Super Smash Bros Ultimate Tier List
A Smash Ultimate Tier List isn't the only word that matters to pros and scrubs alike, but it is gospel for most. Super Smash Bros Ultimate is the latest in Nintendo's long-running fighter series and has already established itself as a delight to watch competitively. Tournaments like Genesis 6 and Frostbite 2019 kicked us off in style, and since then we've had a Smash Ultimate Summit and more. As with any competitive game, Smash players are eager to know who the best characters are in Super Smash Bros Ultimate. To rank all 70+ characters is no mean feat, but as more tournaments are played, certain characters start to come out on top. The recent 3.1.0 patch has shaken up the list, with plenty of lower characters getting buffs, and others at the top being nerfed a little. Want to know the best characters from the worst? Let's dive into things with our Smash Ultimate Tier List.
Smash Ultimate Tier List
If you’ve not heard of a tier list before, it ranks fighters based on their potential for success against the rest of the cast, as well as their recent tournament results. We've based this Smash Ultimate tier list off current tournament results from events like Genesis and Prime Saga, but also those made by pro players like ZeRo and Leffen. We'd like to give credit to Reddit user mu_II for collecting a large number of top players' Smash Ultimate tier lists. Without further ado, let's jump into our Smash Ultimate Tier List:
*NB - There is no ordering within tiers. We're still getting used to the 3.1.0 patch for Ultimate, so expect a few positions to shift around a bit in the coming months.
Tier |
Characters |
|
S Tier |
Daisy, Fox, Joker, Lucina, Palutena, Peach, Pichu, Pikachu, Snake, Wolf. |
|
A+ Tier |
Chrom, Inkling, Olimar, Roy, Wario, Zero Suit Samus. |
|
A Tier |
Greninja, Ike, Mario, Mega Man, Pac-Man, Pokemon Trainer, R.O.B., Shulk, Young Link. |
|
B Tier |
Bowser, Captain Falcon, Cloud, Diddy Kong, Donkey Kong, Falco, Ganondorf, Ken, King Dedede, Link, Lucario, Luigi, Marth, Meta Knight, Mewtwo, Ness, Rosalina & Luma, Ryu, Toon Link, Wii Fit Trainer, Yoshi. |
|
C Tier |
Duck Hunt Dog, Mr Game & Watch, Lucas, Mii Swordfighter, Ridley, Richter, Sheik, Simon, Sonic, Villager. |
|
D Tier |
Bayonetta, Corrin, Dark Pit, Dark Samus, Dr. Mario, Isabelle, Jigglypuff, Mii Brawler, Mii Gunner, Pit, Samus, Zelda. |
|
E Tier |
Bowser Jr, King K. Rool, Kirby, Little Mac, Piranha Plant, Robin. |
What do you think of our Smash Ultimate Tier List? If you reckon your character should be moved up or down, let us know in the comments below! Of course, we’ll update this list as more characters are added and big tournaments occur, so be sure to check back again soon!
The best character in Smash Ultimate
In our tier list, we've rated the following characters as the best in Super Smash Bros Ultimate:
- Peach
- Daisy
- Snake
- Lucina
- Wolf
- Palutena
- Pikachu
- Joker
- Fox
- Pichu
Peach and Daisy are probably the most technical characters in the game, but when utilized well their damage output from neutral air and down tilt combos is exceptionally good. For this reason, we (and many others) rank them as the best characters in Super Smash Bros Ultimate right now. That said, Snake has steadily been fighting his way up to one of the best positions in the game thanks to his stage controlling explosives, weight, knockback and kill confirms. Lucina has easily established herself as the top sword fighter in the game right now, with great aerial mobility and high damage/knockback across the length of her sword. Wolf is the current top dog of the spacies, with great neutral and powerful kill moves in his down and up smashes. Keep an eye out for Fox though, who's hot on Wolf's tail.
MKLeo has really shown how powerful Joker can be when played well, earning him a place at the top. Palutena is the least flashy of the top tiers, but has a really solid set of skills, aerials and recovery that let her perform well against most of the cast. Pichu benefits from a tiny body making him hard to hit, with a high damage output from aerial combos. Pikachu holds most of the same benefits as Pichu, trading off self-damage for a larger hurtbox and some more damage on attacks. Inkling, Roy, Chrom and Wario are also great picks, and could well move up to S-Tier in future. Olimar has dropped down a little with 3.1.0, but we'll need to wait a while to see if he's really gone from the top rankings.
The 4.0.0 Update and The Hero
The 4.0.0 update is arriving in the next few days for Smash Ultimate and will likely include several balance changes to the full cast of characters. Hopefully these are only minor adjustments, but even so it could see the top rankings change round. We'll have to wait and see just how much impact The Hero and the 4.0.0 balance changes have on the game and our Tier List, so please stay tuned while we grow accustomed to the tweaks that arrive. We likely won't add The Hero to our Tier List until players have had a bit of time to grow used to him.
You should now have an idea of the best characters in Smash Ultimate, though honestly tier lists hardly matter at the level of most players. While you’re here, take a look at some of our other Super Smash Bros Ultimate guides to make the most of the Smash Ultimate Tier List. Over here you can learn all about World of Light, while this guide will help you unlock every character as quickly as possible!
