History EpilepticTrees / SuperSmashBrosUltimate

* On February 5th of 2019, Creator/CristinaValenzuela tweeted "[[http://twitter.com/CristinaVee/status/1092938194205564928 oh ya know just about to work on one of the biggest games ever]]". Cue speculation for VideoGame/{{Shantae}} or, once more, Erdrick, as DLC, to the point that she had to [[http://twitter.com/CristinaVee/status/1093055845301071872 clarify]] [[http://twitter.com/CristinaVee/status/1093353359866703873 multiple]] [[http://twitter.com/CristinaVee/status/1094078765343240199 times]] that she wasn't talking about ''Smash''.

* After it was discovered that Mii Swordfighter and Duck Hunt can cause save corruption in All-Star Mode in 2.0.0, and some Bowser Jr. data was found in Piranha Plant's, there has been speculation about these two fighters being used as the bases for DLC fighters. Mii Swordfighter is speculated to be used for the aforementioned Erdrick, or possibly even [[VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia Lloyd Irving]] due to his Mii costume in ''Wii U/3DS'' and some of Mii Swordfighter's move options resembling his own. Duck Hunt is speculated to be the base for [[VideoGame/BanjoKazooie Banjo]] due to the two having been compared before, or quadrupedal canines such as [[VideoGame/{{Okami}} Amaterasu]] or Lycanroc.

* After it was discovered that Mii Swordfighter and Duck Hunt can cause save corruption in All-Star Mode in 2.0.0, and some Bowser Jr. data was found in Piranha Plant's, there has been speculation about these two fighters being used as the bases for DLC fighters. Mii Swordfighter is speculated to be used for the aforementioned Edrick, or possibly even [[VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia Lloyd Irving]] due to his Mii costume in ''Wii U/3DS'' and some of Mii Swordfighter's move options resembling his own. Duck Hunt is speculated to be the base for [[VideoGame/BanjoKazooie Banjo]] due to the two having been compared before, or quadrupedal canines such as [[VideoGame/{{Okami}} Amaterasu]] or Lycanroc.

* Players who datamined the game noticed three files holding parameters like weight and run speed for characters not playable in the base game; "packun", "jack", and "brave". The first character was unanimously considered to be Piranha Plant as its japanese name is Packun Flower, but there was speculation to who the other two characters are. "jack" is assumed to be Joker, as it fits the [[PlayingCardMotifs Playing Card Motif]] of the Phantom Theives as well as Creator/{{Atlus}}' mascot Jack Frost. "brave" is speculated to be Erdrick from ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIII'' as his / her placeholder name "Hero" or "Yuusha" can translate to "brave". Come Update 2.0.0, Piranha Plant is released with different parameters than "packun", and the "jack" and "brave" files were removed. Notably, "packun" and "jack" were in the initial version of the game, while "brave" was added in the day one patch.

* Players who datamined the game noticed three files holding parameters like weight and run speed for characters not playable in the base game; "packun", "jack", and "brave". The first character was unanimously considered to be Piranha Plant as its japanese name is Packun Flower, but there was speculation to who the other two characters are. "jack" is assumed to be Joker, as it fits the [[PlayingCardMotifs Playing Card Motif]] of the Phantom Theives. "brave" is speculated to be Erdrick from ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIII'' as his / her placeholder name "Hero" or "Yuusha" can translate to "brave". Come Update 2.0.0, Piranha Plant is released with different parameters than "packun", and the "jack" and "brave" files were removed. Notably, "packun" and "jack" were in the initial version of the game, while "brave" was added in the day one patch.

* On January 24, update 2.0.0 was announced. Because ''Wii U/3DS'' never got an update past version number 1.1.7, people theorized that this update was going to include big things other than Piranha Plant, such as the return of Home-Run Contest. But at the end the only addition was the ability to play Spirit Board in co-op.

* On January 24, update 2.0.0 was announced. Because ''Wii U/3DS'' never got an update past version number 1.1.7, people are theorizing that this update will include big things other than Piranha Plant, such as the return of Home-Run Contest.

* The [[UnexpectedCharacter surprise reveal]] of Joker from ''VideoGame/Persona5'' as the first DLC fighter from the Fighters' Pass, as well as comments from Reggie Fils-Aime stating that Joker is "emblematic" of the approach being taken with DLC for ''Ultimate'', has led to a large change in speculation. A number of people have taken this to mean that most of, if not all of the fighters will be third-parties. Names thrown around range from [[VideoGame/KingdomHearts Sora]] to [[VideoGame/{{Doom}} Doomguy]] to [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry Dante]] and even [[VideoGame/{{Halo}} Master Chief]] in some circles.

* Part of Waluigi's fanbase think that him being shown as an AssistCharacter is actually a RedHerring and he's a SecretCharacter, because he never appeared in any of the demos at E3 2018 and Sakurai knows how popular of a request he is.

----

* With the full list of Spirits being leaked, people have been coming through them in order to find characters don't have any, under the assumption that having a Spirit is a deconfirmation. The most notable absences are [[VideoGame/MOTHER3 Porky Minch]], [[VideoGame/MetroidPrimeHunters Sylux]], and most bizarrely of all, [[VideoGame/YoshisIsland Poochy]]. Worth noting is that all these characters have marketing reasons to be included (Mother's 30th anniversary, heavily implied to be the antagonist of ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime4'', and being heavily advertised for ''VideoGame/YoshisCraftedWorld''), which just makes the speculation even more fueled. It should also be noted that Porky's boss battle is absent. However, it is worth noting that playable fighters ''also'' appear as spirits, mostly as alternate forms of the character.

* A popular theory has suggested the possible arrival of [[Franchise/DevilMayCry Dante]], based on a [[https://i.redd.it/w70jqikzqsh11.png leak]] which not only correctly predicted several aspects of ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' but also called his inclusion in ''Smash''. Even the word of ''DMCV'' producer Matt Walker [[https://twitter.com/gypsyOtoko/status/1032867906839879680 denying]] this to be the case hasn't completely deterred supporters, given that this may mark the first time Bayonetta could face off against her spiritual predecessor [[UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny in a moment]] both ''Bayonetta'' and ''Devil May Cry'' fans and even Creator/HidekiKamiya would be open to witnessing.

* With the full list of Spirits being leaked, people have been coming through them in order to find characters don't have any, under the assumption that having a Spirit is a deconfirmation. The most notable absences are [[VideoGame/MOTHER3 Porky Minch]], [[VideoGame/MetroidPrimeHunters Sylux]], and most bizarrely of all, [[VideoGame/YoshisIsland Poochy]]. Worth noting is that all these characters have marketing reasons to be included (Mother's 30th anniversary, heavily implied to be the antagonist of ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime4'', and being heavily advertised for ''VideoGame/YoshisCraftedWorld''), which just makes the speculation even more fueled. However, it is worth noting that playable fighters ''also'' appear as spirits, mostly as alternate forms of the character.

* With the full list of Spirits being leaked, people have been coming through them in order to find characters don't have any, under the assumption that having a Spirit is a deconfirmation. The most notable absences are [[VideoGame/MOTHER3 Porky Minch]], [[VideoGame/MetroidPrimeHunters Sylux]], and most bizarrely of all, [[VideoGame/YoshisIsland Poochy]]. Worth noting is that all these characters have marketing reasons to be included (Mother's 30th anniversary, heavily implied to be the antagonist of ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime4'', and being heavily advertised for ''VideoGame/YoshisCraftedWorld''), which just makes the speculation even more fueled.

* Some characters are thought to be Echo Fighters due to certain things not being shown off. Two Assist Trophies, Shadow and Dark Samus, have not been revealed in the game. Shadow is thought to be replaced by Knuckles as an Assist Trophy while Dark Samus is no longer represented as an alternative color for Samus, with its outfit replaced by a black and yellow one. Robin's Final Smash has also not been shown off, which lead some people to think Chrom's an Echo Fighter. Surely enough, the August 8, 2018 Direct would reveal Chrom and Dark Samus to be Echo Fighters! On the other hand, the November 1, 2018 Direct deconfirmed Shadow, revealing his return as an Assist Trophy.

* One screenshot featured some of the game's fantasy swordsmen facing down Rathalos, with the same general over-the-shoulder perspective as the battle screen in the ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'' games. Cue fans thinking that this is a sign that Isaac will join.

* With the recent ports of ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'', ''VideoGame/Doom2016'' and ''VideoGame/DoomEternal'' to the Switch, alongside the revelation in September that Creator/Bethesda were discussing future plans with Creator/Nintendo (with Bethesda's vice president of PR and marketing, Pete Hines, confirming Smash Bros. to be one of the subjects discussed), fans have been speculating the inclusion of a Bethesda rep as DLC, with popular suggestions including; the Doom Slayer, the Dragonborn and Vault Boy.

* Part of Waluigi's obsessed fanbase think that him being shown as an AssistCharacter is actually a RedHerring and he's a SecretCharacter, because he never appeared in any of the demos at E3 2018 and Sakurai knows how popular of a request he is.

* And now that Nintendo has revealed that they're willing to bring two third party characters from the same franchise into ''Ultimate'' with Simon and Richter, coupled with the fact that Shadow was still nowhere to be seen in the August 2018 Direct, means that Shadow being a playable fighter (either an echo or his own) is becoming more and more likely.

* [[https://sourcegaming.info/2018/06/20/smash-is-special-part-1-sakurais-famitsu-column-vol-557/ In an interview with Sakurai soon after the announcement of the game]], he said that the proposal for the game was completed in December of 2015. This made a lot of debate in the community about whether newer characters like [[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2 Rex, Pyra]], and [[VideoGame/{{Arms}} Spring Man]] were automatically excluded from the initial roster. Some have argued that characters like Greninja were examples of characters not having to be finalized when Sakurai decides on the roster, while others say that newer characters in this game probably weren't considered due to how early in development their games would have been when the roster would have been finalized. Them coming in as DLC characters isn't out of the question, though. This was addressed in the November 2018 Nintendo Direct, which mentioned that Rex didn't make the cut due to his game being announced after development started, which is why a Mii costume for him is being bundled in with the Fighter's Pass DLC as compensation.

* The release of the first chapter of ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'' just one day before the November 1, 2018 Direct had many speculate that there would be ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' content in the game, due to references to waiting 24 hours both in the demo itself and on the game's website, and a ShoutOut to ''Smash'' when talking to Toriel.

* [[https://sourcegaming.info/2018/06/20/smash-is-special-part-1-sakurais-famitsu-column-vol-557/ In an interview with Sakurai soon after the announcement of the game]], he said that the proposal for the game was completed in December of 2015. This made a lot of debate in the community about whether newer characters like [[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2 Rex, Pyra]], and [[VideoGame/{{Arms}} Spring Man]] were automatically excluded from the initial roster. Some have argued that characters like Greninja were examples of characters not having to be finalized when Sakurai decides on the roster, while others say that newer characters in this game probably weren't considered due to how early in development their games would have been when the roster would have been finalized. Them coming in as DLC characters isn't out of the question, though.

** Part of Waluigi's obsessed fanbase think that him being shown as an AssistCharacter is actually a RedHerring and he's a SecretCharacter, because he never appeared in any of the demos at E3 2018 and Sakurai knows how popular of a request he is.
** [[https://sourcegaming.info/2018/06/20/smash-is-special-part-1-sakurais-famitsu-column-vol-557/ In an interview with Sakurai soon after the announcement of the game]], he said that the proposal for the game was completed in December of 2015. This made a lot of debate in the community about whether newer characters like [[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2 Rex, Pyra]], and [[VideoGame/{{Arms}} Spring Man]] were automatically excluded from the initial roster. Some have argued that characters like Greninja were examples of characters not having to be finalized when Sakurai decides on the roster, while others say that newer characters in this game probably weren't considered due to how early in development their games would have been when the roster would have been finalized. Them coming in as DLC characters isn't out of the question, though.
** Some characters are thought to be Echo Fighters due to certain things not being shown off. Two Assist Trophies, Shadow and Dark Samus, have not been revealed in the game. Shadow is thought to be replaced by Knuckles as an Assist Trophy while Dark Samus is no longer represented as an alternative color for Samus, with its outfit replaced by a black and yellow one. Robin's Final Smash has also not been shown off, which lead some people to think Chrom's an Echo Fighter. Surely enough, the August 8, 2018 Direct would reveal Chrom and Dark Samus to be Echo Fighters! On the other hand, the November 1, 2018 Direct deconfirmed Shadow, revealing his return as an Assist Trophy.
** And now that Nintendo has revealed that they're willing to bring two third party characters from the same franchise into ''Ultimate'' with Simon and Richter, coupled with the fact that Shadow was still nowhere to be seen in the August 2018 Direct, means that Shadow being a playable fighter (either an echo or his own) is becoming more and more likely.
** Similarly, certain [[VideoGame/PanelDePon Lip]] supporters have noticed that the flower status effect, traditionally caused by the Lip's Stick item, has received an updated appearance for the first time in the series, leading some to believe she'll have a more prominent role this time despite the return of the item itself.
** The idea that some of the downloadable Mii costumes in ''Smash 4'' are being PromotedToPlayable here (not just Inklings) became spread across the fanbase due to a 4chan "leak" in July, the fact that this game shows some influence from the ''Smash'' Ballot (some of the Mii Costumes are characters that were popular to vote for in the Ballot), and evidence that Bayonetta was chosen two weeks into the Ballot, making votes later in the Ballot less meaningful. The most common characters speculated to playable from the DLC Mii Costumes are King K. Rool, Chrom, Lloyd, Heihachi, Geno, and Ashley. So far, this is partially correct, King K. Rool and Chrom are confirmed to be playable characters, while Ashley is returning as an assist trophy.
** While some people are not buying the excuse for Zelda not representing ''Breath of the Wild'', others are taking suspicion over Sheik [[FridgeLogic somehow]] representing that game instead of ''Ocarina of Time'', despite never being there[[note]]At least the Twilight Princess style had some justification, as it was [[DevelopmentGag based on an unused concept for]] ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]''; that and the game's respective Zelda also being there[[/note]], leading some to believe that some surprise about the missing Zelda could be announced sometime in the future.
** Due to Rathalos being a boss fight ''and'' Assist Trophy, there's been hope/speculation of some Assist Trophies becoming playable characters anyway as well.
** When the menu was revealed, part of it was blurred, with Sakurai stating that he couldn't tell the fans about that just yet. Predictably, this has caused a ''huge'' amount of speculation, mostly relating to the potential of a new story mode akin to [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl the Subspace Emissary]]. With [[https://twitter.com/noctulescent/status/1027204063811850240 someone working out that the blurred mode reads "Spirits"]] coupled with the {{Family Unfriendly Death}}s prevalent in the reveal trailers, there is speculation on how these two things are related.
** The new characters revealed in the August 2018 reveal were added to open areas on the panoramic, leading to fans scanning the picture to try and deduce other potential open spots to be filled by characters that haven't been revealed yet. Of course, it was quickly clarified that the artists just move around the layers in Photoshop to create the gaps, rather than the gaps always having been there.
** The continued absence of Skull Kid wasn't odd in and of itself. However, his Assist Trophy seems to have been replaced by the Moon that he causes to fall, without him being there to make it fall. This is odd as Skull Kid already represented ''Majora's Mask'' fine in that district, and having The Moon and Skull Kid act as separate Assist Trophies would be strange. Add that Young Link is ([[CompositeCharacter partially]]) based on his ''Majora's Mask'' depiction, without his Final Smash being shown off yet and thus possibly also based on ''Majora's Mask'', and it seems as though Skull Kid may have been upgraded to a boss or even playable character. It helps that Skull Kid happened to have enough of a following to receive a Mii Costume in ''4'', and the increased emphasis on villains is in line with Skull Kid joining. Even the feature of bosses now also servicing as Assist Trophies would explain Skull Kid's absence.
** Many fans have noticed that in King K. Rool's reveal trailer, Donkey Kong relaxes and scratches his butt while watching TV in a similar fashion to Karate Joe from ''VideoGame/RhythmHeaven'', claiming that this is {{Foreshadowing}} of him making an appearance as either a playable character or Assist Trophy. However, others have argued that laying on one's side like that is a stock LazyBum pose and doesn't indicate anything.
** While not as strongly speculated as Skull Kid, some fans have speculated about the possibility of the Black Knight being a playable character due to both him getting a Mii Costume as DLC in ''Smash 4'' and the increased emphasis on villains this time around. The fact that Chrom was made an echo of Roy rather than Ike also fuels this theory. People also noticed that the general sitting on the throne in the background for Castle Siege was edited to less resemble the Black Knight, fueling this theory even more.
** One screenshot featured some of the game's fantasy swordsmen facing down Rathalos, with the same general over-the-shoulder perspective as the battle screen in the ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'' games. Cue fans thinking that this is a sign that Isaac will join.
** During the August 2018 ''Smash'' Direct, the room Sakurai was sitting in had two chairs in the background, one purple, one yellow. Incidental background decoration, you say? Never underestimate the ''Smash'' community's capacity to wring "clues" out of nothing (see the "DK scratching his bum" entry above). The chairs have been cited as anything from proof that Waluigi is playable, proof that Waluigi will ''never'' be playable, and an indicator of more ''Majora's Mask'' representatives (as they match the colors of the fairies from the game). This was heightened when it was discovered that King K. Rool may have been teased in a prior Direct due to a DK-like barrel, rope ladder, and books strongly resembling his color scheme that were removed in the August 2018 Direct. People have also noticed that the couch and single pillow next to Sakurai perfectly mirrors Skull Kid's own color scheme... and how the chairs seem to actually complement said couch rather than appear independently.
** For the longest time, [[VideoGame/BanjoKazooie Banjo and Kazooie]] were thought impossible for ''Smash'' due to them being owned by Nintendo's [[UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars rival platform holder]] Microsoft, despite originating in a Nintendo-exclusive game. However, Microsoft and Nintendo actually have become quite chummy in the run up to ''Ultimate'''s release, with moves such as allowing cross-play between UsefulNotes/XboxOne and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch (even making a joint commercial touting this fact) and allowing a DLC with a Banjo and Kazooie skin to be playable on Switch (and Wii U). In light of this, many fans are holding out for their inclusion.
** On similar note, after being pretty much a joke suggestion for the longest time, some people genuinely speculate that [[VideoGame/{{Minecraft}} Steve]] may actually join the roster for real. Their main evidence is that a very trustworthy leaker stated that there is going to be ''Minecraft'' content in ''Ultimate'', he didn't specify what kind of content though. Steve supporters also argue that ''Minecraft'' had two Nintendo console releases already, Minecraft owner Microsoft being in friendly terms with Nintendo (similar to the above Banjo-Kazooie), Steve would be perfect as the first playable indie representation [[note]]Since ''Minecraft'' was the game that brought indie games into the mainsteam market[[/note]] and the gameplay of ''Minecraft'' could be replicated into a functional moveset.
** [[VideoGame/TheLegendofZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds Hilda]] is also being speculated to be playable as an echo of Zelda. Some people pointed to the fact that Zelda is based on her ''Link to the Past''/''Link Between Worlds'' design and that she doesn't have a Hilda-themed costume, much like with Samus and Ike not having their Dark Samus and Chrom colors.
** Isabelle being her own unique fighter but still sharing some aspects with Villager make some people think, or hope at least, that popular characters like [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Shadow]] and [[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest Dixie Kong]] will be given the same treatment.
** An article posted in an issue of [=CoroCoro=] listed the total number of stages to be 108, leading people to theorize that the remaining unrevealed stages might have newcomers assigned to them.
** Related to the 108 stages rumor is that one of the 5 new stages is believed to be a ''VideoGame/YoshisCraftedWorld'' stage, due to a [[https://i.imgtc.com/2lOcOPl.png Crafted Yoshi Costume]] being discovered and the Woolly World stage being absent.
** A popular theory has suggested the possible arrival of [[Franchise/DevilMayCry Dante]], based on a [[https://i.redd.it/w70jqikzqsh11.png leak]] which not only correctly predicted several aspects of ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' but also called his inclusion in ''Smash''. Even the word of ''DMCV'' producer Matt Walker [[https://twitter.com/gypsyOtoko/status/1032867906839879680 denying]] this to be the case hasn't completely deterred supporters, given that this may mark the first time Bayonetta could face off against her spiritual predecessor [[UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny in a moment]] both ''Bayonetta'' and ''Devil May Cry'' fans and even Creator/HidekiKamiya would be open to witnessing.
** The August 8 2018 Direct briefly showed that the ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' series now has 36 tracks, up from 6 in ''[=3DS/Wii U=]'', which some people took as a hint that it would get another rep (most likely Ken as an Echo Fighter of Ryu), due to ''Castlevania'' having 34 tracks and two representatives.
** The release of the first chapter of ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'' just one day before the November 1, 2018 Direct had many speculate that there would be ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' content in the game, due to references to waiting 24 hours both in the demo itself and on the game's website, and a ShoutOut to ''Smash'' when talking to Toriel.

Part of Waluigi's obsessed fanbase think that him being shown as an Assist Character is actually a Red Herring and he's a Secret Character, because he never appeared in any of the demos at E3 2018 and Sakurai knows how popular of a request he is.
In an interview with Sakurai soon after the announcement of the game, he said that the proposal for the game was completed in December of 2015. This made a lot of debate in the community about whether newer characters like Rex, Pyra, and Spring Man were automatically excluded from the initial roster. Some have argued that characters like Greninja were examples of characters not having to be finalized when Sakurai decides on the roster, while others say that newer characters in this game probably weren't considered due to how early in development their games would have been when the roster would have been finalized. Them coming in as DLC characters isn't out of the question, though.
Some characters are thought to be Echo Fighters due to certain things not being shown off. Two Assist Trophies, Shadow and Dark Samus, have not been revealed in the game. Shadow is thought to be replaced by Knuckles as an Assist Trophy while Dark Samus is no longer represented as an alternative color for Samus, with its outfit replaced by a black and yellow one. Robin's Final Smash has also not been shown off, which lead some people to think Chrom's an Echo Fighter. Surely enough, the August 8, 2018 Direct would reveal Chrom and Dark Samus to be Echo Fighters! On the other hand, the November 1, 2018 Direct deconfirmed Shadow, revealing his return as an Assist Trophy.
And now that Nintendo has revealed that they're willing to bring two third party characters from the same franchise into Ultimate with Simon and Richter, coupled with the fact that Shadow was still nowhere to be seen in the August 2018 Direct, means that Shadow being a playable fighter (either an echo or his own) is becoming more and more likely.
Similarly, certain Lip supporters have noticed that the flower status effect, traditionally caused by the Lip's Stick item, has received an updated appearance for the first time in the series, leading some to believe she'll have a more prominent role this time despite the return of the item itself.
The idea that some of the downloadable Mii costumes in Smash 4 are being Promoted to Playable here (not just Inklings) became spread across the fanbase due to a 4chan "leak" in July, the fact that this game shows some influence from the Smash Ballot (some of the Mii Costumes are characters that were popular to vote for in the Ballot), and evidence that Bayonetta was chosen two weeks into the Ballot, making votes later in the Ballot less meaningful. The most common characters speculated to playable from the DLC Mii Costumes are King K. Rool, Chrom, Lloyd, Heihachi, Geno, and Ashley. So far, this is partially correct, King K. Rool and Chrom are confirmed to be playable characters, while Ashley is returning as an assist trophy.
While some people are not buying the excuse for Zelda not representing Breath of the Wild, others are taking suspicion over Sheik somehow representing that game instead of Ocarina of Time, despite never being therenote , leading some to believe that some surprise about the missing Zelda could be announced sometime in the future.
Due to Rathalos being a boss fight and Assist Trophy, there's been hope/speculation of some Assist Trophies becoming playable characters anyway as well.
When the menu was revealed, part of it was blurred, with Sakurai stating that he couldn't tell the fans about that just yet. Predictably, this has caused a huge amount of speculation, mostly relating to the potential of a new story mode akin to the Subspace Emissary. With someone working out that the blurred mode reads "Spirits" coupled with the Family Unfriendly Deaths prevalent in the reveal trailers, there is speculation on how these two things are related.
The new characters revealed in the August 2018 reveal were added to open areas on the panoramic, leading to fans scanning the picture to try and deduce other potential open spots to be filled by characters that haven't been revealed yet. Of course, it was quickly clarified that the artists just move around the layers in Photoshop to create the gaps, rather than the gaps always having been there.
The continued absence of Skull Kid wasn't odd in and of itself. However, his Assist Trophy seems to have been replaced by the Moon that he causes to fall, without him being there to make it fall. This is odd as Skull Kid already represented Majora's Mask fine in that district, and having The Moon and Skull Kid act as separate Assist Trophies would be strange. Add that Young Link is (partially) based on his Majora's Mask depiction, without his Final Smash being shown off yet and thus possibly also based on Majora's Mask, and it seems as though Skull Kid may have been upgraded to a boss or even playable character. It helps that Skull Kid happened to have enough of a following to receive a Mii Costume in 4, and the increased emphasis on villains is in line with Skull Kid joining. Even the feature of bosses now also servicing as Assist Trophies would explain Skull Kid's absence.
Many fans have noticed that in King K. Rool's reveal trailer, Donkey Kong relaxes and scratches his butt while watching TV in a similar fashion to Karate Joe from Rhythm Heaven, claiming that this is Foreshadowing of him making an appearance as either a playable character or Assist Trophy. However, others have argued that laying on one's side like that is a stock Lazy Bum pose and doesn't indicate anything.
While not as strongly speculated as Skull Kid, some fans have speculated about the possibility of the Black Knight being a playable character due to both him getting a Mii Costume as DLC in Smash 4 and the increased emphasis on villains this time around. The fact that Chrom was made an echo of Roy rather than Ike also fuels this theory. People also noticed that the general sitting on the throne in the background for Castle Siege was edited to less resemble the Black Knight, fueling this theory even more.
One screenshot featured some of the game's fantasy swordsmen facing down Rathalos, with the same general over-the-shoulder perspective as the battle screen in the Golden Sun games. Cue fans thinking that this is a sign that Isaac will join.
During the August 2018 Smash Direct, the room Sakurai was sitting in had two chairs in the background, one purple, one yellow. Incidental background decoration, you say? Never underestimate the Smash community's capacity to wring "clues" out of nothing (see the "DK scratching his bum" entry above). The chairs have been cited as anything from proof that Waluigi is playable, proof that Waluigi will never be playable, and an indicator of more Majora's Mask representatives (as they match the colors of the fairies from the game). This was heightened when it was discovered that King K. Rool may have been teased in a prior Direct due to a DK-like barrel, rope ladder, and books strongly resembling his color scheme that were removed in the August 2018 Direct. People have also noticed that the couch and single pillow next to Sakurai perfectly mirrors Skull Kid's own color scheme... and how the chairs seem to actually complement said couch rather than appear independently.
For the longest time, Banjo and Kazooie were thought impossible for Smash due to them being owned by Nintendo's rival platform holder Microsoft, despite originating in a Nintendo-exclusive game. However, Microsoft and Nintendo actually have become quite chummy in the run up to Ultimate's release, with moves such as allowing cross-play between Xbox One and Nintendo Switch (even making a joint commercial touting this fact) and allowing a DLC with a Banjo and Kazooie skin to be playable on Switch (and Wii U). In light of this, many fans are holding out for their inclusion.
On similar note, after being pretty much a joke suggestion for the longest time, some people genuinely speculate that Steve may actually join the roster for real. Their main evidence is that a very trustworthy leaker stated that there is going to be Minecraft content in Ultimate, he didn't specify what kind of content though. Steve supporters also argue that Minecraft had two Nintendo console releases already, Minecraft owner Microsoft being in friendly terms with Nintendo (similar to the above Banjo-Kazooie), Steve would be perfect as the first playable indie representation note and the gameplay of Minecraft could be replicated into a functional moveset.
Hilda is also being speculated to be playable as an echo of Zelda. Some people pointed to the fact that Zelda is based on her Link to the Past/Link Between Worlds design and that she doesn't have a Hilda-themed costume, much like with Samus and Ike not having their Dark Samus and Chrom colors.
Isabelle being her own unique fighter but still sharing some aspects with Villager make some people think, or hope at least, that popular characters like Shadow and Dixie Kong will be given the same treatment.
An article posted in an issue of CoroCoro listed the total number of stages to be 108, leading people to theorize that the remaining unrevealed stages might have newcomers assigned to them.
Related to the 108 stages rumor is that one of the 5 new stages is believed to be a Yoshi's Crafted World stage, due to a Crafted Yoshi Costume◊ being discovered and the Woolly World stage being absent.
A popular theory has suggested the possible arrival of Dante, based on a leak◊ which not only correctly predicted several aspects of Devil May Cry 5 but also called his inclusion in Smash. Even the word of DMCV producer Matt Walker denying this to be the case hasn't completely deterred supporters, given that this may mark the first time Bayonetta could face off against her spiritual predecessor in a moment both Bayonetta and Devil May Cry fans and even Hideki Kamiya would be open to witnessing.
The August 8 2018 Direct briefly showed that the Street Fighter series now has 36 tracks, up from 6 in 3DS/Wii U, which some people took as a hint that it would get another rep (most likely Ken as an Echo Fighter of Ryu), due to Castlevania having 34 tracks and two representatives.
The release of the first chapter of Deltarune just one day before the November 1, 2018 Direct had many speculate that there would be Undertale content in the game, due to references to waiting 24 hours both in the demo itself and on the game's website, and a Shout-Out to Smash when talking to Toriel.

* Part of Waluigi's obsessed fanbase think that him being shown as an AssistCharacter is actually a RedHerring and he's a SecretCharacter, because he never appeared in any of the demos at E3 2018 and Sakurai knows how popular of a request he is.
* [[https://sourcegaming.info/2018/06/20/smash-is-special-part-1-sakurais-famitsu-column-vol-557/ In an interview with Sakurai soon after the announcement of the game]], he said that the proposal for the game was completed in December of 2015. This made a lot of debate in the community about whether newer characters like [[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2 Rex, Pyra]], and [[VideoGame/{{Arms}} Spring Man]] were automatically excluded from the initial roster. Some have argued that characters like Greninja were examples of characters not having to be finalized when Sakurai decides on the roster, while others say that newer characters in this game probably weren't considered due to how early in development their games would have been when the roster would have been finalized. Them coming in as DLC characters isn't out of the question, though.
* Some characters are thought to be Echo Fighters due to certain things not being shown off. Two Assist Trophies, Shadow and Dark Samus, have not been revealed in the game. Shadow is thought to be replaced by Knuckles as an Assist Trophy while Dark Samus is no longer represented as an alternative color for Samus, with its outfit replaced by a black and yellow one. Robin's Final Smash has also not been shown off, which lead some people to think Chrom's an Echo Fighter. Surely enough, the August 8, 2018 Direct would reveal Chrom and Dark Samus to be Echo Fighters! On the other hand, the November 1, 2018 Direct deconfirmed Shadow, revealing his return as an Assist Trophy.
* And now that Nintendo has revealed that they're willing to bring two third party characters from the same franchise into ''Ultimate'' with Simon and Richter, coupled with the fact that Shadow was still nowhere to be seen in the August 2018 Direct, means that Shadow being a playable fighter (either an echo or his own) is becoming more and more likely.
* Similarly, certain [[VideoGame/PanelDePon Lip]] supporters have noticed that the flower status effect, traditionally caused by the Lip's Stick item, has received an updated appearance for the first time in the series, leading some to believe she'll have a more prominent role this time despite the return of the item itself.
* The idea that some of the downloadable Mii costumes in ''Smash 4'' are being PromotedToPlayable here (not just Inklings) became spread across the fanbase due to a 4chan "leak" in July, the fact that this game shows some influence from the ''Smash'' Ballot (some of the Mii Costumes are characters that were popular to vote for in the Ballot), and evidence that Bayonetta was chosen two weeks into the Ballot, making votes later in the Ballot less meaningful. The most common characters speculated to playable from the DLC Mii Costumes are King K. Rool, Chrom, Lloyd, Heihachi, Geno, and Ashley. So far, this is partially correct, King K. Rool and Chrom are confirmed to be playable characters, while Ashley is returning as an assist trophy.
* While some people are not buying the excuse for Zelda not representing ''Breath of the Wild'', others are taking suspicion over Sheik [[FridgeLogic somehow]] representing that game instead of ''Ocarina of Time'', despite never being there[[note]]At least the Twilight Princess style had some justification, as it was [[DevelopmentGag based on an unused concept for]] ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]''; that and the game's respective Zelda also being there[[/note]], leading some to believe that some surprise about the missing Zelda could be announced sometime in the future.
* Due to Rathalos being a boss fight ''and'' Assist Trophy, there's been hope/speculation of some Assist Trophies becoming playable characters anyway as well.
* When the menu was revealed, part of it was blurred, with Sakurai stating that he couldn't tell the fans about that just yet. Predictably, this has caused a ''huge'' amount of speculation, mostly relating to the potential of a new story mode akin to [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl the Subspace Emissary]]. With [[https://twitter.com/noctulescent/status/1027204063811850240 someone working out that the blurred mode reads "Spirits"]] coupled with the {{Family Unfriendly Death}}s prevalent in the reveal trailers, there is speculation on how these two things are related.
* The new characters revealed in the August 2018 reveal were added to open areas on the panoramic, leading to fans scanning the picture to try and deduce other potential open spots to be filled by characters that haven't been revealed yet. Of course, it was quickly clarified that the artists just move around the layers in Photoshop to create the gaps, rather than the gaps always having been there.
* The continued absence of Skull Kid wasn't odd in and of itself. However, his Assist Trophy seems to have been replaced by the Moon that he causes to fall, without him being there to make it fall. This is odd as Skull Kid already represented ''Majora's Mask'' fine in that district, and having The Moon and Skull Kid act as separate Assist Trophies would be strange. Add that Young Link is ([[CompositeCharacter partially]]) based on his ''Majora's Mask'' depiction, without his Final Smash being shown off yet and thus possibly also based on ''Majora's Mask'', and it seems as though Skull Kid may have been upgraded to a boss or even playable character. It helps that Skull Kid happened to have enough of a following to receive a Mii Costume in ''4'', and the increased emphasis on villains is in line with Skull Kid joining. Even the feature of bosses now also servicing as Assist Trophies would explain Skull Kid's absence.
* Many fans have noticed that in King K. Rool's reveal trailer, Donkey Kong relaxes and scratches his butt while watching TV in a similar fashion to Karate Joe from ''VideoGame/RhythmHeaven'', claiming that this is {{Foreshadowing}} of him making an appearance as either a playable character or Assist Trophy. However, others have argued that laying on one's side like that is a stock LazyBum pose and doesn't indicate anything.
* While not as strongly speculated as Skull Kid, some fans have speculated about the possibility of the Black Knight being a playable character due to both him getting a Mii Costume as DLC in ''Smash 4'' and the increased emphasis on villains this time around. The fact that Chrom was made an echo of Roy rather than Ike also fuels this theory. People also noticed that the general sitting on the throne in the background for Castle Siege was edited to less resemble the Black Knight, fueling this theory even more.
* One screenshot featured some of the game's fantasy swordsmen facing down Rathalos, with the same general over-the-shoulder perspective as the battle screen in the ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'' games. Cue fans thinking that this is a sign that Isaac will join.
* During the August 2018 ''Smash'' Direct, the room Sakurai was sitting in had two chairs in the background, one purple, one yellow. Incidental background decoration, you say? Never underestimate the ''Smash'' community's capacity to wring "clues" out of nothing (see the "DK scratching his bum" entry above). The chairs have been cited as anything from proof that Waluigi is playable, proof that Waluigi will ''never'' be playable, and an indicator of more ''Majora's Mask'' representatives (as they match the colors of the fairies from the game). This was heightened when it was discovered that King K. Rool may have been teased in a prior Direct due to a DK-like barrel, rope ladder, and books strongly resembling his color scheme that were removed in the August 2018 Direct. People have also noticed that the couch and single pillow next to Sakurai perfectly mirrors Skull Kid's own color scheme... and how the chairs seem to actually complement said couch rather than appear independently.
* For the longest time, [[VideoGame/BanjoKazooie Banjo and Kazooie]] were thought impossible for ''Smash'' due to them being owned by Nintendo's [[UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars rival platform holder]] Microsoft, despite originating in a Nintendo-exclusive game. However, Microsoft and Nintendo actually have become quite chummy in the run up to ''Ultimate'''s release, with moves such as allowing cross-play between UsefulNotes/XboxOne and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch (even making a joint commercial touting this fact) and allowing a DLC with a Banjo and Kazooie skin to be playable on Switch (and Wii U). In light of this, many fans are holding out for their inclusion.
* On similar note, after being pretty much a joke suggestion for the longest time, some people genuinely speculate that [[VideoGame/{{Minecraft}} Steve]] may actually join the roster for real. Their main evidence is that a very trustworthy leaker stated that there is going to be ''Minecraft'' content in ''Ultimate'', he didn't specify what kind of content though. Steve supporters also argue that ''Minecraft'' had two Nintendo console releases already, Minecraft owner Microsoft being in friendly terms with Nintendo (similar to the above Banjo-Kazooie), Steve would be perfect as the first playable indie representation [[note]]Since ''Minecraft'' was the game that brought indie games into the mainsteam market[[/note]] and the gameplay of ''Minecraft'' could be replicated into a functional moveset.
* [[VideoGame/TheLegendofZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds Hilda]] is also being speculated to be playable as an echo of Zelda. Some people pointed to the fact that Zelda is based on her ''Link to the Past''/''Link Between Worlds'' design and that she doesn't have a Hilda-themed costume, much like with Samus and Ike not having their Dark Samus and Chrom colors.
* Isabelle being her own unique fighter but still sharing some aspects with Villager make some people think, or hope at least, that popular characters like [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Shadow]] and [[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest Dixie Kong]] will be given the same treatment.
* An article posted in an issue of [=CoroCoro=] listed the total number of stages to be 108, leading people to theorize that the remaining unrevealed stages might have newcomers assigned to them.
* Related to the 108 stages rumor is that one of the 5 new stages is believed to be a ''VideoGame/YoshisCraftedWorld'' stage, due to a [[https://i.imgtc.com/2lOcOPl.png Crafted Yoshi Costume]] being discovered and the Woolly World stage being absent.
* A popular theory has suggested the possible arrival of [[Franchise/DevilMayCry Dante]], based on a [[https://i.redd.it/w70jqikzqsh11.png leak]] which not only correctly predicted several aspects of ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' but also called his inclusion in ''Smash''. Even the word of ''DMCV'' producer Matt Walker [[https://twitter.com/gypsyOtoko/status/1032867906839879680 denying]] this to be the case hasn't completely deterred supporters, given that this may mark the first time Bayonetta could face off against her spiritual predecessor [[UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny in a moment]] both ''Bayonetta'' and ''Devil May Cry'' fans and even Creator/HidekiKamiya would be open to witnessing.
* The August 8 2018 Direct briefly showed that the ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' series now has 36 tracks, up from 6 in ''[=3DS/Wii U=]'', which some people took as a hint that it would get another rep (most likely Ken as an Echo Fighter of Ryu), due to ''Castlevania'' having 34 tracks and two representatives.
* The release of the first chapter of ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'' just one day before the November 1, 2018 Direct had many speculate that there would be ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' content in the game, due to references to waiting 24 hours both in the demo itself and on the game's website, and a ShoutOut to ''Smash'' when talking to Toriel.