The hero of Dragon Quest III, Erdrick, joins the battle!

[Minik]

Out of all the Dragon Quest protagonists I don't think Erdrick would be my first choice, but that said I would be happy with any DQ representation to begin with lol

I feel like thats how it is for a lot of people, sorta like how Simon was the one expected to join smash since he's the "main character" but Castlevania fans much preffering Richter.

 

[TheYungLink]

Yeah my favorite is actually the protagonist of DQ5. I don't dislike Erdrick at all but I assume only Japanese people as a whole have an emotional attachment to Erdrick, whereas for Americans it's either the DQ8 guy or possibly the DQ11 guy.

Edit: the Simon / Richter dichotomy that Minik brings up is partly why I want Erdrick to have an Echo Fighter so that a more popular DQ hero can get included. I just don't know how feasible it'd be since I've only played four of the games (1, 2, 3, 5) so I can't say for sure.

 

[Deleted member]

Yeah, DQV's protagonist would also be my choice. I think calling in monsters for attacks would be really fun, along with his quite versatile equipment capabilities.

 

[Minik]

Yeah, DQV's protagonist would also be my choice. I think calling in monsters for attacks would be really fun, along with his quite versatile equipment capabilities.

I'd like 8's cause maybe they could have tension as a gimmick, but they could also do monster summoning since that IS a thing in 8. I think it would be wise that they do the Simon/Richter thing of just sharing moves between characters, even if it does break canon a little.

 

[Gum-Gum Smash]

I don't think he's as likely compared to others, but Dragon Quest is iconic, even if it hasn't had it's landing in the West. He deserves to be in, but isn't my first choice for a Square rep (the rocket slime game on the DS is one of my personal favorites lol)

 

[GM_3826]

This is a bit late, but I've added some new faces to the list.

 

[Kuon]

Erdrick is currently my most wanted DLC character, so please add me to the list of supporters! DQXI is my first and so far only DQ game, but I want Erdrick much more than the Luminary, because I want to play as the female Erdrick alt. I don't think they'd do a Luminary alt for Erdrick if Eridrick gets in. I think they'd just go with the male/female alt and that's it, similar to Robin and Corrin. Also,

Spoiler

I don't think a Luminary echo fighter would be likely because of spoilers for DQXI

Also, I don't think echoes will be part of the package for DLC. So I think male and female Erdrick has the best chance and I hope we get him/her in!

Also, here's a picture I found online of female Erdrick that I really like and wanted to share

Spoiler

 

[GM_3826]

Kuon, I added you to the list!

 

[shinhed-echi]

Yeah, female Erdrick is criminally underrated. She needs more exposure in general.

 

[Kuon]

Yeah, female Erdrick is criminally underrated. She needs more exposure in general.

Naturally, if Erdrick does get in, they'll include both the male and female version similar to Robin and Corrin

 

[UberPyro64]

Naturally, if Erdrick does get in, they'll include both the male and female version similar to Robin and Corrin

I would think so unless they want to represent other protagonists as alts. Such as the Luminary. In which case there might only be a male version.

 

[AustarusIV]

Getting the likenesses of the other Dragon Quest protagonists would probably be too much of a hassle for Nintendo, methinks. They didn't do that with Simon and the other Belmonts, only getting Richter as an Echo and not as an alt.

It seems simple enough that we would only get female Erdrick as an alt as she's still literally the same character. There's no need to negotiate even further than that.

That makes me wonder though, how often does Square Enix use female Erdrick in promotional material? I've only ever recalled seeing an official illustration of her for the SNES remake of Dragon Quest III. You never see her as often as, say, Sofia from Dragon Quest IV, in Dragon Quest media, which does give me some doubt as to whether they'd include her in Smash.

 

[UberPyro64]

Erdrick is looking more and more likely. Especially with the whole Spawn Wave thing.

 

[Kuon]

Erdrick is looking more and more likely. Especially with the whole Spawn Wave thing.

What's he saying?

 

[Aurora Jenny]

Honestly, I'm half thinking we might get both but I definitely have my support in a Dragon Quest Character here as well. Though if you want to be honest, nearly all the protags have the same body structure, it's the hair, face and clothes that tend to distinguish them. It would not surprise me to see either the male and female versions OR all of the protags get a design as alts. They have a tendency to share the same skillset too from what i can remember without double-checking myself. Honestly, I'd prefer the male/female route though. Roto is definitely the top choice though. It surprised me to find out Erdrick is actually a TITLE given to a hero and not his/her actual name.

 

[Kuon]

Honestly, I'm half thinking we might get both but I definitely have my support in a Dragon Quest Character here as well. Though if you want to be honest, nearly all the protags have the same body structure, it's the hair, face and clothes that tend to distinguish them. It would not surprise me to see either the male and female versions OR all of the protags get a design as alts. They have a tendency to share the same skillset too from what i can remember without double-checking myself. Honestly, I'd prefer the male/female route though. Roto is definitely the top choice though. It surprised me to find out Erdrick is actually a TITLE given to a hero and not his/her actual name.

I think the male/female option is most likely, since we have several male with female alt characters already (Robin, Villager, Inkling, etc.). And Erdrick/Erdwin seems to be the most popular choice and the most well known DQ character (aside from Slime, of course)

 

[shinhed-echi]

Erdrick is looking more and more likely. Especially with the whole Spawn Wave thing.

Hey, I would really like to know as well.

 

[GM_3826]

I think the male/female option is most likely, since we have several male with female alt characters already (Robin, Villager, Inkling, etc.). And Erdrick/Erdwin seems to be the most popular choice and the most well known DQ character (aside from Slime, of course)

Well, I can see Super Smash Bros. using Erdrick's male design but not their female one, since their female design was not actually part of the original game; it was added to the Super Famicom version. You could always play as a female character in that game, even in the Famicom version, but there was not a separate sprite for the protagonist if they were female. All of those characters you mentioned have always had a female counterpart, so the situation is different. And as a counterpoint, remember that the Pokémon Trainer in Super Smash Bros. Brawl was literally just Red, the protagonist of the first Pokémon games. They used his design from the remakes, but even still you could not play as Leaf, who was added to that version. In Ultimate you can, but nothing is stopping anyone from making the same mistake twice. It shouldn't happen, but it very well could.

 

[Kuon]

I'm surprised that some people, specifically on the Geno thread, think that Geno has a better chance than Dragon Quest. Do people think that SMRPG would have a bigger inpact than DQ getting in? I'm not about to sit here and say that spirits 100% de-confirm DLC characters, but why would they represent a character with a spirit battle and decide to make them DLC? It just doesn't make any sense to me

Well, I can see Super Smash Bros. using Erdrick's male design but not their female one, since their female design was not actually part of the original game; it was added to the Super Famicom version. You could always play as a female character in that game, even in the Famicom version, but there was not a separate sprite for the protagonist if they were female. All of those characters you mentioned have always had a female counterpart, so the situation is different. And as a counterpoint, remember that the Pokémon Trainer in Super Smash Bros. Brawl was literally just Red, the protagonist of the first Pokémon games. They used his design from the remakes, but even still you could not play as Leaf, who was added to that version. In Ultimate you can, but nothing is stopping anyone from making the same mistake twice. It shouldn't happen, but it very well could.

But there is official art of both male and female Erdrick, plus I think they'd want to cater to both guys and girls, and even if it's not in the original, it's still in an official game, so I think they would add both. Also, if it was a mistake, as you say, I don't think they'd make that same one again since they added Leaf to this game

 

[Deleted member]

Square is gonna want a character that will make them money if they do indeed want another character in. Sure, Geno is heavily requested but outside of the Smash fanbase there's not much for him. A DQ character on the other hand, or even someone like Sora or Sephiroth would make much more money I think. People really underestimate the absolutely massive selling power of DQ in Japan.

 

[Minik]

Square is gonna want a character that will make them money if they do indeed want another character in. Sure, Geno is heavily requested but outside of the Smash fanbase there's not much for him. A DQ character on the other hand, or even someone like Sora or Sephiroth would make much more money I think. People really underestimate the absolutely massive selling power of DQ in Japan.

Theres also of just growing the brand in the west in general. Companies can't be that stupid to not know Smash helps people buy games, Castlevania has become a thing once again thanks to it.

 

[Kuon]

Square is gonna want a character that will make them money if they do indeed want another character in. Sure, Geno is heavily requested but outside of the Smash fanbase there's not much for him. A DQ character on the other hand, or even someone like Sora or Sephiroth would make much more money I think. People really underestimate the absolutely massive selling power of DQ in Japan.

They really do. I think DQ is bigger in Japan than FF is, which says a lot. I think the Geno fans are being dissallusional and are wishfully thinking at this point to think that a character from a dead series that already has a spirit battle would be DLC. It's just not likely. Not trying to sound mean, but it's true. And I can't tell this to them because it could be trolling. And I think we know how unlikely Sephiroth, Sora and Chrono are. It should be clear that DQ is the only one that makes sense from a business standpoint. Of course, I think Slime, the Luminary, and Erdrick/Erdwin are all likely, but I think Eridrick/Erdwin is the most likely of the three. But yeah, with DQ being the second biggest Square Enix series, I don't see how it couldn't be chosen for DLC

Theres also of just growing the brand in the west in general. Companies can't be that stupid to not know Smash helps people buy games, Castlevania has become a thing once again thanks to it.

Also, one of the guys who makes DQ said that he wants the series to get more notice and representation worldwide, so yeah, that only adds to its likeliness

 

[GM_3826]

But there is official art of both male and female Erdrick, plus I think they'd want to cater to both guys and girls, and even if it's not in the original, it's still in an official game, so I think they would add both. Also, if it was a mistake, as you say, I don't think they'd make that same one again since they added Leaf to this game

Fair. I personally don't agree; I worry about everyone getting overly worked up about "authenticity" to the "original", least of all Sakurai. So I'm holding my breath.

As for Geno; yeah, I agree that Erdrick is probably just as likely, thanks to Dragon Quest being crazy popular in Japan and the desire of both Nintendo and Square Enix to see the brand grow, but Geno feels like a distinct possibility to me, if only because he's popular among Super Smash Bros. fans. You'd think that Super Smash Bros. fans would be the ones buying the DLC, although I imagine that there are plenty of casual fans who aren't big fans of Geno.

 

[PolarPanda]

(THIS IS SPECULATION, PLEASE, NOBODY TWIST MY WORDS ANYMORE) While Erdrick isn't close to my most wanted, I gotta admit, he's looking to have the best odds, perhaps a bit more than Geno given all that I've heard. Add me to the supporter list.

 

[GM_3826]

(THIS IS SPECULATION, PLEASE, NOBODY TWIST MY WORDS ANYMORE) While Erdrick isn't close to my most wanted, I gotta admit, he's looking to have the best odds, perhaps a bit more than Geno given all that I've heard. Add me to the supporter list.

You've been added. Glad to welcome you to the group!

 

[DaybreakHorizon]

While Erdrick isn't close to my most wanted, I gotta admit, he's looking to have the best odds, perhaps a bit more than Geno given all that I've heard. Add me to the supporter list.

I have to agree.

Add me to the party you guys. While I'm here, care to tell me about all the cool things he can do?

 

[GM_3826]

I have to agree.

Add me to the party you guys. While I'm here, care to tell me about all the cool things he can do?

Just added you to the list.

Erdrick's fighting style of choice is a sword and shield mixed with magic, which isn't really shared by any other fighter. Link does have a sword and shield, but he doesn't really make much use of the shield and makes use of a variety of tools, not just his sword. Robin mixes swordplay with magic, but he's not a fighter first and foremost like Erdrick and he doesn't have a shield. Also, Dragon Quest magic is much more traditional than magic in most of the Fire Emblem games, since it invented that sort of thing. Spend MP in order to cast a spell. That's very different from Robin's tomes. So he definitely offers something new and interesting.

 

[AustarusIV]

Fair. I personally don't agree; I worry about everyone getting overly worked up about "authenticity" to the "original", least of all Sakurai. So I'm holding my breath.

As for Geno; yeah, I agree that Erdrick is probably just as likely, thanks to Dragon Quest being crazy popular in Japan and the desire of both Nintendo and Square Enix to see the brand grow, but Geno feels like a distinct possibility to me, if only because he's popular among Super Smash Bros. fans. You'd think that Super Smash Bros. fans would be the ones buying the DLC, although I imagine that there are plenty of casual fans who aren't big fans of Geno.

I would think that’s the point of adding Erdrick over Geno regarding DLC. Smash fans are guaranteed to buy the DLC regardless of who’s added, so there isn’t much incentive for SE and Nintendo to make Geno playable for the sake of his vocal fanbase when they have so many other options that would sell at least as much as him (and chances are, characters like Erdrick and Sora would sell even better because they have broader appeal among non-Smash fans).

 

[Deleted member]

I would think that’s the point of adding Erdrick over Geno regarding DLC. Smash fans are guaranteed to buy the DLC regardless of who’s added, so there isn’t much incentive for SE and Nintendo to make Geno playable for the sake of his vocal fanbase when they have so many other options that would sell at least as much as him (and chances are, characters like Erdrick and Sora would sell even better because they have broader appeal among non-Smash fans).

I was thinking the same thing. At the end of the day, the DLC is about making profit, and as far as I'm aware not many people outside of the Smash fanbase are huge fans of Geno.

 

[Calane]

All of this waiting is just making me anxious at this point. I want to believe so much, but I also don't want to set myself up for disappointment.

I've looked at all the rumors surrounding the SE character, analyzed the heck out of it all, considered all the possibilities extensively, and all things just seem to be pointing towards DQ in my eyes. I've looked at everything up, down, left, and right, and there's just nothing else that makes quite as much sense.

I sincerely hope it actually happens, because having DQ in Smash is all I really want right now. After that, I'll be completely satisfied and won't really care what else happens regarding DLC. Erdrick is the best rep possible for the franchise, and I truly hope he makes it in.

The Game Awards can't come soon enough. I just want to get this over with, whether I'm let down in the end or not.

(Also, regarding Female Erdrick being an alt, isn't she a bit shorter than her male counterpart? Would that work right?)

 

[DaybreakHorizon]

Just added you to the list.

Erdrick's fighting style of choice is a sword and shield mixed with magic, which isn't really shared by any other fighter. Link does have a sword and shield, but he doesn't really make much use of the shield and makes use of a variety of tools, not just his sword. Robin mixes swordplay with magic, but he's not a fighter first and foremost like Erdrick and he doesn't have a shield. Also, Dragon Quest magic is much more traditional than magic in most of the Fire Emblem games, since it invented that sort of thing. Spend MP in order to cast a spell. That's very different from Robin's tomes. So he definitely offers something new and interesting.

So he'd be more of a representation of classic JRPGs?

That could be pretty cool.

All of this waiting is just making me anxious at this point. I want to believe so much, but I also don't want to set myself up for disappointment.

I've looked at all the rumors surrounding the SE character, analyzed the heck out of all of it, considered all the possibilities extensively, and all things just seem to be pointing to DQ in my eyes. I've looked at everything up, down, left, and right, and there's just nothing else that makes quite as much sense.

I sincerely hope it actually happens, because having DQ in Smash is all I really want right now. After that, I'll be completely satisfied and won't really care what else happens regarding DLC. Erdrick is the best rep possible for the franchise, and I sincerely hope he makes it in.

The Game Awards can't come soon enough. I just want to get this over with, whether I'm let down in the end or not.

(Also, regarding Female Erdrick being an alt, isn't she a bit shorter than her male counterpart? Would that work right?)

I just want the SE character speculation to be over. Never has speculation been so convoluted as it is now.

 

[Calane]

I just want the SE character speculation to be over. Never has speculation been so convoluted as it is now.

Tell me about it.

I can't believe how stressed out all of this "SE character" stuff has made me.

 

[DaybreakHorizon]

Tell me about it.

I can't believe how stressed out all of this "SE character" stuff has made me.

Sora's pretty much out of the running at this point, hence why I'm here. I'm surprisingly calm about it though, almost like how calm one is immediately before their death.

Before anyone asks, that's a joke and I'm not suicidal over a character's exclusion in Smash Bros.

Anyways, what Dragon Quest game should I play to get hyped for his inclusion?

 

[Calane]

Sora's pretty much out of the running at this point, hence why I'm here. I'm surprisingly calm about it though, almost like how calm one is immediately before their death.

Before anyone asks, that's a joke and I'm not suicidal over a character's exclusion in Smash Bros.

Anyways, what Dragon Quest game should I play to get hyped for his inclusion?

I may not have ever said it, but I actually quite like Sora myself. I haven't played a lot of KH games, but I'm pretty familiar with the story and characters of the franchise. I actually think Sora would have been pretty cool, even though I've only played "Re coded" and "Dream Drop Distance".

As for what DQ game you should play? Well, that's pretty hard to say. I could simply suggest my favorites, but assuming you have a Switch, maybe you could just wait to try out DQ11 once it drops. You can probably skip the wait if you have a PS4, though. I've noticed that a lot of people that didn't really care for DQ really liked 11, so maybe you would too. I haven't played it myself yet, though. (I'm waiting for the Switch version).

 

[AustarusIV]

(Also, regarding Female Erdrick being an alt, isn't she a bit shorter than her male counterpart? Would that work right?)

Female Robin and Female Corrin are both shorter than their respective male counterparts in the FE games they come from, and yet they were scaled to match their heights in Smash. I wouldn’t worry about height scaling being an issue here.

 

[Calane]

Female Robin and Female Corrin are both shorter than their respective male counterparts in the FE games they come from, and yet they were scaled to match their heights in Smash. I wouldn’t worry about height scaling being an issue here.

Ah, I didn't know that. Guess there's no problem then.

 

[Deleted member]

Sora's pretty much out of the running at this point, hence why I'm here. I'm surprisingly calm about it though, almost like how calm one is immediately before their death.

Before anyone asks, that's a joke and I'm not suicidal over a character's exclusion in Smash Bros.

Anyways, what Dragon Quest game should I play to get hyped for his inclusion?

I think something that's important to note is that they all play very traditionally, and because of that it's not quite a game for everyone. Though it's easy to pass them off as generic, DQ gets a pass for the fact that it more or less invented the JRPG genre along with many of its tropes.

That said, I would recommend starting with 1, 2, 3, and 11 in that order if you want to learn about Erdrick specifically. Aside that, then I would recommend 5 or 8.

1-3 are a trilogy with 11 being connected to them as well, and 4-6 are also a (much looser) trilogy. 7, 8, and 9 are completely standalone. 10 is a japan-only MMO.

 

[TheYungLink]

Anyways, what Dragon Quest game should I play to get hyped for his inclusion?

I'd say Dragon Quest 5 on the Nintendo DS is the best starting point for the series. Almost everyone I know says they tried getting into DQ to understand its appeal but could never quite get it until that specific game. So, Dragon Quest 5 on the Nintendo DS is my highest recommendation.

That said, to more directly answer your question since DQ5 doesn't have Erdrick in it, then you might as well play Dragon Quest 3. It's bar none the most influential JRPG of all time, and I played it earlier last year and I had a great time with it. I recommend the iPhone or Android version because the games are meant to be chipped away at a little bit at a time, over a long period of, say, a few weeks to a month. It's way easier to do this on a portable version than on a dedicated console, and the games are so simple that using only touch controls is a total non-issue, you're just walking around and navigating menus after all.

The number one tip I can give newbies to Dragon Quest is to not go in thinking the battles are going to be the thing to look forward to. They're not bad at all, it's just their purpose is to provide tension to your journey more than anything else, which some people misconstrue as "boring". The world and its characters, and your adventure exploring them all, is the real draw of Dragon Quest. THAT'S what hooks you in. That said, both Dragon Quest 3 and 5 have interesting hooks to their battle system, which is fully customizable party members and the ability to recruit monsters, respectively, which add a good amount of depth.

And as for the story, the overarching one is always pretty simple, but every game has a bunch of subplots that are interesting in and of themselves and leave a great impression, so again the DQ games are more interesting than they initially seem. Whichever game you start with, stick with it and you'll hopefully understand why they're so appealing.

(I didn't put Dragon Quest 11 because I haven't played it. That said, I've heard really great things, and it IS aimed at new players, but it's not portable, which is something to consider. A Switch version is planned to come out next year, so you can decide whether or not to wait for that one if you decide to start with DQ11)

 

[-Coco-]

I'm a huge DQ fan and if Geno can't get in I want Erdrick. Please add me to the supporters list.

Sora's pretty much out of the running at this point, hence why I'm here. I'm surprisingly calm about it though, almost like how calm one is immediately before their death.

Before anyone asks, that's a joke and I'm not suicidal over a character's exclusion in Smash Bros.

Anyways, what Dragon Quest game should I play to get hyped for his inclusion?

DQ3. The Snes remake is the best version. That is the game he stars in.

 

[Eldrake]

I feel like most of the Smash community is sleeping on Erdrick's/Loto's chances.