ALLRIIIGGGGHHT!!!! The next character is Half-Genie hero Shantae!
Ok I'll say this: This is the character that got me to care about the smash ballot. I think I already did my origin thing so I'm not gonna run through it again though. With that said, the Shantae franchise is a highly underrated franchise that deserves more recognition. It is the oldest indie I can think of and the real first indie that was exclusive for Nintendo for an extremely long time. As I said about Shovel Knight earlier, an indie game shouldn't be against any requirement as long as the quality is there. I played the second and third games and the quality is there.
Her appeal has also grown significantly over the years. This has become even more apparent to me with the Smash Ballot, where you can really see the effort of the fanbase
With that said, I've noted that there a few people I came across who are hyping up Shantae that have never played their game. Though of course, that goes for a lot of fans of other characters, but those I'm referring to just want her amiibo. Some I suspect are scalpers waiting to happen
(perhaps that is a conversation for another thread).
Regardless, the genuine love for the character is there and the momentum its received as reached Japan.
In fact, Japan is getting physical copy of Pirate's Curse for the 3DS, (which of course I'm both happy and jealous of)
Now originally, I was going to put her under debatable because of the more obvious sexualization factor that may have gotten Tharja booted as a trophy. However, I got to thinking: in the first place, the Shantae games, at best, have always been E10. Due to this, I want to say it really shouldn't be an issue (though honestly I wouldn't be bothered either way if she was toned down a bit or not). Others might disagree and I completely accept that, which is why I originally put her in debatable. However, I choose pretty reasonable because of the factors of her origins and long history with Nintendo, her growing appeal, and the possibilites of her moveset.
What say you? Be sure to leave a comment (If you want of course)
