With the recent release of Sephiroth as the latest DLC fighter forSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate,fans are once again speculating who the next character in the Fighters Pass will be. For a while now, fans have argued that Lloyd Irving fromTales of Symphoniadeserves a spot on the roster, and there seems to be a solid case for his inclusion.
Not only is Lloyd one of the most beloved characters in the JRPG genre, butTales of Symphoniawas the firstTalesgame to find success in the Western market. Along with an easily implementable move set and underrepresentation from Bandai Namco Entertainment characters, Lloyd seems likely to appear as an upcomingSuper Smash Bros. UltimateDLC fighter.
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The Tales Franchise
Perhaps the most obvious reason why Lloyd is such a popular candidate for the nextSuper Smash Bros. UltimateDLC fighter is thepopularity of theTalesfranchiseitself. AlongsideFinal FantasyandDragon Quest,theTalesfranchise is frequently referred to as one of the “big three” JRPG series. With the inclusion of characters like Sephiroth and Hero, it seems like it’ll only be a matter of time beforeTalesrepresentation is added as well.
A massive success in Japan, Lloyd andTales of Symphoniais also recognized as the firstTalesgame to break into the Western market. As a result, Lloyd is often viewed as the face of the series and is a character that mostSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatefans should recognize even if they have never playedTales of Symphonia.
Easily Implementable Moveset
Another interesting reason why fans think Lloyd will likely come toSuper Smash Bros. Ultimateis because how easy it is to implement him into the game. Themechanics inTalesgamesare quite similar to those ofSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatein that they both rely on directional attacks. Lloyd’s attacks inTales of Symphoniautilize the “A” and “B” buttons together with the four directions. Talesgames also feature special attacks known as artes or techs, and Lloyd even has a final smash of sorts in his “Unison Attack.“Talesalso deviates from turn-based RPGs by utilizing a linear motion battle system where characters can freely move and attack much likeSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Lloyd can essentially beported intoSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatemove for move as his moveset inTails of Symphoniawould require little to no changes before being added. Lloyd is known for wielding two blades together, and his fighting style consists of linking attacks together to create powerful combos. Most likely, his kit would include multiple attacks strung together with low KO potential. Although characters like Min Min and Pit dual wield, Lloyd’s focus on pure offense should present a unique playstyle.
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Speculation and Rumors
There has also been quite a bit of speculation over the past few years over the addition of Lloyd to theSuper Smash Bros. Ultimateroster. Though these hints remain as speculation, they do make a strong case for Lloyd’s inclusion to the game. Bandai Namco Entertainment is one of the developers behindSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatealongside Masahiro Sakurai’s Sora Ltd, and therepresentation for Bandai Namcohas been limited so far, only including Pac-Man as a playable character.
Third-party publishers such asKonami, Square Enix, and Capcom each have three characters so it stands to reason that Bandai Namco should get more representation soon. As far as franchises go, Bandai Namco already hasTekkenruled out as Sakurai found Heihachi Mishima difficult to implement, and left him to appear as a Mii Brawler costume instead. Thus, there’s a good chance thatTaleswould be the franchise to next represent Bandai Namco.
Furthermore, voice actor Scott Menville, the original voice behind Lloyd inTales of Symphonia,tweeted about an NDA project last year which led to fans speculating that Lloyd wouldappear inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.Though it was never clarified what project he was referring to, fans have pointed to this as a hint for Lloyd’s inclusion.
As with all fan theories, players should take these rumors with a grain of salt. However, theTalesseries is one of the most beloved JRPG franchises, and Lloyd would no doubt make for a fantastic addition toSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.With easy portability and massive popularity, Lloyd makes a great case to be an upcomingSuper Smash Bros. UltimateDLC fighter.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimateis available on Nintendo Switch
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