Sora analysis ahead of DLC release
While I’ve already taken a look at some of what went behind Sora’s moveset and design in Smash Ultimate, we can also speculate quite a bit as to how the character will play and how good he can be. Here’s my Sora analysis ahead of the DLC Fighter’s release on October 18th!
READ MORE: Smash Bros: Sora joins as the final fighter
Every fighter has received a 30 or so minute long presentation from Sakurai himself to show off the characters’ new movesets, design notes, and general info updates like Mii Costumes and Amiibo releases. Sometimes, though, these are where the fighter in question is revealed. Sora was just one of these cases, and the full Smash presentation can be viewed here. That and the full debut trailer are what I’ll be referring to with my analysis.
On the whole, Sora doesn’t look too different from other anime swordfighters, having a projectile B move, basic sword slashes as tilts and aerials, and even a down B counter. However, that is only at first glance, as Sora looks to be sort of like Smash 4’s Cloud, making the character distinct and interesting even with these staple attributes.
Two main things jump right out to me with Sora’s moveset. The first is the jab, forward tilt, neutral, and forward aerials, all of which seem to almost always combo and have low enough knockback to allow for follow-ups. The aerials specifically seem to track the opponent surprisingly well, bringing Sora upwards even when falling.
The second main stand-out is the Up and Side B combo. In conjunction with Sora’s natural floatiness and second jump, these two B moves give Sora near-unlimited recovery options. Factoring in Sora’s down aerial as a deadly quick edge guard tool, Sora’s mobility becomes even scarier. Reminiscent of Bayonetta, it looks like the Side and Up B moves can combo into one another as well, leading to deadly top and side early kills.
READ MORE: Sora moveset analysis for Smash Ultimate
Despite having many tools of a generic swordie, Sora doesn’t lack in much. Powerful Forward and Down Smashes, good back air, and other normal spacing tools like down tilt and up air only add to his unique selling points in his near unrivaled edgeguarding and Bayonetta-esque combos.
As a dream come true type character, I’ll certainly be maining Sora. When the character releases, I’ll be sure to go into the lab and come back with more Sora analysis. While Sakurai gave a great idea of how the character will function, only true experience will matter in the end.
