Byleth From Fire Emblem: Three Houses Is Smash Ultimate's Next DLC Fighter
As promised, today Super Smash Bros. Ultimate director Masahiro Sakurai sat down for a deep dive into the game's next DLC character. Typically, we know who the fighter is before Sakurai does these deep dives, but this time around, the character's identity was a secret heading into the presentation. At the start of the livestream, Sakurai revealed that Byleth from Fire Emblem: Three Houses will be the fifth DLC fighter for Ultimate, and the last one included in the Fighters Pass.
Anyone who has played Three Houses will be familiar with Byleth, as they are the player character. Like Corrin and Robin, both the male and female versions of Byleth will be playable in the Ultimate. Byleth's fighting style is unique among even their Fire Emblem brethren, as they're equipped with a number of Heroes Relics from Three Houses that are associated with certain directional inputs on the control stick.
Upward inputs, for instance, will see Byleth using the Sword of the Creator, which is also the character's default weapon. Sideways inputs will use the lance Areadbhar, which does more damage if the tip of the spear connects with an enemy. Downward attacks use Aymr, which is a slow weapon that packs a ton of power but telegraphs your attacks. Finally, neutral moves will use the bow Failnaught, but unlike Link's bow, you'll need to wait for a shot to be fully charged before you can loose an arrow.
Byleth's Challenger Pack will feature a stage based on Garreg Mach Monastery – the location where most of Three Houses takes place – that shifts between the marketplace, reception hall, bridge, and cathedral as matches play out. Additionally, there will be 11 new tracks included in Byleth's Challenger Pack, including Three Houses compositions made specifically for Ultimate.
In addition to revealing Byleth, Sakurai also revealed a new round of Mii Fighter costumes based on Altair from Assassin's Creed, Mega Man X, MegaMan.EXE from Mega Man Battle Network, Cuphead, and Ubisoft's Rabbids. Byleth isn't releasing right away, but it won't be long before they're available, as Sakurai and his team at Sora Ltd. are currently targeting a January 28th release date. Upon release, Byleth will be immediately unlocked for anyone with the Fighters Pass, though their Challenger Pack will be available separately for $5.99.