Introduction
This is gonna be quite the topic.
I once talked about the idea of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate getting an upgraded port. In that post, I mentioned the fact that Sakurai said if there were to be another Smash game, he’d have to remove some characters. I think I’m ready to talk about an even touchier topic: which characters should get cut and which should stay.
Like I said in the previously mentioned post, I don’t want any characters to be removed. That stands true for the most iconic and relevant characters just as much as it does for the most irrelevant and obscure ones. The same goes for my favorite and least favorite characters. But if characters getting removed from the next Smash game is a reality we’ll have to face, then all we can do is embrace it and hope the next game holds up somehow. And here’s my way of embracing it.
I’m going to go in order of the games that came out, as well as the characters that were added to it. So basically the same way you see the roster on the character select screen. I’ll also explain why I think they either will or should be removed from the next Smash game. But keep in mind that I’m just some entity on a phone, laptop, or whatever you’re reading this on. Don’t take my words too seriously one way or another. Also, I’m ignoring Echo Fighters (unless they’re based off a fighter I think will/should be removed). Let’s get started.
Super Smash Bros.
None
You all probably saw this one coming. But come on now, it’s the “Original 12.” Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, Samus, Yoshi, Kirby, Fox, Pikachu, Luigi, Ness, Captain Falcon and Jigglypuff are all icons of their respective series and Smash Bros. as a whole. They were in every Smash game to come out and they’ll definitely be here for each one to come out in the future…it’d be hilarious to be wrong on that though.
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Dr. Mario
I really like what they did for Dr. Mario in Ultimate. Giving him the stomp was a great move on the development team’s part. That being said…why was he added to Smash to begin with, when he’s quite literally another version of one of the most iconic characters, Mario?
There are a number of characters that function like Dr. Mario does, being a character whose moveset is derived from another character. At the same time, they have enough differences in said moveset and overall characteristics to not be identified as an Echo Fighter (despite that term being used very loosely when it comes to classification). However, none of those characters are just another character in a different getup, like Dr. Mario is. I like him in Smash, more than Mario even, but he’d have to be the first one to go.
Young Link
In the next Smash game, I expect one of the Links to get removed. It’s a shame since they’re all fairly different in overall capabilities and playstyle, but all three Links being available at one time doesn’t seem like something they’ll let happen again after Ultimate. So between Toon Link and Young Link, my guess is that Young Link will be the one to get the boot.
Young Link, at least in Ultimate, is more similar to Link than Toon Link is in terms of moveset. Their normals and special attacks are pretty similar in terms of execution, though they differ greatly in the properties they have. Even with the added difference in characteristics, I don’t think that’s enough to keep Young Link around. There’s also the fact that Toon Link was around more than Young Link was. If they could give him a different moveset, maybe utilizing some of his masks, I could see them all staying. But for now, Young Link would be next to get removed in my eyes.
Roy/Chrom (and others)
It sucks to say, especially since people wanted Chrom in Smash for quite a while, but he’d have to go along with the fighter he was based on, Roy.
Sakurai once said that the next game would have to cut back on the Fire Emblem characters. This was after the internet was displeased with Byleth’s inclusion in the last Challenger Pack of the first Fighters Pass. So to prevent repeating myself over and over, I’m just gonna say the Fire Emblem characters that I think should stay: Marth, Ike, Robin, Corrin, and Byleth.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Lucario
It’s hard to imagine any of the Brawl fighters getting removed, but I settled on Lucario. I really like Lucario in Smash, and in its series I think it’s a really cool Pokémon. But ever since Smash for 3DS/WiiU introduced the rage mechanic, his entire gimmick felt like a glorified version of what’s accessible to all characters. And since Ultimate has it as well, albeit nerfing it quite a bit, it feels like a mechanic that’s gonna stick around in the franchise.
Rage is a mechanic that increases the knockback of any character’s attacks as they accumulate damage. Lucario’s aura mechanic increases the efficiency of its attacks as it accumulates damage (efficiency meaning knockback as well as damage, range, etc.). Even with aura’s added benefits, rage makes Lucario stand out a bit less, so with it gone, I could see him being one of the Pokémon that get another chance. Assuming it sticks around though, I’m not sure if he’ll be one of the Pokémon that stay.
Super Smash Bros. For Nintendo 3DS/Wii U
Wii Fit Trainer
Unlike Smash Brawl, I can definitely see a lot of characters from Smash 4 being cut from the next game. To reiterate though, it’s not because I want them to, but quite a few of these picks were far out. And the character leading that charge is Wii Fit Trainer.
Ever since I first saw Wii Fit’s trailer, I was immediately drawn to her; her unexpectedness and wacky style of fighting with yoga poses made playing her so appealing. Unfortunately, that may be the very thing that contributes to her removal in the next game. Even with my love for Wii Fit, I can’t deny the fact that…practically nobody asked for or expected this character to be in Smash, and even less people knew they existed.
Little Mac
Little Mac is a fighter that’s regularly regarded as one of the worst Smash Bros. characters in terms of overall design. He has an amazing ground game with great movement speed, attacks with very low end lag, super armor on his smash attacks, and tilts that can combo into his KO Punch. However, he suffers tremendously in every other area, including the air. Ultimate is the second Smash game in a row Little Mac’s been in, and the only substantial change he got from Smash 4 was being able to act out of his side special.
Little Mac isn’t the only character in this boat, of course. There are other characters that the community has expressed their disappointment with over their gameplay designs. The difference between them and Little Mac, however, is that they’re way more iconic. Sonic could legitimately have every single one of his attacks be a spin dash and still have more of a reason to be in Smash than Little Mac. Little Mac needs to either have reworked moves or not be in the game at all.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Isabelle
The case for Smash Ultimate characters is the same for characters in Brawl: I can’t really see any of them getting removed. All of the new base roster characters were wanted in Smash for quite a while, and I’m sure nobody would want to see any of them out of the series after being in for only one game. But if there’s one character that had to be removed, I think it’d be Isabelle.
As anyone that knows me or has read my post reflecting on Smash Ultimate reveals would know, Isabelle is actually my main. So this isn’t hate for camping Elite Smash players talking or anything. But the truth is that Villager represents the Animal Crossing series quite well on her own. While more Animal Crossing characters are always cool (because I also love the Animal Crossing series), Isabelle doesn’t really do anything more for the series being in Smash, as a fighter at least. I’d be down to see her come back as an Assist Trophy or something though.
Conclusion
And that’s it. Remember, none of this is to say that characters will or will not be in the next game for sure (except the Original 12). This is just who I think will/should be removed and why. I can’t say it enough that I don’t want any characters to get removed. In any case, I’m sure some of you disagree with my picks or reasonings, so if you do, let me know why in the comments. While you’re at it, tell me who you expect to be removed in the next game if they weren’t on this list. I’d love to hear your thoughts.