Let’s be real for a second. When Masahiro Sakurai first announced that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was getting a second round of DLC, the internet basically had a collective meltdown. We already had Piranha Plant and a full first pass. People were exhausted but also desperately hoping for their niche favorites. Now that the dust has settled and the "Everyone is Here" era is technically over, looking back at the Super Smash Bros Ultimate Fighters Pass Vol 2 feels different. It isn’t just a collection of six characters; it’s a weird, experimental, and sometimes frustrating capstone to the biggest crossover in gaming history.
Honestly, some people still hate it.
They hate the "swordies." They hate the gimmicks. But if you're still playing Ultimate in 2026, you know that this specific batch of fighters changed the competitive and casual meta more than almost anything else in the base game.
The Highs, Lows, and Absolute Chaos of the Second Pass
Min Min kicked things off, and if we're being blunt, she wasn't exactly the hype-train starter everyone wanted. ARMS was a cool concept, but did we need a character who could punch you from across the entire stage? Maybe. It felt like a safe pick. But then things got weird.
Steve from Minecraft happened.
I remember the day that trailer dropped. Twitter literally broke. Seeing a blocky, low-res avatar building walls and mining for diamonds in the middle of Final Destination felt like a fever dream. It shouldn't have worked. The technical hurdles were insane—Sakurai mentioned in a Famitsu column that his team had to rework every single stage in the game just to allow Steve’s block-placing mechanic. That’s the kind of obsessive detail that makes the Super Smash Bros Ultimate Fighters Pass Vol 2 more than just a cash grab. It was a massive technical undertaking.
Then you have Sephiroth. Pure fanservice.
The One-Winged Angel descending from the sky to slice Galeem in half remains one of the most metal moments in Nintendo history. He’s a "glass cannon" in the truest sense. You’re playing as this intimidating, long-reaching god, but if a stiff breeze hits you, you’re gone. It’s that balance—the risk and reward—that keeps the DLC characters feeling distinct from the 70+ others on the roster.
Why Sora Was the Only Way to End It
The final slot was a nightmare for speculation. Crash Bandicoot, Master Chief, Doomguy—everyone had a theory. But Sora was the most requested character in the history of the "Smash Ballot." Getting Disney to play ball with Nintendo is notoriously difficult.
If you look at the moveset, Sora is floaty. He’s almost too light. But he represents the closing of a loop. The Super Smash Bros Ultimate Fighters Pass Vol 2 ended on a note of genuine gratitude. Whether you like Kingdom Hearts or not, seeing that Mickey Mouse keychain on the Keyblade was the final proof that Smash had become the "Museum of Gaming."
Breaking Down the "Pay to Win" Accusations
There’s a common complaint in the competitive community that the DLC characters are "broken."
It’s a fair point to argue.
Take Kazuya Mishima. If you know how to do an Electric Wind God Fist, you can basically delete a stock in ten seconds. He’s heavy, he has armor, and his "Rage" mechanic is terrifying. Then there’s Pyra and Mythra. Switchable characters are always a balancing nightmare, but the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 duo took it to another level. Mythra builds the damage with lightning speed; Pyra finishes the job with absurd kill power.
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But is it actually pay-to-win?
Not exactly. While Steve and Kazuya dominate high-level tournament play, they also have steep learning curves. You can't just pick up Steve and win a local tournament without spending dozens of hours practicing "P-Lancing" or resource management. The Super Smash Bros Ultimate Fighters Pass Vol 2 introduced complexity that the base game lacked. It pushed the engine to its limits.
- Min Min: Long-range zoning that forces you to play a completely different game of "keep away."
- Steve: Resource management and stage modification. He’s basically playing Fortnite in Smash.
- Sephiroth: Range and psychological pressure. The "One-Winged" mechanic rewards you for being in danger.
- Pyra/Mythra: The ultimate "fundamentals" test. Fast or Strong? You decide.
- Kazuya: Fighting game inputs in a platform fighter. High risk, massive reward.
- Sora: Aerial dominance and recovery that feels almost like cheating.
The Cost Factor: Is 30 Dollars Fair?
Usually, when we talk about DLC, we talk about "value for money." Each character in the Super Smash Bros Ultimate Fighters Pass Vol 2 comes with a stage and a massive amount of music. For a Final Fantasy fan, getting "One-Winged Angel" and "Opening - Bombing Mission" is worth a few bucks alone.
The music selection in this pass was significantly better than the first. The Tekken tracks are bangers. The Kingdom Hearts tracks are iconic, even if some of the Disney-owned songs didn't make the cut.
But there’s a downside.
If you don't care about these specific franchises, $29.99 is a lot of money for six characters. You’re paying for the license as much as the gameplay. If you’re a casual player who just wants to smash with friends on a Friday night, the base roster is already overwhelming. Adding more might actually make the game less accessible for your non-gamer friends who just want to play as Mario or Kirby.
The Technical Legacy
Sakurai and his team at Sora Ltd. and Bandai Namco Studios didn't just "add" characters. They added mechanics.
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Steve’s crafting table? That’s a whole new UI element. Kazuya’s 8-way run? That’s a fundamental change to how a character moves. This pass was clearly a sandbox for the developers to see how far they could stretch the Ultimate engine before it snapped. It’s a testament to the programming that the game rarely crashes despite all these disparate systems interacting.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Meta
You’ll hear people say that the Super Smash Bros Ultimate Fighters Pass Vol 2 killed the game. They say it made the game too "gimmicky."
That’s a narrow view.
What it actually did was extend the life of the game by years. Every time a new fighter dropped, the meta didn't just shift—it exploded. People had to learn how to deal with blocks, how to edge-guard a Sora who can fly, and how to stay out of Kazuya’s grab range. It kept the community talking. It kept the YouTube clips flowing. Without these six characters, Ultimate might have faded away much sooner.
The Verdict on Vol 2
If you’re sitting on the fence, ask yourself one thing: do you still play Smash?
If the answer is yes, then the Super Smash Bros Ultimate Fighters Pass Vol 2 is essential. It’s not just about the characters; it’s about the completion of the vision. It rounds out the roster in a way that feels definitive. You’re getting some of the most unique playstyles ever put into a platform fighter.
However, if you’re a purist who hates "comeback mechanics" (like Sephiroth’s wing or Kazuya’s rage), you might find this pass more annoying than enjoyable. It leans heavily into the "Hero" archetype where characters get stronger as they lose. It’s dramatic. It’s flashy. It’s not always "fair."
But Smash was never really meant to be perfectly fair. It was meant to be a celebration.
How to Master the Fighters Pass Vol 2 Characters
- Stop button-mashing with Steve. He is a resource-based character. If you aren't mining, you aren't winning. Focus on gathering iron and gold before you engage.
- Abuse Mythra’s "Foresight." It’s basically a free witch-time. If you dodge at the right moment, you slow down the opponent. It’s her best tool, and most casual players forget it exists.
- Learn the "Kazuya Combo." You don't need the 50-hit strings. Just learn how to land a "Stature Smash" or "Heaven's Door." He kills early; let the character do the heavy lifting for you.
- Use Sephiroth’s Shadow Flare (Side-B) to pressure. Don't just swing the sword. Those purple orbs force the opponent to shield or panic, which opens them up for a massive "Gigaflare."
- Master Sora’s recovery. He can recover from almost anywhere. Don't be afraid to go deep off-stage to chase an opponent. You will almost always make it back.
- Switch Min Min’s arms. Don't just stick with the Dragon. The Megawatt is slow but kills incredibly early, and the Ramram is perfect for covering jump-ins. Use the right-stick (C-stick) to control the second arm independently.
By focusing on these specific mechanics, you'll see why the Super Smash Bros Ultimate Fighters Pass Vol 2 is regarded as the "expert" pack. These characters require more thought than the base roster, but the payoff is significantly higher. Grab the pass, head into Training Mode, and start mining. The learning curve is steep, but that's where the fun actually starts.