Heir to the Monado. Shulk General Discussion/Social Thread

[MetalMario128]

How popular are the other Xenoblade characters?
If X is truly a Xenoblade sequel, then I expect the appearance of Nopon. The are the cute, mascot type characters similar in vain of Moogles in Final Fantasy.


He could work as an Assist Trophy. His RPG role is the debuff character. He could make monsters receive statuses like bleed, poison, burn, freeze, etc. I bet this can translate well into being an Assist Trophy in Smash.
If Xenoblade is fully represented, I bet the other major characters will get Trophies at least.


[collapse=Xenoblade spoilers!]I only played as Dunban when he had the Monado. After that, I strictly used Shulk.
I used Reyn when I was forced to after a certain moment.[/collapse]

[collapse=Xenoblade spoilers!]Ah, right. I played as him then and during that battle with the human enemies that Shulk did 1 damage to.[/collapse]

 

[FlareHabanero]

How popular are the other Xenoblade characters?

From what I've seen on Pixiv at least, fans really love Riki and Melia.
Shulk is universally liked.
Fiora is also a favorite.
It seems like Reyn has more popularity in the west, probably due to the memes.
Dunban seems to be generally neutral, though I think he's more popular in Japan.
Sharla seems to be sort of... there.

 

[Chaosmaster8753]

What kind of Mechon enemies would you guys want for Smash Run?

 

[SomewhatMystia]

[collapse=Xenoblade spoilers!]Ah, right. I played as him then and during that battle with the human enemies that Shulk did 1 damage to.[/collapse]

On one hand, I'm a bit sad that I spoiled myself on that by actually reading the notification email for once.

On the *other* hand, I'm really glad that this particular aspect of Shulk wasn't just for a single cutscene.

[collapse=Xenoblade spoiler]Even though I'm not 100% certain you could call Mumkhar a hom/human at that point.[/collapse]

Also, I could actually see Riki as an assist. I mean, most of the status things he has (except maybe burning, because I *think?* that's just a visual thing in Smash) are around in Smash anyway. It'd be neat to see an assist that's kind of random in what moves they use, to be honest.

What kind of Mechon enemies would you guys want for Smash Run?

I'd imagine we'd get the flying ones or the generic humanoid/bipedal ones. I would be totally okay with the particularly large ones that patrol certain areas, though.

 

[BlastState]

Count me in as a supporter of Shulk. Not only do I love it when RPG characters get Smash representation,but I believe Shulk's inclusion is an excellent opportunity for Sakurai to showcase one of Nintendo's more recent IPs, with X's release over the horizon. Shulk's my third-most wanted newcomer, after Palutena and Mega Man (Confirmed), so I believe it's about time Mario and co. know Shulk's name.

 

[SkittleE]

There was only one battle I used anyone other than Shulk in, and for that I used Dunban.

At the beginning of the game I used Reyn because I didn't understand the concept of waiting until an opportune time to use your arts and Reyn could take a lot of hits. Then after the Cylinder Hangar I only used Shulk up until the return to the Bionis Interior (which I don't count as a spoiler because anyone could tell you'd be returning if they took one look at the collectapedia - which I admittedly didn't know existed until endgame), when I absolutely had to use Melia to get past the friggin' boss, and then learned how much fun she was. Then I used her up until the third phase of the final boss, at which point I switched back to Shulk for obvious reasons. I switched it up more in NG+ and my other file.

From what I've seen on Pixiv at least, fans really love Riki and Melia.
Shulk is universally liked.
Fiora is also a favorite.
It seems like Reyn has more popularity in the west, probably due to the memes.
Dunban seems to be generally neutral, though I think he's more popular in Japan.
Sharla seems to be sort of... there.

I can certainly understand the Melia love, she's my second favorite character after Alvis. Girl gets the short end of the stick again and again and again (I stand firm that they cut out a part of the game where her Dobercorgi gets run over by the Mobile Artillery), and keeps getting back up and being generally awesome. I don't understand the Fiora love, though. She always seemed a bit annoying, for lack of being able to call her more things without swearing. I wish Sharla got more love, she's so cool. She shoots people to heal them, that's pretty damn cool.

Spoiler: Spoilers if you haven't beaten Galahad Fortress, and a bit of predictable stuff from Agniratha.

What really annoys me about Fiora is that she's such a useful party member, and really not a bad character, but instead of having her live up to the amazing potential she had, she became all about "Protecting Shulk". It wasn't the imminent genocide of four sentient races and countless creatures on Bionis that motivated her, it was a boy. You'd think at least she could have formed some sort of friendship with Meyneth or something and that could have been part of her reasons, but nope, gotta' stick with Shulk. Shulk's great, and I get that, but he shouldn't be her entire voiced reason for saving Bionis. I'll stop now before I manage to get even more ranty, because I can and will. I'll just say that Fiora had so much potential that they completely wasted, without even getting into her and Shulk's crappy relationship.

 

[SomewhatMystia]

Played a bit more of Xenoblade, just beat Galahad Fortress, hoping I can go back or get some of the collectibles from there for Colony 6.

Speaking of colonies, I feel like Colony 9 could make a neat stage, especially if it was during the stuff that happens early on and they put the dude behind that stuff in as a stage boss. Hell, I could see that being an event.

Drive Metal Face away from Colony 9 as Shulk and get a trophy or somethin'.

 

[GuyWithTheFace]

I can certainly understand the Melia love, she's my second favorite character after Alvis. Girl gets the short end of the stick again and again and again (I stand firm that they cut out a part of the game where her Dobercorgi gets run over by the Mobile Artillery), and keeps getting back up and being generally awesome. I don't understand the Fiora love, though. She always seemed a bit annoying, for lack of being able to call her more things without swearing. I wish Sharla got more love, she's so cool. She shoots people to heal them, that's pretty damn cool.

Spoiler: Spoilers if you haven't beaten Galahad Fortress, and a bit of predictable stuff from Agniratha.

What really annoys me about Fiora is that she's such a useful party member, and really not a bad character, but instead of having her live up to the amazing potential she had, she became all about "Protecting Shulk". It wasn't the imminent genocide of four sentient races and countless creatures on Bionis that motivated her, it was a boy. You'd think at least she could have formed some sort of friendship with Meyneth or something and that could have been part of her reasons, but nope, gotta' stick with Shulk. Shulk's great, and I get that, but he shouldn't be her entire voiced reason for saving Bionis. I'll stop now before I manage to get even more ranty, because I can and will. I'll just say that Fiora had so much potential that they completely wasted, without even getting into her and Shulk's crappy relationship.

Totally agreed, I'm also a huge Melia fan. She and Dunban are my two favorites. What really struck me about Melia was the fact that she was a strong, non fanservicey, feminine character. A lot of times, people making games, or really any kind of media, will write a woman as either a dainty flower that needs protecting (see: Princess Peach) or just a man with boobs. People like both of those tropes exist, and there's nothing wrong with writing a character like that, but the ideas seem so tired to me. Melia wasn't either. She was very posh and feminine, and it was an important part of her personality. She'll still utterly destroy you if you cross her. Ever notice how she's often the first party member to attack a boss in a cutscene? Or how, no matter what happens to her over the course of the game, she remains strong to keep the morale of her friends and her people up?

Spoiler: Spoilers if you haven't beaten the return to Bionis' Interior.

Even better, near the end, she finally realizes she doesn't need to maintain that facade. She has some genuine character development, in that she finally learns to express her emotions around her friends. It's one of the best moments of the game, I think, when she breaks down and hugs Riki after Kallian's death. It's her learning that being a strong leader doesn't mean hiding her emotions, and finally learning to trust the people she's come to know as friends. Remember, she spent her whole life mostly friendless and learning to wear a mask, both literally and figuratively. Breaking that is just such a great moment.
All in all, she's just such an amazingly written character. Oh, and I also agree on Fiora.

 

[Banjodorf]

From what I've seen on Pixiv at least, fans really love Riki and Melia.
Shulk is universally liked.
Fiora is also a favorite.
It seems like Reyn has more popularity in the west, probably due to the memes.
Dunban seems to be generally neutral, though I think he's more popular in Japan.
Sharla seems to be sort of... there.

Poor Sharla. It's funny because I pretty much felt this way. Every character in the game was amazing to me, except for Sharla who, while I respected her personal struggle and wanted to help her out, just kinda felt like she was...there, the whole time. Still good, just like everything else in the game, but just...there, compared to the rest of the cast. I was even more involved with Mumkhar, Egil and a certain spoilery major character than Sharla.

On the topic of trophies, series like Pikmin and FE had a bunch of random things chosen for trophies. If Xenoblade doesn't get at least the other PCs as trophies, (hell, I'd be surprised if Dixon, Mumkhar, Egil, the three obviously important beings, and some others didn't get trophies.) The main characters are a must though, an absolute must.

 

[GuyWithTheFace]

Spoiler: Endgame spoilers

Random thought, but I feel like there needs to be an event match where Shulk fights Rosalina, Pit, and Palutena. "Event 17: Create a world with no need for Gods!"

 

[Hype Train]

Spoiler: Spoilers if you haven't beaten Galahad Fortress, and a bit of predictable stuff from Agniratha.

What really annoys me about Fiora is that she's such a useful party member, and really not a bad character, but instead of having her live up to the amazing potential she had, she became all about "Protecting Shulk". It wasn't the imminent genocide of four sentient races and countless creatures on Bionis that motivated her, it was a boy. You'd think at least she could have formed some sort of friendship with Meyneth or something and that could have been part of her reasons, but nope, gotta' stick with Shulk. Shulk's great, and I get that, but he shouldn't be her entire voiced reason for saving Bionis. I'll stop now before I manage to get even more ranty, because I can and will. I'll just say that Fiora had so much potential that they completely wasted, without even getting into her and Shulk's crappy relationship.

Spoiler

I disagree, protecting Shulk is a big motivator for Fiora (which, by the way, I find really sweet), but that's definitely not the only reason she has for choosing to fight! I think by the time you fight Zanza, it's sort of assumed that everyone is fighting for the sake of the world. Even then, she pretty much says it herself here (thank you, Xenoblade Wikia!):

Meyneth: Zanza. If you choose to deny the existence of every living being but yourself, then I choose to fight. To fight for them!
Fiora: That's right! We won't let you erase everyone's futures!

Besides that, I always had the impression that she had a really strong bond with Meyneth. Honestly, I find it odd that you don't think so. Fiora's always talking about how she wants to help Meyneth with whatever problems she has and how she's fine with lending Meyneth her body (actually, she's thankful for it!) And, I may be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure Fiora cites wanting to fulfill Meyneth's wish/sacrifice at one point in the game, but that might have just been Shulk. Either way, I think you're really underselling Fiora here. Melia is inspiring, but Fiora is just really cool, if you ask me.

 

[SmashChu]

Poor Sharla. It's funny because I pretty much felt this way. Every character in the game was amazing to me, except for Sharla who, while I respected her personal struggle and wanted to help her out, just kinda felt like she was...there, the whole time. Still good, just like everything else in the game, but just...there, compared to the rest of the cast. I was even more involved with Mumkhar, Egil and a certain spoilery major character than Sharla.

On the topic of trophies, series like Pikmin and FE had a bunch of random things chosen for trophies. If Xenoblade doesn't get at least the other PCs as trophies, (hell, I'd be surprised if Dixon, Mumkhar, Egil, the three obviously important beings, and some others didn't get trophies.) The main characters are a must though, an absolute must.

Sharla was really the best character. She wasn't super magical or had crazy powers. She was just someone who loved her brother and wanted to find her future husband. She's smart, level headed but still determined. She didn't have to be special and that's what made her awesome.

 

[Groose]

Spoiler: Endgame spoilers

Random thought, but I feel like there needs to be an event match where Shulk fights Rosalina, Pit, and Palutena. "Event 17: Create a world with no need for Gods!"

Spoiler: Endgame spoilers

[collapse=More Endgame Spoilers, but for Kid Icarus: Uprising, too!]
My dream matchup is Shulk vs. Hades. Hades is essentially Zanza's arrogance crossed with a savage, trollish personality. I can just imagine the banter.
[/collapse]

 

[Banjodorf]

Sharla was really the best character. She wasn't super magical or had crazy powers. She was just someone who loved her brother and wanted to find her future husband. She's smart, level headed but still determined. She didn't have to be special and that's what made her awesome.

If that's the sort of character you're into. Extremely simple characters have never been my favorite, though.

 

[GuyWithTheFace]

[collapse=More Endgame Spoilers, but for Kid Icarus: Uprising, too!]
My dream matchup is Shulk vs. Hades. Hades is essentially Zanza's arrogance crossed with a savage, trollish personality. I can just imagine the banter.
[/collapse]

Spoiler: KI:U Spoilers, as well as Xenoblade ones

Oh man, Hades is one of my favorite Nintendo villains. He's just such a hammy, snarky jerk! I love him. Imagine if we had a story mode this time, with Hades and Zanza teaming up. There would just be so much arrogance. I'm just really hoping Hades gets some cameo in a Kid Icarus stage.

 

[Spazzy_D]

Poor Sharla. It's funny because I pretty much felt this way. Every character in the game was amazing to me, except for Sharla who, while I respected her personal struggle and wanted to help her out, just kinda felt like she was...there, the whole time. Still good, just like everything else in the game, but just...there, compared to the rest of the cast. I was even more involved with Mumkhar, Egil and a certain spoilery major character than Sharla.

On the topic of trophies, series like Pikmin and FE had a bunch of random things chosen for trophies. If Xenoblade doesn't get at least the other PCs as trophies, (hell, I'd be surprised if Dixon, Mumkhar, Egil, the three obviously important beings, and some others didn't get trophies.) The main characters are a must though, an absolute must.

Alvis also gets a trophy for sure. I wouldn't put Dixon, Mumkhar, Egil, or any other non-party character in front of him in importance.

EDIT:

Spoiler

Ah, I think you meant him in the next statement (the three important characters- the monados), misread it.

Spoiler: Spoilers if you haven't beaten Galahad Fortress, and a bit of predictable stuff from Agniratha.

What really annoys me about Fiora is that she's such a useful party member, and really not a bad character, but instead of having her live up to the amazing potential she had, she became all about "Protecting Shulk". It wasn't the imminent genocide of four sentient races and countless creatures on Bionis that motivated her, it was a boy. You'd think at least she could have formed some sort of friendship with Meyneth or something and that could have been part of her reasons, but nope, gotta' stick with Shulk. Shulk's great, and I get that, but he shouldn't be her entire voiced reason for saving Bionis. I'll stop now before I manage to get even more ranty, because I can and will. I'll just say that Fiora had so much potential that they completely wasted, without even getting into her and Shulk's crappy relationship.

Spoiler

Well.... Shulk was just as bad as Fiora in that regard. When the emperor wanted to know his reasons for going to Prison Island, it had nothing to do with helping the people of Bionis. He just wanted to kill the Mechons that killed Fiora. When you honestly think about it, he spent half of the game hell bent on getting revenge for her apparent death and the next quarter obsessing over getting her back.

 

[foolssigma]

The E3 Information reveals may be hype, but they're not as exciting as starting another playthrough of Xenoblade, which is what I'm doing right now.

well... I don't think I can be any more hyped for E3

 

[Deleted member]

I'm hyped for E3, yet I'm scared for it at the same time...
I'm cautiously optimistic for it. Hopefully, we will see the Monado Boy be revealed as a playable character.

 

[DaDavid]

I really hope that, Shulk or not, we get the full roster revealed at or around E3 so that I won't have to keep wondering if he is in or not leading up to launch. I'd like to just know already haha.

 

[Raetah]

If that's the sort of character you're into. Extremely simple characters have never been my favorite, though.

Because the complexity of Ike is just devastating.

Also... If im just curious about this...
I readed that Monolith Soft confirmed that X is not related to Xenoblade, if that is the case.
Why i keep reading X arguments?

 

[Deleted member]

@ SmashChu or any moderator, since we are nearing E3, I request that the title of the thread to be changed to, "Heir to the Monado. Shulk for SSB4. Will They Know His Name?"

I really hope that, Shulk or not, we get the full roster revealed at or around E3 so that I won't have to keep wondering if he is in or not leading up to launch. I'd like to just know already haha.

Same. I rather be excited or disappointed now rather than later. I wouldn't mind it if the whole roster was leaked or was revealed at E3.

Also... If im just curious about this...
I readed that Monolith Soft confirmed that X is not related to Xenoblade, if that is the case.
Why i keep reading X arguments?

X is carrying the torch that Xenoblade is passing on and due to the Shulk look-alike at the end of one of the trailers, people are speculating that if that character is Shulk and if this is a Xenoblade sequel despite what Monolith Soft said. You know how secretive some of these companies are.
It's a pretty big deal that X is being promoted by Nintendo since they realize that this is their next big IP. Hopefully, we will see Xenoblade go among the ranks of Mario, Zelda, Smash, Kirby, Metroid, Pokemon, and Donkey Kong as one of their biggest franchises.
Personally, I think that X is a Xenoblade sequel or is at least a spiritual successor.

 

[Raetah]

X is carrying the torch that Xenoblade is passing on and due to the Shulk look-alike at the end of one of the trailers, people are speculating that if that character is Shulk and if this is a Xenoblade sequel despite what Monolith Soft said. You know how secretive some of these companies are.

As i said many times in the past, if X is a sequel of Xenoblade there are many reasons to reveal that from the beginning and i cannot imagine worthy reason to the opposite. For that i suspected that X was not directly related to Xenoblade at all.

It's a pretty big deal that X is being promoted by Nintendo since they realize that this is their next big IP.

Nintendo is not going to miss a single chance to promote Wii U or Wii U products.

Hopefully, we will see Xenoblade go among the ranks of Mario, Zelda, Smash, Kirby, Metroid, Pokemon, and Donkey Kong as one of their biggest franchises.

You are aiming way too high. Between Mario and Xenoblade there more than two dozens of franchises. X is probably going to have a hard time due Wii U current situation.

 

[Deleted member]

As i said many times in the past, if X is a sequel of Xenoblade there are many reasons to reveal that from the beginning and i cannot imagine worthy reason to the opposite. For that i suspected that X was not directly related to Xenoblade at all.

I don't know what Monolith is like in terms of their thinking. Something tells me that they are hiding some major details from the audience. We barely know the game and I expect more information at E3 to shed some light.

Nintendo is not going to miss a single chance to promote Wii U or Wii U products.

Of course, but this game is getting major promotion. With a company like Nintendo and the situation that was Operation Rainfall, you think that they would put it on the back-burner and disregard it. Despite how bad Xenoblade's sales looked, the game was successful enough for Monolith to make a sequel.
Nintendo knows how big this series can become. With proper promotion, they could make Xenoblade one of their flagship titles.

You are aiming way too high. Between Mario and Xenoblade there more than two dozens of franchises. X is probably going to have a hard time due Wii U current situation.

You just have to believe!!! I might be aiming way too high yeah, but I'm optimistic that this game will at least be successful.

 

[dezeray112]

I've been playing Xenoblade Chronicles for the past few days and I'm loving it!

I would be very happy if Shulk is included in SSB Wii U/3DS.

 

[SmashChu]

@ SmashChu or any moderator, since we are nearing E3, I request that the title of the thread to be changed to, "Heir to the Monado. Shulk for SSB4. Will They Know His Name?"

Clever, but maybe a little tacky. I might set up a poll and see what you all think though.

 

[SmashChu]

If that's the sort of character you're into. Extremely simple characters have never been my favorite, though.

Well, think of the reverse. My least character is Seven. She's a character that is made to be super special. She loves the main character, has super natural powers and is basically a god. She also becomes cliche when she becomes self sacrificing and overly nice. Sharla is awesome because she feels real. Her struggle is real. Her character is real. The first 6 characters are great. Seven is eh at best.

 

[GM_3826]

You know, it's not done too much anymore, but creators of fiction really do lie when it comes to their fiction occasionally, mainly to incite excitement when the lie is revealed. For example, the creator of Star Trek lied that Khan wasn't in the first Star Trek movie, despite most people knowing nowadays that he was and he was relevant. Knowing that, it's possible that since everyone knows it's a Xenoblade sequel, they lie that it's not a Xenoblade sequel. It'd be a really ****ty move, since news on the Internet spreads fast nowadays, but it also would be if it wasn't. So, who knows?

 

[SomewhatMystia]

Well, think of the reverse. My least character is Seven. She's a character that is made to be super special. She loves the main character, has super natural powers and is basically a god. She also becomes cliche when she becomes self sacrificing and overly nice. Sharla is awesome because she feels real. Her struggle is real. Her character is real. The first 6 characters are great. Seven is eh at best.

My biggest problem with seven is that her arts are weirdly scattered (a handful of ether, physical, and even some buff/support/tank ones) and she's not terribly fun to play as.

Also, something I've noticed in a lot of the cutscenes in this game: They do some REALLY nice stuff with the eyes, especially considering that the character models aren't the best in the world.

 

[Sol_Vent]

I was kinda disappointed with how Seven turned out as a character. At first I was pretty sure she was going to be one of my favorite characters if not my favorite, but I wasn't that happy with the design change and her development. That said, she still is one of my favorite characters because she was awesome in battle, and gameplay is always the number one thing I consider to be important when ranking game characters.

Riki is probably my least favorite, but that might be because I never really figured him out.

 

[FirstBlade]

I was kinda disappointed with how Seven turned out as a character. At first I was pretty sure she was going to be one of my favorite characters if not my favorite, but I wasn't that happy with the design change and her development. That said, she still is one of my favorite characters because she was awesome in battle, and gameplay is always the number one thing I consider to be important when ranking game characters.

Riki is probably my least favorite, but that might be because I never really figured him out.

I didn't think that was possible.

 

[GuyWithTheFace]

Where was it said that X wasn't a direct sequel, anyways? I thought they were more "no comment" on that, no?

 

[Banjodorf]

Because the complexity of Ike is just devastating.

Also... If im just curious about this...
I readed that Monolith Soft confirmed that X is not related to Xenoblade, if that is the case.
Why i keep reading X arguments?

Well, technically, Ike is a pretty complex character, much more than any other Fire Emblem protagonist at the least, if you've actually played PoR. However, I fail to see what this has to do with Shulk, or why my personal tastes offend anyone.

As for the actual quoted post, I don't think anything has really been stated about X outside of what we've seen from Directs.

 

[Severn]

My biggest problem with seven is that her arts are weirdly scattered (a handful of ether, physical, and even some buff/support/tank ones) and she's not terribly fun to play as.

Spoiler

Seven isn't my favorite character personality wise, but she is my favorite character battle-wise. She is probably the most versatile character in the game and has been my main through my 2 play throughs of the game once I get her. She has many different arts but you're supposed to pick a set. There are many different types of her you can have, imo she is probably one of the most unique out of the characters.

I wasn't disappointed that seven was a playable character, but I was slightly disappointed that there was no machina character. If you notice at the end of the game someone (I think it was Alvis) pointed out that the group is a mix of races. To me that would be completely true if there was a machina among the party then it would really be a group with all the races.

 

[Second Power]

As i said many times in the past, if X is a sequel of Xenoblade there are many reasons to reveal that from the beginning and i cannot imagine worthy reason to the opposite. For that i suspected that X was not directly related to Xenoblade at all.

The fact that the two games are related could be a plot twist. This is a Monolith Soft game we're talking about, they love those twists.

 

[SkittleE]

Well, think of the reverse. My least character is Seven. She's a character that is made to be super special. She loves the main character, has super natural powers and is basically a god. She also becomes cliche when she becomes self sacrificing and overly nice. Sharla is awesome because she feels real. Her struggle is real. Her character is real. The first 6 characters are great. Seven is eh at best.

Aha, you said what I wanted to say about Seven without taking forever and a day to get it out like I would have, I appreciate that. I'm not a big fan at all of Seven as a character, but Seven is really useful to have in the party. I like her versatility, and her + Dunban + Melia/Shulk makes for some insane butt-kicking.

Where was it said that X wasn't a direct sequel, anyways? I thought they were more "no comment" on that, no?

Yeah, I haven't heard anything about that. Mind you, I get the majority of my gaming news from a few forums, but I'm quite certain that if Monolith had confirmed that X isn't a sequel to Xenoblade, it would have been all over this thread.

 

[Booster]

I would be surprised if Shulk wasn't put in the game But I am surprised Wii Fit Trainer is going to be in the game it makes no sense, Xenoblade is still pretty popular and X is coming out soon If Wii Fit Trainer made it and he doesn't make it I'll eat somebody's kids

 

[SkittleE]

Oh c'mon, what's with all the hate towards the Wii Fit Trainer? She's certainly an interesting choice and unique character, no?

 

[Deleted member]

One week until E3... my heart is racing right now.

Oh c'mon, what's with all the hate towards the Wii Fit Trainer? She's certainly an interesting choice and unique character, no?

Ehh. She's an interesting choice, but I think the hate stems from how Wii Fit Trainer, a character who no one demanded, got in. I don't mind her, but I find her to be boring.

 

[Leafeon523]

I just don't get why Shulk is so widely predicted outside of the Gematsu leak. We have never had a character that has appeared in simply one game before, so what sets Shulk apart? His game was only localized sue to fan petitioning anyway. I'm not saying I don't understand why he is wanted (anyone who calls him "just antoher swordsman" has never even Googled Xenoblade), I just don't get why people think he is all but confirmed.
P.S. Pls no spoilers

 

[Deleted member]

I just don't get why Shulk is so widely predicted outside of the Gematsu leak. We have never had a character that has appeared in simply one game before, so what sets Shulk apart? His game was only localized sue to fan petitioning anyway. I'm not saying I don't understand why he is wanted (anyone who calls him "just antoher swordsman" has never even Googled Xenoblade), I just don't get why people think he is all but confirmed.
P.S. Pls no spoilers

1. He barely has any competition. You can throw Isaac at me, but I don't see these two as competing. They're blond, RPG protagonists, but they are vastly different in who they are and how they could play.
2. He's not considered too new. If Greninja helped Shulk in a major way, it is to show that Sakurai doesn't have some sort of rule about "He appeared in one game four years ago, he shouldn't be in Smash." Even if such a bogus argument existed, Pokemon shouldn't be the exception.
3. Monolith Soft has been incredibly active in Nintendo's games. Heck, even Sakurai has worked with Monolith Soft during the development of Brawl. I'm pretty sure that Monolith would request to Sakurai to put Shulk in Smash or vice versa. Getting the rights to him and everything Xenoblade shouldn't be hard at all. Even then, he would not only represent Xenoblade (a fantastic game), but also the brand new relationship that Nintendo and Monolith have.
4. Sakurai acknowledges Xenoblade and he might be a fan of it. While I don't take the Monado pic as, "OMG! SHULK CONFIRMED!!!1!", it suggests that perhaps Sakurai considered Shulk. Even Assist Trophies had to be considered at one point, like Dillon.
5. He isn't generic by any means. He promotes uniqueness thanks to the Monado and its abilities. It isn't the Falchion, Marth's sword. The Monado has mythical abilities like extending its beam for more damage, create cyclones, create shields to protect the party, among other things; these are his Monado Arts. Shulk also has his own set of Arts like Back Slash, Slit Edge, Stream Edge, Air Slash, and Shaker Edge, which would all work well in Smash.
6. With Nintendo themselves acknowledging the popularity of Xenoblade, they might want to promote it. They recognize the beneficial sales that they got as well as the fanbase behind it. They will probably promote the Xeno series as their next major, RPG franchise. If they didn't, then I doubt X would get any attention from Nintendo. They could have left it in the back burner to die or forget about like most of their franchises, but they are embracing Xenoblade and what it could bring.
7. He is one of the most requested characters worldwide. Sure, his demand is edged out by several characters in other areas, but he shouldn't go unnoticed. He is especially a powerhouse in Japan as he is definitely within their top five most requested characters. This is a character that Sakurai cannot ignore. Don't even get me started on Operation Rainfall and how they got recognized for demanding to bring Xenoblade in other areas.
8. He's obscure you say? Tell that to Little Mac, who casuals nowadays don't even know who he is. Fan demand plays a major role. He isn't known by casuals, but his demand and popularity will outshine all of that.
9. He appeared in one game yes, but that should be negligible when we already have one-offs in Smash. Ness is a one-off and yet he got in Smash since the very beginning.

I've made a giant, more detailed post as to why Shulk is one of the most likely characters for Smash 4 in Rate Their Chances.
You can find it here.

Shulk doesn't need the Gematsu leak to show how much of a likely contender he is.
He isn't highly predicted just because of the Gematsu leak. He has one major point that all of the points that I've mentioned are connected to; his merits. He has so much going for him and yet very little against him.
Honestly, I find Shulk's chances to be incredibly underrated by most people. It just took some time until the Gematsu leak where people finally realized that.
Is he a shoo-in? No. But is he a character who has incredibly strong chances? Of course. Don't doubt the power of the Monado!

As to why I want Shulk, it's not just because he makes sense, the fact that I love Xenoblade, and because I find him unique. I really enjoyed Shulk as a character. As I was playing Xenoblade, I felt like I could connect with Shulk and his experiences in the game. It's because of the fact that I can relate to him, how I loved Xenoblade, how he beautifully fits in Smash, and how I find him unique is what makes me want him. He is one of my favorite video game characters of all-time and he skyrocketed as my most wanted newcomer for a reason.

Hopefully the Monado will lend us its power at E3!