Unexpected Character / Super Robot Wars

Super Robot Wars is not above doing this. Slowly and slowly things will become less unexpected with how much the series is with branching out.

• In addition to the usual legendary series and hits, any Humongous Mecha that exists in any medium, no matter how obscure it is, has a chance to be included. Combat Mecha Xabungle and Hades Project Zeorymer are two such examples.
• Prior to Super Robot Wars Judgment, the term "robot" implied only series featuring Humongous Mecha can be included. When Tekkaman Blade and the subsequent Detonator Orgun in Super Robot Wars W and Iczer-One in Super Robot Wars L made their debut into the franchise, this was totally out of the blue, as these series are centered around Powered Armor, not robots. In a sense, this was developer Banpresto's way of letting loose with formula, but also their willingness to redefine what exactly encompasses the terms "robot" and "Mecha".
• Cyber Troopers Virtual-ON surprised players when it appeared in Super Robot Wars Alpha 3, mostly because it was a video game series (and one owned by a different company), yet this was nothing compared to Super Robot Wars UX and Fei-Yen HD. This version of Fei-Yen had never appeared before in a game; in fact, it's an action figure based off an official piece of artwork. What really pushes it is that it's actually a Humongous Mecha version of Miku Hatsune. That's right: a Vocaloid has appeared in Super Robot Wars. Additionally, having the cast of BB Senshi Sangokuden in the same game wasn't entirely expected, either; yes, the series' visuals are usually Super-Deformed, but this is the first time it was ever by default.
• Played with regarding Mobile Suit Gundam AGE in Super Robot Wars BX: despite the series' divisive reception, SRW fans more-or-less anticipated its debut in a future installment. The real question about AGE was how the inter-generational Story Arcs would be used in a Massive Multiplayer Crossover, to wit not everyone believed Banpresto would skip the first- and second-generation protagonists in favor of third-generation protagonist Kio Asuno.
• Super Robot Wars V has a large number of surprise series, including Shin Mazinger Zero vs. The Great General of Darkness, Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash, The Brave Express Might Gaine, and the return of Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam along with its Sequels "Skull Heart" and "Steel 7". In addition, the Huckebein and Grungust make their first non-SRW OG outing in over a decade, with the Huckebein being extra surprising because it was widely believed to have been Exiled from Continuity for being a Gundam with the serial numbers filed off. But all of that is nothing compared to Space Battleship Yamato 2199, the first true non-Humongous Mecha Space Opera series.
  • Besides the obvious example of the Yamato, many figured that with the events of Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack resolved, all that we'd see of its representation would be the inclusion of Amuro and the Nu Gundam. Lo and behold though, Nanai, Char's second-in-command, shows up partway through the plot of Unicorn Gundam, and is revealed to be the leader of the Laplace organization.
• Similar to UX, Super Robot Wars X-Ω introduces "Kantam Robo" during a 2016 update; in an earlier Christmas update, Idolmaster: Xenoglossia was put in. The biggest entry, however, was during an August 2016 update: Godzilla, the first Kaiju entry in SRW (though for all intents and purposes, it was done to promote the July 2016 release of Shin Godzilla rather than for "shock value").
  • And in a September 2016 update, MoiMoi, the mascot for the Super Robot Wars Original Generation-themed radio show "Umasugi Wave", was added.
  • And in March 2017, Daizyujin of Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger, better known as the original Megazord of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers was added to the game, making it the first live-action mecha included.
  • And in 2018, the fans were caught off guard from thinking that Banpresto is going to stop at live-action entries after Humongous Mecha and Kaiju... They included Space Sheriff Gavan, the first live-action Powered Armor Henshin Hero.
• The Super Robot Wars: Original Generation series mostly features original cast members from other SRWs. When the bonus "2.5" chapters of the compilation/Video Game Remake Original Generations was unveiled, it caught everyone by surprise when it included "Fighter Roar", based on the same-named character from an earlier Massive Multiplayer Crossover by Banpresto called the The Great Battle series. Additional characters from The Great Battle series, "Fighter Emi" and "Dark Brain", would be integrated into this Continuity via Original Generation Gaiden.
  • In the case of Spin-Off Endless Frontier, the protagonists and antagonists of Namco × Capcom along with KOS-MOS and T-ELOS of Xenosaga threw SRW fans for a loop; its Sequel Endless Frontier EXCEED continued the trend with M.O.M.O. of Xenosaga, including three characters from Original Generation Continuity, but perhaps the biggest surprise was Non-Player Character Mark Hunter from a more obscure Banpresto Action RPG called Gaia Saver, given his sole appearance was the latter. The time gap between EXCEED and Gaia Saver? 20 years. From this point on, anyone from any Banpresto-developed game had the possibility to appear in Original Generation, be it the main series or Spin-Off.
  • Original Generation Sequel The Moon Dwellers decides to have Endless Frontier come full circle by crossing Haken Browning and Aschen Brodel into its Continuity, even granting Haken his own Humongous Mecha. Furthermore, the same game continues to bring in The Great Battle characters with Dark Brain's minions Crystal Dragoon, Skull Knight and Debudabide. However, the biggest surprise for the game is XN-L, the similarly-named entity Zan-El from The Great Battle, who brings in the battleship "Grandread Fenossa", based off of another obscure Banpresto video game Grandread.
• Super Robot Wars X:
  • Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water: while a Studio Gainax series, its approach to Humongous Mecha is as unorthodox as Space Battleship Yamato 2199. Even more baffling as, unlike other Gainax shows taking place in the future or during the present, this one occurs in the 19th century. Finally, take into consideration the main leads, Jean and Nadia, aren't even combatants.
  • Mashin Hero Wataru provides an interesting example: it belongs to Sunrise, but the rights are shared with Red Entertainment and show creator, Ouji Hiroi (who also made Sakura Wars with them, as well). Keep in mind Hiroi explicitly detests Super Robot Wars, claiming he would never allow his franchises to appear in this series in any capacity, but X seems to have dispelled that notion entirely. Of note is Project × Zone and Super Robot Wars X-Ω had set an earlier precedence regarding Sakura Wars.
  • To a lesser extent, the Hi-Nu Gundam in its 2006 redesign. Previous SRW entries have used the original Izubuchi's design for the novel as the basis for its SD sprites, the same design which was used for Katoki's Master Grade 2014 model kit release. The change is due to the Manga adaptation of Beltorchika's Children using this redesign, which followed the standard set by most other games and animations to feature the Hi-Nu since 2006.
  • The return of the Super Robot Wars Alpha version of Mazinkaiser: following the Grand Finale in Alpha 3, this version of the Mazinkaiser was shoved aside in favor of its OVA counterpart. The fact that it's showing up alongside the Mazinger ZERO and Mazin Emperor G is equally surprising.
  • Seeing Masou Kishin: The Lord Of Elemental in a non-Super Robot Wars: Original Generation game again, largely because fans were content on having Masou Kishin elements stay with Original Generation rather than be part of a licensed installment.
  • Since New Story of Aura Battler Dunbine: The Tale of Neo Byston Well is featured in the series roster, naturally both Shou and Cham later upgrade to the Sirbine. However, in doing so they are both joined by Silky Mau, the Fairy Companion of Tale of Neo Byston Well.
  • Lady Marianne in the Mordred getting to be a boss.
  • Of all the possible recruitable characters, the game gave one almost nobody thought possible: Bizon in the Nergal.
• Super Robot Wars T:
  • Cowboy Bebop: It's mostly a land-based series, despite the series taking place in space. However, Spike Siegel did pilot a plane called Swordfish, and apparently that's an OK for Bandai Namco to get this series into SRW. This series has also been in the crossover game Sunrise Eiyuutan, but most likely people never heard of that one.
  • Arcadia of my Youth: Endless Orbit SSX: Similarly to Space Battleship Yamato 2199, it's part of the Leijiverse and the only "machine" there was Captain Harlock's battleship, Arcadia. Despite Captain Harlock's fame as the most famous Space Pirate in all history's fiction, it's still kind of a stretch to include the series in SRW, but it made it anyway.
  • Magic Knight Rayearth: This series has been requested by the fans, but fell into here because CLAMP was known to be especially defensive towards its properties (At the very least, Code Geass was co-created by Sunrise, who ends up calling the shots. Rayearth is 100% CLAMP production). Adding to that, the majority of the adventures of the Magic Knights and their important Character Development were contained at the ground, and the mecha action were majorly at the 2nd season and they lacked either an allied battleship or command center, the closest one being the sympathetic antagonist (Eagle)'s battleship NSX. Take all those difficulties and Rayearth still made it with both seasons for the game, which made it a most well-received entry when the majority of the fans were previously claiming it's impossible for them to appear at all.
  • All of them were at least credited in the series list. However, some fans grew a bit suspicious when the "Premium Anime Song" edition included one track from the obscure PS1 series Getter Robo Daikessen!, but overall they dismissed it as a chance since it wasn't included in the credits list. The 2nd PV takes the fandom by surprise again that Shin Getter Dragon from that game appears as a playable unit.
• Super Robot Wars DD:
  • No one saw the inclusion of Devilman coming, though it is a Go Nagai series and other related series (that are not Mazinger Z) such as Cutie Honey have shown up before in X-Omega.
  • After the inclusion of both Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger and Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger in X-Omega, many people were left wondering whether or not Super Sentai series would continue to be added outside of that game following its discontinuation or if their inclusion there was just a one-off. To the pleasant surprise of many, Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger was announced to be added to the game as a form of Temporary Online Content.
  • Pac-Man was also a surprise inclusion, though the character is one of Bandai Namco Entertainment's mascots and has made similar guest appearances in other video games.
• Super Robot Wars 30:
  • Among the past series returning were Heavy Metal L-Gaim, the original Mobile Suit Gundam and Mobile Suit Victory Gundam, having spent at least a decade in dormancy proper.
  • SSSS.GRIDMAN. Having an anime based off of a tokusatsu property show up is quite odd, but Gridman did it. However, it is a Studio TRIGGER anime, and Trigger works have shown up in the franchise before (Little Witch Academia was in X-Omega and Trigger has since acquired the rights to Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann following Studio Gainax's bankruptcy).
  • King of Kings: GaoGaiGar vs. Betterman is a major shocker. The light novel had just been completed and the manga is still going on, thus not everything has been solidified. With its appearance in the game, it ends up being a global release of everything related to the series — character designs, mecha specs, everything. This even caught the cast of GaoGaiGar off-guard, leading to Maiko Itou, Mamoru's voice actress, to actually commit to buying and playing an SRW to understand how GaoGaiGo would be animated.
  • The first DLC reveal surprised a lot of fans by revealing that Sakura Wars would be making its mainstream debut with representatives from its first, third and fifth games appearing. While Sakura Wars appeared in X-Omega (barring Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love, which makes its debut here after not being included in X-Omega), being set in a steampunk 1920s world made it seem like it was impossible for them to join up, but somehow they did. Then again, SRW is no stranger to attempt Canon Welding of franchises with wildly different Alternate Histories or timelines such as Code Geass (which takes place in a world where the United States never existed), Full Metal Panic! (which takes place in a world where the Cold War went on longer than usual), or the aforementioned Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water (which takes place even earlier in history than Sakura Wars).
  • The second DLC introduced Ultraman, of all franchises. In addition, it was specifically the Netflix adaptation of the manga where the Ultramen are human-sized, instead of one of the mainline series where they're giants (which would arguably fit more).
  • The third DLC went further, adding versions of Chirico's Scopedog and Dancougar created specifically for the game, but also none other than Getter Robo Devolution, which was not only a Getter Robo manga without any anime adaptation, but also came with "Fragment of the Emperor," an all-new BGM composed by Devolution's co-creator, Eiichi Shimizu.

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