Super Smash Bros Ultimate fans were overjoyed when Kingdom Hearts’ Sora was announced as the final DLC, finally putting to rest a long debate over whether or not he could ever make it into Nintendo’s platform fighter.
“Thank you Sakurai” trended on Twitter following the announcement, which celebrated not just Sora coming to Smash, but the entire DLC package that consisted of 11 different character reveals alongside the series’ creator.
During the presentation, Masahiro Sakurai revealed that Sora was the most-requested fighter back when Nintendo held a massive community poll in 2015 when Smash 4 on Wii U was still being played.
Despite Sora not being everyone’s top choice (sorry, Master Chief fans), even those who wanted another character believed that the DLC ended on a high note.
Gamers celebrate the end of Smash Ultimate
I think Sora is the perfect ending to Smash Ultimate.
As cool as Master Chief would have been, Sora has consistently been the most requested character since Brawl – and Nintendo made it happen.
Fantastic to see it play out this way.#ThankYouSakurai pic.twitter.com/9QgGjElhpM
— Riley Little (@TheRileyLittle) October 5, 2021
“I think Sora is the perfect ending to Smash Ultimate,” Riley Little wrote. “As cool as Master Chief would have been, Sora has consistently been the most requested character since Brawl – and Nintendo made it happen.”
“I can’t believe Sora was the true winner of the fighter ballot from Smash 4 all along,” another chimed in, noting how long fans have been waiting to know the real results.
ALSO I CAN'T BELIEVE SORA WAS THE TRUE WINNER OF THE FIGHTER BALLOT FROM SMASH 4 ALL ALONG.
THAT'S A MYSTERY MORE THAN HALF A DECADE IN THE MAKING!
BAYONETTA WAS ONLY THE WINNER OF "REALIZABLE CHARACTERS"
— Psi (@PsiYoshi) October 5, 2021
Top-level Smash pros were thrilled by the results too. T1’s MKLeo thanked Sakurai for his hard work, writing, “The ultimate game is now completed.”
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The ultimate game is now completed…thank you so much for everything @Sora_Sakurai
— LG | MkLeo (@Mkleosb) October 5, 2021
Smash pros want Sora’s stage to be legal
Others were impressed by the new Kingdom Hearts stage, Hollow Bastion, and believe it can potentially be legalized in upcoming tournaments.
“Sora is a pretty perfect way to end the final SSBU DLC character pass, not one of my most wanted, but the music is amazing, we get a better Smashville,” Fatality said, hoping that tournament organizers add it to the stage list.
Sora is a pretty perfect way to end the final SSBU DLC character pass, not one of my most wanted, but the music is amazing, we get a better Smashville (seriously, let's replace smashville with that), and he looks pretty fun. Perfect choice. pic.twitter.com/OBNLFuRC9B
— Griffin Miller 🔜 Momocon (@FatalityFalcon) October 5, 2021
Smash World Tour and VGBootCamp co-founder GimR seemed to be on the same page as Fatality, asking fans, “Everyone down to replace Smashville with the new Kingdom Hearts stage?”
Everyone down to replace Smashville with the new Kingdom Hearts stage? This is Fire!
— GimR (@VGBC_GimR) October 5, 2021
Whether the stage gets added remains to be seen, but what’s also unclear is where Smash goes from here. Ultimate was a massive undertaking and it’s unlikely that any other game can come close to its roster. Plus, with Sakurai potentially retiring, there is no telling who could take up his position for the next title, if there is one.
Only time will tell, but at least Ultimate ended on a high note and not yet another Fire Emblem character.