Marketing, people. You pick characters to make money, to sell more copies of the Fighter Pass. Except for the last one, when you've sold as many Fighters Passes as you're going to sell. The last one gets used to sell whatever game has the big ad budget at the moment. Earlier, it was FE:3H. Now. . .?

A Japanese company, considering the inclusions of non-Japanese characters? Good joke.

They have face-obscuring helmets, that practically dooms them to be Mii fighter costumes!

"No, no. He got a point"

I don't care how many people criticize "JRPG guy with sword", I still want a Golden Sun rep. I know it's not likely, but my momma didn't raise no fair-weather fan.

I still maintain he's gonna be That Bitch and make Waluigi the last fighter to troll.

You know she literally just now became a mii costume?

Personally been wanting Shantae in Smash, she'd fit the game perfectly and has potential for an inventive moveset.

Doomguy, Isabelle and their daughter Retsuko!

C'mon, Sakurai-San, bring in the Doom Slayer! Make his friendship with Isabelle Canon!

... Wait, are those not both Halo guy?

I'm personally hopping for Chrono from Chrono Trigger.

I mean, they made Inklings. I'm sure they could make a guy with a ranged moveset work. I think thanks to the Isabelle meme, that actually gives Doomguy some potential, here. Just think of the video, he shows up at the Island with no Doom gameplay depictions. It could work!

My pick would be Ring Fit hero. A recent game, a new IP, and a surprisingly fitting suite of moves, including projectiles, launching upwards, and massive spectral arms with which to punch.

@Michael Arnold
Didn't Doomy Ternal also give him a big glowy sword? I don't know how it works, so maybe it's a sword that shoots lasers, but I feel like there's room for his own moves.

@Имя Здесь
Reimu has some martial arts chops, as seen in the fighting games. One of her signature moves is this like, backwards somersault kick that combos into itself. Between that and whacking people with her gohei, she'd be fine for melee moves.

Lots of people suggest Doomguy, but his moves are punch, chainsaw and a spectrum of guns. Eternal gave the meat hook and grenades, but I still worry that it'd be like a slower and clunkier snake.

from Touhou, Meiling could do better cuz martial arts?

I want it to be Doomguy, but Nintendo has a fatal case of Desu desu and will never allow it.

"I'm concerned about including such a violent character in our franchise."
"Here sir, let me show you some fan art of Doomguy and Isabelle..."
"GASP! That's the most wholesome thing I've ever seen!"

It'd ceertainly be a sight to behold. A fitting one of course, the mobility in general and insane physical strength displayed since the 2016 game would make him strangely perfect for Smash's fast-paced combat.

The last slot for Fighter Pass 1 was Byleth, so I'm wondering if that's an indication of the last slot being filled by Nintendo or Nintendo-adjacent IPs.
Crash Bandicoot's been on the radar for a long time, but if we're sticking with a Nintendo game character, they'll probably pull from the vault.