One of Super Smash Bros. For Wii U’s more controversial characters is in the spotlight again. Pros and casuals alike are debating whether to ban Bayonetta.
The gun-heeled domme star of some pretty good spectacle fighter games, Bayonetta’s presence in Smash has been a sore spot for the competitive Smash community for a while. She has incredible combo potential, a flurry of kicks that could send you flying even after Nintendo tuned her down a bit.
Things came to a head when three of the top four spots at Frostbite 2018, a major Smash tournament, were occupied by Bayonetta players.
To be fair, Bayonetta was not the only target of the community’s ire; Cloud has also been pointed out as an incredibly strong character in doubles. But Bayonetta’s presence this year, from filling top spots at tournaments to winning Evo, has been dominant.
But the ultimate question remains: is it right to ban a character? Bayonetta has been beaten before (MkLeo regularly takes down Bayonetta players), and removing a character instead of adapting seems hasty.
Here’s what a few pros and prominent community members have said on the matter:
Other pros have weighed in, like currently retired Smash 4 pro Gonzalo “ZeRo” Barrios, discussing not just Bayo complaints but issues with Smash 4 at large.
One popular phrase, “just SDI,” has popped up as the response for dealing with Bayonetta. (SDI, or smash directional influence, is tapping the control stick in any direction during the freeze frames of being hit, to avoid multi-hit combos.)
So while its up to tournament organizers like Suar to actually ban Bayonetta or not, the rest of the community sinks slowly into the abyss of obsessing over a character’s eminence.