Why Sora Getting in Smash is Still the Best Thing That Ever Happened – One Year Later
Time certainly flies, doesn’t it? One year ago today, one of the most historic moments in gaming took place as Sora from Kingdom Hearts was announced as the final DLC character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
This was something fans had wanted for so long, but no one could have expected it would actually happen. With the passage of time, the ecstasy pretty much everyone felt at the announcement has sort of died down, but looking back on it, it’s plain to see that this is a moment in Smash – and possibly, all of gaming – history that will never be topped. Let’s break down why.
The Dark Side of Smash Discourse
Leading up to the reveal of the final DLC character for Smash Ultimate, one word easily describes how every gamer felt: fear. Ever since we found that Joker was coming to Smash all the way back in 2018, the next question was always “Who could be next?”
There was of course excitement and joy with most every reveal, but there was always that looming question of where we could go from here. How would Sakurai top this?
With every reveal, the Internet was a cesspool of supposed leaks, theories, most wanted lists, and every single big name in the industry claiming they knew for a fact who was going to be coming next, only for our expectations to be subverted every single time.
Sometimes, this was met with general praise and joy, like with Banjo-Kazooie and Steve, the latter of which was such a surprise it literally broke Twitter! Steve was probably just as anticipated and hype as Sora was due to the fact that, for so, the very idea of Minecraft being in Smash was perhaps the biggest meme in all of gaming, and everyone was convinced it was never going to happen.
But it did, and I think that is the most interesting thing about Smash reveals that made them so highly anticipated – literally anything was possible. There was so much debate, sometimes to the point of being toxic, about what characters could be in Smash for one reason or another that sometimes blurred with the debate of which characters should.
I remember seeing so many YouTubers and prominent streamers on Twitch and Twitter and other forums going on about why X character needed to be in Smash, why another couldn’t, what characters you were supposed to be excited about, why you shouldn’t like or care about a character that was just revealed, what characters were most deserving, and so on and so forth.
The reason I am pointing out all of this is that it is impossible to discuss the DLC characters in Smash without touching on how the timeline of revealed was filled with both good and bad. By highlighting the darker corners of the community, the lighter moments where everyone was collectively happy can shine through.
I think it important to acknowledge that fans’ expectations for Smash by the time of Ultimate had changed, for better or worse. It has given several members of the community an entitled mindset, especially if either their most wanted character didn’t get in or another character they didn’t want or care about did.
It’s important to acknowledge this fact because it is essential to understand that even the discourse surrounding Smash and gaming, in general, has become more toxic over the years, which just serves to make the moments of real unity stand out and be even more impactful, and the lead up to the reveal of Sora was that kind of moment.
A moment nearly 4 years in the making had finally come, and no matter how many people were convinced they knew what was coming, or who told people to give up on what they believed, Smash once again turned out to be what it had always been: unpredictable. That is what made Sora’s reveal so magical.
The Legacy of Smash
The actual trailer itself is also a testament and celebration of Smash and its status as a celebration of gaming. This is a quality of the series that, I feel, has been lost over time in the minds of some fans: Smash may be a fighting game, but it was never truly about competition or bringing in characters that “belonged”.
The only rule is that they have to be from a video game, plain and simple, and the series exists to encompass all possible genres and bring them together into one, massive love letter to gaming history, and Sora was the best possible choice to send off that celebration.
Everyone jokes about how much of a legal nightmare it likely was for Sakurai to get Sora into the game. Being from a game like Kingdom Hearts which is technically owned by several companies, the character might as well be wielding a keyblade made of copyright documents.
But regardless, Sakurai knew what the fans wanted and did the impossible, and pushed the boundaries of what we once thought was possible for Smash. However, it’s hard to imagine how much higher we can go from here if the series ever continues.
Or rather, when. Smash is far too big to die, and will likely continue with or without Sakurai’s involvement. From here on out, though, I’m hopeful we can go forward with a reminder that when it comes to Smash, nothing is impossible.
I hope we can look back at Sora and not only remember the hype and joy felt by millions of people, but never forget that at the end of the day, it was always about the community, and never the competition.
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