# Sora Shaking Hands With Mario > Sora Shaking Hands With Mario is a 2021 reaction image from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's Sora reveal trailer, exploited to depict opposing forces reconciling or comment on Nintendo-Square Enix collaboration. Sora Shaking Hands With Mario is a reaction image and object labeling meme taken from the October 5, 2021 reveal trailer announcing Sora from Kingdom Hearts as the final DLC fighter for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The still frame of the two characters clasping hands went viral on Twitter within minutes, with users labeling them as opposing forces setting aside their differences or using the image to comment on the Square Enix-Nintendo relationship. ## Origin On October 5, 2021, Nintendo announced Sora from Kingdom Hearts as the final DLC fighter for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[2]. During his reveal trailer, a moment shows Sora shaking hands with Mario. The frame was immediately screenshotted and spread across Twitter, where users began creating memes within minutes of the trailer's debut[2]. The handshake carried extra weight given the long history between the two franchises. Kingdom Hearts creator Tetsuya Nomura was directly inspired by Super Mario 64 when developing the original game. In an interview with the late Satoru Iwata, Nomura said, "My favorite part of Mario 64 was in front of the castle. You didn't have any particular goals there; you could just run around, jump and slide. Whoosh!"[1]. The idea for Kingdom Hearts itself originated when Square producer Shinji Hashimoto and Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi discussed making a game with Disney characters that played like Super Mario 64[1]. So the Sora-Mario handshake was, in a roundabout way, a meeting decades in the making. - **Platform:** YouTube (Nintendo Direct reveal trailer), Twitter (meme spread) - **Creator:** Unknown (community-created from Nintendo's Sora reveal trailer) - **Date:** 2021 ## Overview The meme uses a single frame from Sora's character reveal trailer for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, showing the Kingdom Hearts protagonist shaking hands with Mario. The image works in two main ways: as a straight reaction image commenting on the Square Enix and Nintendo partnership, and as an exploitable object labeling template where users replace the characters' identities with two opposing forces coming together[2]. The handshake's visual simplicity and clear symbolic meaning made it instantly adaptable. ## How It Spread The meme spread explosively on Twitter in the hours following the reveal. User @El_Banchito posted the handshake image with the caption "Together we can copystrike everything," a joke about Square Enix and Nintendo's shared reputation for aggressively pulling fan games and content from the internet[2]. That tweet picked up over 5,000 retweets and 19,000 likes within two hours[2]. User @Akfamilyhome tweeted the image with "The moral of the story is that Scrimblo Bimbos and JRPG McSwordguys can co-exist," referencing two popular hypothetical Smash character archetypes that frequently appear in roster debates[2]. The tweet gained over 650 retweets and 1,900 likes in two hours[2]. The exploitable template format took off just as quickly. User @awesomepapers replaced Sora with the Heavy from Team Fortress 2 in the handshake frame, earning over 1,400 retweets and 8,000 likes in two hours[2]. User @thejedahliker labeled the two characters "reagan and gorbachev," gaining over 140 retweets and 680 likes in the same timeframe[2]. The speed of adoption reflected how long fans had waited for this specific crossover. Sora had been among the most requested Smash fighters for years, and his inclusion as the final DLC character gave the handshake a sense of finality and celebration that fed the meme's momentum. ## How to Use The meme typically works in one of two ways: **As a reaction image:** Post the unedited frame to comment on unlikely alliances, corporate partnerships, or two entities with a complicated history coming together. Often used when rival companies, fanbases, or public figures find common ground. **As an object labeling exploitable:** Label Sora and Mario as two specific things, people, or groups. The handshake implies the two labeled forces are putting aside their differences or joining for a common cause. Common approaches include labeling them as rival fandoms uniting against a shared enemy, or as two unrelated things the poster personally enjoys. Some users also edit one or both characters out of the frame entirely, replacing them with other characters or objects to create entirely new handshake scenarios[2]. ## Cultural Impact The meme's cultural punch came partly from what the handshake represented behind the scenes. Kingdom Hearts exists because Square employees in the late 1990s wanted to make a game that captured the same feeling as Super Mario 64[1]. Nomura overheard Hashimoto and Sakaguchi discussing a Disney character game inspired by Mario's 3D freedom, volunteered to lead the project, and pitched a completely original vision to Disney that became Kingdom Hearts[1]. Disney was initially restrictive with the arrangement. Mickey Mouse was only allowed to appear once in the first game, and only briefly near the end[1]. The franchise's success eventually loosened those restrictions, and Kingdom Hearts grew to 13 games in the series[1]. Sora's Smash inclusion on October 18, 2021 closed a loop that started with Super Mario 64 inspiring Kingdom Hearts in 1996[1]. The handshake meme captured that full-circle moment in a single frame, which is partly why it spread so fast and hit so hard with gaming communities. ## Fun Facts - Tetsuya Nomura's original character design for Sora featured him wielding a chainsaw, which Disney understandably pushed back on before giving the project the green light[1]. - The meeting between Square and Disney that led to Kingdom Hearts happened because Hashimoto ran into a Disney executive in an elevator and literally made an elevator pitch[1]. - Co-workers told Nomura it would be impossible to rival someone as iconic as Mario in a 3D platformer, which is what made the pivot to Disney characters appealing[1]. - When Nomura met with Disney to discuss the game, he interrupted their prepared presentation midway through, rejected their ideas, and pitched his own vision instead[1]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Sora Shaking Hands With Mario? It's a meme format using a still frame from the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate trailer that revealed Sora from Kingdom Hearts as the game's final DLC fighter, showing him shaking hands with Mario[2]. ### Where did Sora Shaking Hands With Mario come from? The image comes from the Sora character reveal trailer aired on October 5, 2021, during a Nintendo Direct presentation[2]. ### What does Sora Shaking Hands With Mario mean? The handshake symbolizes two opposing or unlikely forces coming together. Users label the characters to represent specific alliances or use it as a reaction to unexpected partnerships[2]. ### How do you use Sora Shaking Hands With Mario? Either post the image as a reaction to unlikely alliances, or label Sora and Mario as two specific things joining forces. Some users also edit new characters into the frame[2]. ### Is Sora Shaking Hands With Mario still popular? The meme saw its biggest spike on October 5, 2021, and is still used occasionally when gaming crossovers or unlikely partnerships come up, though its peak virality was concentrated in that initial week[2]. ### Why was the Sora reveal such a big deal? Sora was the final DLC character for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and had been one of the most requested fighters for years. Kingdom Hearts was also originally inspired by Super Mario 64, making the crossover feel like a full-circle moment[1]. ### What is the connection between Kingdom Hearts and Mario? Tetsuya Nomura created Kingdom Hearts after being inspired by Super Mario 64's open 3D gameplay. He wanted to capture the same sense of freedom, which led to the action-RPG style of Kingdom Hearts[1]. ### What was the copystrike joke about? User @El_Banchito captioned the handshake "Together we can copystrike everything," joking that both Square Enix and Nintendo are known for aggressively taking down fan-made content[2]. ### What are Scrimblo Bimbos and JRPG McSwordguys? These are joking terms for two common Smash Bros. character request archetypes: classic platformer mascots (Scrimblo Bimbos) and anime-styled sword-wielding RPG protagonists (JRPG McSwordguys). The handshake represented their peaceful coexistence[2]. ## References 1. [Why Sora in Smash Bros. is More Important than You Think | TechRaptor]() 2. [Sora Shaking Hands With Mario - Know Your Meme]() 3. [Pirates in the arts and popular culture]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/sora-shaking-hands-with-mario Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library