Why was Sora chosen for Smash?

Sora’s inclusion in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was a long time coming. Ever since the release of the first Kingdom Hearts game in 2002, fans have been eagerly anticipating the Keyblade wielding hero joining the crossover fighting series. With Smash Bros. having a tradition of including both Nintendo and third party characters, Sora seemed like an obvious choice. However, various factors prevented his appearance until the final DLC fighter reveal for Smash Bros. Ultimate. Looking at the history of both franchises, and the evolution of Smash’s roster, it becomes clear why Sora was ultimately chosen and what took so long for him to arrive.

The Popularity and Relevance of Kingdom Hearts

Kingdom Hearts is one of the most popular and prolific Square Enix franchises, having recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. The series has sold over 35 million copies worldwide across numerous entries on various platforms. While initially starting on PlayStation, Kingdom Hearts games have appeared on Nintendo systems since Chain of Memories released for Game Boy Advance in 2004. Several other entries have come to Nintendo consoles over the years, including mainline titles like Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance on 3DS and the collections Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue on Switch. The strong association with Nintendo makes Sora a natural crossover choice.

Key Kingdom Hearts Games on Nintendo Consoles

The series has maintained a consistent popularity over the past two decades through a complex fictional universe, memorable characters, and action roleplaying gameplay. There is an established fanbase across multiple generations who have grown up with Sora and his friends. Kingdom Hearts 3 was highly anticipated for years before finally releasing in 2019. The IP has remained a staple of gaming pop culture.

Recent Kingdom Hearts Activity

In addition to the collections bringing past games to Switch, Kingdom Hearts has had other recent activity keeping it relevant:

• Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind DLC (2019/2020)
• Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory (2020)
• Kingdom Hearts mobile game Union χ (2016-2022)
• Kingdom Hearts 20th anniversary (2022)

Between the mainline entries, spinoffs, expanded universe content, and milestone celebrations, there has been consistent Kingdom Hearts releases and announcements leading up to Sora’s Smash debut. The franchise did not lose mainstream attention. Sora was recognizable and requested by younger and older gamers alike. The series did not fade into obscurity but remained popular over the years.

The Evolution of Super Smash Bros. Roster

While Kingdom Hearts has sustained its popularity, the Smash Bros. roster has tremendously expanded. When Kingdom Hearts first released on PlayStation 2, the Smash Bros. series only consisted of characters from Nintendo franchises. Even when Kingdom Hearts started appearing on Nintendo systems in the mid 2000s, Brawl and Smash 4’s rosters pulled exclusively from Nintendo IP and second party studios. It wasn’t until Ultimate that series director Masahiro Sakurai opened the door to third party characters. This provided the opportunity for Sora that did not exist earlier.

Smash Bros. Roster Size by Game

\*Includes all DLC. Actual launch base roster was 74.

Third Party Fighters by Game

As the roster expanded exponentially across instalments, notably in Ultimate, doors opened for highly requested icons like Sora to appear as DLC. Sakurai embraced the massive crossover concept more than ever before.

Fan Demand for Sora Over the Years

Sora has consistently been one of the most fan requested fighters for Super Smash Bros., especially among Kingdom Hearts fans. His reveal trailer even showed pictures of fan requests dating years back. While impossible during the early Smash games, once third party characters started joining, his popularity made Sora a prime candidate. He ranked very highly in various Smash fighter ballots and predictions, including:

• 4th most requested in Nintendo Power’s 2007 Brawl poll
• 13th most requested in unofficial Smash Ballot in 2015
• 3rd most requested in r/smashbros fighter ballot in 2020
• Top predicted DLC fighter in 2021 r/SmashBrosUltimate awards

Sora support remained strong in the fandom across multiple polls over a decade plus. Of course, fan support does not automatically enable a character’s inclusion. But Sora meeting the criteria of third party origin, major brand recognition, and consistent popularity aligned him for consideration once the doors opened more widely.

Licensing Complexities Finally Resolved

While Sora’s massive popularity made him an obvious choice for Smash, the licensing complexities posed significant hurdles for actually making it happen. Unlike other third parties like Capcom or Konami who own their IPs represented in Smash, Kingdom Hearts is jointly owned by Disney and Square Enix. Disney does not commonly allow their characters to appear in external games. Reportedly, Sakurai negotiated directly with Disney executives over an extended period to finally reach an agreement. Kingdom Hearts composer Yoko Shimomura even created arranged medleys of Disney music for Sora’s debut specifically for Smash. Sora’s alternate costumes remove most Disney references, likely part of the compromise. Ultimately, the stars aligned permitting a licensed Disney/Square Enix crossover.

Limitations Prevented Earlier Inclusion

Considering the factors above, Sora simply could not have joined Smash any earlier than the final DLC. Kingdom Hearts’ early ties were solely with PlayStation. The Smash roster was still limited to mainly Nintendo characters when Kingdom Hearts debuted. Even when appearing on Nintendo consoles, there were no precedents at the time for third party inclusions. Brawl flirted with the concept through Sonic and Snake, but both were heavily associated with Nintendo history. Not until Ultimate did Smash go all in on third parties. The complicated Disney licensing situation required careful negotiations and legal arrangements before Sora could crossover.Ultimately it took nearly 20 years, but Sora finally arrived once the stars aligned allowing his inclusion. The massive anticipation burst when the Keyblade landed in Smash.

Conclusion

Sora was chosen as the final Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC fighter due to a confluence of factors. The tremendous popularity of Kingdom Hearts made him an obvious character to represent the franchise. His relevance remains strong decades later with new games still releasing. As Smash’s roster massively expanded, especially with third party characters in Ultimate, it opened the door for highly requested icons like Sora. His support among fans has persisted for over a decade leading to his reveal. But the complex licensing deals required careful discussions between corporations before allowing Sora into Smash. Once these factors aligned after nearly 20 years, Sora was finally able to join the roster in Ultimate as one of the most anticipated and celebrated DLC additions. The Keyblade wielder arrived home in Smash due to his enduring popularity combined with Smash’s expanding scope, even if the wait lasted over multiple console generations.