Super Smash Bros DLC Pack Concept: Erdrick From The Dragon Quest Series

So…let’s talk about the Super Smash Bros Fighters Pass:

 Everyone is looking forward to it (i definitely am) so i decided why not discuss what characters i think could potentially make it into Smash Bros. Now this is mostly going to be from an objective view rather than favouritism - if i were to put my choices based on my favourites this would be a whole lot different. This are simply the characters i think are most likely to be in the fighters pass (there are four current slots available for DLC Characters so i will be making four blogs detailing my reasoning as to why i think they are going to be in as well as their potential moveset. For my first choice, i decided to go with a Square Enix representative that isn’t Chrono or Sora. Meet someone who you may not know but is definitely well known in Japan -it’s

 Erdrick from Dragon Quest III 

 Now i know what you may be asking - why would Erdrick be in Smash Bros. Well i am going to break down my reasoning into several different reasons as to why i think that currently Erdrick is the most likely Square Enix Rep to make it into Smash Bros - starting with

 Dragon Quest’s Popularity in Japan: 

When it comes to America, the Dragon Quest franchise really isn’t that well known as say Square Enix’s other big franchise which is Final Fantasy but in Japan it’s a whole different story. Dragon Quest as a series had sold over 76 million copies combined worldwide which is very impressive but in Japan it has been described straight up as Japan’s National Game - the popularity of Dragon Quest even eclipses Final Fantasy in Japan (and that franchise is very popular in Japan). This does matter as Sakurai/Nintendo will likely want to appeal to as wide a demographic as possible with these DLC characters and considering how big of an audience the Japanese Gaming Market is - having a character representing Japan’s National Game would bring in all the money for Nintendo despite the series not being as popular in countries outside of Japan.

 Dragon Quest’s Relationship with Nintendo 

 While significant relation to Nintendo isn’t a massive factor - i mean look at Cloud and Joker if you want but it definitely does matter in the large scheme of things. While Dragon Quest definitely has been on other consoles besides Nintendo Systems - it first made it’s home on Nintendo with the first Dragon Quest game on the Nintendo Entertainment System and they have been releasing DQ Games for the Nintendo System ever since with many being exclusives. As you can see - Nintendo have a very long history with Dragon Quest - maybe even more than Final Fantasy. As such i think it would make complete sense for Square Enix’s second rep to be a Dragon Quest character. 

The Rumours 

 While this isn’t concrete because i mean Smash Leakers are inconsistent at best when it comes to leaking information but anyway there have been many rumours of the DLC Characters and one in particular was Erdrick. A week or so ago there was a rumour that Persona 5 would be getting a special edition as well as Persona 5 Arena being in development by Arc System Works but it wasn’t just those two details - the rumour stated that Erdrick from the Dragon Quest Series would be one of the DLC Fighters. Now this could very easily be false since a lot of rumours are well false but at the same time - Vergen who leaked a lot of the Smash Ultimate Roster - backed this up and is definitely leaning towards Erdrick being the second Square Enix Representative in Smash Bros.

 Factors Going Against Dragon Quest Representation in Smash Bros 

 So in terms of rumors and other matters - there is certainly quite a bit of favour of a Dragon Quest rep in Smash Bros. Though at the same time - there is one potential problem that i should go over - there has been a significant problem when it comes to Dragon Quest and it’s main composer Koichi Sugiyama can be rather problematic when it comes to Dragon Quest Music being used outside of the franchise but at the same time - this is ultimately Square Enix’s call and despite Koichi being well problematic i don’t think that should affect the changes of a Dragon Quest character being in Smash that much.

Why Erdrick? 

 Though in regards to Dragon Quest - why Erdrick in particular - wouldn’t Slime make more sense as a representative of Dragon Quest since he is the series mascot after all. Well first of all - out of all the Dragon Quest Games - the most iconic and most well regarded Dragon Quest game by Japanese Fans is easily Dragon Quest 3 - It skyrocketed the popularity of the series in Japan and as such Erdrick is by far the most easily recognisable protagonist in the Dragon Quest Series and like Cloud it would make sense to represent the most well known Dragon Quest character into Smash Bros besides the series mascot of course. Another reason why i think they may choose Erdrick and this one is just a theory of mine also MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING OF DRAGON QUEST 11. The ending of Dragon Quest 11 heavily references Dragon Quest 3 and even has a cutscene of Erdrick in bed waking up which is the beginning of Dragon Quest 3. This makes me think that Square Enix purposefully put that there to tease the possibility of a Dragon Quest 3 remake - possibly using DQ11 Assets and coming out in the Switch. It would make sense to have Erdrick in Smash to coincide with the announcement of a Dragon Quest 3 Remake. So yeah these are my reasons why i think out of the Dragon Quest Cast - Erdrick is the most likely to make it in. Now i have explained why i think Erdrick could very well happen in Smash Bros - now i am going to go over what his design as well as moveset could be in the new Smash Bros.

 Erdrick:

 Appearance: 

 Erdrick has had many different looks over the years.

 From his Classic Design: 

 To his SNES Remake Design 

 To his more recent design:

 And his novel design:

In terms of designs, i think they are going to go with his classic NES Design and it will likely be the younger version rather than the older one (though i could very easily be wrong on that front). In terms of the SNES Colours i could very much them being an alternate colour for Erdrick. As for the more armoured look - i think i am going to incorporate it in a different way which i will explain later so overall i think if Erdrick does get into Smash Bros it’s going to be his classic kidish design rather than the more adult version - i could be wrong in my assessment though. I also sadly think there is likely not going to be a female Erdrick Alt if they are going with the NES Design.


Speaking of designs - let’s talk:

 Alternate Colours: 

 Alternate Colours 1 - SNES Colour Design with the Dark Blue Shirt, Yellow Trousers and Purple Cape. Armoured Erdrick also has Light Blue Coloured Armour

 Alternate Colours 2 - Colour Design based on the Dragon Quest 1 Hero with a red outfit with gold. Armoured Erdrick has Black Coloured Armour

Alternate Colours 3 - Colour Design based on the Dragon Quest 2 Hero Dark Blue with some gold. Armoured Erdrick as a Dark Blue Coloured Armour

 Alternate Colours 4 - Colour Design based on the Dragon Quest 4 Hero. Dark Green with some white. Armoured Erdrick gets a Dark Green Coloured Armour.

 Alternate Colours 5 - Colour Design based on the Dragon Quest 5 Hero. Purple with some white. Armoured Erdrick gets a White Coloured Armour.

 Alternate Colours 6 - Colour Design based on the Dragon Quest 8 Hero. Yellow with some blue. Armoured Erdrick get a Yellow Coloured Armour

 Alternate Colours 7 - Colour Design based on the Dragon Quest 9 Hero. Brown with some pink. Armoured Erdrick get a Brown Coloured Armour

 Alternate Colours 8 - Colour Design based on Dragon Quest 11 Hero. Dark Purple with some black. Armoured Erdrick ges a Dark Purple Coloured Armour


 These are the Alternate Colours i think would fit the most. I am pretty sure if Erdrick get into the game he will have his SNES Colours as an alternate costume.

Anyway with the appearance out of the way - let’s get to the main course - how is Erdrick going to play and what his moveset will be.

How Erdrick would most likely play in Smash Bros

 Keep in mind - i am far from a competitive Smash Player though i have been playing lots of online Smash lately. Anyway - i am not sure how competitively viable the attributes and moveset i am giving to Erdrick will be - i just decided to make it based on the character and what i think would fit him best if he ever ends up in Smash Bros. So let’s start off with main attributes

 Main Attributes 

 These are the main strengths and weaknesses of Erdrick as a character:

Advantages: 

•  Good All-Round fighter, for the most part he is very easy to pick up and play
•  Has good (not great) combo potential 
• Lack of Landing Lag on most of his moves
• Most of his moves come out quickly 
• Good Recovery 
• Has a tether which allows you to get onto the stage easier 

 Disadvantages:

•  Walk and Run Speed is not fast
•  Is a fairly light character (comparison would be Toon Link) and thus get’s KOs quite as easily Recovery can easily be punished at the end of the move 
• A lot of his moves lack damage especially at lower levels 
• Tether grab comes out rather slow and can be easily exploited 
• In order to get the best out of him you need to level him up

 These are the main strengths and weaknesses for Erdrick as a playable fighter in Smash Bros. As for his Main Gimmick.

Main Gimmick:

 In terms of his main mechanic/gimmick. It would be the leveling up system.

Level Up: 

 This is Erdrick’s main mechanic gimmick that makes him different from every other character. Level Up is a mechanic that allows Erdrick to progress through five different levels - these levels will drastically increase the damage and priority of his normal,smash and special attacks. Level Up can be achieved through two ways. The first is fighting normally - there is a bar near Erdrick’s profile image that will fill up while the user is fighting. Once that bar is full - Erdrick levels up.When Erdrick at certain levels his outfit will change like Lucario’s Final Smash in Smash 4. First he equips the Iron Armour when he is at Level 30 then his Classic Armor when he is at max level (Level 50).This will change the properties and damage of his moves in a significant manner - he walk/run speed and knock-back are also increased.

 So i’ve talked about what his strengths/weaknesses are as well as his main gimmick so how would his moveset play out..well

 Special Moves: Neutral Special - Frizz/Sizzle

 .Erdrick fires a ball of fire from his finger that lands on the ground and creates a small blast of fire. Good range and spacing tool though it doesn’t hit multiple times but does significantly more damage . When Erdrick has leveled up - it’s Damage as well as knockback levels increase dramatically.When Erdrick is increased to maximum level it becomes Sizzle. This allows Erdrick to fire a massive fireball forward that hits multiple times and does significant knockback. Level 10 - 8% Level 20 - 9%, Level 30 - 10%,Level 40 - 14%, Level 50 - 19%

 Side Special - Zap/Kazap

 Erdrick summons multiple thunder bots from the sky. These thunderbolts aren’t that powerful but can be used to momentary trap the enemy player which can lead to potential combo starters. Is a fairly slow move in terms of start up but is good on block and can be used to prevent the opponent from getting onto the stage. When Erdrick becomes max leveled - this move turns into Kazap - this summons a singler - much greater lighting bolt which can be used to spike enemies and does significantly more knockback. Level 10 - 6% Level 20 - 8%, Level 30 - 10%,Level 40 - 12%, Level 50 - 14%.

 Down Special - Level Up

 This Down B works similar to Cloud’s limit as when using this move - Erdrick will make a pose and it allows the user to fill a bar till it levels up.. Currently it goes from Level 10 to 50 though you level up by 10 levels each time the bar is full. When you are KOed you only go back to your previous level.

 Up Special - Zoom

 

 This is Erdrick’s recovery move - Erdrick surrounds himself with green energy and then boosts himself upwards - works similar to Inklings recovery though like Ridley’s recovery it can be directed so if the player wants - he can direct it vertically or horizontally. It will damage an enemy if it comes into contact with it but not much. It is a good recovery overall though smart enough players could be able to punish it. Level 10 - 4% Level 20 -5%, Level 30 - 6%,Level 40 - 7%, Level 50 - 8%

 Normal Moves: 

 Neutral Attack - Erdrick slashes at the enemy with his sword and then slashes them again before pushing them away with a blast of magic from Erdrick’s hand. This move can be canceled into other attacks. It’s Damage depends on what level Erdrick is at - Level 10 - 2% Level 20 - 2.5%, Level 30 - 3%,Level 40 - 4%, Level 50 - 5%

 Dash Attack - Lighting appears on Erdrick’s sword and then he dashes forward (with a trail of lighting) before thrusting forward at the enemy. Good knockback and good start-up frame but weak damage and can be pushed at the ending part of the attack. The Tip of the sword does more damage. - Level 10 - 5% (Base), 7% Tip Level 20 - 6% (Base), 8% Tip, Level 30 - 8% (Base), 10% (Tip)%,Level 40 - 10% (Base), 12 % (Tip), Level 50 -12% (Base),14% (Tip)

 Tilts: 

 Forward Tilt - Erdrick fires a blast of magic from his palm. Has slow start-up but has decently high amount of damage especially if you are high enough levelled. It can be used to knock foes a fair distance (as long as they have high enough damage) and is good at preventing foes who don’t block or air dodge from getting on the stage - Level 10 - 8% Level 20 - 9%, Level 30 - 10%,Level 40 - 12%, Level 50 - 14%

 Up Tilt - Erdrick fires a blast of magic from his palm upwards. Good for juggling and decent KO potential at high percentages. - Level 10 - 5% Level 20 - 6%, Level 30 -7%,Level 40 - 9%, Level 50 - 11%

 Down Tilt - Erdrick fires a blast of magic horizontally downwards. Has low ending lag and can make for a good combo move but has weak knockback and is not safe on shield. - Level 10 - 7% Level 20 - 8%, Level 30 - 9%,Level 40 - 10%, Level 50 - 11%

 Smash Attacks:

 Foward Smash - Lighting will appear on Erdrick’s sword and will slice twice - the second slice also produce a diagonal electric slash that will appear after the move is performed (as long as it’s not interrupted). The first swing does not do nearly as much damage as the second swing and has no knockback. It is one of his most reliable kill moves. It’s knockback and kill potential drastically increase when Erdrick has leveled up. - Level 10 - 12% Level 20 - 13%, Level 30 - 14%,Level 40 - 15%, Level 50 - 16%

 Up Smash - Erdrick will use his Flail of Destruction in order to hit above him. It is similar to Simon Belmont’s Up Smash and like Simon Belmont’s Up Smash - it has a tipper mechanic meaning if you use the Up Smash at the enemy hits the top of the Fial of Destruction it does significantly more damage than the middle. It is extremely good at hitting enemies who are above you. - Level 10 - 9% Level 20 - 10%, Level 30 - 11%,Level 40 - 12%, Level 50 - 15%

 Down Smash - Erdrick pulls out the Double Edged Sword and then does a downwards slash. It is an extremely powerful Smash attack - having a good amount of damage as well as knockback but has it has one main fault. When doing the down smash you will experience some recoil damage - this recoil damage depends on how long the down smash has been charging for but still. This is a significant downside that hampers the smash somewhat but is still very powerful - Level 10 - 9%, Level 20 - 10%, Level 30 - 11%, Level 40 - 13%, Level 50 - 15%

 Aerials: 

 Neutral Aerial - Erdrick thrusts his sword forward - good starting up time and doesn’t have a lot of landing lag and is very good for spacing and damaging shields but does not that much damage. Level 10 - 6%, Level 20 - 7%, Level 30 - 8%, Level 40 - 9%, Level 50 - 10%

 Forward Aerial - Erdrick pulls out the Divine Dagger and does a short ranged slice attack. Very low landing lag and rather quick but doesn’t do a lot of damage. Level 10 - 3%, Level 20 - 4%, Level 30 - 5%, Level 40 - 6%, Level 50 - 7%

 Back Aerial - Erdrick pulls out an Iron Axe and does a horizontal slash attack. Has great knockback and damage but suffers from having a long start up time - Level 10 - 9%, Level 20 - 10%, Level 30 - 11%, Level 40 - 13%, Level 50 - 15%

 Up Aerial - Erdrick performs an aerial slashing attack with his sword. This slashing attack is performed in an arc. A fairly good aerial with good landing lag and starting up time but suffers from mediocre damage. - Level 10 - 6% Level 20 - 7%, Level 30 - 9%,Level 40 - 10%, Level 50 - 12%

Grabs

 Grab: Erdrick uses the Gringham Whip to grab the enemy from a distance and pull them it. It also works as a tether recovery

 Pummel: Erdrick hits the opponent multiple times. Fairly fast but doesn’t do a whole lot of damage. They are still wrapped in the Gringham Whip. Level 10/50 - 1%

 Forward Throw: Erdrick swings the enemy away with the Gringham Whip. A strong forward throw but not particularly fast. - Level 10 - 3% Level 20 - 4%, Level 30 - 5%,Level 40 - 6%, Level 50 - 7%

Back Throw: Using the Gringham Whip, Erdrick throws the enemy behind him. A strong back throw but lacks speed. Level 10 - 6% Level 20 - 7%, Level 30 - 9%,Level 40 - 10%, Level 50 - 11% Up Throw: Erdrick swings the enemy over his head and then throws them up with the Gringham Whip. Can be used as a set up for his aerials (including up tilt and neutral tilt making for a great combo starter). Level 10 - 3% Level 20 - 4%, Level 30 - 5%,Level 40 - 6%, Level 50 - 7%

 Down Throw: Erdrick slams the opponent onto the ground with the Gringham Whip. You can combo it with other moves (including his aerials). At high enough percentages it can be used to bury the opponent which can lead to other moves such as a forward or side smash. Level 10 - 3% Level 20 - 4%, Level 30 - 5%,Level 40 - 6%, Level 50 - 7%

 Final Smash: 

Heroic Trinity 

 Erdrick dash forward and slices at the enemy horizontally - this triggers a cutscene where Erdrick,Dragon Quest 1 Hero and Dragon Quest 2 Hero come jumping down from a bird. They charge at the opponent with Dragon Quest 1 Hero doing a flaming sword attack at the same time as Dragon Quest 2’s Hero creating an X style attack then Erdrick charges up his sword with lighting and finishes the final smash off with a lighting sword attack based on the Dragon Quest Battle Road Victory Super. 45% at All Levels.

 So that’s Erdrick’s attributes,mechanics but what about the other small details.

 On Screen Appearance: 

 Jumps from a bird and poses before getting into his neutral stance. Based on Dragon Quest Monsters Battle Road Victory

 Taunts:

 Up Taunt: Raises his sword to the sky triumphantly (the sword glows with electricity) while wind is making is cape blow. Based on the Dragon Monsters Battle Road Victory.

 Side Taunt: Erdrick puts his sword on the ground and kneels looking straight at the enemy. This is based on the artwork by Mutsumi Inomata.

Down Taunt: Erdrick digs his sword into the ground and kneels. Based on the Super Famicom pose. 

Idle Poses: 

•  Erdrick puts his blade on his shoulder and smiles with wind blowing his cape. Based on this artwork 
• Erdrick puts his blade in front of his face before going back to his neutral postion. Based on this artwork. 

 Victory Poses: 

•  Erdrick takes out a shovel before putting his foot them - smiling at a job well done saying “The Battle is Won”. It is based on this artwork.
•  Erdrick raises his sword into the air triumphantly before thunderbolts come from the sky.It is based in this artwork.
•  Sees a Slime come running by and moves forward into the screen and chases after it doing a slashing attack 

 Crown Cheer: 

 The Crowd says “Erdrick the Hero”

 Also i am not going to do Palutena's Guidance for Erdrick mostly because i am not a good writer of comedy and i am not sure if DLC Characters will get Palutena's Guidance's.So that’s Erdrick done - but what about the other things that could be included in the DLC Pack:

 Other Things in the DLC Pack:

 Stage: 

Alefgard/World of Darkness 

 The kingdom in Dragon Quest - 1,2,3 aka the Erdrick Trilogy. In Dragon Quest 3 the world is basically dark world as such the design of the area will likely be based around the DQ 3 Version. In terms of setting it would be a transition stage - transiting from the Port Island to Town of Brecconaly and then to Tantegel Castle and Finally Zoma’s Castle. The Stage starts off with Port Island having Sea Monsters they will come out of the the water to attack the enemy as well as a rickety boat then the characters side scroll to the town of Town of Brecconaly where Slimes will attack you. Then you side scroll into Tantegel Castle that will give characters buffs and then you fly into Zoma’s Castle acting as a stage hazard firing off Cold Breath and Disruptive Wave - then you can are teleported back to the beginning of the stage, It is similar to Rainbow Curse Stage but also has some elements from Mario Kart 8 and the New Donk City Stage.

 Music: 

 Music is a tricky one considering the reputation of Dragon Quest’s composer being very finicky so sadly at most we will probably get two/three tracks at most.

My picks are:

•  Dragon Quest 3 Overworld Theme 
•  Dragon Quest 3 Alefgard Underworld 
• Dragon Quest 3 Battle Theme 

 Assist Trophy 

 I think there's a possibility we could end up seeing an Assist Trophy added on. My personal pick would be the Slime Army with an army of Slimes coming in to attack anyway who is not the person who activated the trophy. While i would have loved Slime as an actual playable character - i do not think it’s likely and think that Slime would make more sense as an assist trophy especially as it allows Sakurai and his team to reference multiple Slimes from the series. 

 Conclusion:

 In conclusion, while Erdrick is not my most requested character (not even Top 5 material) i do think there is definitely potential in terms of making a really cool moveset for him to make him stand out from the other Smash Characters in the series so if he ends up being the second Square Enix Rep, i really won’t mind. As for next time, well let’s talk about..

  Dante