Before we get into it, here’s the full Smash Direct presented by Masahiro Sakurai on October 5th:
I personally dislike going on social media during big reveal days and immediately getting spoiled by the headlines, so I tried to avoid doing the selfsame thing that I dislike. You probably already know who it is by now, either way.
The final character to join the roster of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is none other than Sora from the Kingdom Hearts franchise.
This immensely popular series was a curious project during its debut year back in 2002, as it was a collaborative game combining worlds and characters from the Disney and Final Fantasy franchises. At the outset, Sora and his friends, Kairi and Riku, are thrust from their provincial island life when shadowy organisms called “heartless” invade Destiny Island and swallow it in darkness. As Sora seeks to reunite himself with his friends, he meets his fellow compatriots, Donald and Goofy, and together they embark on a journey to save all worlds from the assault of the heartless. At the time, it was mind-blowing watching characters like Hades, voiced by James Woods, employ Cloud Strife from FFVII to defeat Hercules in the colosseum. It was silly, incongruous, and it somehow worked.
From the reveal trailer, Sakurai suggests that it was a considerable task negotiating Sora into Super Smash Bros. Disney claims ownership over the Kingdom Hearts franchise, which is developed in partnership with Square Enix. Getting all the legal paperwork signed, stamped, and approved with the House of Mouse and Square must have been quite an undertaking. Sakurai also explains that, during the heyday of Super Smash Bros for Nintendo 3DS and WiiU, Sora actually came in first place during the Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot. Curiously, however, Sora’s partners, Donald and Goofy, make no appearances in the reveal video, stage, or even during Sora’s final smash. His final smash features him locking his victims away behind a massive door and sealing it with the keyblade, presumably de-confirming them from any future Smash titles.
Sora’s stage will be the Hollow Bastion, which will progress into the “Dive to the heart” sequence when the stocks are low or the time is ticking down.
It’s a bit sad to see Masahiro Sakurai sign off for perhaps the last time, as I’ve come to enjoy his somewhat mischievous personality and entertaining demeanor during these reveal videos. Part of me will miss the memes, speculation, and fake leaks, but damn it, Sakurai has earned himself a break.
On October 18th, 2021, Sora will become available for purchase, either alone for $5.99 or as part of the Fighters Pass Volume 2 DLC package. With his addition, the roster will be brought up to a whopping 89 playable characters.
Did you get who you wanted? Let us know in the comments!
J-List also has this adorable Sora Nendoroid for sale in the shop, but if you pine for the darker side of the heart, we also have this posable heartless as well. You can read the blog details for the Sora Nendoroid here!
