Sorry to burst your bubble, but Z.W.E.I. happens to be the character I least want back in the entire franchise. Even Viola's a bit hard for me to swallow, but I can't get behind the guy's character design. Is anything even done with his awkward, pretentious abbreviated name? Sure, the...
dreihander is pretty unique. But I can't take even this kitschy, schlocky franchise seriously when he has a freakin' wolf Stand! I dunno, I guess I prefer getting the most out of historical weapons & marital disciplines over excessive supernatural elements. Before anyone says anything, I'm down with Grøh. His fabricated twinblades & possession teleports are done tastefully. Not overbearingly & lazy.
But whadamaye talkin' 'bout? We always have DLC for that!
Speaking of, DLC might just be the best way to get timelocked characters into the roster. The only character you mentioned I can see coming back at launch is Rock. I'm hoping we can get Seong Mi-na, Seong Han Myeong, Hwang, & Li-Long back. Maybe even Arthur, Olcadan, or give Edge Master another shot. Zasalamel is an enigma in this regard, in that we don't know enough about his resurrection curse that he just conveniently fits into
Soulcalibur's timeframe. There's only one Zasalamel in the main timeline, right? Because if we assume the "original" was born before 1586, he would be in his 40s-50s.
Regarding Mesoamerican & Andean characters, the Aztec & Inca feel in 1521 & 1532 respectively. While its not impossible to introduce a Native American or a few into the franchise (its about damn time), most of them should be long dead or elderly by 1586. They could always give them some sort of immortality/youth curse, make them vampires or naguals, write them in as "the last of the tribe", etc. But hey, we always have Rock's adoptive son, Bangoo, to import over to the Old World!
Anyhole, here's some character concepts I'd love to see. Might as well start with my favorite historical archetype:
- An Aztec ocelotl or cuauhtli who deals savage blows with a macana, even with a shield. Maybe have them use bolas, darts, & poisons to subdue their opponents or have a ceremonial tlacochtli for some brutal stuns or grapples for carving out the heart or soul. They could be a cunning medium between a battlefield warrior & assassin.
- An Ottoman jannisary with a kilij, damascus, or scimitar. He could serve some sort of sultan or caliph to pursue Soul Edge or put down manifestations of its corruption. The Ottomans are a huge presence within the background of the Soul series, and yet nothing has been done with Middle Eastern cultures besides the Kunpaetku cult (and even then they're more of an ambiguous Mediterranean/Greek faction!) Maybe they could have a relationship to Sophitia, Aeon Calcos since Greece is under Ottoman rule.
- An Indian monk or pandit that incorporates elements of Hindu or Buddhist spiritualism with their fighting style. Could make for a good charge or stance character meditating between poses or stances.
- A knight or church crusader connected with the Papacy or the Italian republics of Venice, Genoa, etc. Perhaps they could have allusions to the glory of Rome or the burgeoning Renaissance artisans or scientists in their pursuit for the Soul Swords. Perhaps they could have some sort of clockwork interchangeable blade or a concealed flintlock rifle-blade or daggers. To think we have maybe Italy (well, besides Voldo), Austria-Hungary/Hapsburg Empire, or the Slavs left as the major European cultures without a character.
- More Nordic & Eastern European fighters. We have Grøh, so could we get some more members of the Aval Organization? Why not some sort of Russian noble? The Russian tsardom is currently in the depression left in the wake of Ivan the Terrible's tumultuous reign & death, so that should make for some dark, somber background influencing them.
- More Japanese archetypes. We run the gamut from ninja & samurai, but no onmyouji, monks, or kabukimono? Just imagine having a court onmyo or shrine maiden using enchanted fans, ofuda, or a shide purifying rod. Have a flamboyant martial gangster dressed in quixotic kimonos & haoris of flashy purples, oranges, greens, & blacks. They might have colorful hair or kabuki theater makeup or mask. Where my naginata & kanabo users at!? Why not have a seductive kitsune or yuukionna woman or an oni-possessed hermit? Shall we tie any of them to the Yoshimitsu Clan or the Fu-Ma Ninja?
- More Africian fighters. We have Zasalamel, and yet he's only tangentially related to any African culture. We got the Western empires of Mali or Songhai that could be ripe for some flashy nobility. Of course there's tribes spread all over, so get as savage or naturalistic with a warrior or shaman as you'd like.
- Considering we're going back to Soulcalibur, why not go further back to the ambiguous period of antiquity or pre-history (perhaps even as far back as the dinosaurs) where Algol's empire once reigned? It's practically the same as Atlantis or Uruk. Maybe even bring his son, Arcturus, into the fold? Sure could bring an interesting foil against Nightmare & Siegfried, like he gets raised from the dead & seeks to reclaim his father's Soul Edge as he was the original vessel long before Nightmare. Or perhaps he could be trying to prevent it from corrupting its next wielder by reclaiming it.