Smash Bros DLC adds two unexpected characters – that aren't from Fire Emblem

Super Smash Bros Ultimate DLC
(Image credit: Nintendo)

Super Smash Bros Ultimate adding two new characters to the game, and they're somewhat surprising choices.

Pyra and Mythra, two supporting characters from Xenoblade Chronicles 2, are set to join the roster. The two fighters are effectively reskins of each other, similar to the multiple fighters available in Minecraft Steve or Dragon Quest's Hero, but it's surprising to see the pair of them rather than Rex, the lead playable character from the Nintendo Switch game.

The trailer itself is very aware of this, showing off Rex wandering the planet in search of Pyra, only to complain that, "Hey! I thought I was getting invited to Smash?"

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This is the latest Smash Bros DLC addition since Final Fantasy's Sephiroth, which was announced back in December. A tie-in Smash stage set on a flying sky whale (or 'Titan') seems inevitable too.

There are only two more DLC fighters for Fighters Pass Vol 2 after this latest announcement, though, so that means there aren't many more chances to get your favorite Nintendo or Nintendo-adjacent character into the popular fighting game.

We'd hope that Nintendo would save the best for last, but any new fighter is set to please some and disappoint others. If you're still enamored with Super Smash Bros Ultimate 3-4 years after release, though, we're sure any new fighter is likely to keep you entertained.

Final smash?

Masahiro Sakurai, game director of Super Smash Bros Ultimate, has reportedly confirmed that the incoming Fighters Pass is the last batch of DLC fighters for the Switch game.

The comments came in his column for Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu – at least according to summaries of the article posted online (with some help from Google Translate).

Blogger Ryokutya2089 quotes Sakurai in saying that "the breakdown of the six has been decided and we do not plan to make any more".

It suggests we won't get any more Smash Bros DLC until, well, another Smash Bros game – though we'd be surprised to see one on the current iteration of the Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite consoles.

We expect to see a Nintendo Switch 2 – or Switch Pro, or Switch Max – at some point in the coming couple of years, which could be a great opportunity to release another iteration of the iconic fighting game (as well as Breath of the Wild 2). We saw four years between the Wii U version (2014) and Smash Bros Ultimate (2018), so 2022 may well be when we see a new Smash Bros game – and start the DLC cycle all over again.

In the meantime, you'll have a Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD remaster to keep you busy in 2021.

Henry St Leger

Henry is a freelance technology journalist, and former News & Features Editor for TechRadar, where he specialized in home entertainment gadgets such as TVs, projectors, soundbars, and smart speakers. Other bylines include Edge, T3, iMore, GamesRadar, NBC News, Healthline, and The Times.