Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a fighting game for the Nintendo Switch being the sixth game in the Super Smash Bros. series, a fighting game franchise featuring characters and properties from various Nintendo franchises, with occasional appearances from other third party properties. This game introduced Kingdom Hearts content to the series in the form of Sora and various other media as downloadable content. This is a list of all Kingdom Hearts property added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Development
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate released on December 7, 2018 as the first game to include every character who had previously appeared in the series, with various newcomers later added as downloadable content. In the previous game, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, an official Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot was announced for users to vote for their favorite characters as an upcoming downloadable content character. While game director Masahiro Sakurai revealed on December 15, 2015 the game's final DLC character, Bayonetta, was the ballot's winner among "realizable and negotiable characters", after the announcement of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate he revealed that the ballot was primarily used to determine the newcomer roster for that game instead. On October 5, 2021, Sora was revealed as the final newcomer added to the game and the real winner of the ballot. Sakurai also revealed he had gotten permission to include Sora after a chance meeting with a Disney executive at a game awards venue, and thus the final number of new characters was increased by one.
Tetsuya Nomura revealed that while Disney was eager about Sora's inclusion in Super Smash Bros., he had concerns that the crossover may interfere with the established Kingdom Hearts lore and thought it would be difficult to pull off. Nonetheless he was very happy with the end result after hearing the positive outpouring from fans.[1]
Characters
On October 5, 2021, Sora was announced as the final DLC character, and was released on October 18, 2021, as part of Challenger Pack 11.
Sora
- "Sora Is Finally Here!"
- —Introduction
Sora's default appearance is based on his outfit from Kingdom Hearts, and he wields the Kingdom Key. His alternate costumes are based on his Kingdom Hearts II outfit, his Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance outfit, his Kingdom Hearts III outfit, his Timeless River form, Valor Form, Wisdom Form, and Ultimate Form. Haley Joel Osment and Miyu Irino reprise their roles as the English and Japanese voices of Sora, albeit with their voice clips from Kingdom Hearts Re:coded and Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance recycled for the game.
Moveset
Sora excels at airborne fighting. He has a high midair jump, and is quite floaty. Sora is very light, making him easy to launch.
- Standard moves
Attack | Description | Notes |
---|---|---|
Neutral attack | A lunging downward strike, followed by a forward thrust, followed by a spinning outward strike. | Resembles the ground combo from Kingdom Hearts. |
Forward tilt | An upward strike. If the button is tapped or held, he then performs a forward thrust and a lunging downward strike. | The first hit resembles Slapshot. |
Up tilt | Twirls the Kingdom Key overhead. | |
Down tilt | A kneeling inward swipe. | |
Dash attack | A slide. | Resembles Sliding Dash. |
Side smash | A lunging, outward strike. | |
Up smash | An upward thrust that emits a flash of light at the tip of the Kingdom Key. | Resembles Magic Flash. |
Down smash | Hops and then thrusts the Kingdom Key into the ground, emitting a shockwave. | Resembles Finishing Leap. |
Neutral air | A somersaulting strike. If tapped or held, he then performs an upward strike and a downward strike. | The first hit resembles Aerial Spiral. |
Forward air | A downward strike. If tapped or held, he then performs an upward strike and a somersaulting strike. | Resembles the air combo from Kingdom Hearts. |
Back air | Turns around to perform an outward strike. | |
Up air | A backflipping, upward arcing strike. | |
Down air | A buzzsaw-like series of slashes performed by backflipping repeatedly with the Kingdom Key in tow. | Based on Hurricane Blast. |
Grab | Reaches out with one hand. | |
Pummel | Hits the opponent with the Kingdom Key's hilt. | |
Forward throw | Swings the Kingdom Key downward teeth-first, bouncing the opponent in front of him. | |
Backward throw | Spins the opponent around and throws them behind him. | Resembles the Merge reaction command from the fight against Larxene's Absent Silhouette and Replica Data Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix. |
Up throw | Heaves the opponent upward with his free hand. | |
Down throw | A one-handed body slam. | |
Floor attack | Spins around and swings the Kingdom Key behind himself, then in front of himself while getting up. | |
Edge attack | Crawls forward from the edge and thrusts the Kingdom Key at a low angle. |
- Special moves
Attack | Name | Description |
---|---|---|
Neutral special | Magic | Casts one of three different magic spells in sequence: Firaga, Thundaga and Blizzaga, with each use cycling through the spells in the list according to the command icon above his damage meter.
Firaga is a fireball that moves horizontally and can be tapped to fire continuously. Thundaga generates three descending thunderbolts in front of Sora, one at a time. Blizzaga fires a stream of short-ranged ice crystals, which has a very high chance of freezing opponents. |
Side special | Sonic Blade | A high-speed thrust, with up to two additional thrusts. The first thrust will always travel horizontally. For the next two thrusts, Sora can move in different directions, or lock on to the nearest enemy. |
Up special | Aerial Sweep | A series of leaping, spinning inward strikes. |
Down special | Counterattack | Parries and then counterattacks any incoming attacks with an upward strike. |
Final Smash | Sealing the Keyhole | Fires a beam from the tip of the Kingdom Key that summons a huge Keyhole. Anyone trapped inside is locked behind by a Super Smash Bros. variant of the Door to Darkness, and Sora seals the Keyhole with the same beam, causing the Door to explode. |
- Other moves
Attack | Description | Notes |
---|---|---|
Up taunt | Casts Stopga, Aeroga, or Curaga, which cycle similarly to Magic. These spells are purely aesthetic and do not have any effect on gameplay. Sora calls out "Time!", "Wind!", and "Heal!" for each respective spell. | |
Side taunt | Faces the screen and twirls his Kingdom Key in front of himself while grunting. | Resembles one of his victory poses in Olympus Coliseum. |
Down taunt | Hops while raising his fist in the air and saying "Here we go!". | Resembles the animation after hitting Star Targets in Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory. |
Idle poses | Twirls the Kingdom Key around, adjusting his hands as necessary to hold it again. | |
Looks around. | ||
On-screen appearance | Glides in from the background, lands, and hops happily while hoisting the Kingdom Key in the air before assuming his battle stance. | |
Victory poses | Hops while raising his fist in the air. Upon landing, he spins the Kingdom Key around, and then rests it on his shoulder while saying "Yes." | Resembles one of his victory poses in Olympus Coliseum. |
Swings the Kingdom Key forward once, then twirls it while turning around before resting it on his shoulder while showing his back toward the screen. | Resembles one of his victory poses in Olympus Coliseum. | |
Thrusts the Kingdom Key forward and turns it (as if locking/unlocking something), then quickly spins it around and points it upward while holding it with both hands. | Resembles the summon animation for Simba in Kingdom Hearts. |
Classic Mode
Classic Mode is a game mode in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Each character faces a unique series of battles.
Sora's Classic Mode is titled "The Light That Clears the Darkness".
Round | Opponents | Stage | Music |
---|---|---|---|
Round 1 | Link (Dark outfit) Young Link (Dark outfit) |
Hollow Bastion | Fragments of Sorrow |
Round 2 | Mr. Game & Watch x5 Mr. Game & Watch (large size) x2 Mr. Game & Watch (giant size) x1 |
Skyworld (Battlefield form) | Night of Fate |
Round 3 | Cloud (Advent Children outfit) | Coliseum | Shrouding Dark Cloud |
Round 4 | Robin (Male) (large size) Robin (Female) Robin (Male) |
Kalos Pokémon League | Hollow Bastion |
Round 5 | Ganondorf (White-haired outfit) (Giant) | Find Mii (Ω Form) | Destiny's Force |
Round 6 | Sora (Metal) | Hollow Bastion (Dive to the Heart, Sora's Station) | Destati |
Bonus Game | |||
Final Round | Master Hand Crazy Hand |
Final Destination | Destati |
After completing Classic Mode, the credits will roll. During the credits, Blast Away! -Gummi Ship II- plays for Sora. After the credits, a congratulations screen is shown, with Sora's congratulations screen referencing Promise, the artwork for the menu of Kingdom Hearts III.
Stages
Hollow Bastion
Hollow Bastion is a stage included in Challenger Pack 11. It consists of a large platform designed after Hollow Bastion's walls, with pipes, stained glass, and a Heartless emblem on the front. A smaller platform floats above, with sides of stained glass, and a pattern resembling the lifts on top. The background of the stage travels through the Rising Falls, and around the castle, before returning to the Rising Falls.
When a fighter is on their final stock or low on health, or if the timer is at one minute, the stage transforms into the Dive to the Heart. The layout remains the same, but the large platform is now a generic station, and the smaller platform now resembles part of the stained glass staircase. The background features a random Station of Sora, Riku, Roxas, Xion, Terra, Ventus, or Aqua.
Excluding Ventus's Station, the designs of each characters' Station of Awakening are the versions used in the 15th anniversary merchandise: Sora's, Riku's, Aqua's, and Terra's stations are from the Square Enix Cafe's coaster design, while Roxas's and Xion's stations are from the Memorial Stained Glass Clock event. Ventus's station however is directly from Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. With hazards off, the stage does not transform into the Dive to the Heart, even in Battlefield and Ω forms.
Spirits
Spirits are a collectible in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which can be used as a type of power-up. Challenger Pack 11 comes with 13 Kingdom Hearts-based spirits.
Fighter spirits
Fighter spirits are based on playable characters, and cannot be used as a power-up. Fighter spirits have two images: one from their home series, and one from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
No. | Name | Images | |
---|---|---|---|
1,500 | Sora | ||
1,501 | Sora (KINGDOM HEARTS II) | ||
1,502 | Sora (KINGDOM HEARTS 3D [Dream Drop Distance]) | ||
1,503 | Sora (KINGDOM HEARTS III) | ||
1,504 | Sora (Timeless River) |
Primary spirits
Primary spirits are equippable spirits with attack and defense stats, and a possible trait, which provide bonuses to the character it is equipped to. They each have a class, showing their power, one of four possible types, and up to three slots for support spirits. Only one primary spirit can be equipped at a time.
Support spirits
Support spirits are equippable spirits that provide bonuses to the character they are equipped to. Support spirits have a class, like primary spirits, and a cost, which is how many of a primary spirit's slots it takes to equip it.
No. | Name | Image | Class | Cost | Trait |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1,506 | Kairi | ★ | ⬢ | Critical-Health Defense ↑ | |
1,507 | Roxas | ★★★★ | ⬢⬢⬢ | Weapon Attack & Move Speed ↑↑ | |
1,509 | Xion | ★★ | ⬢ | Trade-Off Attacks ↑ |
Spirit Battles
Spirit Battles are battles with specific conditions that serve as the main way of obtaining spirits.
No. | Name | Image | Opponent(s) | Stage | Rules | Conditions | Music |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1,505 | Riku | Corrin (Male) (Blue outfit) | Hollow Bastion (Transitions to Riku's Station) | Enemy: Move Speed ↑ |
|
Hollow Bastion | |
1,506 | Kairi | Daisy (Purple outfit) Sora |
Tortimer Island | None |
|
Hand in Hand | |
1,507 | Roxas | Sora (Ultimate Form outfit) | Hollow Bastion (Dive to the Heart, Roxas's Station) | Enemy: Move Speed ↑ Enemy: Attack Power ↑ Enemy: Health Recovery |
|
Fragments of Sorrow | |
1,508 | Axel | Roy (Purple outfit) | Kalos Pokémon League (Transitions to Fire chamber) | None |
|
Destiny's Force | |
1,509 | Xion | Robin (Female) Robin (Male) x2 |
Delfino Plaza (Rooftop) | None |
|
Shrouding Dark Cloud | |
1,510 | Terra | Chrom (Yellow outfit) | Hollow Bastion (Dive to the Heart, Terra's Station) | Assist Trophy Enemies (Ashley) |
|
Hollow Bastion | |
1,511 | Ventus | Sora (Ultimate Form outfit) Dark Samus (Brown outfit) |
Gerudo Valley (Battlefield form) | None |
|
Shrouding Dark Cloud | |
1,512 | Aqua | Lucina Mr. Game & Watch x4 |
Find Mii (Ω form) | Assist Trophy Enemies (Krystal) |
|
Night of Fate |
Music
Challenger Pack 11 comes with 9 music tracks that can be played on the Hollow Bastion stage, and any of the original stages.
- "Night of Fate" (Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX version)
- "Destiny's Force" (Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX version)
- "Shrouding Dark Cloud" (Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX version)
- "Hand in Hand" (Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX version)
- "Blast Away! -Gummi Ship II-" (Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX version)
- "Hollow Bastion" (Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX version)
- "Scherzo Di Notte" (Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX version)
- "Fragments of Sorrow" (Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX version)
- "Destati" (Kingdom Hearts version)
"Dearly Beloved -Swing Version-" is an additional track that can be unlocked by having save data from Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory present.
"Blast Away! -Gummi Ship II-" is used during the credits sequence for Sora's Classic Mode.
"Destati" is played when accessing the Kingdom Hearts Spirit Board.
A special arrangement of "Hand in Hand" is used as Sora's victory theme.
"Hikari -KINGDOM Orchestra Instrumental Version-" is heard during Sora's reveal trailer.
amiibo
amiibo are a line of interactive figurines and cards that use near field communication technology to interact with Nintendo consoles. A Super Smash Bros. Series amiibo of Sora was announced in a Nintendo Direct held September 14, 2023, and released on February 16, 2024. The amiibo is primarily compatible with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, creating a Figure Player that can participate in battles, learning from the matches and adapting its combat style while leveling up to level 50, or battle other amiibo online in amiibo Journey mode. It can also be used for other select titles that allow for any amiibo to be used for in-game rewards.
Videos
The Last Key | Battling with Sora | Sora amiibo |
---|---|---|
Trivia
- Keeping in line with the Kingdom Hearts series's connections to the numbers thirteen and seven, Sora's inclusion in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate alludes to these numbers as well:
- The Kingdom Hearts series added five fighter spirits, five primary spirits, and three support spirits, totaling to thirteen spirits.
- Hollow Bastion features one of seven different Stations of Awakening in the background when transitioning to Dive to the Heart.
- If Sora lands the final hit in a Stamina battle, the screen will fade to white, mimicking the animation that plays at the end of certain encounters in the Kingdom Hearts series.
Notes and references
Crossovers, collaborations, and cameos |
---|
Square Enix Melody • LINE: Disney Tsum Tsum • Final Fantasy Record Keeper (Gummi Ship Campaign) • Final Fantasy Brave Exvius • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate |
List of Kingdom Hearts references in other media |