Ever sinceSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatesurprised its fans with Sephiroth of theFinal Fantasyfranchise, players have been wondering who will claim the coveted spot as the next fighter in Fighters Pass Vol. 2. Fan theories are always rampant forSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatecharacters, and this time it seems a popular theory believes a character from third-party publisher Bandai Namco will be claiming the next fighter slot.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimatehas continued its run as a powerhouse title for Nintendo, with many gamers believing it to be the best game of the franchise sinceSuper Smash Bros. Melee.TheSuper Smash Bros.games have always benefitted from a thriving playerbase and tournament scene, withonline tournaments like the recent Dark Reunionbecoming more prevalent since COVID-19. The scheduled release of new fighters for the game every few months keeps players invested and curious about which franchise will be represented next, and one fan theory gaining traction believes that franchise will be under the Bandai Namco banner.
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The theory follows an idea that the announcement of the potential Bandai Namco fighter will coincide with the Tales of Festival sometime in the spring, which will celebrate the 25th anniversary of theTalesRPG franchise. TheTalesgames have been a Bandai Namco staple sinceTales of Phantasiain 1995, and its upcoming titleTales of Ariseis one of the most anticipated JRPGs of 2021. But it’s Lloyd Irving fromTales of Symphoniathat fans believe has the best shot at becoming the next fighter. His Mii fighter skin was present inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DSbut is not present inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate,and Bandai Namco currently has only Pac-Man to represent it.
While Lloyd Irving could definitely be the next fighter,predicting fighters has never been easy for theSuper Smash Bros.community. No one expected Pirahna Plant to feature as a fighter, and the Min Min fromARMSintroduction certainly didn’t meet any long-held hopes by fans. Lloyd Irving does seem to be a popular choice in Japan, while hopes for Crash from theCrash Bandicootseries and Sora from theKingdom Heartsfranchise dominate the U.S. Waluigi has been one of the oldest requests to achieve fighter status, while fans of the indie hitHadeshave weighed in lately as towhy Zagreus should be the next fighter.
But no matter who is released next, there will still be tw slots left for new fighters in Fighters Pass Vol. 2. OneSuper Smash Bros. Ultimateleaker thinks they knowexactly who will fill the remaining slots, and their guesses should exciteDoomandRaymanfans. Ultimately, the decision rests with the game’s creator, Masahiro Sakurai, who often details his decisions to theSuper Smash Bros.community when a new character is released. Until there’s more information concerning the next fighter, fans should enjoy Sephiroth and keep March or April in their sights for new developments.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimateis exclusively available now for the Nintendo Switch.
