Smash Bros. Next DLC Fighter Should Be Paper Mario

Min Min was recently released as the first character in the second wave of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC, and Nintendo should follow up by making Paper Mario their next fighter. The Paper Mario series has long been a hit among Mario fans, and Paper Mario: The Origami King is now one of the best selling entries in the franchise. Not only does Paper Mario have the potential for an original move set, but he is also a very popular choice among Super Smash Bros. and Paper Mario players alike.

Mario RPGs have gotten lots of praise since the original Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars released on the Super Nintendo, but Super Smash Bros. rarely acknowledges these games. In Smash Ultimate, there is a Paper Mario stage and the option to set the player icon to a picture of Geno, but its references to Mario RPG’s are overall quite light. Adding Paper Mario as a character would help add representation to a beloved series of Mario games that are otherwise lacking in Smash Bros.

Paper Mario has a plethora of options that the developers can use when crafting his kit, so a blend of his abilities throughout the series could be a unique way to have him stand out from the other fighters. For one, his new 1000 fold arms move from The Origami King could easily be implemented for a long-range grab, much like Samus or Lucas. His hammer would also be great for his hard-hitting smash attacks and perhaps even for a meteor smash downward aerial attack. To recover, he could fold into the paper airplane from The Thousand-Year Door and soar in any desired direction for a brief period of time.

How Smash Bros. Could Implement Paper Mario’s NPCs

Paper Mario’s true potential to separate himself from the rest of the cast can be found in his extensive list of partners throughout the series. These characters would join him and each would have their own lists of unique attacks with strengths and weaknesses that could be implemented in Smash Bros. Similar to Pokémon Trainer, pressing down and B could switch partners and change some of Paper Mario’s moves. For example, Koops might allow Paper Mario to play defensive and provide him with counters and barriers to prevent damage, and Vivian could be used to attack foes from a distance with her fire attacks.

To balance out his huge move pool, players would be able to attack his partners and knock them out of the fight much like the Ice Climbers, which would limit his options as the fight progresses. Paper Mario, as his name would imply, would also be one of the lightest fighters in the game and be capable of getting knocked out very early. His reveal might not have the same shocking impact as characters like Banjo and Kazooie or Joker, but Paper Mario is still a popular character with unique attributes that make him the perfect candidate for the next Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC fighter.

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