It started with just twelve. Honestly, looking back at the 1999 Nintendo 64 original, that tiny square grid of icons feels like a different lifetime. You had Mario, Link, Samus, and a few others—basically the Mount Rushmore of Nintendo—and that was it. Fast forward to today, and we are looking at a behemoth.
89 characters. That is the final, official count for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. If you’re counting every Echo Fighter and every individual Pokémon under the Trainer’s command, that is the number. It’s a ridiculous, almost bloated list that Masahiro Sakurai, the series creator, famously said would likely never happen again. And he's probably right. The licensing nightmares alone to get Sora from Kingdom Hearts and Steve from Minecraft in the same room must have been legendary.
The Evolution of the Roster
The jump from game to game wasn't just about adding more faces; it was about shifting what "Smash" even meant. In Melee, we hit 26. By Brawl, the count climbed to 39 and introduced the first third-party icons, Sonic and Snake.
Then came the Wii U and 3DS era with 58 characters. People thought that was the peak. But Ultimate didn't just add new blood; it brought back every single fighter who had ever appeared in the franchise. "Everyone is Here" wasn't just a marketing slogan; it was a technical debt that the development team at Bandai Namco and Sora Ltd. actually paid off.
Breaking Down the 89 Fighters
When you look at the select screen now, it’s a bit overwhelming. You’ve got the staples, the weirdos, and the "why are they here?" picks.
The OGs
The original eight—Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, Samus, Yoshi, Kirby, Fox, and Pikachu—are the only ones you start with in Ultimate. Everything else has to be earned. It’s a nice nod to the N64 days. Luigi, Ness, Captain Falcon, and Jigglypuff still hold that "secret character" energy even decades later.
The Echoes
Some people get annoyed by Echo Fighters, but they’re basically a way to get more representation without building a whole new character from scratch. Daisy, Lucina, Chrom, Dark Samus, Ken, Richter, and Dark Pit. They share move sets with their "parents," but with slight tweaks to speed or damage.
The DLC Powerhouses
This is where the meta really shifted. The two Fighter Passes added characters that honestly changed how the game is played. You have:
- Fighter Pass 1: Joker, Hero, Banjo & Kazooie, Terry, and Byleth.
- Fighter Pass 2: Min Min, Steve, Sephiroth, Pyra/Mythra, Kazuya, and Sora.
Steve is a great example of a character that probably shouldn't work in a platform fighter, yet here we are. He can literally build walls. In a game about movement and spacing, that changed everything.
What Most People Get Wrong About Balance
You'll hear "this character is broken" a lot in Discord servers or Reddit threads. Honestly? With 89 fighters, the balance is surprisingly decent. Sure, if you're playing at a professional level, Steve and Sonic are dominant. 2026 tournament data still shows Steve at the top of S+ tier because his resource management is just too good.
But for 99% of players? The "tier list" doesn't matter as much as people think.
Take King K. Rool. He's often put in the lower tiers because he’s big and slow. But in a casual online match? That belly armor and those projectiles can be a nightmare. Same with Little Mac. On the ground, he’s a god. In the air, he’s a paperweight. The game is less about who is "the best" and more about which specific flavor of chaos you enjoy.
The Sword Fighter Controversy
People love to complain about the amount of Fire Emblem characters. I get it. We have Marth, Lucina, Roy, Chrom, Ike, Robin, Corrin, and Byleth. That is a lot of blue hair. But if you actually play them, they’re distinct. Robin is a zoner with limited-use spells. Ike is a heavy hitter. Byleth has incredible range with that whip-sword. It's not just "another Marth clone," even if the visuals feel a bit repetitive.
Why the Roster Won't Grow Anymore
We have to talk about the reality of 2026. There are no more updates coming. Sora was the final curtain call.
The complexity of balancing 89 characters is a mathematical feat. If you add character number 90, you have to test how they interact with 89 other move sets, hundreds of stages, and thousands of item combinations. It’s exponential work. Plus, the licensing. Super Smash Bros. is a museum of gaming history. Getting Disney, Square Enix, Microsoft, Sega, and Capcom to all agree to keep their characters in one game is a miracle that probably won't be repeated in the next installment.
Finding Your Main: A Quick Strategy
If you’re still trying to figure out who to play among the dozens of options, stop looking at tiers. Start with archetypes.
- Rushdown: You want to be in their face. Fox, Roy, or Sheik.
- Zoners: You want to stay away and throw things. Samus, Snake, or Min Min.
- Grapplers: You want to land that one big hit or throw. Incineroar or Donkey Kong.
- All-Arounders: You want a tool for every situation. Mario, Palutena, or Pit.
The best way to actually learn is to use the "Random" button in Friendlies. You’ll find that you might have a natural rhythm with a character you’ve never even heard of. Maybe you’re secretly a Mr. Game & Watch savant. You won't know until you try.
If you want to get serious, head into Training Mode and turn on the frame data display. Watch your "hitlag" and "endlag." Understanding why you're getting punished after a missed move is the first step to actually winning. Forget the fancy combos you see on YouTube for now; just learn how to stay on the stage and keep your opponent off it.
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Go into the "Vault" section of the menu and check the "Tips" list. Most players ignore this, but it contains character-specific mechanics that aren't explained anywhere else, like how to properly use Link's Remote Bombs or the specific timing for Terry's "GO" moves. Knowing those small details is what separates a button-masher from a real player.
Next Steps for Players:
- Check the Tips Menu: Go to Vault > Tips to find hidden character mechanics.
- Master One Recovery: Pick your favorite character and learn every way they can get back to the stage, including using their double jump and air dodge.
- Watch High-Level VODs: Look up players like acola (Steve) or Sparg0 (Cloud) to see how they handle specific matchups.