This is going to sound weird, but the things that Rayman has had to face on his path to Smash reminds me of what Peter Parker/Spider-Man had to go through during high school.
You see, Peter was considered an underdog at his high school, with him being bullied by those around him. One day, however, he was visiting a laboratory that had an experiment involving spiders, As he was taking pictures, a spider bites his hand, which grants him spider-like powers such as climbing and shooting webs. Using these powers, he went around the city to stop thugs. One day, however, his Uncle Ben was shot by a criminal, and thus began his climb for redemption, with the people loving what he did.
In my view, Rayman can relate to Peter Parker. He was considered an underdog choice in the Smash community, with other possible third party newcomers being more wanted than him. Then one day, Sakurai managed to make him a trophy in Smash 4. Because of this, Rayman was now a part of the melting pot of video games, and players were left in want for him to be playable. One day, however, the leak that showed him to be playable was shot down by ArtsyOmni, with Rayman's climb for redemption beginning as people began to realize what he could bring to the table.
Does it seem farfetched? Maybe. But the fact that Rayman was an underdog choice and ended up as a trophy reminds me of what happened to Peter Parker. Then, when both of their brightest spots were shot down, they began their climb for redemption.
Food for thought.