Some Twitter users logged onto the social media website to find Fire Emblem: Three Houses' player-insert protagonist Byleth trending as of late. However, unlike when Blue Lions' House Leader Dimitri began trending because of his birthday last month, the attention being paid to Byleth does not relate to their game of origin. Rather, many are discussing the one-year anniversary of Byleth becoming a DLC fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
On January 14, 2020, Nintendo teased a character showcase hosted by Masahiro Sakurai on January 16 to reveal the final addition to Ultimate via its first Fighters Pass. Those who were around for the event at 6:00 a.m. PT learned that both male and female versions of Byleth were coming to the party fighting game, each utilizing a diverse set of weapons based on the Heroes' Relics held by their students.
Fire Emblem turned 30 last year, punctuated by the release of an English-localized version of the NES title Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light on Switch, and Three Houses has been a blockbuster success, selling over 30 million units as of November 2020. From that perspective, given how many players were likely introduced to the series via its first mainline Switch title, Byleth's inclusion in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate seems justified. In fact, many have been happy to reminisce about the character's reveal over the last few days.
However, it has become a popular talking point around the Smash Bros. series that there are "too many Fire Emblem characters" on the roster, with eight of the total 78 fighters currently in Ultimate being from Intelligent System's strategy RPG franchise. Because of this, and because Byleth seemed like a "safe choice" to end off the first Fighters Pass for many, not everyone was happy with the Smash Bros. Byleth DLC announcement - a sentiment that carries forward to this day.
With that being said, Sakurai announced there would be a second Fighters Pass with six additional DLC characters following Byleth when the character was revealed, so the Fire Emblem: Three Houses representative was just the end of the first "era" of Ultimate DLC. Since then, Min-Min from Nintendo's ARMS, Steve from Mojang Studios and Microsoft's Minecraft, and Sephiroth from Square Enix's Final Fantasy 7 have been added to the game, and three more fighters are in the works.
It's easy to see Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a celebration of video game history regardless of one's thoughts about each individual fighter. Though some leaks have attempted to figure out who the next three DLC characters will be, at this point the additions will be unclear until Nintendo makes an official announcement. That hasn't stopped people from putting out their hopes, like former Halo composer Martin O'Donnell expressing an interest in Master Chief coming to Smash Bros.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses is available now on Nintendo Switch.
Source: Smash Bros.