A tier-ranking is the best tool players have to gauge a fighter's combat power. It's widely debated within the Smash community where fighters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate should be placed. Characters are judged on attributes such as speed but also moves like Smash Attacks and Final Smash. Ranking each fighter is a toilsome task since a fighter's combat power is relative to others.
Since DLC characters continually release, tier-rankings are not definitive, as they are shaken up routinely. Looking past tier-rankings, players can find intuitive characters that feel natural for their play style. Whether you like to attack head-on or sit back and evade, there is a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate fighter for everyone.
9 Piranha Plant
The first of the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC characters had a low-tier rating since day one. The Piranha Plant character was free for anyone who registered their game before the deadline or purchased it for $4.99. It is worth noting that this introductory DLC character didn't come with a stage or music. This long-known Super Mario Bros. enemy appears out of Warp Pipes. It's a defensive character with a tremendous knockback, yet considered the lowest-tier DLC character to date.
8 Banjo & Kazooie
Although Banjo & Kazooie are considered average tier, lower than most other DLC characters, the fighting duo has an easy learning curve. Banjo & Kazooie have moves like Breegul Blaster and Rear Egg that can punish opposing players.
Take the tier list with a grain of salt since players might find some characters more intuitive than others. Putting this duo's fighting power aside, the DLC stage Spiral Mountain that came with them has a masterclass design. Banjo & Kazooie add much to the game, despite their lower-tier rating.
7 Min Min
As the first DLC fighter to be introduced in Fighter Pass Volume 2, Min Min is a fine addition to the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster. Coming from the ARMS franchise, Challenger Pack 6 also came with the Spring Starium from ARMS. It was known long before that an ARMS character was coming, but it came as a surprise when Min Min arrived.
Min Min uses a combination of Kung Fu and flying kicks reminiscent of Fox McCloud's Dash Attack. This fierce fighter is not the ARMS series's mascot, but she is a welcome addition nonetheless.
6 Terry
If you're a retro gamer, there's a chance you might have heard of Terry. He was part of the Neo-Geo video game platform that was released in the early '90s. Appearing in games like Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters, this character was a force to be reckoned with.
Fast-forward to now, and he is an imposing character in the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate crossover fighting game. Terry is best used in one-on-one matches. This DLC character from Fighters Pass Vol. 1 is a noteworthy addition to the roster.
5 Steve/Alex
From Minecraft comes Steve and Alex, two of the most recognizable faces in the game. Steve and Alex have put their days of block-building on hold to become fighters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. These two characters are different skins of the same fighter. Both characters possess the same move set, including Mine, Craft, and the Final Smash House of Boom.
Adding Minecraft characters to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a breath of fresh air for the series. As recent DLC additions in Fighters Pass Volume 2, Steve and Alex have a great deal of polish.
4 Byleth
Hailing from the Fire Emblem universe, Byleth can be a female or a male within Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Other than a few different animations, the difference between the male and female Byleth is minor.
This was the last fighter to be added in the first volume of the Fighter Pass. Despite having poor mobility, this fighter has high damaging attacks and good reach. The learning curve around Byleth is significant. Expect to be punished dearly if you miss an attack with Byleth.
3 Sephiroth
While most DLC characters are protagonists in their homeworld games, Sephiroth is a diabolical villain. His ruthlessness shows no bounds. Appearing as the main antagonist of Final Fantasy VII, Sephiroth is the rival of Cloud. He came in Challenger Pack 8 as part of Fighters Pass Vol. 2. As yet another character from a JRPG, Sephiroth is a worthy addition to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
2 Hero
The Dragon Quest series contains some of the longest role-playing games in history. Hero, one of the series' protagonists, is the #72 fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. This DLC character is one of the strongest in Super Smash Bros. history.
As a top-tier character, there is a learning curve behind Hero, yet the potential makes playing Hero worthwhile. Alongside other top-tier characters like Pikachu, Ryu, and R.O.B., Hero is a reckoning force.
1 Joker
The Persona series has never been more popular as Westerners flock to play games like Persona 5 Royal. The Persona series protagonist, Joker, is considered an S-Tier character, making it the highest tier DLC character thus far. He has very formidable attributes, making him a worthy fighter to use for anyone. Joker came with the grappling hook, a key feature to avoid falling off the stage. With the Final Smash All-Out Attack, Joker is an almost unstoppable force in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.