Everyone has that one friend who swears they’re a god with Kirby. They sit there, hovering at the top of the screen, waiting to turn into a rock. It’s annoying. But if we're being honest, Kirby is kinda terrible in high-level play. That’s the thing about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate characters—the gap between "fun to play with friends" and "actually viable in a tournament" is a massive, gaping chasm. With 89 fighters on the roster, Masahiro Sakurai basically gave us a digital museum of gaming history, but he definitely didn’t make them all equal.
Choosing a main isn’t just about who looks cool. It’s about frame data. It’s about recovery. It’s about not getting bodied by a Steve player who spent three thousand hours practicing block placements in their basement.
The Meta is a Mess (And That’s Why It’s Great)
The competitive scene has shifted so much since the game launched in 2018. Remember when everyone thought Inkling was top tier? People were terrified of the roller. Now? You barely see them in Top 8 at majors like Genesis or Super Smash Con. The game is living, breathing proof that discovery never really stops.
Take Steve from Minecraft. He’s arguably the most controversial addition to the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate characters lineup. Some pros want him banned. Others say you just need to "learn the matchup." When Acola started dominating with Steve, it forced the entire community to rethink how neutral game even works. You aren’t just fighting a character; you’re fighting a guy who can literalize a wall between you and him whenever he wants. It's frustrating. It’s brilliant. It’s Smash.
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Then you have the "honest" characters. Lucina is the gold standard here. No gimmicks, no meters, no comeback mechanics. Just a sword and some really good movement. If you lose to a Lucina, you didn’t get cheated. You just got outplayed.
Why Some Fighters Just Don't Work
Weight matters more than you think. If you’re playing a "heavy" like Ganondorf or King K. Rool, you’re basically a combo food buffet. You hit like a truck, sure. But against a fast Pikachu or a precise Joker? You’re going to spend 40 seconds in the air getting slapped around like a volleyball. Ganondorf is widely considered the worst character in the game by players like MkLeo and Hungrybox. His recovery is pathetic. One well-placed projectile and he’s done.
- Recovery is the Great Divider: Characters like Sora or Pit can make it back from almost anywhere. Little Mac? If he’s more than three inches off the stage, start praying.
- Out-of-Shield Options: This is what separates the wheat from the chaff. If you can’t punish someone for hitting your shield, you’re playing at a disadvantage. Game & Watch’s Up-B is legendary for this. It’s basically a "get out of jail free" card.
- The DLC Power Creep: It’s a real thing. Kazuya Mishima can 0-to-death you if he touches you once. Pyra and Mythra are basically two top-tier characters in one. It’s not that the base game characters are bad, it’s just that the newer ones have "DLC privilege."
The Steve Problem
Let's talk about the blocks. Steve changes the physics of the game. Most Super Smash Bros. Ultimate characters follow a specific flow: you win neutral, you get a combo, you reset. Steve ignores that. He mines for diamonds, builds a house, and forces you to come to him. It’s a polarizing playstyle that has led to regional bans in some parts of the world. Whether he’s "broken" or just "different" is a debate that will probably outlive the Nintendo Switch itself.
Finding Your Main Without Losing Your Mind
Don't just pick a top tier because a website told you to. If you don't enjoy the movement of Joker, you're going to suck at playing him. It’s about "feel." Some people like the "zoner" life—playing Samus or Belmonts and filling the screen with garbage so the opponent can't move. It’s a valid way to play, even if it makes people want to throw their controller.
Others want to be in your face. Roy is the king of this. He’s fast, he’s loud, and he rewards you for being aggressive. The "sweet spot" on his sword is at the base, meaning you have to be uncomfortably close to your opponent to deal the most damage. It’s high risk, high reward.
- Try the "Random" Test: Spend an hour in Friendlies just hitting random. You might find a character like Mr. Game & Watch or Palutena just "clicks" with your brain.
- Ignore Tier Lists (Mostly): Unless you’re trying to win a PGR-ranked event, the tiers don't matter as much as your own comfort. A cracked Dr. Mario can still beat a mediocre Aegis.
- Learn the Fundamentals: Short hopping, fast falling, and teching. If you can't tech a stage spike, it doesn't matter who you play.
The Weirdos and the Gimmicks
Hero is basically a gambling simulator disguised as a swordsman. You pull up a menu, hope "Thwack" appears, and try to delete your opponent at 20%. It’s hilarious. It’s also the bane of competitive integrity. But that’s what makes the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate characters roster so special. You have serious martial artists like Ryu and Ken sitting right next to a literal Piranha Plant.
The complexity of Shulk’s Monado Arts is another level entirely. You have to manage five different modes—Jump, Speed, Shield, Buster, and Smash—all while trying not to get hit. It’s a high-skill floor, but the ceiling is basically non-existent. In the hands of a specialist like Nicko, Shulk looks like a character from a completely different, much faster game.
The Reality of the "Final" Patch
Sakurai said the game is finished. No more balance patches. No more new fighters. This means the meta we have now is largely the meta we’re stuck with. This has led to a "solved" feeling in some areas, but the community keeps finding new tech. Slingshotting, for example, was a movement discovery that happened way after the final update. It gave characters with mediocre mobility a new lease on life.
If you're still struggling to choose, look at the archetypes.
Rushdown: Fox, Sheik, Roy. They want to go fast and never let you breathe.
Zoners: Link, Mega Man, Min Min. They want to keep you at the edge of the screen.
Grapplers: Incineroar, Donkey Kong. They want to grab you and ruin your day.
Puppeteers: Rosalina & Luma, Ice Climbers. You're controlling two things at once. It’s hard. Like, really hard.
Misconceptions About Tier Lists
People see Pikachu at the top of every list and assume he’s an easy win. He isn’t. Pikachu is incredibly light and dies early. He requires precise inputs and "loops" that take weeks to master. On the flip side, someone like Bowser is often ranked lower but is a "noob stomper" because he can live until 160% and kill you with three hits. Don't confuse "potential" with "ease of use."
Actionable Steps for Improving Your Game
Stop playing Quickplay. Seriously. The lag on Nintendo’s servers ruins your timing and rewards bad habits. If you want to actually get better with your chosen Super Smash Bros. Ultimate characters, you need to find a local scene or use Discord to find matches with people using Ethernet adapters.
- Watch VODs: Go to YouTube and search for "Sora high level gameplay" or whoever your main is. Watch what they do when they’re losing. That’s where the real info is.
- Hit the Lab: Practice your combos until they’re muscle memory. If you have to think about the buttons, you’ve already lost the opening.
- Focus on One Character: "Character loyalty" is a meme, but it works. Picking up five different mains means you’re mediocre at five characters instead of being great at one.
- Check the Frame Data: Use sites like Ultimate Frame Data. Know which of your moves are "safe on shield." If you keep using moves that are -15 on shield, you’re going to get punished every single time.
The beauty of this game is that even after years, there's still room for someone to pick up a "mid-tier" and shock the world. Whether you're playing for the glory of a trophy or just to humiliate your roommates on a Friday night, the character you pick is your voice in the game. Pick one that speaks your language.
Next Steps for Mastery:
Locate your local "Power Rankings" (PR) for your city or state to see which characters are dominating your local meta. Download the "Training Modpack" if you have a moddable Switch to see hitboxes in real-time. Finally, commit to 20 minutes of movement drills (dash dancing, wave-landing) before every play session to sharpen your mechanical control.