The Super Smash Bros. franchise gathers many video game characters for players to control in battle against their friends. What's notable about the series is that it doesn't just include the most popular and iconic video game mascots. The roster also includes more obscure characters from throughout video game history.
Some of these lesser-known Super Smash Bros. fighters receive a boost in popularity thanks to their inclusion in Nintendo's all-star fighter game. These ten characters have become fan-favorites in the video game community since their addition to Super Smash Bros. However, they have definitely waited too long to shine again in their own solo series.
10 Little Mac
Little Mac was a highly-requested fighter for Super Smash Bros. before he was finally added to the fray in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U. He first debuted in the arcade edition of Punch-Out!!, which later made its way onto NES and SNES consoles. The series remained dormant for many years until a reboot, also titled Punch-Out!!, was released on the Nintendo Wii in 2009.
Unfortunately, the Punch-Out franchise hasn't seen another release since then, which is a shame considering how popular Little Mac is among Super Smash Bros. fans. It's even more upsetting when Nintendo experiments with new boxing-themed IP like Arms. Perhaps there's a world where these two franchises can join forces.
9 King K. Rool
The reptilian villain of the Donkey Kong Country series hasn't made a video game appearance since Mario Super Sluggers for the Nintendo Wii. However, that didn't stop him from becoming another highly-requested character for Super Smash Bros. Fans were hopeful with his inclusion in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate that King K. Rool would see a revival sometime soon.
So far, that revival hasn't come to pass, but there's definitely still hope to be had. A new title in the Donkey Kong Country Returns series (which was rebooted on Wii for 2010 and has seen a title on every mainline Nintendo console since) could feature a return for King K. Rool. If not, a sequel to Donkey Kong 64 could also be a great opportunity to reintroduce King K. Rool into the franchise.
8 Wario
To be fair, Wario has seen his fair share of solo stardom with the WarioWare franchise. In this microgame-based series, Wario interacts with many colorful and unique characters. However, it's not Wario's first solo outing, as the same year it debuted, Wario had his own 3D platformer for the GameCube, called Wario World.
Wario World sees Wario in his original yellow-and-purple outfit collecting treasure and solving puzzles. It's not dissimilar in style to many of the Mario series' 3D platformers on the console. It would be interesting to see Wario return to this gameplay, hopefully bringing along some of his WarioWare co-stars like Mona, Ashley, and 8-Volt.
7 Princess Peach
Princess Peach usually plays the role of damsel-in-distress in the Mario franchise. Sometimes she's lucky enough to be made playable in games like Super Mario 3D World and Mario Party. However, Princess Peach did have a game all to herself once with Super Princess Peach for the Nintendo DS.
In this side-scrolling platformer, Peach uses many of her abilities that are also found in her Super Smash Bros. moveset, such as her parasol. However, it's possible Nintendo has held off on reviving this series due to some sexist undertones, such as a central gameplay mechanic being Peach's powers coming from the ability to change her emotions at will. Hopefully, a future installment in this series can do without that feature.
6 Captain Falcon
The F-Zero series was once Nintendo's racing staple before Mario Kart took its place. Despite Captain Falcon's popularity in Super Smash Bros, the series hasn't had a main series title since 2004, with the Japan-exclusive F-Zero Climax for Game Boy Advance. It's about time Captain Falcon gets a chance to shine outside the Super Smash Bros battlefield!
Perhaps the F-Zero franchise could take a page out of Kid Icarus: Uprising or Star Fox: Assault, combining the racing elements with third-person action sequences. This would also be fitting the Captain Falcon character, who, canonically, is a bounty hunter. This would be a great way to revitalize the franchise and reintroduce it to old, as well as new, audiences.
5 Pit
Technically, the Kid Icarus franchise already received a well-deserved revival with Kid Icarus Uprising for Nintendo 3DS. The game was even developed by Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai himself. While the new installment was enough to warrant the inclusion of Palutena and Dark Pit in Super Smash Bros, there are still so many avenues for this franchise to explore.
It goes without saying that, since the Nintendo 3DS has been discontinued, it would be great to see Kid Icarus make its way to the Nintendo Switch. This could either be through a port of Kid Icarus Uprising, or a brand-new game that serves as a sequel. Either way, fans would definitely be excited for whatever Sakurai has to offer.
4 Ice Climbers
The Ice Climbers have had a peculiar relationship with the Super Smash Bros franchise since they were left out of Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U due to the game's 8-Player Smash feature. However, fans' excitement for their return in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate should be enough to convince Nintendo that Nana and Popo deserve a reboot.
There hasn't been a main series Ice Climber game since the NES, despite numerous Virtual Console re-releases. The original game is simple enough to recreate, but the Ice Climbers deserve more than that. Perhaps if Nintendo's ambitious enough, the Ice Climbers can star in their own Breath of the Wild-esque open-world exploration game.
3 Lucas
Lucas, like his franchise counterpart Ness, only appeared in one game in the Mother series, Mother 3. Ness's Earthbound was the only game in the franchise to be localized in the west, while Lucas was relegated to a Japan-exclusive Game Boy Advance title. Saying that fans would love to see a Mother 3 release in the West would simply be an understatement.
Over time, a western release of Mother 3, or rather the lack of it, has become an Internet meme that circles back every time Nintendo announces a Nintendo Direct. The company has even poked fun at it themselves during E3 conferences, so they're definitely aware of the fan demand. Even a simple worldwide Virtual Console release of the game would make Mother fans more than happy.
2 Pac-Man
Pac-Man has lived a very long life throughout video game history. From its humble beginnings in arcades in 1980, to dozens of re-releases and new editions on almost every console and app store, Pac-Man remains a worldwide phenomenon. However, in one game Pac-Man was able to stretch beyond his simple arcade gameplay mechanics.
In the Pac-Man World franchise, with titles released on several consoles, the titular hero stars in his own 3D platformer. The series sold well in the US, despite poor numbers in Japan, which possibly contributed to its lack of continuation after 2005. The series has seen several titles since, but getting to see a fully-fleshed Pac-Man World title for current generation consoles would be interesting.
1 Banjo & Kazooie
Diehard video game fans all know the story of the Banjo-Kazooie franchise's downfall. Though the most recent title in the franchise, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, was a worthy attempt to revitalize the series, it simply didn't live up to fans' expectations. The Microsoft-owned franchise has remained quiet ever since.
That is, until video game fans were surprised by the bear and bird's appearance as DLC in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Perhaps the response to the beloved Nintendo 64 character is enough to restore faith in the franchise's marketability. Seeing a brand-new Banjo-Kazooie title created by the original design team would be a monumental moment in video game history.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available exclusively on Nintendo Switch.