The most recent DLC fighter announcement for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has been somewhat controversial. Fire Emblem fans adore the selection of Byleth to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Others disagree, saying that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate already has too many Fire Emblem characters, not to mention sword-using characters. In a surprise twist, Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai has chimed in on the topic. Even more surprising, he agrees with his critics.
According to an interview that Sakurai did with the Japanese magazine Fumitsu, he repeats the main criticism of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate fans. He says that there are too many Fire Emblem characters already in the game. He says that there are too many swordsmen in the game, too. With Byleth's addition, there are 8 total Fire Emblem characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. That's more roster slots than some of Nintendo's biggest franchises.
Sakurai isn't going to take full blame for the decision to include Byleth in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, however. Sakurai says he didn't make the decision to add Byleth as a DLC character for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Nintendo was the decision maker in this circumstance and Sakurai makes clear that Byleth's inclusion was not his preference. He notes that Chrom, who is a new character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, was added due to him being prominent in many recent Fire Emblem games. Byleth is being added due to being the protagonist of the latest Fire Emblem title, which wasn't ready when characters were first being added.
To be fair, it's not unreasonable for Nintendo to be making decisions about DLC characters for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Nintendo can work with its partners to get characters that would otherwise be unavailable, like with Banjo Kazooie. However, there's clearly a downside to this, too. Nintendo will prioritize its own characters further partnered additions, it seems. It just happens that fans would prefer third-party characters in their DLC packs more often than not.
For Super Smash Bros. Ultimate players disappointed with the choice of Byleth for the next DLC character, Nintendo's got plenty more coming down the pipeline. Six more DLC fighters have been confirmed for the fighting game via its Fighter Pass 2 expansion pass. Nintendo doesn't have any details about these upcoming DLC fighters to share yet, but they're unlikely to be more Fire Emblem characters.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available now exclusively on Nintendo Switch.
Source: ryokutya2089