Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Who are Pyra and Mythra

February's Nintendo Direct was full of exciting information and news, but one of the most anticipated snippets of information was the reveal of the next DLC character for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Fans now know that Pyra and Mythra will be joining the battle as one playable character, working together to take down other iconic fighters from Nintendo and beyond. Though this means that players wanting Dr. Eggman in Smash are likely disappointed, these two characters were highly requested in their own right. Even so, there are a great deal of players that aren't familiar with either of them or their game of origin, so a refresher might be helpful.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters Pass 2 has been full of surprises, with characters like Steve and Sephiroth catching fans off guard. Even the first DLC character from this season, Min Min, was a surprise since most thought the ARMS representative would be Spring Man. Though many were hoping for another third-party character to take up this DLC spot, Pyra and Mythra are both first-party characters from Nintendo, specifically from Xenoblade Chronicles 2. In fact, they are the same character, which explains how they can switch back and forth freely in-game.

Both Pyra and Mythra are from Xenoblade Chronicles 2, the direct sequel to Xenoblade Chronicles. Even for those that aren't familiar with the franchise, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate players will at the very least recognize one of its main characters. Shulk serves as the primary protagonist in the original Xenoblade Chronicles, where he wields the mythical blade Monado. This weapon grants Shulk a variety of abilties, but most importantly it allows him to see into the future. This is showcased in the intro cutscene to the World of Light game mode where he sees Galeem capture all the fighters moments before it happens.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 continues the story, this time focusing on a new character named Rex. Despite being the main character of that game, Rex isn't the representative in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, as that honor instead goes to Pyra. Traveling alongside Rex throughout the majority of the game, Pyra reveals herself to be the Aegis, a legendary blade with tremendous power. These blades are essentially living weapons, and Pyra pairs herself with Rex. The main premise of Xenoblade Chronicles 2's story sees Rex attempting to escort Pyra back to Elysium, a mythical paradise where the Aegis blade's immortality was designed.

As a Blade, Pyra has access to immense power, but she normally can't access it on her own. In order to make the most of this latent ability, Pyra must pair with a "Driver" and grant her power to them. In Xenoblade Chronicles 2, this Driver is Rex, but strange circumstances allow Pyra to draw on her own power. In battle, she uses powerful fire elemental attacks to devastate her foes, many of which were directly shown off in her reveal trailer for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Techniques like Flame Nova and Prominence Revolt are all direct references to her abilities in the game.