Five DLC Characters Possible for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

With the internet still ablaze thanks to Nintendo's shocking announcement of Persona 5's Joker coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's first DLC pack, many fans are beginning to wonder: what's next?

Well, we know that Nintendo is handling the selection process for the popular arena fighter's DLC pack, not series creator Masahiro Sakurai. While some fans may feel hesitant about that direction, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé has stated that the inclusion of Joker should give fans 'a flavor of how they are approaching the DLC'. "These are going to be characters that are new to the series, just like Joker from Persona 5", Fils-Aimé elaborated, "characters you would not anticipate to be in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate." In previous titles, Sakurai has been involved with the character selection process, in some capacity; yet this is a different Nintendo we've been seeing over the past two years. The Japanese gaming giant has shown more transparency towards their fan base since the launch of their newest home console hybrid, the Nintendo Switch, along with providing fans with long awaited returns of beloved series such as Metroid Prime, Luigi's Mansion, and Animal Crossing.

Given the company's favorable relationship with competitors such as Microsoft, and their welcoming demeanor to outside entities entering the arena brawler's ecosystem, the possibilities seem to be endless. Here are five characters that could possibly make their debut in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate:

Banjo & Kazooie

The Rare-developed bear & bird duo have been one of the most popular wishlist characters in the Super Smash Bros. community for years. With Rare being a Microsoft owned studio since 2002, the idea of the happy-go-lucky pair fighting their way through waves of Nintendo-centric characters seemed all but abandoned. In recent years, Nintendo and Microsoft have formed a relationship though, based on their common ground of previous missteps this past generation. While rumors of the Nintendo 64 Classic were shot down a few weeks ago, fans have been hoping that the once platforming greats make their way back to a Nintendo platform. Is the newest Super Smash Bros. entry the way to see it happen? It might be time to strike while the iron is hot, in terms of the working relationship between the two companies.

Geno

While the Super Mario RPG character happens to already appear in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as one of the collectible 'spirits', I find it hard to completely rule him out of becoming a fully playable character. Traditionally, if a character shows up in an ancillary role (such as vault entry or assist trophy) within a Super Smash Bros. game, there are no plans to make them into a playable character. While I still find this to be true, the additions of 'spirits' is a whole new ball game. In terms of rumored characters, Geno seems to be have been all but proven to be in the pipeline, so he may be the safest bet on the list.

Dovahkiin

Bethesda has been one of the few large, third party publishers who have been attached to the Nintendo Switch since the console's initial reveal. Not only were they on the ground floor, they supplied quality, full-fledged ports of the titles brought to the hybrid home console. DOOM (2016) and Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, two recent modern titles have reportedly sold well on the Switch, leading to the company confirming their continued support into the future. Yet, if the company would be approached to attach one of their IPs to the Super Smash Bros. series, I can't imagine anyone else than Skyrim's Dovahkiin slashing his way into the battle. One of the most recognizable and popular games of this past decade, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim made its way onto the Nintendo Switch in November 2017, and was well received by both hardcore fans of the series and critics. Sure, this is probably the most unlikely of the list to become a reality, especially for the fact that Sakurai has yet to include a western third party character; yet, with Nintendo taking the ownership in character choice pertaining to the Challenger Packs, we may finally see that streak break.

Minecraft Steve

If Banjo & Kazooie don't show up in Ultimate, then Minecraft Steve will. Minecraft, which was purchased along with its developer Mojang for $2.5 billion in 2014, has still appeared on Nintendo consoles. The Nintendo Switch edition, which released digitally in May 2017, has sold over 890,000 copies worldwide, making it an extremely popular eShop title. The open world sandbox game has also appeared on the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS as well; both of which were released after the Microsoft acquisition. After almost eight years on the market, Minecraft still remains one of the most recognizable game franchises, with merchandise and other items scattered through every big box store you enter. While hardcore Nintendo fans may be disappointed seeing the inclusion of the survival/crafting game over Rare's bear and bird duo, Steve would be a logical inclusion on a multitude of levels.

Sora

The spiky-haired protagonist from the insanely popular Kingdom Hearts series has made multiple appearances since the series started in 2002. First appearing on the Game Boy Advance in 2004 with the spinoff game Chain of Memories, the series produced two Nintendo DS titles (358/2 Days & Re: coded) and a Nintendo 3DS entry (Dream Drop Distance) across almost a decade. With the newest entry, Kingdom Hearts 3, getting ready to launch in almost a month's time, fan attention continues to rise again. Given Nintendo's past history with Square Enix, many fans are hoping to see an eventual port of the newest entry, but also have shown interest in wanting an HD collection similar to what was released on the PlayStation 4. While this is another long shot, I wouldn't be shocked to see Square Enix have more representation in the Super Smash Bros. series outside of Final Fantasy 7's Cloud Strife. Originally, I was planning on listing one of the characters from Octopath Traveler, given its success on the hybrid system, but having multiple characters muddies the water when choosing which to include. There isn't a lone focal point in the series, unlike Kingdom Hearts. Including Sora even leaves the door open for 'Echo Fighters' comparable to him, such as his rival Riku.

Normally, I would emphasize to keep your expectations in check with discussions such as this; yet, given Nintendo's official stance of what to expect from DLC characters, you almost can throw the book out on what to expect. Even with this list, the ideas of who else could possibly make their way to the Smash Bash are almost endless. Third-party publishers who have consistently been with Nintendo such as Ubisoft have endless backlogs of IPs who could easily make the transition. Considering the impact the Switch has on the independent gaming market, it also isn't unreasonable to think of seeing characters like Madeline from Celeste possibly come to the series in some fashion (Shovel Knight is currently in Ultimate as an assist trophy).

With DLC set to begin rolling out in the first half of 2019, we won't have to wait long to find out who is bringing the fight to the ever growing roster of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.