In the quiet between announcements, the internet fills the void with speculation — and sometimes, speculation carries real weight. With four character slots remaining in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's second Fighters Pass, fans and analysts are sifting through leaked images, anonymous forum posts, and corporate tweets to divine who Nintendo might invite next to its grand crossover stage. It is a ritual as old as fandom itself: the attempt to read the future in fragments, knowing that some fragments are genuine and others are carefully crafted illusions.
Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC Theories: Sora, Master Chief & More Contenders
Where there's smoke, there may be fire.
Mark
So we're basically in a waiting game. Four slots left, and everyone's throwing names at the wall.
Mimi
Right. And the thing is, some of these leaks have actually been right before. That June 2020 post got multiple predictions correct about game releases, which gives it real credibility when it talks about Rean or Adol.
Luke
But credibility on game releases doesn't automatically mean credibility on Smash. Those could be separate pieces of information from different sources.
Mimi
Fair point. But it's the best evidence we have that isn't just fan wishcasting.
Mark
What about the Sora images? Those seemed pretty convincing.
Luke
They look convincing, but modding is sophisticated enough now that you can't verify anything from screenshots alone. And the fact that they're in the training arena, not a custom stage, actually suggests they might be a reskin.
Mimi
The Disney negotiation history is the real thing there. If Nintendo tried before and failed, the fact that they tried at all means something.
Mark
So we're looking at a mix of technical evidence, historical precedent, and just... timing. Like, DOOM Eternal is coming to Switch, so Doomguy makes sense.
Luke
That's marketing logic, not confirmation. Lots of games come to Switch without their characters joining Smash.
Mimi
True, but it's the kind of thing Nintendo would consider. They're not random.
Mark
What about Master Chief? That Xbox tweet seems like a long shot.
Luke
It's a tweet. It's cute marketing. But it does show Microsoft is willing to play along with the idea, which is more than we had before.
Mimi
And they've already worked with Nintendo on Steve and Banjo. The relationship exists.
Mark
So by February or whenever the next announcement comes, we'll know if any of this was real.
Luke
We'll know one thing for certain. Everything else will still be speculation.
The Pulse
- Sora from Kingdom Hearts leads the rumor field, buoyed by fan votes and leaked screenshots, but the ease of modding Smash characters keeps skepticism alive.
- A June 2020 anonymous post has earned unusual credibility by correctly predicting multiple Nintendo-Falcom business moves, lending weight to its suggestion of Rean Schwarzer or Adol Christin as Smash candidates.
- An older leak that correctly foresaw Hero and Steve also named Ryu Hayabusa and Doomguy — and with DOOM Eternal and a Ninja Gaiden collection both heading to Switch, the timing feels deliberate.
- Five empty voice slots in the game's sound test — one more than the four remaining DLC spots — hint at a character with alternate skins, with Crash Bandicoot and sister Coco fitting the pattern neatly.
- Master Chief remains a long shot, but an official Xbox France tweet acknowledging the idea — combined with Nintendo's existing Microsoft relationship through Steve and Banjo — means the door is no longer fully closed.
In the quiet between announcements, the internet fills the void with speculation — and sometimes, speculation carries real weight. With four character slots remaining in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's second Fighters Pass, fans and analysts are sifting through leaked images, anonymous forum posts, and corporate tweets to divine who Nintendo might invite next to its grand crossover stage. It is a ritual as old as fandom itself: the attempt to read the future in fragments, knowing that some fragments are genuine and others are carefully crafted illusions.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate still has four character slots to fill in its second Fighters Pass, and in the absence of official word from Nintendo, the internet has become a laboratory of theories, leaks, and careful pattern-matching. Separating genuine signals from elaborate fan fiction is the central challenge — modding tools are sophisticated, and fabricated screenshots are easy to produce.
Sora from Kingdom Hearts stands as the most discussed candidate. Japanese fans ranked him their most-wanted fighter, and images surfaced showing him on the character select screen and in training mode. The leak even named The Game Awards as the announcement venue. The skepticism is warranted — the footage shows no original stage, and the character model could be a reskin of Shulk. Yet Nintendo reportedly attempted to add Sora years ago before Disney Japan blocked it, and the company's five-year effort to secure Steve suggests that prior interest in a character is meaningful, not trivial.
A separate anonymous post from June 2020 has built a quiet reputation for accuracy. It predicted Nintendo's business negotiations with Falcom and NIS — including Switch ports of Trails of Cold Steel, Trails to Zero, Trails to Azure, and Ys IX — all of which were subsequently confirmed. The same post described smooth talks about adding a Smash character from those companies, pointing to either Rean Schwarzer or Adol Christin. Neither is a household name in the West, but the post's track record demands they be taken seriously.
An older leak from the Japanese forum 5channel correctly predicted Hero and Steve, and also named Ryu Hayabusa and Doomguy as future additions. With DOOM Eternal arriving on Switch and a Ninja Gaiden Trilogy collection rumored for March, both characters have timely commercial logic behind them. Meanwhile, audio analysis of the game's sound test has revealed five empty voice slots — one more than the four remaining DLC spots. During the first Fighters Pass, a similar anomaly preceded Byleth, who came with male and female voice options. Crash Bandicoot and his sister Coco fit this template, with a Switch port of Crash 4 also rumored.
Fortnite's involvement remains genuinely ambiguous — a prominent leaker claimed Epic's creative director declined to comment when asked about Smash on a Zoom call with Geoff Keighley, which could signal anything or nothing. Master Chief, meanwhile, is the longest shot with the most intriguing foundation: after Steve's reveal, Xbox France officially tweeted that the Halo icon was still waiting for his invitation. It may be marketing noise, but Nintendo has already built a working relationship with Microsoft through two of its properties. The door, at minimum, is ajar.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has four more character slots to fill in its second Fighters Pass, and the internet has spent the last month since Steve's arrival spinning theories about who might come next. Nintendo keeps its plans locked down, but the rumor mill never stops. What separates a real lead from fan fiction is harder to say than it should be—the internet is thick with photoshopped images and fabricated leaks, and separating signal from noise requires skepticism and a willingness to sit with uncertainty.
Sora, the protagonist of Kingdom Hearts, has emerged as perhaps the most credible candidate. Japanese fans voted him the most-wanted character, and recently, images surfaced on 4chan showing him on the character select screen and fighting Incineroar in the training arena. The leak even pinpointed December 10 at The Game Awards as Nintendo's planned announcement date. But here's the catch: faking a Smash character is not difficult. The images could easily be a modded version of an existing fighter like Shulk, especially since they show training arena footage rather than Sora's own stage. Still, there's weight to this one. Nintendo reportedly tried to add Sora years ago but was blocked by Disney Japan. The company spent five years negotiating to bring Steve into the game, so any previous interest in Sora carries real significance.
A June 2020 post on 4chan has gained credibility through sheer accuracy. The anonymous leak predicted that Nintendo was in talks with Falcom and NIS about bringing Trails of Cold Steel 3 & 4 to the Switch—confirmed. It also said Trails to Zero and Trails to Azure were coming—announced in October. Ys IX: Monstrum Nox heading west was another prediction that came true in August. The same post mentioned smooth discussions between Nintendo and these companies about adding a Smash character, suggesting either Rean Schwarzer from Trails of Cold Steel or Adol Christin from the Ys series. Neither would be an obvious choice, but the track record of this leak makes them worth taking seriously.
An even older leak from the Japanese website 5channel predicted four DLC additions: Erdrick from Dragon Quest (who became Hero), Steve from Minecraft (the most recent addition), Ryu Hayabusa from Ninja Gaiden, and Doomguy from DOOM. With four slots remaining in the second Fighters Pass, both Ryu and Doomguy fit the math. DOOM Eternal is coming to the Switch, and a Ninja Gaiden Trilogy collection is rumored for March, giving both characters timely justifications for inclusion.
Audio file analysis has turned up five empty voice slots in the sound test menu, reserved for upcoming DLC characters. But only four characters remain to be revealed. A similar discovery during the first Fighters Pass led to Byleth, who has multiple voice options for male and female versions. The extra slot could indicate another character with variants. Crash Bandicoot and his sister Coco from Crash Bandicoot 4 fit this pattern neatly. Crash has been a fan request since the series began, and a Switch port of Crash 4 is rumored. Coco could function as an alternate skin, much like Steve and Alex.
Fortnite's involvement remains murky. In October, a prominent Fortnite leaker cited a credible anonymous source who claimed to have been on a Zoom call with Geoff Keighley and Epic Games Creative Director Donald Mustard. When asked about Fortnite appearing in Smash Bros., Mustard reportedly declined to comment—which could mean something or nothing. Without more information, it's impossible to know whether this would be a full character, a Spirit event, or just Mii skins.
Master Chief represents perhaps the longest shot with the most intriguing opening. After Steve's announcement, Xbox France tweeted that Master Chief was "still waiting for his invitation." It reads like marketing fluff, but it's notable that an official Xbox account acknowledged the idea at all. Steve and Banjo & Kazooie are both Microsoft properties, so Nintendo has already established a working relationship with the company. Master Chief remains unlikely, but the door is no longer completely closed.
Notable Quotes
Master Chief is still waiting for his invitation— Xbox France, via Twitter
Nintendo previously attempted to add Sora to the game but was shot down by Disney Japan— Reports cited in the analysis
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