User:CSR/Rivalries in Smash Bros.
In the history of fighting games, or the history of video games as a whole, countless rivalries occurred in a form of friendly rivalry or death battle between arch-rivals. Each rival either shares similarities or differs from each other, whether by appearances, traits and characteristics.
In Super Smash Bros. series, rivalries are shown in an indirect way, rather than highlighting them directly. In other words, rivalries in Smash Bros. are prominently shown in story modes like The Subspace Emissary and World of Light; they are rarely shown in regular battle modes.
Below are lists of notable rivalries in Smash Bros. series.
Official Rivalries[edit]
Mario vs. Kirby[edit]
Mario and Kirby had a long history of rivalry in Smash Bros. since the first installment. As protagonists in their respective games, they had competed with each other since the first game, and their rivalry continued in the recent games. Notably, their rivalry is emphasized in odd-numbered series, such as Smash 64, Brawl, and Ultimate.
On the other hand, Mario and Kirby remain as close friends who share moments of victories with each other. This trait is prominently featured in The Subspace Emissary.
In Super Smash Bros.[edit]
The rivalry between Mario and Kirby started in the first game. One of the notable examples is the end of Super Smash Bros. opening, where Mario and Kirby assumed fighting stance and stood on either sides of the Final Destination. After the cutscene, both characters jump up and clashed with each other, while other veterans are doing the same after them.
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]
The rivalry between Mario and Kirby becomes prominent in The Subspace Emissary. Both fighters appear as combatants fighting in the middle of Midair Stadium, where players can pick either fighter before battle initiates. After the battle, loser becomes a trophy, and the winner touches them to send them back to normal.
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
Yet another hint of rivalry between Mario vs. Kirby appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. As a sole playable character from the start, the first character that Kirby can rescue is Mario in World of Light. As he is the only playable fighter from the start, it is possible to make Mario vs. Kirby battle a reality once again.
Bowser vs. Donkey Kong[edit]
As a monster vs. monster-style rivalry in a similar manner to a media like Godzilla vs. Kong, these two characters formed a rivalry in Smash Bros. series, particularly in Melee. Outside of Smash Bros., they notably showed their rivalry in some games, such as Mario Kart series and Mario Party series (particularly Mario Party 5).
In Super Smash Bros. Melee[edit]
Bowser and DK fights each other in the event Gargantuans, where the entire event is done as an homage to Japanese Kaiju movies such as Gojira vs. Kong.
Ryu vs. Little Mac[edit]
Ryu and Little Mac made an impact as a notable rivalry in Super Smash Bros. series, particularly in Smash 4. As a main character of Street Fighters series as well as a leading character in the vs. Capcom series, Ryu made many rivalries with other leading characters from the different video game companies. Super Smash Bros. is no exception to that, as Ryu made few notable rivals in Smash Bros. series.
Fans consider Ryu and Little Mac one of the notable rivalries in Smash Bros. Besides the differences between their specialties, Ryu and Little Mac differ themselves based on the color of their outfits: Ryu wears white gi and red gloves, while Little Mac wears black clothes and green gloves, creating a striking contrast between these two.
In Super Smash Bros. 4[edit]
Other than speculations and thoughts of fans on the rivalry between Ryu and Little Mac in Smash Bros series, developers of Smash 4 hinted their rivalry in the game. Ryu's Congratulations screen in the 3DS version of SSB4 shows him alongside Little Mac, who has bruises and bandages in his face.
In Bayonetta's character poster, Ryu and Little Mac are seen sparring with each other.
Palutena vs. Bayonetta[edit]
In Bayonetta series, Bayonetta hunts angels and eventually defeats Jubileus, a goddess of light who acts as a supreme ruler of the heaven. This is somehow reflected to Bayonetta in Smash Bros. series, resulting in the Smash fandom to consider Palutena and Bayonetta as rivals.
In Super Smash Bros. 4[edit]
At the end of her Trailer, Bayonetta calls out Palutena to not "mess up with a witch". In Japanese version of the trailer, Bayonetta declares to challenge against Palutena after beating Pit and Dark Pit with ease.
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
In Bayonetta's Classic Mode route, she fights Giant Palutena as the final boss of her route. This battle reflects the battle between Jubileus, a goddess of light in Bayonetta series. In Final Battle, both characters are situated in a different side; Palutena is affiliated with Galeem while Bayonetta is affiliated with Dharkon.
Link vs. Cloud[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. 4[edit]
In Cloud's character poster, Link and Cloud are seen clashing their swords.
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
Cloud being unlockable in the Zelda area in World of Light could potentially mean a rivalry between Zelda franchise and Final Fantasy franchise.
Ryu vs. Kazuya[edit]
As main characters in their respective series, Ryu and Kazuya become rivals in games where they prominently appeared in, especially in Street Fighter x Tekken. After being confirmed to appear in Smash Bros., they seem to form a rivalry once again.
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
In Kazuya's artwork, he is seen grabbing Ryu in the collar as if he is about to toss him into a cliff, implying that he has won against Ryu in a battle. Ryu appeared as one of Kazuya's opponents in various screenshots, as well as in various move showcases of Kazuya.
Unofficial Rivalries[edit]
In the bottom are rivalries that are formed in the past by fans and considered as rivals in other video games but not proven officially in Smash Bros. series.
Mario vs. Sonic[edit]
Mario and Sonic are considered as rivals since early 1990s, when Nintendo and Sega were competing with each other. The two console makers sometimes slandered with each other through advertisements and commercials; most of them contained either one of these characters. After Sega has stopped making consoles after Dreamcast, they started to appear in a Mario and Sonic crossover games, and their relationship has changed to arch-rival-esque relationship to more friendly relationship.
Mario and Sonic started to appear in a same game once again starting in Brawl. However, aside from few clips in the reveal trailer, their rivalry is not particularly highlighted in the game.
Ken vs. Terry[edit]
Ken and Terry fought alongside each other as rivals, such as Capcom vs. SNK 2, SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos, and even in non-video game media like DEATH BATTLE. However, their rivalry doesn't seem prominent in Smash Bros. series despite appearing in a same game once again. Nevertheless, fans consider them as rivals like in aforementioned games, to the point they mention and highlight their rivalry in other games, particularly in Capcom vs. SNK 2.
In November 8th, 2021, Masahiro Sakurai posted Pic of the Day featuring hatless Terry, along with Ken holding his hat and giving it to him, referencing their special intro in Capcom vs. SNK 2.[1]
