Official Next Smash - Speculation & Discussion Thread

[DynamicSmasher]

I know Smash Bros does tend to prefer the avatar character over the important recognisable character, but Cross/Ryan over Elma would feel like such a monumental mistake. Cross but such a nothing nothing to me and I really disliked his customisation options, especially his face. Going from generic battle quotes to complete silence in cutscenes was off-putting to me, he was just too much of a nonentity. And Elma was very obviously the actual main character.

I think it's less about being the avatar character and more a mix of making interesting gameplay and representing the totality of a given game. With the FE characters especially, Robin was chosen because magic + sword was more interesting than just sword, which Chrom would have been(Robin's Palutena's guidance even points this out), while Corrin and Byleth are the main neutral reps in games with multiple paths. If 3 Houses was 1 House and you always had to go Crimson Flower, then I could see Edelgard being picked over Byleth, for example. Inkling, Villager and Steve/Alex/MC avatar are the only playable characters in their games, making them obvious picks.

The main outlier would probably be Joker, but Joker is much more story-important cross. Joker is the impetus for the Phantom Thieves forming, their leader and the one who beats the final boss. And the final boss after the final boss. Cross, by comparison, is more of a supporting protagonist- part of team Elma, but not its leader or especially important in the main narrative. That could change with Definitive edition I suppose, but I seriously doubt that it will, seeing as how that appears to be more about Mira itself and what happened to Lao and to Elma's partner.

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

I know Smash Bros does tend to prefer the avatar character over the important recognisable character, but Cross/Ryan over Elma would feel like such a monumental mistake. Cross but such a nothing nothing to me and I really disliked his customisation options, especially his face. Going from generic battle quotes to complete silence in cutscenes was off-putting to me, he was just too much of a nonentity. And Elma was very obviously the actual main character.

Given that Elma is the one Monolith picked when adding a Xenoblade X character in 2's DLC, I suspect Cross wouldn't even be in the conversation.

 

[Garteam]

X/Zero... are picks that feel really 'bubble picks' and are really weird characters to add in Smash 6 in terms of timing and rep... Mega Man is a legacy pick first and foremost and I highly doubt the general audience (as well as the team) would really die for a 2nd Mega Man rep

There's a lot more to Mega Man's popularity than just nostalgia among Smash's core fanbase. People just really like the games and the series. Here's a screenshot from Capcom's Super Election poll that was released last year.

Spoiler

Likewise, Mega Man's characters are still quite popular among general audiences. X and Zero are, in particular, pretty well-liked. Here's the character section from Capcom's same poll:

Spoiler

In terms of the dev team not really gelling with Mega Man, we don't have any real way of gauging their attitudes. However, it seems weird that Mega Man would get the red carpet treatment for two games straight if he wasn't actually popular among the dev team.

If anything, the one group of devs we know the tastes of are the composers because Sakurai lets them work on the series that they want and they love Mega Man. According to the Smash wiki, Mega Man is either tied for the highest number of new remixes or has the highest number of new remixes (depending on how you count the versions of Psycho Soldier).

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

And Elma was very obviously the actual main character.

I mean...no? You're still a main character, and the story wouldn't work nearly as well if it removed Cross and used Elma's POV because all but one of the big reveals are information she already knows.

 

[Dukefire]

Welcome to March. Spring is here...

 

[BuckleyTim]

This definitely comes from me not playing the game (yet) but i had no idea Cross existed before this conversation. Maybe that says something? Idk

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

Mega Man and Castlevania feel like they're in similar places Smash wise, and that similarity arguably extends even beyond that.

Both really gained momentum on the NES (both even getting their first Western releases in 1987), went multi-plat in the 90s, became more defined by portable entries in the 2000s, went through diminished status in the early 2010s, and now enjoy numerous merch, collections, and multimedia appearances even if new games have slowed down. They even had sub-franchises/categories that became significant thanks to notable 90s titles (Mega Man X in 1993, Symphony of the Night in 1997).

Thus, with Smash I'd say the two are close to the same category; they're not the ultra-relevant focus of their parent owners thanks to other company franchises becoming more significant in the gaming space, but everyone knows them and another fighter from either (especially if their gameplay element was distinct) would feel entirely natural given both their output and fairly consistent connection to Nintendo.

 

[fogbadge]

This definitely comes from me not playing the game (yet) but i had no idea Cross existed before this conversation. Maybe that says something? Idk

it's not really surprising, compared to other avatar characters Cross gets not time in the spot light outside XCX

 

[PersonAngelo53]

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Quite the controversial takes in this video lol. Tho I do agree with some of his most wanted takes at the very least.

 

[Arcanir]

Given that Elma is the one Monolith picked when adding a Xenoblade X character in 2's DLC, I suspect Cross wouldn't even be in the conversation.

She was also used in the 10th anniversary image alongside Shulk and Rex.

There's definitely a clear preference to Elma over Cross, and I think if given the choice they'd push for her.

 

[Ivander]

I'm positive Elma would get in over Cross because she is the main representative Monolith uses for Xenoblade X and for her unique moveset, as she uses dual guns(something only Bayonetta has) and dual swords(which is ambiguously used by Pit & Dark Pit since their blades are also their bow, but otherwise, we don't have a true dual swords user like Lloyd Irving or Ceruledge).
Cross' moveset is more open to interpretation and creativity as they can eventually wield anything in the game regardless of their class, making them a very open moveset character like Monster Hunter or a Souls protagonist, but I can only see them getting in after Elma. And even then, unless Cross gets some notable updates in the Xenoblade X definitive edition or possibly appears in a future game similar to how Shulk and Elma appeared in 2, I don't see them getting anywhere near as much attention compared to the likes of the Fire Emblem Avatars, the Inklings/Octolings and whatnot.

 

[Sophitia]

All right, I have been on a Smash kick recently, probably because of the the Switch 2 announcement and thinking about what this means for Smash. I know it's not confirmed, but I am going to assume that the Sakurai game is a new Smash game. I know that he mentioned assembling a new dev team but considering the power increase of the Switch 2 and the sales of Smash Ultimate, I wouldn't be surprised if they opted to go for a higher budget this time around. In any case, some of my biggest wants for the sequel:

1. Everyone is Here, again. Not sure if it will happen but like that was my number 1 most wanted thing before Ultimate, Seeing it actually happen blew my mind. Whether it will happen again though, eh...
2. Better online. This is obvious but I was just playing some Smash Ultimate online and of course it was laggy as all Hell. Hopefully they can improve that, and maybe even try to add 8-player matches for online if that is possible.
3. More single-player content. I don't ever expect something like Subspace Emissary again, but to be honest, World of Light is not really replayable, I beat it once and never really had a desire to go back to it after unlocking everything. At least with Melee's Adventure mode it is short and sweet, and Brawl is more story-heavy. We'll see what they come up with.

As for newcomer predictions, well. The only guarantee is a new Pokemon rep. As for other reps, I could see these:

• Waluigi: Very popular and highly-requested, he could be the Ridley of Ultimate.
• Geno: The Super Mario RPG remake means this is probably his best shot of making it in, if he doesn't then I think he's done for.
• Octoling: Splatoon is now one of Nintendo's biggest franchises and so it would be weird if they still only had one rep.
• Tom Nook: New Horizons was massive so I could also see another Animal Crossing rep and he is probably the most well-known Animal Crossing character not yet in Smash.
• Ring Fit Trainee: They need to have another Switch rep (we only have Byleth, Pyra/Mythra and Min Min unless you count updated characters like Link) and Ring Fit was one of the biggest new IPs for the console.
• Ayumi Tachibana: The Famicom Detective Club games finally got released in the West, removing one of Sakurai's reservations and I could see him having fun trying to come up with a moveset for her.
• Oatchi: I guess if they wanted to give Pikmin a second rep they could separate Alph, but it looks like he is going to be stuck in the alt outfit realm. Pikmin is another series I could see getting a second rep with it having a fourth main title and 1-3 all getting re-releases on Switch.
• Bandana Waddle Dee: Kirby had its most popular title on the Switch and BWD is one of the most requested newcomers. I also don't think Sakurai has active disdain for modern Kirby like people think he does, I think it's more just a case of him going with what he's more familiar with personally.
• New Zelda, Fire Emblem reps: Fire Emblem has had a new rep in the last four titles so I don't expect that to change now necessarily, the question obviously would be who. Zelda hasn't had one in a while and with BOTW and TOTK being the biggest games in the franchise by far I could see them trying to go for a new rep unless they just change Zelda and Ganondorf to being their counterparts in that version.
• Monster Hunter: I would say this is the most obvious absence for a third-party rep in Smash, considering the series' massive popularity. I know Resident Evil is also very popular but I feel like Biohazard would have a tougher time getting in than Monster Hunter will.
• Oddball rep: Sakurai likes putting in one of these per game (Mr. Game & Watch, R.O.B., Duck Hunt, Piranha Plant) and I expect this game to be no different. I feel like it would be essentially impossible to predict though so I won't even try.

And well that is is for now I guess. I have my own desires but this was more just my personal predictions. I don't think we'll get all of these but I think any single one of them is pretty likely, except for maybe Ayumi and Geno whom I would put a bit lower in possibility.

 

[BrawlX10]

How do you guys feel if Assists were made into a mechanic this time around? Like Fraymakers or Pokken Tournament? Basically like an extra move.
Personally i prefer assists as they are, but i've seen some people wanting more traditional assists after playing Fraymakers.

 

[Thegameandwatch]

Given that Elma is the one Monolith picked when adding a Xenoblade X character in 2's DLC, I suspect Cross wouldn't even be in the conversation.

I don’t even think Cross is a spirit in Ultimate.

 

[Gengar84]

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

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Quite the controversial takes in this video lol. Tho I do agree with some of his most wanted takes at the very least.

I actually do like his most wanted section more than his least wanted section but I could do without his insulting the fanbases of characters he doesn’t like. Funny enough, no one on my overall top 10 is in this video at all but I’d definitely be happy with a lot of these. Personally, I think other fighting game reps would be more interesting than Akira. Rook/Cross is probably the least interesting Xenoblade character they could go with. Especially when there’s a much better character from the same game as Elma.

 

[Ivander]

I don’t even think Cross is a spirit in Ultimate.

I wouldn't be surprised if part of it was because of Cross not being the de-facto name of the character. Heck, Cross isn't used for the Definitive Edition footage in English compared to the JP version which does. Like I said, Cross will probably need more appearances similar to the Fire Emblem Avatars before they're even considered.
Doesn't help that Cross' official art render for the original was only in an artbook/making of book compared to on-site. Whereas Cross for the Definitive Edition actually has an art render on the main site.

 

[Gorgonzales]

Do you guys think Ring Fit Trainee is one of the most likely newcomers?

Pretty much, yeah.

Though I'd really prefer Dragaux.
Relevant to this avatar-character talk, I don't hate the trainee; I just kind of find her a little lackluster in comparison.

 

[MBRedboy31]

Wouldn’t the character be “Ring Fit Trainee & Ring“ rather than the Trainee on their own? Ring has a lot of dialogue in RFA, and also has a masculine or feminine voice option that’d probably be paired with the male and female Trainee skins.

 

[GoldenYuiitusin]

Wouldn’t the character be “Ring Fit Trainee & Ring“ rather than the Trainee on their own? Ring has a lot of dialogue in RFA, and also has a masculine or feminine voice option that’d probably be paired with the male and female Trainee skins.

I'm partial to "Ring & Trainee" myself for the label.

 

[Jave]

Since we're doing prediction lists, here's mine, although this is mostly characters I want that I do feel have a decent-to-good chance of being in:

1st Party:

• Octoling: Probably the safest of bets (although I don't think anyone is a given), could easily get a moveset derivative from Inkling so wouldn't require much work.
• Ring Fit Trainee: Unique moveset and is from the most successful new IP on Switch.
• Dixie Kong: She's been on a "this time for sure" state since Brawl, but I do think she's at a point where Sakurai just can't ignore her anymore.
• Waluigi: Similar to Dixie, his popularity is at a point where he can't just be ignored. He would also be a good way to represent the Mario spinoffs in general.
• Ashley (Warioware): Popular enough to earn herself a spot. Only drawback is that Nintendo isn't promoting her as much as back during the pre-Ultimate era (where it felt she was everywhere due to the 3DS' design shop and Nintendo Badge Arcade).
• Alear: Timing feels good for them and the moveset potential is very good.
• Meowscarada: Honestly haven't paid much attention to this past gen, but out of every new Pokemon, this one is my favorite.
• Impa: Specifically I'd love the HW AoC version.
• Captain Toad: My favorite incarnation of Toad. Also include Capt. Toadette as an alt or Echo.
• Ayumi Tachibana: The revival of the FDC series coupled with Sakurai considering her back in the Melee days definitely gives her a solid chance.

3rd Party:

• Phoenix Wright: My most wanted 3rd party. Has good history with Nintendo and got a popularity boost on Switch, where the entire series is now playable (aside of the Layton crossover). Bonus if they include Miles Edgeworth as an Echo.
• Chun-Li: The original female fighter, has a lot of legacy and popularity to not be in.
• Arle Nadja: From a series with a lot of history, would be a great Puzzle/Magical Girl representative.
• Athena Asamiya: Personal pick for a second SNK character. Like Terry, she has her own series which predates King of Fighters.
• Terra (Final Fantasy 6): Personal favorite FF protagonist, and a good choice to represent an FF game that isn't FF7.
• Shantae: Acknowledged by Sakurai as a popular request. Could get a promotion to playable.

Bonus: 3rd party series that aren't realistically getting a character but are significant enough to be represented through a stage:

• Clock Tower: Released 30 years ago on the Super Famicom and finally got an official localization a few months ago, it was the game that pioneered the Survival Horror genre on consoles. I don't expect Jennifer (main protagonist) or Scissorman (main villain) to ever be playble, but I would love a stage based on the game, specially if it's from the last area of the game in one of the good endings.
• Live-A-Live: The game has too many protagonists to realistically pick one, but I think a stage based on the game that time-warps between every era would be a fantastic pick.

 

[Thegameandwatch]

I wouldn't be surprised if part of it was because of Cross not being the de-facto name of the character. Heck, Cross isn't used for the Definitive Edition footage in English compared to the JP version which does. Like I said, Cross will probably need more appearances similar to the Fire Emblem Avatars before they're even considered.
Doesn't help that Cross' official art render for the original was only in an artbook/making of book compared to on-site. Whereas Cross for the Definitive Edition actually has an art render on the main site.

It’s basically similar to Robin before Smash 4 since they didn’t even have official artwork like the other Awakening characters and they didn’t even appear in the box art.

 

[TheFirstPoppyBro]

• Ashley (Warioware): Popular enough to earn herself a spot. Only drawback is that Nintendo isn't promoting her as much as back during the pre-Ultimate era (where it felt she was everywhere due to the 3DS' design shop and Nintendo Badge Arcade).

I feel like Ashley is also helped by the fact that there have been three WarioWare games since Ultimate's project plan was drafted (Gold, Get It Together, and Move It) and Get It Together at least did pretty well for itself.

I could definitely see Ashley joining alongside a stage based on Wario's game (the one in-game that all the characters get trapped in), since I feel like Caresaway Island would kinda crib on the island aesthetic I feel like Animal Crossing is definitely going to utilize for a New Horizon's stage of some kind.

 

[DynamicSmasher]

How do you guys feel if Assists were made into a mechanic this time around? Like Fraymakers or Pokken Tournament? Basically like an extra move.
Personally i prefer assists as they are, but i've seen some people wanting more traditional assists after playing Fraymakers.

That could be kind of neat, though a good portion of current assists would have to taken out or reworked- the likes of Rathalos, Majora's Moon and Andross especially.

 

[Dukefire]

Alright, I'll ask.....what do you think about Ashley's chance to join as a fighter rather then being an Assist Trophy twice so far?

 

[GoldenYuiitusin]

Alright, I'll ask.....what do you think about Ashley's chance to join as a fighter rather then being an Assist Trophy twice so far?
View attachment 399673

Iffy, to be honest. She makes sense to be a secondary WarioWare character based on her popularity, but....

.....I have a hard time seeing her break out of this role since it was said popularity that got her the role to begin with after Brawl. Especially now when she isn't so heavily pushed anymore in promotional media like in her heyday in the early to mid 2010s.

 

[TheFirstPoppyBro]

Iffy, to be honest. She makes sense to be a secondary WarioWare character based on her popularity, but....

.....I have a hard time seeing her break out of this role since it was said popularity that got her the role to begin with after Brawl. Especially now when she isn't so heavily pushed anymore in promotional media like in her heyday in the early to mid 2010s.

Yeah, like I think Ashley is the option that makes the most sense/is the likeliest of the WarioWare cast based on her general popularity, but it very much depends on if the team deems it necessary to add another WarioWare character outside of Wario himself, which is iffier for sure.

 

[Thegameandwatch]

Alright, I'll ask.....what do you think about Ashley's chance to join as a fighter rather then being an Assist Trophy twice so far?
View attachment 399673

Probably the most likely WarioWare rep but not sure if there will be another character after Wario. At least there will be another rep from the DS.

 

[Ivander]

Alright, I'll ask.....what do you think about Ashley's chance to join as a fighter rather then being an Assist Trophy twice so far?
View attachment 399673

50/50, like all other characters.

Still, I really wish they used WarioWare characters outside of WarioWare, like Mario Kart, Mario Party and whatnot.

 

[Gorgonzales]

Alright, I'll ask.....what do you think about Ashley's chance to join as a fighter rather then being an Assist Trophy twice so far?
View attachment 399673

She's a good character but has one heck of an uphill battle. There are so many other candidates for Nintendo newcomers that I can't really see her joining any time soon.

 

[Wonder Smash]

On the subject of female characters in Smash, I just wanted to bring up one more that wasn't mentioned yet;

Alis Landale (Phantasy Star)

 

[Watuna4343]

Alright, I'll ask.....what do you think about Ashley's chance to join as a fighter rather then being an Assist Trophy twice so far?
View attachment 399673

Not good. I really dk whether Sakurai is interested in adding another Wario character, especially considering that Wario's inclusion felt like a way to add another Mario character without actually filling the roster with Mario characters so he got to represent his own spin-off games. I generally think that there are just bigger characters to get for the next Smash for base roster and she doesn't even make sense as a DLC so I don't that she will be prioritized.

 

[Louie G.]

Alright, I'll ask.....what do you think about Ashley's chance to join as a fighter rather then being an Assist Trophy twice so far?
View attachment 399673

To be honest, I feel like she missed her big chance. She's still the most popular WarioWare character but she had a great amount of steam in the 3DS and Wii U era, prominence outside of her series, that just kind of got lost soon after. If that continued into the Switch I think she would be a MAJOR candidate, but her short phase as a pseudo mascot came and went.

I would personally enjoy seeing more of the WW cast come into focus but since they operate as such an ensemble, it's usually kind of difficult to pick out one single standout. And the series is still kicking, but not making those big strides that are demanding some new movement in Smash yknow? Shame that Ashley never saw that April Fools game manifest into anything legitimate, lol.

Her best bet is that Sakurai likes her, and sees the potential in a more traditional magician / witch character concept. On this gameplay basis I think she shines. And truthfully, Ashley does have a relatively strong presence in Smash. Assist Trophy, Mii Costume, two versions of her theme and she is even her series' most powerful spirit (along with Wario Man) for whatever that's worth. She's got pretty much every NPC box checked off but I do fear that it may just peak here for her. Bottom line, not the worst odds in the world but I am personally not confident in her.

 

[Watuna4343]

There's a lot more to Mega Man's popularity than just nostalgia among Smash's core fanbase. People just really like the games and the series. Here's a screenshot from Capcom's Super Election poll that was released last year.

Spoiler

View attachment 399659

Likewise, Mega Man's characters are still quite popular among general audiences. X and Zero are, in particular, pretty well-liked. Here's the character section from Capcom's same poll:

Spoiler

View attachment 399660

In terms of the dev team not really gelling with Mega Man, we don't have any real way of gauging their attitudes. However, it seems weird that Mega Man would get the red carpet treatment for two games straight if he wasn't actually popular among the dev team.

If anything, the one group of devs we know the tastes of are the composers because Sakurai lets them work on the series that they want and they love Mega Man. According to the Smash wiki, Mega Man is either tied for the highest number of new remixes or has the highest number of new remixes (depending on how you count the versions of Psycho Soldier).

Mega Man has absolutely been treated as a big deal yes, and I didn't say that the dev team doesn't gel with Mega Man because they absolutely do. What I was mentioning was less of 'how they see Mega Man' and 'how likely does it feel for the team to add a 2nd Mega Man character'. Point is even if the characters have popularity, in a smaller roster, where 3rd party space is limited even more than in Ultimate, I highly, like seriously doubt anyone (both from the audience and from the team) would go for a 2nd Mega Man character, even as a clone over giving a 2nd character to Sonic or giving a new 3rd party character a slot. It's something that is irrelevant to how the team sees Mega Man himself and more about how much it feels like the universe needs to be expanded (in which case, not really)

 

[Perkilator]

Since we’re doing predictions, I’m gonna bust out my list of 18 newcomers max (including Echoes) consisting of characters I both want and expect.

• Fan Favorites
  • Waluigi
  • Dixie Kong (Diddy Kong ε)
  • Skull Kid
  • Bandana Waddle Dee
  • Tom Nook
  • Takamaru
  • Isaac
  • Ryu Hayabusa
  • Crash Bandicoot
• Switch Shills
  • Pauline
  • Raven Beak
  • Meowscarada
  • Alear
  • Octoling
  • Ninjara (Min Min ε)
  • Ayumi Tachibana
  • Officer Howard
  • Ring Fit Trainne

 

[Louie G.]

Ninjara (Min Min ε)

This really doesn't work unless you expand the definition of echo fighter. (Likely) different ARMS, stat adjustments to accommodate Ninjara's relative speed (and likely lighter weight) and then the balance required to account for that. The worst any ARMS character can be is a semiclone. This isn't Spring Man and Ribbon Girl, all the other fighters have completely distinct archetypes etc that an echo does a great disservice to.

Not in the "I don't want them to be an echo because muh potential" way, just in a fundamental gameplay design way. ARMS is a fighting game, those differences are the entire basis behind each character being on that character select screen.

 

[BrawlX10]

Alright, I'll ask.....what do you think about Ashley's chance to join as a fighter rather then being an Assist Trophy twice so far?
View attachment 399673

This might be a hot take, but i think Wario Ware had it's big chance to get another character in Smash 4.
Nowdays i feel like a Wario Ware newcomer it's on low priority by Nintendo, not imposible, but i can't imagine them pushing for one those days over other characters either.
I think Wario Ware characters in general will just be AT material from now on, not just Ashley. (Unless there's a breakout future Wario Ware game or something, then maybe they'll reconsider adding a newcomer).
But i'm also on the opinion that characters begin ATs (or Pokeballs) is completely fine, , which is pretty unpopular.

 

[TheFirstPoppyBro]

I dunno, at the same time with Ashley, I feel like she's had a bit of rough timing.

The project plan for Smash 4 was made in 2012, which means the most recent WarioWare game was DIY, where pretty much everyone in Wario's company leaves for Diamond Software and therefore aren't in the game, including Ashley. Prior to that was Snapped on DSiWare, which also didn't have her in it, so her most recent appearance for Smash 4 was Smooth Moves from 2006, before Brawl even came out.

Then Game & Wario came out during the development so it got a stage, and while Ashley was in that, by the time it could be used for a Smash project plan it was 2015 and being a Wii U game we all know how that goes, so not exactly super enticing, plus stuff that's been mentioned in the past in regards to Waluigi being an AT meaning Ashley potentially not doing super well on the Ballot. Game & Wario would remain the most recent game until about 5 months before Ultimate released, when Gold came out.

She had a presence in the Badge Arcade stuff alongside Nikki but that by itself can't really help her get into Smash though it does increase her general popularity.

This Smash she has at least two, potentially three games available since the last time she was up for a project plan. I'm not saying this makes her likely per se, but I wouldn't say her best shot was really Smash 4, basically lol

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

Ninjara (Min Min ε)

I'm gonna echo (heh) off of what Louie G. said; there is no real way any given pair of ARMS fighters can be echoing off of each other outside of Spring Man and Springtron due to the latter intentionally being a clone in virtually every way (right down to the fact that unlocking new ARMS for one also unlocks them for the other) outside of the fact that he trades Spring Man's parries and low HP comeback mechanic with being able to charge a big shockwave.

Due to how many moves in Min Min's moveset use the ARMS, changing just one of the three a potential Echo comes with already changes a fraction of the moveset that is too large to even qualify as a clone, let alone all three. And given that the ARMS Min Min came along with are the three she has by default in ARMS, then any future ARMS fighter would likely follow suit in that aspect as well.

With that said, Ninjara does the Chakram which would functionally be identical to the Ram Ram except it could also stun (which would be disgusting in Smash because Ram Ram is enough of a war crime as is) and if you really wanna stretch things, the Buff could be similar to a Megawatt but without the electric effect since it's just a boxing glove that can grow bigger and the Triblast could work not too differently from the Dragon except it'd shoot three rockets that can each cause explosions which isn't quite like a beam but it's still a ranged attack, I guess. He would still lose out on the permacharge Min Min can get and the reflector on up smash though, since those are strictly Min Min mechanics.

So overall, he's not the worst option for an Echo since all of his ARMS happen to be either the same or "close enough". But also... these kinds of tools on someone with good mobility and teleports would be the most unhealthy thing we've seen in Smash.

 

[HyperSomari64]

I missed the female characters talk, but i thing Blanc from Neptunia is a better choice for Smash than Neptune.
Foul language aside, she represents Nintendo

 

[BrawlX10]

I dunno, at the same time with Ashley, I feel like she's had a bit of rough timing.

The project plan for Smash 4 was made in 2012, which means the most recent WarioWare game was DIY, where pretty much everyone in Wario's company leaves for Diamond Software and therefore aren't in the game, including Ashley. Prior to that was Snapped on DSiWare, which also didn't have her in it, so her most recent appearance for Smash 4 was Smooth Moves from 2006, before Brawl even came out.

Then Game & Wario came out during the development so it got a stage, and while Ashley was in that, by the time it could be used for a Smash project plan it was 2015 and being a Wii U game we all know how that goes, so not exactly super enticing, plus stuff that's been mentioned in the past in regards to Waluigi being an AT meaning Ashley potentially not doing super well on the Ballot. Game & Wario would remain the most recent game until about 5 months before Ultimate released, when Gold came out.

She had a presence in the Badge Arcade stuff alongside Nikki but that by itself can't really help her get into Smash though it does increase her general popularity.

This Smash she has at least two, potentially three games available since the last time she was up for a project plan. I'm not saying this makes her likely per se, but I wouldn't say her best shot was really Smash 4, basically lol

...honestly i didn't know that, dont really keep up with WW.
You're right she had a rough timing, guess she has better odds than in 4.
At very least i think a NEW WarioWare AT and stage is on the table.