When new characters debut for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, it’s just a matter of time before they get an amiibo figure made of them.
Since the announcement that Fire Emblem’s Byleth was joining the battle, closing out the first Fighters Pass DLC pack, fans knew that a Byleth amiibo wouldn’t be too far behind.
However, Byleth is a unique character, in that there is a male and female version for players to choose from. Many assumed that meant Byleth would receive two amiibos, one for each gender.
That is apparently not the case.
Despite the large fanbase for Byleth’s female iteration, it was announced at a recent Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Direct that only the male version of the Fire Emblem: Three Houses character would be getting an amiibo.
The Direct event was hosted by Nintendo Legend and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate head honcho Masahiro Sakurai.
The majority of the event focused on the upcoming addition of Steve and Alex from Minecraft, as they will be the next characters to join the roster. However, Mr. Sakurai also included some news on upcoming amiibo figures. He announced that Banjo-Kazooie and Terry Bogard were receiving amiibos before dropping the bombshell that Byleth was only getting a male figure.
Of course, it’s not unheard of for a character to receive two amiibo figures. Cloud Strife, the hero from Final Fantasy VII, received two amiibos, one based on his iconic appearance in the original Final Fantasy VII, and another that featured his attire from the CGI movie Final Fantasy VII Advent Children.
There are a few potential reasons for this decision. First off, it could be that Nintendo is starting to move away from the production of amiibos. They could be creating amiibos for the Super Smash Bros. roster and then stopping production all together as the gaming landscape changes. Of course, they’d want to provide players with a complete collection before doing so.
Another potential reason is a lack of demand. Byleth’s initial announcement did not go over well with fans, as many were hoping to see a major name from either Nintendo or a third party company close out the first leg of Fighters Pass.
Rumors swirled surrounding Ryu Hayabusa from Ninja Gaiden, Dante from Devil May Cry, and Even Sora from Kingdom Hearts. When players saw the announcement of yet another character from Fire Emblem, a series that is already well represented on the Smash Bros. roster, there was a bit of an outcry.
Male Byleth, Banjo-Kazooie, and Terry Bogard amiibo figures will release sometime in 2021.