Super Smash Bros. Ultimate — Why the Pyra/Mythra Reveal Trailer is Perfect
For the first time since September 2019, Nintendo released the latest in their long-running Nintendo Direct series; a marketing tool that they use to communicate with their fans the various projects they have in the works and their release dates. They’ve done Directs for individual games as well as “Mini Directs” that are much shorter and more focused on talking about games that (for the most part) are already known, but the 02/17/21 video is the first proper Direct and at over 50 minutes long, it was a whopper. Rather than cover the span of the entire video (which I could go on about for 50 days if I wanted to), I wanted to focus on the piece of news that dropped at the very beginning: The latest Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC fighter.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the perfect Nintendo product in a number of ways, not the least of which is the fact that doubles as a marketing tool for other games. After all, why else would companies like Square Enix and Sega want their biggest names included if not for the exposure that comes with mingling with Mario? Super Smash Bros. is often cited as one of the reasons that franchises like Fire Emblem even saw a localization, so to have your game represented is a *big deal*. Up until release, every new character reveal has been its own event in a way, and the two DLC passes that followed have been no different thus far. Which brings us to Pyra/Mythra.
A representative from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 joining the Super Smash Bros. roster has been speculated for some time, which is kind of amazing when you consider how close the first game on the Wii came to not even getting released in North America (it took years and an internet campaign and even then was a limited GameStop only release). A couple of ports later and a spinoff game, the franchise had gained enough traction that when Xenoblade Chronicles 2 finally released on the Switch, it had earned a sizable following. So when February’s Nintendo Direct opened with Rex on a search for Pyra, it had presented itself like a potential expansion or sequel was in the works. But now that we all know better, it’s fun to look back at just what an effective reveal it was (if you haven’t seen it yet, I included the full trailer at the end).
The Setup
Most Super Smash Bros. character reveals are made obvious by the cross-shaped cut that occurs at the beginning. When this latest trailer opened, it did not have this at all (though interestingly the standalone trailer uploaded by the official Super Smash Bros. account does). Had this been present, fans would’ve known immediately what was amiss.
Instead, the camera pans over a cloudy night sky down to where Rex is sitting overlooking into the distance. He clearly looks troubled and we the viewers are informed that “One Day, Pyra just disappeared…” Sounds ominous. It’s at this point where the many different possibilities of what could be unfolding begin to play out in your head. Is this a new expansion? Is it a sequel where they give it the ol’ Final Fantasy X-2 treatment (Xenoblade Chronicles 2… Two?) Perhaps they are introducing crossover content with the recently released remaster of the original? All of these questions and more form as Rex fruitlessly searches the world in pursuit of Pyra, eventually crossing paths with all of the party members he had adventured with. All as a somber melody plays in the background.
The Reveal
It’s by this point that if you’re invested in the short drama that is playing out in the trailer, you are becoming emotionally exhausted. We’re over a minute in and it’s still not clear where Pyra is and if something terrible has befallen her. It’s also not obvious if we’re ever going to find out before we realize just what the heck is being promoted here. And then that’s when it happens.
Rex is shown stumbling through what appears to be blowing clouds or mist. As he comes into full view, we see his face light up and cry out “This is where you were…” Though due to his trailing sentence and the fact that we the audience have not seen her yet, it’s too soon to be relieved. Fortunately, she comes into view mere seconds later, although she is facing away from the camera.
“Sorry, Rex.” she begins. “I couldn’t tell you.” Oh, no… she’s dying, isn’t she? She’s going to die. Oh crap, please don’t let her die. We just spent 100 hours with her busting heads and she’s going to disappear before we even know what the content is. Wait, she’s standing next to an edge. Is she going to jump? She’s going to jump, isn’t she? The suspense is maddening.
“Because…” she continues. What? Tell me, I can’t handle it anymore!
“I got an invitation to join Smash!” she exclaims while holding out the now infamous invitation offered to all new fighters before burning it up and unleashing her blade. Wait, don’t you need that invite? Er, who collects those anyway?
The Second Reveal
It’s at this point that Rex effectively becomes the outlet for the audience reaction. With his face popping up in the corner, not reacting to the news at first, before letting loose an expression of pure shock mere seconds later. It’s this very moment that the battle music from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 kicks in and it finally becomes clear that yes, this is actually happening. And as the camera pans over Pyra’s in-game character model, Rex blurts out what everyone is undoubtedly thinking, which is: “What?! I thought I was gonna be in Smash!”
The trailer proceeds to show off Pyra’s moveset and special attacks as Rex is effectively sidelined at this point and can only commentate on what’s happening. The carnage that follows does an effective job at selling the character to those that are unfamiliar or otherwise indifferent to further filling out their Smash roster. However, Rex appears to jynx the situation when he declares, “You’re pretty much owning them, and these are seasoned fighters!” Pyra is now getting pushed back and finds herself moments away from one of Link’s remote bombs exploding in her face. It is then we realize the surprises aren’t over yet.
“Talk about a tight spot!” says a familiar voice. “Mythra?!”
“Let me handle this!” proclaims Mythra as she tags in at this point, showing the audience that she too got an invite if only by virtue of sharing a body with Pyra. She demonstrates her worth by cleaving Link’s bomb in two and getting out of blast range, all while “You Will Recall Our Names” begins playing in the background. A thematic fit for what’s happening on screen if there ever was one.
Wrap Up
As we are introduced to Mythra’s moveset and watch as she cleans house on the assailants that were giving Pyra a tough time earlier, it is revealed that the pair can swap with each other mid-battle. We are then re-introduced to some familiar faces. “Quite the spectacle, aren’t they?” we hear as we see Azurda (Gramps) in his Titan form floating along in the sky. That’s right, Gramps is effectively the brand new stage that is being added, which fits right in with the other Smash stages considering there are no landmasses in XC2. Just things (in this case, Titans) that float in the air. And all of Rex’s old party members are along for the ride.
Fortunately for Rex, he isn’t entirely sidelined in this game. When Pyra/Mythra’s Final Smash is available, he will jump in for a team attack of sorts, helping to deal the final blow to anyone unlucky enough to be caught within range. I guess he’s not restricted to just being a Mii costume after all!
After all of that, what left could there be? What, you think Nintendo would leave the easy answer off the table and wrap up before we could see Shulk interact with our new duo? Guess again.
“But well…” Shulk begins as he readies the Monado for combat. “Now that you’re in Smash, I won’t go easy on you!”
Oh, this is really happening isn’t it?
“Ooh, fighting words.” Mythra retorts as she reverts back to Pyra. “You forget… we’re fighters too!” Pyra proclaims as she charges at Shulk, communicating once again to the audience that yes, Pyra/Mythra are indeed coming to Smash and they are going to kick ass while doing it.
The trailer ends as both Pyra and Shulk cross swords and the screen fades to the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate logo (followed by the x Xenoblade Chronicles 2 letting the unfamiliar know what franchise these characters are from). Fade to black.
Final Thoughts
What made this sequence of events so effective is the play on audience emotions. I can’t speak for non-fans as to how they felt while watching it, but as someone who completed Xenoblade Chronicles 2, I knew right away who the characters were and what was happening. The opening track and the fruitless search by Rex led me down a depressing path thinking about what has befallen these characters that I had spent a hundred hours with. And this feeling of dread did not let up for a minute straight, as we didn’t even know what type of content we were signing up for, much less what happened to our favorite characters.
It wasn’t until we finally saw Pyra playfully exclaim that she got an invitation to Super Smash Bros. that we are able to switch gears from sadness to pure excitement. The masterful use of the game’s stellar soundtrack helps dial up the euphoria as we get to see both Pyra and Mythra knock heads to the best battle themes the original game has to offer. And there’s something to be said about how surreal it is to witness the duo throw down with the likes of Link and Samus during a pre-rendered fight cinematic. Then, as if our hearts hadn’t collectively burst out of our chests already, we get to see the Pyra/Mythra dream team face off with Shulk from the original Xenoblade Chronicles, which is the perfect red meat to throw at the fans at the very end.
From beginning to end, fans are led across an entire emotional spectrum, culminating in what I think is the perfect reveal trailer for these characters. Don’t believe me? Take a look for yourself.
