Beginning with Super Smash Bros. Brawl, assist trophies were added as an item in the Super Smash Bros series. Similarly to Poke Balls, assist trophies summon a randomized character who will aid a player in battle. Oftentimes, assist trophies have acted as a way to represent characters or series that aren't playable fighters.

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However, many assist trophies throughout the Super Smash Bros series have made the transition from item to fighter. Little Mac and Isabelle are examples of this, appearing as playable in the games after their first assist trophy appearance. With that in mind, these 10 assist trophies deserve their spot on the next Smash Bros roster.

10 Shadow

Shadow using Chaos Control in Smash Bros Ultimate

Sonic the Hedgehog's inclusion in Super Smash Bros. Brawl was a historical moment in video game history. The character had long been rivals with Mario in the 90s, and third-party characters were brand-new in Brawl with the inclusion of Snake from Metal Gear Solid. However, there should definitely be room in the roster for Sonic's own rival.

Shadow has appeared in many Sonic games since his debut in Sonic Adventure 2. He's even had his own solo game in Shadow the Hedgehog. Transitioning from an assist trophy, Shadow could combine the speed of Sonic with more variety in his moveset, utilizing Chaos Control as well as being armed with weapons to be a completely unique fighter.

9 Shovel Knight

Shovel Knight digging up food in Smash Bros Ultimate

Shovel Knight is one of the first indie characters to appear in Super Smash Bros and the first to be made into an Assist Trophy. His origin game, Shovel Knight, harkens back to Metroidvania-style games, with some influence from Mega Man as well. As a playable character, Shovel Knight could inherit a lot of aspects from Mega Man's playstyle.

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One of these aspects is the use of power-ups. Like Mega Man, Shovel Knight acquires new abilities each level, which would make for perfect special moves. However, Shovel Knight's standard attacks could vary from Mega Man's by being more up-close, utilizing his shovel to bury opponents rather than fire laser beams at them from afar.

8 Takamaru

Takamaru posing with his sword in Smash Bros Ultimate

Few casual Nintendo fans may know Takamaru, as the character originally appeared in the Japan-exclusive Famicom game The Mysterious Murasame Castle. In the Legend of Zelda-like game, Takamaru battles enemies with his katana, while also utilizing throwing knives and fireballs as additional attacks. However, the character could be quite a unique fighter.

As a playable fighter, Takamaru could be a unique swordfighter with his various abilities. He could also have movement more akin to characters like Sheik or Ryu as opposed to Marth or Link. Perhaps the addition of Takamaru could also raise popularity in a Murasame Castle reboot, which almost came to pass with a Nintendo Land minigame.

7 Isaac

Isaac using magic in Smash Bros Ultimate

Isaac is the main protagonist of the Golden Sun series, which has been a dormant franchise for many years. Despite fans' clamoring for a new title from Nintendo, Isaac has made several appearances as an assist trophy in the Super Smash Bros series. As an assist trophy, Isaac utilizes his Move ability, pushing opponents across the stage.

However, the Isaac that appears in Golden Sun has a lot more abilities that would make him a unique fighter. Particularly, the character is proficient in Earth-related magic, which could make him one of few fighters who utilize nature-related attacks, alongside Ivysaur and Piranha Plant. It would certainly be more refreshing than another RPG swordfighter.

6 Krystal

Krystal holding her spear in Smash Bros Ultimate

There are three playable fighters in Super Smash Bros Ultimate from the Star Fox series: Fox, Falco, and Wolf. For a series with an iconic place in Nintendo's history, these three fighters operate quite similarly to each other. A good addition to Smash from the Star Fox franchise with some variety would be Krystal, a recurring assist trophy.

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From her appearance in Star Fox Adventures, Krystal is playable in certain parts of the game, but has a much different movepool than Fox or even Wolf. In the game, she wields a staff and utilizes telepathy, which she later loses and is found by Fox early in the game. Krystal would be a worthy addition to the Smash roster with some much-needed diversity.

5 Bomberman

Bomberman placing a remote bomb in mid-air in Smash Bros Ultimate

Prior to being revealed as an assist trophy in Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Bomberman occupied a similar space in fans' wishlist to Pac-Man or Mega Man. The character is video game royalty, and operates in Smash similarly to his original games. He places bombs around the stage, including remote bombs, which often explode in cross shapes.

Bomberman was additionally added as a Mii Fighter costume in 2020, as one of the few Mii costumes that is also an assist trophy. However, being added to the Smash roster seems inevitable, given Bomberman's place in gaming history. The only hurdle would be giving him a moveset with more variety than just laying down bombs and detonating them.

4 Excitebiker

A pixelated Excitebike character appearing in Smash Bros Brawl

The bikers from the NES classic Excitebike appeared as assist trophies in Super Smash Bros Brawl, but are absent in both subsequent titles. However, the original title remains one of the most iconic Nintendo games, and even has representation in games like Mario Kart 8. It's possible that the simplistic nature of the game doesn't lend well to a diverse moveset.

That being said, there have been plenty of modern reboots of the Excitebike franchise, with games like Excite Truck and Excite Bots. Perhaps an Excitebike fighter could incorporate aspects of these games into its moveset, or even take from games outside the franchise such as Mach Rider, another common suggestion for a Smash Bros character.

3 Tingle

Tingle summoning flowers in Smash Bros Brawl

For a series with as many unique characters as The Legend of Zelda, it has very few playable fighters in Super Smash Bros. The most recent addition to the roster was back in Brawl, when Toon Link replaced Young Link, but that hasn't stopped fans from wishing for new characters. An obvious choice is Tingle, who appeared as an assist trophy in Brawl.

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For a unique Smash Bros character, Tingle has a lot of inspiration to choose from. He can use the balloon he flies with in Majora's Mask, or items that appeared in the spin-off titles starring Tingle. Perhaps if Tingle makes an appearance in a future Zelda game, he'll have additional abilities that would inspire a Smash Bros movepool.

2 Midna

Midna posing in Smash Bros Ultimate

In terms of Zelda characters already primed for a unique Smash Bros moveset, Midna takes the cake. The character's assist trophy is simplistic, using her hair to grab and throw players across the stage. However, a playable version could stand out by having Midna mount Wolf Link, incorporating moves from Twilight Princess.

An interesting way to incorporate Wolf Link into Midna's moveset would be for one of her special moves to summon him. Like many DLC characters, this could give Midna a complex moveset that switches whether she has Wolf Link by her side or not. It would also be interesting to see more four-legged fighters in Smash other than Ivysaur and Duck Hunt.

1 Waluigi

Waluigi running with a tennis racket from Luigi and Mario in Smash 4

By far, one of the most requested assist trophies to be turned into fighters is Waluigi. As a recurring character in the Mario series, it's surprising that Waluigi hasn't become playable yet, especially since his counterpart Wario was introduced all the way back in Super Smash Bros Brawl, albeit with moves inspired by the Warioware games.

Given Waluigi's exclusivity to spin-off Mario titles such as Mario Kart or Mario Party, Waluigi's moveset could be a tribute to those games. He could summon a Dice Block with his up-special, or race in a kart with his side special. His attacks could also incorporate aspects of Mario-centric sports games, such as a golf club, tennis racket, or soccer ball.

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