Super Smash Bros. Ultimateis the culmination of Nintendo’s all-star fighting series, consisting of over 80 characters from video game history. Additionally, the title introduced a new concept to the series: Echo Fighters, rebranding some variant characters as slight alterations to existing characters, like Dark Pit or Lucina.
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The game consists of several new Echo Fighters that are modeled off existing fighters, such as Chrom fromFire Emblem Awakening, Richter Belmont fromCastlevania, and Ken fromStreet Fighter. Assuming these special characters continue into future installments, here are some alterations we’d like to see in the nextSuper Smash Brostitle.
10Funky Kong
Super Smash Bros Ultimatere-introduced King K. Rool as a long overdue addition to theDonkey Kongfranchise’s representation. However, there are still plenty of memorable characters who could show up as an Echo Fighter. One of those is Funky Kong, Donkey Kong’s more laid-back ally who has appeared in many of the franchise’s installments.
Furthermore, Funky Kong has even made hisMario Kartdebut inMario Kart Wii. As an Echo Fighter inSuper Smash Bros., he could offer up a much different playstyle than the strong heavyweight that is Donkey Kong. Perhapsmore improved movement speed and some alternate special moveswould be enough to shake up those familiar with DK’s moveset.
9Birdo
Birdo is one of the oldest characters in theMariofranchise, debuting inSuper Mario Bros. 2. While she’s mainly appeared inMariospin-off games as a female variant of Yoshi, her existence in theMariouniverse even predates Mario’s dinosaur sidekick. She would make an excellent addition to theSuper Smash Bros.roster as an Echo Fighter of Yoshi.
There are plenty of moves that Birdo could possess that vary from Yoshi, such as being able to shoot eggs from her mouth. Her movement options couldalso be less floaty than Yoshi, making her a more grounded fighter than her lightweight green counterpart. Given that Birdo was just re-added toMario Kart 8 Deluxe, her time to shine could be on its way.
8Impa
One could make the argument that of all the potentialThe Legend of Zeldacharacters to be added toSuper Smash Bros.,Impa is the most prime to be her own character. Nevertheless, the inclusion of Sheik as the series' representative of the Sheikah tribe could mean Impa may get relegated to an Echo Fighter in a future installment.
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Thankfully, Impa has had in-game appearances that would complement Sheik’s moveset. Her younger self inHyrule Warriors: Age of Calamityfor instance already battles using teleportation and knives, while her Echo Fighter form could incorporate new moves like using the Sheikah Slate for grab attacks or even during her Final Smash.
7Hoenn Trainer
It would be quite ambitious for an Echo Fighter to essentially completely replace an entire character’s moveset, but it could be a possibility for Pokemon Trainer. SinceSuper Smash Bros Brawl, the Kantonian Pokemon Trainer’s team has consisted of Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard, but perhaps an Echo Fighter could possess a new mixture of starter Pokemon.
The third generation would likely be the best choice, given that it’s one of the most popular and has no representation on theSuper Smash Brosroster. A line-up of Treecko, Marshtomp, and Blaziken would certainly mix things up forPokemonfans. Plus, who wouldn’t want to play as Blaziken in aSuper Smash Brostournament?
6Shadow
Sonic was quite a surprising additionwhen he first appeared inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, but these days he’s a welcome member of the Nintendo family. However, there are plenty more characters from his series who would make fine additions to theSuper Smash Brosroster, one of them being Sonic’s own rival, Shadow, as an Echo Fighter.
In his appearances throughout the series, Shadow has many similar moves to Sonic, including homing attacks and the ability to run at top speed. It’s unlikely that the character will be seen sporting guns as he does in his standaloneShadow the Hedgehoggame, but as a slightly different version of Sonic, he could pack way more of a punch in battle.
5Glass Joe
Punch-Out!!has some of Nintendo’s most interesting characters, representing their countries as they battle the underdog known as Little Mac. The short series protagonist finally made his debut inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U & 3DS, as one of the more controversial fighters. His lack of ability to fight in mid-air made him quite the difficult threat in the series.
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Nevertheless, Little Mac’s flaws could be fixed in an Echo Fighter, such as Glass Joe. Although the character of Glass Joe is designed to be frail and easy to beat, he could boast strengths where Little Mac is weak in exchange for the original fighter’s raw power. Plus, it’d be an easier translation than making King Hippo the Echo Fighter of Little Mac.
4Medusa
It’s no secret that Masahiro Sakurai has a lot of affection forKid Icarus: Uprising, which he created for the 3DS in betweenBrawlandSSB4.SSB4subsequently saw two new additions from the 3DS title: Dark Pit (who became Pit’s Echo Fighter), and Lady Palutena, the Goddess of Light. However, Palutena could be the recipient of her own Echo Fighter, too.
For the first half ofKid Icarus: Uprising, Medusa plays the role of antagonist as the main threat to the world. As Palutena’s Echo Fighter, her moveset could potentially incorporate lost moves from Palutena’s variants inSSB4,including a brand-new Final Smashthat potentially turns all enemies on the screen into stone for a certain amount of time.
3Micaiah
Robin is a uniqueFire Emblemrepresentativeas one of the few who utilizes magic and tomes in his moveset. However, the mage class has been a staple of the franchise ever since the series' beginning. Perhaps, a great Echo Fighter for Robin would be another iconic spellcaster from theFire Emblemseries: Micaiah fromFire Emblem: Radiant Dawn.
Micaiah is one of the protagonists of said title, which inspired Ike’s costume inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U & 3DS. Micaiah also recently appeared as a legacyFire Emblemcharacter inFire Emblem Engage, potentially securing her place as a well-deserved representative of an already abundant franchise inSuper Smash Bros.
2Octoling
Inkling was a new addition toSuper Smash Bros Ultimate, representing theSplatoonfranchise. However, their villainous counterparts the Octolings weren’t made playable until theSplatoon 2DLC was released in 2018, making them too late to be made into Echo Fighters inSuper Smash Bros Ultimate.
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However, as ofSplatoon 3, Octolings are playable variants to Inklings from the game’s launch, which means by the time the nextSuper Smash Brosrolls around, Octoling could be a shoo-in for the Inkling’s Echo Fighter. It’s hard to say what would be much different about their playstyle, but maybe they’d have access to weapons that Inkling doesn’t use.
1Ribbon Girl
ARMSwas an early title for Nintendo Switch, albeit it wasn’t represented inSuper Smash Bros Ultimateuntil Min-Min was added via DLC. Given the large roster of characters, however, there are plenty of possibilities for a potential Echo Fighter. The best option, based on the trend with previous Echo Fighters, may be Ribbon Girl.
Although Spring Man is the series mascot, he already appears as an Assist Trophy inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.Other characters like Twintelle, Max Brass, and Helix also may be too different from Min-Min to adhere to her overall playstyle and moveset. Meanwhile, Ribbon Girl could offer a slightly different version of Min-Min’s existing moveset.
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