Super Smash Bros. All-Time Merit Ranking (Finale in Issue 194!)

ALL CHARACTERS LOCKED IN!

Little Mac and Young Link shall be the Feburary characters!

Little Mac 48
Young Link 34
Hero 28
Palutena 18
Ike 18
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The voting for March now begins too. With Incineroar currently in 5th

Corrin 18
Lucina 14
Dark Samus 12
Lucario 8
Incineroar 6
Terry 4
Roy 2
Kazuya 0
Richter 0
Ken 0
 
HALF-WEEK WARNING

Into the half-week for the beginning of the March issue voting. Roy is currently in 5th

Dark Samus 34
Corrin 26
Lucario 24
Lucina 20
Roy 14
Kazuya 10
Richter 10
Incineroar 8
Terry 8
Ken 8
 
1. Lucario
2, Kazuya
3. Incineroar
4. Roy
5. Lucina
 
SEPHIROTH
800px-SSBU_Sephiroth.png

Fighter Number: 78
Fighter Group: Ultimate Newcomers/Fighter's Pass 2
Franchise: Final Fantasy
Game of Origin: Final Fantasy VII (PS1, 1997 (US/JP/EU)​

I noted when covering Joker about the Game Awards and it's history with Smash reveals. After the year Joker was revealed, it had a big letdown the next year when they didn't confirm or deny a Smash reveal. So naturally it ended up having none. That sort of reaction made it so that the next time, Geoff would say in advance that the next Smash Bros. fighter will be announced there. The only question of course was who was it going to be.

Exactly two years and a week ago, we didn't have to wait long much at all into the show to get our answer. We started with a trailer that seemed at first like a repeat of the World of Light. Perhaps getting us to think there'd be more then just a character but actual more content to an already pretty lengthy single-player mode. Though things turn very different when a sudden sword swipe sound is heard and Galeem is split in half. Who could have been so powerful to strike Galeem with one blow? Is it perhaps some powerful hero that came to the cast of Smash's rescue on a similar way to what future Trunks did to Frieza right before the Android Saga of Dragonball Z?

…But then you hear the music. Very iconic music, but not a theme of a triumphant hero. It's the theme of a villain so notorious, that nearly the ENTIRE gaming community knew who it was the moment they heard those first few notes. And that's when we realized that Galeem being cut down didn't mean they were saved. Just… under new management. For the new fighter, was none other then the One Winged Angel… Sephiroth.

Despite being from an already represented franchise… let alone an already represented game in said franchise. This was for sure a worthy announcement, probably far more than Joker was. Sephiroth is one of the most famous villains in all of video game history all because of his evil deeds in what is definitely the most popular Final Fantasy game. It's also another case where even the people who are dead set against more anime swordsmen in Smash. Many can make a big exception, because IT'S FUCKING SEPHIROTH!

The trailer even made it almost seem like he impaled Mario, it'd actually end up that he had Mario lifted up by the overalls… but the image just before that is still dark enough that it's kinda surprising Nintendo allowed that to happen to everyone's favorite plumber. The trailer itself was mostly a re-enactment of Cloud and Sephiroth's battle in Advent Children, a film set in the Post-FF7 world. The film as a whole doesn't have the best of reputations (Silliness like the whole dilly dally shilly shally part that was done because the english dub had to account for the lip movements that were made to match the Japanese audio) almost everyone agrees that the best part of the film were the fight scenes and in particular the rematch between Cloud and Sephiroth. (Although even that scene has it's parts that are often made fun of, such as "Shall I give you dis pear"). It almost seems like Sakurai himself was a fan of the film in some fashion since the trailer was just about shot-for-shot in many parts of it.

We of course can't talk about Sephiroth without mentioning his most infamous deed that's sort of become basically the "Darth Vader is Luke's father" of Gaming. A moment so monumental and meant to be a huge twist that's spread out so loud that there's probably a good number of people who have never played a video game knows that Sephiroth kills Aerith. Character's dying in the stories of Video games have obviously been done before, but rarely was it done to a party member in which a character has invested time in leveling up and equipping items to. I suppose a big exception of that would be the Fire Emblem series, but Fire Emblem didn't reach worldwide audiences until much later and even then… later entries would add a casual mode that removes the consequences of perma-death. But in Final Fantasy 7 there is no saving Aerith from her fate. You could gameshark or action replay it somehow, but the fact of the matter is the game is meant to go on without a character that had probably endeared themselves to players by this point dying in such a sudden way. No matter how much you level her up (And it is possible to get her to max level before this moment) she'll be forever removed from your party from then onward. And Sephiroth was the big bastard that did this to her. If you were at all attached to Aerith, it may have very well given you the motivation to continue onward and beat the snot out of Sephiroth. Though there's one thing we can't argue with, it's the kind of scene that makes Sephiroth the iconic villain that he was. There is a huge difference between villains we hate, like they're not very good villains in some way or form and the villains that we LOVE to hate. In that we love that their villainy leaves a strong impact on the story and we cheer for their downfall, but we don't disagree that they're not written poorly. Sephiroth is very much in what I'd call an Azula tier character, named after an Avatar: The Last Airbender character that was notoriously cunning and evil. Maybe some would say Azula's far above Sephiroth because some call Sephiroth's a bit too much of a 'Mommy's Boy' (Although if you've seen Avatar: The Last Airbender, Azula's actually not too far off). But through Aerith's death and summoning Meteor, there's a whole bunch of things that motivate you to stop Sephiroth at all costs. And the moment you save the world from him feels satisfying.

Sephiroth to note is the first time outside of echo fighters that a character from a 3rd party franchise got in as a completely separate character. This opens up the door to a few other very iconic characters, and I don't mean just other villains such as Dr. Eggman (Not that I'd complain too much) but also other characters that are nearly as synonymous with their franchise as their main characters. Fans of characters like Chun-Li and Tails (Or any other Sonic character for that matter) should be applauding Sephiroth's inclusion because of what that means for the future. If Smash 4 helped creak open the door for more 3rd Parties after Brawl only had room for 2, Ultimate has left it wide-open where more is possible. In some ways, I almost would have preferred that the content that came with Sephiroth was already there with Cloud and we could get a different rep from the Final Fantasy games. But as is? I understand that not even FF6, which could have picked up perhaps Terra as part of the classic Final Fantasies. And the idea of having it possible to have Cloud Vs. Sephiroth in Smash might have been quite enticing. Whether we like it or not FF7 is the most mainstream and popular game in the whole franchise, so while it'd be nice to be a bit more diverse with the history of Final Fantasy. When it comes to a DLC choice, it makes more sense to add a name almost everyone in the community remembers for one reason or another. No one will ever forget the time they saw Sephiroth plunge a sword through Aerith's chest. And in a roundabout way, also Sephiroth killing off the hopes and dreams of most Square-owned characters other then him.

For me personally, it's kinda funny that it in both DLC periods of Smash 4 and Ultimate. Both Cloud and Sephiroth were the ones I personally found the most fun to play as. I have no lifelong attachment to the Final Fantasy franchise, but I am certainly glad to have them in Smash… even if the latter is more so the ulterior motive of hoping Tails one day makes it. But Sephiroth was a great choice for Smash regardless. Now excuse me as I take a bite of dis pear.

___________________________________________________________________

As for Sephiroth's merit, it should be important to note that Cloud eats up most of the merit Sephiroth has. Even with how iconic Sephiroth is, in terms of merit he cannot be near Cloud. Maybe it'd be the case if the Final Fantasy franchise was more like Zelda or Mario where the hero is always an incarnation or is still Cloud. And the villain is the same but for Sephiroth. Even with re-appearences in many games based in the FF7 universe along with the current re-make trilogy. Cloud still eats up most of the merit that adds too. And that does mean many characters that starred in their own franchises take priority merit-wise compared to Sephiroth even if he made a bigger impact on gaming then any game in a particular Nintendo franchise's history. He is at the very least above most of the newer characters. I am putting him behind the likes of Ness and Captain Falcon despite the finished and dormant state of those franchises, but above Robin and Jigglypuff who are extra reps themselves.

1. Mario
2. Link
3. Pikachu
4. Donkey Kong
5. Kirby
6. Samus
7. Luigi
8. Wario
9. Yoshi
10. Bowser
11. Peach
12. Mii Fighters
13. Mega Man
14. Pac-Man
15. Diddy Kong
16. Banjo & Kazooie
17. Simon Belmont
18. King Dedede
19. Mewtwo
20. Ridley
21. King K. Rool
22. Zelda
23. Ganondorf
24. Mr. Game & Watch
25. Sonic the Hedgehog
26. Cloud
27. Sora
28. Ryu
29. Bowser Jr.
30. Olimar
31. Fox
32. Rosalina & Luma
33. Marth
34. Zero Suit Samus
35. Toon Link
36. Isabelle
37. Inkling
38. Snake
39. Shulk
40. Pit
41. Ness
42. Captain Falcon
43. Sephiroth
44. Robin
45. Jigglypuff
46. Duck Hunt
47. Greninja
48. Steve
49. Bayonetta
50. Lucas
51. Pyra
52. Mythra
53. Joker
54. Sheik
55. ROB
56. Min Min
57. Byleth
58. Ice Climbers
59. Wii Fit Trainer
60. Chrom
61. Dr. Mario
62. Dark Pit
63. Piranha Plant
 
LAST CALL

Tomorrow the 5th place of the March issue is locked in. Currently that's set to be Roy. (Lucina and Roy both have 4 voters making up their total. Lucina's support IIRC has been up there longer then Roy's has. Richter is also tied in points however only 2 people make up his points. So Lucina and Roy have priority over him.)

Lucario 28
Dark Samus 26
Corrin 22
Lucina 18
Roy 18
Richter 18
Incineroar 14
Kazuya 10
Terry 10
Ken 8
 
LUCINA IS LOCKED IN!

Next up is the 4th place. Which currently sits Corrin. Right now also we don't have a clear-cut favorite for the March 2023 Shroom issue yet. Currently belongs to Richter and Lucario, but it's very close.

Richter 28
Lucario 26
Dark Samus 24
Corrin 20
Lucina 18
 
HALF-WEEK WARNING

Into the half-week Roy is next to be locked in should no more votes come in by Sunday

Lucario 36
Richter 34
Incineroar 26
Roy 22
Lucina 18
Dark Samus 16
Corrin 14
Terry 14
Kazuya 16
Ken 6
 
LAST CALL

Voting's very tight now, but tomorrow Corrin is currently in place to be locked in tomorrow if nothing else happens

Richter 34
Lucario 32
Incineroar 26
Corrin 24
Lucina 18
Terry 22
Roy 20
Dark Samus 16
Kazuya 8
Ken 8
 
e: forgot lucina is locked in

1. Lucario
2, Kazuya
3. Dark Samus
4. Roy
5. Ken
 
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DARK SAMUS IS LOCKED IN!

Now to decide the Top 2 for March. Which still belongs to Richter and Lucario at the moment

Richter 38
Lucario 32
Terry 24
Dark Samus 22
Lucina 18
 
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