Who Smash Fans Want: Dante
With Marvel vs. Capcom seemingly on ice due to the last entry’s poor sales, the wise-cracking devil hunter is in need of a new side gig.
The son of a devout maiden and a legendary demon, Dante is blessed with a kind heart and a killer set of skills. He’s an ace with most firearms, swords and most any other weapon he comes into contact with, can swap between different styles of fighting on the fly, and can activate his Devil Trigger ability to grant himself a burst of increased speed, strength and healing.
And that only covers what he can do on his own. Should one of his allies be within his vicinity, he can count on them for assistance in the form of a rocket launcher blast, thunder bolts from above or a demonic appendage that grabs and incapacitates foes.
This would make him a great addition to Smash’s roster, and one of the more diverse additions in terms of move sets at that. Plus, given that Devil May Cry’s original trilogy has now been successfully ported to the Nintendo Switch, it would make for some A-grade marketing for both series.
Who Fans Will Get: Leo
Unfortunately, Dante’s slot may already have someone to fill it, albeit by a character that’s a little different from him personality-wise.
The second youngest of the Nohrian royal siblings in Fire Emblem Fates, Leo is a resolute warrior with a surprisingly soft heart. He cares for innocents and those closest to him, and while he may put potential friends through dire trials to prove their worth, he’ll defend them with sword and magic both once they’ve proven they’re worth the effort.
Whereas other Fire Emblem characters prioritize swords over magic, Leo could be a primarily ranged-magic user, hitting enemies with Elthunders and dark curses both to pick off enemies from a distance. Should they get too close, he could hammer them with sword attacks and create distance so that he can get back to his magical shenanigans.
And that doesn’t even factor in his horse. Either as an Ultimate Smash attack or as a standard move, he could summon his horse to trample over opponents. Who needs a sword when you’ve got a ton of steed to barrel over your enemies?
