Hmmm... If we're talking about runner-ups, I do have a few. Admittedly, I was similarly set on Star Guardian Jinx (normal Jinx is just a tad too kooky for my liking, so God bless Rito). 

With Jibanyan, however, I had a couple of other choices as well. I was thinking of using Jin Kazama from the Tekken series at first since he would feel at home in the foresty village and was himself a decent fighter. I also considered Ky Kiske and Sol Badguy from the Guilty Gear series, but, with Ky, we already had Sans and, with Sol, Fuma, so I decided to bring in Jibanyan to add a more unorthodox species into the village.