Super Smash Bros. Ultimate recently shocked its fan base with the reveal of its next DLC fighter, Sephiroth. By all accounts, most players never thought Sephiroth was an option, so his inclusion has sparked a wave of speculation about future DLC characters. Up until now, most players were waiting to see Dante, Geno, Master Chief, or a variety of other characters, but now that Sephiroth has broken the mold, other options are being considered. All of these requested characters have a few things in common, and they fit with all of the rules put in place by Sakurai about DLC characters.
Sephiroth broke some of those rules, so now Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has a lot of potential to add different characters to its already expansive roster. One interesting new character that many would no doubt love to see added is Zagreus from Supergiant Games' Hades. Having only released earlier this year, Hades impressed nearly everyone that played it, and its primary protagonist, Zagreus, seems like he was made for Smash Bros. There's a lot to consider about just how viable this would be, however, and fans shouldn't expect him to be added just because his game is popular right now.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC Rules
There are a few rules about what characters can be added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Some of these rules have been stated by series creator Masahiro Sakurai himself, while others are sort of unspoken rules that arose from patterns that fans have noticed. For example, Sakurai has said in the past that characters that didn't originate from video games aren't an option, that's why Goku from Dragon Ball Z isn't an option, but technically Bonyu from Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot could be added to Smash.
Some of these types of rules have already been broken, though. When Min Min was added as DLC, the belief that Spirit characters couldn't transition and become full-fledged fighters was dispelled. Likewise, Sephiroth's inclusion removes the notion that 3rd party franchises won't get two representatives in the game. Most of the 3rd party DLC fighters that have introduced so far are from established franchises, and most of the requested DLC characters are also. With all these other rules being broken, this one could be too. If that were the case, then it wouldn't be too outlandish to see Zagreus in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters Pass 2
Perhaps the biggest thing that might ruin Zagreus' chances of getting that coveted invitation is timing. Hades only officially released in September of this year (though it was in early access before that), well into the current Fighters Pass. It could be that Nintendo already has a clear idea of who the remaining three fighters are, in which case Zagreus likely isn't one of them due to him only becoming popular recently. That said, there's nothing that confirms that all the fighters have already been pre-determined, and that hasn't stopped fans from creating popularity poll after popularity poll to determine who they think should be next.
This second Fighters Pass in particular has seen some pretty unexpected arrivals. Between Minecraft Steve and Sephiroth, it really seems like anything is possible at this point. There may not be any evidence at the moment pointing towards Zagreus' inclusion as a DLC fighter in the near future, but there certainly isn't anything counting him out either. Hades even had a commanding presence at this year's The Game Awards, where it was nominated for eight awards and managed to win two of them despite its status as an indie game made by a relatively small team.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Zagreus Moveset
The gameplay in Hades gives Zagreus a diverse move set that could easily be translated into a character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. There's a number of ways this could be handled. Zagreus' different Infernal Arms could all be represented in his moveset, just like Byleth's many weapons are. Alternatively, the boons he receives from the Olympian gods could work similarly to Shulk's Monado Arts, each providing Zagreus some kind of extended bonus. More than likely he would only have one of these two features, as too much variation would make the character confusing.
Zagreus' up special could be either a two-part dash (much like Pikachu's quick attack) or an uppercut with the Twin Fists of Malphon, providing him recovery. His neutral special would probably relate either to his weapons or his boons. Forward special could represent Zagreus' cast ability, while down special might be a counter with Aegis, the Shield of Chaos. There's plenty of other ways Zagreus could be brought to life in Smash and still be true to his character, giving Sakurai and the team a lot of freedom to craft the character how they want to.
Zagreus' Stage, Music, and Spirits
Finally, every new DLC character comes with a new stage, soundtracks, and spirits for players to enjoy. If Super Smash Bros. Ultimate were to add a stage based on Hades, it would likely feature one or more of the different levels of Hades that players travel through when trying to escape. Whether this would be a stage depicting Elysium's arena or perhaps a boat ride with Charon through all four regions, there's a lot of potential in the world of Hades. The music is another defining aspect of the game, so it would be great to see some of that as well.
In terms of the spirit board that would accompany Zagreus, there's a huge cast of diverse and unique characters that could fill those spaces. Megaera, Thanatos, Theseus, and of course Lord Hades himself would all be great choices. With the huge number of characters already in Ultimate, they could be represented in any number of ways. Of course, all of this is just speculation, and fans certainly shouldn't expect to see Zagreus anytime soon. Until then, players will have to familiarize themselves with Sephiroth instead.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available now on Switch.