Nintendo’s announcement for Hyrule Warriors surprised us all. This action heavy spinoff developed by Tecmo Koei was probably the last thing anyone could have predicted from Nintendo. And, understandably, the fan feedback regarding this collaboration has been mixed.

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But now that the initial shock has worn off, let’s start to consider the possibilities. When you look at Tecmo Koei’s Dynasty Warriors games, a few things stand out. Obviously the enemies go flying from over-the-top attacks, but a big selection of playable characters is a major part of the Dynasty Warriors brand.Even the tentative title for this project, Hyrule Warriors, suggests this adventure will focus on more than just Link. This poses a rare opportunity to play as both heroes and villains from the Zelda series. So then the inevitable question: Who would we want to see added to the roster? Assuming anyone who’s appeared in a Zelda is up for grabs – and the story of this game potentially throws the timeline out of a window -- here’s ten characters we’d like to see in Hyrule Warriors.

Sheik/Zelda

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Ganon/Ganondorf

Darbus

Groose

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Nabooru

Koloktos

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Impa

Fierce Deity Link

Princess Zelda’s alter ego from Zelda: Ocarina of Time would add a quick, ninja-like character to Hyrule Warriors. So it wouldn't take much to picture charging forward in a forward lean dressed as Shiek. But even in her regal outfit, Zelda would be a fun character to play. Plus, teleporting through the battlefield would save us a lot of time.Because Dynasty Warriors usually presents more than one side of a conflict, it wouldn't take a miracle to add Ganon as a playable character. But what form should he take? Does Demise even count?In truth, Ganondorf looks a lot better than his original form as an anthropomorphic boar. But perhaps we shouldn’t be so quick to judge, especially if you’ve seen his final look in Ocarina of Time. No matter what shape he takes, a chance to fight as Ganon could make Hyrule Warriors more fun. Sometimes it’s fun to play the villain. We’ve seen enough games where you get to play as the plain old good guys.Darbus’ intimidating flattop and round dimensions would fit right in with the bizarre cast of a Dynatsy Warriors game. The powerful Goron tribe has been a part of Zelda since Ocarina of Time, but their sumo like qualities from Twilight Princess could serve as an interesting experiment on the battlefield. It doesn't take a hundred hand slap to imagine Darbus tossing his weight around, as he sends foes flying in all directions.Yes, Groose! Although he started out as a bully in Skyward Sword, Groose eventually proves there’s more to him than arrogant attitude and quiet affection for Zelda. Of course, how Tecmo Koei decides to harness Groose's traits into onscreen attacks is up to them, but we’d happily welcome a chance to play as this romantic oddball from the halls of Knight Academy.As the leader of the Gerudo – an isolated tribe of thieves made up entirely of women -- we have high hopes for a chance to play as this potentially skilled female warrior. Outside of a few fights inside Gerudo’s Fortress, and a devastating twirl attack, we haven’t seen what the warriors of this mysterious tribe can do. The glaive like weapons of the Gerudo would fit right in with the expanding armory of Hyrule Warriors.If we had to pick one Zelda boss not named Ganon for Hyrule Warriors, Koloktos would be our pick. This six-armed golden monstrosity from the Ancient Cistern of Skyward Sword looks absolutely lethal. It tosses heavy curved axes and has a frozen facial expression that could strike fear into the most seasoned warriors. Of course, the only potential problem for this ancient automaton is that it wasn’t designed to be very mobile at all: Koloktos has the flat base of giant candle at first. But once it transforms into a walking sword rack, Kolokltos leaves quite an impression.Impa has taken very on different forms throughout the Legend of Zelda, but few would deny that her slender appearance from Skyward Sword wasn’t one of her most iconic. In a scene that would fit into any adventure film, Impa springs forwards and deflects the sharp attacks of Ghirahim long enough for Zelda to (almost) escape through the Gate of Time. The story of Skyward Sword made Impa herself much more mysterious too: a warrior that uses a combination of magic and wits. If Hyrule Warriors could use that as the template, we’re excited at what the possibilities could be.Wielding a tall and wide double-handed, helix-edged sword, Fierce Deity Link is easily the most intimidating form of everyone’s favorite Hero of time. Hyrule Warriors should not even try to define what the Fierce Deity mask is, or where it came from? But this ultimate form for Link would be the zaniest reward after spending countless hours in battle. And it would serve as another nod to Majora’s Mask – something Nintendo seems prone to do a lot lately.

Jose Otero is an Associate Editor for IGN and host of the Nintendo Voice Chat podcast. He's watching AGDQ 2014 and trying to work. Follow him on twitter to see if this is working out for him.