@Enlong: The iconicness thing is true (to a degree, anyway), but Cloud's presence on Nintendo systems is so minimal that it's basically a formality. I'd say any character would have to be one of those things, but not necessarily both.
Reaction Image RepositoryI've not said that Cloud's presence on Nintendo consoles isn't a technicality. But it does mean that the letter of the rule has yet to be broken, and I'm not going to take seriously suggestions of characters that would break it until it happens. Which it won't.
Cloud pushes up against the limits of the rules, but doesn't break them.
edited 13th Nov '15 12:53:00 PM by Enlong
I have a message from another time...Calling it right now, Goku and Darth Vader DLC's gonna be announced at the December event.
At this point all bets are off as far as who can make it in and who can't so and since Nintendo damn well knows people have been bitching for these two their gonna deliver even if it breaks their "no non video game character" policy.
You know, the fact that Cloud is in the game is making me feel less bad for voting for Bomberman and Master Higgins in the ballot. If Cloud can get in, maybe they could still get in...even if Konami is going bananas...hey, I can hope for it, right?
"I'm glad I don't wear shoes or else I'd have to always get shoes in two different sizes. ...If you know, you know!"@Robo: Nah, they still have standards; they're just not as strict as we initially assumed. But "video game character" is still at the top of the list, so we're not going to be seeing Shrek in the game any time soon.
Reaction Image RepositoryThe "video game characters" rule can only be violated if Sakurai changes his mind or if Smash 5 has a new director who would think it's okay to have, say, Goku or Inu Yasha in.
AAAAUUUUGGGHHHH!!!!Master Chief hasn't been in a fighting game, but a female Spartan was in the Dead or Alive series.
Cloud's inclusion would be easier settled if Final Fantasy VII came to the Wii U or 3DS in some form.
I don't care for Cloud, but I hope his alternate costumes include Auron and other iconic Final Fantasy characters. Like Rikku, lol.
If there's not a Lighting pallet, I think people will be disappointed.
Also, not entirely sure, but two things to keep in mind about cloud; First, I believe the FFVII remake is coming in 2017 or later, and secondly pretty sure Sony's paying for it to be made.
edited 13th Nov '15 2:04:12 PM by MEKristian
He needs to have his cross dressing outfit as an Alt, though.
edited 13th Nov '15 2:12:00 PM by Demongodofchaos2
Watch Symphogear

When people say "anything goes now" because of Cloud's inclusion, they are ignoring the extremely important context of Final Fantasy's history on Nintendo consoles. His game of origin may have not been on a Nintendo console, but his legacy has. The same cannot be said for characters like Master Chief or Kratos, who have never even touched anything Nintendo and are unimportant to its history.