During the most recent Nintendo Direct event on February 17, 2021, Nintendo revealed that Xenoblade Chronicles 2's Pyra and Mythra would be next in line to join Super Smash Bros. Ultimate some time during March. Shortly after, a presentation showcasing the two characters hosted by Super Smash Bros. series creator Masahiro Sakurai was announced, which has revealed that Pyra and Mythra will be joining the roster of the game as the ninth DLC fighters later today.
Pyra and Mythra were first featured in Xenoblade Chronicles 2, which released for Nintendo Switch on December 1, 2017. The game was developed by Monolith Soft, the first-party Nintendo studio once owned by Bandai Namco behind beloved JRPGs such as Xenosaga and on the Switch, Xenoblade Chronicles 2. The open-world action RPG has become a cult hit on the Switch, prompting Monolith Soft to port the original Wii game to the system in the form of Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition in 2020.
In today's presentation, Masahiro Sakurai revealed that Pyra and Mythra will be released on the Nintendo eShop as the newest fighters to join Super Smash Bros. Ultimate since Final Fantasy 7's Sephiroth released back in January. He also provided an in-depth look at Pyra and Mythra's movesets. While the two characters share a placement on the roster, they must be controlled individually, however, they can be switched out mid-battle like Zelda and Sheik. Each of Pyra and Mythra's attacks are taken from their attacks in Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
As Sakurai highlights in the presentation, Pyra's moveset prioritizes power, with slow but heavy hitting attacks, while Mythra prioritizes speed, with fast but weaker attacks. Both of the characters feature different smash and special attacks, with some of Mythra's moves even taking inspiration from the Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna - The Golden Country expansion released in 2018. Sakurai claims that he hopes that the inclusion of Pyra and Mythra will motivate players to play Xenoblade Chronicles 2, while he also hopes some elements of the characters' inclusion won't spoil the game for certain players.
Pyra/Mythra constitute as the fourth character to join the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters Pass 2, which includes six characters overall. A popular rumor is that the next character to join the roster could be either Monster Hunter or Crash Bandicoot, however this leak seems somewhat unlikely now that Monster Hunter Mii costumes will release alongside Pyra and Mythra. It is not yet known when Nintendo will announce the next character, it seems likely that it will be during the next Nintendo Direct presentation, likely during the summer.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is out now, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.