LogFAQs > #940132803

Sure, I'll oblige. As with my past bracket predictions, I'll bold winners in matches I'd expect to be close (within 55-45):

(1) Mario
(9) Cecil Harvey - This match feels like such a trap. Maybe Ezio's appeal really does stem solely from character design and recognizability/icon factor nowadays, so maybe Zelda was a really bad draw for him much like Bowser was for Gordon. I'm still betting on the character who looked way better in 2018, though, regardless of CHNW.
(5) Zero
(4) Leon Kennedy
(6) Commander Shepard - This probably would have been close before TLoU 2, though.
(3) Dante - Between the uncharacteristically low seed and the draw, why would you waste Crash like this?
(7) Fox McCloud
(2) Charizard - Charizard is far more likely to miss the next character battle entirely than to climb all the way to a 2-seed.
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(1) Sonic the Hedgehog
(8) Morrigan Aensland
(5) Knuckles the Echidna - RIP Knuckles' streak of besting Square characters in the first round.
(4) 2B
(6) Yuna - I could see the main/non-main relationship allowing Zidane to rSFF Yuna for a win here, but I'll bet against it.
(3) Big Boss
(7) Princess Peach - This might be the single most bizarre match in terms of seeding, of a bracket that has a ton of bizarrely-seeded matches.
(2) Tifa Lockheart - I'd take Blue over Sora and at least consider him over characters like Dante, Geralt, and Squall who should be occupying the 2-seed tier.
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(1) Zelda
(8) Simon Belmont - This could easily be close, though, depending on the proportion of 2018's Castlevania bump that came from Smash and the Netflix series.
(12) Ike - I mean, I guess GlaDOS could win this if Kirby didn't SFF Phoenix, but that requires assuming that Ike and Phoenix have both fallen off a whole bunch from the early 2010s without any actual reason to do so. That being said, Ike is one of the few characters who's actually way underseeded here, and it's very unfortunate that GlaDOS has to be his victim.
(4) Sub-Zero - Fun fact: Wesker has twice seeded ahead of Subby's highest seed on record.
(6) Amaterasu
(3) Bowser
(7) Shulk
(2) Sora - Pre-KHIII Sora was already at only ~55% on Crash through Red and Big Boss. After that far-reaching dud, I think it's reasonable to say Toad will rake in the apathy votes here to best that Crash projection.
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(1) Squall Leonhart
(9) M. Bison
(5) Vincent Valentine
(13) Pac-Man - Why exactly is Ocelot a 4-seed, again? I guess you wanted to set up the 'fun' Ocelot/Pac-Man rematch, one that, y'know, there's no way Pac-Man would actually drop in a contest where voters are required to vote in every match.
(6) Ness - Joker's probably even more underseeded here than Ocelot is overseeded, but I think he started too low to make a match of this.
(3) Tidus
(7) Magus - In theory, the prospect of Magus dropping this would be a real groaner. In practice, his suckitude has been overstated for years, and he's still a solid midcarder and a fan favorite from a far stronger game than Midna.
(2) Kirby - I could see Kirbs breaking 80 here. Time really hasn't been kind to the Prince compared to their last match.
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(1) Crono
(8) Ryu Hayabusa
(5) Donkey Kong
(4) Geralt
(6) Aerith Gainsborough
(3) Ryu
(7) Frog
(2) Pikachu - This is also a contender for an 80-20 blowout, only it's even funnier since Pikachu probably would have lost this match in 2006.
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(1) Mega Man
(8) Master Chief
(5) Pokemon Trainer Red
(4) Yoshi
(6) Squirtle - However, the seeding in this match is, at the very least, completely backwards.
(3) Luigi - I know Ridley's destined to draw hopeless matches every year, but do they really have to be against fellow Nintendo characters?
(7) Bayonetta
(2) Sephiroth
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(1) Samus Aran
(8) Rosalina
(5) Mewtwo
(4) Vivi
(6) Kefka
(3) Mega Man X
(7) Jill Valentine
(2) Ganondorf
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(1) Cloud Strife
(8) Phoenix Wright - If you think about it, it's really weird that Phoenix is underseeded here.
(5) Alucard
(4) Auron
(6) Lara Croft
(3) Kratos
(10) Tom Nook
(2) Solid Snake - Snake seeding below Zelda and Squall, really? Likewise, Waluigi won't be going from a 2-seed to a 15-seed, not with the various Waluigi-obsessed internet communities there to spam nominations.

(1) Mario
(5) Zero
(3) Dante
(7) Fox McCloud - 100% a bias pick; I've always liked Fox and always thought the 'Zard was overrated.
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(1) Sonic the Hedgehog
(4) 2B - But not RIP Knuckles' streak of missing the third round, at least if hentai ralliers have anything to say about it.
(3) Big Boss
(2) Tifa Lockheart
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(1) Zelda
(4) Sub-Zero
(3) Bowser
(2) Sora
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(1) Squall Leonhart
(5) Vincent Valentine
(6) Ness
(2) Kirby
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(1) Crono
(4) Geralt
(6) Aerith Gainsborough
(2) Pikachu
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(1) Mega Man
(4) Yoshi - I feel like Yoshi would sap Red's general Nintendo appeal here and make this match further apart than it 'should' be.
(3) Luigi
(2) Sephiroth
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(1) Samus Aran
(4) Vivi
(3) Mega Man X
(2) Ganondorf
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(1) Cloud Strife
(4) Auron - This is a really good match, but I'm more inclined to think Auron has held up than Alucard. That being said, why are these two in Cloud's eightpack?
(3) Kratos
(2) Solid Snake

(1) Mario
(7) Fox McCloud - Dante's probably the smart money here after DMC5, though.
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(1) Sonic the Hedgehog
(2) Tifa Lockheart
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(1) Zelda
(3) Bowser
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(1) Squall Leonhart
(2) Kirby
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(1) Crono
(2) Pikachu
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(1) Mega Man
(3) Luigi
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(1) Samus Aran
(3) Mega Man X - X would win if you held this match today, but Ganon would take it after BotW 2, unless it's the sprite round.
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(1) Cloud Strife
(2) Solid Snake

(1) Mario
(2) Tifa Lockheart
(1) Zelda
(2) Kirby - By a razor-thin margin. I've said Kirby is a fraud waiting to get exposed several times already, but I don't think Squall is the right character to do so. Regardless, this division will easily have the weakest winner.
(1) Crono
(1) Mega Man
(1) Samus Aran
(1) Cloud Strife

(1) Mario
(1) Zelda
(1) Crono
(1) Samus Aran

(1) Mario - Just as with MMX/Ganon, I see this match's winner hinging on its timing relative to BotW 2.
(1) Samus Aran

(1) Mario - Likewise, Samus would have a clear advantage here around Metroid Prime 4's release, assuming it delivers.

Overall, I think your fodder line-and-up idea produced a pretty solid bracket, albeit one that's really weirdly seeded. Also, I still can't get over Guybrush Threepwood and Tina Armstrong meriting inclusion over L-Block.

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"I believe in a universe that doesn't care, and people who do."
azuarc won the 2020 Guru Contest because he avoided picking rashly.