Rate Their Chances - Smash Ultimate Edition! Day 672: Five Most Likely First and Third Parties for Smash 6, and Final Goodbyes

[BowserKing]

Impa (Age of Calamity)

Chance: 30%. This version of Impa has the potential to be the promotional character, with that Hyrule Warriors game being a new popular game. With that said, she won’t be the only Legend of Zelda character that has a chance, but Impa appears to be a very likely character.

Want: 75%. While I prefer it if Midna or Skull Kid got in first, Impa would still be fun to play as. I can see her join Link in battle against Ganondorf, among others. Overall, Impa has some potential to be the newest Legend of Zelda fighter.

Prediction: Alex Masion: 5%

Noms: 5 for Concept: Second F-Zero Rep

 

[Perkilator]

Air of Conditioner

Chance: 10%
Vol. 2 was decided before we knew about Age of Calamity. If we do get Impa in Vol. 2, it’ll more likely be an older version.

Want: Abstain
I haven‘t played the Age of Calamity demo yet. I don’t have an opinion on that version of Impa yet.

Alex Mason: 10%

Noms:
Crazy Dave x5

 

[waddledeeonredyoshi]

The most inconsistant design in Zelda
Chance: 3%
I do not doubt us getting a BotW newcomer, but I suspect the sequel in development would be a larger factor in such a decision than Age of Calamity. What role Impa will play in the sequel is up to speculation but I doubt it will be anything like the current Warriors version. From what I know, the original HW and FE warriors haven't gotten much acknowledgement in Smash and I'm not sure AoC will be different. Even if they did take this game into consideration when picking characters, AoC doesn't solely help Impa. Any of the champions also get the benefit of this game's existance. They're also more iconic to BotW and have higher popularity than Impa to my knowledge

Want: 5%
I guess she'd be acceptable? I'm honestly trying to avoid alot of AoC footage and it may take a while before I get the game so I'm not sure how this incarnation would play but the tought of Impa just doesn't excite me much. She would be a non-triforce user yes but she'd also be another Sheikah and Impa just doesn't sound as interesting as other potential candidates. I'd prefer any of the champions... or Kass. Imo, she'd be more fitting to be a Sheik echo than a fully fledged fighter.

Alex Mason: 1.78%
The Knight x10

 

[fogbadge]

abstain i have no idea... huh? impa? oh i can do this one

chances: hmm tricky but im gonna go with 20%. so there are some things that are going for her and some others against. now she is a huge character within in one of nintendo's biggest series but we all know that doesnt seem to matter much in the smash selection process. i can believe that nintendo would suggest a character from AoC to sakurai to put in smash but how can we be sure hed chose impa if importance doesnt matter? sakurai says he pick character to be fun so surely if there a member of the AoC line up he finds more fun he go for them. also i think sakurai is pretty satisfied with the zelda characters in smash. so while i do think its possible i just dont think sakurai would do it.

want: 100% i looooooove zelda. and like i said impa is a big part of the series and as such id love to have her. in the demo shes tonnes of fun to play as and i think it make for a cool moveset in smash. maybe she'll have a better chance for the next smash game. but one way or the other id love to have her in smash. be it AoC, OoT, HW or SS.

nominate qbby x10

 

[Sari]

Impa

Chance: 5%
Age of Calamity is definitely the big game Nintendo had planned for the end of 2020. Now the question is: would it be worthy of a promotional character? Right now I'm leaning towards no, simply because this game is a spin-off and if any other Zelda game is getting a promotional character then it's gonna be BotW2. I feel like an AoC spirit event is definitely gonna happen instead. Even if we did get an AoC character, Impa would have to compete with Zelda and the Champions. Also with the game being announced just a few months ago, there's a chance AoC Impa may have been too late to be considered; I imagine in the summer of 2019 when they were most likely finishing up FP2 plans, all eyes were on a BotW2 rep when it came to another Zelda character.

Want: 80%
My biggest fear with Impa getting into Smash as a whole is that she'd be a clone/echo of Sheik - a character whose moveset I don't like. With all of the DLC characters having unique movesets, I am a bit more interested in Impa than I was before. The Zelda series is also long overdue for a non-Triforce user character, and who else to fill that role better than one of the most reoccurring characters in the series? Plus I just really love the BotW Zelda games so any additional representation/content is fine with me. Of course I would still prefer BotW Zelda but Impa is probably the next best option.

-----

Alex Mason chance prediction: 0.8%

Nominations:
Concept: The remaining SSB4 DLC Mii Costumes return (or get a deluxe enhancement) x15

 

[Megadoomer]

Want: 5%
I guess she'd be acceptable? I'm honestly trying to avoid alot of AoC footage and it may take a while before I get the game so I'm not sure how this incarnation would play but the tought of Impa just doesn't excite me much. She would be a non-triforce user yes but she'd also be another Sheikah and Impa just doesn't sound as interesting as other potential candidates. I'd prefer any of the champions... or Kass. Imo, she'd be more fitting to be a Sheik echo than a fully fledged fighter.

There's a free demo on the eShop. Even if you aren't going to get the game for a while, your save data for that demo will transfer over to the actual game, and Impa's playable in the demo. That should give you an idea of how she might play.

 

[DrifloonEmpire]

Impa (Age of Calamity)

Chance: 5% - Definitely a contender worth looking into, though not without her drawbacks. Impa's been requested for years and the reveal of her Age of Calamity design (along with the major role she plays in-game) was met with a lot of positive reception and fanfare. Breath of the Wild is already extremely popular and she had a game coming soon that she could be promotional for! Problem is, release windows didn't line up quite right. With Steve taking the October release slot that didn't leave much time before Age of Calamity's release for a new character to be revealed and released. Granted, they could pull a Byleth and have Impa promote Age of Calamity DLC down the line, though spinoffs usually don't tend to get much Smash representation to begin with. There's also Sakurai's apparent aversion to adding non-Triforce-trio characters for some reason. So Impa's reasons are pretty straightforward, a popular and requested character who has the pedigree but missed her window of oppurtunity (DLC notwithstanding) for being a promotional pick, given said game releases in three days.

Want: 60% - While I'm not the hugest Zelda fan, I've really enjoyed Breath of the Wild and I've always respected the franchise, so I would definitely be down for Impa! The 35th anniversary of the franchise is next year, plus Zelda's not gotten a proper newcomer since Brawl. Furthermore we need a non-Triforce-trio character, and with Impa dodging the typical counter complaint a lot of Zelda characters get ("they're just a one-off!") she'd make for a fantastic choice. In fact, I'd consider her a promotional pick done RIGHT, much in the vain of Hero. Her default design would promote Age of Calamity (much like Luminary for Hero) but she'd also have the history, popularity, and legacy to back up her inclusion. While she isn't my top choice for the last four slots, she'd be an extremely welcome addition that the Zelda franchise deserves after two games of neglect for its' characters.


Nominations:
Don-chan x5
4x Strategy Rep x5

Predictions:
Alex Mason - 1.93% - A lot of competition (much of which has way more fan demand - he's going against Crash for God's sake!) within Activision doesn't bode well for people's confidence, along with the general violent nature of the franchise and lack of popularity in Japan. However, we DO have another military character in Smash in the form of Snake so there is a trickle of hope for Alex.

 

[Mushroomguy12]

Impa

Chance: 60%

Well, she's a major promotional character from a brand new game in a major series, so that gives her points already. I could see her chances going either way, yeah, the FP was decided earlier but we know that Sakurai has access to characters earlier like with Greninja.

Want: 100%

Zelda is long overdue for a non Link newcomer, it's been waiting for one for nearly twenty years. Impa has been a major story relevant character to the series since the beginning, I think she's more than deserving for the spot.

 

[GoodGrief741]

Spoiler: Nominations post-Concept: Fortnite character pre-Impa

Red (Angry Birds) x170
Miriam x165
[Rerate] The Knight x160
[Rerate] Maxwell x155
Cynthia (Pokémon) x150
Hajime Hinata x150
Don-chan x120

150 - 101

D.Va x115
Mii Costume: Monika x115
Concept: Second F-Zero rep x114
T-Rex Runner x110
Concept: The remaining SSB4 DLC Mii Costumes return (or get the deluxe treatment) x106

100 - 51

[Rerate] Arle Nadja x100
Boss: Ender Dragon x98
Zero (Mega Man) x95
Mii Costume: Alex Kidd x93
Vectorman x90
Riptor x85
[Rerate] Monokuma x85
Stage: Bowser's Castle x81
Concept: Darksiders rep x80
Sackboy x80
Boss: Rayquaza x80
Carl Johnson x80
Crazy Dave x80
[Rerate] Concept: Boss Rush x80
Fulgore x79
Concept: More ATs as one new item x75
Dwight Fairfield (Dead by Daylight) x75
Concept: Rocket League rep x75
[Rerate] Concept: League of Legends rep x75
Giygas x70
Worms x70
Qbby x65
Echo (Olimar) x56
Concept: SNES-era Final Fantasy rep x55
Gooigi x55
Vi (Bug Fables) x55
Echo: Zeraora (Lucario) x55
[Rerate] Jin Kazama x55
Magolor x55
John Marston x55
Jin Sakai x55
Ghirahim x55

50 - 25

Concept: A 4X strategy rep x50
Tetra x40
Echo (Bowser) x35
[Rerate] Concept: New Zelda character x30
Mii Costume: 2B x30
Cooking Mama x30
Ryza (Atelier) x25
Concept: A Challenger Pack with 2 Fighters x25

Under 25

Yarn Yoshi x15
Billy & Jimmy Lee x15
[Rerate] Reimu Hakurei x15
Beat (Jet Set Radio) x15
Tetris x10
Slash Kamei (Snowboard Kids) x10
Estelle Bright x10
Velvet Crowe x10
Concept: Rocket League content x5
[Rerate] Thrall x5
Stage: Tetris x5
[Rerate] Agumon x5
[Rerate] Lara Croft x5
Stage: Tetris 99 x5
[Rerate] Concept: Any new Xenoblade character x5
Concept: Raizing shmup rep x5
Mii Costume: Zagreus x5

Red slingshots past Miriam and conquers first place. Don-chan triumphs against D.Va and gets to stay in seventh place.

T-Rex Runner and Concept: The remaining SSB4 DLC Mii Costumes return run past 100 noms.

Mii Costume: 2B and Cooking Mama make their way out of the under 25 club.

Vol. 2 was decided before we knew about Age of Calamity.

I imagine the folks at Nintendo did know about it though, you don't make a game like that in just a couple of months.

 

[chocolatejr9]

Abstain. I have no opinion on Impa.

Nominations: [Rerate] Monokuma x5

 

[Diddy Kong]

Impa:

Chance: 55%.

I think it's way more likely we're getting more first party characters this time around. Zelda hasn't had exactly good prospects for newcomers since forever. Impa is as logical an addition as Bandana Dee, Dixie or Toad would be for their respective franchises. She's also playable now, and has an active role in Age of Calamity, when it's really mostly about Link, Zelda and the Champions. There's no reason for her to be as involved as she is. Especially considering her lackluster role in BotW itself. She's also shaping up to be one of the most popular characters of the game already. And Age of Calamity is this year's holiday title, on top of Zelda having its 35th anniversary next year. I could easily see a Impa reveal happening.

Want: 100%
I basically started the whole Impa for Smash movement. I'm incredibly proud of how far we came since her revival role in Skyward Sword. She's the very reason I came to this thread.

 

[amageish]

Impa (AoC)

Chance: 8%. I could see things lining up for Impa and totally get why people are rating her highly - she's got a new game, a badass new design, and is from a major Nintendo franchise that has been historically shortchanged when it comes to original Smash characters... That said, I think she just has too much competition within BotW-verse, honestly. She's a major character in this years' holiday release, but BotW2 is (assumedly) upcoming as well (possibly next year's holiday release?) and there will be other characters who will be major characters in both that game and this one (barring timeline shennagigans enabling Impa to pop up more then I expect)... Those characters also aren't Sheikah, if that would boost their odd to make them more Smash-able in unique ways, given how both of the first DLC charcaters aren't just "unique" but are full on "we've changed how Smash Bros plays" (granted, Impa could also use a Warriors moveset to mix up the controls, if they did want to specifically shine a light on AoC). So, things could line up for her depending on the choices/goals of DLC, but I do think the road is at least a bit rocky...

Want: 100%. While I get her not being everyone's favourite Zelda pick (and she isn't mine either), I do feel like Impa may be the best choice for the spot of the first non-Triforce Zelda rep. She's been there since the very first game and is one of the only non-triforce characters to get consistently reincarnated with new designs to fit the new world (as opposed to, say, Tingle, who just looks like Tingle no matter where he appears in space and time). She's franchise-spawning and has only grown in popularity of late, especially after the spotlight was put on her in the first Hyrule Warriors game... I just think she'd be a good choice.

Nominations: Mii Costume Monika x 10
Predictions: 3%. I'm curious how want scores will go too...

 

[Mr. MR]

Impa - Assassins of Creed

Chance: 17%
One of the other Zelda characters that seems to be reincarnated in almost every game but never seems to get that much recognition. I suppose that just comes with the job of being a ninja. This time around she's got a major (or at least bigger) role in a shiny new BotW game giving her part of the limelight for once. She's got a lot going for her. She's a new incarnation of a Zelda staple. She's got a very cool, standout moveset that's sure to turn heads and differentiate her from Sheik. She's one of the 'neutral' reps from BotW because she's not one of the four champions. She's might be considered a semi-Koei Tecmo pick and she's first party. And most importantly, she's from the Legend of Zelda and not Link, Zelda, or Ganon.

Despite all these reasons for her she also has some reasons against her. I think she has a better chance than one of the Champions but I wouldn't be surprised to see Urbosa instead of her. There's also the fact that there are only four slots left and I don't think we will get another pass. Competition is getting much tighter and I think the bar is set really high for this pass. (I feel like my ratings are falling constantly because of this). We already have a Breath of the Wild stage and I don't think we are going to get a second one. Not to mention Link is currently the BotW rep, so it's not like the game is underrepresented. It's not the best reason against her but I think it has some weight. Her game is recent and that both helps and hurts. If we do get her this pass, she would be a Byleth pick. However, I have a feeling that this pass is filled with people who Sakurai could not cut because the remaining ones have too big of a reputation. IMO, Byleth was a filler for the last pass because Steve took too long to develop and Min Min was not ready. I don't think that scenario will happen for this pass. This is just my hunch but I will trust my gut for now. The other problem with recency is that the game is currently unproven in the market. This would be damning if she was a third party but because shes first, it only hurts her chances a little in my mind. cough Corrin. Overall, if there were more slots or a confirmed third pass my rating would go up a lot. I could see her coming as a lone character after the pass without a stage though. She's a good candidate for that.

Want: 100%
I love her moveset in AoC and I think it would create a very interesting and unique moveset in Smash that would be a blast to play. I love Legend of Zelda which is probably the majority opinion here and I would love a non-Link, non-Zelda, non-Ganon rep from the series. We need something fresh from the series and Impa has that. She's also deeply entwined into Zelda lore and deserves to be more prominent for once. Also, she's a ninja and ninjas are cool.

Noms: Mii Costume: 2B x10
Predict: 0.593%

 

[GoodGrief741]

The real Nintendo Ninja

Chance: 15%
A bit higher than I'm used to for a Zelda character. Because yes, there hasn't been a new character since ****ing Brawl. And yes, there's never been a character not named Link, Zelda or Ganondorf. But there's a couple of things helping her case. For one, I definitely expect a promotional first party character. Lo and behold, Age of Calamity fits the bill! Sure, the next fighters will all come after its release, but Byleth game way late so I don't see why that's an issue. Next year is also Zelda's anniversary so a newcomer would make sense. And if marketing deems it dumb to pull a FighterZ and sell another version of Zelda or Ganondorf as DLC, then Impa's the ideal candidate.

Impa also benefits from being a highly recurring character in the franchise. We don't know why Sakurai has been so reluctant to add one of the many, very popular one-off characters, but Impa ain't one of them, being in almost every Zelda game - including fighter-ready appearances in OoT and SS. Her appearance in Hyrule Warriors was a fan-favorite, and led to some support which might have gotten her noticed. The AoC incarnation of her has also been incredibly well-received, but obviously that happened too late to matter (unless they pulled a Pokemon and left a Zelda character slot to be defined later).

Want: 85%
Impa's always been the Zelda character who I like, but not love, so I've always been ambivalent towards her in Smash. I like her because she isn't one of the main three, but she still isn't the breakthrough moment where the one-offs start getting spots. She's kind of just in-between. But her AoC version? That's gold, I'd love to play as her in Smash.

Noms: Cooking Mama x10
Mason prediction: 1.47%

 

[Lyncario]

Impa and the Smash of calamity

Chance: 0.1%

Controversial take, but I don't think that AoC Impa is likely at all. Her positives pretty much stayed the same since Melee, with her being the last big recuring Zelda character that is not playable in Smash in any form (unless you count Ganon as entirely separate from Ganondorf), she's also requested, would be a new Zelda character (either as an echo/clone of Sheik, thiugh she would be 100% unique if she joined in FP2 as dlc), and all of that. And she also has Age of Calamity that she can be a shill pick for... however, I see multiple things going against this. First of all, Age of Calamity's full title is The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild: Age of Calamity, and well, BotW sold almost 20 millions, anything with Breath of the Wild (or for that matter, The Legend of Zelda) in it's name gets instantly a lot of shilling by virtue of existing, which can also be applied to a rep from BotW2. Talking about shill again, if Nintendo really wants to use the dlc of their criticaly aclaimed game that sold 21 millions to shill a game related to the one that sold 20 million while also being criticaly aclaimed, I feel like they would rather go for the sequel that they are themselves making rather than the Warriors style spin-off, even if AoC is still canon Also to people Who say it's not Canon because of the robot that time travel and create a new timeline where it seems that everyone will survive, OOT did that over 20 years ago and it's still one of the most aclaimed game of the series. Also, yeah, AoC is a spin-off, and outside of Mario spin-offs, Persona, and arguably Pokemon Stadium, spin-offs don't tend to get much, if anything in Smash, with the original HW getting 0 tracks, 0 spirits, 0 stages, and 0 character in the base game, despite how Nintendo went very hard on advertising it. So yeah, I do not think that AoC Impa is likely at all.

Want: 90%

Zelda is one of my favorite series of all time, so of course I would take a new character from it, especialy since Impa is not a Triforce bearer unlike those already in Smash (unless you don't count Toon Link as a Triforce bearer since he wasn't chosen by the godesses, rather, he made them choose him trough sheer badassery and competence), especialy since she could have a very cool moveset. I wouldn't even mind if she was like Sheik in multiple aspects since Sheik is a character I not only play and enjoy to play, but that I'm also good at. And of course, sue has a very good design, and getting a new Zelda stage and new Zelda tracks in Smash would be extremly cool.

Nomination

Boss Rush x10

Predictions

Mason: 4.2%

 

[KingofPhantoms]

Impa Chance: 30%

Well, Warrirors may be a spin-off, but this game is also a canonical prequel to BotW, so that isn't really a problem there unlike itwould be for the original Warriors or any of it's own iterations of pre-existing characters, or original characters, for that matter.

Still, I don't really see this happening. It'd be her best shot in a long time now that we've got a fresh take on Impa again, one who is a known fighter, but even so, she's got competition from the other Champions who debuted in BotW before that, and numerous third party characters beyond that. There's a lot in her way.

Want: 40%

Eh, more Zelda characters would be great, but I'd much sooner pick Tetra or Skull Kid. They've been my favored picks for a long time, now. That isn't going to change unless either of them ever gets in.

Alex Mason Prediction: 2.52%

Nominations: Tetra x5

 

[GoodGrief741]

My tracklist started out with Serpent Eating the Ground and ended with the default dance. That's, uh, quite the drop in quality.

Spoiler: Calcs

Concept: A Bravely Default character
13.92% Chance - 56.82% Want
Winner of predictions was Ridrool64 with 13.26%

Arthur
4.15% Chance - 56.47% Want
Winner of predictions was Mr. MR with a precise 4.00%

Adol Christin
28.53% Chance - 83.18% Want
Winner of predictions was GoodGrief741 by virtue of being the highest prediction, with 21.00%
Adol is now the most wanted character overall, beating Dixie Kong, and is the second highest want score for anything, behind A character who isn't the star of their own game.

Concept: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon content
1.64% Chance - 68.93% Want
Winner of predictions was Sari by virtue of being the lowest prediction, with 2.01%
This is now the 4th least likely concept.

Concept: Content from currently unreleased game (not Spirit Events) (as of May 17th 2020)
52.53% Chance - 48.89% Want
Winner of predictions was amageish with a precise 50.00%
People seemed split on this one, with very extreme chance scores. Want, on the contrary, was dominated by 50s, as concepts like these tend to be.

Concept: Coco as Crash's Echo/Costume
2.81% Chance - 72.27% Want
Winner of predictions was Jomosensual by virtue of being the lowest prediction, with 0.51%
Many people gave two different scores for this, one for the alt and one for the Echo. Obviously I can't average them both into the score, so that resulted in a lot of abstentions.

Concept: Fortnite character
23.62% Chance - 13.27% Want
Winners of predictions were ahemtoday and DanganZilla5 with a precise 25.00%
And this is the 2nd least wanted concept, behind Brand new ARMS character. No surprises here.

extra noms

3BitSaurus 5
ahemtoday 5
amageish 5
Artix 15
Awakining 5
Blankiturayman 5
DanganZilla5 5
DaUsername 97
Delzethin 5
GoodGrief741 44
Icedragonadam 5
Inue Houji 20
Jomosensual 5
Mr. MR 60
NintenRob 55
Nemuresu 10
Ninjaed 20
Perkilator 5
Ridrool64 5
Sari 5
SKX31 5
Troykv 15
waddledeeonredyoshi 49
WeirdChillFever 10
Wunderwaft 5

 

[DanganZilla5]

Impa

Chance: 25%

I've already talked about why I think a promotional character will happen. It has happened at the end of every DLC cycle so far and I see it happening again. Not that it's guaranteed to be a Zelda character, but Age of Calamity seems to be Nintendo's big holiday game. Impa is one of the few side characters who reoccur often in the series so I can see her being one of the top candidates to be the next Zelda rep. She does have the history and fan demand to do it.

But while I'm fairly confident in her, she does have a lot of things going against her. First, this concept specifically points to Age of Calamity, which is a spinoff game. On the top of my head, there are only two spinoff series that has major representation in Smash: Mario Kart and Persona. Mario Kart, because well, it's Mario Kart, and Persona got in through specific circumstances. So yeah it takes a lot for a spinoff to get substantial content and while Hyrule Warriors seems like it has a promising future, we will just have to wait and see if it will truly be something huge enough to get a challenger pack of its own. Second, and this goes along with my previous point, Nintendo likely will prioritize BOTW 2 if we get anything Zelda related in in the future. So far we don't know much about BOTW 2 so her chances will depend on how big her role is in that game or if she will even get a role in the first place. And I have to mention that pretty soon it will be twenty years since we've had a unique Zelda rep. 20 years, and 3 games later, and we still don't have a rep outside of the main three characters. That says a lot and is what really hurts this score. Overall, if we get another Zelda rep, my money is on BOTW 2 Zelda still.

Want: 60%

Not too long ago I would have just abstained. But last week my best friend came to my house to visit and he brought Hyrule Warriors and we finished the main campaign. I played as Impa often and I enjoyed using her. I then tried the Age of Calamity demo and enjoyed that too. So while I'm still not a Zelda fan, I'm more open to another Zelda character now. I'm curious to see her moveset and Hyrule Warrior's music is pretty good. Impa would be a good choice, definitely much more appealing than another Link or Zelda.

Prediction: Mason - 3%

Noms: Vectorman x10

 

[Jomosensual]

Impa

Chance 25 - Feel like there's a solid shot. Tough for me to feel super confident in Impas shot when AoC isn't in the time window for a promotional pick with another LOZ game being in that time zone as well. Once we find out what role, if any, Impa has in BOTW 2 then her rating will change. For now though Im comfotable with a 25 percent. Seems like BOTW2 is the easy front runner for a promotional pick right now and Impa is going to be a part of the lore at worst it seems like. Even though it seems like Nintendo haven't really cared to rep her much in Smash yet maybe that could change.

Want 50 - Not super familiar with the character. However, I do think it would be pretty nice to get LOZ reps that aren't the Triforce trio. That series just has so many characters that they should pick more than just Links and Zeldas. So overall, wouldn't really effect me either way

Predictions
Alex Mason - 2.15

Noms:
T Rex Runner x15

 

[MisterMike]

-= Paya 2: Electric Boogaloo =-
Chance: 0%
Just like the previously rated BotW!Zelda, Young!Impa has been getting a lot of attention from Smash Speculators due to Zelda: Skyrim Edition's big, quasi-canonical spinoff being revealed. Unlike BotW!Zelda, however, Young!Impa isn't another version of a character we already have on the roster, and she's not been previously established as being anything but a fighter in the games, Old!Impa notwithstanding. Her moveset potential is very high, what with her expansive moveset in Age of Calamity as well as the powerful techniques of Master Kohga and Maz Koshia.

That said, the main reason I wholeheartedly believe she's not getting in is because she just doesn't feel like she'd be on the same level as the other DLC fighters we've gotten thus far. The two first party characters we've gotten as DLC are ones who were able to bring something new to Smash in some way: Byleth brought a bevy of new content from Three Houses that wasn't there before, and Min Min greatly expanded upon the paltry content ARMS had in the base game, as well as offering a unique combat style that is unlike any other fighter in Smash. BotW already has a good amount of content in Smash as is, so it would be very redundant and kind of unfair to have people pay 5-8 dollarydoos for what would feel like a small expansion of content they've already paid for.

She's also competing with the likes of Rex and Waluigi, who not only offer more to Smash than she could, but are also significantly more requested than she is. Also, and while this isn't a strike againster her per se, the Zelda series hasn't got a new fighter since Brawl, and I don't see that changing with this DLC period.

Want: 50%
I'm neutral on her for the most part. She's got enough to base an interesting moveset around and she's pretty cute, though I'd much prefer either OoT!Impa or HW!Impa myself. Hell, I'd even prefer Oracle!Impa over her.

 

[GoodGrief741]

On the top of my head, there are only two spinoff series that has major representation in Smash: Mario Kart and Persona.

You don't count DK, Wario and Yoshi?

 

[Cosmic77]

After Link and Zelda, the Champions are the most important characters in AoC. If Nintendo were to care enough to promote AoC with a character, my money would be on a Champion. That's who they've been pushing the hardest in their promotional material, and they seem to have a much larger role in the game than Impa, who as far as I can tell will mostly be someone who tags along.

I do think people have been overestimating Impa's chances, which has caused people to severely underestimate the Champions as a result. Been seeing a lot of, "They wouldn’t show favoritism to one Champion, so they'd probably go with Impa instead." Still don't know why that's so widely accepted when we have several instances of one character being favored over equally important characters (one starter Pokémon over the other two, Min Min over the other fourteen ARMS characters, etc.).

 

[Hinata]

After Link and Zelda, the Champions are the most important characters in AoC. If Nintendo were to care enough to promote AoC with a character, my money would be on a Champion. That's who they've been pushing the hardest in their promotional material, and they seem to have a much larger role in the game than Impa, who as far as I can tell will mostly be someone who tags along.

I do think people have been overestimating Impa's chances, which has caused people to severely underestimate the Champions as a result. Been seeing a lot of, "They wouldn’t show favoritism to one Champion, so they'd probably go with Impa instead." Still don't know why that's so widely accepted when we have several instances of one character being favored over equally important characters (one starter Pokémon over the other two, Min Min over the other fourteen ARMS characters, etc.).

A big factor to consider in why people are choosing to focus on Impa is that she's a mainstay of the Zelda cast. Most mainline Zelda games have Impa appearing as a pivotal character in some way.

So, like, you gotta consider the seniority aspect. Yeah, the Champions are more important to Breath of the Wild, but Impa is more important to the Zelda series as a whole. I think that's enough to earn top billing.

 

[Cosmic77]

A big factor to consider in why people are choosing to focus on Impa is that she's a mainstay of the Zelda cast. Most mainline Zelda games have Impa appearing as a pivotal character in some way.

So, like, you gotta consider the seniority aspect. Yeah, the Champions are more important to Breath of the Wild, but Impa is more important to the Zelda series as a whole. I think that's enough to earn top billing.

To be brutally honest, I think Smash fans care more about Impa's status as a recurring character than Nintendo. In most cases, I see more support and promotion from Nintendo for the one-shots like Skull Kid, Midna, and the Champions than I do with Impa. She's always there, but she's constantly being overshadowed by other characters, even when we leave out Link, Zelda, and Ganon.

Regardless, that still doesn't change the business perspective of this. If their goal is to promote AoC, it'd make sense to choose the most prominent and most heavily associated character(s). Link and Zelda are already in Smash, so the Champions would be next if we go down the list. That's who I think the most people would be able to recognize from BotW/AoC specifically.

 

[GoodGrief741]

After Link and Zelda, the Champions are the most important characters in AoC. If Nintendo were to care enough to promote AoC with a character, my money would be on a Champion. That's who they've been pushing the hardest in their promotional material, and they seem to have a much larger role in the game than Impa, who as far as I can tell will mostly be someone who tags along.

I do think people have been overestimating Impa's chances, which has caused people to severely underestimate the Champions as a result. Been seeing a lot of, "They wouldn’t show favoritism to one Champion, so they'd probably go with Impa instead." Still don't know why that's so widely accepted when we have several instances of one character being favored over equally important characters (one starter Pokémon over the other two, Min Min over the other fourteen ARMS characters, etc.).

I don't think those comparisons work. With Pokemon you don't really have a choice, you have to pick one of the three starters so there isn't a neutral option.

With ARMS I think it's very safe to say that, despite the nonsense of "everyone is the protagonist", there's still a hierarchy. Min Min's much higher on the totem pole than, say, Master Mummy is. And even between the small group of really important characters, it's not like they're a specifically designated group where everyone's given equal importance.

Also, they've been heavily promoting AoC, and they've been focusing on the trio of Link, Zelda and Impa, much more than the Champions.

 

[Cosmic77]

I don't think those comparisons work. With Pokemon you don't really have a choice, you have to pick one of the three starters so there isn't a neutral option.

With ARMS I think it's very safe to say that, despite the nonsense of "everyone is the protagonist", there's still a hierarchy. Min Min's much higher on the totem pole than, say, Master Mummy is. And even between the small group of really important characters, it's not like they're a specifically designated group where everyone's given equal importance.

The comparisons don't mirror the Champions, but I think they're close enough to make the argument redundant. The amount of exceptions that have to be added to make this hard and unbreakable rule work is making it seem long and convoluted. "Characters who have equal importance as other characters can't be chosen for Smash unless the player is forced to make one of the characters more important than the others during the game, the character is on the high end of a figurative totem pole, or Sakurai is seeking someone who would be more unique."

Besides, any of the Champions could be chosen for the same reasons as Min Min — popularity and preference from developer(s).

Also, they've been heavily promoting AoC, and they've been focusing on the trio of Link, Zelda and Impa, much more than the Champions.

I strongly disagree with this point. The reveal trailer for AoC gave a small portion to each of the Champions, whereas Impa was only briefly seen on the side. She wouldn't be officially revealed until Nintendo tweeted about her shortly after. Most of Impa's appearances in promotional videos have had her in the background and don't actually focus on her. The Champions usually have to share the spotlight, but at least they're getting some notable attention, most recently in the Divine Beasts video.

In addition, the Champions are the ones featured on the boxart, and all four of the amiibo have been reprinted. Even in the context of the game itself, the opening states that the story is about Link, Zelda, and the four Champions.

 

[Lenidem]

The comparisons don't mirror the Champions, but I think they're close enough to make the argument redundant. The amount of exceptions that have to be added to make this hard and unbreakable rule work is making it seem long and convoluted. "Characters who have equal importance as other characters can't be chosen for Smash unless the player is forced to make one of the characters more important than the others during the game, the character is on the high end of a figurative totem pole, or Sakurai is seeking someone who would be more unique."

Besides, any of the Champions could be chosen for the same reasons as Min Min — popularity and preference from developer(s).

There is also Falco, who's not more important than Peppy or Slippy. So you could add "or on the contrary, if he want to make a clone of another character."

Not that I'm happy with that. I do think it would be better to have characters that stick out, so the fact that there are four Champions of equal importance should be in favor of Impa, in my opinion. But I'm not the one in charge.

 

[DanganZilla5]

You don't count DK, Wario and Yoshi?

Oh ****. You are right. I keep thinking they are their own separate thing but yes you would be correct. But I still believe my point stands as these three are long-running series. Maybe Hyrule Warriors will be the next big spinoff series, but again we will just have to wait and see.

 

[YoshiandToad]

Impa-rtial to this character
Chance: 10%
Impa is in a very odd spot. She's technically one of the most reoccurring individuals in the franchise, but her role is usually very muted. Koei Tecmo have done fantastic work bringing the character to light and gathering her new fans with the Hyrule Warriors titles, and Nintendo themselves have even used Impa a fair bit to demonstrate the upcoming Age of Calamity title.

On the one hand she has a distinct advantage over the Champions whom she'd be competing with; there's only one of her(well okay she can clone herself in this title, but you know what I mean) and thus doesn't have to share the spotlight with three other characters, similar to why the Three House lords were harder to include than Byleth.

Unfortunately outside the promotion for the game, Impa is definitely playing a second fiddle to not only Link and Zelda but Urbosa, Revali, Daruk and Mipha since she's not on the boxart nor did she get her very own styling little Amiibo figure whilst the champions came as a set.

Her advantages are she's likely to constantly return in future Zelda titles(albeit sporting different looks), but the disadvantage is similar to what's happened with Toad; she's being pushed into the background whilst newcomers are promoted more heavily around her.

On top of which Zelda doesn't do quite as well in Japan so it may be a lower priority and Sakurai seems particularly averse to giving us newcomers from Zelda. I don't think it's a bias as such, but it's just what's happened.

Want: 100%
I make it no secret that I adore Impa. Between Hyrule Warriors, Skyward Sword and now Age of Calamity, they've managed to make her into an engaging and likable character.

Whilst I do slightly prefer the original Hyrule Warrior's Impa's design being a perfect blend of Ocarina and Skyward's incarnations, I cannot deny that Age of Calamity Impa has by far the best moveset I've seen her to date. The Naginata is all good and well, but multiple sheikah clones and just the sheer speed she can wreck things in Age of Calamity has got me hyped. Also I did really like Paya's design in BotW so naturally Impa works for me here.

There's a few Zelda characters I really desire most notably Vaati(Please Capcom) and Tingle(he's hated by many but I personally love him) but Impa is by far the top of the list for me...even more so than she already was. She'd easily be my favourite newcomer to date if she got in, and easily in my top five most wanted...probably even top 3.

Prediction:
Mason: 3.5%

Nomination:
Please add my nominations to the next person who rates Impa's nominated character. I dunno, feeling generous and there's nothing I want to rate right now. Hope this is allowed.

 

[Mushroomguy12]

Regardless, that still doesn't change the business perspective of this. If their goal is to promote AoC, it'd make sense to choose the most prominent and most heavily associated character(s). Link and Zelda are already in Smash, so the Champions would be next if we go down the list. That's who I think the most people would be able to recognize from BotW/AoC specifically.

She's playable in the demo and the Champions aren't though. And yes, the Champions are more important to BotW but this version of Impa is new specifically to AoC, they clearly are heavily promoting her given she's front and center next to Link and Zelda on all the promo material.

 

[fogbadge]

Vaati(Please Capcom)

vaati is not owned by capcom. he wasnt even created by them. vaati's absence is entirely down to nintendo

 

[Ridrool64]

Oooh, okay dear.

Chance: 20%? We can't exactly prove Sakurai had any experience with AoC ahead of time, which is the reason why Byleth happened in the first place. If she doesn't have that, Impa as her Age of Calamity self is not happening. Smash rarely gives spinoffs the time of day even when it comes to music and Assists, let alone the much coveted Fighter position, and the ones that are acknowledged are distinct enough to count separately. Combine that with Zelda's massively split vote in terms of who they add even just out of Age of Calamity, I don't think Impa is a priority character. Besides, if they DO add a promotional character, why Age of Calamity Impa over somebody from the sequel to Breath of the Wild?

Want: 40%, I guess. Again, this doesn't feel like a pick that will age well but is a time capsule of what people wanted back then. While I think it is strange that Zelda's six fighters only have three uniques, hasn't seen a newcomer in a decade and one with an entirely fresh moveset in almost two, consists entirely of Link, Zelda and Ganondorf, and tend to perform badly overall, I find that with the increased scope of Smash it doesn't quite matter right now. I will say, though, Ultimate's successor has got to include one. I'd prefer Skull Kid, Tingle, Vaati or... yes, even a CDI rep like Harkinian or Morshu as a joke character, assuming it can't be a Triforce character. Otherwise, Pig Ganon and I don't look back. But I wouldn't lose sleep over Impa, I just wouldn't care too much.

Red x 5, CJ x 5. I don't know if Mason is the star of CoD as a whole or a guy you play as once/a few times, but something tells me that people don't play CoD for the campaign. 1.40%.

 

[Cosmic77]

She's playable in the demo and the Champions aren't though. And yes, the Champions are more important to BotW but this version of Impa is new specifically to AoC, they clearly are heavily promoting her given she's front and center next to Link and Zelda on all the promo material.

The demo is the first chapter of the full game. All that means is that the Champions can't be played until later chapters. Considering how the plot for the next chapter after chapter one involves meeting with each of the Champions, I think they're in a good position to have a more meaningful debut than Impa, who was randomly thrown in at the beginning to help demonstrate how to switch between characters.

Besides, Min Min wasn't playable in the ARMS demo, so it's not a good indicator for Smash anyways.

As for promo material, I promise you that any single Champion has gotten more of a push than Impa. The game's main illustration used for the boxart has the Champions, and many of the thumbnails for the videos on YouTube feature the Champions. Look at both the reveal and launch trailer for AoC and compare Impa's screentime to the Champion of your choosing.

I'm sorry, but I think people are exaggerating the push for Impa to convince themselves she's more likely. If someone could compile all the promotion Impa and the Champions have gotten so far and prove to me that the former has been given more attention, I'd gladly admit I was wrong. I already know it's not possible though.

 

[Phoenix Douchebag]

SIMPA

...sorry.


Chance: 15%

Im being generous here. There's a possibility of us having another Nintendo character in this Pass, and if they refuse to choose the like of Dee and Dixie due to "MY SHILLING" or "MY RELEVANCE", then i think Impa is the more likely one by proxy.

Technically speaking i could give her the same chance as the Champions, but since she is a series mainstay i see her a liiitle bit more likely. Yes, one could argue if she was that important to the Zelda series, she would have made it by now, but it took us like 3 games to get Ridley in Smash, never give up hope. Plus, she is not glued to another character's moveset like poor old Toad, and isn't an AT either. Plus technically her AoC design is not a Spirit, not that it matters that much with Min Min in the roster, but just an interesing detail.

Maybe another dark horse is here on our hands? I mean AoC probably was in development for longer than we think, and maybe Nintendo approached Sakurai with footage of it.

Want: 70% (ONLY HER AOC incarnation, her other ones don't do it for me)

I admit, i never had interest on Impa before. I saw her merits, but never saw her as an interesing choice. Im FAR more of a Pig Ganon guy myself.

But after i saw AoC's incarnation of Impa, i would loooooove to see her in Smash Ultimate. I firmly believe that Smash SHOULD be about Nintendo first and foremost, so to have another First Party (especially one i actually LIKE) is a very welcome sight in my eyes.

(also it could be that i like Paya and AoC's Impa is just Paya so there's that)

 

[YoshiandToad]

vaati is not owned by capcom. he wasnt even created by them. vaati's absence is entirely down to nintendo

I'm sure I've read that Capcom own partial rights to Vaati's minish form hence the issues Koei tecmo had in the original Hyrule Warriors when asked about him. Not sure how true.

I'm aware big eyeball Vaati is completely Nintendo property however.

 

[warpenguin55]

Impa:
Chance: 10%
A promo pick for AoC/BOTW2 isn't a strange idea. Hyrule Warriors was pretty successful the 1st time around, so trying to promote this one makes sense to me. Impa has a decent amount of fan demand already too.

Want: 80%
I'd love a non Triforce Trio Zelda rep. I prefer the original Hyrule Warriors design, bit the AoC design is pretty good too.

Noms: LoL rep x5

 

[fogbadge]

I'm sure I've read that Capcom own partial rights to Vaati's minish form hence the issues Koei tecmo had in the original Hyrule Warriors when asked about him. Not sure how true.

I'm aware big eyeball Vaati is completely Nintendo property however.

where did you hear KT wanted to put him in HW? sounds like speculation people make to explain why vaati wasnt there

 

[YoshiandToad]

where did you hear KT wanted to put him in HW? sounds like speculation people make to explain why vaati wasnt there

Looking at it further it's likely what I read was confusion over this particular interview:

 

[fogbadge]

Looking at it further it's likely what I read was confusion over this particular interview:


Specifically this section at 34:20 when an audience member mentions her favourite is Vaati and if he has a shot:

"Actually the upcoming theme for Hyrule Warriors Legends is handheld Legend of Zelda games...
...That particular character(Vaati) might be a little difficult right now" and that the most notable handheld Zeldas that were excluded were all Capcom's projects.

thats weird the rest of the message didnt appear till i quoted it. though it is worth noting the three capcom games were not the only ones that were absent, the first four swords and tri force heroes was also missing

 

[Lenidem]

thats weird the rest of the message didnt appear till i quoted it. though it is worth noting the three capcom games were not the only ones that were absent, the first four swords and tri force heroes was also missing

Same for me. Wierd indeed.