Bomberman, Waluigi, Knuckles, Midna, Samurai Goroh, Lyn, and Toad may have been disconfirmed as playable characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Just because you try hard... doesn't mean you won't become an Assist Trophy
The reveal that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate would feature the return of every fighter that has ever appeared in a Super Smash Bros. title was quite a shocking revelation. Even without newcomers Inkling and Ridley, this meant that this Super Smash Bros. game was going to have the largest roster for the series to date.
Unfortunately for some fans, certain fan favorite characters were also disconfirmed by this special Nintendo Direct. At the very least, these specific icons became extremely unlikely to be playable this time around.
Since Solid Snake of the Metal Gear series has been confirmed to be a returning veteran, it means that Konami has given their blessing to Nintendo to make use of their intellectual properties. There are a few other characters that gamers have been hoping for.
On March 1, 2012, Hudson Soft ceased to exist as it was merged into Konami. This meant that Konami became the owners of characters like Bomberman.
Considering that Super Bomberman R was released on the Nintendo Switch as a timed exclusive, many might have rated Bomberman's chances of being a new playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as being somewhat high. Unfortunately, it just wasn't meant to be.
During the big reveal, we learned that Bomberman was an Assist Trophy. Even though Little Mac was originally an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and then promoted to a playable fighter in Super Smash Bros. 4, there's never been a scenario where a combatant existed both as an Assist Trophy and a playable character in any given game.
Click image for animated version
The above GIF actually disconfirms two fighters. Bomberman and Samurai Goroh from the F-Zero series.
Honestly, Samurai Goroh's status as an Assist Trophy isn't too unexpected since he was an assist trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. 4. Still, this actually does disconfirm a certain "leaked list."
Before Nintendo's E3 reveal of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, we reported on a rumor started by Vergeben that Ridley, Simon Belmont, Ice Climbers, and Snake would be joining the roster. So far, it looks like three out of those four have been confirmed.
Shortly afterwards, another leaked list from another source sprang up. While this other list also listed the same fighters as Vergeben along with numerous others, we had some hesitancy about the legitimacy of that particular list and opted not to post it.
Samurai Goroh was said to become a playable character. With him now being an assist trophy, the whole list seems to fall apart.
Meanwhile, certain mods of Super Smash Bros. Brawl have been adding Knuckles from the Sonic the Hedgehog series into Smash. This seems to indicate that there are a number of fans that would enjoy his inclusion.
Unfortunately for those fans, Knuckles's chances as a playable fighter have dwindled greatly after he was revealed to be another Assist Trophy during the Nintendo Invitational.
"Just because you try hard doesn't mean you'll make it into battle," said Masahiro Sakurai via his Miiverse post that revealed Waluigi as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. 4. It seems that quote echoes true for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate too.
Waluigi and Lyn from the Fire Emblem series first appeared as Assist Trophies in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Unlike Little Mac, they reprised their roles as Assist Trophy characters in Super Smash Bros. 4.
— Masahiro Sakurai.
Unfortunately for fans of these two characters, they have been spotted as Assist Trophies once again in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Their attacks and functionalities appear to be largely the same.
Like the other Assist Trophy fighters, this has greatly reduced their chances as being playable in this title. As demonstrated in the Direct, they, along with the other Assist Trophy characters, are able to be knocked out now.
It looks like Waluigi will continue to only being relegated to spin-off titles like Super Mario Tennis, Super Mario Kart, and Mario Party. Meanwhile, Lyn will probably only be playable in games from the Fire Emblem franchise.
Even though Midna isn't a recurring character in the Legend of Zelda series, she is undoubtedly immensely popular. Many believe her to be deserving of her own slot as a character in the Super Smash Bros. series.
Like in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. 4, she is once again an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
As for Toad, he has been incorporated into Peach's and Daisy's moveset. He now assists them during their grabs, throws, and their neutral special.
Given, this doesn't entirely exclude the possibility of Captain Toad...
While these fighters aren't 100% disconfirmed, they might as well be. There's still a possibility that their Assist Trophy versions can be disabled while being played by users, but that's something that hasn't been done before.
Other characters that have been spotted as Assist Trophies include Takamura, Krystal, and Sukapon.
Of course, it is said that there are over 50 Assist Trophies in the game. There might be more disconfirmations later down the road. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will be releasing on December 7, 2018.
Be sure to let us know if you were disappointed to hear about any of these disconfirmations.
Sources: Nintendo YouTube channel, Nintendo Twitch channel.
