Smash Ultimate - Top 5 Fighter Pass Predictions (& Honorable Mentions)

With the pending release of the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighter Pass and its many still unconfirmed fighters, the community is still in a buzz trying to figure out who these remaining combatants will be.  And with good reason too, as the likes of Piranha Plant (free DLC) and Joker from Persona (the first fighter of this Season Pass) have blown open the doors into a wild world of possibilities.  So while only four spots remain unclaimed, I thought it'd be fun to join in the enthusiastic excitement and try my own hand at predicting the rest of this potential final roster before E3 2019 reveals the next one (or even two) coming combatants.

The red background not only fits the likes of Persona 5's Joker, but also accurately reflects the color backdrop for Player One in Smash multiplayer.  With that attention to detail in mind, I believe the remaining four characters will similarly reflect the remaining player select colors of Blue, Yellow, Green, and Orange.

A few notes before we dive into these predictions: This list is who I feel are most likely to appear based upon certain facts / criteria, not necessarily my personal wish list.  I'll throw in some honorable mentions below these 5 likeliest candidates for my own personal picks that don't look to make the above cut.  Also consider, each character is to be bundled with a stage and various music tracks.  So if a desired character looked to be lacking in one of these areas or have an uninspiring moveset, they didn't make this list.  With that in mind, let the bold predictions begin!

-1- Erdrick (Dragon Quest)

There are many notable game series from Square Enix that fans would love to see enter the ring of Smash (and whose to say there can only be one rep per developer; more on that to come below).  One of the most heavily rumored characters and seems very likely would be Erdrick from the Dragon Quest series, a rich and long-running series with a lot of numbers to back its following.  A big backing to this rumor comes from a supposed datamine that highlighted key phrases in the code of "fighter_kind_brave", which is believed to pertain to Erdrick's hero class called Yuusha in Japanese, also meaning brave thus the codename.  There was also a post from a Smash Ultimate game supervisor's personal Instagram that could very likely be teasing as to such: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bta15lBFa00/?utm_source=ig_embed.

The world of Dragon Quest as rendered in Dragon Quest XI.

At first I was off-put at the notion of another sword fighter, but I've since warmed up to the idea after further research of Erdrick's potential moveset which could include a fun mixture of magic and swordsmanship.  The series also displays a very distinct, manga-like art aesthetic that would assuredly give home to a vivid and colorful stage in which to combat upon.  I can imagine something the likes of a sprawling field with plenty of cameos the likes of slimes and more randomly joining the fray.  And of course as an esteemed, long-running RPG series, there would be plenty of notable musical scores to pull from.

-2- Banjo-Kazooie

Our next pick fills a long desired wish since the days of N64 to have the infamous duo of Rare's Banjo-Kazooie face off against the likes of the Italian plumber himself.  Although now owned by Microsoft, there have been many recent displays of collaboration between these two rival companies in the form of joint messaging, crossplay, and most recently the release of a Microsoft exclusive, Cuphead, on the Nintendo Switch.  But why this bear and bird who have held little relevance in recent years compared to the likes of other Microsoft properties like Halo or Minecraft?  Well, fresh off the rumor press, there have been many new figurines of Banjo-Kazooie in production as of late, one such coming from a company by the name of Exquiste Gaming, featuring a newly designed backpack for Banjo not seen in any of his other games (https://twitter.com/BringBackBanjoK/status/1134107196051075073/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1134855431959011329&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nintendoenthusiast.com%2F2019%2F06%2F02%2Fbanjo-kazooie-revival-backpack-exquisite-gaming%2F).  As this company has been known to release figures for upcoming new games and/or remasters such as Sonic Mania, Crash, and Spyro, this suggests either a new Banjo-Kazooie is in the works, remasters of the previous games, Banjo for Smash, or some combination of these three.  Lastly, there were also supposed datamines a while back that mentioned the likes of other Rare properties like Jet Force Gemini and Blast Corps, further giving credence that perhaps more Rare spirits / music may come with a Rare fighter such as Banjo-Kazooie.

One of many fan concepts of Banjo's neutral attack moveset.

These goofy fighters of course are already primed with a distinct and playful moveset, featuring the likes of claw swipes, bird pecks, egg shots, backpack naps and more.  The ideal stage would be none other than Spiral Mountain, containing perhaps the bridge to Gruntilda's lair and the occasional fly-through of the wicked witch herself for some mischievous shenanigans.  And let's not forget the music, which contains some of the most whimsical and likely my favorite tunes in all of gaming.

-3- Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)

So for this next entrant, I thought it prudent that there be some more female representation within this DLC offering (even though Kazooie is technically a girl).  And aside perhaps Samus, there are no leading lady protagonists quite as infamous and widely adored as the prestigious treasure hunter that is Lara Croft from the Tomb Raider series.  I did consider Jill Valentine from the Resident Evil series, but it was difficult to come up with a moveset that differed from Snake, and she'd be fighting the spotlight against Leon Kennedy, the likely more favored pick from that series.  Back to Lara, although another Square rep, she represents another side of the developer away from their known RPG series and carries with her a respectable following, franchise, and even movie series to boot.  As such, I can't help but feel she holds many, well deserving odds of making the cut here.

Imagine fighting on this teetering plane as it careens over a daring falls and across the island.

If pulling from the entire Tomb Raider series, Lara has the potential for a very creative and interesting moveset.  From bows to twin pistols, pickaxes to marshal arts, she poses an intimidating threat at both close and short range.  And if one of her specials were to use her crafty nature, perhaps she could tweak her weapons during matches to for example give her arrows a poisonous or more explosive bang.  Stages could include the dino-filled Hidden Valley, or perhaps an action-packed ride on a teetering airplane as it crashes through the many vistas of Yamatai Island.  The adventurous spirit is sure to carry over too into the series' musical scores.

-4- Bandanna Dee (Kirby)

Our last pick is a bit of wild card as it was difficult determining who'd be most surprising to end this Fighter's Pass with.  As such, I decided to turn the tables with a first-party character and likely self-granting wish for Sakurai to round the Kirby gang with the inclusion of Bandanna Dee.  While it would be unexpected, it wouldn't disappoint as Bandanna Dee has remained a much desired character the world over according to many polls.

Almost assuredly would be Bandanna Dee's Final Smash.

The greatest strength to the inclusion of Bandanna Dee would be the unique and creative moveset he could bring as a spear wielder, not to mention other clever callbacks with the likes of minecart dashes, karate fist slams, parasol floats and more.  Admittedly, his stage or music wouldn't be extremely new territory with the Kirby series already well represented, but that doesn't mean there aren't still new facets of this series left to explore.  Stages could be pulled from Planet Robobot or someplace from the latest entry of Star Allies.  And there is always plenty more musical Kirby jingles to be enjoyed.

-5- Rayman

While there technically aren't any more available slots on this Fighter's Pass here, this is a Top 5 list, so let's call this extra pick here a little insurance in case one of the above proves wrong.  And for this fifth pick, we're going with one of Ubisoft's most beloved and long-running gaming icons, Rayman.  His biggest challenge in joining the ranks of Smash is the series' low popularity in Japan.  Still, Nintendo and Ubisoft have shown incredible collaboration in recent years with Nintendo-owned properties being used in unusual Ubisoft projects like Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and more recently Star Fox in Starlink: Battle for Atlas.  So perhaps the love will be extended Ubisoft's / Rayman's way with an invitation to the prestigious arena that is Smash.

Concept art for the Glade of Dreams depicted in Rayman Legends.

Rayman's moveset is a bit difficult to imagine as he is primarily a close-range brawler, though perhaps he could include the likes of some plungers or gust-propelling ears for some added variety.  There are plenty of whimsical representations of the Glade of Dreams in which to have some riveting, cartoonish bouts across, and the orchestral suites of the series offer just as much whimsy and flair to add to the mix.

Honorable Mentions

1. Paper Mario - Although the roster is already quite filled with characters from the Mushroom Kingdom, Paper Mario stands apart with his distinct RPG series, paper-like mechanics and added emphasis of hammer-based attacks.  Imagine being able to glide back onto the stage as a paper airplane, fold sideways to dodge, or twist around in a paper coil to unleash a devastating hammer twirl.  While there is already a Paper Mario stage in the game, I could see Rogueport as an easy pick for a fun stage from everyone's favorite game of the series.
   
2. Geno - Despite only really starring in one game, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Geno has long remained a desired pick among many a fan.  With his unique mix of finger pistols, rocket fists and star beams, he would definitely make for a compelling fighter.  And the locales and musical suites of Super Mario RPG are all nostalgic, wondrous classics.
   
3. Shantae - Gaining rising popularity as a small indie series, Shantae offers a fun and compelling moveset with loads of charming, playful style.  Using her hair as a whip for base-like melee attacks, she also has a wide arsenal of magic and dancing transformations she could use for special attacks, from fireballs to thunderclouds and monkey dashes to elephant stomps.  The hustle and bustle of Scuttle Town frequently under attack makes for an ideal stage pick, and the music of this series always packs a catchy beat.
   
4. Mog - Time to throw a curve ball here.  I find it offensive that the Final Fantasy series only has two musical tracks included in Smash Ultimate.  So much so, I'd be willing to say such could have been possibly held out for another Final Fantasy rep.  If so, my ideal pick would be someone who shows representation across the whole FF series - Mog (aka Moogle).  With a mix of random magic dances, sword slashes and Chocobo dashes, Mog would make for a very distinct and out-there character, similar in the vein as a Mr. Game & Watch.  And there are so many more cool picks for Final Fantasy stages, my top two picks being either the Opera House or an airship.
   
5. Phoenix Wright - Last but not least, I give a shout-out to Capcom's rising star that Phoenix Wright of the Ace Attorney series.  I find it odd that there were no spirits of this popular gaming icon of the Nintendo handhelds, so perhaps he's fighting for a bigger role.  His moveset is hard to imagine, even with his inclusion already in the fighting of Marvel vs. Capcom 3.  But what is not difficult to imagine is how much fun it would be fighting in the likes of a courtroom filled with loads of drama and guest appearances from other beloved attorneys and prosecutors.  And the series' soundtrack - so exhilarating and infectious.

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And there you have it - A small, but colorful sampling of the potential cast that could and may very well possibly be added to the coveted crew of the Smash brew.  Of course, there are so many other great picks that could very well take place of the above.  Any characters you'd pick that I didn't list?  Be sure to share and discuss in the comments below!  And brace yourselves, because E3 and more Smash is nearly upon us!