Official Next Smash - Speculation & Discussion Thread

[Ivander]

Yeah like, let's be real here. If you're using the "would you say they're deserving if they weren't already in Smash" argument, you'd need to do that for a lot more than just Wii Fit Trainer.

Absolutely. Some characters would bring up that question if they weren't in. Does it mean they are undeserving or didn't deserve to get in Smash? Not necessarily. Part of what makes Smash Bros' roster special is the mix of very notable characters with characters who were either popular at the time/are still popular to their fanbases and who could bring something unique to Smash Bros despite not being as well known. I love alot of the oddball picks or picks that ended up happening.

I'm more so pointing out about the bias and influence that is brought from a character being in the roster. Like how there's a decent amount of people who think Jigglypuff deserves to stay in for being one of the original 12 and being in every game like the other 11. That's not including the fact that every character will have their own fans who love playing them. Bias is something that should be taken to account when discussing whether a character already in Smash deserves to be in Smash Bros. or not and part of it is because of that character already being chosen to appear in Smash Bros. We really don't know what the attitude towards a character or game would be if they weren't in and it's something that should be discussed when regarding who "deserves" to be in Smash.

 

[DarthEnderX]

I'd have to agree. In that case, I would not say deserve would be the right one to use here, especially if it is just based on opinion. Maybe "this character is my pick" or something like that would be better?

Ain't nobody got time to type all that!

 

[HyperSomari64]

Ok, who would be the next joke character for smash bros? Every new installment has gotten one.

Goku from Dragon Ball, but his moveset consists of summoning other Shonen Jump characters with no references to his own franchise.

 

[CannonStreak]

Ain't nobody got time to type all that!

Well, technically, they could just say “my pick”.

 

[Aligo]

Goku from Dragon Ball, but his moveset consists of summoning other Shonen Jump characters with no references to his own franchise.

Just have yamcha, but he is automatically defeated by any explosive attack.

 

[Wunderwaft]

Ok, who would be the next joke character for smash bros? Every new installment has gotten one.

Spoiler: Though, it WOULD be funny if the next one was dangerous like Mr. Game & Watch's 9

View attachment 373822

It has to be a funny character that no one would realistically ask for in Smash but would get a fanbase that sticks with them after the inclusion. I know just the character

Spoiler

 

[Speed Weed]

I believe with enough effort and persistence we can gaslight this community into thinking Horse is a good pick and create a big enough push for him that he actually gets in. Who's with me

 

[SPEN18]

I'd have to agree. In that case, I would not say deserve would be the right one to use here, especially if it is just based on opinion. Maybe "this character is my pick" or something like that would be better?

Sure there are better ways to put things, though people don't always put the utmost effort into choosing their words with optimal connotation and accuracy. Hopefully things end up clear enough from tone, detail, context, and apparent intent. Of course, it only takes a few people using a term in an unproductive way, or simply a few misunderstandings, for others to become averse to it.

 

[CannonStreak]

Sure there are better ways to put things, though people don't always put the utmost effort into choosing their words with optimal connotation and accuracy. Hopefully things end up clear enough from tone, detail, context, and apparent intent. Of course, it only takes a few people using a term in an unproductive way, or simply a few misunderstandings, for others to become averse to it.

I understand. Though like I said, “my pick” would still be easy, if anything. Just saying.

Though it is a shame people don’t take time to put in that kind of effort.

 

[Ivander]

I believe with enough effort and persistence we can gaslight this community into thinking Horse is a good pick and create a big enough push for him that he actually gets in. Who's with me

You say that. Then he not only gets revealed later, but Sakurai does his magic again and made him very fun to play which makes people go, "See. Told you he was a good pick.".

 

[dream1ng]

I believe with enough effort and persistence we can gaslight this community into thinking Horse is a good pick and create a big enough push for him that he actually gets in. Who's with me

Anybody who remembers Non-Specific Action Figure knows this can be done

 

[Nazyrus]

Of course it isn't. Undeserving characters have been getting into Smash since Melee.

But it's how characters SHOULD be chosen for the roster.

Don't confuse people wishlisting with people predicting.

Regardless of whether it's used when predicting or wishlisting, using the term "deserve" is pointless because that's not the basis on how characters get added. And again you just proved how stupid the use of the term is when you say "underserving characters have been getting into smash since melee", someone will easily disagree on whichever character you choose name and say was "undeserving" in the roster, because there are 100% fans behind every character that has been added so far, even the ones you dislike the most. It's bias rot at its finest and what has caused fans of one character or another to sometimes clash. Let's just not use that stupid term, period. It's not productive.

 

[dezeray112]

So, what characters are you hoping will be in the next Smash?

It will be interesting to see what direction the roster for the next Smash roster will be.

Other than that, Ultimate's roster did bring in a load of surprises whether this is from Banjo-Kazooie to Sora.

As for who I hope will be in the next Smash, I hope to see someone from LoZ: Tears of the Kingdom, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and Fire Emblem: Engage along with a couple of third party characters in which I predict someone from Arc System Works and Tecmo Koei are my bets for newcomer characters.

 

[Aaayei]

I believe with enough effort and persistence we can gaslight this community into thinking Horse is a good pick and create a big enough push for him that he actually gets in. Who's with me

I legitimately feel like there'll be more people bandwagoning Horse for next Smash for "funny meme", than there will be people who actually play Everybody 1-2 Switch.

 

[dream1ng]

I legitimately feel like there'll be more people bandwagoning Horse for next Smash for "funny meme", than there will be people who actually play Everybody's 1-2 Switch.

Well at least the former will provide entertainment.

 

[CannonStreak]

I believe with enough effort and persistence we can gaslight this community into thinking Horse is a good pick and create a big enough push for him that he actually gets in. Who's with me

You bet I am! I actually want to se Hoarce Head be playable in Smash!

 

[Wonder Smash]

Ok, who would be the next joke character for smash bros? Every new installment has gotten one.

Spoiler: Though, it WOULD be funny if the next one was dangerous like Mr. Game & Watch's 9

View attachment 373822

Virtual Boy, I guess?

 

[StrangeKitten]

So, what characters are you hoping will be in the next Smash?

The characters I'm hoping for are in my signature. So instead, I'll go over what I think is likely:

• Gruntilda, Crash, Spyro, Conker, and Wizpig are all my pie-in-the-sky wants who aren't happening. I mean, sure, they're not impossible, but I'd be surprised to see any of them. And I've made peace with that, though I'll always keep hoping for them.
• Eggman, Shadow, Geno, and Ryu Hayabusa are the frontrunners from my most wanted list. Hopefully, they keep up with the whole "adding villains" thing for the Sonic series, as either character can fill that role. Sure, Shadow isn't much of a villain, but Wolf counts as the villain for the Starfox series. Eggy and Shadow are my two favorite Sonic characters, but for the record, I'd happily welcome Tails, Knuckles, Amy, etc. As for Geno, well, this thread is currently going over the reasons he's likely, so I don't feel the need to mention it here. Ryu Hayabusa I feel is the best candidate for a retro rep, and they like to add one or two of those every game.
• Dixie and/or Cranky feel like they're in between these extremes. On one hand, I feel like they'd round out the DK cast, and they're fairly easy additions. On the other hand, the DK series has been slow to get new characters added for it, and we just got K Rool. The next DK game has been in development hell for a long time now, and we haven't so much as gotten an announcement that one is happening. By the time of the next Smash game, it'll have been a very long time since these two were playable in Tropical Freeze. They feel 50/50 to me right now.

And onto characters I think we'll see who aren't my most wanteds:

• Mario is guaranteed at least one new character, if not two. I feel like Pauline is the frontrunner, but Waluigi, Paper Mario, Toad, and King Boo also stand out as likely picks. Even if we get Geno as a fan favorite, I think we'll see one of these characters as well.
• Fire Emblem, Pokemon, and Xenoblade all tend to have spots reserved for a new rep, so I expect a new character from whichever the current entry of these three is at the time of Smash's roster being planned.
• I think Jonesy and Master Chief are our two big "crowdpleaser" characters like Steve and Sora were for Ultimate. I expect we'll get at least one of the two, but probably both.
• Bomberman, Doomguy, and Dante all got acknowledged with Mii costumes, meaning Sakurai is aware of their popularity among the fanbase. I think they have really good chances.
• Octoling feels very likely, considering how strong Splatoon's been going.

 

[DemifiendEnjoyer]

Doshin the Giant would be a cool joke character.

 

[Speed Weed]

Doshin the Giant would be a cool joke character.

From what I've heard there are like, rights issues with him ever since the original devs went under which is why he hasn't shown up in anything since Melee. Sad to see it tbh, he's fun

 

[dream1ng]

When Ultimate brings back Cubivore and Doshin still isn't there, you know something's up with the IP.

 

[HyperSomari64]

Could Neptune (Hyperdimension Neptunia) be considered a Joke Character in Smash?

 

[silenthunder]

So, what characters are you hoping will be in the next Smash?

I want to see Marina Liteyears. I think she could be a unique enough grappler for her to get in. The 64 hack remix made a good move set for her. She’s my number 1 want. I also want Khameleon or sandbag but I don’t think they’re likely.

characters I think are likely (I do polls so I see demand)
If sakurai can get the rights crash bandicoot. Shadow is also surging in popularity.

when it comes to first party bandana waddle dee is the number 1 pick.

there will probably be a new mario pick. Geno or waluigi. Maybe paper mario.

noah is getting in. Unless Japan prefers Mia. Everyone I ask thinks of noah.

they’ll probably go with a new gen pokemon. But I could see an old one too to be different. Same with FE.

the best Zelda characters are all assist trophies.

i think if we get an indie it’ll be the knight from hallow knight Shantae the half genie.

 

[Swamp Sensei]

Are Isaac and Geno the big two old requests left?

There are other characters that are popular like Krystal, but I think Isaac and Geno may be a step above them.

 

[Perkilator]

So, what characters are you hoping will be in the next Smash?

IDK if I responded to this back in 2021, but in any case:

• Waluigi
• Raven Beak
• Bandana Waddle Dee
• Noah & Mio
• Dr. Eggman
• Chun-Li
• Rayman
• Crash Bandicoot
• 2B

 

[silenthunder]

Ok, who would be the next joke character for smash bros? Every new installment has gotten one.

Spoiler: Though, it WOULD be funny if the next one was dangerous like Mr. Game & Watch's 9

View attachment 373822

Cooking mama or lanky Kong but I want to see sandbag

 

[Speed Weed]

For what it's worth, the guy who created Doshin is like a super interesting creative. He set out to do specifically three games, and his other two games, Tail of the Sun and Aquanaut's Holiday, are these very artsy and unconventional experiences with a lot of really interesting design philosophy behind them. Cool dude

 

[DemifiendEnjoyer]

Could Neptune (Hyperdimension Neptunia) be considered a Joke Character in Smash ?

That would be cool.

 

[Ivander]

Are Isaac and Geno the big two old requests left?

There are other characters that are popular like Krystal, but I think Isaac and Geno may be a step above them.

Maybe Skull Kid? I know there isn't a whole lot of mention of him nowadays, but I think that's more on nobody knows exactly what Sakurai wants regarding Zelda characters that aren't the de-facto trio. That said, I thought Skull Kid was one of the ones that was really wanted and talked about like Isaac and Geno, even before that whole ordeal with the one leaker claiming they were in.

 

[DemifiendEnjoyer]

Isaac is a lot less popular nowadays, like he was a really popular pick from brawl to base game Ultimate, but I guess the Grinch Leak, like that’s where the interest peaked in him, but it was all fake so maybe that killed some of the hype with Isaac, also just shifting of the times kind of made him less popular too, like, Isaac hasn’t been in anything apart from Smash since 2010, and Golden Sun really was never a huge series or anything.
Isaac is a ”desperation pick”

 

[dream1ng]

Are Isaac and Geno the big two old requests left?

There are other characters that are popular like Krystal, but I think Isaac and Geno may be a step above them.

They're the two that can still chart highly on polls without new games, and only fall to still within the teens at worst, unless they're considered off the table.

I guess Skull Kid can also show up and do really well on a poll, but then he'll just vanish from charts for a while as well. Skull Kid support is weird.

But if characters like Krystal, Lyn, Goroh, Takamaru, probably Midna, Starfy, Bomberman etc. got new games, their popularity would return.

I'm going by Brawl-era as old here. Waluigi had demand back then too, but it would take a while for the scales to tip from troll/meme-based towards actual sincerity. Ashley, Lloyd, and Dixie (post-Diddy) also had some support back then as well, but less than they'd eventually get.

 

[DarthEnderX]

Regardless of whether it's used when predicting or wishlisting, using the term "deserve" is pointless because that's not the basis on how characters get added.

It's perfectly valid shorthand. People just get butthurt when you use it for their favorite characters. But those people will complain no matter what words you use. Because it's not the terminology they're actually mad about.

It's like whining about "4th Party".

 

[dream1ng]

Isaac is a lot less popular nowadays, like he was a really popular pick from brawl to base game Ultimate, but I guess the Grinch Leak, like that’s where the interest peaked in him, but it was all fake so maybe that killed some of the hype with Isaac, also just shifting of the times kind of made him less popular too, like, Isaac hasn’t been in anything apart from Smash since 2010, and Golden Sun really was never a huge series or anything.

Isaac got AT'd. Retaining any demand after that is something only Waluigi and to a lesser extent he did. But there wasn't really any reason to expect him after that.

Look what it did to Krystal, Ashley, Bomberman, Takamaru, Lyn, Skull Kid, Shovel Knight, etc. Didn't hear barely a peep out of those fanbases after that.

You gotta look at how things reset when the next game shows up. Some of these characters, once they're seen as back on the table, will have their popularity return. Maybe not to the same degree, but this is how it goes every time.

It's just that Brawl didn't deconfirm Isaac until right at the end, and Smash 4 didn't deconfirm him at all, because he wasn't in it, so he got to benefit from his popularity snowballing as he survived all the other deconfirmations, sort of like Geno this time until Sephiroth.

If you look at Ridley, K. Rool, Isaac and Geno, all four usually make it fairly far into things before they get deconfirmed, if they even do. That does give them more time for support to build while competition shrinks, and provides increased momentum into the next game. Ultimate was the first game to disrupt that, though Isaac still made it to the end of base, and Geno made it quite a while through DLC.

But for what it's worth, Isaac's popularity fluctuates, it's not always at Grinch or ballot levels. It's just fairly consistently good for a character like him, it's not always chart-topping. Like, it wasn't that great in early Ultimate until people realized they were actually adding multiple first-party fanbase favorites.

 

[DemifiendEnjoyer]

Isaac got AT'd. Retaining any demand after that is something only Waluigi and to a lesser extent he did. But there wasn't really any reason to expect him after that.

Look what it did to Krystal, Ashley, Bomberman, Takamaru, Lyn, Skull Kid, Shovel Knight, etc. Didn't hear barely a peep out of those fanbases after that.

You gotta look at how things reset when the next game shows up. Some of these characters, once they're seen as back on the table, will have their popularity return. Maybe not to the same degree, but this is how it goes every time.

It's just that Brawl didn't deconfirm Isaac until right at the end, and Smash 4 didn't deconfirm him at all, because he wasn't in it, so he got to benefit from his popularity snowballing as he survived all the other deconfirmations, sort of like Geno this time until Sephiroth.

If you look at Ridley, K. Rool, Isaac and Geno, all four usually make it fairly far into things before they get deconfirmed, if they even do. That does give them more time for support to build while competition shrinks, and provides increased momentum into the next game. Ultimate was the first game to disrupt that, though Isaac still made it to the end of base, and Geno made it quite a while through DLC.

But for what it's worth, Isaac's popularity fluctuates, it's not always at Grinch or ballot levels. It's just fairly consistently good for a character like him, it's not always chart-topping. Like, it wasn't that great in early Ultimate until people realized they were actually adding multiple first-party fanbase favorites.

Assist Trophies don’t deconfirm, its A generalization many people make but it’s not real, and it never meant anything.
Plus even when Shadow was confirmed as an Assist Trophy, a lot of people still were very open about wanted Shadow to be playable, near the end of FP2 whenever I asked around about characters people would want, I heard Shadow a lot, but very rarely Isaac.

 

[CannonStreak]

Cooking mama or lanky Kong but I want to see sandbag

Lanky sounds good to me.

We don't need a Smasher with style or grace. We just need a Smasher with a funny face.

 

[Opossum]

Assist Trophies don’t deconfirm, its A generalization many people make but it’s not real, and it never meant anything.
Plus even when Shadow was confirmed as an Assist Trophy, a lot of people still were very open about wanted Shadow to be playable, near the end of FP2 whenever I asked around about characters people would want, I heard Shadow a lot, but very rarely Isaac.

Whether or not they actually do isn't the point. The point is that it absolutely tanks the public perception of likelihood, which in turn tanks support.

 

[SPEN18]

Perhaps the most baffling part of Isaac's popularity to me is how many non-fans will claim his popularity is practically nonexistent. I never saw this kind of thing nearly as much with other fan faves like Ridley, KRool, Geno, Banjo, etc. That is, where people would straight-up deny their popularity. There seems to be some weird effect going on where certain circles just don't pay any attention to Isaac for whatever reason, no matter how big he is everywhere else.

 

[dream1ng]

Assist Trophies don’t deconfirm, its A generalization many people make but it’s not real, and it never meant anything.

You're gonna need actual evidence for that to not take a character's demand out at the knees.

Especially for first-parties. Even if it's not true in general, if they're an AT in base, they're not going to be playable in base. But if DLC is all about third-parties and promo picks, they don't have a real chance there either, unless something miraculous happens.

So for a character like Isaac, getting AT'd would severely cripple their chances.

Plus even when Shadow was confirmed as an Assist Trophy, a lot of people still were very open about wanted Shadow to be playable, near the end of FP2 whenever I asked around about characters people would want, I heard Shadow a lot, but very rarely Isaac.

Near the end of FP2 when Sephiroth burst the doors open on additional original representation from third-parties, you heard people wanted a popular Sonic character? So did I. I heard people wanted Shadow... and Zero and Alucard. To eventually get in. Now that there was precedent.

But in terms of translating to polls and predictions, the Sonic character who benefitted most was Eggman, because he was the only plausible candidate without an existing role. I'm sure Shadow was helped too, but Eggman kinda left them all in the dust at that point, post-Sephiroth.

It's no coincidence that he and Chun-Li spiked the most after Sephiroth, far more than Shadow or Knuckles or Zero or Alucard, who are all popular characters in their own right. It's because those two didn't have roles outsides spirits. By the next game, things will balance out a bit more.

It's not a great sample size, because it's from last year, when not a lot of people are still paying attention, but here's Sourcegaming's annual poll:

Mega Smash Poll Ultimate Results – The Most Wanted Fighters for a Future Game

It’s time for part 7 of the Mega Smash Poll Ultimate results. In this part, we will be looking beyond Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and looking at the franchises future. What better way to start than…

sourcegaming.info

And fwiw, here's the one from 2020:

Mega Smash Poll Ultimate: The characters YOU want for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighter Pass 2!

It’s time for the first results from our Mega Smash Poll Ultimate edition! We conducted this poll back in March 2020 and asked the community a number of questions about how they play Super Sm…

sourcegaming.info

For a character that was considered at best pretty unlikely, and at worst deconfirmed, Isaac's hanging in there among popular active candidates. You can already see him trend back upward from 2020 to 2022, where he's back in the top 10.

Though I did forget Shadow when listing ATs who retained some demand afterwards, that's true.

 

[DemifiendEnjoyer]

So, two characters I think would be neat.
Necky the Fox, the mascot of Famitsu, a Video Game magazine, in which Sakurai had a column, while he doesn’t technically originate from a video game, he’s still part of that world, and he already has that tie to Smash.

Second if there was a chance that Nintendo could somehow negotiate a character with Sony, I believe that character should be Q*bert, he is actually an extremely important character to Video Game history, and we could use another character who originates from an arcade game, he would probably feel more fitting in Smash than any other Sony owned character.

 

[HyperSomari64]

So, two characters I think would be neat.
Necky the Fox, the mascot of Famitsu, a Video Game magazine, in which Sakurai had a column, while he doesn’t technically originate from a video game, he’s still part of that world, and he already has that tie to Smash.
View attachment 373855
Second if there was a chance that Nintendo could somehow negotiate a character with Sony, I believe that character should be Q*bert, he is actually an extremely important character to Video Game history, and we could use another character who originates from an arcade game, he would probably feel more fitting in Smash than any other Sony owned character.

If this was PSASBR, his rival would be Nester from the Nintendo Power magazine.
At least he got a video game.....on the Virtual Boy of all consoles!!