Skip to main content

Kingdom Hearts’ Sora is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s last DLC character

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate‘s last character has finally been revealed, bringing an end to the game’s ever-expanding roster. Sora from Kingdom Hearts is joining the game, an often-requested character for the game. Sora will be available for players to play in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate starting October 18.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Battling with Sora - Nintendo Switch

Sora’s abilities were shown off in-depth during today’s stream. While he’s a swordfighter, he has a number of distinct characteristics, including a very high double-jump and floaty weight. His normal attacks are largely borrowed from the original Kingdom Hearts title. However, by holding the A button, players can string together a quick three-hit combo. Sora’s light weight and decent range also let him easily attack opponents off-stage. Sora’s smash attacks aren’t too special either, although his down-smash, which covers a sizeable area, can also be used to dodge low attacks.

Sora's Entry screen in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Sora’s Special moves are similarly based on his abilities in the Kingdom Hearts games. His neutral special lets him use magic, which switches between a fire, thunder, and blizzard spell with each use. Sora’s side special, Sonic Blade, lets him perform three dashes in whatever direction players want, giving it great combo and recovery potential. Sora’s up special, Aerial Sweep, is a lot like Link’s up special, although it can’t be used on the ground. While it doesn’t go very high into the air, players can also use Sonic Blade after Aerial Sweep, giving Sora exceptional survivability offstage. Finally, Sora’s down special is a counter, similar to what players will find with many of Ultimate‘s other swordfighters.

Sora also has color variants that change his appearance between his various iterations in each Kingdom Hearts title, as well as his various forms from Kingdom Hearts 2 and 3.

Sora’s addition to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate‘s roster marks the game’s 12th and final DLC character. The first fighter that players had to pay for was Piranha Plant, who was also released as a pre-order bonus for the game. Three new Mii Fighter characters were also announced today, with two new costumes based on Splatoon and another surprisingly from Doom. Starting October 18, players can dress their Mii Fighters up as an Octoling, Judd, or the Doom Slayer.

With no more DLC characters coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, it’s finally time to question how much longer Nintendo will support the game. That being said, a new Super Smash Bros. game likely won’t see the light of day until Nintendo releases a new console.

Editors' Recommendations

Otto Kratky
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Otto Kratky is a freelance writer with many homes. You can find his work at Digital Trends, GameSpot, and Gamepur. If he's…
All Super Mario Bros. Wonder power-ups, ranked
Mario turning into Super Mario.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is perhaps the Mario franchise's most colorful and unusual game to date, featuring all manner of dream-like themes and near-endless amounts of creativity. Like any new Mario game, though, it also comes packing some brand-new power-ups alongside a handful of returning classics that everyone knows and loves. All of the power-ups have their unique uses that can help you fend off baddies, reach new areas, or simply create hilarious hijinks, but some are notably more exciting than others.

Here are all of the Super Mario Bros. Wonder power-ups ranked. They'll all come in handy when you're tracking down all of the badges, medals, and Special World entrances.
All Super Mario Bros. Wonder power-ups, ranked
6. Super Mushroom

Read more
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is getting a very red Nintendo Switch OLED
An image of the Nintendo Switch - OLED Model Mario Red Edition.

Nintendo is launching a Nintendo Switch - OLED Model Mario Red Edition in October. The news capped off the company's Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct today, which shared new details on the upcoming platformer.

This new themed version of the latest Nintendo Switch iteration is completely red across the system and Joy-Cons. On the back of it, players can find a silhouette of Mario and hidden coins. It's not as detailed as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's OLED model, but it does look very sleek. This Mario Red Edition system will come out on October 6, two weeks ahead of Super Mario Bros. Wonder's release.

Read more
Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct: how to watch and what to expect
Mario as an elephant in Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

Nintendo will reveal more about Super Mario Bros. Wonder during a Nintendo Direct dedicated to the game that's set for later this week. Nintendo announced this new 2D Mario game during a Direct in June, but we haven't learned much more about it since then outside of the fact that Charles Martinet won't voice Mario in it. As such, this is a presentation Mario fans will definitely want to tune into ahead of the game's release in October. If you're planning to watch the Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct live, this is everything you need to know about watching it.

When is the Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct
Nintendo confirmed that the Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct will take place at 7 a.m. PT on August 31. It says the showcase will last "roughly 15 minutes," so you'll only need to set aside a little bit of time on Thursday morning for it.
How to watch the Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct
Like most Nintendo Directs, this Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct will be live-streamed on Nintendo's YouTube channel. The premiere for it is already live on YouTube, and you can watch it from this article with the embedded video below. 
Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct 8.31.2023
What to expect from the Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct
Super Mario Bros. Wonder launches for Nintendo Switch on October 20, but there's still a lot we don't know about it. Nintendo simply says the Direct will serve as "an in-depth look at Mario's latest 2D side-scrolling adventure," so expect a deep dive into the different characters, gimmicks, and abilities players will encounter during the game. 
I personally hope we learn more about some of the new power-ups we can use in the adventure, like the Wonder Flower that makes levels weird and the strange-looking power-up that turns Mario into an elephant. One thing you shouldn't expect from this Direct: other Nintendo games. This is a livestream to tune into if you want to learn more about Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Super Mario Bros. Wonder alone. That's not such a bad thing, though.

Read more