Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has truly lived up to its name over the past three years. Bringing back every single veteran in the series, including characters whose absences were considered to be permanent like Snake, Young Link, and Pichu. Introducing several of the most requested newcomers in the series’ history, one by one, such as Ridley, King K. Rool, Banjo and Kazooie, and of course Sora, the most recent addition to the roster. Revamping character designs, move sets, and stage aesthetics for this ambitious crossover.
Among many things, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a celebration of not only Nintendo’s library but video games as a medium. In an amalgam of professional rankings and fan opinions on forums, this is a list ranking the competitive and technical worth of these video game all-stars.
S TIER
For a game with such a large cast, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has a lot of characters that can be counted on for competitive play. The characters that can be considered among the best of the best are not a homogenous blob consisting of the same strategy. Some of them, such as Pikachu, Sheik, and Fox, are even mainstays in high-tier Smash tournaments.
These characters tend to combine effective kill moves, reliable agility, exploitable moves, and compatibility with the game’s physics. Some of them have ideal hitboxes and gimmicks to deal with that Ultimate can throw at them. They have the best combo potential and can deal with most situations.
Aside from the aforementioned four characters that especially shine in Melee, this tier also has some Brawl veterans that are no strangers to competitive competence, such as Snake, Olimar, and Zero Suit Samus. Also, a fair amount of DLC characters managed to shine, including Persona 5’s Joker, Minecraft’s Steve, and Tekken’s Kazuya, whose AI is so competent that even professional Smash players struggle against it.
- Chrom
- Daisy
- Fox
- Joker
- Kazuya
- Lucina
- Mr. Game & Watch
- Olimar
- Pac-Man
- Palutena
- Peach
- Pikachu
- Pokemon Trainer
- Pyra & Mythra
- R.O.B.
- Sephiroth
- Sheik
- Snake
- Steve
- Wario
- Young Link
- Wolf
- Zero Suit Samus
A TIER
The biggest tier on this list consists of great characters that can even put a dent on an S Tier character’s winning streak. Several famous, and infamous, characters in the Smash community, casual and competitive, such as Captain Falcon, Diddy Kong, and Falco, are on this tier. Most of these characters have great aerial games and plenty of combo potential. However, there tends to be something lacking in their mechanics that prevents them from being considered some of the best characters in the game. Some of them are hindered by their weight, a quirk that might not always be beneficial, or frame data. These characters can definitely win tournaments under the right hands, but they are not consistent victors.
The last newcomer and DLC character of the game Sora is in this tier. He’s one of the lightest characters in the game, so one good hit will send him flying. His smash attacks tend to be rather weak. However, true to his home series, the Kingdom Hearts protagonist has great combo potential in the air, specials that can get annoying really quickly when used properly.
- Bowser
- Cloud
- Captain Falcon
- Dark Samus
- Diddy Kong
- Falco
- Greninja
- Hero
- Ike
- Inkling
- Ken
- Link
- Lucas
- Luigi
- Mario
- Mega Man
- Mii Brawler
- Min Min
- Ness
- Pichu
- Roy
- Ryu
- Samus
- Shulk
- Sonic
- Sora
- Terry
- Wii Fit Trainer
B TIER
This tier belongs to characters that are simply good. They are not unusable, but they also are not suited for the highest tiers. They can be at their best in tournaments that cater to their niches. Otherwise, while fun, they are not much use for players that want to seriously pursue competitive Smash. There simply isn’t outstanding about them, which is a shame considering Bayonetta and Marth’s past in previous incarnations of competitive Smash.
This batch of characters is admittedly the oddest one. Aside from the aforementioned Bayonetta and Marth, no one here really acquired a reputation for being particularly viable in tournaments. As a collective, these characters are just there, being decent. Sometimes, that’s all that people need.
- Bayonetta
- Byleth
- Corrin
- Dark Pit
- Duck Hunt
- Kirby
- Marth
- Mewtwo
- Pit
- Robin
- Rosalina & Luma
- Toon Link
- Villager
- Yoshi
- Zelda
C TIER
If someone wants to play these characters for fun, nothing can stop them. These characters have their merits, and as far as historical merit goes, some of these characters like Ridley, the Belmonts, and Banjo and Kazooie add great value to the roster for how important they are to Nintendo’s history and how requested they were. Even beyond the issue of longtime requests, several of these characters are great conceptually and can be fun to play.
However, sentimental value doesn’t automatically mean that a character has competitive worth. These characters are plagued by being easily KO’ed, awkward hitboxes, as well as lack of agility and combo potential. It remains cathartic to see a previously banned character like Meta Knight falling from grace into the tier of mediocrity.
- Banjo and Kazooie
- Bowser Jr.
- Ice Climbers
- Jigglypuff
- Meta Knight
- Mii Gunner
- Mii Swordfighter
- Lucario
- Richter
- Ridley
- Simon
D TIER
These characters are just not fit for tournaments. They are not the worst of the worst, but they are among the weakest characters to pick for tournaments. Most of these characters, such as Donkey Kong and his nemesis King K. Rool, are heavyweights that are easily sucked into an endless barrage of combos, with their powerful smash attacks, projectiles, and counters being unable to defend them from opponents.
- Donkey Kong
- Incineroar
- Isabelle
- King Dedede
- King K. Rool
- Piranha Plant
F TIER
These last three characters might be fun, but their flaws are not worth enduring in competitive play. There are specific reasons why this trio remains at the very bottom. Moving slowly and having poor hitboxes while losing the speed and agility of their original counterpart, having attacks that are just as slow as their movement, and pitiful recovery are all characteristics that make these fighters unbearable in a competitive setting. Their placement has been consistent since the last few Super Smash Bros. Ultimate updates, and considering support for the game is coming to an end, they will likely be permanently stuck at the bottom.
- Dr. Mario
- Ganondorf
- Little Mac
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available now for Nintendo Switch.