Shantae

Shantae (, Shantae) is the main protagonist of the  series.

Origin
Shantae serves as the Guardian Genie of Scuttle Town, residing in a small lighthouse by the sea where she can spot incoming ships. However, she is initially afraid of the citizens discovering her Half-Genie status. In the original Shantae, she chases the villainous pirate Risky Boots, in order to stop her plans. Along the way to stop Risky Boots, she receives aid from her friends Bolo and Sky, her uncle Mimic, as well as a young zombie girl named Rottytops. Shantae is unable to stop Risky Boots from using four elemental stones to create a turbine to power her war-machine known as the "All-Purpose Steam-Powered Tinkerbot" (or "Tinkertank" for short). After destroying the Tinkertank, Shantae duels with Risky and defeats her, escaping from the collapsing island and offered a chance to enter the Genie Realm, the cost of which being that she can never return to Scuttle Town again. Shantae declines and continues her work serving as the town's Guardian Genie.

Other adventures include being fired from her role as Guardian Genie and redeeming herself by retrieving the Magic Lamp Risky stole, teaming up with Risky to take down the Pirate Master and get the genie powers she lost back, protecting Sequin Land from Risky after being tricked into providing her with the means to endanger it, and teaming up with other half-genies to stop the seven sirens of Paradise Island.

As a costume
Shantae was released as a DLC costume on June 29th, 2021, alongside Kazuya. Following Sans and Cuphead, she is the third indie character to appear as a Mii costume. Upon downloading the costume, the song  is unlocked as an additional music track in the "Other" category. The Mii costume is based on Shantae's signature design, which itself is based on the attire of a typical Oryantal Dans (Belly Dancer in Turkish). This includes red, a red bra, red slip-on shoes and gold jewelry. The jewelry includes arm cuffs, earrings, a headband, and a hair clip that forms her long, purple pony tail.

There are a few notable references in the Shantae costume's reveal trailer. Shantae is introduced on The Great Cave Offensive stage, due to most of her games being Metroidvania platformers with large maps similar to the stage. She is shown fighting and an army of es, in reference to her arch nemesis Risky Boots and the Tinkerbats. She is then shown taunting, disappearing in the smoke from a Smoke Ball, and then coming out of the smoke wearing the Monkey Mii outfit, based on her home series's dance transformation mechanics and specifically the monkey transformation.

Trivia

 * With the first Shantae game releasing in 2002, Shantae is the oldest indie character to be represented within the Super Smash Bros. series.
 * Like her fellow indie costumes Sans and Cuphead, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate marks Shantae's first 3D appearance in video games. However, unlike Sans and Cuphead, only Shantae's hair and body are 3D modeled.
 * Though unlike them who have their reveal trailers contrast them against the black background, as well as the Ultimate logo being inverted, the background is normal like the others do because of the Shantae logo being colorful.
 * After the official release of the costume, Shantae creator Matt Bozon shared a Shantae Mii created by him and his wife, Erin Bozon (who designed the character), on Twitter. The Mii has Exploding Side Kick, Burning Dropkick, Soaring Axe Kick, and Feint Jump, simply because "they looked good".
 * He would later upload a second Mii, changing the Mii's mouth to a smile, and adding a voice.