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Here's a moveset and stage. These may be a bit off since I haven't actually played Astral Chain myself yet, but I've read through the wiki, watched some gameplay, and read a couple moveset concepts to get a sense for the character and world. Would prefer to leave music to someone more familiar with the game, but I might cover that if no submissions come in.
I am including only one Legion (in relation to the gimmick, at least) since adding a Legion-switching mechanic would be way too complicated for a DLC character. Based on Sakurai's descriptions of how difficult Pyra and Mythra were, the moveset I have is already pushing it.
Attributes
Howard's general mobility and frame data ranges from subpar to average. They have decent weight.
Gimmick
Officer Howard's gimmick is, naturally, their Legion. Howard's neutral special summons and controls the Sword Legion, and each special behaves differently depending on whether the Legion is summoned.
The Legion has its own jab, tilts, and aerials. While the Legion is active and not under direct control, it will automatically attempt to attack any nearby opponents.
When not under direct control, the Legion's position relative to Howard will remain the same as much as possible.
While the Legion is active, it depletes the "Limiter Gauge." The gauge refills when the Legion is not active. When the gauge is depleted, the Legion is automatically dismissed and cannot be resummoned until the gauge refills. The Legion taking damage takes a small amount more off the gauge.
Basic Attacks
Neutral attack: A three-hit combo with the X-Baton.
Dash attack: Officer Howard does a leaping kick forward.
Tilts
Forward tilt: Officer Howard shoots with the X-Baton in Blaster Mode.
Up tilt: Somersault kick.
Down tilt: Officer Howard swings along the ground with the X-Baton.
Smash Attacks
Forward smash: The Arrow Legion appears to fire a short-ranged shot.
Up smash: The Arm Legion appears to perform an uppercut.
Down smash: The Axe Legion appears to make a low, circular swing around Howard.
Aerials
Neutral aerial: Officer Howard swings the X-Baton back to front.
Back aerial: Turn to shoot X-Baton in Blaster Mode behind self.
Up aerial: Swing the X-Baton up.
Down aerial: Swing the X-Baton in Gladius Mode down. Spikes.
Grab & Throws
howard doesn't seem to use grabs in ac and i'm tired to i'll fill this later
Specials
Neutral special: Summon Legion / Send Legion
Officer Howard summons the Sword Legion in front of them after a short animation. Tap the button again to dismiss it.
Hold the button to take control of the Legion. It can walk (not run, but its walking speed is decently high), jump once, and attack.
Side special: Beast Ride / Triple Sword
Officer Howard gets on the Beast Legion, which leaps forward.
If the Sword Legion is active, it sends three blades to travel together across the Astral Chain towards Howard and back. If another attack is made as the swords reach Howard, the send-back part is cancelled.
Up special: Axe-Sault / Chain Pull
Swings X-Baton in Gladius Mode upward with a jump, then swings it back down.
If the Sword Legion is active, Officer Howard is yanked to its current location. This does not put them in special fall, but does automatically dismiss the Legion.
Down special: Blaster Charge / Round Sword
Chargeable projectile from Blaster Mode X-Baton. Compared to Samus's Charge Shot, it charges and moves more quickly, but does less damage and cannot store a charge.
If the Sword Legion is active, it summons a series of blades to spin around itself briefly. These persist even when control is taken over the Legion (though it'll be hard to take advantage of since they don't last long).
Final Smash: Hit Rush
Officer Howard unchains the Sword Legion as it appears in front of them; it then dashes forward. Any opponents hit are trapped in a cinematic where the Legion ferociously attacks them, followed by Howard appearing and comboing with the Legion until a final strike where the Legion and Howard (with the X-Baton in Gladius Mode) both hit at once.
The Ark
The main setting of Astral Chain, the Ark is an artificial island city where humanity has taken refuge from a destructive extradimensionial pollution. It has a cyberpunk-esque aesthetic and is set at night.
The stage is a walkoff, consisting of two buildings connected by a walkway. The walkway acts as a soft platform; it can be passed through to land on scaffolding coming off both buildings. Each building has a raised portion that acts as another soft platform and also goes into the blast zone. Periodically, a Gate will appear in the background and summon a chimera. Shortly after, one or two members of Task Force Neuron will appear and battle it.
Astraeus & Capaneus v. Officer Howard (Sword Legion) & Akira Howard (Arrow Legion) - only if no Officer Howards are being played in the current match.
Victory Animations:
1. Howard summons the sword legion and posses alongside it.
2. Howard summons the Beast legion and pets it
Up Taunt:
Howard does a police salute.
Side Taunt:
Howard takes out an energy drink and chugs it.
Down Taunt:
Howard takes out their Legionis UI and checks for a second before closing it.
Entrance:
Howard jumps out of a portal from the Astral Plane, getting into a fighting stance.
Boxing Ring Title: The Cadet
Classic Mode - Catch the Criminals! *
This classic mode route sees the Officer going up against various villians and rouges.
1. Wolf on Venom
2. Wario and Dedede on Shadow Moses Island
3. Dark Samus (X5) on Frigate Orpheon
4. King K. Rool on Pirate Ship
5. Jr and the Koopalings on Mushroom Kingdom U
6. Bowser, Ganondorf and Ridley on the Ark
7. Bonus Game
8. Master Hand and Crazy Hand
Darkonedagger's Miis automatically win. Submissions for the Astral Chain Spirit Board will remain open.
Our next job is the criteria for Challenger Pack 10--we're almost at the end! Remember that the canonical CP10 was Kazuya from Tekken, announced at E3 2021.
CP10 Criteria Vote
Has been both a protagnist and an antagonist. (@Darkonedagger )
Transforms into a mythical beast. (Wario Wario Wario
)
Owned by Namco. (Perkilator
)
Comes from 90's fighting game. (Tankman from Newgrounds
)
Would have a shirtless alt. (Baysha
)
Has a transformation that only appears during certain animations (no transformation mechanic). (Paraster
)
Vote your top 3 from this list. You may vote your own for #2 or #3.
I should note that my definition of "mythical beast" is vague - as long as it isn't a real animal, isn't copyrighted, and the character's usual form is human or human-like it should be fine. Mermaids, manticores, unicorns, vampires, zombies, ghosts, gorgons, there's a big pool.
CP10 Criteria Results
Voters: 6
Has been both a protagonist and an antagonist: 5
Transforms into a mythical beast: 8 Owned by Namco: 10
Comes from a 90's fighting game: 0
Would have a shirtless alt: 8
Has a transformation that only appears during certain animations (no transformation mechanic): 5
Our Challenger Pack 10 must be from a franchise owned by Bandai Namco!
Top officer in the Micro Police, Mappy would use a pogo stick; baton; doors; balloons; and recovered evidence to fight - and could possibly even throw in some references to other Namco classics - hell, maybe Goro and his Mewkies might show up to give the micro policemouse a hard time through summoning moves, accidentally propelling him into victory in the process!
Nightmare (Soul Calibur)
Soul Calibur is a popular and iconic series and Nightmare has an extremely memorable design and a lot of moveset potential. He would be a good analog for Kazuya due to both being 3D fighting game characters and having similar back stories, both being tragic heroes turned into villains by a dark force. He would be a heavy character, using his sword and Dark magic. Maybe Sigfreid could appear in some alt costumes.
Sorry about the spirit board. Been busy. Will get it in when I can.
The Princess of First Division: KOS-MOS “Ye Shall Be As Gods”
First Appearance: Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht (2002)
Latest Appearance: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (2017)
1. What is Xenosaga?
With the ongoing success of the Xenoblade Chronicles series, Monolith Soft has increasingly become one of Nintendo’s most important partners, developing flagship titles such as Breath of the Wild and Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Additionally, the third largest video game company in Japan, Bandai-Namco is a key developer of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. As a result of the importance of the relationship of these two companies to Nintendo, it is clear that another character to represent these companies in Smash Bros. would be appropriate. In my opinion, there is no better way to represent both of these companies than with a character from both of their histories, which I will briefly go over. Monolith Soft was created when a former Square employee, Tetsuya Takahashi, was disillusioned with the direction the company was taking in regards to creative freedom and advertising. In order to gain a market presence, Takahashi looked to create a subsidiary of a larger company. This ended up being Namco, with the founder of the latter company sharing much of the beliefs as Takahashi and his eventual team. Thus, Monolith Soft was formed as a subsidiary of Namco in 1999, with Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht as their first project. Throughout the time Monolith Soft was a Bandai-Namco subsidiary and beyond, KOS-MOS, one of the main characters of Xenosaga became one of the main faces of both companies and thus a character with a powerful legacy connected to both Monolith Soft and Bandai-Namco.
Before we talk about who KOS-MOS is and why you should consider supporting her, we must first understand the series she originates from. Xenosaga is a JRPG created by Monolith Soft and published by Namco (now Bandai-Namco). As you may recognize from the name, it is a part of the larger “Xeno” metaseries, consisting of Xenogears, Xenosaga, and Xenoblade Chronicles. These three series, while existing under the same umbrella, are set in different universes and feature completely different plots. However, they share similar themes as well as small references to each other. These themes are often pulled from religion and mythology. Xenosaga in particular, divided into 3 main episodes, makes heavy use of Jewish and Biblical mythology, as well as themes relating to the philosophical and psychological work of Carl Jung and Friedrich Nietzche. Its gameplay is a traditional turn-based RPG battle system, however, it varies from others in its genre by utilizing combo attacks. For example, a character may attack twice per turn given enough built up points. The second game, Jenseits von Gut und Böse, introduces a downing mechanic in which attacks must aim for a region of the body (denoted with A, B, or C) in order to properly break and deal massive damage. Finally, the third game, Also sprach Zarathusta, changes the boost system by allowing the player to spend boost points to unleash powerful special attacks, such as KOS-MOS’s F-G-SHOT. Each of the games also has a separate combat mode, A.G.W.S. mode in Episode I and E.S. Mode in Episodes II and III. These battle systems involve the playable characters entering a massive mech, with 2 characters per mech in E.S., though they can be piloted solo. The gameplay of the Xenosaga series lends itself to developing strategies throughout the game, with each battle being a learning experience for the player.
1a. Release Timeline
Each main episode of the Xenosaga series was released on the PlayStation 2 roughly two years apart. Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht was released in Japan on February 28, 2002. Two years later saw the release of a supplement, Xenosaga Freaks on April 28, 2004 and Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse on June 24, 2004. Xenosaga Freaks featured bonus content which increased the depth of the main characters, as well as included a demo for the second episode. In between the episodic releases was another spinoff, released on the VodaFone series of mobile devices. Xenosaga: Pied Piper was released, also split into three episodes, between July and October 2004. This was intended to provide backstory to a playable character and his history with one of the major antagonists. Following Pied Piper was a remake of Episodes I and II on the Nintendo DS, aptly named Xenosaga I & II. Released only in Japan on March 30, 2006, it added several additional features to the story that were cut from console versions. Finally, the finale of the three episode Xenosaga series, Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra was released on the PlayStation 2 later on the sixth of July that year.
1b. Synopsis
The game itself is set 4000 years after the year 20XX. The player’s party, led by Vector engineer Shion Uzuki, finds itself in the middle of a large conflict in space between several factions. Humanity struggles to defend itself against a hostile alien race, the Gnosis. Gnosis exist in a separate plane of reality that renders them visible to the human eye, but completely intangible. This dilemma has led governments and corporations alike to create anti-Gnosis peripherals such as battleships, mechs, and androids such as KOS-MOS. Aside from Gnosis, the protagonists also face several hostile human factions that seek to control the Zohars, which are sources of unimaginably large amounts of energy. The many complexities of this futuristic setting has led humans to develop other artificial forms of life, such as Realians, which are essentially mass produced human soldiers. The creation of artificial life, the revival of the dead, and their place in society is a topic of contention in the games. I won’t go into that, as this is still a post about KOS-MOS and her viability in Smash.
The main cast consists of several important characters. Because this write up is pretty long, I will only cover the playable characters and only cover KOS-MOS in greater detail. The first character that is introduced to the player is Shion Uzuki, chief programmer of Vector’s first Research and Development division and one of two main protagonists of the series. Following the introduction of KOS-MOS to the party, the player meets chaos (spelled with all lowercase letters). chaos is sort of a guardian on board of the Kukai Foundation vessel Elsa, defending the crew from various Gnosis attacks. After meeting chaos, the story diverges to a cyborg, Ziggurat 8 who is tasked to recover the 100 Series Observational Realian Prototype from the clutches of the U-TIC organization. Succeeding in his mission, the 100 Series Prototype (named MOMO) affectionately dubs him “Ziggy” and they too arrive onboard the Elsa after a pursuit. The party is soon rescued by the Kukai Foundation itself, with one of its representative trustees Gaignun Kukai Jr. (referred to as Jr.) joining the party. He is a URTV child soldier who is much older than he looks. Following the events of the first episode, Shion’s older brother Jin Uzuki joins the party as well. There are several other important characters in the series that impact the plot.
2. Who is KOS-MOS?
2a. Appearance and Abilities
Now that we have the basics of Xenosaga out of the way, we can understand who KOS-MOS is. KOS-MOS stands for Kosmos Obey Strategic Multiple Operation System, and is an android created by Vector Industries’ late Kevin Winnicot as an anti-Gnosis weapon. Following Kevin’s death at the hands of a prototype KOS-MOS, her development is led by Shion Uzuki and her First Division R&D group. After her destruction early on in Also sprach Zarathustra at the hands of T-elos, Kevin’s signature is overwritten and Version 4 of KOS-MOS is created by a joint effort of Shion, Allen Ridgeley, and the Robot Academy’s Professor and Assistant Scott onboard the Elsa. Throughout these iterations, she is equipped with various weapons and tools to assist her in battle, including but not limited to: various types of guns and blades, lasers, and her own brute strength.She possesses the ability to summon various specialized weapons at will, such as her F-G-SHOT, a powerful machine gun and her signature F-SCYTHE. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 also grants her new weapons: 2 cannons shaped like the Zohars of Xenosaga. Outside of her traditional combat weapons, she also possesses several other abilities that make her a one woman army. As she is a weapon designed to combat the Gnosis threat, she is capable of using the Hilbert Effect to draw them into a tangible state of existence. In fact, her iteration of the Hilbert Effect is one of, if not the strongest in the series. She also possesses computational skills that rival those of a 100 Series Observational Realian. This allows her to detect threats in a very wide area, allowing her to warn others and prepare for battle.
2b. As a Character
KOS-MOS shares the protagonist slot with one of her main creators, Shion Uzuki. The beginning of Episode 1, Der Wille zur Macht, opens with a field test, in which Shion enters a virtual world to assess the android’s abilities. Following an attack on the Woglinde, the ship that Shion’s team is on by the Gnosis, KOS-MOS awakens and follows her assigned duty of protecting employees of Vector industries to a tee. The duo escape alongside Allen Ridgeley, a fellow Vector employee and Commander Andrew Cherenkov, a soldier onboard the Woglinde. After KOS-MOS threatens the crew of a passing ship (the Elsa) she is taken onboard and forces the Elsa’s crew to take her to the planet Second Miltia. While en route, she receives a transmission from Shion, who threatens suicide if she is not rescued immediately. The Woglinde group is rescued after deliberation from the crew. I won’t go any further into the specifics of the story, but I will continue about KOS-MOS’s character. As an android, she speaks and thinks in a purely computational manner. This leads to problems, however, often resulting in Shion scolding the android for being reckless or cruel. However, she has moments in which she questions her purposes. Her more human side can be seen when her eyes change from her normal red to a cool blue. Her evolution as a character manifests both through her personality and her physical appearance, going through several versions throughout the saga. Her relationship with her creator, Shion, is a core plot point in the games. The close bond the two have has led to curious moments in which an unresponsive KOS-MOS awakens suddenly in order to save Shion. Throughout the saga, KOS-MOS is a dynamic character whose humanity is a key part of her character, despite being an android.
“Shion… will feeling pain make me complete?”
3. Why KOS-MOS?
Throughout the Xenosaga series, the player is consistently playing from the perspective of Shion Uzuki, with the occasional perspective from Gaignun Kukai Jr. As with 'many other series, it should be clear that the protagonist should be playable. So why choose KOS-MOS if there is a clearer candidate? There are several reasons for picking her over Shion. KOS-MOS serves as the mascot for the series, with her being the focal figure on every box art of the series. She is also the representative in crossovers, rather than Shion or Jr. Additionally, while she is not always playable (undergoing maintenance, destroyed, or being somewhere else entirely), her existence ties almost every character in the series together. To add on, this trait of not always playable for any given reason is shared with every playable character in the game, even Shion and Jr. Thus, there are several reasons why KOS-MOS should be chosen as a playable character over any other Xenosaga character.
3a. In Crossovers
To expand upon her prominence in crossovers, she has been present via cameos and playable appearances in many of (Bandai-)Namco’s and Monolith Soft’s crossover video games since her creation. She makes an appearance in Namco × Capcom and its spiritual successors. She is present in all of these games, being the most frequent crossover representative from Xenosaga. She is one of the few characters to make an appearance in each of these games, along with heavy hitters like Jin Kazama from Tekken. Additionally, she has appeared in the Project X Zone series, as a pair unit with other characters from the Xeno metaseries. In the first game, she teams up with her rival T-elos and joins with Fiora (spoiler form) in the second. Her most major recent appearance was in Xenoblade Chronicles 2. While not a crossover game, she appears as a rare blade (with a redesign - KOS-MOS Re: ). She (or her cosmetics or attacks) also appear in such series as the Soul Calibur series, Tales of, Baten Kaitos, and others. She’s also been the basis of several characters in the current day, notably Lea from CrossCodeand the USS New Jersey in Azur Lane. Her strong presence in these games demonstrates her importance to the legacy of Monolith Soft and Bandai-Namco as companies.
Full List of KOS-MOS crossover & cameo appearances
Namco × Capcom, Playable Character (along with Shion Uzuki and MOMO)
Super Robot Wars OG Saga: Endless Frontier, Playable Character
Super Robot Wars OG Saga: Endless Frontier EXCEED, Playable Character (MOMO appears as a support)
Project X Zone, Playable Character (along with T-elos)
Project X Zone 2, Playable Character
Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Playable Character (along with T-elos)
Tales of the World: Narikiri Dungeon 3, Playable Character
Famista Online, Playable Character
Famista DS, Playable Character
Pro Baseball Famista 2011, Playable Character (along with Shion Uzuki)
Famista Dream Match, Playable Character (along with Shion Uzuki)
Tales of Hearts, Cameo
Venus & Braves, Cameo (?)
Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean, Cameo
Soul Calibur III, Costume
Tales of Vesperia, Costume
Tales of Abyss and other games, X-BUSTER attack (sometimes called Cross Buster)
3b. Presence of the Xenosaga series in Smash Bros.
Despite not being represented in any Super Smash Bros. game in a physical form, it can be argued that the Xenosaga series already has a, though slight, presence in Smash. This is due to its fellow Xeno series gaining representation. The connection between the two series was forged when the first Xenoblade Chronicles, originally named Monado: Beginning of the World, was given its name by Satoru Iwata to honor series creator Tetsuya Takahashi’s work on the previous Xeno series. Xenosaga’s presence goes even deeper than this, however. As a result of the close relationship that it shares with Xenoblade Chronicles, some of Xenosaga’s imagery makes it through Smash indirectly. If one were to take a closer look at Pyra and Mythra’s core crystals (their pendants), it will become apparent that they are shaped like the Zohar monoliths of Xenosaga. Additionally, though this connection is a bit of a stretch, Mythra’s down taunt has her imitating KOS-MOS’s victory animation from Xenosaga Episode I. While it may seem like a generic pose, keep in mind that Mythra never does this in her home game. These connections, although very minor, demonstrate that the series has a presence in Smash, just as other Namco series like Tales of, Taiko no Tatsujin, and Katamari Damacy do. Thus, there is already Xenosaga content present in Smash through connections with the Xenoblade Chronicles series.
3c. Importance to Monolith Soft and Bandai-Namco
On the topic of Monolith Soft and Bandai-Namco, both of these companies are instrumental to the development of the Super Smash Bros. series and Nintendo as a company. By adding a character from Xenosaga, we could add another character from the desperately-lacking-in-content-despite-developing-the-game company of Bandai-Namco. Additionally, with Nintendo’s purchase and strong support of Monolith Soft in recent years, it is clear that Monolith is a strong development partner. We could honor this further by delving further into their repertoire and choosing a character from the Xenosaga series. To end off on this note, I have attached an image above released by Monolith Soft for their 20th anniversary as a company. Please take into notice the character at the forefront of this image. KOS-MOS’s position at the front of this piece of art shows that Xenosaga and KOS-MOS are a key part of the company’s history. Her placement in the focal point illustrates two points. One, despite Xenosaga as a series ending in 2006, the legacy it carries for Monolith Soft is very strong. Two, she is a very recognizable character, to the point where she serves as a mascot for the company, even over modern icons such as Shulk, Pyra, and Mythra. To conclude, KOS-MOS's addition would be a way to honor the ties that Nintendo has with both Bandai-Namco and Monolith Soft, both of which companies view her as a major part of their legacy.
4. How would KOS-MOS play?
This is a topic in which you, the moveset submitter, have free reign. KOS-MOS is an extremely adaptable character who can work as you wish. I would like to put my foot in the door for my interpretation of her. I’ll separate this into a few sections, going into detail about possible gimmicks, gameplay mechanics, attacks, and aesthetics. Keep in mind that these are all hypothetical, and should we select KOS-MOS, everything is up to the submitters.
4a. Gimmicks and Gameplay
As a battle android specifically designed for combatting the Gnosis phenomenon, KOS-MOS is equipped with a powerful version of the Hilbert Effect. This manifests as an energy field that is capable of bringing Gnosis from an intangible existence to our own. In the game’s terms, it would mean taking Gnosis from the imaginary number domain to the real number domain. It is also capable of disrupting machine sensors as well as nullifying ether (magic/energy) attacks. This can be interpreted in several ways in the context of Super Smash Bros. — it could work as a gimmick that can be activated manually or automatically, an attack (support or otherwise), or as a bonus aesthetic like taunt or victory animation. However, KOS-MOS can completely forgo a gimmick if so desired - she is an extremely straightforward and adaptable character whose moveset does not rely on moveset gimmicks to be unique.
Moving away from the Hilbert Effect, her style of play could also revolve around the core gameplay mechanics of the Xenosaga games. As mentioned in the first paragraph, each Episode of the series features roughly the same gameplay, however, there are specific differences that set them all apart from each other. The core mechanics of each game are, in my opinion, a combo-based combat system, boosting, (which is a way for players and enemies alike to gain an extra turn) and a focus on the distance of the enemy. These core mechanics can be translated to Smash as her attributes as a character, gimmicks, or other attacks. For instance, the near/far system could be implemented as separate inputs similar to the fighting game characters. In Xenosaga, near and far attacks serve to indicate what kind of enemy the player is currently targeting. For example, if the player is fighting a mostly airborne enemy, it is better to use “far” attacks. These kinds of attacks can translate into specific inputs depending on where KOS-MOS is in the game or her actual position on the stage. Boosting in Xenosaga functions as a way to get in more hits during a combo, to heal after a devastating chain of enemy attacks, or to end a fight that has been dragging on for too long. As such, this could be translated into Smash as a get-off-me tool, similar to Mythra’s Foresight and Bayonetta’s Witch Time. In Xenosaga, boosts must be obtained via constant attacks, so this could be a way to implement them without feeling too broken. Another core gameplay mechanic of the Xenosaga series is the event slot system. In Episodes I and II, each turn features an event that changes the conditions of battle. These cycle in a loop, allowing the player to take risks or play safely depending on which event is currently in. For instance, if the player knows that the next event will increase the chance of critical attacks, they can take the opportunity to boost a party member to use that event. In Smash, this could be used as a gimmick that alters KOS-MOS’s attributes every few seconds, similar to a toned down, automatic version of Monado Arts. For one final possible gameplay mechanic, Xenosaga’s gameplay is extremely combo heavy, especially in Episodes I and II. These combos function as a way to link powerful attacks together in order to break the enemy. In Episode I, chaining several weak attacks togethers allows the performing of a “Tech Attack,” which is a strong combo finisher. This is changed somewhat in Episode II, where combos must focus upon an enemy’s weak point. These points, as mentioned before, are denoted with A, B, and C. Thus, in order to break an enemy with a weak point of CCBC, for instance, you may start out with a combo of CC from one character, boost a character capable of performing a BC combo, and then unleash a BC combo. After breaking, it is possible to “air” or “down” the enemy, which suspends them in the air or knocks them down. This increases damage done to the enemy, so the player can constantly boost with the remainder of their party in order to deal large amounts of damage at once. Finally, in Episode III, the weak point system is removed in favor of a general Break meter. This takes the form of a red bar below the enemy’s health bar. In order to fill the meter effectively and ensure an enemy break, the player must make strong usage of attacks denoted with “Break,” such as KOS-MOS’s K-PIKE. The player can effectively combo these Break Attacks together using the boost system.
4b. Attacks
Throughout KOS-MOS’s appearances throughout the years, she has had a plethora of attacks to choose from as a result of being constantly updated. I will try my best to go through all of them and give my thoughts on how these attacks can create a niche for KOS-MOS to fill in the roster. For the sake of brevity in this already very long post, I will be going over only her Tech Attacks and Special Attacks. However, she does have a plethora of attacks and techniques used in Xenosaga, Xenoblade Chronicles, and her crossover appearances.
Starting with Episode I, KOS-MOS has several of her most iconic attacks debuting here. A unique gimmick she shares with Ziggy in this game is an extra space for a Tech Attack, which can be performed without the prerequisite basic attack first. These Tech Attacks are periodically given to the player via sidequests and progression of the story. Her first available Tech Attack in this slot is F-G-SHOT, which I have mentioned before. This attack has KOS-MOS summoning a very large machine gun and firing rapidly at the enemy. Next, there is the F-M-SHOT, a series of homing missile attacks launched from KOS-MOS’s back. Following the M-SHOT is the F-B-SHOT, a large beam cannon with slow startup. Again, this would be fit for a Smash attack. Continuing the SHOT series is F-R-SHOT, a rail gun that functions similarly to B-SHOT. Rather than aiming at the ground like Snake’s Side Smash, KOS-MOS carries the rail gun on her shoulder, giving the attack more height. Moving onto the differently named attacks, F-SCYTHE is what it sounds like. KOS-MOS summons her (very large) scythe, jumps into the air, and swipes downward. This attack hits every enemy on screen. Moving onto her standard Tech Attacks, these are unlocked through progression of the story. She starts off with R-CANNON and R-BLADE. The former is a large energy blast after KOS-MOS transforms her arm into a gun, similar to Samus’s Charge Shot. The latter is a few rapid swipes with her arm, now transformed into a sword. This attack is moved from tech attack to a normal attack in Episode III. Next is R-DRILL, a series of three hits to trap an opponent. This is followed by KOS-MOS drilling into the enemy’s body with her transformed arm. Her X-BUSTER is one of, if not her most iconic attack. Her most dramatic form of this move is in Episode I, where she keels over, with a large energy protrusion emerging from her back. Her abdomen then opens and fires a spread of beams towards the enemy. This would be one of my final smash candidates, with it activating a cutscene. S-CHAIN follows this and is less of an attack, rather than a support move. It lowers several stats of the enemy, so interpret this as you will. R-HAMMER and R-DRAGON end this section. They function decently similarly so I’ll group them together. They both involve KOS-MOS transforming her arm into the titular object and rapidly hitting with said object. R-HAMMER then finishes with a final strike. With R-DRAGON, KOS-MOS jumps up in the air, firing the arm into the enemy and having it explode.
On the topic of Episode II, there are only a few new tech attacks due to a different combat system. Here, they are called special attacks and are used by KOS-MOS specifically. Of these special attacks, two are new and two return from Episode I. The first new attack is Micro Missiles, which manifest as a large array of tiny crystalline objects. These spin around KOS-MOS for a bit before disappearing. The other new attack is Dragon Blade, also known as Dragon Tooth or D-TOOTH. It begins with a blaster shot, then an upward, then downward, and finally another upward slash. The final upward slash releases a small blast of energy that travels a short distance along the ground, similarly to Terry’s Power Wave. There is also a new attack called a double tech, which I will only go over two of. These double techs are performed by two characters. They are extremely flashy, but take quite a long time to set up for very small reward, thus making them unpopular. The two I will go over with are Grand Ronde and Twin Buster. The first of which, Grand Ronde, is really funny and out of place in the game it is in so I just wanted to write about it. Feel free to skip this. This tech attack involves chaos (whose relationship with KOS-MOS is explained in Episode III) doing the tango with KOS-MOS. The other, I want to go over because it has potential to be a final smash. Twin Buster begins like X-BUSTER, however, Shion walks behind KOS-MOS and fires a blast into the latter’s back. This blast is absorbed and amplified by KOS-MOS and released as Twin Buster.
Xenosaga Episode III marks the return of Tech Attacks, as well as Special Attacks. Here, the Special Attacks are finishing moves that are extremely powerful. KOS-MOS has three of these, which are F-G-SHOT, X-BUSTER, and D-TENERITAS. Of these, only D-TENERITAS is new and what I believe should be her Final Smash. It begins with KOS-MOS’s outfit creating a cannon formation on her chest, then firing a massive ball of energy. This ball of energy traps the enemy inside, causing damage. KOS-MOS then throws a dagger inside, causing the energy ball to explode violently. Episode III introduces a lot of Tech Attacks, so I will do my best to be brief. First is the BUSTER series (no relation to X-BUSTER). It’s a quick stab with a sword arm, fitting for a tilt. This is followed by W-FANG and W-BLADE, which are two consecutive swipes with a sword. Many of these attacks share similar animations, with their only difference being their element or strength, so I have grouped them together. CANNON I and II are similar to R-CANNON, where KOS-MOS fires a massive burst from her arm. This shot is similar to that of a rocket launcher, rather than a charge shot. In a similar vein, A-BURST I and II involve KOS-MOS jumping into the air and firing a large explosion onto the ground. K-PIKE and K-AXE are powerful roundhouse kicks that are useful for breaking enemies. Finally, my choice for her up special would be VALKYRIE / NEMESIS, where she swipes the foe twice, jumps up and fires an explosive shot.
Outside of these moves, KOS-MOS is also able to perform a wide variety of Ether spells as well as being able to pilot her personal E.S. craft, E.S. Dinah. These Ether spells can range from the simple elemental spells to powerful summons. The most iconic of these summons is the Erde Kaiser series of summons, which is obtained after a series of side quests given by the Professor of the Robot Academy. They are known for being the strongest spells in the game and often require beating a boss before gaining the summon. E.S. (short for Ein Sof) are a series of 12 powerful machines piloted by the main characters and villains. Each one is powered by a mysterious source of energy and is capable of dealing out massive damage. E.S. Dinah is unique as it is built in several parts: the mech itself, a small spaceship, and KOS-MOS’s Dinah Mobile Interface (a motorbike). As Dinah was built to supplement KOS-MOS’s abilities as an anti-Gnosis weapon, it primarily uses Beam-type attacks. Its most powerful moves are R-FANG, a series of sword swipes, X-BUSTER, a larger version of KOS-MOS’s, and X-CANNON, four concentrated beams of energy at a target.
As seen in crossovers, KOS-MOS is not limited to her own attacks. In games such as Namco × Capcom, Super Robot Wars, and Project X Zone, she borrows some attacks from her fellow party members. These include, but are not limited to: Ziggy’s Cyber Kick (a series of rapid kicks ending in an explosion), Jr.’s Storm Waltz (a series of rapid gunshots with ricocheting coins), and MOMO’s Freeze Shock (an arrow that freezes, and another that breaks the ice). The most frequent appearance is Shion’s Lunar Blade, a series of dramatically timed swipes. While it can be argued that this is in an attempt to add more references to Xenosaga into her moveset, there is precedent for this concept in the actual Xenosaga series. In Episode I, it is possible to transfer moves between characters for a cost. In Episodes II and III, many of these skills are available to be unlocked for all characters via a skill tree. Thus, if the moveset user is feeling as if they need to add something outside of KOS-MOS’s already large arsenal, there is a cast of 6 other characters they can pull attacks from.
All in all, I hope I was able to prove KOS-MOS’s moveset potential to you. Her versatility in weapon choices, ranging from heavy machinery to delicate swordsmanship is truly something unique. This versatility allows her moveset to be adapted to various types of playstyles, ranging from a heavy zoner, to a lightweight glass cannon. The variety in her weapon choices and techniques allow for something unique in Smash Bros. Additionally, KOS-MOS’s appearances in crossover video games demonstrates her ability to use her teammates’ skills, allowing her an even greater potential moveset. For further reference, I have attached several videos of her attacks in Xenosaga and crossover games to give a better image than my descriptions. Thus, KOS-MOS is an extremely adaptable character whose varied choices and skill in weaponry allow for a moveset that would be able to fit any niche necessary.
4c. Aesthetics
If you remember from previous sections, KOS-MOS has several appearances that change throughout the games. However, I believe it is best for her to use her Version 4 appearance, as it is the one with the most significance in the story as well as the most recognizable. This design is used in her crossover appearances in the Super Robot Wars series and Project X Zone series. The other options I see working are her Version 1, being her first appearance, and KOS-MOS Re: from Xenoblade Chronicles 2, being her most recent one. All of these appearances are very recognizable and would function well as her default and alternate costumes. On the topic of costumes, each of her costumes could reference her party members as well as T-elos. Instead of using the Monado icon to represent the Xenosaga series (which would be a blatant misrepresentation of Xenosaga), her series symbol could be the Marienkind Zohar, a powerful source of energy and a central object in the series.
5. What else could KOS-MOS bring to Smash?
With attacks and aesthetics out of the way, we can now discuss what KOS-MOS can bring from Xenosaga to Smash Bros. As the series is rich with a large set of characters with varying abilities, there is much we can do in terms of assist trophies, bosses, and enemies. Any of the main playable party lends themselves well to being an assist trophy, ranging from a status enhancing character such as MOMO or chaos, or an attacking character such as Ziggy or Jr. As for bosses, there is much to pull from, however, the most recognizable boss would be T-elos. Her style of fighting would make her a nimble enemy who hits extremely hard. Additionally, the large variety of enemies in the Xenosaga series will give us the opportunity to add unique enemies. Between the various types of Gnosis, mechanical enemies, and biological nightmares that are the 27 Series Asura Realians, there is so much to choose from. The settings of Xenosaga would also be well represented via a stage. Despite much of the series taking place in the vacuum of space, there are many locations that are key to the story that would fit well. Abel's Ark, a giant Gnosis, would be an interesting stage due to taking place inside of it and having bizarre stage hazards. Aside from Abel's Ark, there are also many other locations such as space ships, metropolitan areas, fragile consciousness, psychedelic crystalline caves, and wastelands to name a few.
Deviating from the format of the rest of this post, I have listed a selection of my favorite music tracks and potential spirits. I originally had a few paragraphs written about the history of Xenosaga’s soundtrack but unfortunately, it didn’t turn out the way I had hoped. I’ll provide some brief context to the music tracks I have chosen, however, as I believe those are truly the strongest of the series’ music.
Playable Characters:
E.S. Craft
Supporting Cast:
Antagonists:
Shion Uzuki
chaos
Ziggy
MOMO
Gaignun Kukai Jr.
Jin Uzuki
E.S. Dinah
E.S. Asher
E.S. Zebulun
E.S. Reuben
Allen Ridgeley
Miyuki Itsumi
Captain Matthews, Hammer, and Tony
Juli Mizrahi
Mary and Shelley Godwin
Gaignun Kukai
Representative Helmer
Febronia
Nephilim Verum
Canaan
Doctus
Abel
Joachim Mizrahi
Jesus Christ
Margulis
Pellegri
Albedo
T-elos
Black Testament
(I have omitted a few others for spoiler purposes, depending on our policy regarding spoilers there are a few more that could fit here)
Der Wille zur Macht (composed by Yasunori Mitsuda) Battle - The standard battle theme heard throughout the game. Battling KOS-MOS - KOS-MOS’s theme. Albedo - Albedo’s theme. Plays during the infamous belle pêche scene. Last Battle - The final boss theme. The only other battle theme in the game.
Jenseits von Gut und Böse (cutscenes composed by Yuki Kajiura, gameplay by Shinji Hosoe) Fatal Fight (Jin & Margulis) - Plays during conflicts between Jin Uzuki and Margulis in cutscenes. Communication Breakdown - Heard during Albedo’s infiltration into MOMO’s neural network and the appearance of Abel’s Ark. Also plays in the trailer for Episode II. Major Boss Battle - Plays during boss battles with major story villains.
Also sprach Zarathustra (composed by Yuki Kajiura) She’s Coming Back - KOS-MOS’s theme. Plays during her emergence as Version 4. Serves as her theme in Project X Zone. T-elos - T-elo’s theme. Plays when she appears in Rennes-le-Château. The Battle of Your Soul - Plays during boss battles with major story villains. Serves as T-elos’s theme in Project X Zone. Minor Boss Battle - Plays during boss battles with minor villains. We’ve got to Believe in Something - Plays during the Realian invasion of the old church. Godsibb - Plays during the confrontation with Dmitri Yuriev, as well as the battle with Ω Metempsychosis. Live Performances (2008, Sept. 18 2020) Fatal Fight (E.S. Levi) - A more sorrowful rendition of Episode II’s Fatal Fight. Plays during the final confrontation with Margulis. Erde Kaiser Σ - Plays during the fight with Erde Kaiser Σ, an optional boss. Hepatica (KOS-MOS) - Plays during the final confrontation with T-elos. Promised Pain - The final boss theme.
6. Potential Issues Addressed
Q: Xenosaga is an obscure, niche JRPG that was a commercial failure! Why have representation from it?
While the series is indeed quite niche and did not sell to expectations, it is very important to the legacies of both Bandai-Namco and Monolith Soft. KOS-MOS and her series is recognizable, becoming a crossover mainstay and cameoing in many of the companies’ works. Additionally, with the increase in popularity of the Xenoblade Chronicles series, there has been increased interest in Xenosaga. Overall, while the series itself is obscure, it holds a very strong legacy for both Bandai-Namco and Monolith Soft. Its connections to the popular Xenoblade Chronicles series has led to a revived interest in the series.
Q: Why add a character from the Xeno series when we already have Shulk?
Xenosaga and Xenoblade Chronicles are two separate series. While they (along with Xenogears) share similar themes and imagery, the three are set in completely separate universes and share completely different plots. For a comparison, the relationship between the Xeno series is not a Super Mario and Luigi’s Mansion type of relationship. Instead of sharing characters, locations, and dynamics, the relationship between the Xeno series focuses more on similar narratives based on human nature and other philosophical topics. Thus, despite the two series sharing names and common themes and sometimes imagery, they exist as separate series in separate universes. This means that if KOS-MOS were to be added, she would not share a Monado symbol with the Xenoblade characters and instead have her own unique symbol.
Q: Why KOS-MOS over other, more commonly discussed Bandai-Namco characters?
It is true that Bandai-Namco has a very large list of amazing characters that would all fit well into Smash. From Tekken’s scheming Heihachi to the Tales of series’ idealistic Lloyd to the innocent Klonoa, it is quite clear that there are many notable characters from this company. It is also true that KOS-MOS is one of Bandai-Namco’s most important characters and is thus a major part of the company’s legacy and history. Her legacy in Bandai-Namco’s repertoire of characters has allowed her to appear in crossovers, both in games involving and not involving Monolith Soft. In fact, some may argue that she is Bandai-Namco’s “crossover queen”, given her appearances in their library of games. It should be clear that this long history should allow KOS-MOS to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her peers in Bandai-Namco, not below them. If this argument is not strong enough, please remember that Masahiro Sakurai himself stated that “it is more important that a character is fun to play, not just recognizable.” Thus, KOS-MOS’s prominence as one of Bandai-Namco’s characters should allow her to be on equal footing with other commonly discussed characters from the company.
Q: Why a Monolith Soft character, and why KOS-MOS over other Monolith Soft characters?
As Monolith Soft’s reputation as a developer increases over time, it is clear that they too are building a strong library of characters. Their successes with Xenoblade Chronicles and their strong history with Namco have given the company increased value, being called on to work on other prolific titles for Nintendo, such as Breath of the Wild and even Animal Crossing: New Horizons. This strong partnership with Nintendo as well as their previous ties to Namco definitely warrants another character inclusion. We could opt for other characters from the Xenoblade Chronicles series, the most clear choice being Xenoblade Chronicles X’s Elma. There are also characters from the Baten Kaitos, Soma Bringer, and Super Robot Wars series. However, KOS-MOS stands out from the rest of these characters by being Monolith Soft’s de facto mascot. She debuted in the company’s first game as an independent company and her popularity allows her to continue making crossover appearances and being the base for merchandise, despite Xenosaga ending nearly 20 years ago. In terms of numbers, KOS-MOS’s announcement as a Blade in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is by far the most popular, having 10.3K likes on Twitter. (Compare this to Elma’s 5.7K and Shulk and Fiora’s 4.3K). In addition, Xenosaga would be a new universe represented in Smash, allowing for more diversity in areas other than characters. This does not mean that other Monolith Soft characters are not valid — they all have equal right to be in Smash. Therefore, Monolith Soft’s continually increasing prestige as a developer definitely warrants another character’s inclusion in Smash. While the company has an impressive array of characters, we should look towards KOS-MOS due to her status as the company’s mascot as well as her popularity.
Q: What's stopping KOS-MOS from being yet another anime sword fighter?
The only thing that keeps KOS-MOS in the realm of anime sword fighters is the creativity of the person who develops the moveset. As mentioned before, she is already capable of using a wide variety of weapons. These include, but are not limited to: various types of guns (gatling, pistols, energy cannons), scythes, drills, laser beams, throwing knives, and especially her own brute strength. Outside of weapons that KOS-MOS can use directly, she is also capable of using her E.S. craft, E.S. Dinah, to inflict large amounts of damage via its machinery. Finally, her crossover appearances have demonstrated that she is not limited to her own arsenal, being able to pull from her teammates and using weapons such as magic (though she is already capable of doing so), archery, coins, etc.
Q: Bandai-Namco said that a Xenosaga remaster would probably not be profitable.
Given that this statement was in 2019, their position may change. This statement was a market analysis that was only reached following the idea reaching remaster planning stages. If the company truly had no faith in the series, this planning stage would not have even been reached. Given the high amount of work developing a series of three games, all of which featuring different gameplay mechanics and high quality cutscenes, it would be extremely risky to commit to a series they did not know would succeed or not. However, Xenosaga has time and again had its interests renewed by the public due to the success of Xenoblade Chronicles, with the most recent spike being the addition of Pyra and Mythra into Smash Bros. KOS-MOS herself is already a popular character, with several official figures. Smash Bros. itself is already a very strong marketing campaign, with its power being able to bring Fire Emblem to the west, revive Kid Icarus, turn Xenoblade Chronicles into the powerhouse it is now, etc. It can do the same for Xenosaga.
Q: Isn’t her design a little “not for good boys and girls” for Smash?
I’d have to agree. However, this can easily be fixed similarly to how Pyra and Mythra were censored. Unlike characters like Mai Shiranui, the design is not an integral part of how she fights, acts, or thinks. For example, the attack D-TENERITAS has part of KOS-MOS’s chest exposed in order to form the cannon. If we were to use this attack in any capacity, we can just not have the chest exposed, as it is not something that will completely break the character in any way. Thus, censoring any parts of KOS-MOS that would not fly by CERO or the ESRB would not be a problem.
Q: Aren't the Jewish and Biblical themes of Xenosaga too religious for Smash?
The series' heavy religious themes are indeed a concern, however, not one that is already addressed in Smash. Already, we have series such as Castlevania and Bayonetta whose bestiaries and stories revolve around these major religions. The Biblical themes are also already extremely minor in the series itself, with the appearances of characters like Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene being extremely late and minor in the series. If the series were to be represented via character, the Biblical ties of KOS-MOS would not have to be referenced at all to be accurate to her character.
Q: How hard will it be to get the rights to use content from the Xenosaga series?
KOS-MOS and her series were created during a time when Monolith Soft was owned by Bandai-Namco. As a result, it may be confusing as to where the rights all lie. Because the series is owned by Bandai-Namco, it would be considered a third party series despite its ties to Xenoblade Chronicles. This would not be too much of a problem, as both Bandai-Namco and Monolith Soft are already onboard with Smash, with the development of the game and much of their intellectual property present in the game in some way. Additionally, Monolith Soft often has permission to use KOS-MOS and Xenosaga, which allowed them to feature her in games even after the company was bought by Nintendo. This thus takes care of the rights to the characters themselves. While the music is composed by three different composers, each one has either directly or indirectly shown their willingness to work with Smash and Nintendo. Yasunori Mitsuda, composer of Episode I, has worked directly on Smash with remixes such as Vs. Marx in Brawl. He has also worked closely with the team of composers for Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Shinji Hosoe has worked with Nintendo for the soundtrack of Tetris 99, while works by Yuki Kajiura have appeared in crossovers involving Xenosaga. Thus, it is not unlikely that content such as characters and music will not be too large of a problem to obtain for the Smash series.
7. TL;DR
I would like to encourage you to read the entire thing because there is a lot I would like to cover, but if you don’t have the time or energy for that (which I respect) here is a short summary.
KOS-MOS hails from a science fiction JRPG series called Xenosaga. Xenosaga is part of the larger “Xeno” metaseries consisting of itself, Xenogears, and Xenoblade Chronicles. Xenosaga in particular is especially important in terms of the legacies of both Bandai-Namco and Monolith Soft, with KOS-MOS appearing in many cameos and playable roles across their works. KOS-MOS herself is a battle android designed to combat a hostile alien species and is capable of using various types of weaponry ranging from light to heavy as well as her own brute force. Her moveset could also take into account the gameplay of Xenosaga. In addition to her strong moveset potential, KOS-MOS can also bring the rich setting of Xenosaga to Smash via spirits, music, and a stage.
To conclude, KOS-MOS is an extremely powerful battle android developed in order to combat an extradimensional threat. In order to do so, she is equipped with many different types of weapons, including but not limited to: guns, blades, drills, beams, and mechs. As a highly advanced android, she is capable of transforming her body into various types of weapons. She is also able to summon several other weapons by tapping into a hyperspace column. Aside from her combat capabilities, her appearance in Smash could also take inspiration from the many gameplay mechanics of her home series. Being from the Xenosaga universe, KOS-MOS would represent both Monolith Soft and Bandai-Namco. Monolith Soft is an extremely important partner for Nintendo and representing the company with their mascot would be very fitting. Additionally, Bandai-Namco helps develop Super Smash Bros. and has a very close relationship with Nintendo, so honoring this connection with the addition of another character would be appropriate. KOS-MOS has a very strong presence with both companies, appearing in so many of their projects to the point where she can be considered the “crossover queen” of their companies. Despite her close ties to other Xeno series games such as Xenoblade Chronicles, she would represent a completely new universe. With her, the Xenosaga universe can bring a rich history of music, characters, and settings.
10. Final Arguments
A robot, so she has access to many types of weapons by modifying her body
Also capable of summoning other weapons (like a gatling gun) using dimensional transport
Can also represent various parts of Xenosaga gameplay, such as targeted attacks and combos, which isn’t currently represented
While she can be gimmicky if you wanted her to, she does not depend on gimmicks to be unique.
Is both a Bandai-Namco character and a Monolith Soft character, giving an underrepresented company more representation and honoring an important part of Nintendo
Mascot of Monolith Soft, being pushed even more than Shulk, Pyra, and Mythra
Very important to Bandai-Namco, being their “crossover queen.” Xenosaga was also considered for a remake
Very popular character, with her reveal as a playable character in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 beating out other Xeno protagonists (including Shulk) in terms of positive social media interactions
Namco Character: Gilgamesh & Ki (The Tower of Druaga)
(LEFT: classic designs. Can be used as a render in the opening post - RIGHT: modern/Namco x Capcom designs)
Before getting into a backstory and other stuff like main ideas for Gil's moveset ("How would he play?" section), I'm going to first quickly share some minor ideas about how the two may work as a duo fighter like they were in The Return of Ishtar, all from my old friend at GameFAQs, Llegowallin
, thus working as a replacement for Dragon Quest's and / from the official timeline (as The Tower of Druaga inspired both a former series and The Legend of Zelda - even a famous SEGA music composer Yuzo Koshiro thanks to it's music alongside Gradius and especially Space Harrier).
Unlike the Ice Climbers, if either Gilgamesh or Ki are KO'ed, a stock will be lost.
Gil performs normal/melee attacks and grabs, being a character who the player primarily controls.
Ki performs special moves with various spells (like shooting fireballs, summoning lightning bolts, creating a barrier around her & Gil for a short period of time, etc. - alternatively, as demonstrated in a fan fighting game, Namco Super Heroes), Final Smash and will strengthen throws when nearby.
Gil recovers by teleporting, with the help of Ki. Based on the "Call Gil" spell from The Return of Ishtar.
During this, Ki recovers by hovering vertically upwards at a slow speed, as she does in The Quest of Ki. If she is hit when an opponent attacks her, Ki will drop down and Gil re-appears close to her when landing on the ground.
Their Final Smash may involve the legendary weapon/object, the Blue Crystal Rod, itself.
The Tower of Druaga Medley (Orchestral Version; the example for a potential new remix; 1:08 or 4:09 can be used for their victory theme)
Originally suggested by GoodGrief741
, with most of the remaining info below, all from his thread for only Gil himself. Thanks also goes to Rie Sonomura
!
Gil, depicted as surprised as you are that he finally got his own thread
Who is Gil?
The average Gil, diagramed
Prince Gilgamesh, usually known simply as Gil, is the player character in The Tower of Druaga. Gil is the prince of Babylim who sets out to rescue his friend, the priestess Ki, from the demon Druaga, by climbing the titular tower and finding the pieces of the Blue Crystal Rod. Gil returns as the player 2 character in the sequel, The Return of Ishtar, alongside Ki who is now the protagonist. Both return in the final game, The Blue Crystal Rod, where they are tasked with returning the titular item to the heavens above. As the game has nearly 50 different endings, Gil and Ki's fates are up to the player.
What is The Tower of Druaga?
No further explanation needed, right?
Originally developed as a "fantasy Pac-Man", even reusing the Super Pac-Man engine, The Tower of Druaga would nowadays be classified as an action RPG. In it the player, as Gil, battles their way through 60 semi-randomized floors filled with enemies. In each floor, Gil must find a key before he can continue to the next. Every floor also hides a treasure; the way to find treasure is unique to each floor and often perplexing, but many of these treasures raise his stats and some are required to complete the game.
The Tower of Druaga didn't originally release outside Japan and remained that way for over a decade, explaining its obscurity worldwide. In Japan, however, it was a massive hit both comercially (it was the second most successful arcade game in its year of release) and critically (it's regarded as a classic). Aside from spawning a multimedia franchise (called the Babylonian Castle Saga), its influence in the industry can't be understated. It can be considered a kind of proto-action RPG as it pioneered the combination of stat-based mechanics with real-time combat. It inspired the development of Dragon Slayer and Ys, two series that are commonly considered the first pure ARPGs. Also owing to its influence was a little game called The Legend of Zelda, whose equipment-based progression, mazelike dungeons filled with enemies and puzzles alike, and cryptic ways to advance can all be traced back to Druaga.
What is the Babylonian Castle Saga?
The Babylonian Castle Saga is the name of the
the franchise started by The Tower of Druaga. Why it isn't simply called The Tower of Druaga franchise is beyond me considering 3 of the 4 mainline games take place in it but that's the way it is. Below is a breakdown of the games and other media in it, along with Gil's part in it.
The Return of Ishtar (1986): After defeating Druaga, Gil and the rescued Ki must make their way down the Tower. Gil is a playable character in this unique title that requires two players, being the melee counterpart to Ki's spellcaster.
The Quest of Ki (1988): This Famicom prequel follows Ki as she makes her way up the Tower of Druaga in a doomed quest that leads to Gil having to rescue her in the original game. The only game in which Gil isn't playable, but he shows up in the ending.
The Blue Crystal Rod (1994): The final game in the tetralogy, released on the Super Famicom, it's also known as The Destiny of Gilgamesh. Gil is once again playable alongside Ki as the two travel around the world to return the Rod to Anu, the King of Gods.
Beyond the mainline games, the franchise also includes:
Seme COM Dungeon: Drururuaga (2000): A card game taking place 100 years after The Tower of Druaga. Gil still manages to show up and is summonable.
Druaga Online: The Story of Aon (2005): A non-canon arcade ARPG, Gil is one of four playable characters.
The Nightmare of Druaga: Fushigi no Dungeon (2005): The series' Mystery Dungeon title sees Gil on a quest to save Ki, now his fiancee, from the witch Skulld.
The Labyrinth of Druaga (2011): A remake of The Tower of Druaga for mobile phones, this one once again sees Gil ascending the titular tower to rescue Ki and defeat Druaga.
There were also two anime series - The Tower of Druaga: The Aegis of Uruk and The Tower of Druaga: The Sword of Uruk. These take place 80 years after the original game, and Gil shows up as King Gilgamesh, a benevolent ruler and retired hero. The anime had a manga adaptation and an MMORPG continuation.
Old Man Gil, still a badass
Last but not least, there was a board game, and a theme park attraction in Namco's Wonder Eggs theme park. On the latter you shot monsters with infrared lasers; players were ranked from Bronze to Gold Knight depending on whether they had defeated Druaga and rescued Ki. I guess this means that, in a way, we are all Gil...
This Gil guy rings a bell... Where do I know him from?
If you aren't Japanese and/or a hardcore retro gaming fanatic, you probably didn't play any of the games above. However, even if you aren't familiar with them, your favorite Japanese devs certainly are, so Gil has made tons of cameos in games outside his series.
For example, you may be familiar with him from his appearances in Smash 4 and Ultimate! He's a DLC Mii Costume in both:
It's subtle, but the designs are actually different! You can always trust Sakurai to go the extra mile.
And also shows up as one of the many (many, many, many) sprites on Pac-Man's Namco Roulette taunt:
From small beginnings...
But let's say you didn't buy his costumes and don't spend an inordinate amount of time analyzing every reference and cameo in Smash (amateur...), you may still know Gil from these games:
Namco X Capcom: Gil and Ki show up as playable characters (Gil's artwork above is from this appearance)
Tales of: Several games in the series reference Tower of Druaga and Gil in particular, mostly by featuring his armor and items as equippables. Among the games that reference Gil are Tales of the Abyss, Symphonia, and Phantasia.
Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean: Many Magna (cards) are of Gil's items, such as the Golden Helmet.
Soul Calibur: The Blue Crystal Rod is a weapon for Sophitia in most games, with some also giving her the Hyper Shield, the Red Line Shield, and the Red Crystal Rod. Gil's strongest sword, Excalibur, is also a weapon in Soul Calibur III, with the Hyper Helmet being available in the Create-A-Soul Mode.
Pac-Man 99: In the Tower of Druaga skin, Gil replaces Pac-Man. There's also a skin based on The Return of Ishtar, with Ki taking Pac-Man's role instead.
Pac-Man Monsters: A Pac-Man gacha I just found out existed, in which Gil is a summonable "Monster".
Family Stadium: You know those baseball games Namco makes? Gil's in at least one of them.
Namco Museum Volumes 3, 4 and Encore
Why should Gil be a fighter in Smash?
For one, he's a hard worker.
It's easy to underestimate Gil. His games are virtually unknown to all but a few aficionados outside Japan. When Tower of Druaga released worldwide in 2009, it was destroyed by Western critics as being too cryptic, too punishing, and simply too unfun. Most of what the game introduced got lost in imitation and surpassed by what came after. However, when placed in its historical context, Tower of Druaga is revealed to be nothing short of groundbreaking. There is a direct throughline connecting every ARPG and most action-adventure games to Druaga, and if you look before it you won't find anything that even resembles it (only 1980's Adventure comes close to fitting within the genre in a modern sense). It's not hyperbolic, nor is it novel, to say videogames today wouldn't be what they are without Druaga. With that pedigree, I think it's fair to say that Gil deserves at least consideration.
Fine, I'm sold. How would he play?
By doing what he does best: find treasure!
Gil is commonly depicted as your archetypal knight wielding a sword and shield. His shield blocks projectiles like Link's and his sword... well, you can probably guess what that does. Gil also has several other tools and weapons befitting the genre: pickaxes, gauntlets, rods, maces, candles, bells, scales, potions... The Tower of Druaga is filled with secrets and Gil can wield them all. The Jet Boots, which make him quicker, could function as a dash attack. The various rings and necklaces that enable him to walk through certain enemies and elemental attacks could translate to attacks that also grant him invulnerability to certain elements, adding a highly situational advantage to his moves. Since a big part of the game is finding better items to upgrade your stats (new armors, shields and helmets) maybe he could have a similar system to Arthur in MvC. And of course you can't forget about the Blue Crystal Rod, a must have.
If that isn't enough to convince you of Gil's potential, seeming like every other Link wannabe, then consider this idea. One of the defining traits of The Tower of Druaga is its crypticness. Every room has a treasure that only shows up by performing a secret and usually counterintuitive action, and the treasures themselves have confusing effects, with some not being apparent until much later and others even harming, depowering or killing Gil. To me, that means Gil should have a cryptic moveset: attacks that appear to have the same properties, but actually have one difference that can mean completely different applications. Moves that have Gil equip a barely visible necklace, only for a lucky player to find out that it negates electric-type damage. More than one attack has Gil throw out a potion as an item, but one of them has a healing potion and the other temporarily reduces the speed of the fighter that drinks it, without there being an obvious distinction between the two. Some attacks could even change their properties depending on whether Gil did or didn't use a specific attack before. This would make Gil daunting to play as and against, but extremely rewarding to those that take the time to learn him. A mirror match between two Gils would be akin to a chess game, each trying to read their opponent's attacks and force the other to use the move that would change their attack's properties for the worse. It might be ridiculous but it sounds interesting at least.
If that doesn't strike your fancy, why not check out post #15 of this GameFAQs thread? It details a concept for an Ice Climbers-like moveset with both Gil and Ki. (Thanks to Tonygameman for suggesting it!)
One final aspect is that Gil has been depicted as everything from a realistically proportioned human to a chibi knight; what depiction Sakurai would take is a big question mark, but I like to think that it would be something in between (like a taller Toon Link).
What are Gil's odds right now?
Well, he got a Mii Costume, so... y'know.
Admittedly Gil isn't looking like a frontrunner for this game, or the next. He's Bandai Namco, which means he has to compete with some of the biggest brands in gaming and a couple of fan favorites, that have their support and sales/marketing potential all but ensured. Meanwhile it took me four sections of this thread just to explain basic things like "this is the guy" and "these are the guy's games".
This thread is meant to be more of a primer on everything Tower of Druaga. I played it as a kid and really liked it, and it's influence and development are even more interesting than the game itself, so it always surprised me that it's a non-entity for so many people. This, I guess, is my small attempt at correcting
it.
Gil's Golden Gallery
Gil in The Tower of Druaga
Gil in Nightmare of Druaga
Gil in Druaga Online
Gil in The Recovery of Babylim, the MMO
Smol Gil, from a spin-off called Sugoroku Adventure
Gil's fursona I guess (yes this is official artwork)
Gil in Family Stadium, looking ready to hit some home runs
Gil and Ki celebrating the ancient Babylonian tradition of Christmas
This is only the second thread I've made. I always find the act of making one daunting and feel nervous that me tackling it bars another person from making a better one and running it in a way that benefits the character's support more. But with Gil being so unknown, disconfirmed, and us being potentially days away from knowing the final fighter in Ultimate anyway, well, the stakes are low enough to my liking. I can't play videogames because of a recent hand injury, so this has been a nice little game-adjacent project to slowly chop at.
Yoshimitsu is a unique character. He is a main character in both of Namco’s “big two” fighting games. He has a very unique moveset full of swords, weird stances, and healing and hurting himself. Plus, those wacky outfits.
Yoshimitsu is a unique character. He is a main character in both of Namco’s “big two” fighting games. He has a very unique moveset full of swords, weird stances, and healing and hurting himself. Plus, those wacky outfits.
Top officer in the Micro Police, Mappy would use a pogo stick; baton; doors; balloons; and recovered evidence to fight - and could possibly even throw in some references to other Namco classics - hell, maybe Goro and his Mewkies might show up to give the micro policemouse a hard time through summoning moves, accidentally propelling him into victory in the process!
View attachment 344440 Nightmare (Soul Calibur)
Soul Calibur is a popular and iconic series and Nightmare has an extremely memorable design and a lot of moveset potential. He would be a good analog for Kazuya due to both being 3D fighting game characters and having similar back stories, Beith being tragic heroes turned into villains by a dark force. He would be a heavy character, using his sword and Dark magic. Maybe Sigfreid could appear in some alt costumes.
Sorry about the spirit board. Been busy. Will get it in when I can.
Reiji & Xiaomu (Project X Zone) View attachment 344447
The PxZ series is a bit of a niche one, but I think these two would nonetheless be good candidates to represent its gameplay
Namco Character: Gilgamesh & Ki (The Tower of Druaga)
(LEFT: classic designs. Can be used as a render in the opening post - RIGHT: modern/Namco x Capcom designs)
Before getting into a backstory and other stuff like main ideas for Gil's moveset ("How would he play?" section), I'm going to first quickly share some minor ideas about how the two may work as a duo fighter like they were in The Return of Ishtar, all from my old friend at GameFAQs, Llegowallin
, thus working as a replacement for Dragon Quest's and / from the official timeline (as The Tower of Druaga inspired both a former series and The Legend of Zelda - even a famous SEGA music composer Yuzo Koshiro thanks to it's music alongside Gradius and especially Space Harrier, Tankman from Newgrounds
).
Unlike the Ice Climbers, if either Gilgamesh or Ki are KO'ed, a stock will be lost.
Gil performs normal/melee attacks and grabs, being a character who the player primarily controls.
Ki performs special moves with various spells (like shooting fireballs, summoning lightning bolts, creating a barrier around her & Gil for a short period of time, etc. - alternatively, as demonstrated in a fan fighting game, Namco Super Heroes), Final Smash and will strengthen throws when nearby.
Gil recovers by teleporting, with the help of Ki. Based on the "Call Gil" spellfrom The Return of Ishtar.
During this, Ki recovers by hovering vertically upwards at a slow speed, as she does in The Quest of Ki. If she is hit when an opponent attacks her, Ki will drop down and Gil re-appears close to her when landing on the ground.
Their Final Smash may involve the legendary weapon/object, the Blue Crystal Rod, itself.
The Tower of Druaga Medley (Orchestral Version; the example for a potential new remix; 1:08 or 4:09 can be used for their victory theme)
Originally suggested by GoodGrief741
, with most of the remaining info below, all from his thread for only Gil himself. Thanks also goes to Rie Sonomura
!
Yoshimitsu is a unique character. He is a main character in both of Namco’s “big two” fighting games. He has a very unique moveset full of swords, weird stances, and healing and hurting himself. Plus, those wacky outfits.
and 
