History NightmareFuel / SuperSmashBrosUltimate

** Then there's his [[NonStandardCharacterDesign overall contrasting presence]] compared to everyone else. While ''Smash Bros.'' does have its fair share of realistic character designs, they're still given cartoony elements that help make them look like they're not too out of place. Not Ridley. He's far more detailed than even [[Franchise/MetalGear Snake]] and [[Franchise/StreetFighter Ryu]], giving him an otherworldly appearance that really shows the [[XenomorphXerox Xenomorph inspiration]]. Compared to the rest of the roster, Ridley looks like he originates from a horror series.

*** Depending on how much control Porky has within the Capsule, things could be made even worse. Either Porky is trapped within a machine that is, in fact, not safe from absolutely everything, and is forced to rampage without him controlling it (a nightmare to a narcissist like Porky, [[AssholeVictim though certainly well-deserved]]), or he is in control, which all but guarantees him to be one of the few to actively help the villains. [[VideoGame/EarthBound Wouldn't be the first time, after all.]]

** And then there's Galeem's appearance: whereas Tabuu at least looked (albeit superficially) [[HumanoidAbomination like a person]], Galeem ''does not''. In fact, he looks less like a ''Smash Bros.'' boss and more like a ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' boss: a luminous sphere surrounded by four membranous, multicolored ribbon-like wings, making him seem [[OurAngelsAreDifferent almost angelic]], and all the more nightmarish for it. His fighting style, ironically for a being of light, is also a twisted mix of brutality and elegance; for instance, twirling his wings into drills to impale fighters from above, splitting his core into three before rhythmically firing off rounds of burning light, sending in his own puppet fighters who will eventually explode, and spawning a ball of light that ''almost looks like a slitted eyeball'' before firing off his own variant of Tabuu's infamous Off Waves ([[MusicalisInterruptus which also briefly stops the music before it lets out a loud ringing sound like a bell of some sort]]). When Galeem's health gets to a low point, his core promptly bursts into a wild blaze of light as if he's about to go ''supernova'' while the sky brightens up even more.

** And then there's Galeem's appearance: whereas Tabuu at least looked (albeit superficially) [[HumanoidAbomination like a person]], Galeem ''does not''. In fact, he looks less like a ''Smash Bros.'' boss and more like a ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTensei'' boss: a luminous sphere surrounded by four membranous, multicolored ribbon-like wings, making him seem [[OurAngelsAreDifferent almost angelic]], and all the more nightmarish for it. His fighting style, ironically for a being of light, is also a twisted mix of brutality and elegance; for instance, twirling his wings into drills to impale fighters from above, splitting his core into three before rhythmically firing off rounds of burning light, sending in his own puppet fighters who will eventually explode, and spawning a ball of light that ''almost looks like a slitted eyeball'' before firing off his own variant of Tabuu's infamous Off Waves ([[MusicalisInterruptus which also briefly stops the music before it lets out a loud ringing sound like a bell of some sort]]). When Galeem's health gets to a low point, his core promptly bursts into a wild blaze of light as if he's about to go ''supernova'' while the sky brightens up even more.

*** Last but most certainly not least is the Mysterious Dimension, where ''[[RealityIsOutToLunch reality is very clearly]] [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs on a bad acid trip]]''. The place is full of confusing and lengthy travel routes strewn all over the place, and that's not getting into everything being ''[[UnrealisticBlackHole sucked into some sort of black hole]]''. This is where the aforementioned [[VideoGame/KirbySuperStar Marx]] makes himself right at home, right in the center of the black hole sucking everything in, almost as if this is all somehow ''his'' doing. And before you can even get to Marx? You have to go through one last fight with a legendary spirit to get to him: ''Tabuu'' — possessing the body of a ''giant '''and''' metal Bayonetta'', and the Subspace Army's leader, possessed against his will he may be, '''will not''' go down without a fight.

*** Galeem simply has no restrictions on whatever or whoever he goes after. He kills off [[HeroKiller Mario, Link]], [[KillTheGod Palutena, Rosalina]], [[TheKingslayer Bowser]], [[WouldHurtAChild the Inklings, Diddy Kong, the Villager, Rosalina's Luma, the Pokémon Trainer]], [[BadPeopleAbuseAnimals Sonic, Falco, every Pokémon in the roster, the Duck Hunt dog and duck]], [[KickTheSonOfABitch Ridley]], and many, many, many more. He doesn't care who or what's in front of him, be it man or woman, adult or child, mortal or god, human(oid) or animal, mechanical (or cybernetic) or organic. It doesn't matter what status one may hold in the universe, be it of righteous good that has always prevailed or a being of pure evil strong enough to destroy a planet. He doesn't care who he faces, he has no biases or moral restrictions, he just wants everyone dead. '''[[DownerBeginning And he gets exactly that.]]'''

*** Depending on how much control Porky has within the Capsule, things could be made even worse. Either Porky is trapped within a machine that is, in fact, not safe from absolutely everything, and is forced to rampage without him controlling it (a nightmare to a narcissist like Porky, [[KickTheSonOfABitch though certainly well-deserved]]), or he is in control, which all but guarantees him to be one of the few to actively help the villains. [[VideoGame/EarthBound Wouldn't be the first time, after all.]]

** If you look closely, you'll notice that not once does "Marth" emote in any way when attacking or being attacked by Link, instead having a completely blank expression (GlowingEyesOfDoom notwithstanding) throughout the entire fight up to when the Luminary comes to Link's rescue, and the other puppet fighters similarly walk in with dead expressions on their faces. Talk about creepy. This all gives the viewers a good look at just how much of emotionless killing machine slaves the fighters and spirits are to Dharkon's (and Galeem's) wills.

** If you look closely, you'll notice that not once does "Marth" emote in any way when attacking or being attacked by Link, instead having a completely blank expression (GlowingEyesOfDoom notwithstanding) throughout the entire fight up to when the Luminary comes to Link's rescue, and the other puppet fighters similarly walk in with dead expressions on their faces. Talk about UncannyValley. This all gives the viewers a good look at just how much of emotionless killing machine slaves the fighters and spirits are to Dharkon's (and Galeem's) wills.

* Steve's movements head straight into UncannyValley due to the way they contrast with the other fighters, who can at least bend their limbs. The Minecraft characters ''can't''. His lack of a facial expression change also just looks... off.

''Flickering through the void...'']]

* [[VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon Mimikyu]] gets added to the Pokéball roster in this game. And if you haven't seen [[NightmareFuel/PokemonSunAndMoon that game's own Nightmare Fuel page]], know that simply looking under its disguise once killed someone (which ''also'' constantly happens to [[Anime/{{Pokemon}} Meowth]] as a [[BlackComedy darkly comedic]] RunningGag). So what does it do in this game? A long, shadowy hand reaches out and ''pulls you under''. And yes, if your damage is high enough, it will kill you outright.

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%%[[caption-width-right:350:"Advertising/TheYearOfLuigi ends...'''''forever!'''''"]]

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[[caption-width-right:350:''Rising up, as a chorus of souls find a voice...''\\

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* Ridley's reveal trailer, which serves as a shout-out to the ''Franchise/{{Alien}}'' franchise — with Ridley as the [[XenomorphXerox Xenomorph]], and Samus as [[ActionGirl Ellen Ripley]], but they might have been a little ''TOO'' faithful... Samus, Mario, and Mega Man are walking cautiously down a bridge in a dark base. A blurred shape suddenly swoops by and destroys Mega Man by skewering him through his chest; and then immediately returns to ''crush Mario's skull to pieces'', with a SickeningCrunch to go with it. Samus senses this and turns around only to find that nobody is there and [[DeadHatShot only Mario's hat is left on the ground]]. Then, suddenly, Ridley bursts out from underneath the bridge and taunts Samus with Mario's hat before he attacks. Sakurai outright states that the point of Ridley's trailer was to [[MoralEventHorizon show]] first-hand just [[VileVillainSaccharineShow how monstrous he really is]]. And to top it off, that sadistic smirk he gives while looking her in the eye and twirling Mario’s hat on his finger to mock her allies' sudden and violent deaths shows just why he's ''Samus''' arch enemy.

* [[VideoGame/ {{FinalFantasyVII}} Sephiroth]] wastes no time making his foreboding presence in Smash Bros known by having him ''one-shot'' '''Galeem''' cutting through the bright other-worldly abomination like its tissue paper before reigning down hell upon the shocked fighters as the sky darkens to match the despair wrought by the One Winged Angel himself!

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%% Sephiroth's trailer has been repeatedly discussed and each time, it's been deemed not an example.
%% If you want to add it, please go to the discussion page or Nightmare Fuel cleanup thread to discuss it further.
%% https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=15046601260A53602600
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* All 3 of Sephiroth's victory animations don't take place in the standard victory stage, like the other fighters - it takes place against the backdrop of an ''inferno'' much like his razing of Nibelheim. The stand out of the three is the one in which Sephiroth slowly walks into said fire, after giving the camera one last triumphant smirk. The usual victory music is also replaced with a quiet, somber piece that blends with the sounds of the ongoing fires. It's TheBadGuyWins incarnate - especially if you're not the one playing as him.

** His victory quotes further add to the atmosphere: From his trademark evil chuckle when winning against regular opponents, to his last line from Advent Children (that was also featured at the end of his trailer) when he wins against Cloud.

The stakes have reached their highest peak in ''Smash Bros.'' ''Ultimate'' has proven to be the most ambitious game in the series yet...and yet, some pre-release material and the story mode's cutscenes have shown it to be one of, if not the darkest game of the series.

The stakes have reached their highest peak in ''Smash Bros.'' With every playable character making a return along with new ones, over a hundred stages, ''800 music tracks'' (which has since expanded to over 1,000 due to the DLC packages), and a whole new slew of features and modes alike (including a story mode that [[DownerBeginning opens on a very depressing note]]), ''Ultimate'' has proven to be the most ambitious game in the series yet...and yet, some pre-release material and the story mode's cutscenes have shown it to be one of, if not the darkest game of the series, to the point where it's a total wonder as to how it received a ''mere'' E-10+ rating.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/death_of_luigi.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"Advertising/TheYearOfLuigi ends...'''''forever!'''''"]]

** Even worse, during Sakurai's presentation regarding Sephiroth, he mentions that Marx was initially going to be a lot creepier, but mentioned that "it wasn't family friendly" and they had to tone him down, while stating that he wishes he could've made him creepier. [[NothingIsScarier Imagine how that would've worked out]].

The stakes have reached their highest peak in ''Smash Bros.'' With every playable character making a return along with new ones, over a hundred stages, ''800 music tracks'' (which has since expanded to nearly 1,000 due to the DLC packages), and a whole new slew of features and modes alike (including a story mode that [[DownerBeginning opens on a very depressing note]]), ''Ultimate'' has proven to be the most ambitious game in the series yet...and yet, some pre-release material and the story mode's cutscenes have shown it to be one of, if not the darkest game of the series, to the point where it's a total wonder as to how it received a ''mere'' E-10+ rating.