The fighting game series Super Smash Bros. has always been one of gaming's most thrilling crossover events, but none have worn that label as proudly as Ultimate, the latest entry in the franchise. The inclusion of so many wild card characters in Ultimate has, ever since the game's announcement, ignited an unceasing amount of speculation and debate as to which characters will, and should, be included in Ultimate.
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With the final DLC package for Ultimate drawing to a close, space in the game's roster is starting to run out, with now only a single slot remaining. When things are this close to the wire, which are the characters that truly deserve to make the final cut?
Goku
The legendary Dragon Ball hero Goku is, admittedly, what one might call a "never ever", with some naysayers suggesting he ought to be avoided by Super Smash Bros. altogether. Although Goku has appeared in the abundant licensed games of the Dragon Ball franchise, he is first and foremost a manga character and therefore has a tenuous relationship to Smash at best.
Still, that hasn't ben enough to squash the hopes of Goku fans holding onto the dream of his appearance in the beloved crossover fighting game. The commitment some have to Goku has even led one fan to set to work modding him into the game.
Doomguy
Although Doomguy, a.k.a. the Doom Slayer, is without a doubt one of the most important video game characters ever to exist, his inclusion in Smash Bros. has always been dogged by one question: how is a character whose whole deal is violent killing going to make an appearance in Smash?
It's a tough question to answer, but it's still not impossible. It isn't too long ago that realistic firearms were thought unthinkable for the series, only for Joker to shatter that barrier with his neutral special. Others have pointed out that Doomguy's iconic stature and range of tools would lend themselves well to a Smash moveset.
Chibi-Robo
Chibi-Robo might not be the most popular franchise out there (its original title on the Gamecube received less than stellar sales and spawned only smaller-scale sequels), but it has its fans, and those fans are dedicated. Die-hards for the tiny, robotic star of the Gamecube adventure title are always pulling for the little guy to make it to Smash, even if he might be a bit underpowered compared to other Super Smash Bros. inclusions.
Perhaps the most important reason to include Chibi-Robo in Smash is how much fun the developers could have coming up with his trailer's tagline. "Chibi-Robo Plugs Into Battle" only scratches the surface -- what about "Charges The Competition" or "Cleans House"? The possibilities are endless.
Leon Kennedy
Honestly, fans will take any character from Resident Evil. In a different age it would be difficult to imagine a character from a notably violent survival horror series with a tangential relationship to Nintendo IPs to make it into Smash, but Ultimate has upended expectations to such a degree that almost anything would be possible at this point.
It's best not to worry too much about movesets, either. While some have raised concerns that Resident Evil characters tend to fight with realistic firearms, an inclusion that's perhaps less than content appropriate for Smash, stars from survival horror's most important franchise have a long tradition of appearing in fighting games like Marvel vs. Capcom, which could be a baseline for how they might perform in Smash.
Crash Bandicoot
The Marsupial protagonist of the classic PlayStation platformer series, Crash Bandicoot, has always been one of the most requested characters for Ultimate. He has a number of factors working in his favor: he's got a lot of personality, he's from a classic family-friendly platformer franchise, and he's got a handful of iconic moves that would make obvious inclusions for his Smash attacks.
Crash also got a handful of new games on the Switch recently, his first in a while. With more attention brought to the character through exciting entries in his own franchise, it would seem that the time is right to give him the Smash crossover treatment.
Dr. Eggman
Sonic the Hedgehog's inclusion in Super Smash Bros. Brawl still ranks as one of the most unexpected and exciting Smash announcements of all time. His is the inclusion that shattered the pretense that Smash fighters needed to exclusively belong to Nintendo franchises, opening the door to a world of possibility for new inclusions.
So many years down the line though, Sonic is still the only character representing his franchise in Smash. Sonic fans contend that the logical next step for the franchise's presence in Smash would be the inclusion of Sonic's longtime nemesis: Dr. Eggman. Indeed, Dr. Eggman is one of the most requested fighters for Ultimate to this day.
Sora
With Cloud and Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII making the cut, the hopes of Kingdom Hearts fans are running high that the protagonist of Square Enix's own crossover franchise might make the cut for Smash. Sora, with his signature keyblade and range of outfit options, is a frequent appearance on Smash "most wanted" lists.
Unfortunately, despite high hopes, Sora has a number of hefty obstacles in front of his conclusions, leading some to suggest he may have been de-confirmed altogether. Chief among these concerns is the tricky licensing situation with Disney - Sora spends a lot of time with Disney-owned characters like Mickey Mouse, so it might be difficult to acquire the appropriate license to have him make a Smash appearance.
Master Chief
Sierra 117 himself is arguably among the more desired newcomers for Ultimate, leading some to put together movesets and mock trailers for his hypothetical inclusion in the game. The Chief is certainly iconic enough to fit right in with the roster, and the inclusion of characters from other Microsoft-owned IPs like Banjo-Kazooie and Minecraft suggest that the final Spartan might yet make it in.
That's all speculation, of course. Also, if fans were being totally honest with themselves they would surely admit that the real reason Master Chief needs to make it is so that the world can experience glorious Smash Bros. remixes of classic Halo theme music.
Waluigi
Fans contend that Waluigi's status as a fan-favorite character and his numerous appearances in Smash as an assist trophy set a strong precedent for his candidacy in Smash. In fact, Waluigi's inclusion seems such an obvious choice that some have concluded his absence is the result of a deliberate snubbing by the developers themselves.
Waluigi's supposedly obvious status as a lead candidate has, paradoxically, made him into something of an underdog on account of his extremely notable absence from Ultimate. Were he to make it in, it would feel like a victory for fan passion, which is certainly odd considering that Waluigi is a first-party Nintendo character. Still, a first-party inclusion might make sense for a series that, since the Smash 64 days, has historically been a home for Nintendo characters.
Phoenix Wright
The legendary litigator and hero of the Ace Attorney franchise, Phoenix Wright, is an oddball pick for Smash that many fans of the acclaimed visual novel series would love to see included. Pheonix's self-sacrificing commitment to justice and hapless demeanor make him instantly endearing, so it would be thrilling to see him make a guest appearance.
But, how is a lawyer going to duke it out with the polished fighters of the Smash Bros. franchise? Worry not, Phoenix has already tested his fighting game mettle in Marvel vs. Capcom 3, where he assaulted foes with his trademark objections.