort of "recovery" would be fitting given the importance of healing items and the general lack of fitting options for actual recovery moves.

I know that in the modern titles, everyone can outright sprint and move around pretty quickly, but I wanted to include some aspects of classic RE as well. The characters are without a doubt fast, but the gameplay is not, or at least it wasn't in the classic titles. All things considered, I probably should have given him better speed though. It's been awhile since I last played RE2, but thinking back, the characters did actually move at reasonable speeds. Guess I've been playing REmake too much. I forgot RE characters could be more than sluggish tanks. I also wanted the slow movement to be his flaw, so as not to make him too strong given his numerous projectiles and strong melee attacks.

Lastly, I really like your damage/speed idea, but at the same time I feel like that'd be a detriment to his viability. He'd be the only character in the game to be negatively affected by damage on top of increased knockback. It'd put him at an unfair disadvantage when we have a system like rage that buffs characters at higher percents, not to mentioned other characters like Lucario and Cloud who can further capitalize on getting knocked around thanks to the Aura and Limit mechanics.

 

[Radical Larry]

I like your thought process on the first three paragraphs; that's quite insightful into you being a great idea person.

Now as for your last argument, there could easily be a big catch to Leon slowing down considerably as he takes damage, but maybe with your "recovery" idea, his recovery would actually be buffed from an Herb to a First Aid Spray, which would heal up 40% damage over 150% damage and 20% at 100% damage. However, the thing is, is that Leon can't use his Up B once activated, since it would have an additional cooldown of 4 to 6 seconds depending on how much damage he went past.

Also, there was something I was going to say, but I completely forgot about it; I don't remember what it was, but it was something related to Leon and his arsenal.

 

[Kenith]

Be able to heal at the cost of not having a proper recovery is an interesting workaround to RE characters not having a strong case for recovery moves. I kind of like it.

I think it would be better if instead of using a spray/herb he used the tablets from RE6, where the longer the input is held the more tablets he takes out and the more he heals. Up to 15%.

 

[AwesomeAussie27]

Bad news, the Resident Evil film franchise will continue with a reboot film in the future.

I had a bad feeling Resident Evil 7's success would lead to this...

 

[Yomi's Biggest Fan]

Bad news, the Resident Evil film franchise will continue with a reboot film in the future.

I had a bad feeling Resident Evil 7's success would lead to this...

What did you honestly expect.? I knew Constantin Film would pull a bait and switch like this when they hyped up the latest move as a "final chapter".

Even if Resident Evil 7 was critically acclaimed, they still would have rebooted the film franchise just for money. Hell, Alice coming back wouldn't surprise me at all since she is the Creator's Pet for the films. I doubt Capcom had any say in this, but they likely asked them to.

 

[Ridley_Prime]

Ugh... A reboot without Alice would still be a step up though at least. Paul Anderson was better before he met Milla like when he did the first Mortal Kombat film which was kick ass, but the Resident Evil movies are just a love letter to his wife to make her look cool.

I even went out and saw The Final Chapter early this year just to see how it would all end, something I mostly regret now. The films aren't even consistent with one another like with the Red Queen and things. Will say though that they've had mostly good casting choices for the main canon characters, minus maybe Leon, but Jill (both versions), Wesker (after Extinction), Ada, and such all looked spot on, but their importance was diminished because of the scripts...

 

[Radical Larry]

This isn't the thread to talk about the live action movies.
Move to another thread or make your own in a separate forums please.

 

[Ridley_Prime]

It's Resident Evil related though. Generally it's been treated as acceptable to talk about anything within a series a character is from in their respective threads, as long as it's on topic with the character in some way, which Leon was in that movie series.

But we were done talking about that now since we said our piece. No need to mini-mod.

 

[Brother AJ]

Resident Evil definitely needs a rep, and I would love for Leon to join. I had RE4 on the GC and then on the Wii, and loved it each time that I played though it. Guns are always an issue, but I suppose he could just get explosives... I doubt Sakurai would see him as creative enough now that I think about it. I just want Smash to have as many all-star gaming icons as possible.

 

[BluePikmin11]

I did not think I would ever predict this character in my time of speculating newcomers for Smash Ultimate, but here I am, finding Leon a very plausible candidate. The main reason I did not consider him was because I personally never grew up with the Resident Evil games, as I immediately avoided horror games in general. I found third parties from mature franchises like Bayonetta super possible back in the Smash 4 DLC days, but never saw a Resident Evil character as a big possibility. It was not until I thought about Sakurai’s statement in a Nintendo Dream on there not being globally popular third parties left to add in Smash:

“—Final Fantasy VII (FFVII below) has never been released on a Nintendo console, so how did Cloud end up appearing in Smash?

Sakurai: Final Fantasy (FF below) is one of the few uniquely Japanese game series revered by players around the world. I think fans across the globe have hoped a character from one of those series would appear in Smash, so it was only a matter of time. At the same time, there are only so many big-name titles we can work with at this point—mainly because we’ve covered most of those bases. Aside from the major globally-recognized franchises already featured in Smash, there really aren’t that many left.”

Among the many possible third-party characters whose franchises are world-wide known, I could only think of Simon from Castlevania, Layton from Professor Layton, and Sora from Kingdom Hearts. Dragon Quest, Yo-kai Watch, and Monster Hunter never came to me as possible due to their franchises not being very successful in the West. I decided to research more on Capcom’s franchises after finding Monster Hunter implausible. When I saw Resident Evil’s global sales, it finally dawned on me. Resident Evil is one of the few uniquely Japanese third-party series that is massively successful in both Japan and West, with over 80 million sales under the franchise’s belt.

Not only that, but I recalled seeing numerous Resident Evil characters frequently and highly requested during pre-Smash 4 speculation and the ballot period, with names like Leon Kennedy, Jill Valentine, and Nemesis coming up as RE suggestions for many casual Smash fans. With Sakurai knowing about Resident Evil serving as the final coffin of my horror game bias, I have opened up to the possibility of a RE character. Not only would a Resident Evil character serve as a possible ballot candidate, but it would also be the perfect surprise Sakurai could ever think of. If Sakurai wanted to add third-party characters from globally recognized franchises for Smash Ultimate, a Resident Evil character would serve his needs greatly. The only questions that remain is figuring out who was the most requested RE character in the Smash Ballot and if the character’s use of realistic weapons could pose a major issue for Sakurai when it comes to age rating companies like CERO and ESRB.

When it comes to finding which Resident Evil character is most suggested by Smash fans, it all comes down to Jill Valentine and Leon Kennedy. From the polls I have seen, it seems like Leon was the most requested. When asking RE supporters about the reasons why Leon could have been requested more in the ballot, there was generally one primary reason. That being Leon’s game, Resident Evil 4, being most closely associated with Nintendo fans, as the franchise had a somewhat of a close history with Nintendo with titles such as Resident Evil: Revelations and Resident Evil 2 for the N64 coming to mind. Resident Evil 4 was the most impactful in Nintendo history, which could be why many casual Smash fans would have voted for Leon the most in the ballot. The reason I chose the most popular RE character was because Sakurai did a similar situation when deciding a Final Fantasy character for Smash, with Cloud being the most requested from fans according to Sakurai:

"Sakurai: This isn’t an exact number, but among the requests for a Final Fantasy character to appear in Smash, around ¼ to ⅓ of the requests we got from fans were for Cloud. [TN1] I really wanted to answer the desires of those fans, and even though I thought it would be impossible, I reached out anyway, just to try."

Now there is only one more matter to settle. Will Leon Kennedy’s use of real weaponry prevent Sakurai from adding the character? I do not believe this will be a problem. I personally think that Sakurai’s veteran experience with incorporating characters from mature titles in Smash like Snake and Bayonetta will help him find solutions into figuring out the right weaponry to use for Leon’s moveset. Sakurai has asked for several modifications of characters from many third-party developers and creators on what abilities and tools can a character utilize in Smash. With Capcom giving Sakurai the full freedom to modify characters like Mega Man and Ryu to translate them to Smash gameplay when needed, I feel VERY sure they will find a solution.

I feel strong about Sakurai finding a solution, especially when Hideki Kamiya, one of the creators of Leon Kennedy, would be absolutely willing to lend help with figuring out moves for Leon that stays true to his character, who previously let Sakurai modify Bayonetta back in the Smash 4 DLC days. Leon just has so much distinct moveset potential and characterization (with him rooting from the horror game genre coming to mind) that makes him a stand-out character from other Smash characters, that I think Sakurai would be immensely willing to get him in Smash in any way possible. Sakurai giving up on the RE character idea is very unlikely to happen, in my perspective.

Right now, I personally feel more confident about Leon Kennedy getting in than other third-parties at the moment. I feel more confident about Leon than even Simon Belmont, whom has Vergeben and personal history with Sakurai mainly backing up his inclusion. Leon is the character I think will be Smash Ultimate’s big third-party surprise, in the same vein as Snake and Cloud. I could be wrong, but with what Sakurai said about covering the bases with adding third-party characters from globally popular game franchises, how easy it is to negotiate with Capcom and Kamiya, and the moveset potential Leon can offer, I find it VERY hard to think that Leon will not be in this Smash after what I have learned. We will know in the coming months if my assesment is right.

 

[daddledingo]

Wouldn't he kinda be like.. similar to snake though

 

[GoodGrief741]

Hell yeah I support Leon. It’s no contest who should rep RE in Smash, but even without considering an RE rep as necessary, RE4 made Leon part of Nintendo history. He’s absolutely earned his spot.

 

[Thani]

He would be a lot of fun! He has that sort of goofy campiness to him in RE4 that honestly would fit right in with Smash.

 

[Red Hood]

I remember beating RE2 on my friends N64 as a kid because I wasn't allowed to get it. Also RE4 is one of my all time favorite games, and it all started on the Gamecube! Leon is the best Resident Evil protagonist in my opinion, and he is the Resident Evil character tied closest with Nintendo! With that RE2 remake coming out I'm sure Capcom would love to promote Leon in smash! Leon being in Smash would make up for his absence in MvC and The Mercenaries 3d!

 

[Capybara Gaming]

If we're going to have a Capcom horror rep, yeah, it'd likely be from Resi, but I'd rather have Frank West to be honest.

(Still salty about the Death Battle...)

 

[Julesimanerd]

Ignore my typos, but I was too lazy to re-write all this so I just screenshotted my twitter feed. I’m all about Leon getting into SSBU

 

[lanky_gunner]

Definitely supported Leon all the way back in the Brawl days (back when RE4 was still fresh and kicked all other games out of the water), and I still support his inclusion.

Travis Touchdown and Leon are my 2 "probably won't happen, but a guy can dream, can't he?" choices, so let's see if we can get any cool surprises, shall we?

 

[Oddball]

If we're brining in resident Evil characters, I'd much rather have Jill.

Classic blue beret Stars Uniform Jill.

 

[SEGAGameBoy]

I've only played Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Resident Evil Revelations. But, I'm planning on getting Resident Evil HD for my PS4. I support!

 

[Julesimanerd]

Also, wouldn’t it be perfect if they announce Leon as a DLC character, and alongside his announcement would be an announcement for Resident Evil 4 port for Switch. I’d be alright with that

 

[verysleepywolf]

Wouldn't he kinda be like.. similar to snake though

Yeah this.

Snake can do everything Leon would be able to do. I love Resident Evil but Snake already fills that specific niche of real-world combat arts and weaponry. I'm far more an RE fan than I am a MGS fan so it pains me to admit this.

 

[Julesimanerd]

I do

Yeah this.

Snake can do everything Leon would be able to do. I love Resident Evil but Snake already fills that specific niche of real-world combat arts and weaponry. I'm far more an RE fan than I am a MGS fan so it pains me to admit this.

I disagree, that’s like saying since Cloud has a sword he’s pretty much Marth. Sakuri could easily find a move set to differentiate him from another modern day human character

 

[verysleepywolf]

Julesimanerd except Cloud's sword is the biggest in the game, he has magic materia attacks, and the limit gauge mechanic. Cloud does much more than Marth. It's a damning comparison when my point mirrors this; Snake does much more than Leon would ever be able to do.

Snake already features grenades, remote bombs, the rocket launcher, and the up-smash that shoots vertically and the side-B that can be guided. Leon has his knife and flash or incendiary grenades. But the biggest issue for Leon is that he has no interesting choice for a recovery move. You could stretch things around to make a moveset for any character work, like make Ada pop out of the air to grapple him to the stage. It's really easy. But it doesn't mean that he would be any more unique. None of the characters from Resident Evil, or any other human firearms users for that matter, have much of a place in SSB. Snake was a very special circumstance and he has that criteria covered very well.

You can never rule out any character as a choice for SSB, I understand that RE2 hype is intense right now and Capcom would love to advertise by having Leon in SSB. Capcom's big three genre kings all being in SSB has some luster for sure. But Sakurai has an artistic mind and I think there are lots of other characters that are more creative than Leon that he would rather work on instead. Leon is just not a smash character.

 

[lanky_gunner]

Leon = Snake Echo?

I actually think there is enough to differentiate between the two. I feel Leon would have more powerful close-quarters moves while his weapons take a back seat compared to how much Snake uses them.

The cool part is we already have Leon's VA in Smash in the form of Chrom.

 

[BluePikmin11]

I do not think Sakurai will have a hard time distinguishing Leon from Snake in terms of creating a moveset. Characterization, genre, and personality-wise, Leon is a very different beast from a very different atmosphere. The only difficulty that Sakurai would face is figuring out which weapons to use that would best fit Leon. Figuring out which weapons to use that are not knives, automatic weapons, and realistic guns that best showcases Leon would not be that hard. Sakurai has done as much research as he can to make faithful movesets for newcomers, like paying attention to the movements of real boxers to get a feel of how Little Mac's moveset should be implemented in Smash 4. I cannot imagine a situation where Sakurai would be cornered about implementing a character like Leon, unless it concerns characters whose gameplay mechanics cannot be easily transferrable like Heihachi's Tekken movement in Smash gameplay.

 

[Superstar Saga]

Since MegaMan is made by Capcom and so is Resident Evil, Leon has a shot. The M rating isn't a problem because look at Bayonetta. Also RE4 was a gamecube exclusive for a while, and also came out on Wii. Leon also can use Melee attacks, and Guns could relate to his other moves.

 

[Captain Shades]

Seeing as how Leon hasn’t even been in an MvC game, I doubt his chances. Jill Valentine would probably be the representative for Resident Evil since her games are on Switch and she’s basically considered the main character of the franchise, but that’s just me.