Around the world, Smash players were waiting in anticipation for the announcement of the next Fighter Pass DLC character. Many rumors and supposed leaks were spread around the internet about possible picks, but the latest Nintendo Direct has officially confirmed the next fighter is none other than beloved Catholic figure and founder of the Franciscan denomination of the Ordo Fratrum Minorum, St. Francis Of Assisi!
The reveal trailer shows Francis to be a formidable foe. Some of his special moves appear to include shooting beams from his stigmata and the ability to feed communion bread and wine to inflict status effects. It also seems that he cannot pick up items or trophies, possibly alluding to the saint’s strict adherence to evangelical poverty. His final smash sends everyone on the stage into a fit of religious ecstasy, leaving a good opportunity to throw some sweet knee drops to K.O. your opponents.
Even though the patron saint has a pretty dedicated following, his announcement came as a surprise to most of the fanbase, many of whom had never heard of the friar before. When asked, game director Masahiro Sakurai responded, “Well, no one knew who the hell Marth and Roy were when they were introduced in Melee, and now a tenth of the roster is Fire Emblem characters. Introducing one 13th century Catholic leader opens the door for so many other fighters from the Crusades period, and those people really knew how to bring the pain.”
Indeed, it is heavily implied that the next batch of fighters will be historical figures, given the name of the next DLC patch is called Fighter Pass: Reformation with the preview trailer involving the Ninety-Five Theses being nailed to the Smash Bros logo. Fan speculation has already started on who will be the next fighter if Nintendo continues this trend of adding long-forgotten characters from history, ranging from Saint Dominic of Caleruega, Thomas Aquinas, and B.J. Blazkowicz.
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