Super Smash Bros Character Predictions

2006Exploitable / fan art / discussion memesemi-active

Also known as: Smash Bros. Roster Predictions · Fake Smash Rosters · SSBB Newcomer

Super Smash Bros Character Predictions is a fan-speculation meme originating in 2006, defined by cyclical roster wishlists pairing genuine requests like Mega Man alongside increasingly absurd joke picks like Shrek and Goku.

Super Smash Bros. Character Predictions are fan-made speculations, wish lists, and parodies centered on which characters will join the roster of Nintendo's crossover fighting game series. The meme took off in 2006 after the announcement of Super Smash Bros. Brawl and its inclusion of third-party characters, which blew the door open for increasingly absurd suggestions. From earnest wish lists featuring Mega Man and Geno to joke picks like Shrek and Goku, the prediction meme has cycled back with every new Smash Bros. game announcement for nearly two decades.

smash bros memesexploitable templatesnintendo memesfandom discourse memesgaming

Overview

The meme revolves around fans predicting, requesting, or satirizing which characters should be added to the next Super Smash Bros. game. Predictions range from plausible Nintendo picks to wildly unlikely crossover characters from completely unrelated franchises. The format takes several forms: fake "Newcomer!" announcement screens mimicking Nintendo's official reveal style, fabricated character select rosters, spoofed Smash Bros. Dojo character bio pages, elaborate tier lists, and heated forum debates4. What makes the meme distinct is the tension between genuine fan desire and self-aware absurdity. Someone might passionately argue for Waluigi in one breath and demand Shrek in the next1.

Super Smash Bros. launched in 1999 for the Nintendo 64 with 12 playable characters drawn entirely from Nintendo franchises7. When Super Smash Bros. Melee arrived on the GameCube in November 2001, it roughly doubled the roster to 25 characters, adding fighters from Fire Emblem and other Nintendo properties5. This set a fan expectation: each new Smash game would dramatically expand the character list4.

The prediction meme didn't truly ignite until Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced Super Smash Bros. Brawl at a pre-E3 2005 press conference6. Iwata confirmed the game would feature online play via Wi-Fi, and fans immediately began speculating about the roster2. The real turning point came when Brawl's E3 2006 trailer revealed Solid Snake from Metal Gear as a playable character, the first third-party fighter in Smash history4. With non-Nintendo characters suddenly on the table, fans realized virtually any video game character could theoretically join the roster.

On May 10, 2006, YTMND user Bendillin created "Super Smash Bros. Brawl Newcomer: John Madden!", swapping NFL commentator John Madden into Solid Snake's spot on the official newcomer announcement screen4. This kicked off a wave of YTMND parody sites substituting in everyone from Phoenix Wright to Richard Nixon9.

Origin & Background

Platform
YTMND (viral spread), Nintendo fan forums (discussion origin)
Key People
Bendillin, community-created format
Date
2006

Super Smash Bros. launched in 1999 for the Nintendo 64 with 12 playable characters drawn entirely from Nintendo franchises. When Super Smash Bros. Melee arrived on the GameCube in November 2001, it roughly doubled the roster to 25 characters, adding fighters from Fire Emblem and other Nintendo properties. This set a fan expectation: each new Smash game would dramatically expand the character list.

The prediction meme didn't truly ignite until Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced Super Smash Bros. Brawl at a pre-E3 2005 press conference. Iwata confirmed the game would feature online play via Wi-Fi, and fans immediately began speculating about the roster. The real turning point came when Brawl's E3 2006 trailer revealed Solid Snake from Metal Gear as a playable character, the first third-party fighter in Smash history. With non-Nintendo characters suddenly on the table, fans realized virtually any video game character could theoretically join the roster.

On May 10, 2006, YTMND user Bendillin created "Super Smash Bros. Brawl Newcomer: John Madden!", swapping NFL commentator John Madden into Solid Snake's spot on the official newcomer announcement screen. This kicked off a wave of YTMND parody sites substituting in everyone from Phoenix Wright to Richard Nixon.

How It Spread

Bendillin's YTMND template spawned dozens of imitators throughout 2006 and 2007. YTMND search results show pages of Brawl-related parodies: "Newcomer: Geno," "Newcomer: Phoenix Wright," and even "Flying Spaghetti Monster in SSBB". The joke format was simple enough that anyone could participate, just drop a character's image into the official newcomer screen template.

Fan communities simultaneously began creating entirely fabricated character select screens. Since Melee had doubled the original roster, many fans expected Brawl to do the same, leading to sprawling fake rosters packed with every character imaginable. Nintendo's own Smash Bros. Dojo website, which showcased official character bios and gameplay screenshots, became another target for spoofing. Fans recreated the site's layout and filled it with fake character pages for their dream picks.

The cycle repeated when Nintendo announced a fourth Smash Bros. title for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS at E3 2011. On June 8, 2011, IGN interviewed series director Masahiro Sakurai about potential Capcom characters. An accompanying poll showed Mega Man as the overwhelming fan favorite at 55.08%, with Viewtiful Joe at 11.85% and Ryu at 10.80%.

In July 2012, Sakurai told Nintendo Power that the upcoming game probably wouldn't feature a massive roster increase, saying "we've probably already reached the limit of what's feasible" and calling for "a change of direction". This set off fierce debate in fan communities, with some readers supporting the quality-over-quantity approach while others were openly dismayed. By August 2012, Sakurai walked things back slightly at a Japanese developers conference, saying "It's fun making new skills for new characters," confirming new fighters were indeed in development.

The prediction meme hit another peak with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in 2018, which marketed itself with the tagline "Everyone is Here!" and included every previous fighter. DLC announcements kept the speculation machine running, with each new reveal (Joker from Persona 5, Banjo-Kazooie, Steve from Minecraft) proving that almost nothing was too unlikely. The inclusion of Joker, a character with no Nintendo history, further validated fans who'd been pushing for non-Nintendo picks since the Brawl era.

How to Use This Meme

The most common formats for Smash character predictions:

Newcomer Screen Edits: Take the official "Challenger Approaching" or "Newcomer!" screen template from any Smash game and replace the featured character with your pick. The funnier or more unlikely the character, the better. Past examples include real people, food items, and characters from non-gaming media.

Fake Roster Images: Create or edit a character select screen to include your dream (or joke) roster. These typically mix legitimate Nintendo characters with increasingly absurd additions like Goku, Shrek, or real-world public figures.

Dojo-Style Bio Pages: Mimic the layout of Nintendo's official Smash Bros. Dojo website and write a character bio for your pick, complete with fake moveset descriptions and gameplay screenshots.

Wish List Posts: Write out a numbered list of desired characters on forums, Reddit, or Twitter. These range from thoughtful arguments about game balance to deliberately unhinged requests. The comment section of any Smash-related news article typically becomes a de facto prediction thread.

Cultural Impact

Smash character predictions became one of the longest-running recurring memes in gaming culture. Every new game in the series, which has sold over 77 million copies combined as of 2025, triggers a fresh wave of speculation. The meme shaped how Nintendo marketed the games. The company leaned into the hype cycle by spacing out character reveals as individual events, turning each announcement into appointment viewing for fans.

The Smash Ballot, an official poll Nintendo ran in 2015 letting fans vote for DLC characters, was a direct acknowledgment of the prediction culture. Characters like Bayonetta were added partly based on ballot results, blurring the line between meme wish lists and actual game development.

Certain characters became memes in their own right through their persistent absence from the roster. Waluigi's exclusion despite constant fan demand turned him into a symbol of the meme itself. Geno from Super Mario RPG occupied a similar role as a niche fan favorite whose supporters refused to give up.

Fun Facts

The original Super Smash Bros. started as a prototype called "Dragon King: The Fighting Game" with no Nintendo characters at all. Shigeru Miyamoto initially rejected the idea of using Nintendo characters before Sakurai and Iwata convinced him with a demo featuring Mario, Fox, Samus, and Donkey Kong.

Nathan "Rad" Spencer came in dead last in IGN's 2011 Capcom character poll with just 0.36% of the vote.

Sakurai's July 2012 comments about not expanding the roster were widely misinterpreted as "no new characters at all," causing significant fan backlash before he clarified his position weeks later.

Brawl was the first Smash game not developed primarily by HAL Laboratory, instead being built by a creative team under Sora Ltd. that pulled from multiple Nintendo and third-party studios.

Derivatives & Variations

Waluigi for Smash:

The most persistent sub-meme, with fans demanding Waluigi's inclusion in every new game. His appearance as an Assist Trophy rather than a playable fighter became its own running joke[1].

Goku for Smash:

Fans of Dragon Ball regularly pushed for Goku despite him not being a video game character, making his inclusion a litmus test for how far "anyone can join" really goes[1].

Shrek for Smash:

Another deliberately absurd pick that became a staple of joke prediction posts[1].

Fake Leak Culture:

Fabricated screenshots and "insider info" about upcoming rosters became their own sub-genre, with some fakes going viral before being debunked[4].

Smash Bros. Dojo Parodies:

Fan-made character pages imitating Nintendo's official promotional website format[4].

Frequently Asked Questions

Super Smash Bros Character Predictions

2006Exploitable / fan art / discussion memesemi-active

Also known as: Smash Bros. Roster Predictions · Fake Smash Rosters · SSBB Newcomer

Super Smash Bros Character Predictions is a fan-speculation meme originating in 2006, defined by cyclical roster wishlists pairing genuine requests like Mega Man alongside increasingly absurd joke picks like Shrek and Goku.

Super Smash Bros. Character Predictions are fan-made speculations, wish lists, and parodies centered on which characters will join the roster of Nintendo's crossover fighting game series. The meme took off in 2006 after the announcement of Super Smash Bros. Brawl and its inclusion of third-party characters, which blew the door open for increasingly absurd suggestions. From earnest wish lists featuring Mega Man and Geno to joke picks like Shrek and Goku, the prediction meme has cycled back with every new Smash Bros. game announcement for nearly two decades.

smash bros memes exploitable templates nintendo memes fandom discourse memes gaming

Overview

The meme revolves around fans predicting, requesting, or satirizing which characters should be added to the next Super Smash Bros. game. Predictions range from plausible Nintendo picks to wildly unlikely crossover characters from completely unrelated franchises. The format takes several forms: fake "Newcomer!" announcement screens mimicking Nintendo's official reveal style, fabricated character select rosters, spoofed Smash Bros. Dojo character bio pages, elaborate tier lists, and heated forum debates. What makes the meme distinct is the tension between genuine fan desire and self-aware absurdity. Someone might passionately argue for Waluigi in one breath and demand Shrek in the next.

Super Smash Bros. launched in 1999 for the Nintendo 64 with 12 playable characters drawn entirely from Nintendo franchises. When Super Smash Bros. Melee arrived on the GameCube in November 2001, it roughly doubled the roster to 25 characters, adding fighters from Fire Emblem and other Nintendo properties. This set a fan expectation: each new Smash game would dramatically expand the character list.

The prediction meme didn't truly ignite until Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced Super Smash Bros. Brawl at a pre-E3 2005 press conference. Iwata confirmed the game would feature online play via Wi-Fi, and fans immediately began speculating about the roster. The real turning point came when Brawl's E3 2006 trailer revealed Solid Snake from Metal Gear as a playable character, the first third-party fighter in Smash history. With non-Nintendo characters suddenly on the table, fans realized virtually any video game character could theoretically join the roster.

On May 10, 2006, YTMND user Bendillin created "Super Smash Bros. Brawl Newcomer: John Madden!", swapping NFL commentator John Madden into Solid Snake's spot on the official newcomer announcement screen. This kicked off a wave of YTMND parody sites substituting in everyone from Phoenix Wright to Richard Nixon.

Origin & Background

Platform
YTMND (viral spread), Nintendo fan forums (discussion origin)
Key People
Bendillin, community-created format
Date
2006

Super Smash Bros. launched in 1999 for the Nintendo 64 with 12 playable characters drawn entirely from Nintendo franchises. When Super Smash Bros. Melee arrived on the GameCube in November 2001, it roughly doubled the roster to 25 characters, adding fighters from Fire Emblem and other Nintendo properties. This set a fan expectation: each new Smash game would dramatically expand the character list.

The prediction meme didn't truly ignite until Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced Super Smash Bros. Brawl at a pre-E3 2005 press conference. Iwata confirmed the game would feature online play via Wi-Fi, and fans immediately began speculating about the roster. The real turning point came when Brawl's E3 2006 trailer revealed Solid Snake from Metal Gear as a playable character, the first third-party fighter in Smash history. With non-Nintendo characters suddenly on the table, fans realized virtually any video game character could theoretically join the roster.

On May 10, 2006, YTMND user Bendillin created "Super Smash Bros. Brawl Newcomer: John Madden!", swapping NFL commentator John Madden into Solid Snake's spot on the official newcomer announcement screen. This kicked off a wave of YTMND parody sites substituting in everyone from Phoenix Wright to Richard Nixon.

How It Spread

Bendillin's YTMND template spawned dozens of imitators throughout 2006 and 2007. YTMND search results show pages of Brawl-related parodies: "Newcomer: Geno," "Newcomer: Phoenix Wright," and even "Flying Spaghetti Monster in SSBB". The joke format was simple enough that anyone could participate, just drop a character's image into the official newcomer screen template.

Fan communities simultaneously began creating entirely fabricated character select screens. Since Melee had doubled the original roster, many fans expected Brawl to do the same, leading to sprawling fake rosters packed with every character imaginable. Nintendo's own Smash Bros. Dojo website, which showcased official character bios and gameplay screenshots, became another target for spoofing. Fans recreated the site's layout and filled it with fake character pages for their dream picks.

The cycle repeated when Nintendo announced a fourth Smash Bros. title for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS at E3 2011. On June 8, 2011, IGN interviewed series director Masahiro Sakurai about potential Capcom characters. An accompanying poll showed Mega Man as the overwhelming fan favorite at 55.08%, with Viewtiful Joe at 11.85% and Ryu at 10.80%.

In July 2012, Sakurai told Nintendo Power that the upcoming game probably wouldn't feature a massive roster increase, saying "we've probably already reached the limit of what's feasible" and calling for "a change of direction". This set off fierce debate in fan communities, with some readers supporting the quality-over-quantity approach while others were openly dismayed. By August 2012, Sakurai walked things back slightly at a Japanese developers conference, saying "It's fun making new skills for new characters," confirming new fighters were indeed in development.

The prediction meme hit another peak with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in 2018, which marketed itself with the tagline "Everyone is Here!" and included every previous fighter. DLC announcements kept the speculation machine running, with each new reveal (Joker from Persona 5, Banjo-Kazooie, Steve from Minecraft) proving that almost nothing was too unlikely. The inclusion of Joker, a character with no Nintendo history, further validated fans who'd been pushing for non-Nintendo picks since the Brawl era.

How to Use This Meme

The most common formats for Smash character predictions:

Newcomer Screen Edits: Take the official "Challenger Approaching" or "Newcomer!" screen template from any Smash game and replace the featured character with your pick. The funnier or more unlikely the character, the better. Past examples include real people, food items, and characters from non-gaming media.

Fake Roster Images: Create or edit a character select screen to include your dream (or joke) roster. These typically mix legitimate Nintendo characters with increasingly absurd additions like Goku, Shrek, or real-world public figures.

Dojo-Style Bio Pages: Mimic the layout of Nintendo's official Smash Bros. Dojo website and write a character bio for your pick, complete with fake moveset descriptions and gameplay screenshots.

Wish List Posts: Write out a numbered list of desired characters on forums, Reddit, or Twitter. These range from thoughtful arguments about game balance to deliberately unhinged requests. The comment section of any Smash-related news article typically becomes a de facto prediction thread.

Cultural Impact

Smash character predictions became one of the longest-running recurring memes in gaming culture. Every new game in the series, which has sold over 77 million copies combined as of 2025, triggers a fresh wave of speculation. The meme shaped how Nintendo marketed the games. The company leaned into the hype cycle by spacing out character reveals as individual events, turning each announcement into appointment viewing for fans.

The Smash Ballot, an official poll Nintendo ran in 2015 letting fans vote for DLC characters, was a direct acknowledgment of the prediction culture. Characters like Bayonetta were added partly based on ballot results, blurring the line between meme wish lists and actual game development.

Certain characters became memes in their own right through their persistent absence from the roster. Waluigi's exclusion despite constant fan demand turned him into a symbol of the meme itself. Geno from Super Mario RPG occupied a similar role as a niche fan favorite whose supporters refused to give up.

Fun Facts

The original Super Smash Bros. started as a prototype called "Dragon King: The Fighting Game" with no Nintendo characters at all. Shigeru Miyamoto initially rejected the idea of using Nintendo characters before Sakurai and Iwata convinced him with a demo featuring Mario, Fox, Samus, and Donkey Kong.

Nathan "Rad" Spencer came in dead last in IGN's 2011 Capcom character poll with just 0.36% of the vote.

Sakurai's July 2012 comments about not expanding the roster were widely misinterpreted as "no new characters at all," causing significant fan backlash before he clarified his position weeks later.

Brawl was the first Smash game not developed primarily by HAL Laboratory, instead being built by a creative team under Sora Ltd. that pulled from multiple Nintendo and third-party studios.

Derivatives & Variations

Waluigi for Smash:

The most persistent sub-meme, with fans demanding Waluigi's inclusion in every new game. His appearance as an Assist Trophy rather than a playable fighter became its own running joke[1].

Goku for Smash:

Fans of Dragon Ball regularly pushed for Goku despite him not being a video game character, making his inclusion a litmus test for how far "anyone can join" really goes[1].

Shrek for Smash:

Another deliberately absurd pick that became a staple of joke prediction posts[1].

Fake Leak Culture:

Fabricated screenshots and "insider info" about upcoming rosters became their own sub-genre, with some fakes going viral before being debunked[4].

Smash Bros. Dojo Parodies:

Fan-made character pages imitating Nintendo's official promotional website format[4].

Frequently Asked Questions