Smash Bros. Fans Think Master Chief Is The Final Ultimate Character

While we all know Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 will be suiting up for Halo Infinite later this year, is the de facto mascot of Microsoft's flagship franchise also gearing up for a very different kind of battle? With just one spot left on the groaning roster of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate characters, hopeful players think Master Chief has earned his place.

Since its release in 2018, Super Smash Bros., Ultimate has capitalised on the success of our pop culture obsession. Alongside the usual base favourites like Captain Falcon, Jigglypuff, and Samus, the two Fighters Pass values have added the likes of Banjo and Kazooie, Fire Emblem's Byleth, and Tekken's Kazuya. Remembering it's the last chance saloon, players are expecting someone big.

Why do players think Master Chief is coming to Smash Bros.?

Nintendo already warned that all Ultimate fighters would be revealed before the end of this year, while the September Nintendo Direct confirmed there will be a special Direct on October 5 - just for the last fighter.  It's clear Nintendo is putting a lot of effort into the final Smash reveal, but with Ultimate being one of the Switch's biggest games, it was always going to be this way.

Others have been praying Kingdom Hearts' Sora will jump into the arena, while it seems we've all forgotten Crash Bandicoot was once a popular choice for the coveted place. In June, 343's Community Director Brian Jarrard said it would be "amazing" to see Master Chief in Smash. Still, he admitted the chances were pretty low. 

Will Master Chief be the final Smash Bros. fighter?

Looking at the facts, it's entirely possible Master Chief could make his mark on Smash in a milestone move. A year ago, we'd have laughed at the idea of Microsoft sharing its IPs with Nintendo, but as the Fighters Pass has gone on, we'd added characters from Banjo-Kazooie and Minecraft. Master Chief being the third Microsoft character this Pass would be entirely possible.

Added to this, let's remember Halo Infinite will come out around the time we're expecting the last fighter. A Halo game has never appeared on a Nintendo platform, although Halo DS was apparently in the world for the fan-favourite handheld at one point. 

Then again, critics have called out what the point of adding Master Chief would be. Yes, it would be a beautiful union between these two gaming giants, but isn't Master Chief a little too similar to a male Samus? What would his special move be, would he run over enemies in a Warthog?

It's one of the biggest ticks going against the other much-hyped inclusion of DOOM's Doomguy - Smash can't have too many characters that are the same. Then again, the sheer fandom surrounding Halo, a well-timed release of Infinite, and the legacy of Smash mean Master Chief would inevitably "master" the brutal brawler.