The roster for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U & 3DS is shaping up very nicely, with old fan favorites returning to the series alongside a slew of new faces.
However, the games featuring such broad and varied rosters will likely mean that it will take you a lengthy period of time to understand each of their strengths and weaknesses, with some of you likely never mastering even 50% of the line-up. As such, we’ve compiled a guide to all of the announced characters for the next Super Smash Bros. titles, which not only serves as an introduction to the series’ debutantes, but also provides useful information regarding the veteran characters, too.
In the below gallery, you’ll find information for each combatant alongside their tier rankings, which give an indication as to how successfully they have fared in professional Smash Bros. tournaments. The gallery will also be updated as and when new Smash Bros. characters are announced, so be sure to keep it tuned to CraveOnline.
Your Guide to Every Super Smash Bros. Character
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Bowser
Series: Super Mario
Bio: Bowser may look intimidating, but he's been the most consistently terrible character in the Smash Bros. series' rosters.
Much like his appearances in the Mario games, where he is almost always easily dispatched by the plumber, Bowser's slow and sluggish movement means that he can be swiftly disposed of by almost all of the characters in Melee and Brawl's respective rosters. Will he be made more powerful in the Wii U and 3DS iterations in the series? Probably not, but we can still hold out hope.
Previous Tier Ranking: SSBM: 24th, SSBB: 33rd.
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Captain Falcon
Series: F-Zero
Bio: Despite Nintendo having put F-Zero on the backburner for a while now, with a mini-game in Nintendo Land being the only reference to the fast-paced racing series since F-Zero GX on the GameCube, Captain Falcon remains one of the stars of the show in the Super Smash Bros. series.
Captain Falcon's popularity is largely due to his Falcon Punch manoeuvre, a devastating charged attack that has spawned meme upon meme due to the Cap'n's enthusiastic battle-cry of "FALCON... PAWNCH!" whenever he hits it. Making his return to the Smash Bros. series after having been nerfed considerably in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, it'll be interesting to see whether the captain of the Blue Falcon is back to full strength in Super Smash Bros. Wii U & 3DS.
Previous Tier Ranking: SSB: 4th, SSBM: 7th, SSBB: 34th
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Charizard
Series: Pokemon
Bio: Considering Charizard is arguably the second most popular Pokemon (behind Pikachu, of course), his appearance in Brawl as merely one of three options for the Pokemon Trainer character was a little disappointing. However, in the next game Charizard is finally being given his time to shine.
Expect the fire-breathing dragon Pokemon to be one of the few characters to fall within the Super Heavyweight category and, given his above-average recovery powers, he could stand to become one of the most adaptable characters in that division.
Previous Tier Ranking: N/A.
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Diddy Kong
Series: Donkey Kong Country
Bio: Considering Donkey Kong has been a fairly useless character in the Smash Bros. series, it was a surprise when Diddy Kong turned out to be one of the very best fighters in Brawl.
Diddy's greatest asset was his never-ending supply of bananas, which could be thrown at enemies in order to make them trip over, therefore immediately lowering their defences and leaving them vulnerable to a flurry of attacks. Oh, and his peanut gun? Simply wonderful.
Previous Tier Ranking: SSBB: 4th.
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Donkey Kong
Series: Donkey Kong Country
Bio: One of the original Super Smash Bros. fighters, Donkey Kong is making his inevitable return on the Wii U and 3DS.
While he's never been one of the better fighters in the game due to his lumbering size and slow attacks, he's never been one of the worst, either, and his wind-up punch has remained devastating over the years.
Previous Tier Ranking: SSB: 7th, SSBM: 15th, SSBB: 21st.
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Fox
Series: Star Fox
Bio: One of the most consistent fighter in the Smash Bros. series, Fox has never fallen lower than upper-mid-tier in the rankings.
The key to Fox's success as a character is that he boasts great pace along with dominating offensive attacks, giving him a much more rounded fighting style than the majority of the other characters. However, he's also one of the most difficult characters to master, so only those who put the effort in with him will utilize him properly.
Previous Tier Ranking: SSB: 3rd, SSBM: 1st, SSBB: 15th.
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Greninja
Series: Pokemon
Bio: Arguably the most popular evolution of all three of Pokemon X & Y's starter Pokemon, Greninja blindsided Poke-fans when it was revealed that it was the final form of Froakie, the adorable frog Pokemon.
Sure, Chespin may have transformed into awesome Mecha-bear Chesnaught, and Fennekin may have, um, grown longer ear hair during its transition to Delphox, but Greninja was undoubtedly the star of the show. It's no wonder that it's the only sixth generation Pokemon to make it into Super Smash Bros. thus far.
Previous Tier Ranking: N/A
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Ike
Series: Fire Emblem
Bio: Unlike Marth, the face of the Fire Emblem series, Ike specialized in powerful-but-slow attacks, though in the fast-paced and frenetic world of Smash Bros. this didn't exactly pay off in his debut appearance in Brawl, where he's been positioned at the bottom of the rankings.
Ike was the protagonist of the GameCube titles Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn. Unfortunately, if you want to play as Ike in any Fire Emblem title outside of his appearance in Awakening as a DLC character, you can expect to pay a pretty penny as the GC titles he appeared in are considered extremely rare in the West, and are sold on eBay for a considerable amount.
Previous Tier Ranking: SSBB: 23rd.
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King Dedede
Series: Kirby
Bio: King Dedede appeared alongside Meta Knight as new additions to Smash Bros. from the Kirby series, but while Meta Knight was an horrendously overpowered character, Kirby's arch-nemesis was much more balanced, ranking just above the middle of the tier list.
Equipped with a superb chaingrab and powerful throws, King Dedede was the second most adept super heavyweight in the game, ranking just behind Snake but above Donkey Kong and Bowser.
Previous Tier Ranking: SSBB: 12th.
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Kirby
Series: Kirby
Bio: The unofficial mascot of the Super Smash Bros. series, Kirby has remained a steadily popular fighter due to the ease with which newcomers can control him, what with his great recovery and fun moveset.
Not much has changed over the years when it comes to Kirby's skills, though in the next Super Smash Bros. his Final Smash has been switched around, with him now brandishing an hilariously oversized sword that deals out massive damage.
Previous Tier Ranking: SSB: 2nd, SSBM: 25th, SSBB: 20th.
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Link
Series: The Legend of Zelda
Bio: Link remains one of the most used characters in the Super Smash Bros. series despite him never having been rated highly in the tier lists. While this is arguably due to him being the face of one of Nintendo's most beloved franchises, it also has a great deal to do with his fun moveset, with him being one of the most versatile fighters in the series' roster.
Equipped with a great recovery, powerful sword attacks and projectile weapons, Link is undoubtedly a fan favorite, and if the next Super Smash Bros. can match this popularity with a more robust moveset, then he can undoubtedly be one of its stand-out characters.
Previous Tier Ranking: SSB: 10th, SSBM: 16th, SSBB: 35th.
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Little Mac
Series: Punch-Out!!
Bio: Making his Smash Bros. debut, Little Mac is the only combatant in the game to fight professionally, unless you count Pokemon (which we don't).
While he won't come up against anyone as tough as Mike Tyson in the game, Little Mac will still have his work cut out for him given that he's solely a hand-to-hand specialist, inhabiting a world full of zany, overblown moves and projectiles. Let's hope he can cut the mustard.
Previous Tier Ranking: N/A.
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Lucario
Series: Pokemon
Bio: Popular fourth generation Pokemon Lucario is returning to the Super Smash Bros. series after a successful introduction in Brawl.
Lucario was a unique character in Brawl in that he became more powerful as he took more damage. In the next Super Smash Bros. his aura has been increased, which could mean that the damage he inflicts and the knockback of his attacks will be increased. Suffice to say, Lucario has the potential to be an incredibly strong fighter in the next iteration in the series.
Previous Tier Ranking: SSBB: 11th,
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Lucina
Series: Fire Emblem
Bio: Lucina is one of three Fire Emblem: Awakening characters coming to Super Smash Bros. (though Chrom will only be appearing as a Final Smash, unfortunately), and it's heartening to see arguably the greatest 3DS game yet getting a lot of love from Nintendo in the next iteration in the fighting series.
Lucina is the mysterious ally of Chrom and Robin's, with her intriguing backstory being one of the highlights of Awakening's stellar narrative. A fan favorite of those who got the chance to play the handheld classic, Lucina is a great addition to the Smash Bros. series.
Previous Tier Ranking: N/A
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Luigi
Series: Super Mario
Bio: Poor Luigi. Despite being one of the only fighters to appear in all of the Super Smash Bros. games, he's simply never been that good.
Continuously languishing around the bottom of the tier lists, it's our hope that Mario's younger brother is finally given his time to shine in the series, what with us having just experienced the Year of Luigi and all. I mean, c'mon; the guy starred in one of the best 3DS games ever in the form of Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, and was even featured on the news thanks to his 'Luigi Death Stare' in Mario Kart 8. He NEEDS to be top-tier.
Previous Tier Ranking: SSB: 11th, SSBM: 14th, SSBB: 28th.
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Mario
Series: Super Mario
Bio: Considering that Mario is typically considered the go-to characters for newcomers to Nintendo's myriad of spin-off titles, with him usually being branded as the best all-rounder in series as varied as Mario Tennis to Mario Kart, he's always been considerably lacking in the skill stakes in the Super Smash Bros. games.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl saw Mario at his very worst, being both an awkward and underpowered fighter to utilize that saw him appealing to neither veterans nor casual players. Maybe this will change in the next Smash Bros. and Nintendo's mascot's slow descent will finally come to an end.
Previous Tier Ranking: SSB: 5th, SSBM: 13th, SSBB: 31st.
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Marth
Series: Fire Emblem
Bio: The legendary Fire Emblem hero, those who were introduced to the series in Fire Emblem: Awakening have likely only heard of Marth due to references made in the game and his appearances in the Smash Bros. series.
While the Marth vs. Chrom fight that everyone wanted to see will remain but a dream due to Chrom being absent from the game's roster, the legendary swordsman will get to do battle with Robin, Lucina and the returning Ike. Needless to say, Fire Emblem fans shouldn't be disappointed.
Previous Tier Ranking: SSBM: 4th, SSBB: 5th.
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Mega Man
Series: Mega Man
Bio: The Blue Bomber is set to make his debut in the next Smash Bros. game, representing Capcom in the battle of the mascots.
Mega Man's unveiling at E3 2013 was met with rapturous applause, and considering the Mega Man series has remained largely stagnant for a while now, it's not difficult to see why. With his arsenal of weaponry and plethora of gadgets, Mega Man will undoubtedly make a great addition to the series and will likely prove to be a favorite among NES enthusiasts.
Previous Tier Ranking: N/A.
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Mii Fighter
Series: N/A.
Bio: The Mii Fighter is the most intriguing new addition to the Smash Bros. line-up, as they are the first customizable characters to appear in the game.
Taking the appearance of your Mii avatar, the Mii Fighter comes in three types: Mii Brawler, Mii Gunner and Mii Swordfighter. It is up to the player to decide which moveset his/her fighter has, and there are also up to twelve selectable special moves that the character can be equipped with, too. This new addition will certainly inject some chaos into proceedings.
Previous Tier Ranking: N/A.
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Olimar
Series: Pikmin
Bio: Making his debut appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Olimar was one of the most difficult characters to use efficiently in the game, though also one of the best.
With his whole moveset revolving around plucking Pikmin from the floor before launching them at enemies, being efficient with Olimar also required a degree of management from the player to keep tabs in order to keep tabs on each of their Pikmin, and ensure that Olimar consistently had a decent supply of them. As such, his powers were largely wasted on newcomers, though veterans could do truly magical things with him.
Previous Tier Ranking: SSBB: 3rd.
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Pac Man
Series: Pac-Man
Bio: The next Super Smash Bros. sees the debut of one of the most iconic video game characters of all time: Pac-Man.
After having already appeared in the arcade Mario Kart games, Pac-Man will now be throwing his gloved fists around on the Wii U and 3DS, and brings with him some wonderful 8-bit stylized moves, even transforming into his old, circular self.
Previous Tier Ranking: N/A
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Palutena
Series: Kid Icarus
Plot: The Kid Icarus series' narrative is hardly widely known, so you can be forgiven for not knowing who Palutena is.
Essentially Kid Icarus protagonist Pit's ally, Palutena is the Goddess of Light along with the commander of her own personal army. She has been a damsel in distress at some point in the Kid Icarus story arch, but she has proven herself to be pretty powerful in her own right, aiding Pit throughout the 3DS game Kid Icarus: Uprising. Aside from the Mii Fighters, she's one of the only characters in Super Smash Bros. who can choose between three completely different special attacks.
Previous Tier Ranking: N/A.
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Peach
Series: Super Mario
Bio: Peach is one of the Smash Bros. series biggest underdogs. Ranking highly in Melee and being mid-table in Brawl's tier, her rather timid-looking attacks mask a very capable fighter.
With high priority on her attacks and her floating ability allowing for great recovery, Peach is a surprisingly adept combatant when placed in the hands of the right player.
Previous Tier Ranking: SSBM: 6th, SSBB: 19th.
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Pikachu
Series: Pokemon
Bio: One of the most chaotic presences in a Smash Bros. arena, Pikachu is also one of the most consistent combatants, ranging from upper-to-mid tier throughout each iteration in the series.
One of, if not the fastest character in every Smash Bros. game, Pikachu's rapid pace makes him an incredibly difficult opponent to shut down, and the wide range of his lightning attacks also make his projectile game on-point, too. As the highest-ranked Pokemon in the Smash Bros. series, Pikachu hasn't changed much since his debut in the original game, and you can expect he'll be a formidable fighter in the Wii U and 3DS games, too.
Previous Tier Ranking: SSB: 1st, SSBM: 12th, SSBB: 8th.
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Pit
Series: Kid Icarus
Bio: An incredibly popular addition to Smash Bros. Pit is making his return to the series on the Wii U and 3DS.
Boasting perhaps the longest recovery of Brawl's entire roster, Pit is also equipped with incredibly fast attacks and powerful projectiles that stood to make him a formidable opponent. While he was further down on the tier list than you would perhaps expect, a more refined Pit would certainly place him in contention as one of the most dominating fighters in the upcoming game.
Previous Tier Ranking: SSBB: 17th.
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Robin
Series: Fire Emblem
Bio: Fire Emblem: Awakening's player-character and co-protagonist Robin is incredibly adept with magic attacks, meaning that he will bring something different to the table in Super Smash Bros.
While we would've liked to have seen Chrom, we understand that Robin's more versatile moveset sets him apart from the other Fire Emblem characters featured in the game, Marth and Ike. It's also great to see the female version of Robin make an appearance as an alternative.
Previous Tier Ranking: N/A
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Rosalina & Luma
Series: Super Mario Galaxy
Bio: Making their debut in the Super Smash Bros. series, Super Mario Galaxy's Rosalina and her starry sidekick Luma look to be an agile addition to the upcoming game's line-up.
With a floating recovery similar to that of Peach's, coupled with some interesting close-combat maneuvers, Rosalina & Luma could be one of the most surprisingly adept newcomers in the game. Watch this space.
Previous Tier Ranking: N/A.
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Samus
Series: Metroid
Bio: Despite being the protagonist of one of Nintendo's most beloved series, Samus has never been a great fighter in Smash Bros. While she could deal some damage in Melee due to her powerful projectiles, she was the subject of a major nerf in Brawl and her KO power was severely reduced.
Technically, Samus should be one of the powerhouses in the Smash Bros. roster. She has a variety of weaponry and ample amounts of agility to boot, which should make her a well-rounded fighter. Unfortunately, that potential hasn't been realized yet - could Smash Bros. on the Wii U and 3DS finally see her placed atop the throne?
Previous Tier Ranking: SSB: 12th, SSBM: 11th, SSBB: 32nd.
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Sheik
Series: The Legend of Zelda
Bio: Much like Zero Suit Samus, Sheik is now a completely separate character from Zelda in the upcoming Smash Bros. game, detaching from her less powerful alter-ego and going it alone for the very first time.
In Melee, Sheik was a tour de force due to her fantastic projectile attack and swift movement speed. However, she was unfortunately nerfed in Brawl, though her being included as her own character, and not as a special move for Zelda, indicates that she will be back to her winning ways in the next game.
Previous Tier Ranking: N/A.
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Sonic
Series: Sonic the Hedgehog
Bio: When Sonic was first announced for Super Smash Bros. Brawl, everyone lost their minds. FINALLY we'd be able to let Mario and Sonic duke it out, to settle once and for all which iconic '90s mascot was the very best.
Unfortunately, Sonic was quite the underwhelming addition to the roster, with his only redeeming quality being, unsurprisingly, his speed. A lack of devastating moves led to him being a relatively useless addition to the roster, and we hope this changes in the next game so that the Mario vs. Sonic vs. Mega-Man vs. Pac-Man match-ups that will inevitably ensue will be much more heated.
Previous Tier Ranking: SSBB: 22nd.
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Toon Link
Series: The Legend of Zelda
Bio: Toon Link is simply Link but from a different timeline, with his appearance based upon Wind Waker's cel-shaded visuals, that many younger gamers will recognize from the Wii U's recent Wind Waker HD re-release.
First appearing in Brawl as a replacement for Melee's Young Link, Toon Link was an all-around superior combatant to regular ol' Link, thanks to his great range and well-balanced attacks.
Preview Tier Ranking: SSBB: 13th.
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Villager
Series: Animal Crossing
Bio: Making his/her debut appearance in the Super Smash Bros. series, the Villager will come equipped with a variety of different clothing and hairstyle options, befitting of the Animal Crossing series. While it is perhaps difficult to imagine characters from the AC series engaging in an all-out brawl, preview footage has indicated that the Villager will be using shovels, nets and other assorted items, which will likely make for one of the most intriguing movesets in the game.
Previous Tier Ranking: N/A
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Wii Fit Trainer
Series: Wii Fit
Bio: By far the oddest inclusion in the game, the Wii Fit Trainer is bringing her flexibility (and yoga board) to Super Smash Bros. for the first time ever.
Undoubtedly one of the most athletic characters in the roster, her moveset will likely be favored by those who prefer fighters who specialize in hand-to-hand combat. She also appears to have a great deal of aerial manoeuvrability, which is a great advantage for SSB characters to have.
Previous Tier Ranking: N/A
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Yoshi
Series: Super Mario
Bio: Mario's lovable sidekick, Yoshi has never been a stand-out figure in the Smash Bros. roster and has remained largely unchanged throughout all 3 of the previous games.
As one of the only fighters to be featured in every Smash Bros. roster, Yoshi has never been a fan favorite in the series due to his incredibly high learning curve, with him proving to be too difficult to handle for newcomers and too underpowered to be worth the time of veterans. While he does possess some sharp aerial moves, Yoshi's ground game remains weak and has never been improved, so don't expect much to change in the next Smash Bros. game.
Previous Tier Ranking: SSB: 6th, SSBM: 21st, SSBB: 27th.
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Zelda
Series: The Legend of Zelda
Bio: In previous Smash Bros. titles Zelda could transform into her alter-ego Sheik, making her something of a powerhouse. However, that is not the case in the next iteration in the series, with Sheik being made into a separate playable character and Hyrule's princess forced to go it on her own.
It remains to be seen whether Zelda will be improved in the next Smash Bros. or whether she's destined to fall into the bottom tier, but hopefully she can make it on her own in the competitive world of Nintendo mascots kicking the snot out of each other.
Previous Tier Ranking: SSBM: 18th, SSBB: 24th.
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Zero Suit Samus
Series: Metroid
Bio: Zero Suit Samus is making her first appearance in the game as a completely separate playable character from Samus, and considering she was the preferable option to the suited-and-booted Metroid protagonist, this can only be a good thing.
Matching speed with hand-to-hand combat proficiency and an arsenal of gadgets, those who found themselves using Samus as their main only to hurriedly drop her suit of armor at the first opportunity will be pleased Zero Suit Samus is making her way to Super Smash Bros. as a fully-fledged character.
Previous Tier Ranking: N/A.
