Tetra for Smash Ultimate. Happy 35 years for the Legend of Zelda!

[KingofPhantoms]

"If you're worried about your sister...don't be. I promise I'll deliver her safely back to your little island. Normally, I'd expect a huge reward for something like this...but this time, it's my treat!"​

Avast, mates! There's a new challenger coming ashore. A youthful pirate girl, dressed to plunder with an attitude to match, approaches. What's her name?​

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Who else but Miss Tetra?

Note: This thread contains major spoilers for several Legend of Zelda games.​

-Who is Tetra, exactly?-​

Making her debut appearance in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, 2001 for the Nintendo Gamecube, Tetra serves as one of the game's main characters. Link first meets her when a monstrous giant bird appears near his home island, dropping her into the forest when a pirate crew attacks it in an attempt to save her. Link soon learns that the bird monster has been kidnapping girls with long ears, Tetra being it's latest target. The bird soon returns, mistaking Link's younger sister, Aryll, for Tetra, kidnapping her instead. At Link's insistence, Tetra reluctantly takes him aboard her ship to rescue his sister, kicking off the game's plot. Throughout the game, the spunky young pirate leader continues to appear, both helping and hindering Link along the way.

Feisty, determined, sly, courageous, and a strong leader, Tetra inherited the ship and captaincy of a pirate crew from her mother, leading an imposing gang of pirate men considerably older than her. They follow her orders without issue, most even being intimidated by her, showing that aside from inheritance, all she really needs to be the captain is her attitude and leadership skills.

Spoiler: Major Wind Waker spoilers

Later in the game, it is revealed that Tetra is, in fact, Princess Zelda herself, something even Tetra herself wasn't aware of, until another royal of the forgotten kingdom of Hyrule reveals her heritage to her. This revelation forces her into hiding from the dark threats that seek her and her Triforce of Wisdom out. Of course, she and Link manage to vanquish the dark threat most of us will already know as Ganondorf in the end, but her story doesn't end there.

Tetra reappears as a major character in Phantom Hourglass on the Nintendo DS, the direct sequel to Wind Waker. By this point, she's grown tired of her time as a princess, and only wishes to be known as the pirate she has always lived as. She's largely regained the personality she's well known for and shows great annoyance whenever someone refers to her as "Zelda". When the mysterious Ghost Ship appears, Tetra goes to investigate, but is turned to stone by it's mysterious ghostly forces, and Link's quest to find the Ghost Ship again to rescue her becomes the driving force for the majority of the game.

Her legacy is further explored in Spirit Tracks, another DS title, by which point a new Princess Zelda, her great great granddaughter, is now in reign of a new land named Hyrule, discovered by Tetra herself when her journey across the seas was coming to it's end. Not too surprisingly, her background with this new land is a fairly important plot point later on in the game's story.

Following her appearances in these three games, Tetra later made an appearance as a playable Warrior in Hyrule Warriors on the Wii U in 2014 (as well as Hyrule Warriors Legends on the 3DS). While not part of the default character roster in the original, she is important to the storyline of Legends and soon became playable in all versions. She also made an appearance in the Japanese and Korean releases of Four Swords Adventures for the Gamecube in 2004, in the exclusive Navi Trackers mode. Smash has not let her gone unacknowledged either; she appears as a trophy in both Brawl and the Wii U version of 4.

-That's awesome! But why should she be in Smash?-​

For one thing, it's fairly safe to say that she's one of the Zelda series' more popular characters. She's very much well beloved by the Wind Waker fanbase. Her addition as a playable character to Hyrule Warriors is also evidence of her popularity. The cel-shaded Zelda games themselves have become more prominent over the years, likely helped by Toon Link's own addition to Smash. While they used to be rather divisive, and still are to some extent, it seems the cel-shaded Zelda games and their characters, the Wind Waker especially, have become fan favorites. Character-wise, Tetra is more than likely a fan favorite herself. While support for the character as a Smash fighter hasn't been among the most vocal, she has plenty of fans out there, so support certainly isn't too powerful of an issue.

Additionally, there is very strong evidence that a "Toon Zelda" and a counterpart of her were initially planned to be playable characters in Brawl: https://www.ssbwiki.com/Unused_content_(SSBB)

One of the names of unused character data in Brawl is "toon_zelda" and another is named "toon_sheik". While the latter could be literal (Sheik in Brawl uses a Twilight Princess-esque design, despite the character not actually appearing in Twilight Princess, so they may have actually been working on a cel-shaded Sheik) as the data was left in the game's files but never finished, it could also possibly be a place holder name for Tetra. Does it seem unfeasible that the Zelda of Wind Waker could transform from herself to Tetra or vice-versa as she could in her debut? I don't think it's fair to say no, given that the Zelda of Ocarina of Time could transform from Sheik to herself, and later vice-versa when she made her Smash debut in Melee.

If nothing else, this is an absolute indication that some variation of Toon Zelda, actually, two, in fact, were on Sakurai's mind at some point, and that he considered adding them strongly enough that they nearly even made it into the game, at least enough to have leftover character data. With the cel-shaded "toon" Zelda games getting tons of representation of their own in the Smash series lately, and Toon Link likely not going anywhere anytime soon (Sakurai has gone on record saying he believes that it's important to have a "young Link" on the roster, the past several Smash games have given much representation to the Wind Waker and it's sequels, as previously stated, and also worth noting is that Ultimate is proof that even both "young Links" who have been in Smash so far can co-exist in at least one of the same entries) who's to say Sakurai hasn't considered her again before? While she might not be nearly as popular, it's clear that Sakurai has repeatedly reconsidered adding characters that he previously dismissed, and in some cases has added them successfully (). The circumstances being different, of course, this certainly doesn't make Tetra, an unrelated character, more likely all on it's own, but it does indicate that she and her counterparts may be considered for the roster once more, and the same can be said about any other character who has either been considered or even came close to making the cut in a past Smash game.

Given Tetra's significance (she had the spotlight before her true identity as Princess Zelda was revealed, after all) it's not unreasonable to assume that, if Toon Zelda was ever considered for the roster again, that Tetra could be considered for the roster as well. Either way, the character would be her own entity now, as Sheik and Zelda have been split apart to truly make the pair into their own, separate characters on the roster, with balance improvement having an influence on this decision as well. Pokemon Trainer may have regained the transformation mechanic in Ultimate, but they're the only characters to have done so. Neither Zelda and Sheik nor Samus and Zero Suit Samus have been relegated to transformation gimmicks again. Tetra's got a chance, and if there's any possibility of Toon Zelda joining the fray along with her or vice-versa, they too, would be separate characters.

-How is she gonna fight, though?-​

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With her pirate equipment, Tetra could easily be a unique fighter in her own right. Hyrule Warriors showcased her using her cutlass in battle for the first time, along with a flintlock pistol with water attributes. While Smash is unlikely to directly take cues from a spin-off, it does serve as an example as to the kind of weapons Tetra can use, Additionally, she may be able to use similar weapons that Toon Link has access to, such as bombs. Wind Waker also showed her to be very agile and athletic. Tetra would most likely a fast, lightweight fighter, befitting of her age and build. While she could have any given number of playstyles depending on her moves, her weight and speed would factor into however she plays.

.......That or she could end up as a clone/semi-clone. Given her proportions and and weapon differences from her other counterparts already on the roster, making her into an Echo simply isn't doable. This wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. Like Toon and Young Link before her, being a clone would still allow for her to work and play differently from her counterparts, differentiating her from Zelda and Sheik and ultimately allowing her to stand out on her own.

-Plundering Pirate Movesets-​

By Cap’nKazam

So! I actually had some ideas for Miss Tetra's moveset! I wasn't sure whether I wanted her to basically be a Wind Waker-ified Link or be a hybrid between Link and Zelda brandishing the princess's magic with Link's swordplay...until I had a better idea. I think any proper Tetra moveset should be centered around her claim to fame - her sailing expertise!

“But... There're dolphins, Tetra!”
“Big deal! There're plenty of dolphins in the ocean!”

Borrowing from the ship mechanics from both Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass, her movesets should incorporate the familiar tropes to those games: wind, salvage arms, cannons, etc. Basically, she blasts people off the Smash gangplank like she blasts enemy ships off the high seas, using wind to navigate around her foes and evade their attacks, peppering them with cannon-fire, and drawing them in close with a few well placed grappling lines. She'd be a small, lightweight, very maneuverable fighter - similar to the best pirate ships, and probably borrowing from Toon Link's base animation data for a foundation. Her A attacks would primarily revolve around swordplay, probably similar enough to Toon Link's that much of his A attacks can also translate over in an accomodating fashion for ease of development: small reach, but quick, harrying, and strong enough to keep enemies off their feet. As for her special moves, she would have a slightly more Villager feel, employing a variety of techniques for stage control:

B Neutral, Pistol Shot: Tetra harasses opponents at medium to close-range with a peppering shot from her trusty flintlock. A little more powerful than Villager's slingshot, but a slower rate of fire, used to flinch foes up close before Tetra moves in for bladeplay, so quick frame recovery after the shot allowing for easy followup attacks. “Of course, if you'd rather fight me... I can show you my skill with a sword... again!”

B Forward, Cannon Blast: Similar to Villager's tree attack or Wario pulling out his motorcycle, Tetra summons a cannon to blast targets away with successive B forward inputs. With the first B forward, Tetra drops down a cannon, knocking back anyone immediately in front of her. With the second input, the cannon creates a powerful, lightning-fast shot that can reach across the stage, but has to be reloaded again with another B forward before it can fire again. The cannon sticks around as an interactive object, with Tetra or other fighters able to pick it up and throw it elsewhere. Like Wario's motorcycle, it can also be busted up with attacks. However, if an opponent is sent flying into it, they'll be knocked into the cannon and blasted out again, like the cannon item in custom stages. “We're pirates! “You know... PIRATES! The terror of the seas!”

B Up, Deku Leaf: A powerful gale lifts Tetra up off the ground, quickly evading a charging enemy. Functions similarly in effect to Sonic's Up B, but blowing back nearby attackers instead, and boosting Tetra high up into the air, where she floats gracefully back to the ground with the Deku Leaf, a la Peach's parasol. Has limited magic, so if used too much, it will shrivel up into a stalk to recharge, leaving Tetra with limited recovery options. “As for our destination... The wind will guide us!”

B Down, Explosive Barrel: Tetra sets down an explosive barrel, which explodes on a short timer or when it takes damage. Excellent for trapping and stage control, like a pirate would laying traps for chasing vessels. A smaller barrel that explodes on impact can also be dropped below for less damage, while in mid-air. “There you go... Acting before you think, as usual...”

Grab, Grappling Hook: Tetra grapples foes from a distance and draws them in close for attack. Can also be used for tether recovery! “Wow, that's a decrepit old shield... Are you sure you can still use that thing? Are you going to get splinters and cry?”

Final Smash, 3...2...1!: Tetra traps any unlucky combatant within her reach in a barrel and launches them out of a giant cannon, blasting them off the stage, like she did to poor Link in Wind Waker when she cannon-balled him into Forsaken Fortress. “We pirates do this all the time. Don't worry about it! It'll be a piece of cake.”

Taunt 1: Tetra crosses her arms and winks at the camera in her classic pose.

Taunt 2: Tetra pulls out her pirate charm and looks at it as it glows and hovers slightly above her hands.

Taunt 3: Tetra takes a quick Pictobox photo capture in front of her, forever preserving the good memories of watching her enemies launch helplessly into the void. Snap-snap!

“I told you not to call me Zelda! Tetra worked just fine before, you know.”

Please feel free to share your movesets for Tetra! They'll be added to the OP as soon as possible.​

Tetra's Pirate Crew (Supporter List)​

Spoiler

KingofPhantoms
@Xeno VII
Yomi's Biggest Fan
fogbadge
Harb
Quillion
GoodGrief741
P.Kat
Scamper52596
NintenZ
ZagarTulip
S SEGAGameBoy
DNeon
The Original Robot boy
KMDP
Dixie Kong
Guybrush20X6
Demonfunds
DarkFalcon
ProfPeanut
Sari
Potato_
FooltheFlames
Vingag
Cap’nKazam
R RetrogamerMax
Firewolf73
thirsty-pocket
CleverDan
JadeBladeGamer22
Pasta Man Marco
Barbasol
Autobot N
UserKev
Darklabo
Mogisthelioma
Firewolf73
RubikDash
Dyllybirdy
SwitchButton
MainJPW
Mr. Stevenson
Mushroomguy12
Lamperouge
scoobymcsnack
wizfoot
Torgo the Bear
Planet Cool
duxx

Signature Icons​

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Icon by lanky_gunner​

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Show your support for the captain. The journey is far from over!​

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The wind shall guide us!​

 

[Deleted member]

This thread was long overdue. I support.

 

[Yomi's Biggest Fan]

I still support Tetra no matter what, pirates are cool.

And so is she.

 

[fogbadge]

tetra is awesome id love her to be in smash

 

[KingofPhantoms]

Well I'm glad to see this thread hasn't died already, even if it's been quiet up until today.

Updating the support list. I'm hoping to have more parts of the thread complete by this coming week, though it'll be a while before I can work out a moveset due to my lack of experience with making those. I encourage anyone else who's made a Tetra moveset to share theirs here.

I'm really happy to see the support for Tetra is still around here! It's quiet, but it's definitely here.

 

[Harb]

I would like to see Tetra. I'm a huge fan of her. She's still more likely than my other favorite for Smash, Lilac from Freedom Planet. At least Tetra's playable in Hyrule Warriors.

 

[Quillion]

If Zelda gets another one-shot character like Sheik, it better be Tetra.

And thankfully, there would be no need for Toon Zelda since transformation isn't really a thing anymore (unless they implement transforming by taunt).

 

[KingofPhantoms]

Moveset by yours truly in progress. I'm inexperienced with making those, so it's gonna be a little while.

If Zelda gets another one-shot character like Sheik, it better be Tetra.

And thankfully, there would be no need for Toon Zelda since transformation isn't really a thing anymore (unless they implement transforming by taunt).

I really can't see why'd they bring transformation mechanics like the ones Zelda/Sheik or Pokemon Trainer back after the last game. Separating the characters was largely a balance choice if I recall right, and it's certainly been better for their balance that Zelda and Sheik are their own characters now. Same goes for Samus and her Zero Suit version. And while Squirtle and Ivy didn't come back, Charizard is much better off being his own character than he was lumped with those two others in a gimmick. That's really all that the transformation mechanic amounted to being, anyway; a gimmick. And by this point, not a very good one. Doubtful they'd bring it back in any fashion, including as some new type of taunt.

Whether we get Toon Zelda or Tetra, they're gonna be on their own for sure. Unlikely we'll get both, though (which is probably for the best).

 

[Aurora Jenny]

Hi people. What's the general mood for Tetra this time around? I'm honestly curious about how you all feel.

 

[GoodGrief741]

Have supported Tetra since Brawl. The Forbidden Seven Shall Return.

 

[Diddy Kong]

Hi people. What's the general mood for Tetra this time around? I'm honestly curious about how you all feel.

I don't want 3 characters who are Zelda honestly.

Toon Zelda and even Hilda seem more likely to be Echoes or based on Zelda.

And there's already Impa who would make much more sense as a Echo of Sheik, or at least be based on her.

 

[Octorox]

I'd love to see this character, but I don't think it's happening. An echo for Toon Link wouldn't really be fitting, and I think there are other Zelda characters who'd be more likely to take a newcomer spot.

 

[P.Kat]

I'd love to see Tetra for Ultimate count me in as a supporter.

 

[Scamper52596]

I'm back to throw in some support for Tetra! After the E3 presentation and everything we currently know about the game, I actually feel like Tetra has a few things going for her. So a portion of the Smash community has wanted a new Zelda character for quite a while, and Ultimate is largely about fan demand so we might see one this time. I have thought of a few reasons as to why Tetra might be one of the likeliest Zelda characters Sakurai may have considered.

-For one thing, there are 3 Links in this game. So a third variation of Zelda isn't out of the realm of possibility. It might even make sense to mirror these characters in such a way to Sakurai. Since half of the Zelda character's movesets are variations of other character's movesets it would be nice to get a character that could easily be completely unique. Smash has never had a pirate themed character, so Tetra would be a perfect candidate.

-Pirate Ship is literally the only Zelda stage that hasn't been shown off in some form as of yet. With the developers going through the trouble of bringing it back on Smash for Wii U for DLC with a new Omega form and everything, I can't imagine Pirate Ship isn't going to be back. Maybe they could be saving it for a proper Tetra reveal? Toon Link's home stage on the Smash Ultimate website is Spirit Train, so perhaps Tetra's is Pirate Ship.

-While Tetra isn't the most relevant character in the Zelda franchise anymore, she's still a popular character among Zelda fans. She was featured in a second Zelda game (very few Zelda characters are lucky enough to be featured in more than one), and her legacy lived on in Spirit Tracks where she was referenced several times. She was even featured in that mini game in Four Swords Adventures. And lastly they decided to lead the marketing campaign for Hyrule Warriors Legends with Tetra as the first new character, so they must have thought she was popular enough to do so. She's even still on the box art for the Definitive Edition.

-Her trophy in Smash for Wii U is one of the few that actually has meaning in the separate Smash Tour mode, so that could be Sakurai's way of acknowledging her importance in the Zelda franchise. Thus hinting at the idea that she could be one of the first Zelda characters he would look at when considering additional playable Zelda characters someday.

-Now my last point is something big that I've noticed many have glossed over. Hyrule Warriors Legends' marketing campaign started with the trailer that introduced Tetra only 2 months after the Smash Ballot opened. That could have caused an influx of votes for her from the Zelda and Smash community around that time. Not only that, but the project plan for Smash Ultimate was finished in 2015. Only a few months before HWL launched. So Tetra was relevant again when they would have been considering new playable Zelda characters, and Hyrule Warriors is still relevant to this day with the release of the Definitive Edition only a couple months ago. Tetra would have been one of the few Zelda characters that made the most sense to add to the roster at that period of time since she's a popular and well known Zelda character while also being kept relevant in some form.

Take all my points with a grain of salt of course because I myself think it's more likely we won't get any new Zelda characters again, but if we do get one I'd place my bets on Tetra. I think people might be sleeping on her chances.

 

[NintenZ]

I actually really want Tetra, she's one of my most wanted characters ever, and her pirate-based abilities would make for an incredibly interesting fighter. Add me as a supporter!

 

[KingofPhantoms]

Oof, the OP needs a serious cleanup. After editing in some new supporters to the list, the thread looks a lot more awkward. Guess it might partially be due to the fact that the site is loading rather slowly and being uncooperative with me right now. Along with that, signature icons were completely busted after the site overhaul last month, so I need to get a new icon to replace it. I'll get the thread fixed up ASAP.

I'm back to throw in some support for Tetra! After the E3 presentation and everything we currently know about the game, I actually feel like Tetra has a few things going for her. So a portion of the Smash community has wanted a new Zelda character for quite a while, and Ultimate is largely about fan demand so we might see one this time. I have thought of a few reasons as to why Tetra might be one of the likeliest Zelda characters Sakurai may have considered.

-For one thing, there are 3 Links in this game. So a third variation of Zelda isn't out of the realm of possibility. It might even make sense to mirror these characters in such a way to Sakurai. Since half of the Zelda character's movesets are variations of other character's movesets it would be nice to get a character that could easily be completely unique. Smash has never had a pirate themed character, so Tetra would be a perfect candidate.

-Pirate Ship is literally the only Zelda stage that hasn't been shown off in some form as of yet. With the developers going through the trouble of bringing it back on Smash for Wii U for DLC with a new Omega form and everything, I can't imagine Pirate Ship isn't going to be back. Maybe they could be saving it for a proper Tetra reveal? Toon Link's home stage on the Smash Ultimate website is Spirit Train, so perhaps Tetra's is Pirate Ship.

-While Tetra isn't the most relevant character in the Zelda franchise anymore, she's still a popular character among Zelda fans. She was featured in a second Zelda game (very few Zelda characters are lucky enough to be featured in more than one), and her legacy lived on in Spirit Tracks where she was referenced several times. She was even featured in that mini game in Four Swords Adventures. And lastly they decided to lead the marketing campaign for Hyrule Warriors Legends with Tetra as the first new character, so they must have thought she was popular enough to do so. She's even still on the box art for the Definitive Edition.

-Her trophy in Smash for Wii U is one of the few that actually has meaning in the separate Smash Tour mode, so that could be Sakurai's way of acknowledging her importance in the Zelda franchise. Thus hinting at the idea that she could be one of the first Zelda characters he would look at when considering additional playable Zelda characters someday.

-Now my last point is something big that I've noticed many have glossed over. Hyrule Warriors Legends' marketing campaign started with the trailer that introduced Tetra only 2 months after the Smash Ballot opened. That could have caused an influx of votes for her from the Zelda and Smash community around that time. Not only that, but the project plan for Smash Ultimate was finished in 2015. Only a few months before HWL launched. So Tetra was relevant again when they would have been considering new playable Zelda characters, and Hyrule Warriors is still relevant to this day with the release of the Definitive Edition only a couple months ago. Tetra would have been one of the few Zelda characters that made the most sense to add to the roster at that period of time since she's a popular and well known Zelda character while also being kept relevant in some form.

Take all my points with a grain of salt of course because I myself think it's more likely we won't get any new Zelda characters again, but if we do get one I'd place my bets on Tetra. I think people might be sleeping on her chances.

Very good points, Scamper! I always appreciate in-depth analysis posts like this.

Granted, I haven't seen many people voice support for Tetra outside of this thread so far, but even going off of that, I can agree that people might be sleeping on her chances this time around. I'm also in the boat that we're not likely to get a Zelda newcomer anyway, but Tetra does have more going for her than can be said about a lot of other Zelda characters.

I've come to think some of the Champions have decent odds, certainly more than I once thought, but I don't even consider them very likely either. If it's not one of them then I'm going for it either being Tetra, Impa, or likely (and unfortunately) no one. With the whole "Echo Character" thing, though, maybe we'll see a few Zelda newcomers. Dunno if they could fittingly make Tetra into one, though (and I'm not sure how I'd feel about it, since we only have Daisy to go off of for info on Echos, so far; and she's only slightly different from Peach). My confidence on a Zelda newcomer has taken some odd turns after E3. On one hand, this Smash game is a whole new beast and we could see some rather unexpected additions (there are good reasons why Ridley's reveal was such a massive surprise to nearly the entire fanbase) and see some new grounds being broken, but on the other hand, the man himself (Sakurai) has voiced his hopes that we aren't expecting too many newcomers this time (which is still kinda vague, since we have no idea just what numbers he had in mind when said "too many" newcomers). Let's not forget that DLC is more than likely to return, as well. No telling what characters the game will receive after it's initial release, yet.

All in all, I still don't feel great about us getting a Zelda newcomer, either, but I do feel better about Tetra's chances compared to most others. I very much agree with all this.

 

[Scamper52596]

Oof, the OP needs a serious cleanup. After editing in some new supporters to the list, the thread looks a lot more awkward. Guess it might partially be due to the fact that the site is loading rather slowly and being uncooperative with me right now. Along with that, signature icons were completely busted after the site overhaul last month, so I need to get a new icon to replace it. I'll get the thread fixed up ASAP.



Very good points, Scamper! I always appreciate in-depth analysis posts like this.

Granted, I haven't seen many people voice support for Tetra outside of this thread so far, but even going off of that, I can agree that people might be sleeping on her chances this time around. I'm also in the boat that we're not likely to get a Zelda newcomer anyway, but Tetra does have more going for her than can be said about a lot of other Zelda characters.

I've come to think some of the Champions have decent odds, certainly more than I once thought, but I don't even consider them very likely either. If it's not one of them then I'm going for it either being Tetra, Impa, or likely (and unfortunately) no one. With the whole "Echo Character" thing, though, maybe we'll see a few Zelda newcomers. Dunno if they could fittingly make Tetra into one, though (and I'm not sure how I'd feel about it, since we only have Daisy to go off of for info on Echos, so far; and she's only slightly different from Peach). My confidence on a Zelda newcomer has taken some odd turns after E3. On one hand, this Smash game is a whole new beast and we could see some rather unexpected additions (there are good reasons why Ridley's reveal was such a massive surprise to nearly the entire fanbase) and see some new grounds being broken, but on the other hand, the man himself (Sakurai) has voiced his hopes that we aren't expecting too many newcomers this time (which is still kinda vague, since we have no idea just what numbers he had in mind when said "too many" newcomers). Let's not forget that DLC is more than likely to return, as well. No telling what characters the game will receive after it's initial release, yet.

All in all, I still don't feel great about us getting a Zelda newcomer, either, but I do feel better about Tetra's chances compared to most others. I very much agree with all this.

Thanks for the feedback! Yeah, there aren't a lot of people in the Smash community who voice support for Tetra on Smashboards, which I see as her main hurdle she'd have to get over. But for the Zelda franchise I think Sakurai would want to look beyond the Smash community and see which characters are most universally liked in the Zelda community while also being realizable for Smash, and I feel Tetra could be one of those characters.

I honestly don't think any of the Champions are competition. They're just like every other side character in the Zelda franchise that has come and gone, and most of those side characters are Assist Trophies now despite their popularity. I think Impa's popularity is a bit overblown in the Smash community, and she's not really that popular or talked about in the Zelda community. The reason she seems to be talked about in the Smash community as of late is because of her Hyrule Warriors appearance bringing something new and interesting to the table; although, I don't really see Sakurai taking a third party's vision of a first party character from a spin-off game to represent the mainline Zelda series in Smash. Her canon appearances don't really bring much to the table, and I personally don't think her proportions are right to be a Sheik Echo Fighter. And speaking of Echo Fighters I don't think we'll get an Echo Fighter for the Zelda franchise unless we also get someone unique as well considering half the cast are already semi-clones. That's just my hunch. I think Echo Fighters need to have pretty much identical proportions to their counterparts, which neither Tetra or Toon Zelda really do.

I see Skull Kid as Tetra's main competition right now if only because he's extremely popular among both the Smash community and the Zelda community, and the Mask itself is very iconic and recognizable in pop culture to non Zelda fans and even non video game fans. Problem is that Sakurai already regulated him to Assist Trophy status in the last game, and that typically means those characters aren't realizable to be a fully fledged fighter in Smash to Sakurai. I mean, look at poor Waluigi over there. Little Mac got lucky because his franchise got revitalized and the character became more popular and relevant, and a unique gimmick was presented in his newest game that fit for Smash. It seems to me that not being an Assist Trophy makes a character more likely to possibly be playable someday, while being an Assist Trophy means that they were likely considered but ultimately decided to not be worthy of being playable. Which is a decision that Sakurai doesn't seem likely to go back on unless something major happens with that character and their franchise. I think any Assist Trophy upgrades to playable status we could see might just be easy Echo Fighters such as Dark Samus, but I could be wrong. Even though we still haven't seen the Skull Kid Assist Trophy I'm expecting him to retain that role, but it wouldn't surprise me if Sakurai did decide to make him playable due to his popularity and moveset potential with the Mask.

Before Smash's showcasing at E3 last month I thought we probably wouldn't be getting a new Zelda character (unless it was Champion Link as a third Link or something), and I still think that's likely the case since the developers seem to have given a lot of tweaks to the existing Zelda cast. But I see it as more of a possibility now with the focus this game has on fan demand, and people do want a new Zelda character. Since the Mario, Pokemon, and Fire Emblem franchise received so much attention last Smash game it wouldn't surprise me if they focused on other franchises this time such as DK and Zelda. We already got a new Metroid character, which is a franchise that needed some attention. So I guess we'll see.

 

[ZagarTulip]

I've always supported a youtuber who liked Tetra as a newcomer, I personally think Tetra could be a lot of fun. Pirates could be very neat in Smash.

 

[SEGAGameBoy]

I've played Phantom Hourglass and Wind Waker. I personally prefer Wind Waker over Phantom Hourglass because I don't have to touch the screen just to make Toon Link move. I'm planning Twilight Princess HD for my Wii U. I support!

 

[DNeon]

I can't believe I never posted here. Definitely a supporter of Tetra.

Zelda characters get passed over if they don't occur in every game but the series itself resets almost every game with just a few things remaining constant. People act like anybody who isn't one of those constants aren't going to make it but treat series that completely reset every game (Pokemon, Fire Emblem and now Xenoblade) differently and support major characters who leave their impact even if they aren't recent.

I think Tetra is a totally unique character for the LoZ series, a completely different take on Zelda herself and she's also something that isn't in Smash: a pirate. Pirates are awesome!

 

[fogbadge]

Zelda characters get passed over if they don't occur in every game

to be fair ganon dosnt appear in every game

 

[DNeon]

So this thread is pretty quiet, guess I'll see what I can do with a moveset to try to revamp some of the discussion. What do you guys think would be a 'must have' move in her kit? Should she represent some of the tools/magic from the WW series that isn't being used? Or should she stick to being exclusively a Pirate and take more inspiration from her Hyrule Warriors attacks?

 

[fogbadge]

So this thread is pretty quiet, guess I'll see what I can do with a moveset to try to revamp some of the discussion. What do you guys think would be a 'must have' move in her kit? Should she represent some of the tools/magic from the WW series that isn't being used? Or should she stick to being exclusively a Pirate and take more inspiration from her Hyrule Warriors attacks?

perhaps a healthy mix of both, some tricks with the deku leaf, a few cutlass strikes and some pistol shots could make a decent moveset

 

[DNeon]

perhaps a healthy mix of both, some tricks with the deku leaf, a few cutlass strikes and some pistol shots could make a decent moveset

I was definitely gonna use the Deku Leaf for Up B, since no champion abilities were used and we've lost Mega Man's Tornado Hold custom Up B it just makes a lot of sense, plus if she's a fast floaty character chances are there'll be a lot of combo potential in making an updraft and then hitting and comboing enemies into it.

 

[Scamper52596]

I always thought it would be cool for her to have Toon Link's Parry move from Wind Waker as her Down Special. When activated she'd roll behind the opponent to evade their attack and slice them from behind. After the move the 2 characters would switch sides of the screen, Tetra facing her opponent. In a Smash game with many counter Down Specials, I don't think any of them end with the 2 characters switching sides. Except maybe Shulk's if you activate it a certain way, but the difference is his back is facing the opponent after the counter while Tetra would end the move facing the opponent from her front to continue the neutral. She'd also be the only Zelda character with a counter.

 

[smashingDoug]

If Zelda gets another one-shot character like Sheik, it better be Tetra.

And thankfully, there would be no need for Toon Zelda since transformation isn't really a thing anymore (unless they implement transforming by taunt).

Tetra appears in someway in like four Zelda games

Sheik is the most one time Character of Zelda

 

[DNeon]

Tetra appears in someway in like four Zelda games

Sheik is the most one time Character of Zelda

To be fair they're a series, and it's only really 2 of them, one of which she spends entirely as a stone.

 

[KingofPhantoms]

To those yet unaware, it's Tetra's day on Rate Their Chances.

https://smashboards.com/threads/rat...ltimate-edition-day-124-tetra.453357/page-267

Let's see how the captain's scores fare! Show 'em why we think she deserves a shot for Smash!

 

[The Original Robot boy]

And after that direct I still having hopes for tetra since they keep showing toon link stage and also that she's not a assist trophy she's mainly the only character I will want

 

[KMDP]

You can count me as a Tetra supporter, Wind Waker is my favourite Zelda game (followed by Minish Cap, which is why I also support Vaati).

 

[Dixie Kong]

I support Tetra!

 

[Guybrush20X6]

Don't know why it took me so long to find this thread.

I'd like to pledge my support.

I think Tetra could work as a Toon Link Echo given that both have the same dimensions and both use swords.

Changes would be

1. Tetra has no shield
2. Ice Arrows that freeze when fully charged (compensation for lost shield)
3. Grapple hook isntead of hookshot (aesthetic)
4. Light Arrows instead of Triforce Slash (maybe even turn into Zelda to do it for some extra flair.)

 

[Scamper52596]

After the Direct I'm starting to feel like Skull Kid could really have a chance. Which is who I always thought was Tetra's main competition. So maybe Tetra as an Echo is a bit more of a likelier scenario than I had previously thought. Wonder if her sword's size matches up with Toon Link's. Ice Arrows are a pretty neat idea actually. That would give all three arrow types representation in the game. Normal Arrows for Toon Link, Fire Arrows for Young Link, and Ice Arrows for Tetra.

 

[KingofPhantoms]

Seeing all this support for Tetra on this forum makes me happy. It's really nice to see the character getting some more love and support.

In regards to Tetra possibly being an Echo, yeah, I'm starting to think she has more of a higher chance of being that, too. Partially because we have a better understanding of them now, and partially because we now have a total four characters who are very similar to Marth (Marth himself, an Echo, a Semi-Clone, and an Echo of that same Semi-Clone) so Tetra being an Echo sounds more likely than it did before.

I can't imagine her moves would be that similar to Toon Link's though, at least not animation-wise, which could in turn affect their attributes a bit. Having Ice Arrows that actually froze the target for once would be great. And if Chrom is anything to go by, a few other moves, including the Final Smash, could be different as well.

Much as I'd love to see Tetra as a unique character or even a Semi-Clone, I'd be happy to see as an Echo character if done right. I still have some hope for her chances of getting in;, while on the other hand, Skull Kid is definitely seeming all the more likely lately, I absolutely agree with that. Especially taking into account all the characters with massive fan followings and a long history of Smash support finally joining the roster in Ultimate, But I personally don't think he'll get much in Tetra's way in any case.

 

[The Original Robot boy]

Seeing all this support for Tetra on this forum makes me happy. It's really nice to see the character getting some more love and support.

In regards to Tetra possibly being an Echo, yeah, I'm starting to think she has more of a higher chance of being that, too. Partially because we have a better understanding of them now, and partially because we now have a total four characters who are very similar to Marth (Marth himself, an Echo, a Semi-Clone, and an Echo of that same Semi-Clone) so Tetra being an Echo sounds more likely than it did before.

I can't imagine her moves would be that similar to Toon Link's though, at least not animation-wise, which could in turn affect their attributes a bit. Having Ice Arrows that actually froze the target for once would be great. And if Chrom is anything to go by, a few other moves, including the Final Smash, could be different as well.

Much as I'd love to see Tetra as a unique character or even a Semi-Clone, I'd be happy to see as an Echo character if done right. I still have some hope for her chances of getting in;, while on the other hand, Skull Kid is definitely seeming all the more likely lately, I absolutely agree with that. Especially taking into account all the characters with massive fan followings and a long history of Smash support finally joining the roster in Ultimate, But I personally don't think he'll get much in Tetra's way in any case.

While I liked Majora's mask and orcarina of time skull kid never seem to me as a very recognized character I still wish him luck though I'm still unsure how his moveset would work though

 

[KingofPhantoms]

Here's something I've been thinking about lately; what if Tetra doesn't get into this game? Base or DLC. Whether you consider her likelihood to be low or high, is this still her best shot yet? Will she be worse off next time?

I've been thinking this over more and more lately largely because she's still easily my most wanted newcomer left, and this game has still already appeared to have truly earned the title of "Ultimate" in my eyes. If she doesn't get in now, she'll be missing out on what is likely the only time she'll get to square off against every single veteran fighter in the series so far, alongside several great newcomers, and, aside from that, we have no idea when a new Smash game after this one will eventually release. The wait for another game will last much longer (not that it wouldn't be justified; the game really should be good enough overall to satisfy the fanbase for years to come) and she might be far less relevant by that point. I think it might be now or never for Tetra. And that leaves me rather worried, despite being aware that I shouldn't be too confident in her odds to begin with.

In turn, this is making me sympathize more with fans of other characters with smaller followings more than ever. Some of their own beloved characters might simply never make the cut. Many of them have been fans of these characters and supporting them for Smash for years, now, and they still haven't made it in. Many characters are already known to have lost the opportunity to partake in the battle this time. For all we know, Tetra could be among them just like many others could be. Personally, I'm still gonna love this game no matter what, but it'll still feel very disappointing if I know Tetra won't get to be apart of it; I'll feel similar about other characters I want, just to a lesser degree.

With that said, I digress. This is merely how I feel. What do you all you think about this? Do you think this now or never for her? And how are you gonna feel if she doesn't make the cut again?

 

[Scamper52596]

Unfortunately, I do feel it's likely now or never for Tetra. Unless by some small chance the Zelda team makes another follow up to Wind Waker where she plays a major role again. Wind Waker HD and Hyrule Warriors helped to bring her back into the spotlight in recent years, but I don't know if it's likely that'll happen again before the next Smash starts getting made. In fact, I'd be more worried about Toon Link not making the cut in the next Smash if they really have to size down the roster to make room for newer characters.

I'm still going to really enjoy this game regardless of whether or not she makes it in (there's already so much to enjoy about it), but I'll always feel a little sad knowing that Toon Link still doesn't have a partner in the Smash Bros. universe if she doesn't make it. Seeing Tetra/Toon Zelda get to fight alongside him is something I've always wanted to see since Brawl.

 

[Demonfunds]

I have a feeling that she is gonna get in as DLC I don't know why it's just a feeling I have, you can count me in as a supporter!

 

[DarkFalcon]

The more I think about it the more I support Tetra. She's really cool and probably the coolest Zelda incarnation we've had. She's my 2nd choice for a new Zelda character after Midna, and Midna's already confirmed an assist. Give me that pirate moveset.

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

I'm not sure Tetra can get in because of Nintendo's policy on Piracy lately