You know, I feel that if I’m going to ask people this question, I should give my personal answer as well. Only seems fair.
My choices would be:
- Jago
- Orchid
- Glacius
- Hisako
- Cinder
- Maya
- Fulgore
- Kan-Ra
Jago - Jago is an obvious cornerstone. He just feels like someone who has to be in the game. He also serves as one of the big shoto archetypes, so that pretty much cements him for me.
Orchid - Orchid’s another character that kinda serves as one of the faces of KI. Not really my favorite, but she almost feels like a necessary character. In terms of her archetype, she provides some strong grounded rushdown, which is something that just screams KI to me.
Glacius - Glacius, while not the most necessary character, he kind of operates on his own. Glacius represents an entire section of the KI universe by himself currently, and the possibility of being able to venture further into it fascinates me. Beyond that, if the whole Eagle thing isn’t solved in this game or Kelvin is added at some point, I think that could provide more intrigue with him without removing what makes him special. Along with that, he pretty much the premier zoner of KI, so that’s another reason I’d want my ice paragon back and quick.
Hisako - The idea with Hisako that I had in my head was that, since ARIA kinda becomes fascinated with the concept of the human spirit after fighting Hisako, she continues to kick the bee’s nest so to speak as to lure Hisako to The Pinnacle so they can capture her somehow and experiment on her. I also wanted to have Hisako here because I wanted a good mix between seasons as well as some of the new characters, even if my choices only ended up on Seasons 1 and 2. She also serves as an interesting grappler, which will be needed.
Cinder - One of UltraTech’s most verbal agents, I think Cinder would fill an interesting role. He’d obviously be opposed to hero team and what-not, but he also functions as a way to rope Glacius into the story and make him feel welcome. I could easily see him being sent on a mission to recover Eagle’s body from Glacius or something along that line. I feel the Glacius/Cinder rivalry could be explored and expanded further, and that really makes me consider him as one of my choices, as well as the unique style of rushdown he brings.
Maya - Maya’s importance in the story only seems to grow as time marches on, and I feel it’s gotten to the point where I’d put her in the starting 8. Her grudge against UltraTech won’t dissipate after Gargos and Eyedol are defeated, and the fragile alliance they form will mean little, if anything, after that. There’s also the possibility that she could pursue Mira further, which would open up a multitude of possibilities. Maya also offers another unique style of rushdown, so I’m gonna go with that.
Fulgore - This one feels like it goes without saying. It’s Fulgore. He’s the face of KI. He’s easily the most recognizable character from the games. Where his story would go? Can’t really think off the top of my head, but that’s not important. He’s Fulgore, so he’s in. On top of that, he offers another strong zoning choice as well as another shoto option, so he’s a shoe-in
Kan-Ra - I saved Kan-Ra for last because, in my head, I have him pegged down as the boss character. My idea goes that once Gargos and Eyedol are defeated, before anyone can really take claim to their husks, the two opposing forces break their alliance at the drop of a hat. While everyone’s busy bickering, Kan-Ra slinks back to his lair with the bodies and gets ready for some dank magicks, using them to absorb the fading energies of both the Shadow Lords and putting it into him. His body becomes all whacked-out (even more so, I should say), but it makes him super strong and stuff. I don’t know, I have weird ideas, okay? He also offers another very different style of grappling, so there’s the cherry on the sand sundae I guess.
Well, that was long-winded. Either way, those are my choices. I rambled on enough, so I guess I’ll just leave it at that.
