Source: http://www.gameposts.net/character-list-fo...ash-bros-brawl/ There is a pic included of a Japanese version of SSBB.
they announced lucas and everybody thought that he was ness's replacement, but because nintendo likes to pad the roster, they included ness as a slower, more powerful lucas.
Plus, Ness was a hidden character in the first Super Smash Brothers on the Nintendo 64. Although I'd rather use Ness anyday. I'm not the biggest fan of speed characters. I'm sort of shocked they'd remplace young link, the best, with toon link. Oh well, I still got Link.
Nintendo is starting to waste some character slots. Fox and Falco are understandable; two characters that have the same moves, but not exactly the same statistics, right? You see it all the time: Ness and Lucas, Mario and Luigi, Link and Young Link. But this time they've gone as far as adding a 3rd addition, WOLF. WHAT A WASTE. That could have been Pacman or Goemon from Mystical Ninja!