On January 16, Nintendo and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate director Masahiro Sakurai surprised everyone when they revealed that Fire Emblem: Three Houses protagonist Byleth would be the next DLC character in the fighting game.
It wasn’t what fans had expected. Twitter had spun rumors that Devil May Cry’s Dante would be the next fighter. Many fans were upset to see another Fire Emblem character in Smash. To make matters worse, Byleth is a blue-haired, sword-wielding fighter, hardly different from the Fire Emblem characters already included.
It’s not that Fire Emblem lacks choices, either. Here’s 8 Fire Emblem characters that deserve to be in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in boring Byleth’s place.
Raphael
What isn’t to love about Raphael, Fire Emblem: Three Houses‘s hungry behemoth? The enormous and powerful Raphael is a master of fisticuffs, and even better at eating. His slower style of play would separate him from the sword-flashing, countering, and flipping we see from most Fire Emblem characters on the Smash roster. If armored up, he could make a formidable opponent in free-for-all battles, too. Extra healing rewarded for eating food would give him a unique edge that vibes with his personality in Three Houses.
Mordecai
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is one of the best games in the entire series, and one of the reasons for that is the Laguz race. These shape-shifting people can turn from humanoid into animal at the drop of a hat. In the case of Mordecai, he turns from a muscular man into a tiger, capable of delivering punishing blows in a short period of time. This would make him a unique fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, as he would need to bide his time before being able to transform again and deal extra damage.
Hector
The first Fire Emblem game to release in North America, simply titled Fire Emblem, featured three main protagonists: Lyn, Eliwood, and Hector. Of these three, only Hector used something other than a sword. His powerful axe made him an essential part of any combat squad, and a perfect mid-level fighter in Smash. Rather than counter attacks, he would go on the offensive with short bursts of raw power. Yes, Hector does have blue hair, but he doesn’t have a sword, so I’ll cut him some slack.
Ephraim
One of the only protagonists in the Fire Emblem series — at least among North American games — to not use a sword, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones hero Ephraim instead uses a powerful lance to defeat his enemies. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, this lance could give him the advantage against enemies attempting to close in on his position from the front or the air.
Seth
Another character from The Sacred Stones, Seth played an important role in the game’s early chapters. His class, Paladin, could easily take on the tougher enemies and bosses. He also rides a horse into battle, which we haven’t seen from any Fire Emblem characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Why have him only use a lance or a sword when he could use the horse itself as a powerful weapon, trampling on enemies below?
Zelgius
Revealed to be the Black Knight — the archenemy of Ike — late in Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, Zelgius is a powerful and stoic knight with political savvy. As The Black Knight, he could play the role of a heavy damage-dealer and space-controller in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, capable of reaching targets from a distance with his enormous sword and knocking enemies off the stage with only a few hits. His armor is undeniably cool, which is a bonus.
Azura
A songstress who plays a key role in Fire Emblem: Fates, Azura is among the most mysterious characters in the whole series. Azura can transform into a flying class using a Pegasus, which would give her a great advantage over her opponents when playing on stages with a lot of obstacles. However, as anyone who has played a Fire Emblem game knows, it would also leave her very vulnerable to arrows, and there are certainly enough archers in Smash to make this an effective counter.
Athos
The Game Boy Advance game Fire Emblem can be difficult, with permanent death always enabled, and an extremely challenging final boss fight against a dragon. For players who are unprepared, the powerful magic-wielder Athos is available to battle the dragon as a late-game addition. Fire Emblem heroes tend to use physical weapons in Smash, but a purely magical character would be a refreshing change. Athos could deliver devastating damage from afar, but would need to be careful if enemies closed in.
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