Super Smash Bros. started as a small, slightly cheeky idea: put Nintendo's mascots in one arena and let them knock each other off the stage. There's no health bar. Damage builds up as a percentage, and the higher it gets, the further each hit sends you flying. The first game came out on the Nintendo 64 in 1999 with twelve fighters. Twenty years later, Ultimate on Nintendo Switch brought back every fighter who had ever appeared, under the slogan "Everyone is here!", and kept adding more.
The result is the biggest crossover in games: Mario next to Cloud Strife, Pikachu next to Solid Snake, Kirby next to a Minecraft player. This page lists the whole Ultimate roster by official fighter number, then covers the DLC, a selection of key fighters and bosses, and how the series got here.
- Creator and director
- Masahiro Sakurai
- Publisher
- Nintendo
- First game
- Super Smash Bros., Nintendo 64, 1999
- Latest entry
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Switch, December 2018
- Ultimate developers
- Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd.
- Ultimate roster
- Fighters 1–82, plus 7 Echo Fighters
Full Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster
Ultimate numbers its fighters roughly in the order they joined the series, so the list doubles as a history of Smash. Echo Fighters share their base fighter's number with an ε. The last column shows the first Smash game each fighter appeared in as a playable character.
| No. | Fighter | Series | First playable in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mario | Super Mario | Smash 64 |
| 2 | Donkey Kong | Donkey Kong | Smash 64 |
| 3 | Link | The Legend of Zelda | Smash 64 |
| 4 | Samus | Metroid | Smash 64 |
| 4ε | Dark Samus | Metroid | Ultimate |
| 5 | Yoshi | Yoshi | Smash 64 |
| 6 | Kirby | Kirby | Smash 64 |
| 7 | Fox | Star Fox | Smash 64 |
| 8 | Pikachu | Pokémon | Smash 64 |
| 9 | Luigi | Super Mario | Smash 64 |
| 10 | Ness | EarthBound | Smash 64 |
| 11 | Captain Falcon | F-Zero | Smash 64 |
| 12 | Jigglypuff | Pokémon | Smash 64 |
| 13 | Peach | Super Mario | Melee |
| 13ε | Daisy | Super Mario | Ultimate |
| 14 | Bowser | Super Mario | Melee |
| 15 | Ice Climbers | Ice Climber | Melee |
| 16 | Sheik | The Legend of Zelda | Melee |
| 17 | Zelda | The Legend of Zelda | Melee |
| 18 | Dr. Mario | Super Mario | Melee |
| 19 | Pichu | Pokémon | Melee |
| 20 | Falco | Star Fox | Melee |
| 21 | Marth | Fire Emblem | Melee |
| 21ε | Lucina | Fire Emblem | Smash 4 |
| 22 | Young Link | The Legend of Zelda | Melee |
| 23 | Ganondorf | The Legend of Zelda | Melee |
| 24 | Mewtwo | Pokémon | Melee |
| 25 | Roy | Fire Emblem | Melee |
| 25ε | Chrom | Fire Emblem | Ultimate |
| 26 | Mr. Game & Watch | Game & Watch | Melee |
| 27 | Meta Knight | Kirby | Brawl |
| 28 | Pit | Kid Icarus | Brawl |
| 28ε | Dark Pit | Kid Icarus | Smash 4 |
| 29 | Zero Suit Samus | Metroid | Brawl |
| 30 | Wario | WarioWare | Brawl |
| 31 | Snake | Metal Gear | Brawl |
| 32 | Ike | Fire Emblem | Brawl |
| 33–35 | Pokémon Trainer (Squirtle, Ivysaur, Charizard) | Pokémon | Brawl |
| 36 | Diddy Kong | Donkey Kong | Brawl |
| 37 | Lucas | EarthBound | Brawl |
| 38 | Sonic | Sonic the Hedgehog | Brawl |
| 39 | King Dedede | Kirby | Brawl |
| 40 | Olimar | Pikmin | Brawl |
| 41 | Lucario | Pokémon | Brawl |
| 42 | R.O.B. | R.O.B. | Brawl |
| 43 | Toon Link | The Legend of Zelda | Brawl |
| 44 | Wolf | Star Fox | Brawl |
| 45 | Villager | Animal Crossing | Smash 4 |
| 46 | Mega Man | Mega Man | Smash 4 |
| 47 | Wii Fit Trainer | Wii Fit | Smash 4 |
| 48 | Rosalina & Luma | Super Mario | Smash 4 |
| 49 | Little Mac | Punch-Out!! | Smash 4 |
| 50 | Greninja | Pokémon | Smash 4 |
| 51 | Mii Brawler | Mii | Smash 4 |
| 52 | Mii Swordfighter | Mii | Smash 4 |
| 53 | Mii Gunner | Mii | Smash 4 |
| 54 | Palutena | Kid Icarus | Smash 4 |
| 55 | Pac-Man | Pac-Man | Smash 4 |
| 56 | Robin | Fire Emblem | Smash 4 |
| 57 | Shulk | Xenoblade Chronicles | Smash 4 |
| 58 | Bowser Jr. | Super Mario | Smash 4 |
| 59 | Duck Hunt | Duck Hunt | Smash 4 |
| 60 | Ryu | Street Fighter | Smash 4 |
| 60ε | Ken | Street Fighter | Ultimate |
| 61 | Cloud | Final Fantasy | Smash 4 |
| 62 | Corrin | Fire Emblem | Smash 4 |
| 63 | Bayonetta | Bayonetta | Smash 4 |
| 64 | Inkling | Splatoon | Ultimate |
| 65 | Ridley | Metroid | Ultimate |
| 66 | Simon | Castlevania | Ultimate |
| 66ε | Richter | Castlevania | Ultimate |
| 67 | King K. Rool | Donkey Kong | Ultimate |
| 68 | Isabelle | Animal Crossing | Ultimate |
| 69 | Incineroar | Pokémon | Ultimate |
| 70 | Piranha Plant | Super Mario | Ultimate (DLC) |
| 71 | Joker | Persona | Ultimate (DLC) |
| 72 | Hero | Dragon Quest | Ultimate (DLC) |
| 73 | Banjo & Kazooie | Banjo-Kazooie | Ultimate (DLC) |
| 74 | Terry | Fatal Fury | Ultimate (DLC) |
| 75 | Byleth | Fire Emblem | Ultimate (DLC) |
| 76 | Min Min | ARMS | Ultimate (DLC) |
| 77 | Steve | Minecraft | Ultimate (DLC) |
| 78 | Sephiroth | Final Fantasy | Ultimate (DLC) |
| 79–80 | Pyra / Mythra | Xenoblade Chronicles | Ultimate (DLC) |
| 81 | Kazuya | Tekken | Ultimate (DLC) |
| 82 | Sora | Kingdom Hearts | Ultimate (DLC) |
DLC fighters
Ultimate's downloadable fighters arrived over three years. Piranha Plant came first as a bonus for early buyers. Then came two Fighters Passes of five and six fighters, each with its own stage and music. Almost all of the paid fighters are guests from other companies' series.
- 2019 Piranha Plant (early 2019): Mario's most common enemy, as a free bonus and later a paid fighter.
- 2019 Fighters Pass Vol. 1: Joker from Persona 5 (April), the Hero from Dragon Quest (July), Banjo & Kazooie (September) and Terry Bogard from Fatal Fury (November).
- 2020 Byleth from Fire Emblem: Three Houses (January) completes Vol. 1. Fighters Pass Vol. 2 begins with Min Min from ARMS (June), then Steve from Minecraft (October) and Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII (December).
- 2021 Pyra and Mythra from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (March), Kazuya Mishima from Tekken (June), and finally Sora from Kingdom Hearts (October).
Key fighters and bosses
Every fighter in Smash is a small tribute to their home game, but a few matter more than others to the series' own story: the original twelve, the guests that changed what Smash could be, and the hands and gods behind the story modes.
Mario
Fighter 01 · Super Mario
Mario is the all-rounder every other fighter is measured against: no big weaknesses, a reliable recovery, and a moveset built from his platformers, including the cape from Super Mario World and F.L.U.D.D. from Sunshine. Fighter number one is his by right. If you're new, he's the standard starting choice. Our Super Mario characters page covers the cast he brought with him.
Kirby
Fighter 06 · Kirby
Kirby can inhale opponents and copy their neutral special, which gives him a hat and a power for every fighter on the roster. He's light, floaty and forgiving to play, which makes him a favourite with beginners. He also has a special place in Smash history, since Sakurai created him too. In Ultimate's story mode he's the only fighter to escape the opening attack.
Link
Fighter 03 · The Legend of Zelda
Link fights with a sword, shield, bombs, boomerang and bow, so he's always had more tools than most. Ultimate redesigned him after Breath of the Wild, swapping his tunic for the Champion's outfit and giving him remote bombs. Young Link and Toon Link keep his older styles on the roster.
Pikachu
Fighter 08 · Pokémon
Pikachu is small, fast and hard to hit, with electric moves taken straight from the games. It has been strong in every entry. Pokémon has eight fighters in Ultimate, level with Fire Emblem and behind only Mario's nine.
Captain Falcon
Fighter 11 · F-Zero
A racing driver who never actually fights in his own series. Smash invented his whole moveset, including the famous Falcon Punch, and turned him into one of its most recognisable characters. For many players he's the main reason they remember F-Zero exists.
Ness
Fighter 10 · EarthBound
Ness is a baseball-capped boy who fights with a bat, a yo-yo and psychic PK powers. EarthBound was barely known outside Japan when the first Smash came out, and his inclusion did a lot to build its cult following. Lucas, from the sequel Mother 3, joined in Brawl.
Snake
Fighter 31 · Metal Gear
Solid Snake was the first third-party fighter announced for Smash, at the reveal of Brawl. His moveset is all explosives, mortars and grenades, which suits a soldier who usually avoids fights entirely. Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima reportedly asked for him to be included.
Sonic
Fighter 38 · Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic's arrival in Brawl put Nintendo's and Sega's old rivals in the same game. He's the fastest runner on the roster and plays as a hit-and-run fighter. See our Sonic characters guide for his own cast.
Steve
Fighter 77 · Minecraft
Steve mines materials from the stage, crafts better tools at a table and places blocks mid-match. Alex, Zombie and Enderman are alternate costumes. Bringing Minecraft's blocky world into Smash's physics took a lot of special rules, and he's one of the most technical fighters to master.
Sora
Fighter 82 · Kingdom Hearts
Sora was the final fighter added to Ultimate and the top request in Nintendo's 2015 fan ballot. He's light and floaty, fights with his Keyblade and magic, and brings Kingdom Hearts' mix of Square Enix and Disney to Smash, though without any Disney characters.
Joker
Fighter 71 · Persona 5
Joker was the first Fighters Pass character, and a surprise. He's a quick, tricky fighter whose Persona, Arsène, appears when his gauge fills to strengthen his specials. His arrival showed how wide the DLC would range.
Master Hand and Crazy Hand
The original bosses
Master Hand is a giant white glove that has been the final boss of classic mode since the first game, which presents Smash as a child playing with toys. Crazy Hand, his twitchy left-handed partner, joined in Melee. They aren't playable, but they're the series' oldest original characters.
Tabuu
Brawl's final boss
Tabuu is a glowing blue being who rules Subspace, the villain of Brawl's story mode, The Subspace Emissary. He controls Master Hand with chains and turns fighters into trophies. His wing attack is remembered as one of the hardest moments in the series.
Galeem and Dharkon
Ultimate's story villains
Galeem is a being of light who wipes out every fighter except Kirby at the start of Ultimate's World of Light mode and turns them into Spirits. Dharkon is his opposite, a being of darkness. Late in the story the two fight each other, and you fight both.
A short history of Smash
Sakurai built the first game at HAL Laboratory as a fighting game prototype, originally without Nintendo characters. Adding the mascots was what made it work. Each sequel since has added fighters, modes and guests:
| Game | Platform | Year | What it added |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Smash Bros. | Nintendo 64 | 1999 | The original 12 fighters and the percentage-and-knockback system |
| Super Smash Bros. Melee | GameCube | 2001 | About twice as many fighters, a faster game, and a long competitive life |
| Super Smash Bros. Brawl | Wii | 2008 | Third-party guests Snake and Sonic, Final Smashes, and The Subspace Emissary |
| Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U | 3DS, Wii U | 2014 | Mii Fighters, Mega Man, Pac-Man, Cloud, Bayonetta and the first DLC fighters |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Switch | 2018 | Every past fighter, Echo Fighters, Spirits and two Fighters Passes |
Melee is the one competitive players still care about most: its speed and quirks made it a lasting tournament game. Ultimate, by contrast, is the one that sold best, and it's widely reported as the best-selling fighting game ever made. Its Spirits system also squeezed in well over a thousand more characters as collectible stickers, from Dr. Eggman to obscure Game Boy heroes.
Which fighter should you start with?
- Learn the basics with an all-rounder — Mario, Link or Pikachu cover most situations and teach good habits.
- Try a heavy and a light fighter — Bowser or King Dedede against Kirby or Jigglypuff shows how much weight and air speed change the game.
- Pick a favourite series — you'll put more hours in with a character you already like, and the gap between fighters at casual level is small.
- Leave the technical ones for later — Steve, Shulk, Hero and the Ice Climbers have systems that take time to learn.
For more on how rosters get ranked, see our tier lists guide; Smash's cast also connects to our pages on Kirby, Super Mario and iconic rivalries.
All Smash Ultimate fighters A–Z
B
- Banjo & Kazooie — 73
- Bayonetta — 63
- Bowser — 14
- Bowser Jr. — 58
- Byleth — 75
C
- Captain Falcon — 11
- Chrom — 25ε
- Cloud — 61
- Corrin — 62
D
- Daisy — 13ε
- Dark Pit — 28ε
- Dark Samus — 4ε
- Diddy Kong — 36
- Donkey Kong — 2
- Dr. Mario — 18
- Duck Hunt — 59
F–H
- Falco — 20
- Fox — 7
- Ganondorf — 23
- Greninja — 50
- Hero — 72
I–J
- Ice Climbers — 15
- Ike — 32
- Incineroar — 69
- Inkling — 64
- Isabelle — 68
- Jigglypuff — 12
- Joker — 71
K
- Kazuya — 81
- Ken — 60ε
- King Dedede — 39
- King K. Rool — 67
- Kirby — 6
L
- Link — 3
- Little Mac — 49
- Lucario — 41
- Lucas — 37
- Lucina — 21ε
- Luigi — 9
M
- Mario — 1
- Marth — 21
- Mega Man — 46
- Meta Knight — 27
- Mewtwo — 24
- Mii Brawler — 51
- Mii Gunner — 53
- Mii Swordfighter — 52
- Min Min — 76
- Mr. Game & Watch — 26
N–P
- Ness — 10
- Olimar — 40
- Pac-Man — 55
- Palutena — 54
- Peach — 13
- Pichu — 19
- Pikachu — 8
- Piranha Plant — 70
- Pit — 28
- Pokémon Trainer — 33–35
- Pyra / Mythra — 79–80
R
- Richter — 66ε
- Ridley — 65
- R.O.B. — 42
- Robin — 56
- Rosalina & Luma — 48
- Roy — 25
- Ryu — 60
S
- Samus — 4
- Sephiroth — 78
- Sheik — 16
- Shulk — 57
- Simon — 66
- Snake — 31
- Sonic — 38
- Sora — 82
- Steve — 77
T–Z
- Terry — 74
- Toon Link — 43
- Villager — 45
- Wario — 30
- Wii Fit Trainer — 47
- Wolf — 44
- Yoshi — 5
- Young Link — 22
- Zelda — 17
- Zero Suit Samus — 29
Frequently asked questions
How many fighters are in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate?
Fighter numbers run from 1 (Mario) to 82 (Sora). Add the seven Echo Fighters and you get 89, the figure usually quoted, which counts Pokémon Trainer's three Pokémon and Pyra and Mythra separately. On the character select screen that works out to 86 slots, including the three Mii Fighter types.
Who was the last DLC fighter in Smash Ultimate?
Sora from Kingdom Hearts, released in October 2021 as the final fighter of Fighters Pass Vol. 2. He's fighter number 82 and was the most requested character in Nintendo's 2015 fighter ballot for Smash 4.
Who are the original 12 Smash characters?
The 1999 Nintendo 64 game had eight starters, Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, Samus, Yoshi, Kirby, Fox and Pikachu, plus four unlockables: Luigi, Ness, Captain Falcon and Jigglypuff. All twelve are still in Ultimate as fighters 1 to 12.
What is an Echo Fighter?
An Echo Fighter is a character built on another fighter's moveset with small differences in animation, properties or attributes. Ultimate has seven: Dark Samus, Daisy, Lucina, Chrom, Dark Pit, Ken and Richter. They share their base fighter's number with an ε (epsilon) after it, such as 13ε for Daisy.
Who created Super Smash Bros.?
Masahiro Sakurai, who also created Kirby. He designed the first game at HAL Laboratory with Satoru Iwata's support, and has directed every entry since, with Bandai Namco co-developing the last two.
Is Sonic in Super Smash Bros.?
Yes. Sonic joined in Brawl (2008) alongside Snake as the series' first third-party fighters, and he's fighter 38 in Ultimate. Dr. Eggman appears only as a Spirit, not as a fighter.
Is Steve from Minecraft in Smash?
Yes. Steve arrived in October 2020 as part of Fighters Pass Vol. 2, with Alex, Zombie and Enderman as alternate costumes. He mines blocks, crafts tools and builds on stages, which makes him one of the most unusual fighters ever added.