I'm coming here to post about how I was wrong as well. Not because I didn't think the Luminary, Erdrick, or any general DQ character would get in, but simply because I didn't think a Dragon Quest character would be very interesting.
Just a few days ago, I posted this:
NeonBurrito said:
Don't have any experience with Dragon Quest outside of playing a little bit of the DS port of DQV and seeing the series' Slime in some Mario spinoffs (I do plan on picking up DQXI when it comes to Switch though), and I'm not really interested in any humanoid fighters that aren't going to be incredibly unique fighters. No matter how you slice it, "guy who fights with sword and magic" isn't all that interesting to me.
I'm not against his inclusion; Dragon Quest very obviously deserves its place amongst gaming's and especially Nintendo's top dogs. He's just not a character I'd be interested in purchasing. I'd rather we get the Slime for a Dragon Quest character anyway.
And I have to say, I'm really glad I was proven wrong. Not only do I feel like Hero's RPG-esqe Magic System is really intricate and unique, but everything about the character's inclusion feels really lovingly crafted. From the trailer, to the stage, the alternate costumes, the Slime's cute appearances here and there, to his moveset, to the Final Smash with all the series' past heroes, I really felt like this had to have really been a passion project for the devs working on the character. I've always known about Dragon Quest's impact and influence on video games, seeing it all accumulate into this one big moment was incredibly impressive, even as someone who has very little interaction with the series.
My favorite of the bunch definitely has to be Eight. Not only does he rock a sword that feels the most distinct of the bunch alongside that sick red bandana, but the little buddy he carries around with him, Munchie, is absolutely adorable.
I feel as though I may have been a bit jaded by Cloud's inclusion, due to the extreme lack of any major content from Final Fantasy. No songs, no spirits, no love in terms of alternate costumes (which aside from Advent Children costume, barely change his color), nothing. I feel like because of Square Enix being so greedy, that any Dragon Quest character would probably fall into a similar place. While spirits and music tracks are still on the fence, just the moveset of these guys alone was more than enough to impress me. If this was an attempt to sell me on Dragon Quest, then the folks behind the DLC did a stellar job.