The characters from the Resident Evil series will soon be making their long-awaited debut in the Super Smash Bros. series, but not in a way that fans might have wanted, as they will be arriving in the form of Spirits in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
On the surface, it might seem as if characters from the Resident Evil series wouldn't be suitable as fighting game characters, but they have made several appearances in the Marvel vs. Capcom series, with the likes of Chris Redfield, Albert Wesker, Jill Valentine, and the Nemesis taking on the Avengers and the X-Men in melee combat. Fans have been hoping for a Resident Evil representative in the Super Smash Bros. series for a while, and the recent glut of old Resident Evil ports for Nintendo Switch was making people wonder if Leon S. Kennedy or Mr. X would be making an appearance in the game.
Four Resident Evil characters will be coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but they will only appear as Spirts on the Spirit Board. On November 29th, it will be possible to battle Spirits based on Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Leon S. Kennedy, and Albert Wesker. It's likely that Snake will be used for the Chris or Leon battle and Zero Suit Samus will be used for Jill. Joker would have been a strong possibility for Albert Wesker if he wasn't a DLC character.
The addition of Resident Evil characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate might have finally put to rest the idea of one of them becoming a playable character. It's unlikely that they would appear as Spirits if they were planned to appear in the future. This is a shame, as Resident Evil is certainly popular enough to warrant a DLC slot in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and the series has appeared on numerous Nintendo consoles in the past.
The dream of seeing Leon S. Kennedy performing a suplex on his enemies after firing a rocket into their face might be over, but Snake's repertoire of explosives is likely close enough to how a Resident Evil character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate would have worked if one had appeared.
The Resident Evil characters will be arriving in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on November 29th and will be available for five days.
Source: Nintendo Versus/Twitter