Medusa (
Kid Icarus series)
Chances: 64%
Villains are trending in SSB and Echoes give an opportunity for many characters to get in easily, even if they won't be as well realised in SSB as they ought to be. Sakurai seems to be adding more Echoes than I was expecting and his fondness for Kid Icarus series is very blatant. I don't think her chances as an original character are too high, though she certainly has the potential for such a thing, but her proportions seem like she could fit in easily as a Palutena Echo.
Things standing against her include the lack of a recent Kid Icarus game and the amount of reps already in, but I don't feel like these are issues Sakurai will pay much heed to, particularly if he takes Echoes into consideration. What might be more influential is the Smash Ballot, as I didn't see much support for her compared to the recent Uprising additions to the Kid Icarus franchise.
Want: 62%
Medusa was in my top 10 most wanted on the outset for SSB4, yet the factor that she has a chance of making it as a playable character now has me feeling... mixed. Kid Icarus has plenty of representation already, particularly for a 3 game series, so I don't feel it really needs another playable character. I suppose it wouldn't matter so much if she were added as the non-development consuming Echo Fighter, but to see her relegated to a mere Echo would be... disappointing.
It's the same feeling I have with Dark Samus. A big cheer that their in, but then the regret that they are not truly in the game, their merely slightly adjusted skins for another character given the false impression that they are a separate character. I suppose if Sakurai is treating this as his last game and that the future of the series will be under a different director, possibly even rebooted for a fresh start, then that could alleviate the disappointment of mere Echo status a little.
I think I'd lean more to appreciating her inclusion overall though, or be Neutral on it like Daisy. There are many other suggestions that I'm far less of a fan of, and she'd bring another female villain to the roster... and she's at least a Nintendo character.
Tapu Koko (
Pokémon series)
Chances: 40%
For comparison sake, I previously rated the chances of Pirmarina and Incineroar around the 37% and 35% respectively, so in contrast to them I've rated Tapu Koko fairly high. The below 50% chance rating are due to my belief that we will not see a Pokémon newcomer, at least as part of the base game, and if we do, I think a UB would be most likely.
To it's credit though, after the UB's, I'd presently say Tapu Koko is the most likely. It plays a key role in Pokémon Sun and Moon games and anime, appears early on, etcetera. I won't say if it could have a unique move-set, I don't know enough about it (I mostly ignored it in the game and destroyed it in... one or two hits when I was made to battle it)
Want: 26%
You might get the impression that I don't like Tapu Koko, which is kind of true; I just don't care for it. I'm not big on Pokémon gaining yet even more playable representation as it is, but to include the Pokémon whose fight was low-note of a very disappointing Pokémon experience in a playable role doesn't exactly excite me. There are other Nintendo series I'd prefer represented, gaining more represented or even additional Pokémon I'd prefer. On the plus side... at least Tapu Koko is a Nintendo character and one with some prominence in it's game where I can kind of see how it could deserve a playable spot.
This might get her past 100 nominations, so let me vote once again for:
Nominations: x10
Fatal Frame Protagonist
