Who is Banjo-Kazooie, Smash’s next DLC fighter?

Nintendo rocked the house at E3 today thanks, in part, to all of the exciting info about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

One exciting thing we learned about Smash is that one of its newest DLC fighters is Banjo-Kazooie.

For Nintendo, Banjo-Kazooie is a blast from the past. Banjo made his debut in Nintendo’s 1997 title Diddy Kong Racing. In that game, Banjo acted as a heavy racer and was a seemingly random playable character. Shortly after debuting in Diddy Kong Racing, Banjo received his own game and eventually spawned the Banjo-Kazooie series.

The first game in the series is named after its main characters and is called Banjo-Kazooie. The game was released in 1998 on Nintendo 64 and was developed by Rareware. The story follows Banjo and his pal Kazooie as the two try to save Banjo’s sister from an evil witch named Gruntilda.

If you couldn’t tell by looking at him, Banjo is a brown honey bear. Banjo is almost always seen dawning his iconic shark tooth necklace, yellow shorts, and blue pack. Inside of Banjoo’s blue back pack you will oftentimes find his adopted breegull friend Kazooie.

Kazooie is the other main protagonist of the Banjo-Kazooie series and like Banjo she’s also named after a musical instrument. Kazooie spends most of her time in Banjo’s backpack but regularly pops out to talk smack or help Banjo navigate various task. Banjo and Kazooie have very different personalities and it creates for a synergistic dynamic while playing their games.

Banjo is a laid-back, lazy bear. Kazooie is an adventurous bird with a witty vocabulary and great sense of wanderlust. For this reason, Kazooie randomly pressures Banjo into adventures and situations that he probably wouldn’t have gotten into himself otherwise. Though the two are very different, Banjo and Kazooie both care for each other and look after each other like the closest of family.

Banjo and Kazooie are so close to each other they operate almost as if they were one being. Their bond will surely make them a force to be reckoned with when they come home to Nintendo and join the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster.