Ganondorf
First appeared:The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998) (As Ganon: The Legend of Zelda (1986))
What good is having the Hero of Time around if he doesn't have an ultimate evil to spar with? That's why Ganondorf will always be around. First introduced as the boarish monster Ganon in the original Legend of Zelda, the more human (but still evil) Ganondorf first appeared as a conniving sorcerer that plots to control all of Hyrule in Ocarina of Time. Ganondorf has returned time after time since that game, always ready to cause havoc and get his hands on the Triforce whenever he possibly can. He'll be continuing his quest for power in Smash, cackling maniacally throughout.
Wario
First appeared: Super Mario Land 2 (1992)
After adding him in Brawl, how could Nintendo make another Smash game without the gaseous, onion-loving antihero? First introduced as Mario's twisted opposite, Wario quickly proved popular enough to star in his own series of ridiculous games, making him an unexpected gaming icon. Wario returns with his standard helmet and overall appearance popularized by WarioWare, but you can probably count on his classic look being included as an alternate costume.
Bowser Jr.
Bowser Jr. is designed to be an annoying brat, and he does a very good job at getting on your nerves. The miniature version of King Koopa pops up in virtually every modern Mario game, usually as a whiny mid-boss that must be felled before the plumber can battle Bowser. The redheaded tyke is usually seen floating around in his flying clown mobile, which looks to be accompanying him into Smash Bros. Here's hoping the little jerk has fittingly annoying attacks; he should be as frustrating to fight in Smash Bros. as he is in every other game. Also, if you prefer the Koopalings, then you'll be pleased to know they function as his alternate costumes.
Shulk
First appeared: Xenoblade (2010)
Rumored no more! Sulk is the next great sword master to join the series, and he's got more than a few skills to differentiate him from the likes of Marth and Link. Shulks unique edge comes from his trademark sword, the powerful Monado thats imbued with multiple magic spells and techniques learned throughout Xenoblade Chronicles. A strong fighter with an interesting background, Shulk makes a great addition because his stage has the potential to be very unique and have some of the best music in the game. Plus, given Nintendo's new commitment to the Xeno series, it's no surprise one of the franchise's stars would appear in the game.
As seen in his first footage, Shulk transforms the Monado to pull off different attacks and grant skills, including stronger smashes and enhanced speed. His Final Smash summons a couple of his friends from Xenoblade Chronicles as well, and his reveal trailer implies that one of the bosses from his game will make an appearance too. But how will his precognitive powers be taken into account?
Meta Knight
What good is a hero if there isn't a worthy rival to test said hero? That's the case with Meta Knight, Kirby's longtime frenemy, who sometimes battles Kirby, but just as often fighting alongside the pink puffball. Meta shares Kirby's round shape, but is far more fearsome thanks to his metal mask, bat-like wings, and his golden sword dubbed Galaxia. Meta Knight also has an army all his own, and the impressive mother ship called the Halberd, a flying machine that's been home to a fair amount of combat both with and against Kirby.
Meta Knight first joined Smash Bros. with Brawl on Wii, a move that makes sense given Masahiro Sakurai created both Meta Knight and Smash. The character is regarded as quite strong in the Smash Bros. community, perhaps even overpowered to an extent. Will Meta Knight remain as dominant on Wii U/3DS, or will he be rebalanced?
Lucina
She was first introduced as the masked, mysterious hero named Marth (as tribute to the original Marth), but the cat is out of the bag now with Lucina's true identity. She appears from a mysterious portal early in Awakening, wielding the same legendary Falchion blade as Chrom. That seems impossible until it's revealed that Lucina is Chrom's daughter from some doomed future, ready to battle by her father's side, and that includes facing Captain Falcon in a Smash Bros. brawl.
Her move set seems to mirror her combat style from Fire Emblem: Awakening--quick, but powerful. She has a number of dodges and strong sword-based attacks, but what will make her truly stand out in a roster that is now packed with blade-wielding characters. Also, we really hope that one of her alternate costumes for Smash has her wearing her mask from early in the game.
Robin
Well, this fighter was certainly unexpected, huh? Smash players have come to expect blade wielders from Fire Emblem like Marth and Ike, but not sarcastic mages like Robin. Introduced as the nameless player character in Awakening, Robin is the new title given to the protagonist of the game, and their combat style reflects the openness of the character. He/she can wield both swords and magic with ease, though magic attacks seem to be a consumable, limited use attack, because Robin tosses the book after a certain number of uses. (That's how magic works in Fire Emblem as well.)
Robin's history is hard to define, partially because multiple player choices can alter the course of the game, and also because we'd rather not spoil Awakening's awesome plot. The short version is that Robin--who's male or female based on player choice--is an amnesiac warrior that joins up with Chrom and his band of knights to defend the realm from evil. Robin is adept at both melee and magic, using both to protect his/her friends. Given the open nature of the character's gender in Awakening, it's great to see that you can choose it Smash battles too.
Captain Falcon
You didn't really expect a Smash Bros. game to come out without Captain Falcon in it, right? Of course not. Falcon is one of the original roster stars of the series, and any new entry would be severely lacking in Falcon Punch without the racer turned brawler. In fact, it's easy to say that Smash Bros. has made Captain Falcon a bigger star than F-Zero ever did.
Until the original Smash Bros. on N64, Captain Falcon was merely the unseen driver of the Blue Falcon in F-Zero (and he spends his time off the track as a bounty hunter). But since then he has become the hard fighting standby of many Smash Bros. fans. He's known for shouting Falcon Kick and Falcon Punch before delivering said moves, which has no doubt endeared him to players worldwide. But now that we know Falcon is in the game, will his clone character, Ganondorf, return as well? Director Sakurai has seemed very anti-clone of late.
Pac-Man
We start with the most obvious one, Namco's happy, yellow, circular mascot Pac-Man. One of the most well-known characters in the world, Pac is synonymous with gaming to an entire generation. Though known for his arcade classic, he's also starred in dozens of other games for Namco, including the Pac-Man World platformers, kart racers and party games. He earned his spot on the roster a long time ago, and that's FINALLY becoming a reality.
It's enough of a treat to see Pac-Man, Sonic, and Mega Man all appear together in the same game, but Pac-Man also looks pretty fun to play too. His design is based on his older look (no kiddie redesign here), and he has multiple moves that change him into his more round look. Additionally, Pac-Man has multiple attacks that reference Namco classics like DigDug and Galaga. Honestly, the roster feels much more complete now that this little devil is back.
Palutena
First appeared: Kid Icarus (1986)
After months of rumors, we now have confirmation: Kid Icarus mainstay Palutena is in the game. She looks and sounds very much like ker Kid Icarus: Uprising character, even making a number of references to the 3DS game multiple times. She is the same supportive Palutena we know from Uprising, only she somehow twists that into helping Pit by smashing him in the face.
This move totally makes sense, as Palutena topped several most wanted character polls in Japan, and director Sakurai is clearly a fan of the pseudo-Greek goddess after he directed Kid Icarus: Uprising. Will you be playing as the goddess when you get it?
