8 Third-Party Characters Super Smash Bros. Needs to Add

Super Smash Bros. has always featured an all-star cast of Nintendo’s characters, but third-party characters have only been added since Super Smash Bros. Brawl. These have been expanded in each iteration of the series, but there are still plenty of third-party characters that can be added. Super Smash Bros. is a celebration of gaming history, and not just any character can be selected for this honor. Characters that have made advancements to the industry, showcase popular eras of gaming, or have proved they are worthy are ones that should be considered.

We have selected eight third-party characters that are perfect for Super Smash Bros. Many of these have been fan requests for a long time, while others are recent suggestions. Here are the third-party characters Nintendo needs to bring to Super Smash Bros. in the future.

Astro Bot

Given Astro Bot’s success, it makes sense to include Sony’s new mascot. After claiming numerous awards, including Game of the Year 2024, things are looking up for the adorable bot, and Super Smash Bros. is the perfect next step. The Super Smash Bros. series is a celebration of gaming history and Astro Bot matches its aesthetic perfectly. Not only that, but Astro Bot’s cheer is adorable and infectious. Nintendo could easily incorporate his facial expressions, songs, and dancing into his kit. Astro Bot could be a light and fast character, or more balanced like Mario.

Astro Bot’s move set would use many of his in-game moves and abilities. His smash attacks and specials could easily use the different power-ups from the game. Astro Bot’s recovery could either be his Chicken Rocket or Octoballoon, offering a speedy or slow up-special. The Bulldog Backpack makes sense to be a side-special and blast Astro Bot forward to strike opponents. The Iron Ball or Elephant could be his down-special, either creating platforms and traps similar to Steve. Nintendo has a lot of flexibility when designing Astro Bot while honoring its games.

Kratos

Kratos is easily one of the most recognizable characters in gaming. Adding God of War to Super Smash Bros. would further bring Sony into the iconic series, and Kratos is a perfect fit. His gameplay would translate well to a hard-hitting, heavy character that still has speed. Kratos could switch between slow and brutal attacks with the Leviathan Axe to fast, devastating strikes with the Blades of Chaos. This would allow players to swap move sets to better suit their situation, depending on whether they are in neutral, advantage, or disadvantage.

Nintendo could use any of Kratos’ Runic Attacks to form his kit. With two different weapons to choose from, Kratos could essentially play as two different characters. Down-special makes the most sense to swap between the two weapons, similar to how Zelda could transform into Sheik in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Runic Attacks could be strong, but have a cooldown to match how they work in the game. His Final Smash would be entering Spartan Rage, becoming faster, dealing more damage, and having no knockback.

Dante

Dante has seen a huge boost in popularity, and it’s surprising the half-demon hasn’t been added to the game yet. With Bayonetta’s addition in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, another hack-and-slash character would not be out of place. Nintendo could use a similar combo system for Dante to show his roots and honor his stylish fighting style. His move set could be pulled from a combination of the many Devil May Cry games.

Dante is known for using guns and swords and this would allow him to fight at range and close quarters in Super Smash Bros. Ebony and Ivory would let him shoot at opponents while they are far away, but could also be added to his melee moves for chip damage, similar to how Bayonetta shoots foes while striking them. However, Rebellion would be Dante’s primary melee weapon and give him range even up close. Dante should be a fast character, able to dart in and out of striking distance.

Master Chief

Master Chief has been one of the most requested characters in Super Smash Bros., and it is surprising he hasn’t been added. With Microsoft being more friendly with Nintendo, the next Super Smash Bros. game seems poised to add the Spartan. Master Chief should play like a mix of Samus and Fox, being able to fire various projectiles, possibly even switching weapons, and using his armor’s speed and strength to finish off opponents. Halo Infinite’s inclusion of the grappling hook gives Master Chief the easy addition of a tether recovery.

When designing Master Chief’s specials and smash attacks, he could swap out different weapons. His standard special attack could be the classic Assault Rifle, while a forward smash could see him equip a Covenant Energy Sword. Master Chief is also skilled at hand-to-hand combat, so he doesn’t even need a weapon to deliver powerful blows. A Final Smash could be calling in air support to bomb the stage, or, maybe, a Covenant ship shows up and glasses the stage instead.

Malenia, Blade of Miquella

Solaire from Dark Souls is likely the more popular pick, but Malenia would be an excellent addition to Super Smash Bros. Elden Ring is the more recent game, and Malenia’s design is both iconic and incredible. Plus, it would not only add another woman to the game but bring even more villains to the series as well. Most of her moveset could be lifted from Elden Ring, though Nintendo would likely have to make some adjustments to keep her from being OP.

Malenia’s phase one should be where most of her moves are drawn from, but her Final Smash could see her swap to phase two, and her moves change accordingly. Her normal attacks could incorporate various kicks and sword swings, but her specials could use her iconic moves. Waterfowl Dance is a must and it could work similarly to Sephiroth’s recovery by dashing forward and performing multiple rapid strikes. Malenia could also have an ability that lets her inflict opponents with Scarlet Rot, dealing damage over time.

2B

2B may be a controversial addition to Super Smash Bros., but Bayonetta proves there is a possibility. Nintendo has censored other characters’ costumes in the past, as seen with Pyra and Mythra, and would likely do the same with Nier Automata’s android. That said, 2B would fit right in beside the other sword users in the series and she could have unique mechanics that fit with Nier Automata’s combat. Her moveset could also honor how she plays in the game by drawing direct inspiration from her attacks.

2B could have attacks that launch the opponent into the air and combo easily with one another. This could lead to different strings and flashy combos as seen in Nier Automata. Nintendo could easily include additional costumes that change her appearance to A2, 9S, and other androids from the series. She could play like a faster version of Sora without the different magic spells and floatiness.

Hollow Knight

Hollow Knight is considered one of the best indie games of all time and was notably absent in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, especially seeing Shovel Knight, another indie legend, included. With Hollow Knight: Silksong on the horizon (hopefully), adding a character from the game would be perfect timing. Nintendo could opt to use the Knight from the first game or go with Hornet to line up her addition with Silksong’s release. A wild choice would be to choose another character, like Quirrel, but these two make the most sense.

Regardless of which character is chosen, Nintendo could simply take their moves from Hollow Knight and translate them to Super Smash Bros. The Knight is more fleshed out with spells and unlockable powers, but Hornet could pull from her boss moves. That said, Team Cherry could share Hornet’s kit from the upcoming Silksong and Nintendo could use this when designing her character. Adding Hollow Knight to Super Smash Bros. would honor the indie community and bring a beloved series into the fold.

Stardew Valley

This may be a weird choice, but no one can doubt Stardew Valley’s impact on gaming. It brought farm simulators back into mainstream appeal, and so many others have taken inspiration from it. When choosing a character, it would make sense to either have a playable avatar with different designs, similar to how the Villager is in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, or Nintendo could add the residents as alternative costumes for the fan-favorite characters. This could include characters like Sebastian, Leah, Elliot, Abigail, Harvey, Penny, Shane, and Emily.

The Stardew Valley Farmer’s move set would be similar to Villagers but pull inspiration from the game. The Farmer would have access to a sword, pickaxe, axe, hoe, and watering can. These would be used to form many of its attacks. A move similar to Peach’s turnip pull would pull out different fruits and vegetables with different effects, possibly even a geode that would be more powerful. The Farmer from Stardew Valley would be an interesting choice, but a great way to honor one of the best indie games released.