There we go. Back on topic.
Personal Smash 4 DLC Predictions
Pre-Ballot
Wolf
-Seems predictable enough. With a return to relevance looming and barely even being a semi-clone compared to the two we've already seen, Wolf is the only veteran left with the right combination of high demand and lack of issues.
Marshal
-A self-admitted shot in the dark. I think the placeholders are all characters planned for before the Smash Ballot, and we still have two unaccounted for. The second one could be one of several different characters (including a personal favorite, heh heh), but since we know there was some Rhythm Heaven content planned, I feel like the series' mascot and the only one of its faces capable of feasibly pulling from all of its minigames would have the best chance. Which, to be fair, isn't much greater than several others here. >_>
From Ballot
Group 1 (Most Likely)
King K. Rool
-Far out in front, the lack of relevance that doomed him before won't matter any more. Hail to the King, anyone?
Isaac
-The only other character who gets consistently high on almost every straw poll, and another one who can overcome his own fall from the spotlight. He may be a swordsman, but it's all the magic he can use that'd help him be unique. His absence from the AT list could mean he was considered early but dropped, meaning he might even be a pre-Ballot character?
Bandana Dee
-Things get a little more muddled from here on out, but Bandana Dee seems to be among the most popular remaining candidates. He's become increasingly prominent in newer Kirby games, and has a niche ready for him thanks to wielding a weapon type no other character does.
Krystal
-Incoming controversy. Wolf's inclusion wouldn't hurt her chances at all, as the developers have shown no sign in previous games of capping new characters at one per series. Star Fox Zero may take place before her time, but all it does is put her in an identical position to K. Rool and it hasn't slowed her support in the slightest. Heavily requested even since Brawl, with a potential staff-focused fighting style all her own, and a blend of magic and sci-fi technology that no one else can match!
Group 2 (Plausible, but depends on how long the team lasts...)
Impa
-Most requested out of the crossfire that is the Zelda candidates. Her Hyrule Warriors incarnation offers the most promise, but we don't know how willing they'd be to draw inspiration from non-canon spinoffs. Even still, she's one of the only other recurring characters in the series and has potential therein.
Dixie Kong
-K. Rool has hoarded away a lot of her support, but a decent amount of it still exists. She'd actually work better as a fully unique character than a semi-clone of Diddy, which would also help her avoid drawing the ire of fans. There's a small chance she might be one of those characters we get before the Smash Ballot closes.
Sceptile
-Pokémon is as big a mess as Zelda, but Sceptile has pulled ahead of the veterans seemingly due to being a long time favorite of Pokémon fans who actually has a chance with Ivysaur out of the picture. A moveset of plant-based powers is something no one on the current roster has, a trait the developers have shown special interest in with previous newcomers.
Paper Mario
-The riskiest pick. Captain Toad might take this one, but with how they've seemingly decided to wait on the Inklings, they'll probably do the same for him. We might even see someone like Wonder Red take priority, even, although I don't have a good read on his support levels. If Paper Mario eclipses them, though, the dev team would move forward with the vast array of abilities from the RPG series, many of which are nothing like the Mario we know.
Could we see even more? Possibly, but I can't figure anything out beyond this. It's a mess, seriously. >_>
Personal Way-Too-Early Smash 5 Predictions
Cuts
Lucina, Dr. Mario, and Dark Pit
-The bonus clones go back to being alts of their source characters.
Lucas and Roy
-May become alts of Ness and Marth, respectively. Will depend on if the dev team feels like letting them change a little for the sake of still being in the game.
Ryu
-Doesn't quite measure up to Sonic, Mega Man, and Pac-Man in regards to Nintendo. He feels like a one-off.
Mewtwo, Jigglypuff, or Charizard
-With so many Pokémon from Gen 1, I see them giving one of these three the axe to make room for more modern characters that have just as much of a right to the spotlight, do they not? Out of the three, Mewtwo feels the most likely to get cut...and then promptly come back as DLC again. >_>
Notable Returners
Ice Climbers
-The hardware issues that benched them in Smash 4 would no longer exist. They'd be reworked to make sure no more grab infinites ever happen again...or at least they better be...
Newcomers
Captain Toad
-A likely frontrunner if he isn't Sm4sh DLC, and with Toadette as an alt! Nothing is certain, though, and he may fall out of popularity or someone else in the Mario-verse may rise above him. Maybe we'd see both. Too early to say.
Zelda Character
-Impa would probably be the most likely if she isn't DLC this time. Otherwise, it'd probably be a character from the newest Zelda at the time.
Dixie Kong
-Unless she gets in this time first, anyway.
Sylux
-Explicitly confirmed to have a major role in future Metroid games, guaranteeing relevance and finally giving Metroid fans a third character!
Ridley
-But wait! Sakurai passed up on the Villager and Mii Fighters for Brawl because he didn't feel like they fit properly in Smash. He changed his mind about them in time for the next game, and with enough fan support, he might just change his mind on Ridley as well!
Pokémon Character from Generation 8 or 9
-Whichever gen is the current one at that time. Would probably be a Grass starter if neither Sceptile nor Ivysaur are already on the roster and if said Grass starter is viable in Smash's environment.
Character from Newest Fire Emblem
-But if we only see remakes or retreads between now and Sma5h, this might come down to a pick between Corrin and Azura instead. An interesting situation, considering both have unique qualities.
Character from Newest Xenoblade
-Bit of a risky choice. It seems like Nintendo is trying to make Xenoblade into a flagship franchise, and so if XCX is a success, I can see a third Xenoblade game coming out around 2019.
Marshal
-If he isn't Sm4sh DLC, that is.
Takamaru
-Lack of recognition overseas doomed him this time, but his AT status and an eshop release of his home game means people everywhere know who Takamaru is now. One might even call him a frontrunner!
Black Mage
-And the curveball. Here's the thing: Rayman's been a popular guess, but Ubisoft has been on increasingly worse terms with Nintendo as their executives seen the Big N as nothing more than someone to take advantage of. Square Enix is known to be tight lipped about lending their characters, but they're on very good terms with Nintendo and have collaborated with them multiple times. Like with how Ryu embodies the classic that was Street Fighter II, Black Mage would be a love letter to the NES and SNES eras of Final Fantasy!
I fully expect to get over half of the Smash 5 ones wrong. That's the thing with predicting so far ahead; there's so much that can happen that you'd never think of. I'm willing to bet at least a third of Sma5h's newcomers are characters that don't even exist yet.