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Nobody, No chances.
Chance: 0%
It's very rare for me to think something really has no chance, but my god, the amount stacked against this is absurd.
Firstly we don't have Sora confirmed. Sora himself is plagued by the whole 'Disney' issue. Reports earlier in the year suggest Sora was considered but Disney said no. Okay, so no Sora, no echo, no Xion.
Secondly we have the fact that we've never had an echo as a fighter in the DLC pack. It's never happened before, and if it were to happen to have Sora AND Xion in the same pass would be horrifically underwhelming as you'd be getting two very similar characters taking up two of the four remaining characters.
Thirdly we have Xion's competition, namely Roxas who is...well, probably better known than Xion for one thing. There's also Ventus, Vanitas and Clone Sora who are also replicas of Sora and technically Mickey Mouse is the non Gijinka version of Sora, so that leaves us with SIX possible echoes for Sora. ****ING SIX.
With so much stacked against specifically Xion being an echo in the next Fighters Pass of a character who hasn't been confirmed, I think it's safe to say she's pretty gosh darn unlikely.
Want: 0%
I really really liked the first game, and I played Chain of Memories and started Kingdom Hearts 2 but stopped there so I needed to look into this a little and recruited somebody who is obsessed with the series to explain who Xion is to me and did some more reading on the Kingdom Hearts wiki.
The more I read about Kingdom Hearts past the first title the more I realise I do not want. Today's rating made me realise there's 6-7 Sora's running around that hot mess of a plot. Even Sonic doesn't have this many OC clones.
I'm genuinely worried if Sora gets into Smash now, that will somehow be made Kingdom Hearts canon too.
No doubt Kirby Sora will be made into a seperate canon character and we'll be discussing the lore of how Sora's Mii is actually created from the memories of the Galeem attack of Kirby when Kirby absorbs Sora and Sora's heart connects with Kirby to form Sora Kirby. If that sentence didn't make any sense, then that's what I've just gone through when getting a friend to explain all the different Soras to me.
One of the many Sora's backstories ONLY appears in a novel and you need to know that for the character to make sense.
Chance: 1%
Everyone always has a chance - if they originated as a video game character - no matter how slim, but to be candid Xion’s chance are immensely slim. Firstly, her inclusion is dependent on Sora being in FP2 & if he does, then it is still extremely unlikely we’ll receive an echo fighter for Sora, as there has been no precedent so far - as the echo fighter would be sold separately similarly to the mii fighter costumes. Additionally, with all the characters we have received from the fighter passes, only Steve has the best opportunity for an echo fighter with Alex, but that didn’t happen. However, if anyone could be the 1st person to get an echo fighter in dlc, it would hage to be Sora - imo. Although, there is still the minute possibility that Sakurai creates an “echo fighter pass” a year or so after fighter pass 2 has ended.
Moreover, Sora’s echo fighter would indubitably be Roxas, but I definitely think Sakurai would make Xion one of Roxas’ alternate costumes, 4 for him & 4 for her, given the lore of the games it makes a lot of sense - Roxas being Sora’s nobody & Xion being a puppet who drains Roxas’ powers.
Want: 100%
The more content from Kingdom Hearts the better, and Xion is great character from the games. Also, if she was added then we would definitely get Vectors to the Heavens - to be candid we would get this either way I believe.
I am not gonna read too much into the rumors of Sora being deconfirmed. Unless we hear it from Disney or Sakurai himself, I don't read into rumors like that. What I do read into though is that Xion, while she would make sense as an echo, has an uphill battle.
What I would say though is that I could see us getting 1-2 echos depending on timing, in particular if it comes with the last character. But even then, I would put more stock in Roxas as an echo, even counting dual wielding. Just make Sora and Roxas use Gravity for throws. Boom, now you have leway to make Roxas your Sora Echo. I highly doubt that Xion would be the echo chosen/pushed by Disney instead of Roxas.
This is not including the possibility of them saying **** it and doing an echo of literally any KH character. TBH the only ones that really would not work as a Sora echo out of the protags are Terra, Aqua, Axel and Mickey. I would put more stock in a Riku or Roxas echo than Xion.
100% Want
Which is a shame because I would be down for this. I like Xion as a character and would love to play as her in Smash. I personally loved the boss fight with her in Re:Mind. Honestly one of the best fights in the series. That being said, it also means Sora gets in so I am happy with that too. Would I prefer Roxas? I mean who wouldn't he is the best. Would I prefer Riku? Honestly probably. Would I be happy with Xion? Yes.
Why Xion anyway? Aren't characters like Riku and Roxas more recognizable and closer to Sora in relation and importance? I've never played KH so that's just an assumption I'm maikng.
In non-jargon, Xion is a failed-ish clone-ish of Sora, so she shares both his moveset + his actual proportions... Though so does Roxas, who is the actual protagonist of the game that she's the heroine of...
Riku, while one of Sora's friends, probably doesn't share enough moves? I think? I haven't completed enough games to say definitely...
I imagine it'd be a canon compliant trailer where Sora heads into the world of Smash, though I wouldn't be expecting it to be referenced in KH4 or anything... Or, at least, no more directly then, say, how Bayonetta being in Smash is referenced in the Switch version of Bayonetta 2.
no no no
Chance: 0%
I just..Don't see this happening? Sora is already incredibly unlikely, and an echo when no other DLC character has gotten one feels incredibly bizarre. Especially with Disney..i don't see them forcing more KH content in then they have to.
Want: 92%:
I would prefer Xion to Sora, in all honesty. She's a lot more interesting and could have some cool moveset potential. And an echo of her would be awesome..But honestly, if we were to get another KH char that wasn't Sora, I'd like a unique Roxas or Riku first...i'd like them before Sora, but that isn't happening, sadly.
Nominations: Hajimeme Hinata x5
In non-jargon, Xion is a failed-ish clone-ish of Sora, so she shares both his moveset + his actual proportions... Though so does Roxas, who is the actual protagonist of the game that she's the heroine of...
Riku, while one of Sora's friends, probably doesn't share enough moves? I think? I haven't completed enough games to say definitely...
None of you are ready for the moment when Chun-Li, Dr. Eggman, Geese Howard and even a few that aren't in Smash at all, like Conker, are canonically confirmed to share a multiverse with Jack Sparrow, Woody, Wolverine, Darth Vader and Mickey ******* Mouse.
she was originally an incomplete replica of Roxas made from Sora’s memories of kairi to use as a fail safe if the could not control Roxas. Her interactions with Roxas and axel led to her developing an identity of her own
I'm genuinely worried if Sora gets into Smash now, that will somehow be made Kingdom Hearts canon too.
No doubt Kirby Sora will be made into a seperate canon character and we'll be discussing the lore of how Sora's Mii is actually created from the memories of the Galeem attack of Kirby when Kirby absorbs Sora and Sora's heart connects with Kirby to form Sora Kirby. If that sentence didn't make any sense, then that's what I've just gone through when getting a friend to explain all the different Soras to me.
One of the many Sora's backstories ONLY appears in a novel and you need to know that for the character to make sense.
Chance - 0% - Sora is kinda seen as iffy by many. Add on top of that Sora must appear alongside an echo for him, which hasn't happened yet. On top of that, we have to have that echo be a specific person? I think this is too many things lining up just right for this to work.
Want - 40% - Meh, Sora doesn't interest me. I'd rather not have so much effort put into a character that I don't care about.
she was originally an incomplete replica of Roxas made from Sora’s memories of kairi to use as a fail safe if the could not control Roxas. Her interactions with Roxas and axel led to her developing an identity of her own
Monster Hunter is undoubtedly a mega monster of a series in Japan, which I think alone gives the Hunter a good chance based on the precedence Dragon Quest’s Hero set in the last Fighter Pass. And like Dragon Quest, Monster Hunter also impacts Japan on a cultural level. However, is Monster Hunter mainstream? I know many people here would say yes and I thought about it for a while. Please allow me to make the case that the series itself is not yet mainstream. Take a look at this graph:
Until MH World, Monster Hunter has been a niche franchise in the rest of the world. Sure, MHW itself is mainstream but I wouldn’t say the same about MHXX or even Iceborne. The popularity of one game does not necessarily make a game series mainstream. Right now, MHW’s western popularity stands as an anomaly in the franchise. The future of Monster Hunter as a mainstream series in the west is dependent on the popularity of the next game Monster Hunter Rise and you can see Capcom already marketing Monster Hunter heavily in the West with the movie (which still looks monstrous terrible) on the way. MH World was a breakout success and Capcom now just needs one more hard hitter overseas to solidify their place in the Western market. Which is why the name Rise is appropriate in more than just gameplay.
When I compare the series to the Witcher series of games, I start to see some parallels. The Witcher didn’t become popular until the third game but I still wouldn’t have called the series itself mainstream. It wasn’t until it got many crossovers (Monster Hunter World was one of those crossovers), a Netflix adaptation, the boosted popularity of the Witcher novels (from which I heard where really good), and a whole lot of other promotions and spinoff games that I would consider the Witcher to be a mainstream franchise. I think Capcom is trying a similar strategy in the West and I can’t think of a bigger crossover game than Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. I’ll talk about Rathalos later – however, is his inclusion as a boss in Smash really the equivalent of a playable fighter in terms of marketing?
Nintendo knows the profitability of Monster Hunter games in their own backyard and I believe they see the potential of the series overseas especially if they noticed World’s sales numbers. What better time than now to invest in the series for future monstrous gains? In fact, Nintendo already has started to push the series forward with a Monster Hunter Direct. This came out of nowhere and no Third Party from what I know has gotten their own Nintendo Direct until now. It’s almost like Nintendo is treating the Monster Hunter Portable series as Second Party . I mean, what other portable console is on the market currently? The Portable series really only has one place to go and it isn’t mobile. (BTW just for clarification the Portable series is still part of the mainline series).
Monster Hunter Rise was announced as an exclusive for the Nintendo Switch on September 17th 2020. This might suggest that MH Rise is a little too recent to be included as DLC. However, Monster Hunter Rise has been in development for FOUR YEARS. This game was in development at the same time as Smash Ultimate itself was. Nintendo was not worried about MH World being for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox because they had an exclusive coming their way. And if you can tell by the graph (check the titles that start with MHP/MHX), the Japanese market prefers the portable series to the console series. That makes the hybrid Switch the perfect console for a Monster Hunter game and it gives Rise the most market potential.
If Nintendo knew that a Monster Hunter game was on the way to their system at the time of Ultimate’s development, that would explain any base game content found in Ultimate from Monster Hunter. It also doesn’t make sense to release the Hunter when the new mechanics and locations (for a stage) from Rise where on the way and still being developed. So what better time for a playable Hunter than in the Second Fighter’s Pass when Rise would be announced and released in the same timeframe? I think if the Hunter was considered for DLC early on, then it makes sense that both Hunter and Steve would need a second pass to buy time to be included in. This is partly why I believe that this Fighter Pass has an extra character slot because there were a delays and time sensitive windows.
Why am I so confident that Nintendo was planning on the Hunter being a fighter from the beginning? Well, apart from what I said above about the four-year development of MH Rise and Nintendo’s treatment of the MH Portable series as Second Party, the internal code within Ultimate suggests that the Hunter will be a fighter. The music categories in the files of Ultimate place the Monster Hunter music in its own category. If you already know that Monster Hunter will be a playable character but you had to put some of their tracks in the base game, you would create the Monster Hunter category to save you a lot of trouble in the future because there would be no way to recategorize/rename hard code on the physical disk/card.
a, aa - Super Mario
ad - Castlevania
b - Donkey Kong
c - The Legend of Zelda
crs - Super Smash Bros. for 3DS / Wii U
crs2 - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
d - Metroid
e - Yoshi
f - Kirby
ff - Final Fantasy
g - Star Fox
h - Pokémon
i - F-Zero
j - Fire Emblem
k - EarthBound
l - Pikmin
m - Wario
mg - Metal Gear mh - Monster Hunter
n - Animal Crossing
p - Kid Icarus
q - Ice Climber, Duck Hunt, retro
r - Xenoblade, Wii, other
s - Mega Man
sf - Street Fighter
sp - Splatoon
t - Super Smash Bros. 64
u - Sonic the Hedgehog
v - Pac-Man
w - Super Smash Bros. Melee
x - Super Smash Bros. Brawl
y - Subspace Emissary
z - Victory Themes
Roar / Rathalos - mh01_mhxx_houkou.nus3audio
Proof of a Hero ~ 4Version - mh02_mh4_eiyuunoakashi.nus3audio
So… about Rathalos, the first and main monster rep. It’s true that Monster Hunter is all about the monsters first but its counterpart to them is also in the name — the Hunter. With Rathalos already in this game, it’s only logical that the Hunter will follow next. I think Rathalos’ timing was really good to get into Ultimate because Ridley was promoted from boss to playable character leaving the spot for dragon boss for Classic Mode synergy available. And if Nintendo was already considering a playable Hunter for DLC during Ultimate’s development it would make perfect sense to throw Rathalos (a monster that looks the same from game to game) into the base game. Also, I don’t think we will get boss characters as DLC anyway as its more for Classic Mode/World of Light. What makes the most sense to me is that Nintendo would negotiate for both Rathalos and the Hunter at the same time. In Japan the Monster Hunter is one of the most requested characters so why just ask for Rathalos when you can have both? In Smash 4 we got Rathalos Armor Mii Costumes which arguably represented both the Hunter and Rathalos. But we didn’t just get Rathalos Armor but also a Hunter Armor Set Mii Costume. That’s double representation for the Hunter. For Ultimate we still have yet to get the Monster Hunter Mii Costumes from the last game and until we get them, it should not affect the Hunter’s chances as a playable character. In fact, I think that because we got Monster Hunter Mii Costumes in the last game, it increases the chances for a playable Hunter this game.
Sorry Dante/Phoenix fans (if you excuse my bluntness), but you better start praying for a double dip because I would be very surprised if the Hunter isn’t planned for Fighter Pass 2. I know I sound arrogant and I probably am on this topic but I’m far more confident in Monster Hunter than any other Capcom series. The Monster Hunter series is way closer to Nintendo than Devil May Cry and it’s also a friendlier series which I think matters at least a little. Monster Hunter has recency over DMC as well as sales. In fact Monster Hunter World is currently Capcom’s number one selling game and apparently Iceborne is number 7. On top of that we have Nintendo itself pushing Monster Hunter in ways it doesn’t do for other third parties. Right now, both Nintendo and Capcom have their eyes on Monster Hunter (over all of its in-house competition). A few more entries like MH World and Monster Hunter might find itself the king of Capcom.
When I was researching this topic, I came across the four years of development Rise was in and made the assumption that Nintendo probably knew of MH Rise during the development of Smash Ultimate. Under this assumption, Rathalos’ early inclusion and the Monster Hunter World of Light section starts making a lot of sense. But it was just an assumption until I looked into the grouping of music in the base game of Ultimate. And as it turns out Monster Hunter has its own classification of music as if it was a playable character. I have a rule, that I won’t rate something over 90%. However, considering that there is a strange anomaly with the base game (actual evidence not just a rumor or a leak) and it coincides with the long development of Rise, I believe that’s enough evidence to go above 90%. So, here’s my chance rating: 93%
Want: 100%
There are so many ways you can implement the Hunter as a fighter. First off there are the fourteen main weapon types and they are as follows: Great Sword, Long Sword, Sword and Shield, Dual Blades, Hammer, Hunting Horn, Lance, Gunlance, Switch Axe, Insect Glaive, Charge Blade, Light Bowgun, Heavy Bowgun, and Bow. Each one of these completely changes your playstyle in Monster Hunter, which is one of the reasons why hunting monsters doesn’t stale after 400 hours. You could build a very complex, mechanic heavy moveset with just the Charge Blade and I would be completely satisfied. Most likely we will get a moveset that includes many of the weapons if not all. Now, with Rise we have a new mechanic called the Wirebug that happens to make the Hunter an even better fit for Smash. A more mobile hunter means more aerial gameplay. There’s actually too much potential with this character that some things will probably be left out. Marvel vs. Capcom’s Monster Hunter only uses three of the fourteen weapon types and if that happened in Smash, I would still be satisfied. But I think Sakurai can do more than that and I’m excited with the possibilities. One last point, just like Dragon Quest there’s a lot of charming character and endearing quirkiness that would be so fun to have in Smash. SO TASTY!
On one hand, it's the biggest franchise under Capcom. On the other hand, it's really hard to pinpoint that as the biggest deciding factor. We had our expectation shattered time to time more often than not based on this assumption. Hunter has two competitors within its company: Dante and Phoenix Wright. DMC also has merit of resurgency. While I have gone against 'moveset' argument before, I feel Sakurai may avoid Hunter because he may share similarity with Byleth. That's just my gut feeling, so don't take it too seriously. And there is base content. Unlike ARMS, MH is third party. I think Sakurai felt that Ranthalos was enough to represent MH as whole. Even if you say World brought huge change and might have changed Sakurai's mind later... I think that's very unlikely. And there are still missing costumes... which may return like Heihachi did.
Want: 55%
I played MHW quite a while, so I wouldn't be too upset. But I prefer either Dante or Phoenix Wright for the next Capcom rep. From what I've seen, Hunter's moveset seem fun. I can see lots of potential with various weapons and equipment. I guess Hunter can come up with different equipment gimmick that set him apart from Steve.
Hunting monsters? Gotta eat a gourmet dish in preparation!
Chance: 60%
Monster Hunter has a long history going back to the first game on PS2 in 2004. It was a humble game that had plenty of issues, but it laid the foundation for the series. Since then, MH has gotten tons of sequels and spinoffs, including multiple games on the Wii, 3DS, Wii U and Switch. MH has been big in Japan for a while now and when MH World came out, MH really grew in popularity in the West, with World being Capcom's best selling game overall.
The Monster Hunters themselves have a wide range of weapons to make for a creative and unique moveset:
Giant hammers
Lances
Gunlances
Dual Blades
Longswords that reward the player for dealing consistent damage with stronger attacks that form combos.
Insect Glaives which are combo-heavy weapons that can buff the player, as well as give their jumps extra height.
The Charge Blade switches between a sword/shield combo and an axe to do a variety of unique attack chains.
The Switch Axe swaps between axe and sword modes, both of which change how you play at a moment's notice, not to mention it has a phial system that gives the weapon additional abilities.
Hunting Horn is a heavy support weapon that gives other hunters buffs.
Bows and Bowguns that have different bullet types and deals damage differently depending on the distance between you and your opponent.
And now, we have two Monster Hunter games coming to the Switch next year. The games were a primary focus in the most recent partner showcase and MH even got its own direct. That says a lot about how popular the series has become, I mean how many times do you hear about Nintendo giving a third party series its own presentation? Nintendo and Capcom clearly care about the series and they are really pushing it right now. If you ask me, I'm getting the same vibe I had with Dragon Quest 11. Some people bring up the base game content, but I don't see that as an issue. There is still plenty of content that can come with the hunter and a hunter is playable in Marvel vs Capcom Infinite.
My only two issues with Monster Hunter is competition and the possibility of a spirit event or the Mii costumes returning. When it comes to Capcom, Phoenix, Dante and Monster Hunter are the big three. I could see any of them taking the spot and while MH currently has the spotlight, that does not guarantee that it will get a rep before Ace Attorney or Devil May Cry. Second, I do get a feeling that much like with Heihachi and Travis and Paper Mario and so many others, Monster Hunter may end up getting deconfirmed on the spot with a spirit event or if the Mii costumes return. Which is a real possibility since all the Smash 4 Mii costumes have been returning slowly but surely.
Overall, I would say that Monster Hunter is more likely than not at making it to playable status. Despite my concerns, I'm still very confident in Monster Hunter. It has grown a lot over the years and has a strong history with Nintendo. I do believe it has what it takes to be part of the much coveted roster.
Want: 80%
I would love Monster Hunter to join the brawl. I got into the series with Generations on 3DS. That game was a big part of my high school life alongside Smash. My best friend was the person who taught me how to play and we would spend most of our lunch breaks playing this game. To this day, we are still playing Generations Ultimate online and we are hyped for Rise (He's also excited for Stories 2 but I actually have not given the first game a try yet).
Monster Hunter's potential content is crazy. There are plenty of awesome hunter designs they can use as alts, they can use weapons made from different monsters in the moveset, there is a whole slew of charming environments to choose from for the stage, and there are dozens upon dozens of fantastic music tracks to pick from. Looking at the wide range of weapons, Monster Hunter would certainly be a very fun character and fits with the trend of characters with unique gimmicks. If Monster Hunter got a challenger pack of content, that would be hype.
Prediction: Lu Bu - 20%
Noms: Arthur x15 (I kept forgetting I had those 5 extra)
Chance: 30% - I can see the arguments that Monster Hunter is very much like Hero in this pass, and that Nintendo would want to give the series a push. It DID get it's own direct recently and even the main event of the Partner Showcase. And with the next fighter more than likely being announced before Rise in March, it seems like prime territory for a promotional pick in the vain of Dragon Quest 11S. There's also the matter of the music codes in the base game being organized like a playable franchise would, showing that having Monster Hunter playable was planned at some point. One could make an argument that, since Min Min showed that Sakurai can go back for characters who missed the base game, that Monster Hunter is one of those characters. But it really depends on whether or not Sakurai feels Rathalos is already "good enough" representation. Monster Hunter did get a boss, a pseudo-stage, plenty of music, and even a portion of World of Light in the base game, so Sakurai might feel that it's well represented as is.
There's also the anomoly with the Mii Costumes. On one hand, they're absent. On the other hand, we're seeing a pattern of one returning Smash 4 Mii Costume with each Pass #2 character. Heihachi with Min Min, Gil with Steve. What's left are Lloyd, Geno, Chocobo, and the two Monster Hunter costumes (who'd more than likely come as a set). So if we see one of those costumes come with the next character than the pattern has been pretty much established.
Overall, Monster Hunter is in a very good position, but at this point in time it's a coin toss on how Sakurai feels about the series' representation already.
Want: 20% - On one hand, the designs are super cool and I love the Rathalos armor, along with the many different kinds of weapons they could have. And the new game's environments look absolutely gorgeous. It would make for a fantastic stage with lots of cool monster cameos integrated in! On the other hand, not only would they sorta take Dragonborn's niche, but they're in direct competition with my own most wanted from Capcom, Phoenix Wright. Granted, Monster Hunter does deserve it as much as Phoenix does (much moreso than Dante), but Phoenix is just such a lovable character and I really want to see what Sakurai could do with him.
Chance: 25%
I'm not sure if Monster Hunter is in contention or not. For a third party franchise to randomly get substantial content for the base game is just odd. Couple that with the common knowledge that the creators see the monsters as the stars of the game, and the question becomes: does Nintendo agree? If they do, then they'd probably feel that they already have Monster Hunter in Smash, and leave it at that. But we have no way to know unless Sakurai miraculously speaks out about it. The Mii Costumes are also trouble; if they return, well, I doubt Monster Hunter is a fighter.
However if the base game content doesn't matter, then Monster Hunter has everything you could want. MH World is Capcom's biggest game ever, the franchise as a whole is Capcom's second biggest after RE, it has a long history on Nintendo consoles and that history is about to get stronger with MH Rise being Switch-exclusive and releasing next year. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Monster Hunter Direct, a rare (unique?) case of a Nintendo Direct dedicated exclusively to a franchise they don't own. If it weren't for that pesky base game content I'd be giving a higher score.
Want: 75%
This would be a great addition to the roster. I've played a big of MH and while I didn't get into it, I respect it. But my most wanted for Capcom is and will always be Phoenix Wright, and I'm also a fan of DMC so MH is still the least preferable Capcom addition for me.
Noms: Jason and SOPHIA x10
Lu Bu prediction: 11.02%
Monsteer Hunter is nowadays one of Capcom's best selling series, with their best selling game being Monster Hunter World at over 16 million sales, surpassing even the legendary Street Fighter 2. Furthermore, Monster Hunter is a series that has been on NIntendo systems for a while, with I think the first time it went on Nintendo being Monster Hunter G on the Wii before Monster Hunter Tri on the Wii again some years later, then Monster Hunter 3, MH3U, MH4, MH4U, MHG, MHXX, and the upcoming Monster Hunter Rise and Monster Hunter Stories 2 for 2021 (Monster Hunter World being ironicaly the first mainline MH to not release on a Nintendo system since Monster Hunter Tri). Monster Hunter also had a recent direct dedicated to itself internaitonaly, while it is also notable that Monster hunter directs were a thing since the 3DS era in Japan.
To resume, Monster hunter is a best seller series from Capcom, has high Nintendo presence, a lot of history, a lot of fan request, and is seen as one of the biggest frontrunner by many. Now, for which series did I already hear this for in smash speculation?
Oh yeah, Resident Evil. The most infamous spirit event we got as of yet in Ultimate.
I'm not saying that Monster Hunter will get a spirit event, no, I'm just saying that what hapened to Resident Evil could happen to Monster Hunter, or pretty much any series since Resident Evil is one of the best selling series in gaming while also being very important for video game history and influencial, with the issue of movesets and guns being negligeable since Resident Evil character already apeared in the Capcom Vs series, and Joker's neutral special is literaly called gun. There was no reason as to why Resident Evil couldn't get a fighter, yet it still got spirited.
Now, I do think that Monster Hunter is still decently likely at worst, and while my chance rating for them was once of just 10%, I did think about it and yeah, it's far closer to 20% (in fact, those 10% are taken of the chance I think Dante has). Monster Hunter could very well happen, yes, but it could also not happen, and I feel like the later option is likelier.
Also, something about how Monster Hunter could have been in since base game but wasn't. You can very easily argue against that as MH wasn't as big internaitonaly in 2015 when Ultimate's base roster was chosen
Also, the Capcom characters in Smash are a bit weird, like, there's Megaman who while he is very recognisable, and I love this guy and his games a lot, he's still from a lesser known Capcom series, even if he is beloved by Nintendo fans a lot. Then there's Ryu and Ken, two of Capcom, and even video games as a whole, most recognisable characters, in fact Ryu is their biggest character (the king of crossovers, most influencial fighting game series and he's the most influential fighting game protagonist, and while his best selling game is not the best selling Capcom game anymore, it doesn't include all the money SF2 did from the arcades).
Also, remember when I said that my chance rating for Xion would be the biggest one I would do for this thread? Yeah, I got carried away a lot while writing this.
Want: 75%
Monster Hunter is a cool series with cool gameplay, and Rathalos as a boss in Smash is already amazing representation for it, like chasing down Rathalos before facing him, like in Monster Hunter, is such a cool moment in World of Light. And while this Monster Hunter representation would be enough for me, I'm still not against getting more, as while I'm not the biggest Monter Hunter fan out there, in fact I'm a far bigger fan of other Capcom series like DMC, AA, or Okami, I still apreciated my time playing Monster Hunter on the 3DS a lot, so a positive rating for the big guy. Or girl. Whatever, Monster HUnter is cool and while I would prefer other Capcom characters/series getting in before them, I would still like it.
Billy Hatcher x240
Sakura Shinguji x220
Jason Frudnick & SOPHIA x220
Zelda (BotW universe) x215
The Stretchers x210
Concept: Content from currently unreleased game (not Spirit Events) (as of May 17th 2020) x205
Amiya (Arknights) x195
200 - 151
Alex Mason x185
Hades (Kid Icarus) x185
Concept: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon content x171
Neptune (Hyperdimension Neptunia) x160
Concept: A Bravely Default character x160
Mii Costume: Jill Stingray x159
Arthur (Ghosts 'n Goblins) x155
150 - 101
[Rerate] Frisk x150
Concept: A Microsoft rep that isn't Steve or Master Chief x135
Red (Angry Birds) x125
Impa (Age of Calamity) x120
D.Va x115
[Rerate] Maxwell x110
100 - 51
Zero (Mega Man) x95
Concept: Second F-Zero rep x94
Mii Costume: Alex Kidd x93
Echo: Coco (Crash) x90
Adol Christin x85
Boss: Ender Dragon x83
Stage: Bowser's Castle x81
Concept: Darksiders rep x80
Sackboy x80
Riptor x80
Fulgore x79
Concept: More ATs as one new item x75
[Rerate] Chibi-Robo x75
[Rerate] Concept: Boss Rush x70
Concept: Rocket League repx70
Miriam x70
Giygas x65
Dwight Fairfield (Dead by Daylight) x65
Hajime Hinata x65
Boss: Rayquaza x60
Concept: SNES-era Final Fantasy rep x55
Concept: Fortnite character x55
Gooigi x55
Vi (Bug Fables) x55
Echo (Olimar) x51
50 - 25
Echo: Zeraora (Lucario) x50
[Rerate] Jin Kazama x50
Magolor x50
John Marston x50
Jin Sakai x50
[Rerate] Monokuma x50
Ghirahim x50
[Rerate] The Knight x40
Don-chan x35
[Rerate] Concept: New Zelda character x30
Under 25
Ryza (Atelier) x20
[Rerate] Arle Nadja x20
Tetra x15
Yarn Yoshi x15
Carl Johnson x15
Tetris x10
Cynthia (Pokémon) x5
Concept: Rocket League content x5
[Rerate] Thrall x5
Stage: Tetris x5
[Rerate] Agumon x5
Qbby x5
[Rerate] Lara Croft x5
Jason Frudnick & SOPHIA dig past Zelda and tie with Sakura Shinguji for second place. Concept: Content from currently unreleased game crosses 200 noms.
Neptune, Arthur, Concept: A Bravely Default character and Mii Costume: Jill Stingray all make it to over 150 noms.
Your newcomers for today are Carl Johnson, with 15 noms, and Qbby and Lara Croft, each with 5.
Chance: 32%. At this stage of speculation, 40% is about as high as I'm willing to go as there is just a lot of competition for the final four slots... Monster Hunter really does a lot to stand out from the pack though. We've got a lot of good things here. A longrunning franchise with a demonstratable legacy/impact-on-its subgenre? Check. Popularity in Japan with worldwide popularity recently skyrocketing? Check. Both a long history and future on Nintendo platforms? Check. A missing Mii Costume? Double-check. A long history of Nintendo collabs in both directions, with it getting both Nintendo content in its game and content in Nintendo games? Check (Felyne was a villager in Animal Crossing). Lots of very good things here.
Question really is just... Does Sakurai/Nintendo want to do it? Which... I don't know. One could say that having an area of WoL dedicated to it + a boss + some spirits in the base game show that they'd rather see the Monster hunting franchise be repped by the monster and not a playable character. One could also say that that just shows they want to recognize the success of the franchise and Min Min proves they're already going back to base game content. Moreover, World really helped Monster Hunter's international recognizably and that could have changed things... It's kind of hard to predict there, but I'm leaning towards enough having changed for Monster Hunter to be worth getting a second look.
Given how many MH games are coming out though, I could see this being a debate people will be having for a long time....
Want: Abstain. I played the demo of some of the 3DS games and it just isn't a franchise that has clicked for me.
Nominations: Jill Stingray Mii Costume x 30
Predictions: 10% for the video game version of the novelized version of a historical figure.
A bit tired at the moment so I hope nobody minds me sorta pasting my write-up of the Hunter from day 511 here.
There's a monster at the end of this thread Chance: 35%
Like Dragon Quest, it's a franchise popular with Japanese audiences that Nintendo seems to push at every opportunity possible, the latest Parters Direct being a huge example of that. No suprise really, Monster Hunter tmk seems to be Capcom's second most succesfull series and MHW is their best selling game. I've argued because of the RE spirit event that just because a third-party IP is huge it doesn't mean it get's a spot on the roster but Steve might have made me eat my words regarding that. In the past I've also expressed the Rathalos boss/Assist as all the MH series would get in Smash but I'm aware how much more potential that series has and I honestly don't see Nintendo satisfied with just Rathalos and some potential returning costumes anymore. The franchise is hugely popular, relevant on Nintendo systems, is no stranger to crossovers and the Hunter would undeniably have a unique moveset/playstyle. Any statements I may have previously said about comparing them to Byleth I also retract. Not that I actually want Monster Hunter, but it just really makes sense right now.
well i may not have played MH but hey that didnt stop the people who havent played KH from rating xion
chanecs: hmm im gonna say 50% cause i can see it happening. MH has had several nintendo crossovers already, though that didnt help DW or tekken. i suppose the obvious argument against it is that theres monster hunter stuff in the base game so why not the character then? well we have no idea what kind of complications the dev team may have faced that may have meant they couldnt include them straight away. though i did once hear that capcom prefer the monsters to be the ones to crossover (can anyone confirm?) so they may have needed some persuading. MH is one of those series that everyone (except me) seems to play which i would say makes it the perfect candidate for smash bros. so while i can believe there may be reason enough for it not to happen i can also believe theres plenty of reasons it can happen.
want: 0% nothing against the series itself it hust doesnt interest me. and my want always comes down to characters i like. although i admit i do like the idea of those cats ive seen pushing cannons around being part smash in some way. i am also considering giving monster hunter stories a go as im quite fond of monster collecting games so that may affect the score. although that would be a monster tamer rather than hunter right? despite that i would be curious to see what they could do.
Chance: 50%. Given that we have 2 new game s coming and that Monster Hunter got it’s own direct, the chance as increased by a very huge chunk. I think that Monster Hunter has the highest chance of being in Smash of all the Capcom characters, and perhaps of all the fighters to join Smash.
Want: 75%. While I prefer if the playable Monster Hunter Rep is one of the Monsters, Monster Hunter would still be fun to play as. Besides that, I can see them have a rematch against Rathalos in Classic Mode. Overall, I support the Monster Hunter in Smash more then I used too, thanks to that direct.
Chance: 49%
There isn't that much I can say that I haven't already seen covered. Monster Hunter has grown quite a lot over the last few years and has been a very important series to Nintendo dating back to the Wii and 3DS. Rise and Stories 2 are proof that MH's relationship with Nintendo is far from over, and the fact that Nintendo has dedicated directs for a third party franchise speaks volumes. Rathalos is the elephant in the room, but here's the thing - if Nintendo wants Monster Hunter, will Sakurai really say no? Surely now is the time to change their mind and revisit some series that didn't get their full due in the base game. Certainly worked out for ARMS. In that sense I feel like Rathalos being in the base game is almost MH's foot in the door, so to speak. I can go on about many reasons why MH has a good shot, but again there are other people who have covered it better than I could. Mr. MR
nailed it, although I'm a little cautious to rate it quite that high haha.
The MH costumes are still missing and we've moved on to trickling out Namco costumes instead of Capcom ones from FP1. Coincidence? ...Maybe, but they're definitely worth keeping an eye on. But of course they are in constant danger of showing up any moment, which prevents me from being too confident in MH. And I personally believe MH is by far Capcom's biggest chance at getting another character, but they have some decent competition in the form of Dante - at least enough to be a barrier worth mentioning. I think they have a very very good chance at being playable though. 49% is relatively high for what I'm willing to dish out. Travis' disconfirmation really shook me up, I can't be that confident in anyone anymore.
Want: 60%
Still have yet to try out a Monster Hunter game (might buy Generations Ultimate when I have the time to play it), but a lot of my friends are big fans and I'd be super excited on their behalf. There's a ton of potential there with their weapon variety and I'm sure they would be fun. Truth be told though, I'm not big on "generic avatar" sort of characters so that docks a few points. There are also Capcom characters I would admittedly be more excited to see, but I can't be mad at any Capcom character because they're all really solid picks.
I am truly torn on this one. Mainly due to MH having its base game content. It truly is a weird situation. MH content makes so much sense. The franchise is huge in Japan, and it is clear Capcom and Nintendo both see value in promoting it over here. It is a huge franchise that is only getting bigger as seen through World. But the fact it has base game content is such a sticking point. If we did not have base game MH content, I would likely give this quite a high score. But the fact that MH got base game content is a sticking point for me. Mr. MR
did do a solid write up that did sway my score a bit higher.
I think it is worth stating that I tend to have a rotating expectation of the fighters pass. I think Rex is close to a lock, and I am very confident in Crash Bandicoot. The others rotate around. Ask me one day its Hayabusa and MH, another its Dovakhin and Neku. Another it might be Geno and Dante. Point is, I tend to try to give rough estimations. I think MH has a solid shot though, and if we got it I would not be surprised.
Abstain Want
MH World is on my backlogue, as is Generations. I wish I could say more, but I truly am a bit inexperienced with the series to give proper judgement. I assume if Sakurai could make Hero one of my favorite characters from a franchise i similarly have little experience with, he can do MH justice. I can also say the soundtrack is aight. But until I play through a MH game, I can not rate it higher.
Chance 30 - I could see this. MH is popular in Japan and is on of Capcoms top series. Nintendo obvious likes the series too since it's gotten more directs that overall normal Nintendo directs this year. So why so low? First, I'm expecting the Mii costume to come back eventually since the final costumes are starting to return. 2nd, it feels like the most obvious moveset for the character got sniped by Byleth. While there's other things it could still do the best moveset isn't there any longer. And finally, the MH developers have said that they'd rather have the monsters rep the series than the hunters themselves, which feels like something that makes sense given the interesting part of the game is the monsters.
Want 10 - Would rather not get this character in Smash. First, there's the fact the Hunter is just another generic avatar character. I'd like to avoid those going forward if possible. There's also a lot more interesting characters from Capcom in Phoenix, Dante, Chun Li, Ammy, and the RE protags. Picking the generic avatar over them would feel pretty deflating.
Gosh the monsters, they have legs (Monster Hunter)
Chance: 40%
One of Capcom's bigger series, and popular in Japan. Iconic, too. I personally see Rathalos' presence in Ultimate as a boon, since it means Nintendo likes the series enough to give it base game content, and there's little stopping them from giving the franchise more. Not to mention, where are the Mii Costumes?
Plus, much of the Monster Hunter's Capcom competition is gone. Resident Evil got sidelined via Spirit Event, and I can say with 99% certainty that we won't be seeing more of Street Fighter. If there's anyone that the MH supporters have to worry about, it's Dante.
Though they'll likely want the rep to be a monster, instead of a generic character that the Monster Hunter represents. It also might be too difficult to fit over a dozen weapon movesets into one character.
Want: 70%
I've watched enough Monster Hunter World to like the series, and I do think it deserves to get a spot in Smash. I'm not sure how the whole "generic avatar" thing would go down, but certainly the weapon variety means a lot for the developers to go off of. If we're talking Capcom I still half-prefer Dante, but a Monster Hunter rep would definitely be cool.
Also I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't like seeing Monster Hunter VS Rathalos.
Predictions: Lu Bu - 25,9%
I've played a bit of Dynasty Warriors 8, and I do think Koei deserves to get a rep in Smash. It's either gonna be Hayabusa, Zhao Yun or Lu Bu. I'm betting on Hayabusa, but we can't at all discount the Dynasty Warriors characters.
Monster Hunter Chance: 45%
They'd make lots of sense. MH is essentially Capcom's #1 franchise at the moment. It's quickly growing, and the huge success World had certainly is helping it. As far as I know, for a while it was already pretty huge in Japan, but World has boosted that popularity worldwide, although, it definitely wasn't "niche" before either. So for starters you have this approach. Second, there's the franchise being close to Nintendo, and it really has been for a long while, going as far back as Tri on Wii. Many of their releases on 3DS were pretty successful and helped cement the libraries as well. Both these points alone are really good for the hunter.
Currently, there's already lots of MH content in the game. But I don't think that does all that much to their chances. You could say their possibilities are hanging on the missing costume, so well, we'll see how that goes. Nothing really is guaranteed, but it'd make sense.
Want: 55%
Would be pretty cool with. Most of my experience with the series was playing 3U on Wii U, so not all that much, but hey I really enjoyed my time with it. They'd be a pretty varied fighter and it'd be fun to see. I personally prefer Phoenix Wright as the Capcom rep if we're getting one, but I'd take a hunter too due to the great moveset potential they have.
Prediction: 8% for Lu Bu. Nomination: Adol Christin x10
Chance: 0% Surprisingly harsh rating, I know, but hear me out. Monster Hunter is obscenely huge, it's literally got the best selling game in Capcom's legendary library, it's huge enough to turn people's heads and Capcom's infamously easy to work with so it should all be a mere matter of time before a Hunter gets in Smash. But, and it's a big but, there's already content of the series in the game. Could they add a Hunter despite this? Yes, there's no limitations, but it's the same situation as Heihachi imo, if we were getting them, we'd already have them in by now.
Want: 100% Which is a damn shame too. Monster Hunter may not be a franchise I enjoy as the weighty controls really turn me off, but a Hunter would be genuinely great to see in Smash. Avatar characters are usually restricted to the most basic **** available to them, typically a sword as seen by countless video games, but this is actually a good thing for a Hunter as the most iconic weapon in the series is a beeeeeeeeeeg Greatsword, so if Smash chose to limit a Hunter to a single weapon, it's one that has yet to be incorporated in Smash. What's especially fun to me is the possibility of traps, as Hunters often need to capture monsters alive for bigger rewards by using all sorts of traps. This means we can get a character with the largest blade Smash may ever see which would feel immensely satisfying to swing around and all sorts of traps like Snake's C4 or a pitfall. This is the most basic way a Hunter could work as Monster Hunter also has resource management in the mix with various items including said traps, potions, whetstones to keep weapons sharpened, etc. There's so much you can do with a Hunter that I'd be ok with them as a Capcom character despite preferring other choices.
. I mean, what other portable console is on the market currently? The Portable series really only has one place to go and it isn’t mobile. (BTW just for clarification the Portable series is still part of the mainline series).
