Sora was No. 1 request in a Super Smash Bros.’ poll from six years ago

The revelation that Sora, from Square Enix’s Kingdom Hearts series, is the 82nd and final Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Smash community event more than six years old is now coming to an abrupt end with fighter

Masahiro Sakurai, Smash Bros. director of Smash Bros., introduced Sora Tuesday. He also recalled the results from the 2015 community poll which was conducted between April and October 2015. Fans voted in a completely open-ended ballot for the video game character — regardless of franchise — they wanted to see most in Super Smash Bros.And 3DSIt was. Sakurai didn’t reveal the winner of the vote.

Well, today’s reveal event also brings the answer: Sora, of course. But back in 2015, Sakurai consulted with the late Satoru Iwata, the Nintendo chief executive who died that July, after it became clear that Square Enix’s character was the runaway fan favorite. “For the fighters at the top of the list, we thought that some people might demand them from the respective game companies,” Sakurai explained. “We believed that this would cause some inconvenience to many parties.

“We’re sorry that we were not able to reveal the results,” Sakurai said. “But now, after a long time, we were able to connect it to the result we have today.”

Sakurai said Sora’s inclusion “was a huge undertaking, but one that everyone involved was excited to take on.” Later in Tuesday’s broadcast, he summarized the three-year Super Smash Bros.Ultimate run, in which more than 2,200 characters (if you’re counting all the non-playable characters, stage guest cameos, and the like) made appearances.

“I think this is unprecedented territory for a game collaboration,” Sakurai said. “Every single fighter has their own developer, stakeholder, game world, and fans. Being entrusted to develop a game using those fighters has been a special experience and a true honor.”