Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's roster features video game characters from all walks of life, with each having their own unique moveset to match. The last DLC fighter, Sora, is no exception to the Smash standard. All of Sora's moves are references to his own attacks in Kingdom Hearts proper, and Masahiro Sakurai himself said he is a fan of the games.

The presentation revealing Sora goes into detail as to how his moves work in the realm of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, explaining the technical features and what each move does against other fighters from the developer's point of view. While the presentation focused on the range of attacks and how to execute them, many detailed Easter eggs were left for fans to spot.

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Sora's Smash Bros. Moveset on the Surface

Despite Sora's appearance in Smash being a younger Sora from the original Kingdom Hearts, Smash has gone above and beyond to make sure its version is a blend of everything fans love in the character - including his development in later titles such as KH2 and KH3. This is seen with his moves and general battle stance, which has been changed to reflect his more confident style in later games. Sora in the original Kingdom Hearts was new to wielding the Keyblade and had to learn how to use it without help from masters like Yen Sid or King Mickey, so his posture improved as he got better.

Even as Sora grows more skilled with the Keyblade, his fighting style doesn't change much. He still bashes Heartless in the same fashion between games, only with extra moves added as he becomes skilled. Sora's standard three-hit combo translates to Smash Bros., down to swinging the Keyblade outward to send Heartless and other fighters flying. The other standard moves for Sora are adjustments to his normal attacks from Kingdom Hearts games, but his down smash attack is based on a move from later titles that allows Sora to slam down the Keyblade as a combo finisher. His backward throw also seems similar to his throwing animation from Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance's flowmotion.

Sora's Special Attacks Explained

Sora's normal special focuses on his magical prowess, specifically using Firaga, Thundaga, and Blizzaga; the highest forms of the magic that players learn from Donald at the start of Kingdom Hearts. The biggest nod fans get with this system is how the icon over Sora's damage counter is based on the series' command menu, specifically designed after the rotating Command Deck seen in KH3D. The moves are also fired differently in accordance with how Sora casts them in-game.

Sonic Blade is a move any Kingdom Hearts fan should be familiar with, as it's featured in all titles to date. The version shown in Smash also takes inspiration from Dream Drop Distance, as that was the first title to feature an airborne use. The blue symbol that appears as it's used is the target and lock-on reticles as seen in Kingdom Hearts and Birth By Sleep.

Aerial Sweep is also a familiar Kingdom Hearts move, but the variation of it shown in Smash is inspired by its KH3 variation. It works out well as KH3 is the height of Sora's power in the series thus far, despite the previous games' setbacks. Sora at his strongest usually deals with the player taking their fights into the air, which is why Sora being a fluid aerial fighter in Smash Bros. fits seamlessly.

Sora's Final Smash, "Sealing the Keyhole," is naturally another Kingdom Hearts reference to one of the final moments in the original Kingdom Hearts where Sora and Ansem stand before the Door to Kingdom Hearts. In this new version, Sora shuts and locks the special door with a Smash Bros. logo using the Keyblade, not needing the help of Mickey, Donald, Goofy, or Riku.

Just like all of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's other fighters, Sora's moveset is jam-packed with references and built to be second nature for those who have played the games he comes from. The amount of detail put into Sora is bound to make plenty of Kingdom Hearts fans happy once he's in their hands, especially after the long wait to have him arrive.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available now for Nintendo Switch. Sora releases October 18, 2021.

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