Why Isn‘t Waluigi in Smash Bros. Ultimate?

Waluigi, Luigi‘s tall, cunning foil introduced in 2000‘s Mario Tennis for Nintendo 64, is one of the few major Mario franchise characters yet to appear as a playable fighter in Super Smash Bros. This glaring omission has left many of his die-hard fans demanding answers for years. So what explains his continued absence from the coveted Smash roster?

The Case for Waluigi

Waluigi has been a staple presence in Nintendo‘s Mario sports and spinoff titles for over two decades. Series director Masahiro Sakurai has emphasized that Super Smash Bros draws combatants from franchises boasting rich histories. With 60+ collective game appearances under his belt, Waluigi seemingly fits the bill.

He‘s also exhibited more personality and competitive prowess in recent titles like Mario Golf: Super Rush, demonstrating athleticism and aggression befitting a capable Smash fighter. And as the sole major Mario character missing from the roster, his inclusion would feel natural given the existing representation.

Not to mention Waluigi‘s popularity amongst Nintendo fans. In official Smash fighter ballots and opinion polls, he consistently ranks highly as a requested addition:

Sakurai himself has acknowledged fan outcries for Waluigi by trolling devotees through the Assist Trophy cameo in Smash Ultimate.

So Waluigi possesses the legacy, in-universe credentials, moveset potential, and community support one might expect sufficient for a Smash promotion. Yet the purple anti-hero remains relegated to non-playable status. Why?

Potential Factors

While Sakurai has not provided an official explanation, we can reasonably speculate the considerations precluding Waluigi‘s graduation based on several factors.

Minimal Leading Man Experience

For a starring Smash role, Sakurai seems to prefer candidates who have themselves headlined major games rather than playing supporting parts. Though Waluigi now approaches Wario‘s longevity, he lacks solo adventures highlighting unique abilities or heroism. Even his assorted sports ventures showcase him as more of a foil than protagonist. This likely did little to boost his viability.

Development Challenges

Sakurai has called Ultimate‘s enormous roster "an extreme luxury." With limited development resources available, building movesets for more niche characters amidst negotiations with high-profile third parties could have complicated efforts to include Waluigi. His athletic focus may have also posed animation hurdles.

Unimportance to Nintendo

Waluigi‘s absence could stem partly from Nintendo itself assigning minimal value to the character. Series creator Shigeru Miyamoto reportedly vetoed earlier Waluigi-centric game pitches, preferring not to expand on non-key characters. And the company omitted him even from its Super Mario Bros 35th Anniversary Twitter hashtag. So internally, boosting Waluigi likely wasn‘t a priority.

Oversaturation Concerns

With 7 Mario reps already on the Smash Ultimate roster, Nintendo may have grown concerned adding another, especially a clone-ish foil character, could feel excessive. Case in point: some pro players have argued that too many Fire Emblem fighters has reached detrimental levels of overrepresentation. Waluigi could have raised similar issues.

Sakurai‘s Vision

As creative director, Sakurai maintains final say over newcomer selections and serves as the gatekeeper regarding who ultimately joins Smash Brothers canon. For whatever reason—lack of personal affinity for the character, commitment to third parties, desire for more unique moveset additions—he seemingly didn‘t deem Waluigi worthy of the coveted spot this time.

Silver Lining?

So while Waluigi fans have every right to feel disappointed by his snubbing, all hope isn‘t lost. Between his Cameo appearances and increasingly visible roles in spinoff titles, Nintendo hasn‘t completely forgotten about him. And the sustained fan passion could convince Sakurai to finally grant Waluigi his moment should Nintendo develop additional Smash content in the future.

Waluigi simply suffers the unfortunate dilemma of being a “big fish in a small pond.” He remains prominent within his native sphere of Mario sports and party games but lacks the leading man credentials or corporate backing to become an A-list Smash Brother. However, his cunning personality and athletic prowess cannot be denied. So should the stars ever align favorably, Waluigi harbors plenty of untapped potential for a compelling and distinct Super Smash Fighter.