Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's last-ever DLC character will be Sora from Kingdom Hearts.
Announced by series creator Masahiro Sakurai in a 'Final Presentation', a new trailer referenced the original Smash Bros. Ultimate reveal. It showed Mario throwing a fireball that opened a portal, bringing Sora into the world of Smash Bros. Sora will be added to the game on October 18. It will cost $5.99 USD as a standalone, and is part of FIghters' Pass Volume 2.
Sakurai says Sora's controls are "relatively straightforward", but he will remain distinct from other characters. He's built for airborne combat, but his weakness is weight – he weighs less than Young Link or Isabelle, meaning you'll want to avoid hits. As you'd expect, his basic attacks utilise the keyblade, and several attacks are designed to hit enemies into the air, allowing you to begin air combos. Sora can also use some of Kingdom Hearts' magic – some are used for damage, while others are used as cosmetic-only taunts. The aim is for Sora to control as much as possible like he did in the original Kingdom Hearts.
Sora's base design is modelled on the original Kingdom Hearts game, but his other costumes reference other games in the Kingdom Hearts series. He will include English and Japanese voiceover options. The DLC also adds 9 Kingdom Hearts songs to the huge soundtrack – and for those who played Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, your save data will grant you one extra song.
Sora also gets a new stage, based around Hollow Bastion, the castle Maleficent inhabits towards the end of the original Kingdom Hearts. A fairly simple, one-platform stage, low time or stock sees it also transform into a location set inside the void-like Dive to the Heart realm, featuring stained glass window designs showing characters from the Square Enix series.
Tekken's Kazuya, was added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate back in June. Along with Xenoblade's Pyra and Final Fantasy 7's Sephiroth, it's been an exciting 12 months for new fighters. These iconic characters were also joined by Devil May Cry's Dante and Skyrim's Dovahkiin in June, who joined in the form of Mii fighter costumes.
While this might mark the end of Smash Bros. Ultimate, Sakurai himself has made clear that he won't be quitting game development anytime soon. It will be very interesting to see what Sakurai makes next – not least because the much-loved director has only made a single non-Smash Bros. game – Kid Icarus: Uprising – since 2008.
Other announcements in the showcase included Splatoon Mii Fighter costumes (Octoling, Judd) and a Doom Slayer Mii costume, and the reveal that the mainline Kingdom Hearts series will come to Switch as cloud games.
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