Will we ever see more darker skin characters in Smash?

[UserKev]

Wouldn't Twintelle count as a African rep if she get's in?

Yea, but she'd probably end up getting in for all the wrong reasons. Its a fan concept, but still really powerful.

 

[Xelrog]

Yea, but she'd probably end up getting in for all the wrong reasons. Its a fan concept, but still really powerful.

Bayonetta and ZSS are in the game. There are no wrong reasons.

 

[KingHippo]

More black characters would be great. Nintendo needs them in general. Only series I know of that's actively taking steps towards this is Pokemon.

 

[Ben Holt]

The thing is that most major video game companies are Japanese, and Japan is damn near an ethnostate with extremely barbaric immigration laws. Racism, unfortunately, is a big part of Japanese culture. Remember when they didn't release Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels in North America because they thought that Americans were too angry and stupid to receive the game well?

Edit: In their defense, they are getting better, but they still have quite a way to go.

 

[UserKev]

More black characters would be great. Nintendo needs them in general. Only series I know of that's actively taking steps towards this is Pokemon.

Nintendo don't really need them in a literal sense, but there are some that truly earned their place in Smash and are Nintendo stars.

 

[scoobymcsnack]

If a darker skin character has merits outside of having darker skin, I don't see why they wouldn't get in. I think Elma is the biggest darker-skinned Nintendo character, and she has fans of her that I think she would be a cool inclusion.

I see Doc Louis brought up quite a bit, but I don't see the reasoning for making him a character. Not every Nintendo all-star NEEDS to be represented via playable character, and the way he's included now suits the character well.

 

[UserKev]

I see DK, Diddy Kong and exceptionally King K. Rool as black characters. I just really relate to DK and always felt connected to the character. Diddy Kong seem to be inspired by hip culture and King K. Rool most likely enjoy jazzy themes.

That's just me. DK is low key African and its ok.

 

[RetrogamerMax]

I see DK, Diddy Kong and exceptionally King K. Rool as black characters. I just really relate to DK and always felt connected to the character. Diddy Kong seem to be inspired by hip culture and King K. Rool most likely enjoy jazzy themes.

That's just me. DK is low key African and its ok.

Specifically African characters since they're animals that would most likely come from Africa in the real world. But I kind of picture K. Rool being British because of the cartoon lol!

 

[UserKev]

Specifically African characters since they're animals that would most likely come from Africa in the real world. But I kind of picture K. Rool being British because of the cartoon lol!

I agree that K. Rool is more likely European. lol

 

[RetrogamerMax]

I agree that K. Rool is more likely European. lol

The Kremlings too lol!

 

[Perkilator]

Well, Steve was confirmed, and…

Well, I’d say we technically got it.

 

[Oddball]

Well, Steve was confirmed, and…
View attachment 287892
Well, I’d say we technically got it.

Steve gives us the DARKEST Skinned character!

 

[scoobymcsnack]

Alex also has a dark skinned palette swap!

 

[DonkaFjord]

More black characters would be great. Nintendo needs them in general. Only series I know of that's actively taking steps towards this is Pokemon.

I'd say their newer series (Splatoon, ARMS) are doing pretty good establishing important characters in-universe that are both diverse but also fun and lovable.

 

[Blackwolf666]

It'll happen when more video games about darker skin characters are made and/or become more popular. We got very few darker skinned characters that fit the bill. I am not including characters that have alt costumes with different skin tones. The only real candidates right now I'd say are Shantae (which still has people trying to say indies shouldn't be playable), Elma (debatable if her or Rex/Pyra should get in) and Impa. Just compare those 3 to the large list of lighter skinned video game characters and that decreases their chances even more. As of right now... not likely to see more dark skinned characters get in.

 

[StrangeKitten]

I have no idea if Steve counts as a PoC or if he's just a white dude with a tan, lol. But as much as I'd love to see more diversity among the roster, things are getting better but we're not there yet. The majority of characters who have good chances are male and either white, Japanese, or raceless because they're an animal or an... object? Idk what all-encompassing term I could use that includes a doll, a robot, and a ghost but you get the general point. This is simply because that's what the majority of video game characters are. Video game icons are slowly but surely getting more diverse, but as of now, we're not too likely to see characters outside of the status quo because we still have a lot of icons that fit within that status quo.

 

[Oddball]

I have no idea if Steve counts as a PoC or if he's just a white dude with a tan, lol. But as much as I'd love to see more diversity among the roster, things are getting better but we're not there yet. The majority of characters who have good chances are male and either white, Japanese, or raceless because they're an animal or an... object? Idk what all-encompassing term I could use that includes a doll, a robot, and a ghost but you get the general point. This is simply because that's what the majority of video game characters are. Video game icons are slowly but surely getting more diverse, but as of now, we're not too likely to see characters outside of the status quo because we still have a lot of icons that fit within that status quo.

For some reason, this post brings to mind a particularly interesting character, Manny Cavalera.

He's a skeleton, so he doesn't look like a person of color, but he speaks with Hispanic accent and has a Dead of the Dead inspired design. I'm wondering how people would take it if he was included.

 

[Oracle Link]

Ok, this has been recently running my mind. Do you think we will ever see more characters of color/African, Indian, Middle Eastern in Smash? It seems when a character of color is relevant, the character is always passed over. It seems every character in Smash remain European, or every Smash entry finds a normal way to remain European and, it occasionally make me wonder. Honestly, DK and Diddy Kong are the only characters in Smash I have to choose if I want to get a sense of playing as African characters in Smash, Green Inkling is great.

I'm starting feel as Twintelle being a really missed opportunity. She's popular, could easily be iconic and already fit Nintendo superstardom.

Just so that i understand is this supposed to be SJW or just a wish for more Skin Colors?

 

[UserKev]

Just so that i understand is this supposed to be SJW or just a wish for more Skin Colors?

I mean, Twintelle, Doc Louis and Rodin would actually make sense.

 

[Oracle Link]

I mean, Twintelle, Doc Louis and Rodin would actually make sense.

just wanted to ask
yeah they make sense but there are more likly choices for a Second Arms rep speaking of Doc Louis Sandman would also make Sense

 

[DonkaFjord]

just wanted to ask
yeah they make sense but there are more likly choices for a Second Arms rep speaking of Doc Louis Sandman would also make Sense

I mean Twintelle is one of the more popular ARMS characters- sometimes surpassing Min Min in popularity polls do don't see her as being unlikely either.

 

[Otoad64]

I... don't think nintendo really cares what skin color the characters are, there are far more important factors when deciding characters

 

[UserKev]

I... don't think nintendo really cares what skin color the characters are, there are far more important factors when deciding characters

Geez, tell me something I don't know.

 

[latsmash]

If Smash could add more POC then they absolutely would, Villager and Inkling are evidence for such. However, gaming ultimately has no POC protagonists which Smash can pull from. Besides, I wouldn't imagine anybody working on Smash to be choosing characters purely based on their social identity.

 

[Arcadenik]

If not King Hippo, then I am okay with Doc Louis as the second Punch-Out!! rep.

It would be cool if there was a new Punch-Out!! game starring Doc Louis when he was in his prime.

 

[Reoyoshi8]

Holding out hope for Shantae, but her outfit might be a bit risqué for this game for good boys and girls

 

[UserKev]

Holding out hope for Shantae, but her outfit might be a bit risqué for this game for good boys and girls

Shantae is the least lewd She's the safest and most likeliest newcomer out there.

 

[UserKev]

Well, it's a bummer for what the Geno fans are going through. We got some neat POC Miis tho, Barret and the other lady. Let's see more positive changes.

 

[MAtgSy]

I got my fingers crossed for Bea or Urbosa.

 

[Minix0]

If you ask me we don't NEED different races represented per se. While its nice and obviously diversity is a good thing (I would never suggest diversity of race is a bad thing...), but there's so much more to diversity than skin color. Smash Bros is already a very diverse roster. If its there, then great, but I don't see at as something thats make or break for a game. Even if the cast is 100% the same race, I think a lot of diversity can be found in that as well. Every race has beauty in its own way.

So people are now choosing characters in Smash based on their skin color? Yikes! But hey, that's progressive thinking for ya, right?

The premise of this topic is very dumb. Diversity needs not to be forced but to occur naturally. A character should be picked based on who they are rather than by the color of their skin. People talk about this as if it is a problem that Nintendo, a Japanese developer, needs to address. Japan has its own culture, so I don't know why some need to project their own ideals into Smash for a diverse cast.

Japan gives zero ****s about getting on the bad side of oversensitive people, unlike in the west. They have a different view on race, religions and other things which is why they can get away with releasing a game like Shin Megami Tensei (that game wouldn't have seen the light of day if it was released by western developers back then) in their country or having a character named Satan in a children's cartoon.

Oh someone beat me to the punch.
I hope what I said makes sense? I feel like even saying something as simple as that can make you "racist" or whatever, when that's far from the truth. Hopefully I'm not getting off topic.

 

[LunarDistortion]

It's important to be able to see people like yourself in media you enjoy, and I think that is something other people can overlook if they themselves are used to being overwhelmingly represented in media. This can go for much more than race and skin tone, for the record. Even so, I think there should absolutely be more POC in Smash. The issue in my mind is that there seems to be a lack of headlining POC characters in the gaming industry overall, and in order for them to be included in Smash Bros more POC characters must be naturally created and celebrated. Characters like Twintelle and Octolings are great picks for this as they are both popular, represent their games well, and would help bolster the exceptionally small POC cast in Smash Bros. But bringing in Doc Louis or Anthony "Remember Me" Higgs in for no other reason than that form of representation doesn't seem especially positive, especially when both would probably be heavily cloned from other fighters and aren't very heavily requested at all.

Hopefully we will reach a point in the future of this industry where there is an abundance of high profile games with all kinds of people and cultures being represented and waiting to be included in Smash Bros. I just don't think we are there yet unfortunately. While I believe this idea could be theoretically forced, I don't actually ever expect them to force diversity in these games to a noticable degree, and even if they do, I don't think that's an exceptionally terrible outcome or anything, just maybe not the ideal. Here's hoping to see more diversity in games in general in the future!

 

[Diddy Kong]

This is why I started my Anthony Higgs for Smash 4 support thread back in the days. Impa from Skyward Sword was also a dark skinned character, albeit with blonde hair still, so I really liked that about her as well; but she's back to being white, or more asian-themed this time, in Age of Calamity and will probably remain like that because she's very popular in that game. I can't see Urbosa making it above all the other Zelda choices, but she would've been fantastic of course.

Would've liked Twintelle too, am not a ARMS fan, never played it, but by design she's good in my book. But yeah, we got Min-Min.

Claude from Fire Emblem Three Houses also was a step in the right direction I felt, also with his whole motive if you picked his route. He was basically tired of all the racism in Fodlan, made it his motive to end it. That's pretty awesome honestly.

I think the future will have more variation of racial characters, also in Nintendo games.

 

[UserKev]

Ajna (Indivisible) and Stella (Spiritfarer) are amazing additions of browner characters added and are proof more browner characters can be as aesthetically appealing as white or more asian themed characters.