Honestly, it’s been years since the last DLC fighter "blew up the internet," and yet we’re still here talking about the same roster. There is something almost legendary about the Super Smash Bros characters lineup. It’s not just a list of mascots. It’s a museum of gaming history that you can actually hit with a baseball bat.
Whether you’ve been playing since the N64 days or you only jumped in when a certain key-wielding boy from Disney finally made the cut, the roster defines the experience.
The Perfect Attendance Crew
You’ve got the OGs. The "Perfect Attendance Crew" as the community calls them. Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, Samus, Yoshi, Kirby, Fox, and Pikachu. These eight started it all in 1999. Back then, the idea of Link fighting Mario was revolutionary. Now? It’s just Tuesday.
But if you look at how these specific characters have evolved, it’s wild. Mario isn't just "the balanced guy" anymore; he’s a combo machine with a cape and a flood-spewing backpack. Link has swapped his traditional bombs for Sheikah Slate remote-detonated ones. Even Samus, who was once just "the zoner," has enough movement tech in 2026 to make your head spin.
The Numbers Game: How Many Are There Really?
People always get the count wrong.
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Technically, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate features 89 fighters if you count every individual character. But Nintendo’s numbering system goes up to 82. Why the confusion? Echo Fighters.
Characters like Daisy, Lucina, and Dark Samus share numbers with their "base" versions. Then you have the Pokemon Trainer, who counts as one slot but is actually Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard. And don't even get me started on Pyra and Mythra. Are they two characters? One? Most competitive players treat them as a single, terrifying unit that switches between "speed" and "kill power" at the press of a button.
Super Smash Bros Characters: The Meta Shift in 2026
If you haven't checked the competitive scene lately, things are... intense. The meta has shifted so much that characters we used to think were "mid" are now dominating locals.
Take Steve from Minecraft.
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He is basically the final boss of Smash right now. Despite the years, nobody has truly figured out how to consistently stop a top-tier Steve who knows how to block off the stage. He is the only character who literally changes the geometry of the map. It's frustrating. It's brilliant. It's very Smash.
The High-Tier Heroes
- Sonic: Still the "timeout master." If you’re playing against a high-level Sonic, bring a snack. It’s going to be a long game of keep-away.
- Kazuya: The "touch of death" king. If he grabs you and the player knows their inputs, you might as well put the controller down and get some water.
- Mr. Game & Watch: He shouldn't be this good. He’s a 2D drawing with a bucket, but his frame data is so fast it feels like he’s cheating.
- Joker: Even after all the patches, Joker with Arsene is still one of the most stressful things to face in a tournament.
The "Impossible" Guest Stars
The biggest draw for many isn't even the Nintendo cast. It’s the guests. Seeing Solid Snake fight Sonic the Hedgehog while Mega Man shoots lemons at them is the fever dream that keeps the game alive.
Sora was the big one. For years, everyone said Disney would never allow it. He was the "impossible" pick. When he finally floated down in that trailer, it felt like the end of an era. He represents the peak of the Super Smash Bros characters legacy—the idea that any gaming icon, no matter how entangled in licensing hell, could theoretically make it.
The Misconceptions About "Clone" Fighters
You’ll still hear people complain about "clones" or Echo Fighters taking up slots. That’s not really how game development works, though.
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Masahiro Sakurai, the series creator, has been pretty vocal about this. Echo Fighters are "bonuses." They don't take the spot of a unique character like King K. Rool or Ridley. They are added because the base model and animations already exist, allowing the team to give fans more variety without needing an extra year of development.
Playing Ken is a completely different experience from playing Ryu, even if they look similar. Ken is all about the multi-hit "shoryuken" and aggressive rushdown, while Ryu is the king of the single, heavy-hitting neutral game.
Why Marth Fell Off
It’s actually kinda sad. Marth used to be the face of the Fire Emblem reps. Now? Everyone plays Lucina.
The reason is simple: consistency. Marth has a "tipper" mechanic where his sword does more damage at the very tip. It’s rewarding but incredibly hard to land in a fast-paced 2026 meta. Lucina’s sword does the same damage across the whole blade. In a high-stakes match, most pros choose the reliability of Lucina over the "maybe" of Marth’s tipper.
Actionable Tips for Choosing Your Main
If you’re looking to get back into the game or finally pick a "main," don't just look at the top of the tier list.
- Test the Archetypes: Do you like staying far away? Try Samus or Min Min. Do you like being in their face? Look at Roy or Fox.
- The "Weight" Factor: Heavyweights like Bowser and King Dedede are great for beginners because they live longer, but they are "combo food" for faster characters.
- Ignore the "Losing" Tier: Unless you’re playing for a $10,000 prize pool, "low-tier" characters like Ganondorf or Little Mac are still incredibly fun and can absolutely wreck people in casual play.
- Master the Recovery: Before you learn fancy combos, learn how your character gets back to the stage. If you can’t recover, you can’t win.
The beauty of the current roster of Super Smash Bros characters is that it is finally complete. There are no more "who's next" rumors, just a massive, 89-fighter sandbox that likely won't be topped for another decade. Spend some time in the training lab with a character you normally ignore. You might be surprised at who actually clicks with your playstyle.