Super Smash Brothers 4 Prediction List
version 1.0
Before reading this there are a few very important things you should remember. The first of which is that this list was made by the Official SSB4 Social Group (OSSG), which is comprised of those of whom have proved themselves both intelligent and insightful in the discussion of SSB4.
Certain characters from certain series were barely chosen over others. A good example of this would be for the Mario series – Bowser Jr. and Paper Mario are both considered likely, but Bowser Jr. was chosen over Paper Mario simply because he is more likely. If we DO make another version of this list, we might see some characters that barely didn’t make it on, well, make it on.
If your favorite character was not on this list, there is nothing else to say but ‘too bad’. This doesn’t claim to be a complete or even correct roster, just a list of the characters that we can say have a very good chance of getting in. As you can see, there are only 44 characters on this list, and most people expect a number around 50! Don’t come in here complaining if any character wasn’t on this list – ESPECIALLY IF THIS CHARACTER IS NAMED KRYSTAL OR MEWTWO. Those two aren’t getting in. They have been subject to a lot of discussion and the consensus was unanimous – they would be cool to see, but they just are not likely characters.
And now... this list! Remember we don't claim to be official or even for all of this to be correct once SSB4 rolls around -- these characters are just the most likely.
Mario Series
Mario- Do I really need an explanation here? Undeniably the most recognizable video game character of all time and the mascot of Nintendo, SSB4 would be a bad game just not for including him.
Luigi- The slightly less popular younger brother of Mario. Still extremely recognizable and important to Nintendo. He is also part of the original 12, so he wouldn’t be taken out anyway.
Peach- Need I really say anything here? Mario’s assumed girlfriend and the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, Peach isn’t a slouch at fighting herself! Simply to important to leave out.
Bowser- Mario’s long time enemy and leader of the Koopa’s. To important to leave out.
Bowser Jr.- As much as I would prefer to see Paper Mario or a Baby Mario Bros. team, Bowser Jr. is simply the most likely fifth character from the Mario series. Hopefully he’ll get his paintbrush from Super Mario Sunshine, which will lead to a very unique and very fun moveset.
Donkey Kong Series
Donkey Kong- The titular character and primary antagonist of Nintendo’s first big game, Donkey Kong. Extremely important to Nintendo and part of the original 12. Why would he not be in the next Super Smash Brothers?
Diddy Kong- Donkey Kong’s sidekick and friend, he is very important to the series. He was expected to be in back in Melee by most, but he had to wait until Brawl to get his turn.
King K. Rool- The antagonist of the Donkey Kong series. He will be the only newcomer for this series. Being part of Nintendo’s fourth highest selling series, he would be the most important third character.
Yoshi Series
Yoshi- Arguably more of a sidekick that Luigi ever was, Yoshi is a fan favorite and a major part of Nintendo. Hell, he almost counts as part of the Mario series, but the Brawl character select screen doesn’t have him as a Mushroom Kingdom-er. Part of the original 12, so there is no reason for him to get kicked.
Wario Series
Wario- Speaks for himself. Introduced as evil rival to Mario, has been main villain in a main game and several spin-offs, starred as a character in many games of the Mario series and almost all spin-offs. He also has 2 of his own series (Wario Land and WarioWare), both which are rather successful and don't seem to be stopped so soon. Not to mention that it was a shock that he didn’t appear in Melee.
Zelda Series
Link- Obviously, he’s going to stay in. Recognizable to gamers everywhere, Link is too important to Nintendo to not be in Smash.
Zelda/Shiek- Being the titular character, Zelda is obviously important. Add in her alter ego Shiek, and you get two movesets for the price of one!
Ganondorf (De-cloned)- Ganondorf is the primary antagonist of the Zelda series. Sadly, he’s been a clone of Captain Falcon since Melee! Ganondorf will be de-cloned for SSB4.
Toon Link (Luigified)- While the idea of Toon Link not being the same as Link may seem a little far-fetched, Toon Link has many viable options for him. Toon Link will be de-cloned, or at the very least luigified, for SSB4.
Tingle - while not the most favorable of Zelda characters, he is obviously the current candidate for a seat with the playable Zelda reps in SSB4. Why? Well, not only was he featured as an Assist Trophy, but he has starred in two of his own spin-off games (notably two of the very, very few Zelda spin-offs in the history of the series). He has a rather large fanbase in comparison to just about every other plausible character (with Vaati being his current, main rival).
Metroid Series
Samus/Zero Suit Samus- Samus is a ‘no duh’ character. Zero Suit Samus is an awesome addition. No argument here.
Ridley- One word: fan demand. While Metroid may not be as good as a seller as many other Nintendo games, Ridley was the one character that could earn you a ban on some websites just by making a thread about him in the pre-Brawl days. Obviously, he is well liked. The question isn’t ‘why should Ridley be in SSB4’ but ‘Why wasn’t Ridley in Brawl?’
Kid Icarus Series
Pit- Pit serves the retro bill quite nicely. Not very well known, but was as pretty big hit back in the day. While he’s not OMG MUST HAVE MUST HAVE, he’s pretty popular now due to his Brawl appearance, so fan demand alone should keep him in.
Ice Climber
Ice Climbers- The Ice Climbers, just like Pit, are good for retro characters. Not very well known today, but was a pretty big hit back in the day. And due to being in both Melee and Brawl, it would be a surprise to see them go. With a cult following and unique moveset, the ICs are pretty much guaranteed a spot in the next Super Smash Brothers.
Kirby Series
Kirby- Everybody’s favorite pink puffball is back! Being the protagonist and most recognizable character from the series, he’ll obviously be in. Not to mention that he’s part of the original 12.
Meta-Knight- A recurring antagonist of the Kirby series, though not the main one. But, the Kirby series is still important to Nintendo (fifth best selling) and Meta-Knight has had some popularity even before Brawl. Not to mention that he was planned to be in Melee but was cut from the final roster.
Kind Dedede- Primary antagonist of the Kirby series. He has had popularity even before Brawl and was supposed to be in back in the Smash 64 days! I don’t see any reason for him to be cut.
Pikmin Series
Captain Olimar- One of the greatest WTF characters ever, and probably my most pleasant surprise on the Brawl roster. Deserving because Pikmin is a popular new IP, and is going to stay because a new game has been announced – or at the very least, a new version of the game. This is all not even talking about the incredibly unique moveset.
Star Fox Series
Fox- Been around since the Nintendo 64 days and is from a series that got its own competition around it back in the 90s. Though he’s not a top seller, he’s still pretty important.
Falco (Luigified)- Though he’s not as much of a clone as he was in Melee, he could still use a bit more variety from Fox. He’s been around since Melee, so he’s obviously going to stay in the game.
Wolf - Wolf has huge popularity in Japan, which comes first when it comes to Smash. He is a recurring character (usually an antagonist) in the Star Fox series, which has huge success in Japan and moderate success in the US. There is no chance of Wolf getting cut.
F-Zero Series
Captain Falcon- Is any explanation needed here? Not even looking at his mega-popularity, he’s the main character of a game that has spawned its own anime and arcade game. Though the series isn’t a top seller, Nintendo definitely seems to like it. It’s surprising the series didn’t get a second rep in Brawl!
Black Shadow (Ganondorf’s old moveset)- The primary antagonist of the F-Zero games, Black Shadow is the most likely pick for F-Zero’s second character. Not to mention that he seems made for Ganondorf’s current moveset, which is a clone of Captain Falcon’s.
Pokemon Series
Pikachu- Probably the most obvious character for Smash right after Mario. Almost as well known as the plumber and probably just as important, Smash wouldn’t feel right without everybody’s favorite electric rodent.
Pokemon Trainer- Staying in because Sakurai likes the nostalgia characters and has obvious bias towards the first generation of Pokemon. Not to mention that PT was an immediate fan favorite.
Jigglypuff- While a lot of people express anti-Jigglypuff views, it can’t be forgotten that Japan comes first when it comes to Smash and Jigglypuff is the second most popular Pokemon there – right after Pikachu. Also, she’s original 12, so her spot is guaranteed.
Fifth Generation Pokemon- Not much can be said about this one. This is a very likely roster position, seeing as the Pokemon Company likes advertising so much. Not to mention a smash with no representation of the newest generation would be a bit weird.
Lucario – He was already predisposed to be popular when he was revealed early for the fourth generation of Pokemon in the movie Pokemon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, both because it made him a more exposed Pokemon and many people were impressed by the looks of him in the movie. Since then, he’s become the most popular of the fourth generation of Pokemon, the most recent one to date. Pokemon has always been one to have many reps – counting PT’s Pokemon individually, it is the franchise with the most reps in Brawl – so it wouldn’t be surprising at all if such a popular and well-known Pokemon made the cut.
Fire Emblem Series
Marth- The main character from the first game and a veteran smasher. How will he not be in SSB4? Not to mention that his game is about to come out in a remake on the DS, so he’s practically got his spot guaranteed!
Ike- First 3-D lord. Not to mention that everybody loved him in the game because he was so good that you could beat all of FE9 just using Ike. And the blue hair. Oh, god, the blue hair.
New FE Lord- For those of you who don’t know what an FE Lord is, it’s the main character of a Fire Emblem game. Obviously, Fire Emblem is going to get a 3rd rep. It’s 11th game is about to come out, so the series obviously has a lot going for it.
Mother Series
Ness- The original WTF character. He’s been around since the beginning, so he’s not going anywhere despite what anybody says. Not to mention that he attacks using a Yo-Yo. How awesome is that?
Lucas- Lucas will not stay because of popularity or how important his series, but because of how much Sakurai likes Mother. Obviously, a character from a Japan only game from a series that only has three entries is going to need at least some bias from the creator to get him in.
Game and Watch Series
Mr. Game and Watch- Despite what anybody says, the Game and Watch series is just too important to Nintendo to not have a rep. Being Nintendo’s first notable attempt at a video game, the series enjoyed a seven year life spam. Not to mention that Game and Watch should stay in if only as a tribute to Gunpei Yokoi.
Punch-Out!!
Little Mac- Everybody’s favorite boxer is also a pretty logical choice for SSB4! Appearing first as an Assist Trophy, and now he’s getting his series revived, Little Mac’s chances to become a smasher have become increased substantially. Not to mention that he fits the same bill that Pit and the Ice Climbers do, with his game being a pretty big thing back in the day.
Third Party
Solid Snake (Metal Gear)- Solid Snake was the character that made people not otherwise interested go out and buy Smash. Solid Snake is the character that people will recognize as one of gaming’s icons. Solid Snake deserves to be in Smash.
Sonic the Hedgehog (Sonic the Hedgehog)- Sonic was a character that everybody has been clamoring for since the original Super Smash Brothers. Not to mention that a prank by IGN sent the internet ablaze with rumors on how to unlock Sonic in Melee. Sonic’s inclusion was not only one that was obvious, but was one that can settle an age old rivalry.
Megaman (Megaman)- Another character that a lot of people expected to be in Brawl. Even Megaman’s creator has expressed interest in Megaman becoming a Smasher, so it’s a good bet that he’ll make it into SSB4. Not to mention that he has the wild fan demand that drove Sonic to eventually being added.
Second Party
Isaac (Golden Sun)- Making his first appearance as a mere Assist Trophy, Isaac is the most stand-out choice. Protagonist of an award-winning RPG series and he has fan demand.
Ray 01 (Custom Robo)- While he may not have as much fan demand, and his games may not win many awards, his series has a cult following and he was an Assist Trophy in Brawl. With nearly limitless moveset potential, Ray 01 is a clear choice for a second party character.
