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Heartwarming / Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

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https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/isabelle_and_villager_going_to_smash.png
Of course they'll cheer you on!
As fate spins a thread without end
New life draws its first breath
Blossoming in a soil reclaimed from the past
Where destiny holds fast
Here where we stand, hand clenched in hand
Everyone caught in the struggle
This is the day we finally find our way
Stepping into our tomorrow
—Lifelight, the theme of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

For examples in the other games in the series, go here.

Moment Subpages are Spoilers Off. You Have Been Warned.

    open/close all folders 
    Pre/Post-release 
  • The fact that the Inklings were the first newcomers to be introduced can be considered this. Their game rose in popularity quite quickly, becoming one of Nintendo's most successful new IPs in recent memory. People even bemoaned the fact that they were mere Mii Costumes in the last installment. So when the trailer dropped and the Inklings were shown staring at the Smash Logo, something about it just felt... astonishing.
  • Everyone is here. Every fighter from every previous game is here. The Wii U/3DS DLC characters, The Ice Climbers, Pokemon Trainer alongside Ivysaur and Squirtle, Young Link, Pichu, Wolf, Snake. Everyone is here.
    • On that note, Charizard is fighting alongside Red, Squirtle, and Ivysaur again. If that doesn't warm your heart, we don't know what will.
    • The Ice Climbers in particular are just happy to be back. And Pichu just happily waves to the camera as if to say "I'm back too, everyone!"
    • Just look online and see all the reactions to the trailer. The fact that so many people were overjoyed to see their favorites return for the latest installment, especially if they were cut from an earlier one, is just a sight to behold. Even Pichu had people who were happy to see him return, self-damage and all!
    • The thought that absolutely everyone who has ever been in Smash is in this game. No one gets left out. Everyone really is here.
  • Ridley being playable. After over a decade of speculation and many a Flame War about how that could or couldn't happen, Nintendo found a way.
  • The first third party character seen in the E3 Direct was Sonic, who was shown before not only other third party fighters, but also first party veterans such as Peach and Pikachu, highlighting how much of a staple he is of the franchise, and how far Nintendo and Sega have come since the console war days.
    • Similar for Mewtwo. It's shown very early in the trailer, before even Pikachu. During the Brawl and pre-DLC 3DS/Wii U days, it was one of the most widely missed characters. This time they leave almost no room for doubt that it's here to stay.
  • After being replaced by Kiefer Sutherland as the voice of Snake in Metal Gear Solid V, David Hayter took it rather hard. Suffice to say, he was more than happy to return for this game.
    • Snake's return is doubly heartwarming because despite all of the turmoil going on amidst Konami's divisions (including what happened with MGSV, Hideo Kojima's subsequent departure from Konami, and the infamous Metal Gear Survive), Konami still gave Nintendo their OK to put Snake — with Hayter's voice and all — and Shadow Moses Island back into Smash.
      • Actually, it's triply heartwarming, since Snake only came about in the first place because Kojima requested Sakurai to put him in there. He's probably really happy right now.
      • It's quadruply heartwarming when you remember why Kojima requested to have Snake be in Smash: His kids were fans of Smash and they wanted to play as one of their dad's characters.
      • Also quintuply heartwarming, Sakurai (or if you're feeling generous, Konami as well) still remembered one of Kojima's decisions to have Roy Campbell not having any other voice out of respect of the death of his Japanese voice actor. As such, the fact that all of the available CODEC calls in Ultimate were the ones pre-recorded during Brawl means that they still honored Kojima's decision after so long.
      • To say that the Smash fanbase missed Snake is an understatement.
  • Leaf, the female protagonist of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, finally returns to the video game scene after Nintendo seemingly forgot about her for over a decade and a half.
  • In a similar situation to that of Leaf's, Spiky-eared Pichu returns to the video game scene for the first time in almost a decade after its appearance in Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life and Pokémon HeartGold Version and SoulSilver Version.
  • Daisy's appearance as a fighter. Yes, she's revealed to be an Echo Fighter of Peach, rather than being distinct, but to say that her loyal fanbase was overjoyed at her inclusion would be an understatement.
    • With Daisy's inclusion, people have noticed a slight alteration to Peach's moveset: Namely that the Toads are more active participants instead of helpless pawns. The Toad block is now a deliberate interception and counterattack, and they assist in their throws. The Toads are no longer being used by their princesses, but actively serving them.
  • Ness and Lucas have PK Starstorm once again, but this time they're respectively joined by Paula and Poo, and Kumatora and Boney. In the case of the latter two, that marks their first ever official appearance outside of Japan.
    • On that note, Shulk's Chain Attack is the same as before with Dunban and Riki helping out. But this time, he's also joined by none other than Mecha Fiora! Just... d'aww!
    • Mega Man is now joined by not only his counterparts from the future and an alternate timeline, but also his big brother, Proto Man, and his rival, Bass.
  • Previous games mainly took Zelda character designs from one or two games. The Zelda designs in Ultimate are taken from four different games, making the Zelda cast of this game a love letter to the franchise.
  • Dark Pit's character trailer ends with him and Pit doing a victory pose and flying off. And if you look closely, Dark Pit still has Viridi's aura when he flies. Vitriolic Best Buds, indeed!
  • Roy's trailer has a cute moment, as Lyn jumps in near the end to hit Kirby away from him. Worth noting that in one timeline, Roy is her son.
  • A bit more of a minor one, but the Inkling applauds quite enthusiastically even if they don't win. Inklings are known to be very sore losers in Splatoon, but in Smash they're just happy to be here, win or lose.
  • On Zelda's page in the official website, you can see a picture of her and Pichu just relaxing. It's pretty cute.
    • All of Pichu's non-fighting images just portray it with the same big smile it had back in Melee. It's even shown flying with a Rocket Belt alongside Pikachu.
    • Ryu training alongside Knuckle Joe is another adorable moment.
  • Pit's new Final Smash involves him using the Lightning Chariot. According to Dark Pit's Palutena's Guidance conversation in 3DS/Wii U, said chariot is in the possession of the Forces of Nature. If Pit is using it, and the Dark Pit guidance remains unchanged, that means Viridi is letting Pit use the chariot. Considering her status as Pit's Friendly Enemy (possibly even tsundere for him), this is apparently a given. Either way, the Chariot Master's legacy continues to live on.
  • Krystal finally makes a physical appearance in the Smash series as an Assist Trophy! While undoubtedly some fans would've preferred she be playable, it's still nice to see her get recognition from Nintendo after she was unceremoniously excluded from Star Fox Zero due to its reboot status.
    • Her appearance in Fox's character trailer shows her fighting alongside her boyfriend/possible future husband again. It's genuinely sweet to see them together again.
    • Krystal's appearance becomes even more heartwarming when you realize that she's a creation of Rare as the original protagonist of Dinosaur Planet before becoming an official Star Fox character through Star Fox Adventures. The appearance of K. Rool and the eventual addition of Banjo and Kazooie mark a great Nintendo-era Rareware reunion.
  • There's something endearingly nostalgic about the starting roster being the cast of the original game. Not only is it a reminder of the humble beginnings of the series, it shows just how much Smash Bros. has grown over the years as you unlock characters from Melee, Brawl, 3DS/Wii U, and Ultimate.
  • Cappy's return as Mario's cap. Given the true ending implies that Mario managed to fix his original cap after Bowser destroyed it, it still wouldn't stop this duo from fighting together.
  • Chrom finally gets his chance to fight as an Echo Fighter.
    • One scene in Chrom's reveal has him deliver a gift box to his daughter Lucina. However, he falls over while delivering the box, so Lucina checks on him to see if he's okay.
    • The fact that he gets to fight alongside Lucina and Robin again is inherently heartwarming by itself.
  • The appearance of Simon Belmont had been expected by many due to a leak/lucky guess. What they didn't see coming was Richter Belmont as an Echo Fighter, Alucard as an Assist Trophy, a Castlevania stage, a special boss battle against Dracula himselfnote , and a whopping thirty-four music tracks from across the series! Given the series' troubles with Konami as of late (which have been nearly as bad as Metal Gear's), Castlevania has been given the open-armed welcome it and its fans have sorely needed. If you thought the series was given a disservice by not appearing in Smash Bros. before, Nintendo has decided to make up for lost time.
    • Most of the Castlevania references and material in Ultimate are based off the earlier "Classicvania" games on the NES, SNES, and other systems of the time. It's also nice that Richter is getting attention considering his game of origin was Japan only until 2007, and even then it's a title only Castlevania fans love.
    • How does Richter get introduced? Saving his ancestor from a possibly fatal attack from Dracula. Not only is this sweet by itself, but Simon also gets to see the fruits of his labor in full force as his descendant heroically stands up to the vampire.
    • Also, Pit and Mega Man were revealed two games and one game respectively before Simon. A group of companions are reunited.
  • Let's not forget about King K. Rool finally getting in due to fan requests. Not only that, it's his first physical appearance since Mario Super Sluggers back in 2008!
    • His moves are also based on his boss fights in the first three Donkey Kong Country games and Donkey Kong 64. It's a real love letter to the fans of the series.
    • The original creator, Rare, retweeted K. Rool's reveal trailer. Gregg Mayles (who named K. Rool), Steve Mayles (who designed K. Rool's appearance), and David Wise (who composed K. Rool's theme "Gangplank Galleon") are among those who have directly commented on K. Rool's long-anticipated return. It is heartwarming for the original Donkey Kong Country developers that their character made it into Smash as a playable fighter.
    • Consider what King K Rool being included in the roster means for the Donkey Kong Country fanbase. After the first game was released, the series got tons of promotion, games, and spin offs similar to Sonic the Hedgehog back in the 90s. However, after Rare was sold off to Microsoft, the series slowly got less and less focus over the years until Returns. But both Returns and Tropical Freeze lacked the Kremlings and K. Rool seemingly to distance the games to the original trilogy, which made them to seem like a thing from a past. Seeing him in the flesh just shows that the legacy the original Donkey Kong Country trilogy had is not forgotten by Nintendo.
    • According to Sakurai on why King K. Rool made it in Super Smash Bros Ultimate was because of the ton of votes he got from the Smash Ballot. Meaning that the votes of K. Rool's fans weren't in vain and also giving fans hope that characters they voted for could still make it after all.
  • While Shovel Knight may be an Assist Character, it's still a huge honor for an indie game character from a Western developer (Yacht Club Games) to be represented.
  • As expected with the return of Snake, Gray Fox also appears again in Assist Trophy capacity.
  • The fact that Pit, Mega Man and Simon can be◊ together again◊ in Ultimate.
  • You could even call the fact that the Arcade Bunny is in the game as an assist one of these, given that the bunny is a total Nintendo fanboy who always gushes about his favorite characters and is now able to co-exist with and even help his heroes/heroines in one game.
    • Even better, one of the later assist trophies that was announced was Nikki, the mascot of the Swapnote service. And Arcade Bunny has a huge crush on her...
  • In a twisted way, it's sweet thinking that there are a substantial amount of villains in this game. Bowser and Ganondorf may hate each other's guts, but they wouldn't be accepted by anyone who knows better. Now they're being accompanied by people that have done as bad stuff as they once did, and can actually bond with them — especially since some of them, such as Ridley, King K. Rool, and Dark Samus, have been missing in action for so many years that they'd love to hear about someone as cruel as them.
  • It's a small touch, but seeing Classic Mode in the style of the first three games is nostalgic and makes you think that these characters are going back to their humble beginnings. Playing through Classic Mode with one of the original 12, it makes you feel like you're playing your first Smash Game again. And how each match has a unique subtitle is a detail that adds to the charm of the mode.
  • Speaking of small touches, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it detail in one of Young Link's new taunts: When he pulls out Navi and she rests on his hand, the Hero of Time has a small, brief smile.
  • At the center of the new menu are the original 8 Smashers together with their new artwork. It's a small thing, but a reminder they were the ones who made this possible.
  • Isabelle's trailer is in stark contrast to the Darker and Edgier ones where characters get Family Unfriendly Deaths. Instead, we see her go about her day-to-day duties until she receives an invitation. You really get the impression that she's incredibly excited to be in the game. It looked like she's lonely whenever Villager is busy fighting in Smash Bros., which shows that she really cares about them.
    • Then the very end has Isabelle telling the viewers that she hopes that they'll cheer her on. D'aaawwww.
    • At the start of the Animal Crossing Switch announcement that came directly after Isabelle's Smash reveal, Tom Nook is watching the reveal trailer, and comments that he's happy when he sees his friends doing new things. He talks about how wonderful it would be for us to have a home after we're finished with this game and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. Such a nice thought about knowing you'll have somewhere to settle down once your time with Ultimate has wrapped up.
  • Who are some of the characters depicted in the game's Spirits? Tethu. Henry Fleming. Alexandra Roivas. Tsubasa Oribe. Nintendo is really going that extra mile, showing that even their less popular or successful franchises still have a place in Smash.
  • During Piranha Plant's reveal, there's a moment where Villager waters a tiny Piranha Plant, which then grows larger and defeats Donkey Kong. Villager and the Plant then celebrate together joyfully. It's only natural that Villager — who spends a lot of time caring for the environment in his home series — would make friends with a sentient plant, and Piranha Plant seems to appreciate the gesture.
  • In Joker's reveal trailer, his fellow Phantom Thieves are talking with him the whole way through, just like they do in their home game. They're all close friends through and through, and hearing just how psyched they are to see Joker's invitation drives that fact home.
    • How does Morgana describe Nintendo and their characters? The best of the best. He's just beaming with pride and honor at Joker's opportunity to duke it out with Nintendo's characters!
  • One of Incineroar's photos on the official Super Smash Bros. Ultimate website shows it having fun with several Pikachu and Pichu (it is stated to be great with children, after all).
  • In an interview about the music, Sakurai said that he did try to avoid music that would cost money and be harder to get the rights to. Although Sonic didn't get any new remixes, the team still made an exception for Sonic and tried to get back the music in Brawl that was skipped out in Wii U, likely for this reason (as the music from Sonic 1 and Sonic 2 is no longer owned by SEGA).
  • Banjo and Kazooie returning to a Nintendo system after over 15 years? Heartwarming in and of itself. But what seals the deal is the Kongs' (and even K. Rool's) reaction to their arrival in their reveal trailer. They're downright thrilled to see their fellow Rare alumni come home.
    • Diddy's case becomes more heartwarming when you realize he's also reuniting with an old-time friend from past adventures!
    • Even better still is the end shot of the trailer: the Nintendo characters (plus Sonic, Mega Man, and Pac-Man) are cheering over the return of the beloved Bear and Bird, as if they've missed them so much. Aww...
    • Doubly so for Fox and Sonic cheering for the duo; Fox's first game on the GameCube was developed by Rare, and Sonic actually raced with them once. In addition, fellow Nintendo 64 superstars Mario and Young Link look like they're ecstatic to have them back.
    • Before that, we have K. Rool chilling out with the Kongs in DK's treehouse. Makes you wonder if Bowser or Ganondorf do that with their respective rivals?
    • And like several others, fan reception has been overwhelmingly positive.
    • Even better still, History Repeats - when Banjo and Kazooie were added to Smash, their game was only available on non-Nintendo consoles unless you had a Nintendo 64 lying around. But similar to Cloud, their arrival to Smash was eventually followed by their return to Nintendo: Banjo-Kazooie is now available via Nintendo Switch Online. Welcome back, you two!
  • While Persona 5 takes much of the spotlight in terms of Persona-related content here, the presence of music from its immediate predecessors and how it affects Mementos' look is a welcome twist and a great way to honor them. The remix of "I'll Face Myself" from Persona 4 is particularly strong in how much it aptly pays tribute to the Investigation Team's adventure from 2011 enough for fans to weep with joyful tears.
  • One surprising cameo in Spiral Mountain is Banjo's little sister Tooty, who was only in the first Banjo-Kazooie before she disappeared from the series. It's rather sweet to see Tooty again after her last appearance was a Face on a Milk Carton.
  • Sakurai's ending statement to cap off the Banjo & Kazooie presentation video. In spite of any problems he's had with overzealous fans, medical conditions, and so on, he wants to make as many people happy as he can with Ultimate and makes clear it's something he wants to do.
    Finally, it was announced that we will be working on even more DLC fighters. To me, it feels like the finish line is sliding farther away. You may wonder, "how much longer can he be involved with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate?" But I'm also excited. Adding more characters into the game means that more game worlds will be added to the series, and ultimately, that means that there will be an even greater opportunity to delight the fans. At the same time, I feel that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is now representing so many characters and game worlds, that it's become an enormous game. Even if the Super Smash Bros. series continues moving forward, I doubt there will ever be an opportunity to bring this many characters together again. And so, I want to keep improving on this record as much as possible. And I will continue to work hard on developing the game. I appreciate your support.
  • Turns out Sakurai and Toby Fox are basically friends now. As Sakurai explained in the post-September 2019 Direct showcase, not only did Toby play Smash with Sakurai at the latter's home, Toby also elaborated more on Twitter that Sakurai drove him home while they listened to Smash music, and having fun talking despite Toby's limited Japanese skills. Toby called it one of the most fun and unforgettable experiences of his life.
    • Speaking of Toby, the Megalovania remix comes with a guitar solo at the end that includes references to "Heartache" and "Bonetrousle". Even if they're not physically there, the people and kingdom Sans cares about are still referenced in his song. And even though Sans is just a costume for the Mii Gunner, his loyalties are still clear as day.
  • Sakurai's livestreams introducing the new fighters are this, as it's clear he really loves the characters and series he's adding to Smash, and wants to share that love with his fans. He carefully goes through various details of each series and explains how he tried to represent them in Smash.
    • To kick off the presentation on Terry Bogard, the very first thing Sakurai does is teach the audience just what the NEO-GEO and Terry's place in video game history is, to the point of whipping out an actual NEO-GEO console and showing it off.
      • The entire presentation serves as one from Sakurai, given how many references he had to explain in the video, such as where Terry's attacks came from, showing off the 50 tracks SNK approved for his stage and introducing all 20 guest characters in the King of Fighters Stadium. He does so in a way that allows fans of Fatal Fury, Terry Bogard, and SNK as a whole to enjoy the series' representation, while also trying to explain to others inside the Smash community - including those who have never heard of them before Smash or for anyone unfamiliar with traditional fighting games in general - why SNK should be respected as such.
  • Regarding Byleth's inclusion, Sakurai states that he got an early copy just to get a feel for the game and get Byleth into the roster in an accurate way as soon as possible. He wasn't going to wait until later for it to happen.
  • ARMS will be getting a much deserved spot on the roster. After the game fell into obscurity after its launch in 2017, very little, if any info on the game was mentioned, as if Nintendo left it to focus on other games. Come this announcement, and it's clear that Nintendo has not only not forgotten the series, but its fans as well.
    • With the COVID-19 pandemic reaching even Japan, Sakurai holds the announcement in a place only Toby Fox has seen before: his own living room. Before showing off his two-TV, Multi-console setup (the man not only has a Super Famicom, he's got a Super NES!), he takes a moment to thank Nintendo for sending the equipment needed to make and edit the video at home, and even shows the recording equipment itself.
    • And as an added bonus for mentioning how Min Min was added, he mentioned how the ARMS producer himself wanted Min Min as a playable character and Sakurai actually agreeing with him on the idea. As for why she was added over Spring Man, the implied protagonist of the game, the same producer noted that "everyone's the protagonist" in ARMS, with a note below saying all of the fighters in ARMS are leading characters.
    • And speaking of Min Min's reveal, the fact that she's in at all despite already being a Spirit finally puts the long-debated fanrule that Spirits can't be playable to rest, giving fans of characters represented in a similar fashion hope for their future inclusions. Sure enough, three characters later...
  • Captain Falcon serving up ramen for Min Min at the end of her trailer is funny for sure, but considering she ran off to fight for the invitation earlier, it looks like the good captain covered her shift so she could make it.
  • The presence of Steve, Alex, Zombie, & Enderman means that, at last, Smash Bros. has a full fighter (or rather, set of fighters in one) that originated from an Indie game.note 
  • In a bizarre sense of the term, the fact that Sephiroth made his entry by saving everyone else from Galeem's ultimate attack with just one slice of his Masamune can be considered that... at least before he declares he'll give Smash despair.
    • If you didn't notice, the entire reveal trailer was a love letter to the rather divisive "Advent Children" film, as well as several major moments in the original game. The kicker? Zelda finds herself playing Aerith in Smash's recreation of her death! Talk about morbid heartwarming!
    • When Sephiroth has Mario under his mercy, Cloud steps in to help make sure the plumber survives.
    • Even though they're fighting a losing battle, seeing nearly every single fighter in the franchise teaming up to defeat the menace that Sephiroth represents sends so much adrenaline through your body, and makes you shiver with both awesome and heartwarming fuzziness. They are putting aside whatever petty differences they have and have come together as an army to fight for their existence: Friendship is an awesome force indeed.
  • The Nintendo Direct of February 17th, 2021 starts with a bit of a Tear Jerker by having Rex suddenly exclaiming Pyra to be missing, with him scouring the Xenoblade world to find her, even speaking to former comrades like Nia and Mòrag. Then he finally finds her and learns that the reason for her disappearance is because she (and Mythra) got invited to join Smash. While there are some jokes made at his expense about him being passed over for the invite, it's all in good fun as he still gets to join her in fighting as an Assist Character, meaning he finally got into Smash officially (in a way) after missing out the first time around.
    • Azurda is pleased as punch to get his old body back in order to be a Stage. He even brings the rest of the team with him.
    • Shulk gets a special appearance at the end the trailer, getting to personally welcome his fellow Xenoblade alumni to Smash.
    • Upon their release, Monolith Soft put out a short video they created featuring Pyra and Mythra, emphasizing how the development studio was all in backing these two's inclusion into the game.
  • Pyra and Mythra's up taunts have Rex teleporting in to cheer them on. While Mythra waves back casually, Pyra greets her driver happily and with enthusiasm. She definitely seems much happier than she was in her home game.
  • The art released for Kazuya's reveal, done by the TEKKEN series character artist, is ominous in that Kazuya's about to drop a battered Ryu off a cliff as many stand in horror... but Min Min and Kirby are both taking initiative to save him, with Min Min preparing to grab him from underneath the ledge, and Kirby rocketing in carry him to safety with the same determination he showed to escape Galeem. Meanwhile, Link and Marth have their swords drawn, Pit has an arrow nocked, Samus, Fox, and the Inkling have their guns out, Captain Falcon is in mid-sprint, Luigi protecting Pikachu from getting thrown off the cliff, and Mario already has a fireball in motion. The consensus is clear: What Kazuya is doing is NOT what Smash is about.
  • A minor one, and while represented by a Mii costume instead of an actual fighter, The Doom Slayer from Doom is now in the same game as Isabelle. Beyond the meme, however, Sakurai takes a moment to give kudos to DOOM, as the franchise that codified the entirety of the powerhouse that is the FPS genre for all time. He also remarks on how he's heard it runs on any computer.
  • The final fighter reveal trailer. Every single fighter is gathered in the dark world to witness the burning Smash Bros. logo slowly burn out, causing them all to return to just simple trophies... except Mario sees a single ember has survived. He gathers the power to go to it, reaches inside...and draws forth the Keyblade, throwing it to unlock the World of Light, from which Sora emerges, opening his eyes as if this was just a dream. The light awakens every fighter, freeing them, and Sora awakens too, joyfully flying around them all like Peter Pan as the orchestral rendition of Hikari/Simple and Clean plays. And after the gameplay section, we see Mario shaking hands with Sora, personally welcoming the Keyblade wielder to the roster as everyone cheers.
    • That's right. The entire Smash Bros. cast has been waiting for Sora's arrival. One could also imagine Cloud - and perhaps even Sephiroth - thinking "Hey, I know this kid.", with Ryu feeling a sense of familiarity in that moment as well.
      • To elaborate with Ryu, Sora and Mario are shaking hands in a shot that parallels Ryu and Cyclops' own iconic handshake in X-Men vs. Street Fighter. As the latter game is part of the Marvel vs. Capcom series, it's supposedly a reference to a classic video game character (Mario and Ryu) shaking hands with a Disney-owned character (Sora and Cyclops). But one could also take this as a tribute to the game that arguably paved the way for Smash to become what it is today, and to have that image close off Ultimate as a whole comes off as Smash giving its thanks to the Capcom vs. series, even after the failure of Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite.
    • When the trailer began, the great Smash emblem in the sky died out as though that, with this announcement, everything would end, and all the characters returned to dormant trophies. However, Mr. Nintendo wasn't ready for it to all end just like that, and taking hold of the last spark, summons Sora and breathes new life into the game. As the two shake hands with Mario welcoming a young gaming icon who's risen to providence to stand there with them, the great emblem in the sky has returned, burning brilliantly in the background. The show might be over, but Smash will never die.
    • With Sora in the roster, there's an even greater implication; it's one that permeates throughout the series he's come from. Sora is known to form a bond with several people from the worlds he visits. As he himself has said, his friends are his power. With his inclusion, this means he has reached the hearts of so many heroes, as well as earned the respect of many villains, and managed to connect his heart with theirs. What better way to end Super Smash Bros. Ultimate? After all, they may come from different worlds, but they all share the same sky -- one sky, one destiny.
    • Sora's intro text isn't some cheesy play on words or nod to his franchise like most other fightersnote . Instead, it is simply "Sora is finally here", acknowledging both the fact that fans had been clamoring for Sora's inclusion for years and that, with him being the final DLC character, now everyone is truly here.
    • In nearly every Kingdom Hearts game, Sora ends the game alone or in a desperate situation. Trapped in a world of darkness, missing, forced to abandon his friends. With the ending of Smash Bros. Ultimate... Sora ends with dozens of new friends welcoming him and ready to stand with him against any threat. Sora finally got his happy ending.
    • Really, just the general feel the trailer gives. The beginning starts out so hollowing despite it minimal context, all the characters reduced to lifeless trophies, then Mario calls out to the light, and the roster is returned to life as Sora soars in like an angel from the heavens, all with the biggest smile on his face. He may be the last fighter, there may be millions of requested characters that haven't made it in, but this is Ultimate's Grand Finale, and it's beautiful.
    • Think of this in Mario's perspective; he's been attacked or even killed off by nearly every newcomer whenever he's showed up in a trailer — Ridley, Steve, Sephiroth, even Vault Boy's Mii Costume reveal — but instead, he gets a firm handshake from Sora, which is a great way for Mr. Video Game to catch a break.
    • The above also applys to Luigi. We saw him frightened and alone, running for his life in Dracula's Castle before having his soul ripped out by Death. To see him staring in awe of Sora alongside his brother after what he's been through is so satisfying.
    • Breaking away from the trailer itself, Sora's presentation for Smash is capped off with Sakurai showing every single playable character as a part to help showcase Sora's moveset to you, the player. And he manages to succeed in doing so. Truly, everyone really is here!
  • Following the reveal trailer for the final fighter, you'd imagine that the fandom might feel disappointed or angry that their favorites didn't make it in, and now there's no more chance. But no. The fandom was united in positivity and even got #ThankYouSakurai trending on Twitter, showing their appreciation for all the hard work that the Smash dev team has done on the game.

    World of Light/Spirit Board 
  • The opening cutscene of "World of Light" has almost every character in the game's playable roster obliterated by Big Bad Galeem's beams of light. Within the opening is a brief shot of Sonic and Pikachu running almost side-by-side with Pikachu lagging behind, but what makes it heartwarming is that Sonic holds his hand out towards Pikachu in an attempt to grab the Pokémon, perhaps believing he can save him from certain doom with his Super-Speed. The attempt is made in vain, as Pikachu is consumed shortly after with Sonic immediately following, but it's still a touching gesture that shows the Blue Blur's heroic desire to help others, no matter the consequences; he could have easily shifted into max speed, left Pikachu to his fate, and saved his own skin (or at least bought himself a few more seconds of freedom), but in his mind, that would never be an option. Furthermore this is another thing that shows how far Nintendo and Sega have come since their competitive days.
    • When Wii Fit Trainer, the Duck Hunt duo, and Villager are about to be disintegrated, the Duck is clearly flapping his wings as fast and hard as he can as he tries to lift the Dog so they can escape. It's really touching to see the bond of friendship between these two as the Duck clearly doesn't want to leave his canine companion behind.
    • Palutena tries to save Pit and Dark Pit from the beams of light by using Reflect while pushing the two away with the Power of Flight. She may always be teasing Pit, but she really cares about him to the point of sacrificing her own life. Doubles as Tear Jerker as it does nothing from getting to them mere seconds after she's caught.
    • Unlike The Subspace Emissary, Bowser is on the heroes' side from the very beginning. The same likely holds true for the other playable villains. In fact, King K. Rool is also against Galeem.
  • The Golden Ending: Galeem and Dharkon are defeated once and for all. After a World-Healing Wave, every single spirit rises up in a spire of flame to head back to the real world. Keep in mind that this was their lifetime goal, but Galeem's attack removed them of their bodies and ability to do so. There's nothing stopping them now.
  • The majority of the time, the path to the captured fighters are blocked by spirits placed right in front of them. In most cases, there is no relation between the spirits and the fighter they guard, but there is one notable exception: Azura is the spirit placed in front of Corrin. Her battle is against a default female Corrin who receives two Final Smashes, a callback to her Songstress class ability to grant two turns, while the original version of Lost in Thoughts All Alone is playing. The entire fight is structured in a way that it looks like Corrin is the actual person fighting and Azura is assisting her. It's sweet to see that even when Brainwashed and Crazy, her loyalty to them remains intact, and keeps watching over them.
  • Once you save Master and Crazy Hand, they'll look around a bit before realizing that they were being manipulated. They'll immediately convert to your side and assist you in getting to the True Final Boss. Not only that, you get to play as Master Hand, and it feels so, so good as you wipe out waves of Puppet Fighters with ease.
    • Looking from another angle, Master Hand, the god and creator of the Smash universe, effectively unleashes the franchise's most vehement Papa Wolf moment, as he brings nearly all of his power to bear on the desperate Zerg Rush Galeem and Dharkon throw at everyone to slow them down - the only restraint shown being that he doesn't become Master Core (since that power was apparently stuffed into a spirit) or call in his partner Crazy Hand. He may test them, toy with them, and sometimes be very rough with them, but the fighters are all his subjects, and he will not sit idly by while two Tabuu wannabes nuke his well-crafted world to dust and turn its people into their slaves. Not this time. Not ever again.
  • For the Spirit Board, one of the battles you get is a fight against Paula. However you don't just fight Paula's spirit (Which is a female Villager), instead Ness assists her in battle and you fight him first, as he even uses his Final Smash right at the start of the fight. This fight is as awesome as it is cute. The same applies to Ana's spirit, who fights alongside Ninten.
  • Some Spirit Enhancements are badass, others are a bit heartwrenching, but one stands out as a tender reminder. Dracula's enhanced form is not Dracula's monster form; that one is an augmentation Spirit. No. Dracula's evolves into Soma Cruz. Even in Smash, even as a boss under Dharkon's thrall, Dracula's soul finds freedom from his life of suffering.
  • How do you summon the aloof rebel, Proto Man? With the Spirits of Dr. Light and Roll, his own family. Only then will he come calling.
  • Generally any spirit battle where you are fighting a team, but a few stand out in particular, as you first have to defeat characters similar to other spirit battles:
    • Breath of the Wild Zelda, where she is teamed up with the Champion spirit battles and Link.
    • The Phantom Thieves of Hearts, where you have to take on most of the Phantom thieves. Even after you beat them, Joker appears and they come back for a rematch via his Final Smash. For an added bonus, Haru will always be the background Phantom Thief, since she otherwise does not get to participate in the battle. So as far as the Phantom Thieves go, everyone is here... except Futaba and Goro.
    • Geno, who's backed up by Spirits representing the full party from Super Mario RPG. The fact that they made him a Legend Spirit and how they worked the entire party in there shows that even if Geno may not be playable, Sakurai and the team knew full well that he's beloved by fans and paid tribute the best way they could.
  • One spirit available in the game is a spirit named "Satoru", the main protagonist of Kousoku Card Battle: Card Hero, named after Satoru Iwatanote , who unfortunately passed away 3 years before Ultimate's release. The inclusion of this character in the game can come off as a heartwarming way of honoring him.
  • Unlike with the last game, all games from the Paper Mario subseries get some form of representation. Nintendo may have moved on, but they know the fans still care about them.
    • Even better? Who is one of two spirits from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door? Vivian, who has a massive fanbase and has many fans begging for her to make a comeback. Clearly, Nintendo noticed and while it's not the comeback everyone was hoping for, it is a comeback nonetheless.
    • The Spirit Board event based on Paper Mario: The Origami King gives us one in the form of the Olivia spirit. During the fight, only one item is capable of spawning: the Bob-omb. While not in the game himself, it's clear that Bobby, who sacrificed himself to save Olivia, is always with her in spirit.
  • Sad that, outside of Cloud, there were no other Final Fantasy VII characters included as Spirits in the base game? Well with the addition of Sephiroth, we now have some characters outside of just Cloud that are included at long last! And the lion's share of Spirits regarding the franchise are Cloud's own party members, meaning Cloud finally has the chance to save his True Companions, including Aerith! After years of Cloud getting shafted in terms of additional content, this is a massive bone to throw his way.
  • Kingdom Hearts is notorious for having Sora and Kairi separated for reasons early on with them usually reuniting near the end of the games. However, thanks to Kairi being a Novice Spirit and Sora's status as a DLC character being unlocked as soon as he is downloaded, it is completely possible for Sora and Kairi to reunite early on, meaning that in a way for once, Sora and Kairi can fight side by side from the beginning to the end.
    • In addition, Riku being a primary spirit means that Kairi can be equipped to him, allowing Sora, Riku and Kairi to fight together as one.
  • To celebrate Street Fighter's 35th anniversary on January 14, 2022, the Street Fighter-based Spirit Board event for that week gave fans an unexpected surprise addition to the Spirit list: the addition of Evil Ryu of all things! While we aren't sure if this is a sign of things to come for more spirits to be added into the game even after saying there'd be no more future updates or if it's just a bonus thing to add to celebrate Street Fighter's anniversary as a series, we can say this counts as heartwarming for the purpose of the game still being cared for even after it was considered completed.
  • In January 2024, Noah and Mio from Xenoblade Chronicles 3 were added to the game as a single Spirit, showing that the two are still Interlinked, even in Smash. Especially poignant since Noah and Mio were separated by the end of their game, and with Future Redeemed only implying that the two will probably meet again in the future, their Smash appearance gives them a way to still be together regardless.

    Other 
  • Several of the images shown at the end of each character's Classic Mode fit this bill:
    • Ness'◊ is a group shot of him and his three companions, much as if the photographer from EarthBound had taken the shot.
    • Peach's◊ has her and Mario getting married with Robin conducting the ceremony. This is heartwarming, especially in light of the ending to Super Mario Odyssey.
    • Daisy◊ is posing proud next to Mario and Peach (and Luigi), finally sharing the spotlight with the other Mario characters.
    • In Zelda's◊, she's happily sitting atop the Great Plateau Tower and looking out over Hyrule, presumably taking a well-deserved rest after defeating Ganon.
    • Roy◊ is posing next to Roy Koopa with a little heart between them, their past animosity forgotten... until you complete a challenge to get a picture of Roy shoving Roy Koopa over the edge of a stage.
    • Chrom's entire Classic Mode will put a smile on your face. The theme is "Fight as One," so after an initial sparring match with Lucina, the rest of the battles will be 2v2 matches with Lucina or Robin at Chrom's side. The ending picture◊ is of a shocked Chrom falling onto his rear next to Mario underneath a shower of confetti, while all the other Fire Emblem characters stand around him applauding - presumably congratulating Chrom for finally getting into Smash Bros.
    • Lucas◊ and his Claus Palette Swap hang out in the clouds of Magicant with a Mr. Saturn.
    • Duck Hunt's◊ has the dog and duck taking a nap with a Nintendog.
    • Wolf's◊ is sitting down in the company of Fox during a starry night, seemingly burying the hatchet. Might not look like a big deal, but these are the same people who constantly try to kill each other during their respective games, and Wolf, who used to taunt Fox about his deceased father.
    • Pichu's◊ looks like Snake is keeping it safe in his box.
    • Link's◊ has him and Zelda guarding each other's backs.
    • Banjo & Kazooie's◊ has them surrounded by their old friends from the N64 days, much like the last shot of their trailer.
    • Terry's◊ features all of the SNK characters who can appear on his stage (except Daimon) joining him in celebrating his victory. Even Geese.
  • More than a few Challenge Mode images evoke this as well:
    • Ganondorf stopping a Thwomp from falling on a sleeping Duck Hunt. A weird combination of awesome, heartwarming, and (this being Ganondorf) funny.
    • A Villager watering some Pikmin.
  • The picture shown in the Background Matchmaking of Online play is one of Palutena playing with a frisbee and a dog in the Living Room stage.
  • Viridi absolutely gushing about the Piranha Plant.
  • Pit sticking up for Mewtwo against Viridi in its Palutena's Guidance, when she demands that it be destroyed due to being artificially created by humans. Even when he's fighting against the Genetic Pokémon, it says a lot for Pit's kindness with how he views a creature often unfairly considered evil for its origins.
    Pit: Poor thing... it's a walking science experiment.
    (...)
    Viridi: It's an affront to nature and must be destroyed immediately! Think about it! Every action has a butterfly effect. Who knows what kind of impact it could have on the ecosystem!
    Pit: (angrily) Oh, grow a heart, Viridi! It didn't choose to be a freak of nature.
  • Piranha Plant in the mural is watering a red Pikmin in a pot for it to grow.
  • Any Classic Mode that is a love letter to a character's game or franchise. Examples include:
    • Mario, which (based on the Japanese title) could not only be Super Mario Odyssey with Nintendo franchises, but also shows why Mario is still the face of Nintendo. Also makes it a moment of Awesome.
    • Ness, which is basically EarthBound in reverse, showing Ness' journey back home.
    • Pit, which re-enacts boss battles from Kid Icarus: Uprising.
    • Mr. Game and Watch and PAC-MAN, which are love letters to classic gaming.
    • Mega Man and Ryu's Classic Modes are re-enactments of their second games.
    • Sonic, Simon, and Hero's are love letters of their respective entire series! Sonic's even has some obscure games like Sonic R and Sonic and the Secret Rings.
    • Young Link, Pikachu, Pokémon Trainer, and Lucina, which show off every fighter in their respective series.
    • Joker recruits every fighter he defeats for his next fight. He defeats their Shadows, and then they're his friend. Even sweeter is that this is how getting new party members tended to work in Persona 4, making it a nod to the rest of the franchise.
    • Banjo and Kazooie's classic mode isn't a heartfelt homage to its series specifically, but several others at once. Its theme is "Perfect Partners," featuring characters or teams that have strong bonds with one another, including Duck Hunt, Mario and Luigi, Link and Zelda, Rosalina and Luma, and Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. In a game that allows you to make any set of characters beat the snot out of each other, its nice to be reminded how many of them are in fact True Companions in their original games.
    • Terry's route pays homage to both the Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters series of games he represents, with music representing the Fatal Fury series (either from the Fatal Fury games themselves or via modern updates of certain songs) and battles having a mixture of Terry's solo Fatal Fury fights going up against King of Fighters stylized teams. The matches have special teams going up against Terry, starting with the Mario Team*  and the Zelda Team*  before going against more diverse teams in the Giant Team* , the Light Team* , the Retro Team* , and the Dark Team*  before ending it off back where it all began in the King of Fighters Stadium going up against the Fighting Team of Ryu, Ken, and the rivaling Terry.
    • Byleth's route is rather standard fare, pitting them against the rest of the game's Fire Emblem fighters in stamina matches. But when it comes time for the Final Boss, and the Hand Brothers stare the professor down... the Fire Emblem theme blares, and the rest of the franchise's fighters all drop in beside you. You Are Not Alone, professor.
  • The picture for the Movies section of the Vault shows Link and Zelda eating popcorn while watching movies. Especially heartwarming if you ship them.
  • The 2019 E3 reveals. For the longest time, there's been a distant relationship between the Western and Eastern sides of the community. E3 2019 ended up throwing both sides a bone, between the reveals of the Dragon Quest Heroes (four characters from a franchise considered to be the grandfather of all JRPGs, who boast a massive legacy over in Japan) for the East, and Banjo & Kazooie (a duo of beloved and highly requested characters in spite of their franchise's decade-long dormancy, whose games are similarly treated as an institution for the Collect-a-Thon Platformer genre) for the West.
    • In fact, the Banjo and Kazooie trailer showcases Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and King K. Rool... just napping. It seems that after the fight in King K. Rool's own trailer, he thinks of them as Worthy Opponents. He even comes to check out the newcomers with them, and cheers alongside them (and the audience) when the bear and bird are at long last revealed to be playable.
    • It also bears mention that DK, Diddy, and K. Rool have been referred to as the Audience Surrogate for the trailer for good reason. The Nintendo NY broadcast of the trailer was met with tumultuous applause, starting from the moment the Jiggy appeared on the screen to the end of said trailer. All that support for the bear and bird over the years has finally paid off!
  • One of The Hero's victory screens has him come up to a group of Slimes with a gentle smile on his face. And unlike Piranha Plant's victory screen, neither one tries to attack the other. He just kneels down to their level as they turn and jump in delight, overjoyed to see him. D'aww.
  • Intensity in Classic Mode is reflected in a massive mural featuring every character in the base game, which has a few hits of this.
    • The low-intensity region is just a peaceful forest glade. Pikachu and Pichu are playing with each other (which is nice little nod to the Pikachu & Pichu animated short as well as to their evolutionary line), Wii-Fit Trainer and R.O.B. are doing yoga poses together, Toon Link is carrying a pig while displaying a silly but cheerful expression on his face, Rosalina is watching over Luma with a motherly expression, and Diddy Kong, Isabelle, Ness, and Lucas are huddled together in a surprisingly adorable way.
    • The most unexpected character in the peaceful area is Lucina, who can be seen in the background sitting down on a tree-stump with a gentle smile on her face and with her hands on her chin. What makes this so heartwarming is that if you're someone who has played Fire Emblem: Awakening, you would know first hand that Lucina has had a VERY daunting life and is someone who is constantly thrown into very intense situations and forced to make difficult decisions. It's almost as if this was a much-needed break for her from all the chaos and agony the poor woman's been through.
    • The border between the low-intensity "peaceful scene" and the higher-intensity "gathered army" is Incineroar and K. Rool with their arms locked, pushing against each other. It comes across as Incineroar saying "No, you leave these kids out of it!"
  • For Byleth's English crowd cheer, the crowd chants "Go Teach!".

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