Byleth From the Fire Emblem Series Joins the Roster of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Combat class is in session! Byleth, the renowned mercenary and professor from the Fire Emblem series, is ready to teach Super Smash Bros. Ultimate players a lesson in battle. Masahiro Sakurai, the director of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, unveiled for the first time the battle-hardened Fire Emblem character in action, who will enter the arena on January 28 as the game’s newest fighter. Sakurai demonstrated Byleth’s unique ranged play style, and revealed the Garreg Mach Monastery stage and 11 new music tracks from the Fire Emblem series, all coming to the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate game for the Nintendo Switch later this month.

Check Out the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Full Presentation, Byleth and New Mii Fighters Trailers:

All of this new content will be available to players who own the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters Pass or purchase Challenger Pack 5 separately. In addition to Byleth’s reveal, new details were announced about the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters Pass Vol. 2, which will include six more fighters currently under development. By purchasing Fighters Pass Vol. 2 for a suggested retail price of $29.99, players will get access to six more yet-to-be-announced Challenger Packs as they release. Each pack includes one new fighter, one stage and multiple music tracks. Those who purchase Fighters Pass Vol. 2 will also receive an exclusive costume for Mii Swordfighter, the Ancient Soldier Gear from the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild game, available in-game starting Jan. 28.

“As Super Smash Bros. Ultimate continues to inspire friendly competition and heated matches on Nintendo Switch, the addition of Byleth from the beloved Fire Emblem series, along with the announcement of six more upcoming fighters, represents our commitment to supporting the game with new content that further enriches the overall experience,” said Nick Chavez, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will continue to welcome both newcomers and veteran players alike to enjoy the thrill of battle while exploring its unparalleled lineup of gaming icons.”

Byleth joins the ranks as the 80th legendary video game character included as a playable fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which features the biggest crossover of video game characters in history. Drawing upon Byleth’s chivalric exploits, their inclusion in the roster will change the tide of every battle they appear in, with clever strategic choices motivating each defensive posture and offensive attack in their move set. With a sword, axe, lance and bow in hand, prevailing in combat will often come down to selecting the right moments to hold ground or advance.

Here’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s image gallery. Click on any of these image thumbnails to see the full-size screens:

Byleth’s accompanying stage, the Garreg Mach Monastery, also features a variety of cameos from popular characters in the Fire Emblem series, including Edelgard from the Black Eagles, Claude from the Golden Deer and Dimitri from the Blue Lions.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will also receive a new Spirit Board, which features some of the other popular characters from the Fire Emblem series, along with a new classic mode route, “A Heroic Legacy,” which highlights classic Fire Emblem stages throughout the series’ storied history.

Additionally, new Mii Fighter costumes inspired by Cuphead, Rabbids, Altair and various Mega Man games will be available for purchase on Jan. 28. Players who purchase the Cuphead Mii Fighter costume will also receive a new music track, Floral Fury, which was originally featured in the game’s classic Cagney Carnation boss battle.

Finally, two fighters from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will have amiibo figures available for purchase at select retailers beginning on Jan. 17: Samus’s mysterious doppelganger, Dark Samus, and Simon Belmont’s whip-wielding echo fighter, Richter.

Additional new fighters, stages and music will also be coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate through the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters Pass Vol. 2. Players can also continue to purchase the current Fighters Pass for a suggested retail price of $24.99 to gain access to the first five Challenger Packs. Playable fighters Joker, Hero, Banjo & Kazooie and Terry Bogard are all available now, with Byleth joining on Jan. 28. For only $5.99, players can also purchase the packs individually.

For more information about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, visit smashbros.com. And for more information about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC, visit smashbros.nintendo.com/dlc.