After three incredible years of support, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has finally come to an end. Characters from across the video game industry have been added to the game in that time, spanning Microsoft representatives like Steve and Banjo-Kazooie to fighting game characters like Terry Bogard and Kazuya Mishima. With the announcement of the sixth character in Fighters Pass Vol. 2, there are no further planned updates for Smash Ultimate. Fans were hoping that the game would end with a bang, and for many, it did. Sora from Kingdom Hearts is coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and he looks like a joy to play.
As always, Masahiro Sakurai and his team made an effort to give Sora the same look and feel of his home series. Taking up his iconic Keyblade, Sora leaps and twirls across Smash's many worlds, exhibiting huge, floaty jumps infused with a surprising amount of control. An effort was made to ensure he would still be easy to play, matching the reputation of Kingdom Hearts itself. As always, fans are wondering just how strong this new fighter will be. Smash DLC has built up a reputation for producing the strongest characters in the game, and if Sakurai's presentation is any indication, Sora is no exception.
A Spell for Every Strike
In general, Sora looks like a lightweight character that enjoys converting short combos off of most, if not all, of his attacks. He has joined the ranks of the many sword fighters filling Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's cast, and that comes with the implication of slightly longer reach. He's no Sephiroth or Shulk, but Sora can definitely lay a beatdown from medium-range. Sora has also inherited the standard swordfighter down-special counter, though this one appears to provide less protection than others.
Of special interest is Sora's neutral-special magic attack. Sora will cycle between Firaga, Thundaga, and Blizzaga, with each spell serving a distinct purpose. Firaga is a projectile that can be continuously shot in a steady rhythm. Thundaga can do a lot of damage to opponents and launch them away from Sora, as well as potentially KO off the platform. Blizzaga is a more situational spell, being a shotgun blast that temporarily freezes opponents and lasts longer at higher percentages. A lot of sword fighter characters are also decent zoners, but it seems like Sora will be able to mount an especially good ranged offense.
Keyblade Master of the Sky
All that places Sora at least mid-tier in Ultimate's current meta. However, it's his unique movement options and powerful aerial capabilities that push Sora into the typical DLC tiers, and possibly a little higher. Sora is light, which is supposed to partially offset his strengths, as he will take more knock-back and ring out sooner. However, his double jump is absurdly floaty and high, and when combined with his aerial actions, allows him to move around the screen quickly. He's vulnerable once he lands, but with a diving down-air, one of the game's rare up-specials that doesn't cause special falling, and three Sonic Blade mid-air dashes, it will take a fair bit of speed and probably a guess or two to catch him.
Things get much worse once Sora actually hits his opponent. Many of Sora’s attacks launch, and combined with the high power of his up-special’s last hit and its ability to chain into Sonic Blade, some worry that Sora will have ladder combos. This infamous strategy has only been available to a small handful of characters in Super Smash Bros.’ lifetime, including the sometimes-banned Smash 4 Bayonetta. They entail a character dragging their opponent to the top of the screen with one combo and knocking them out. Something that looks like a ladder combo was seen in Sakurai’s stream, so there is as much a chance that the developers are aware of Sora’s potential as there is the chance that the combo will still be there on launch. At any rate, players will need to respect Sora as his tech develops, and can probably expect to see him in future tournaments.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available right now for Nintendo Switch.