Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's competitive scene is one of the most dedicated in gaming, made up of numerous content creators and esports professionals that have kept Nintendo's fighting game alive more than two years after its release. One of the biggest challenges for newcomers and longtime fans of the series is figuring out the game's meta, considering the massive amount of fighters available in the game. Each character is unique in their own right, and the viability of each character in competitive play has varied with each update that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has received since 2018.
This tier list will be taking into consideration the overall utility of each fighter, both online and offline, and particular attention will be paid towards information following the 10.1.0 Sephiroth update. Characters within each tier are not put in any particular order, but the separation between tiers is definitive.
S Tier
The top tier fighters are the best that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has to offer for a plethora of reasons. They often have some of the best combos and frame data in the game, combining speed and high damage to consistently dominate tournaments. This tier hasn't changed much since Persona's Joker was brought into the game as one of SSBU's first DLC characters, but certain nerfs have kept previously top tier fighters from making the cut.
- Peach
- Daisy
- Joker
- Pikachu
- Palutena
- Zero Suit Samus
- Wario
- Mr. Game and Watch
A Tier
Fighters in this tier are without a doubt some of the most dangerous in the game, but their tournament results can often show that they're just missing something that keeps them from ranking higher. To their credit, in the right hands these characters can make a case for being S tier, but consistency is key when it comes to overall viability.
- Snake
- Mario
- Pokemon Trainer
- Wolf
- Fox
- Diddy Kong
- R.O.B.
- Inkling
- Pichu
- Sephiroth
- Lucina
- Chrom
- Roy
B Tier
When it comes to the middle tier fighters, there are many that very well could be high tier. A handful of these characters, such as Ike and Marth, were even used to win tournaments in the early days of the game, but nerfs and buffs for other fighters have shifted their placement in the meta.
- Shulk
- Megaman
- Greninja
- Ness
- Yoshi
- Marth
- Byleth
- Pac-Man
- Olimar
- Zelda
- Min Min
- Wii Fit Trainer
- Samus
- Dark Samus
- Link
- Young Link
- Falco
- Ike
- Steve
- Luigi
- Captain Falcon
C Tier
A lot of the characters in this tier suffer from a lack of reliability compared to other fighters on the game's roster. They can have their moments of brilliance, but when it comes to the overall meta they lack key tools like good grabs or overall movement speed. There's also a handful of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate echo fighters that get dragged into this tier because they don't vary much from the character that they're based on.
- Ryu
- Terry
- Simon
- Richter
- Bowser
- Hero
- Pit
- Dark Pit
- Ridley
- Sheik
- Rosalina and Luma
- Cloud
- Bayonetta
- Lucas
- Toon Link
- Meta Knight
- Lucario
- Kirby
D Tier
The lower tiers of the SSBU roster start to get a little strange, with some characters shifting from sort of usable to almost bad enough that they are useless. Some of these characters have had their standout moments on the competitive Super Smash Bros. scene, but much like C tier, they often drop off the competitive map faster than they were brought on.
- Donkey Kong
- King K. Rool
- Banjo and Kazooie
- Robin
- Ganondorf
- Jigglypuff
- Mii Brawler
- Mii Gunner
- Mii Swordsman
- Corrin
- Villager
- Mewtwo
F Tier
These characters just don't have what it takes to be viable on the competitive or even sometimes the casual scene. Some of them lack any kind of aerial game, which is a crucial aspect of most matches, while others are just overshadowed by much better options. With how long some of these characters have been in F tier, it would take a miracle for them to be bailed out in future Super Smash Bros. Ultimate updates.
- Little Mac
- King Dedede
- Bowser Jr.
- Duck Hunt
- Isabelle
- Doctor Mario
- Piranha Plant
- Ice Climbers
With Xenoblade's Pyra and Mythra coming to the game sometime in March, the meta is sure to see some changes based on how they match up against the rest. Considering how well Shulk seems to perform, and how much SSBU loves its sword-wielding fighters, it would be no surprise if they are placed fairly high on future tier lists.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available now on the Nintendo Switch.