When Telltale Games shuttered its doors in 2018, many fans of the its signature episodic, choice-laden approach to video games were heartbroken. There are several Telltale games that everyone should play, from the zany Tales from the Borderlands to the engaging seasons of The Walking Dead,?and thinking it was coming to an end was a lot to accept. Thankfully, The Walking Dead: The Final Season was saved, and perhaps even miraculously, Telltale Games seemed to rise from the ashes when it announced The Wolf Among Us 2 at the 2019 Game Awards. (It would be remiss to mention that this is a separate entity, all things considered, but sporting the same name and properties).
In avoiding the crunch culture that all but destroyed the original, The Wolf Among Us 2 isn't dropping?until 2021. That doesn't mean it or the Big Bad Wolf himself, Bigby Wolf, is just background noise for the time being. No, for now, the conversation is actually centered on several corroborating rumors that he is coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and for both franchises, that's a good thing.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and The Wolf Among Us Rumors
It seems pertinent to detail the variety of rumors that have risen and evaluate their pros and cons. First, a couple of reliable big names dropped that he was on the second Fighters Pass (and it was later said he'll be one of the later entrants). Given the next Smash character comes from ARMS, a total of 6 new characters on the way, and The Wolf Among Us 2's release date being set sometime in 2021, it would make sense. It would be a big promotional boon for the Telltale game, using one of the biggest fighting franchises in the industry to bring attention to it, and the latter releases will likely not be until early 2021 anyway.
Secondly, a small, bootleg clip seems to show part of Bigby Wolf's reveal for Super Smash Bros Ultimate, showing his signature wooden paddle, the phrase "Bigby Wolf is Among Us," and Terry Bogard cowering in the background. The quality is terribly done, meaning it was likely captured by a phone and shouldn't have been, and/or is in the earliest stages, or is a fake building off of this rumor. Aside from this, many find his inclusion unlikely and for admittedly good reasons.
The biggest reasons to believe that the Bigby Wolf rumors are fake is that The Wolf Among Us has never been on an Nintendo System and that Bigby Wolf is not an original video game character. Director Masahiro Sakurai has stated that only characters who originated from a video game would join Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. However, it would be remiss not to point out that this Telltale isn't the old Telltale.
Right now, The Wolf Among Us 2 is confirmed as an EGS exclusive for PC users, but console platforms haven't been specified, meaning it could be in development for Nintendo Switch for all anyone knows. As far as Sakurai's rule is concerned, there's a lot of loose interpretation of what it means to "originate" from a video game, so while good points to add to a grain of salt, it's not really an end-all to the conversation.
Bigby Wolf is Great for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Another reason fans don't think he'll be included is because, well, he can be incredibly brutal, especially compared to the rest of the characters. However, there are a few outliers like Snake who comes from a military franchise with real life and death scenarios and lots of killing, so that's to say that Bigby Wolf isn't a far cry or hard to adapt to the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate formula. He may be an unlikely Smash Ultimate DLC character, but there's definitely been stranger things to happen as well. After all, it wasn't that long ago many thought a Microsoft character like Banjo-Kazooie would never appear in an Nintendo game.
With his wooden battle, he'd be comparable to the plethora of sword-wielders in the game but could also come complete with some other less brutal but signature moves. Perhaps there would be some slight transition for him that sees him become more Werewolf-like throughout a match, and he could use a "huff and puff" attack to push enemies around on the battlefield. Likely, he would be quick-paced and a good character for those who are less technical than some characters. His Final Smash could see him turn into his giant wolf form and push and blow everyone in a direction toward the edge of the map, or perhaps something that utilizes other Fables?with Bigby Wolf like?Snow. In short, he would be a fun addition to the game.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is Great for The Wolf Among Us 2
Ultimately, his inclusion in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate would be good for The Wolf Among Us 2. Rumors point toward him appearing late on the Fighters Pass, and if so, it's possible that he would launch there close to a potential release of The Wolf Among Us 2. This would be good advertising for the character, would help put The Wolf Among Us 2 more on the map, and if were actually ported to the Nintendo Switch, it would help sales there as well. This all remains to be seen, but for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, The Wolf Among Us 2, and the associated companies, there's a real case for Bigby Wolf to break a rule or two, be slightly toned down, and added to the crossover fighting game.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is out now for Nintendo Switch. The Wolf Among Us 2 is in development.
