With the recent announcement of Super Smash Bros. for the Switch, debates have broken out all across the Internet over which characters should be added to the next iteration of Nintendo’s acclaimed brawler. Legendary figures from gaming’s past and present will be meeting for the fifth time, meaning that only the most influential characters will be able to move the needle this time. By building off of the success of past games, we were inclined to throw our hat in the ring, compiling the definitive list of newcomers that can take the game to new heights.
Lyn
As a game severely lacking in anime sword wielders, Lyn is a great place to start. As the most popular female in the series based on the Fire Emblem Heroes character poll, there’s no reason why the wanderer of the plains shouldn’t be upgraded from her two time assist trophy status. As we know, the many fantastic sword users that fill the Smash Bros roster are a huge part of its success. Such a legendary fighting game can only be improved with the ability to control Fire Emblem’s top tier waifu.
Tharja
I’ll give you two reasons why Tharja should be in Smash Bros. Namely her powerful spells and her sadistic personality. But while the dark mage has plenty of obvious assets to make her a valuable fighter on the battlefield, the seductive Awakening mage will always be welcomed on the roster as far as I’m concerned.
Marth (Mystery of the Emblem)
The last time Marth was introduced in Smash Bros, we got what would become a multi-million selling franchise shared with the West after Japan tried to horde this gem for itself. Knowing that, the game can only become more successful if we debut another Marth, right? Which is why the more powerful, more seasoned, and just as androgynous prince from his second game, Mystery of the Emblem, should be included. Who knows, maybe this will lead to people remembering that Codename: S.T.E.A.M. exists or something.
Masked Marth
If there was one thing that made the Wii U version of Smash Bros. great, it was all the Fire Emblem characters and all the clones. Masked Marth combines both to create the first ever clone of a clone. Lucina is bae after all, so why not improve on the amount of Lucina in the game by having her pretend to be Marth for a two-in-one spot on the roster? Talk about efficiency!
Bride Lucina
If there is one thing that Lucina fans would rather do than play Smash Bros. as her, it would be marry her. By making Bride Lucina her own character, players will get to do both. Smash players could only be so lucky, since Fire Emblem Warriors could only witness their beautiful, blushing bride by forking over real money to buy the game’s season pass. Watch both game and body pillow sales soar as Bride Lucina begins to dominate tournaments because of the player’s sheer desire to protect their fictional girlfriend.
Brave Lucina
A small minority of the Smash Bros. fanbase feels like there might be a few too many clones in the game. As an attempt to cater to these players, Lucina can usher in a brand new wave of lance users as her brave form from Fire Emblem Heroes mixes up the sword trend, as exciting as it is. Imagine the reach, the power, and the presence that a perfect soldier such as Lucina in new armor can bring.
Celica
Fire Emblem Warriors had it right when they took the priestess from Fire Emblem Echoes and stripped her of her magic in favor of turning her into a Marth clone. As we’ve established, cloning Marth repeatedly is a formula for success. But what sets Celica apart from the Marth’s and Lucina’s is that she’s so much more adorable that I can’t see Smash continuing as a series without her. As the superior Marth, we might even see some of her magic return. Then again, Robin doesn’t have a clone yet, so that could be another interesting take on Mila’s favorite follower.
Tiki
Nintendo has always prided itself on being a platform for both children and adults. When Fire Emblem debuted in 1990, it took Nintendo’s appreciation for children to uncharted territory when Japan fell in love with Tiki, the centuries old dragon in a 10 year old’s body. After hopping that legal loophole, the next logical leap is an appearance in Smash, which is lacking in both dragon and underage representation. But if little girls aren’t your thing, there’s always…
Adult Tiki
Strictly for the high and mighty players who can’t appreciate the young ones, adult Tiki can’t be solely contained to Awakening. She can do everything Tiki can do, except she does it taller and curvier with a deeper voice. It worked for Link and Young Link, right?
Anna
Aside from Marth, Anna is the most prominent character across the Fire Emblem franchise, appearing in more games than any other warrior. So what if the large majority of those appearances were as an unplayable merchant? The bottom line is that she has a history of selling DLC, helping Nintendo make a lot of money. Her hard work should be rewarded with a Smash Bros appearance, even if we might have to make up how she fights as we go. Will it be with an axe? A dagger? A bow? Does it matter? All I know is that she’s a consistent presence in one of Nintendo’s largest cash cows.
Rowan and Liana
The overwhelmingly charismatic leads of Fire Emblem Warriors can’t be contained to just one game. They hit all of the checkmarks that come with being a playable Smash character, including fighting with giant swords that transform into beams and essentially being gender swaps of each other to artificially add more female characters. But most importantly, for all the people complaining that there are too many sword users in the game, they bring variety to the table by using a sword AND shield. Joining the ranks of legendary warriors like Link, it’s only a matter of time before the twins overtake the Hero of Time as the most iconic shield users in gaming history.
The Hoshido and Nohr Royals
Fire Emblem Warriors proved that if you’re going to add one Royal from the Fates series, you have to add all of them. A larger roster is always better when it comes to fighting games, so imagine our joy when we open up the main menu and are greeted by the pinnacle of Nintendo greatness with characters like Ryoma, Xander, Takumi and Camilla on our screens. If we’re lucky, maybe we’ll get the retainers as DLC! Oh, and speaking of Camilla…
Easter Camilla
One Camilla is pretty great, but Easter Camilla is too good to pass up. This mage offshoot of the wyvern rider is a perfect representation of Heroes, mostly because of her incredibly popular costume. But aside from that, we’re left with… not much else! But if people were willing to dump hundreds of dollars for the chance to randomly pull her on their phones, it will surely result in more game sales for the Switch, right?
Dragon Corrin
As one of the most universally loved characters in Smash Bros history, Corrin was a representation of the best parts of both games. Corrin could be both male and female, had a charge beam, had wings, and of course, a sword. But while normal Corrin could only transform into a dragon during certain moves, this form deserves more love. Let’s just go all the way and have Dragon Corrin as its own character! I can’t think of a dragon that deserves the honor more, especially not Ridley.
The Summoner
After making it to the end of this list, it’s clear that there’s a severe lack of Fire Emblem representation in Smash Bros. with a mere six characters. Even with the previous 14 characters, we’re just scratching the surface of what Nintendo’s greatest franchise has to offer. That’s where the summoner comes in.
Essentially “you” in Fire Emblem Heroes, the summoner’s only power is to summon other Fire Emblem characters. Are you worried about your favorite character not making the cut? Well worry no more, because now you’ll be able to flood the screen with a random assortment of soldiers at your disposal. Now if Nintendo can find a way to make each summon cost real money just like in the mobile game, then we’d be able to fund future Smash Bros. games for years to come.
Well, that’s it! Our definitive, objective list of the character’s we’re hoping to see in Smash Bros. for Switch. Were any of your favorites missing that you want to add, such as Chrom, Eliwood or Micaiah? Let us know in the comments and help make the best game even better.