Official Next Smash - Speculation & Discussion Thread

[LiveStudioAudience]

The thing with LoZ representation is that in some ways it feels the most tied to 64/Melee mentality with fighters. Multiple variations of a pretty standard Link to reflect the (then) smaller franchise cast, a Zelda moveeset very much drawn from the somewhat limited elements seen in the games at that point, a Ganondorf acting as a clone of another fighter because that was the most practical way to include him, and a Shiek inclusion because they were one of the few very iconic figures that wasn't (entirely) part of the Tri-Force trio. Toon Link is a bit of outlier in some respects, almost feeling like the estuary between two eras of Smash in a lot of ways.

Now there's nothing wrong with any of this objectively; it just starts feel a bit weird the longer time goes on and more expansive and very (however one defines it) faithful fighters from other IP's end up populating the roster. All while LoZ to a subset some fans feel like a very impressive effort... for another era in Smash rather than the current one.

 

[Verde Coeden Scalesworth]

Tingle is easily one of my big choices for a Zelda newcomer. But yeah, timing is not great when he has little use beyond cameos.

Pig Ganon and Impa are still great choices alone, though. All three can bring quite a lot of uniqueness to the table, after all~

 

[Sucumbio]

I think Tingle just missed his chance. He’s not really a big deal these days, and his AT was removed even (maybe just because of Great Bay? I’m really not that sure). I’m not sure people even hate him as passionately as they used to, but it would be a weird time to introduce him now without the sufficient roles or popularity backing him. 10+ years ago it could have happened.

I always thought they pulled Tingle as an AT because of Skull Kid being so similar in terms of what they do (interrupt gameplay, reverse controls etc)

 

[Perkilator]

What new stages might people want to see?

Here’s my list for anyone interested:

• Flower Kingdom (Mario Wonder)
• Bowser’s Castle (composite design)
• Waluigi Pinball (Mario Kart DS)
• Last Resort (Luigi’s Mansion)
• Gang-Plank Galleon (Donkey Kong Country)
• Great Sky Island (Tears of the Kingdom)
• Tal Tal Heights (Link’s Awakening)
• Ferenia (Metroid Dread)
• Chozo Temple (Metroid Prime)
• Waddle Dee Town (Kirby and the Forgotten Land)
• Ethereal Altar (Magolor Epilogue)
• Wyndon Stadium (Pokémon Sword and Shield)
• Area Zero (Pokémon Scarlet and Violet)
• Casino Palace (F-ZERO GX)
• Condor’s Peak (Ice Climber)
• Tower of Guidance (Radiant Dawn)
• Somniel (Fire Emblem Engage)
• A stage based on WarioWare: Get It Together
• Golden Pyramid (Wario Land 4)
• Sun-Speckled Terrace (Pikmin 4)
• Gyromite
• A stage based on Animal Crossing: New Horizons
• Aionios (Xenoblade Chronicles 3)
• Splatlands (Splatoon 3)
• Ramen Bowl (ARMS)
• Harmony Square (Astral Chain)
• Transient Temple (Ring Fit Adventure)
• Starfall Islands (Sonic Frontiers)
• Gear Fortress (Mega Man 11)
• Battle Harbor (Street Fighter II)
• Geese Tower (Fatal Fury)
• Into the Stratosphere (Tekken 8)

 

[Hadokeyblade]

I hope Toon Link doesnt get cut.

He's the last remnant of a bygone era.

 

[Undella2]

I hope Toon Link doesnt get cut.

He's the last remnant of a bygone era.

In what way? The fact he's an alternate version of another character that is different enough to have a separate CSS slot?

 

[Hadokeyblade]

In what way? The fact he's an alternate version of another character that is different enough to have a separate CSS slot?

Its because they dont make games with Toon Links face anymore.

 

[Shinuto]

KOS-MOS needs to be in Smash so I can kill Bowser, Palutena, and Steve with "R-Dragon!"

 

[DarthEnderX]

Its because they dont make games with Toon Links face anymore.

Stupid Toy Link...stealing Toon Link's spotlight...

 

[Noipoi]

What if Toy Link replaces Toon Link?

There must always be one small Link, after all.

 

[Perkilator]

I know you'll all hate me for this, but I think I'd like to go at least one new Smash game without a smaller Link.

 

[Undella2]

I know you'll all hate me for this, but I think I'd like to go at least one new Smash game without a smaller Link.

The monkey's paw curls...

...next game has a bigger Link (it's the goron named Link from ocarina of time).

 

[Verde Coeden Scalesworth]

Toon Link stopped seeing use a looooong time ago. In 2015. LA Switch came out in 2019 as well. Otherwise, we had BOTW and TOTK(which the Adult Link here was more cartoony, and if anything, is probably the closest we had to stealing Toon Link's thunder).

But yeah, the design also wasn't used in ALBW, the topdown game between Spirit Tracks and Triforce Heroes. Being a sequel to ALTTP, it used something closer to its style(just more 3D).

Toy Link is just a completely new design, and either way, not used that much. Two games hardly steals someone's thunder, especially when the first one is a remake. And the second one doesn't even star Link, but Zelda. We don't even know if it's going to see heavy usage yet. It might just be for remakes/other character starring roles. Or it could be the all new style. Who knows~

 

[Noipoi]

Toy Link should be Pichu sized

 

[Hadokeyblade]

What if Toy Link replaces Toon Link?

There must always be one small Link, after all.

Given what we see of the new game i think Toy Zelda would be preferable as a newcomer

 

[Will]

What if Toy Link replaces Toon Link?

There must always be one small Link, after all.

Given what we see of the new game i think Toy Zelda would be preferable as a newcomer

After all of this discussion about different reps from different generations of Zelda games and the newcomer ends up being another variant of Link or Zelda?

 

[Louie G.]

I won’t cry if neither of the small Links return, but their role feels more necessary now than before. This next game will inevitably be keeping the Switch era Link in tact and I believe a more traditional green tunic Link might be seen as a valuable asset. It will also justify them experimenting on BOTW / TOTK Link even further, if they so choose, without feeling saddled to a generalized catch-all version of the character.

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

I don't think I'd mind another Link if they just emphasized different elements from LoZ's history (like the portable games) vs what we've already seen in Smash. I mean there's bomb arrows, magic powder, the medallions/Cane of Somaria from LttP, Magnetic Gloves from the Oracle titles, etc. Heck if one considers the mounts like Dimitri, Moosh, or Ricky you could really go to interesting places.

 

[Swamp Sensei]

What if Toy Link replaces Toon Link?

There must always be one small Link, after all.

We go from one of my favorite Zelda art styles to one of my least favorite.

I'm sorry, the Toy style doesn't gel with me much. I think it works better for Zelda more than Link though, so I'm kind of glad the new game starts here lol.

 

[TheFirstPoppyBro]

Gotta love how we went from saying it's okay to cut Sheik because they're a version of Zelda to suggesting things like Toy Link, Toy Zelda, and Pig Ganon lol

I guess it's THEORETICALLY possible we lose Toon Link AND Young Link for Toy Link, but I'd really rather we just keep Toon Link if we have to have a smaller Link since a lot of his normals have become relatively different from normal Link's. Plus with the change to his bombs and slight change to arrows in Ultimate, I wouldn't really be shocked if standard Link next game changed a little bit more for TotK, though I don't know in what way.

And yeah I also agree that it's too early to tell if Toy will be sticking around for the long term considering his roles so far are a remake of a Game Boy game and a game where he's not the focus at all.

I also don't like thinking of the possibility of Everyone is Here happening again down the line many years from now and we have to contend with FOUR Links in one Smash game.

 

[Hadokeyblade]

After all of this discussion about different reps from different generations of Zelda games and the newcomer ends up being another variant of Link or Zelda?

View attachment 393273​

I mean, like.

They ARE different people lol

 

[DarthEnderX]

What if Toy Link replaces Toon Link?

There must always be one small Link, after all.

I'd accept him as an alt costume for Toon Link, but not a replacement.

Smol Links united!

 

[ninjahmos]

All this talk about Link and I'm suddenly thinking:

"He's Link, he's Link, you're Link, I'M Link! Are there any other Links I should know about?"

 

[Pupp135]

I have a couple of REs that I’ll be going through.

Well now I wonder, who WOULD you cut? In my experience, there's only a few characters that people expect to see cut, and thats the clone/semi-clone characters like falco, lucas, and doc. Past that, people will complain no matter who you pick.
I mean, I did once post a roster that cut Pit and kept palutena (which is a decision I fully stand behind) so maybe I'm not the best person to make this point. I'm just talking about OTHER rosters i've seen.
Just goes to show Sakurai must've really dreaded deciding to cut Ice Climbers in Smash for. I didn't follow the discussion as closely back then, but I wonder how many people were mad about that when it happened.

I have a priority list on this thread, but I might want to review it as my opinions change. I mostly use priority to rank characters because time constraints and budget ultimately affect the final roster. While they’re lower priority on my rosters, Toon Link, Falco, and Jigglypuff will probably return because of ease of development than anything else.

If one of the unique Mario characters is getting cut, I firmly believe Bowser Jr is getting cut before Rosalina.

In Smash 4, Rosalina was consistently promoted more throughout the game, and was part of the project plan while Sakurai is on record that Jr barely made it.

I’m 50-50 on which of Rosalina or Bowser Jr. will be prioritized next game as both of them have their merits. On the one hand, Rosalina has the spinoff games, well received appearances in the Galaxy games, and the puppet gimmick, but Bowser Jr. has more mainline appearances under his belt and the various alts. Even though Bowser Jr. was close to being cut, a handful of characters had higher priority in sequels, such as Toon Link between Brawl and For.

Again the discussion about the potential Mario cuts between Rosalina and Bowser Jr. discussion made me realize people expect them to be cut over the likes of Sheik, despite both characters being more prominent in the Mario franchise than Sheik is to Zelda.

Might we revisit this now maybe ? How come cuts in the Mario franchise as the before mentioned is more acceptable than the loss of Sheik? Likewise with Pokémon and the potential cuts of say, Mewtwo, Incineroar, Lucario or Greninja ? Also all easily top 10 Pokémon in terms of popularity.

Even though Sheik is an irrelevant one-off version of Zelda who would probably never be considered if SSB started in 2024, she has been in every SSB game since Melee, so cutting her would seem jarring for longtime players. Personally, I’m 50-50 on her returning, but I hope she returns as I find her fun to play as.

I'm a little perplexed with what people want the Zelda cast to be.

Link, Zelda and Ganondorf are universal and essential. Everyone rightfully thinks they should return.

Toon Link and Young Link are seen as superfluous. This makes sense as both characters are derivative of Link. And even if you think having a child Link is important, you probably accept that only one should stay.

It's Sheik where I becomes confused. A lot of people say she is expendable and should be among the first cuts. She's largely a one off character with only big celebration games like Smash or Hyrule Warriors bringing her back. I suppose I can understand not wanting one off characters in franchises that aren't built off of rotating casts, but then people push other one of characters like Midna and Skull Kid.

Midna and Skull Kid aren't bad choices in my eyes. They're both one off characters, but they're incredibly popular and are from monumental landmark games. Their resumes are incredible and they are some of the most beloved characters in their franchise. Many characters would be happy to have that on their resume.
Thing is Sheik has all of that, and is a long time Smash veteran with a very rich competitive history.

So, I have to ask what you want the Zelda roster to be? Just the essentials of Link, Zelda and Ganondorf? Should one offs be included too? Or should it only be reoccurring characters like Impa and Tingle?

I personally think a roster like and Skull Kid / Midna (with Ganondorf and Toon Link decloned) would make a lot of Zelda fans happy and would arguably be ideal. Don't get me wrong. I love Impa and I would love to see her inclusion. But Impa and Tingle don't have the sheer pop that Skull Kid and Midna (and Sheik) have.

I think any unique non Triforce wielded newcomer would be positively received but we need more characters like Sheik. And I think removing Sheik for a character like that misses the point.

At the bare minimum, I’m expecting Link, Toon Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf given that Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf are the core cast, and I feel like the developers value a second variant to Link’s moveset if they’ve kept this idea around since Melee. After this, I’d personally prioritze Sheik next because I find her fun to play as, and she’s been around for a long time.

I don’t really know who I’d pick if I were to add a Legend of Zelda newcomer. If we continued adding triforce wielders, Ganon would be a notable inclusion given that would be his most recurring form. Impa is a recurring character who’s relevant, and she could work as a Sheik echo or a fighter with different moveset. There are less recurring but relevant characters like Sidon and Rauru, but there are also popular one offs like Shull Kid or Midna.

At the moment, I’ll say Link, Toon Link, Zelda, Ganondorf would certainly join, Sheik if there’s time, Sidon/Rauru, and maybe an Impa echo if Sheik remains.

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

2nd, in terms of their summoning gimmick, for one, if you had Kiran outright summoning characters for their attacks, I don't think their reception would be any different from the reception Alear gets when people suggest taking out FE characters to become part of Alear's moveset.

I think it would be fine depending on who you pick. There's a pretty big difference between chaining Lyn, the character the entire community has been wanting since Super Smash Bros. Brawl to another character's neutral special, and doing the same to Fredrick, who's popular, but not quite so much in the context of Super Smash Bros., and isn't really a character that would realistically get in anyway.

The idea of doing this to cut veterans is "watch the world burn" type shenanigans.

 

[Swamp Sensei]

All this talk about Link and I'm suddenly thinking:

"He's Link, he's Link, you're Link, I'M Link! Are there any other Links I should know about?"

"Well excuuuuuuuuse me, Princess."

 

[Laniv]

All this talk about Link and I'm suddenly thinking:

"He's Link, he's Link, you're Link, I'M Link! Are there any other Links I should know about?"

"I can't wait to bomb some Dodongos!"

 

[Swamp Sensei]

View attachment 393276

"I can't wait to bomb some Dodongos!"

"My boy. Being Greninja'd is what all true posters strive for. "

 

[ninjahmos]

View attachment 393276

"I can't wait to bomb some Dodongos!"

"You want it? It's yours, my friend. As long as you have enough rupees."

 

[Ivander]

I keep saying it regarding Link.

We're either unlucky or lucky that Nintendo has not tried to sell DLC alternate costumes for it's characters, cause DLC alternate costumes would suck the community dry.

 

[Diddy Kong]

Tingle sucks and should canonically die like Winky Kong for Donkey Long Country. And also never appear again like Winky Kong lol

Wrinkly Kong you mean? She returned as a ghost a couple of times. Tingle is notoriously gone missing, probably after trying to pull off a big scam for Rupees.

I honestly don't expect to ever see Tingle again in a Zelda game. That's why I also don't think he has what it takes to be a newcomer in Smash. If he where selected before, like say Brawl or so, he'd probably still be around. But this character is just hated.

As for the ideal Zelda roster?

+ Impa + Ganon

Optional: * Rauru, Skull Kid / Master Kogha
*Decloned version

 

[DarthEnderX]

I keep saying it regarding Link.

Move Awakening Link to Toon Link and Fierce Deity Link to Young Link's FS, and approved.

 

[Diddy Kong]

I won’t cry if neither of the small Links return, but their role feels more necessary now than before. This next game will inevitably be keeping the Switch era Link in tact and I believe a more traditional green tunic Link might be seen as a valuable asset. It will also justify them experimenting on BOTW / TOTK Link even further, if they so choose, without feeling saddled to a generalized catch-all version of the character.

Agreed fully. Toon Link is more than just a simple Link clone, he's a preservation of the classic Link move set. The most effective one thus far, generally speaking, as Toon Link has always been a better functional character than regular Link since the beginning, and a better functional character than Melee Young Link (not Ultimate tho but Ultimate Young Link has his own share of problems). Also Toon Link has been playable a lot and it's likely we'll see the same design again in a mainline Zelda game sooner or later.

He's not a one off, he's been playable a lot, he's the preservation of the classic Link move set, popular, and never been considered low priority ever since his inclusion. Amongst the clones he's a necessary one I feel.

 

[robot067]

I think next game's Zelda roster depends on what Sakurai's goal is when it comes to representing the series. In Ultimate, he aimed to represent the every major era of the series with Link for Breath of the Wild, Zelda for the 2D games, Toon Link for the adult timeline/four sword games, and the other three for Ocarina of Time. In contrast Brawl and Smash 4 both just had three for Twilight plus Toon Link (Smash 4 Link has elements of Skyward Sword but is still 90% Twilight). Melee and 64 both only represent Ocarina. Ultimate is clearly the outlier here. The other games just represent whichever game is the biggest in the cultural conciousness at the time/which one Nintendo considered most important to the series at that time. I think it's likely that we'll go back to the other games' model for representing Zelda, and Wild/Tears would be the base in the same way Ocarina and Twilight were. Tears also gave the smash team versions of Zelda and Ganondorf that can be very easily transposed onto their existing movesets with little changes. I see Link remaining basically unchanged, probably gaining the ancient outfit as an alt but with no changes to his moveset, since they would still want to represent Breath of the Wild.

Tears has a weird relationship with its prequel - it uses the same world and same iterations of Link and Zelda yet also seems to ignore the game in many ways. Nobody remembers Link and the Sheikah technology is completely gone with no explanation, among other things. I think if the Zelda team was in charge of smash all of the main three would be based solely on Tears with Impa replacing Sheik in her Skyward Sword design, representing only the Fujibayashi era of Zelda and clearly placing Tears above Wild. They aren't though, obviously, and while Sakurai does update the Zelda characters each game he doesn't follow the Zelda team's direction for the series 100%, otherwise Skyward Sword would have taken precedence over Twilight Princess in smash 4, instead both got the spotlight but Twilight was obviously favored when it came to characters. I imagine he will take a similar approach in smash 6 and try to represent Wild and Tears together in the character designs. Smash 6 will be an interesting litmus test to see which game Nintendo considers more important, and whether Tears was able to unseat Wild as the most important game to the current era of Zelda like the dev team seemingly intended. It has taken Ocarina's role though as the current 'origin story' of the series. It introduces a new story of the founding of Hyrule and a new Imprisoning War. Ocarina was designed to be a prequel to a Link to the Past and tell the story of the other Imprisoning War mentioned in that game, although many details don't line up and LTTP was later retconned to be set in the Downfall timeline where Link loses in Ocarina. Tears is a soft reboot lore wise, and yet in usual Zelda team fashion it actually just makes things way more complicated with its refusal to acknowledge Wild. Being a Zelda lore enthusiast is suffering :'((

Anyway yapping about Zelda lore over . If Wild/Tears are going to be considered the most important games to represent next smash, that still leaves the rest of the Zelda cast beyond the big three to worry about. I think Sheik is very likely to remain, and will return to her Ocarina design. She could potentially be replaced with Impa who could use the same moveset, however the most suitable design for this is from Age of Calamity which is a spin off game and so I doubt Sakurai would use that design. Skyward Sword Impa could also work however she is very tall making her impractical as an inheritor of Sheik's moveset. Sheik is an incredibly popular character in competitive play (not as much in ult but very much so in sm4sh and melee) and there would be a lot of outcry if she was cut, as such I think Sakurai would still prioritize having her or at least another character with her moveset. I also think he would want to represent Ocarina of Time somehow, and the options are her or Young Link. He seems to be at high risk of being cut. Toon Link has been in way more games and represents an entire era of the series. He is also more different than Link in terms of moveset with many of his normals like F-smash changed in Ultimate. I do think one of them will remain, just to have one Link in the iconic green tunic with a tether grab. If Young Link is cut, I could easily see the smash team giving Toon Link YL's rapid jab and fire arrows.

WRT the possibilty of Toy Link, I don't see this as very likely since this design has only been used twice so far, and that's including Echoes of Wisdom where he's a side character. Link's Awakening is likewise a remake which smash doesn't seem to consider much when it comes to character selection. If anything they might add Toy Zelda as a newcomer, since her unique abilities would make her a very fun character. Echoes is probably too recent though to be considered for character choices. Toon Link made a lot more sense for Brawl then Toy Link would now - he'd already been in Wind Waker, Minish Cap, Four Swords, Four Swords Adventures, and Phantom Hourglass by the time Brawl came out (though Phantom was before the project plan).

For newcomers, I think newer characters from Wild and Tears would take precedence over ones like Skull Kid or Midna. Skull Kid is a pretty big request in the smash community, though if going solely on fan request many other characters like Waluigi, Bandana Dee, and a slew of third parties are much more requested than him. I imagine Nintendo has also noticed that most Zelda fans just want another character and aren't picky about who is chosen. I do think the series is big enough now to warrant a newcomer though. I think the most likely candidate is one of the Sages from Tears. All of them have appeared in Wild, Age of Calamity, and now have a very prominent role in Tears, so they don't have the hurdle of being one-offs like other characters. Rauru potentially circumvents this as well, but that's only if he's the same person as the one in Ocarina which is unconfirmed. I don't think being a one-off is a total death knell but it does seem like a heavy obstacle that would have to be overcome with moveset potential or fan demand. If my theory of them trying to represent Wild and Tears together is true then the Sages have a massive advantage over Rauru. Sidon in particular is a very beloved character and has been since Wild. His popularity has waned slightly from what I've seen due to the Water Temple in Tears being kind of meh, but I still think he has the popularity to warrant being added. Riju or Tulin are also possible but Sidon having such a prominent role in both Wild and Tears and his popularity give him the edge.

There are some other options like Tingle but him not being in either Wild or Tears really hurts his chances IMO. I think his outfit is in both games? But if we're counting that then we should also give those points to Skull Kid and Midna too. Impa would be very likely if she had more of a role in Tears or Wild. She doesn't fight in either game and her most viable design is from Age of Calamity (spin-off). Skyward Sword Impa could work but I'm skeptical they'll go back to that game for picks - again smash doesn't consider remakes when picking characters. Beedle is a potential dark horse pick. He appears in many different games and would be a great WTF pick. I would love to see one of the champions but Nintendo seems intent on moving on from them. I would be so ecstatic to get Revali and Falco in the same game though.

TLDR: Link (Wild design), Zelda (Tears), Ganondorf (also Tears), Sheik (Ocarina), Toon Link, and a newcomer (Sidon > Rauru > other Sage > Impa > Skull Kid > Beedle > Tingle).

 

[Kirbeh]

So, I have to ask what you want the Zelda roster to be? Just the essentials of Link, Zelda and Ganondorf? Should one offs be included too? Or should it only be reoccurring characters like Impa and Tingle?

I personally think a roster like and Skull Kid / Midna (with Ganondorf and Toon Link decloned) would make a lot of Zelda fans happy and would arguably be ideal. Don't get me wrong. I love Impa and I would love to see her inclusion. But Impa and Tingle don't have the sheer pop that Skull Kid and Midna (and Sheik) have.

I think any unique non Triforce wielded newcomer would be positively received but we need more characters like Sheik. And I think removing Sheik for a character like that misses the point.

If it's what I want with no restrictions then I'm treating Link like Smash's Goku and adding a dozen different versions, all 4 BotW Champions, all 4 TotK Sages and all the major fan requested one offs.

If we're actually trying to be (somewhat) realistic then probably just up the headcount to match or be just shy of the Mario cast with something like:

- With an overhauled move set that utilizes more from Breath of the Wild. So, stuff like:

• Mipha's Grace as an addition to his respawn, purely aesthetic.
• Daruk's Protection replacing the standard Smash shield ala Yoshi and his Egg Shield. Again, just an aesthetic change.
• Revali's Gale as a new Up Special.
• Urbosa's Fury as a new Final Smash. (Preferably as a Level 1 or 2 super if Smash got a proper super system but it's doubtful that'd actually happen.)
• The addition of his Paraglider as a means of slowing his descent by holding the jump button.
• A style approach to normals and Smash attacks adding in use of a two-handed weapon and a spear (while also hopefully revamping Byleth to not be Prof. Weapon Triangle anymore.)
• And give him a couple armor sets from Breath of the Wild as actual costumes instead using half his slots for the classic green tunic.

- Yes, again, but as an echo fighter of the former with a handful of changes based on Tears of the Kingdom. Another Link probably seems like an odd choice, especially when it's actually the same one in this case, but I feel like it's such easy echo fighter material that it's almost a waste to pass up on it.

• Ascend as an Up Special but modified to work in Smash of course. So, probably a strictly vertical recovery with serviceable (though not great) distance but retaining its ability to phase through terrain if used from below stage.
• Down Special reverts to the more standard Bombs used by other incarnations of Link.
• Side Special is changed to Recall which reverses a projectile's movement. NOT a reflector. No increase in damage, and the affected projectile does not fly in the other direction continuously. It stops at the point it was spawned before resuming on its original path.
• For costumes he'd get completely different armor sets from the BotW version.

- Gets the small Link spot over (at least for base game.)

• I'd give him the Deku Leaf to serve as an equivalent to 's Paraglider.
• For costumes he'd also get his WW PJ's, the conductor outfit from ST, and maybe something from Trifroce Heroes.

- Sticking with this version of Zelda to match with-

Ganon - Give me trident pig wizard man.

- Sticking to the Ocarina design and the Falcondorf moveset. There'd be some alterations, but if any version of Dorf is going to fight barehanded, I think it should be this one. I'm personally still fond of giving him a stance change where he can throw his sword at you like the TP Darknuts, but that's a whole lot I don't feel like typing up atm (mostly because it's super late at the time of writing.)

- She stays. I like her, no other reason necessary (though I'd argue there are more than enough to justify her return).

Skull Kid - I'm actually not all that interested in SK personally, but he's an incredibly popular character and his fans have been waiting about as long as the K. Rool and Ridley fans. I'd say we're long overdue.

Midna (& Wolf Link) - Ditto to the above except I'm actually a Midna fan. I'd like to include her true form as a separate character too, but I'm leaving her out to try to keep the number of characters within reason.

Impa - She'd be a Sheik semi clone to more easily squeeze her in. I like her HW/AoC incarnations best, but given that the Warriors games don't really get acknowledged I'd say she either:

A. Uses the Skyward Sword design to rep another game, or

B. Uses her young AoC design anyway since it's technically canon and then you add Paya as a costume to tie it together further idk

Then anything after that would have to be held off for DLC which is where I'd probably place characters like TotK Dorf and a Champion and/or Sage.

That would put base game at 10 Zelda characters but with 1 echo and 3 semi-clones I think that's kinda fair/semi-reasonable.

Aside from that, I do think the absence of a traditional adult Link would need to be addressed. Honestly, I would have added 2 (TP and SS) if I wasn't already pushing it at 10 reps. Ten is probably still too much actually. I suppose I'd drop Midna, Impa and the Link echo to make it more realistic at 7 reps total.

 

[fogbadge]

Its because they dont make games with Toon Links face anymore.

let's see the last toon game was the last one before botw. so two games ago

The monkey's paw curls...

...next game has a bigger Link (it's the goron named Link from ocarina of time).

he's smaller than adult link

 

[waddledeeonredyoshi]

Might be an unpopular opinion but I feel like they would have either Sheik or Impa. Having both just sounds unnecessary to me, honestly. One Sheikah is enough.

I don't have that much of a dog in the Zelda debate but it is kind of sad to see the BotW champions have fallen to the wayside. That game plus AoC belong to the few Zelda games I actually beat so that admittedly have a lot to do with it but idk. Daruk just seems like a big funny dude to play as.

 

[Gengar84]

Might be an unpopular opinion but I feel like they would have either Sheik or Impa. Having both just sounds unnecessary to me, honestly. One Sheikah is enough.

I don't have that much of a dog in the Zelda debate but it is kind of sad to see the BotW champions have fallen to the wayside. That game plus AoC belong to the few Zelda games I actually beat so that admittedly have a lot to do with it but idk. Daruk just seems like a big funny dude to play as.

It doesn’t really make any sense to me to cut Sheik and give her moveset to Impa. At that point, it wouldn’t really be much more work to just keep Sheik and make Impa an echo. No reason to upset so many Sheik fans just to save a small amount of development time. Impa also has so much more potential to be relegated to an echo in my opinion. Just look at Hyrule Warriors and Age of Calamity. Between those games, Impa has three unique and really fun movesets. Sheik was also playable in the first HW and played nothing like Impa despite both being Sheikah. I really want to keep Sheik and get a unique Impa but I can at least understand the logic of not making Sheik a priority if they give us a unique Impa.

 

[Sucumbio]

On rare occasions a character type will remain but the actual character is different. Law from Tekken comes to mind as he's been both Marshall and his son Forest.

 

[osby]

On rare occasions a character type will remain but the actual character is different. Law from Tekken comes to mind as he's been both Marshall and his son Forest.

True but that feels more common in games where the story requires characters to come and go.

Smash obviously doesn't have that. And the most comparable thing I can think of a crossover fighting game has pulled was MVCI replacing characters but keeping "functions" the same - which didn't exactly reactive a warm fan reaction.