Making dreams come true — how Sora was finally welcomed into the Super Smash Bros. universe

Have you ever bumped into a crazy dream that you thought would be the most amazing thing ever if it came true? Many of us have encountered such visions in our lives and have even been inspired by them. Often, those dreams have also fallen by the wayside in favor of “logic” and “growing up.” When that happens, we’ve likely allowed ourselves or others to talk us out of them. These negative voices often trickle into our minds and say things like, “That’s a nice thought, but that will never happen.” “Stop being selfish. Who’s going to take it seriously?” or, “Be realistic. You need to grow up.”

Convincing as they sound, these voices fortunately do not have to be entertained. Not everyone listens to them, either. Masahiro Sakurai certainly didn’t when it came to accomplishing the final act for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: making Sora from Kingdom Hearts the last DLC fighter.

Now, I’m no expert in Kingdom Hearts lore, and I’m not going to pretend I am, either. But since I also happen to be a longtime fan of Disney, I have done my best to catch up to speed. If I miss anything, Kingdom Hearts fans, please forgive me. From one Super Smash Bros. featured fandom to another, consider this article a token of appreciation for Kingdom Hearts and Sora in celebration of this historic milestone.

Who is Sora?

Sora is, of course, the shining star of the Kingdom Hearts series. With a Final Fantasy-esque hairdo and those unmistakable Mickey-like shoes, it’s hard to ignore the fact that he is the stand-in mascot of Disney and Square Enix’s wonderfully odd crossover. Despite this, many Legend of Zelda fans can relate to Sora. Much like our own Link, Sora is a young protagonist who is sheltered on the Destiny Islands, but as he matures, he yearns to explore the worlds beyond. Like Link, Sora is a “normal boy” with no special powers who gets launched into an extraordinary adventure. In fact, Sora’s character designer Tetsuya Nomura intended him to be that way. He wanted Sora’s story to inspire all players that they could accomplish big things in life, no matter how “unimportant” they felt they were. Fun fact: Of all the characters he has designed at Square Enix, Sora is still Mr. Nomura’s personal favorite.

Though Sora is much more talkative than the hero of Hyrule, he shares many traits with Link. He’s got a big heart and readily sacrifices himself for his friends. Like Link, Sora is extremely dedicated to his duty to save everyone, and he does not readily give up. Both boys also start young and mature significantly throughout their respective stories, offering refreshing insight and character growth. Interestingly, Sora is quick to forgive his enemies, even the nastiest ones. And sometimes, Sora can be spunky and serve up a hot plate of sass right back at his foes. But in all of the varied nuances in the Kingdom Hearts games, one thing is clear: Sora’s neverending upbeat attitude has captured the hearts of all who encounter him, hereby making him a fitting wielder of the legendary Keyblade. 

Sora in Smash Bros: A wild dream come true

Every video game fan shares a pipedream: Their favorite character makes it into a Super Smash Bros. game. You know the feeling. We’ve all been there. And there’s a very good reason for it. Seeing your favorite character appear in the iconic fighting series means so much more than simply fighting with his or her avatar. Super Smash Bros. is the World Series of video games. The whole experience of that character and their game world comes along for the ride. Even the music. 

Indeed, the Super Smash Bros. franchise not only produced some of the world’s best fighting games but also provided the best marketing exposure a game series could ever ask for. The Fire Emblem series alone is sheer proof of that. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Before a character could even be considered to receive the famous red-waxed invitation into the coveted fray, they were required to pass the first test — the infamous public Smash Ballot. 

While fans of Banjo Kazooie and Final Fantasy VII made their clamorings loud and clear, the Kingdom Hearts crowd quietly wished upon a star. Year after year, they dreamed of their bright-eyed anime hero making it into the big leagues of good ol’ Nintendo and HAL Laboratory. How cool it would be for the Keyblade wielder to face off against Pikachu, the hero of Hyrule, and the most famous Italian plumber ever? But oh, that was only a distant mirage on the horizon of the Destiny Islands. They couldn’t possibly be serious, right?

Well, in true Walt Disney fashion, the impossible finally became possible. Sora was the most requested character in the Smash Ballot for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS. Plus, Masahiro Sakurai took a great personal interest in bringing this fresh vision to life. But alas, how could it possibly work? When pigs flew, right? Kingdom Hearts was a crossover in itself. Sora’s very existence would present a copyright nightmare for the Smash Bros. universe. Nonetheless, Mr. Sakurai ruminated the idea, in spite of the laments. Business woes aside, it was in truth an amazing dream. The million-dollar question was, how could it be done?

Then one day, the door opened when Sakurai “bumped” into a fortunate encounter with an influential Disney representative at an awards show. And he shared the dream with him. That fateful encounter paved the way to a bigger meeting with some of the greatest minds in family entertainment. Nintendo, Square Enix, and Disney sat together at the same table as Sakurai. And they all talked about one thing: the boy hero Sora. 

Needless to say, the feat was not easy. Sakurai himself joked about the toughness of the experience. Discussions were long, painstaking, and tedious. It’s very likely that the brilliant group spent hours upon hours and days upon days hashing out every detail. They pored over the branding, move sets, character design, and copyright laws that would forever impact the spritely young Sora and the world who would soon enjoy him. Finally, a deal was struck, and all parties were satisfied. The dream had germinated and would soon be birthed into reality!

That is, until March 2020, when the world literally spiraled into chaos. 

Lockdowns gripped cities. Fear of the unknown was everywhere. People were forced to adapt and work remotely from the safety of their homes, Nintendo and HAL Laboratory included. But even with a smaller staff, awkward communications, and fewer tools to work with, Sakurai’s Super Smash Bros. team pulled through. In October 2021, history was made. Our beloved Sora was finally welcomed into the world of Smash Bros. Ultimate as the last DLC character and quite possibly the last Smash Bros. fighter to ever grace the franchise. Hashtags like #ThankYouSakurai showered the internet in moving gratitude. Like rainfall in the desert, Sora did what he always does. He arrived as the spark of hope that everyone’s hearts so desperately needed in a dark time, even in a pandemic. In that sense, perhaps the timing was perfect after all.

Okay, that’s warm and fuzzy. But how does Sora play in Smash Ultimate?

Glad you asked! Now that you know a little bit more about Sora, it’s time to dive back into the world of Nintendo and Super Smash Bros. Let’s talk about Sora’s fighting style and move set. Flying in with the help of pixie dust, Sora is known to be a remarkably lightweight character. He’s definitely a fighter who thrives in the air. Players who often main the likes of Mewtwo, Jigglypuff, and Peach are encouraged to give Sora a try. Much effort was made by the developers to keep the flavor of Kingdom Hearts in his combat style and moveset. He has a well-balanced blend of physical moves along with some magic powers like fire, ice, and electricity. And yes, Sora fights with his trusty Keyblade (another sword boy, we know. We heard those groans in the back of the room.)

But aside from the outcomes, Sora is still a refreshing change of pace and a very fitting last DLC fighter. Several music tracks from his world are great to listen to, including the well-noted “Hollow Bastion.” Players have reported that Sora is remarkably easy to pick up and play. He’s incredibly fun to fight with. Taking him along for professional Super Smash Bros. competitions, however, might be another story. His super-lightweight build proves to be a challenge to wield in these types of intense tournaments. Sora’s tier status, however, remains to be up in the air as players are currently experimenting with his move set to discover his full potential. Whether you play Super Smash Bros. professionally or not, he’s certainly worth taking a test drive.

If you’re an avid Kingdom Hearts fan or a newcomer like me, it’s hard not to get inspired by Sora’s story. Few characters can deliver a more fitting final curtain call for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate like the Keyblade hero. Welcome to the Super Smash Bros. family, Sora. Dreams really can and do come true.