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So, we need to wait for voting process, right?
Jab
Adrianette Bromide
| Paper Work | Phoenix proceeds to sort his papers out by tapping on them with the back of his hand resembling his animation. |
| Dash | ||
| Side Tilt
Adrianette Bromide
| Forceful Gesture | Phoenix will simply reach out his finger sending a gust of wind from it. |
| Up Tilt @leadership | My Turn?! | Phoenix does a shocked expression which causes a red "?!" mark to appear above his head. |
| Down Tilt @leadership | Spilling Papers | Phoenix drops his paperwork which scatters about to the floor. This largely works like Steve's Down Tilt but with less damage but more extended knockback due the scattering effect. |
| F Smash @Leadership | Hey, Evidence!? | Phoenix bends down while vharging up and finds something of interest on the ground. When releasing, he quickly rises up and slams both the back of his head and hand into the opponent. If it connects with only the head, he will hold it in pain for comedic effect but also giving him a bit of hit stun frames as a result. It's better to hit with the raised hand. |
U Smash
cashregister9
| Hey, it's Maya!? | Maya jumps excitedly in the air with her hands up |
D Smash
Jomosensual
| Desk Slam | Phoenix determinately slams his hands in a downward motion on a desk, much like when he's about to make a point in a case. The desk has the hitbox from the side and causes knockback if someone gets trapped underneath it |
| N Air @leadership | Achoo! | Phoenix delivers a powerful sneeze attacks that has similar properties to Sephiroth's. |
| F Air
Adrianette Bromide
| Debriefing Time | Phoenix brings his briefcase full of evidence in a downwards motion. The attack can spike. |
| B Air @Leadership | Shocking Turnabout | Phoenix pivots around in midair and does a shocked gesture behind himself which can deal damage both in front and above him. |
| U Air
Adrianette Bromide
| Searching for Clues | Repurposed from
Adrianette Bromide
. pull out a metal detector downwards and slash upwards with it. Any metal opponents including ROB takes extra damage. |
| D Air @Leadership | Maya to the Rescue | Maya appears in front of Phoenix and then suddenly looks shocked. She then falls down to the ground, bum first. This has a windbox that can push opponents nearby away with high knockback. Poor Maya. When she lands, she rubs her bum while looking embarrassed in a cute way. |
Grab
Yiptap
| Magatama and Psyche-Locks | When Phoenix grabs, he holds out his hand forwards, with the Magatama ominously floating and glowing. When Phoenix does this, a small hitbox appears in front of him. If a fighter gets caught in the hitbox, they get chained up by Psyche-Locks. |
| Pummel
Yiptap
| Paper Slap | For the pummel, Phoenix puts away the Magatama and pulls out paper and slaps it causing the Psyche-Locks to squeeze. The pummel animation comes from one of Phoenix's sprites: |
| F Throw
Adrianette Bromide
| Psyche-Toss | Phoenix throws his papers at the opponent causing them to fly forward. |
| B Throw
Adrianette Bromide
| Filing Time | Phoenix Wright attempts to throw papers at the grappled target but Maya appears in front of him and shocks him, sending the opponent backwards along the ground. |
| D Throw
Adrianette Bromide
| Buried with Paper Work | Phoenix will slam the witness stand like he does at his desk burying his opponent for a short amount of time. The burial can be mashed out of. |
| U Throw
Adrianette Bromide
| We Won the Case! | Phoenix will throw papers upwards behind him, sending the opponent in the same direction as well. |
| Get Up @Leadership | Get My Papers! | Phoenix will frantically search on the ground while picking up discarded papers. |
| Ledge @leadership | Hoist Up | Maya pull sup Phoenix but falls back and lands backwards. A very long ledge attack. |
| Neutral | Objection/Take That! | The one thing everybody seems to remember Ace Attorney by. With this move, Phoenix will wind up, taking a deep breath and readying his arm, before pointing it forwards and hollering, "OBJECTION", his pointing finger summoning the speech bubble and text you see in the above picture. This doesn't give you much when it comes to damage, only dealing a measly 7% damage, but if you're hit while winding this up, you can counter it for a base of 1.2x, + 0.1x per piece of Evidence you have in your possession. Phoenix raises a pointed finger up into the air, winding up and breathing in slightly, before placing a fist on his side, pointing forwards and shouting, "TAKE THAT!" As he does so, the speech bubble above will be summoned, but will be much smaller than the "OBJECTION" from Side Special. This does not have the Side Special's counter properties, but in turn, it's a fast attack that can deal upwards of 16% if you hit. |
| Side
Adrianette Bromide
| Missile | Missile the dog pounces forth from Phoenix's magical hammerspace. Missile acts as a semi-summoned character but only temporarily. Think of him more like a very high quality projectile. Missile's initial action will be to pounce forward dealing damage if he hits anyone. Missile will then attempt to jump to Phoenix if he is nearby. If he isn't, Missile will waot unril Phoenix gets close to his range. When Missile runs back to Phoenix, the player may input side special attack to command him to bounce off of Phoenix and to pounce forward again in the direction pressed. After this, Missile will definitively disappear. The purpose of this attack will be to extend combos and for the second strike from Missile to be a KO option at higher percentages. |
| Up
cashregister9
| Stepladder | In the air Phoenix will throw a Rope Ladder that can cling onto the stage which he proceeds to climb up, On the ground Phoenix pulls out a stepladder which he climbs, The Stepladder can be knocked down and it deals damage to enemies that it falls on to. |
| Down | Evidence |
|
| Final Smash @Leadership | Turnabout Trial | Phoenix will throw out a Magatama which will fly forward similar to Kazuya's start up. The main caught opponent is front and center at the defendant stand. Phoenix says "Your fingerprints were at the scene of the crime!" Cuts to the opponent. The opponent looks shocked. "You make no attempt to reform yourself!" Cuts. Opponent looks desperate. "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" while raising his finger. Opponent looks completely at wits end as a gigantic Judge gavel appears behind the opponent and slams down onto the opponent. After the cinematic ends, Phoenix says "I rest my case". |
Sophitia Alexandra (Soulcalibur)
A major character in Namco Bandai's SoulCalibur series. A Greek woman with a strong will and sense of honor, she was tasked by the gods to seek out and destory the evil blade Soul Edge. However, a peice of the blade would embedded itself in her heart, causing trouble for her and her family in the future.
Sophitia is known for being a speedy character, using her sword and shield to attack. She uses a verity of kicks and strikes, being a juggle heavy character. Sophitia's moveset also makes heavy use of lightning.
Sophitia is one of the most popular characters in the franchise, even appearing in other games, such as a story relevant cameo in Koei's Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate.
Some of her appearances are a bit fan service-y, but I believe this shouldn't be an issue for us as she has plenty of appearances for us to pull from.
They made a Tekken character work so I feel rehy could make SC work (tbu she was a last minute submission for me anyway but I do think she has a lot of moveset potential.)
It's not that I don't think an SC character would work, though: I just feel like an SC character is inherently too gimmicky for this job. I mean, of course we could make an SC character work and if we get a Fighting Game Character job in this or the next pass, I'd happily submit a SC character, but right now, I just don't feel it's up to the tastes of everyone as far as gimmicks go.
...um...wow. Now I'm caught between a rock and a hard place on whether to vote KOS-MOS or Alis lol
Yep, that i did. That's what i get for starting the post half asleep last night and then not proof reading this morning
Are you withdrawing? Let me know so I can remove it from the list.
DLC 3
Estelle Bright (Trails)
The Legend of Heroes series by Nihon Falcom is a Tactical JRPG Series that started in 1989 with a game simply titled "Dragon Slayer" but gained popularity in 2004 with the release of The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky. The series still continues to this day with an MCU Like connected story with Trails from Zero/Azure and the 4 Cold Steel Games as well as Trails to Reverie and Kuro No Kiseki. Each Series of games has a different Protagonist (Estelle, Lloyd, Rean, C, Van) as well as taking place in different parts around the fictional world.
This franchise also has a fantastic soundtrack.
Estelle herself wields a bo-staff and has many abilities with it and has access to a variety of Orbal Arts which is this franchises equivalent of Magic. Using these she could make quick work of her opponents.
As of Infinite we have no Bo-staff wielder and Falcom is one of the oldest Video Game Publishers not referenced in any way.
(I also joined this site to shill Estelle)
DLC Pass 3
Heather Morris - Silent Hill 3
I don't have a ton of time to do this before the submissions close so I'll go jot dot style here
For those reasons above I think Heather would be a great pick for Smash. If anyone else wants to pop in with some more reasoning feel free. Like I said, time constraints are limited me here
- Heather is one of the protagonists from the Silent Hill series, which is one of the most iconic series in the horror genre
- Silent Hill 3 was very well received critically
- Even though Resident Evil was added, there's still a good deal of horror games that should have a spotlight in Smash. A great 2nd choice for that genre would be Silent HIll
- SH was developed by Konami, who already has a ton of content and playable fighters in the game. Silent Hill is a series that for whatever reason though just hasn't gotten the same smash buzz as other series in the same situation
- Heather would be a pretty decent surprise to rep the series. For a SH rep someone would probably expect a character like Pyramid Head. Heather is also pretty important to the series for spoiler reasons I obviously can't post here.
Haruka Amami
【IDOLM@STER】
One of the main heroine of IDOLM@ASTER, a Bandai Namco game about managing your own group of girls who dream to become an idol with a goal to aspire everyone. The game is a combination of both simulation and rhythm genre of game with the first entry released as an arcade but was later ported onto Xbox 360 and became a household name, especially in Japan. The first iteration consists of 13 members and is part of the 765 Production agency, one of them is named Haruka Amami and you could say that she's the leader while also serving as the series' mascot. It's an underestimation on how big the series is having release their own CDs to a whopping success, cameo-ing in various Bamco games notably the Tales series, and is the favorite among the 2 men of legend.
As far as new genre goes she's the second one to ever appear in Smash right after Barista from Rhythm Heaven, with how Barista turns out to be I think Haruka could have a pretty unique playstyle weaponizing her singing voice which, to my knowledge has been done by Jigglypuff and several Assist and Pokemon on a limited capacity, while everyone expecting her to have a complicated gimmick like Barista I'd say that she can be a straightforward fighter, there are many ways to interpret her one of which by emphasizing her hardships on becoming an idol, have her moves be difficult to master by beginners and once you got the hang of it you can easily move at your own pace and give a great performance to the audience.
That's the gist of how she performs but how can she bring her appeal? Well the great thing about idol games is how many customization options are given and Idolm@ster is no exception, she has a big wardrobe that could easily fill all 12 slots. There are a few notable ones but these are ones that show how good her outfit gets:
Of course what constitutes a rhythm game if not for their selection of songs which in this case are all-vocal performances, there's the no brainer meme song that, at this point is a must choice the Go Step on Vampire Girl or something but also some from the anime and the female-oriented SideM where instead of cute girls it's all handsome boys :3 The game has a lot of entries including the aforementioned SideM, so here are some example:
Well then, I hope you enjoy the presentation and don't forget everyone!
Terra (Final Fantasy VI)
Terra is essentially the closest thing Final Fantasy VI has to a main character. She is the daughter of an esper and a human meaning she is one of the few people born with the ability to use magic. She was kidnapped and used as a slave by the evil Gestahlian Empire but she later broke free and fought against them.
She would likely fight using magic from the series as well as with her sword. I think given she would use the traditional magic of the final fantasy games which no one else really has (except sora but she would probably use it in a completely different way from him) she would be pretty different from cloud and sephiroth
You might be thinking that two Final Fantasy characters are enough but I feel like given how huge and influential the series is, I think it makes sense to give it three reps. And honestly given smash ultimate’s focus on third parties for DLC at least, I think its only a matter of time before one third party series gets 3 reps
Valkyrie
Who is she?
She is the protagonist of The Legend of Valkyrie, a series of games that are very popular in Japan. She is a warrior of heaven called by the gods to save Marvel Land from darkness, which she does numerous times, defeating the evil Lord Zouna, Kamuz and more while partnering with other warriors, notably Kurino Sandra.
Why her?
She is basically one of Bandai Namco's video game icons alongside her brothers PAC-MAN and others. Despite her series being exclusive to Japan, she has a strong connection with Nintendo all the way back to the Famicom era, with her first game, Valkyrie no Bōken being released in 1986. While the first game plays similar to the original Zelda and Hylide, the following games are isometric platformers thanks to its followup Valkyrie no Densetsu. Europeans won't get its hands on the series until 1992 with the release of Sandra no Daibōken: Walküre to no Deai, remaned Whirlo here, and even then she didn't make an appearance besides her mention, and Americans got the hands of the series with Namco Museum's Volume 5, and later the Wii Virtual Console release of no Densetsu, translated into English for the first time. Like GamingGryffindor said with Sakura, Valkyrie is no stranger with crossovers. She notably appeared in Namco x Capcom (alongside Tekken characters) and the Project X Zone games, but she also made a cameo as one of PAC-MAN's taunts in Smash, so her chance be in this game is not farfetched.
That was what I was referring to
Ok, round 2! And she was my original submission....
I only got into this character when she came up in a rumor back during Ultimate and I thought the design and playstyle might be interesting hence why I looked into it. It's quite amazing just how prolific Atelier is! The series has been around since 1997 but for a rather new franchise, it managed to squeeze in 22 main game plus side games and ports! The series has spanned a wide range of platforms including the three main ones. I know next to nothing about the series but 1) she is a girl, 2) she wields a staff, 3) she can do light magic, and 4) she summons cute things for attacks. Plus, with a series with this big of a legacy, it seems a good idea to give a nod to it.
Why Ryza?
I explained it above but she would also be a nice cheerful transition from the dark and moody Zagreus and the logical and slightly over-dramatic Phoenix to a more bubbly, cheerful personality. We don't actually have a character like that in the game who could be fully voiced. Dixie is a bubbly chimp, Peach says only a handful of lines, Pyra is more "I am bubbly but confident" and well...that's all I can think of. We don't have a full anime waifu "Please cheer me on teehee!' type character in the game. Plus she wields a staff and light magic! Andmakes cute things fall from the sky.
Please check this our for those things falling from the sky at
As for her attacks, I don't know what is exactly available but here is a showcase of some of them!
Not only does she possess range from her staff but she also has projectiles and possibly even an attack that hits all around her. She could be a nimble fighter who is best with keeping opponents at bay yet striking hits from afar. Apparently, in Atelier, you can mix items to create something new so perhaps this could be an unique gimmick to the character? It would make sense given she is an Alchemist. This aspect is called Synthesis.
As for the character herself, she could possibly have three different alts including our default. The default called be Atelier Ryza 1 followed by Atelier Ryza
View attachment 344360
Along with some of the costumes that's available in the game. There seems to be a lot of them.
What Other Content
I know very little of the series and I am starting to learn more about it the more I research but one particular area of interest is Kurken Island which houses the main town and her house where players first start off at. Looking at the wiki shows some interesting locations that could be unique as stages. This also includes other content such as Spirits and Music with tons of available artwork and colorful characters. I enjoyed getting to know the series despite never playing it and was shocked to find it has so many games to it's name.
So why Ryza and Atelier?
The series has 22 games under it's wings, Ryza is a bubbly girl, and makes cute things fall from the sky.
[/QUOTE]The Princess of First Division: KOS-MOSWith 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.
“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?
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 TimelineEach 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. SynopsisThe 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?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.
2a. Appearance and Abilities
2b. As a CharacterKOS-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.
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.
“Shion… will feeling pain make me complete?”
3. Why KOS-MOS?
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 CrossCode and 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.
3a. In Crossovers
Full List of KOS-MOS crossover & cameo appearancesNamco × 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)
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.
3b. Presence of the Xenosaga series in Smash Bros.
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.
3c. Importance to Monolith Soft and Bandai-Namco
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. AttacksThroughout 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. AestheticsIf 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 UzukiE.S. Dinah
E.S. Asher
E.S. Zebulun
E.S. ReubenAllen 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 ChristMargulis
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, Pyra, and Mythra?
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;DRI 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.
8. Supplemental Material
Plot Summaries:
Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht
Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse
Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra
Crossover Movesets:
Namco × Capcom
Super Robot Wars OG Saga: Endless Frontier EXCEED
Project X Zone (with T-elos)
Project X Zone 2 (with Fiora)
Attack Demonstrations
Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht
Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse
Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra (Specials only)
Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra (Specials and Techs)
Moveset I made for the KOS-MOS support thread (gimmicky and kinda outdated)
Fun Cutscenes (contains spoilers)
KOS-MOS vs. Voyager and Jan Sauer
Dmitri Yuriev
KOS-MOS and party vs. T-elos and D-TENERITAS
9. Concluding ThoughtsTo 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
Adrianette Bromide
posted one in Discord but they are welcome to put it here. As for Sakurai presents, I don’t know the logistics behind it and can’t even begin to sit down in how to write it but if someone has the time and energy, they are welcome to.
Your opinion is really based.
You realise based means good, right? I don't think that's what you were trying to get at here.
Yes, but it's kinda based for people who don't want Kasumi in the Game.
