Welcome back to Echo Location, where we speculate about which Echo Fighters could be the next potential candidates for the Smash brothers roster. Last time, the wonderful Ricky Berg talked about both the gooey and the godlike, and next time Logan Plant will once again take the reins. Today though, we’ve got two picks from my own wheelhouses to discuss, so let’s dive in.
We got the funk
I already talked previously about the potential for Dixie Kong to be an Echo, but I think there’s somebody else from the DK crew who would fit right into the role: Funky Kong. Not only has the shades-sporting ape been one of the most popular side characters in the series’ history, to the point of being added as a playable character in the Switch’s port of Tropical Freeze, but his original design and model was a cost-cutting appropriation of DK’s in the first place. He literally has history as an Echo!
Moveset-wise, it’s easy to imagine Funky being a little faster but less heavy, becoming more of a middleweight fighter in the process. His Up-B can be replaced by his surfboard spin from Tropical Freeze for a bit of personal flair, and some other tweaks can be made to his properties to set him apart — maybe his Side-B leaves foes trapped for longer at the cost of less/no damage, or his Giant Punch winds up faster but has less knock-back. There’s definitely potential for tweaks that could make for an interesting fighter.
While I think Dixie will definitely get added in some form before Funky, the do-rag and tanktop wearing gorilla has a case to be made. He’s second only to Cranky in terms of consistent supporting appearances in DKC, and while he only made his jump to playable recently, his history of aping DK in appearance means he’s a natural consideration for an Echo Fighter.
A mighty marquess
This pick is a little less sensible, but a lot more personal. Anybody who knows me or my writing knows just how much I adore Hector of Ostia from Fire Emblem: Blazing Blade. The Wolf Beil-wielding armored axeman has been a request from quite a few FE faithful for a while by virtue of not being another darn swordsman, and while I would be ecstatic to see him as an original fighter, I think having him as an Ike Echo is more realistic.
Note: This image is a mockup.
Hector’s general build and style already fits the Radiant Hero to a T, but wielding an axe (likely Armads) could change up his hitbox properties, giving him a wider but shorter reach. With his Neutral-B he’d bring crackling thunder instead of blue blames, and his Side-B could travel less far but do more damage. Of course, for his Aether, he should instead replicate the legendary Hectorcopter from his Armads crit animation. Give him an “Oho” taunt and you’ve got a legend in the making.
I know that a lot of folks are sick of FE characters (and understandably so), but I think Hector, even as an Echo, would be a new enough take to get more people on board. He’s enjoyed a huge resurgence of popularity thanks to FE Heroes, he’s beloved in the West, and he makes more sense as non-sword choice for an Echo than somebody like Ephraim or Micaiah. Also, it’d give him a chance to take Roy to task over Lilina, and who doesn’t want that unique victory dialogue?
That’s all for this round of Echo Location! Stay tuned for more in the future, and catch up on the rest of the series.
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Written by Amelia Fruzzetti
A writer and Nintendo fan based in Seattle, Washington. When not working for NinWire, she can be found eating pasta, writing stories, and wondering about when Mother 3 is finally going to get an official localization.
