I have some new opinions on certain Square Enix candidates.
Right now, I am currently debating on finalizing my prediction between Sora and Erdrick.
Honestly, reading through this thread made me change my opinions on Erdrick.
My want for Geno has decreased over time. If Sakurai is not going to take the opportunity to add one-shot fan favorites like Skull Kid in the base game, I prefer that Geno does not get in by the same token. I would personally just feel immensely bad for the SK fans at this point. I now prefer that such opportunities be taken in Super Smash Flash 2, where neglected Nintendo franchises and fan-favorite characters have a legitimate solid chance of being playable that the official Smash games would not accomplish under the director of Sakurai.
As nearly certain as I am about Sora due to third-party franchise worldwide popularity, I would actually dislike the scenario that he gets in over Erdrick a bit. I have warmed up to Erdrick to the point where I bought a copy of DQVIII today to finally get into the series again. I grown to like the mindset of Sakurai possibly representing the best of Japanese gaming history through adding gaming icons like Leon Kennedy, Frogger, Heihachi, etc in Ultimate's roster. And even if DQ's giant popularity only stems from Japan, the legacy it holds in improving the RPG genre alone to me makes Erdrick very worthy to be in the Smash Ultimate's roster.
Right now, my mind is just somewhat conflicted between wanting Sora and Erdrick. How times have changed for my wants in Smash now.