With such a diverse roster, knowing where to begin in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate can be an incredibly daunting prospect. There are already over 70 characters available to choose from in the game, and this number is only set to rise in the coming months, so how on Earth do you actually go about choosing your ‘main’?
Well, one tactic could well be to follow the guidance shared by some of the series’ top players. Both Gonzalo “ZeRo” Barrios, often cited as the world’s best Super Smash Bros. for Wii U player, and top Super Smash Bros. Melee player Leffen have shared their “day one” tier rankings, ordering each character in the game by their overall competitive potential.
In each case, these tier rankings have been created after careful play with as many characters as possible, but are only advised to be used as a quick day one guide. In a YouTube video explaining his choices, Leffen notes to “not take this too seriously”.
Gonzalo “ZeRo” Barrios
Notable Smash 4 player ZeRo has presented the following table for your early consideration, using experience with each character from preview builds to help its creation. Characters are ordered in Top, High, Mid, and Low Tiers, as well as a ‘Not Sure’ section. We’ve listed each character by name for you below.
| Top Tier | Pikachu, Olimar, Chrom, Peach, Daisy, Richter, Simon, Inkling, Mewtwo, Sheik, Palutena, Lucina, Marth, Wario, Roy, Ken, Ryu |
| High Tier | Diddy Kong, Rosalina & Luma, Pit, Dark Pit, Lucario, Zero Suit Samus, Meta Knight, Link, Young Link, Luigi, Ness, Fox, Falco, Snake, Pichu, Shulk, Sonic, Mii Gunner, Isabelle, Villager, Donkey Kong, Bowser, Captain Falcon, Pokemon Trainer, Ike, Yoshi, King K. Rool, Cloud, Bayonetta, Dr. Mario, Greninja |
| Mid Tier | Mario, Lucas, Samus, Dark Samus, Incineroar, Mega Man, R.O.B., Mii Swordfighter, Mii Brawler, Ganondorf, Jigglypuff, King Dedede, Mr. Game & Watch, Toon Link, Wii Fit Trainer, Wolf, Zelda, Ice Climbers, Corrin, Bowser Jr. |
| Low Tier | Kirby, Little Mac, Pac-Man, Ridley |
| Not Sure | Duck Hunt, Robin |
Leffen
Leffen’s approach was slightly different, this time spreading the roster across a higher number of tiers. Each character has received a ranking from S to F, with several placed inside a ‘???’ category. As we mentioned above, Leffen has made a video explaining his choices.
| S | Falco, Richter, Simon, Diddy Kong, King. K Rool, Meta Knight, Pokémon Trainer |
| A | Yoshi, Mewtwo, Roy, Chrom, Pikachu, Pichu |
| B | Marth, Lucina, Ike, Shulk, Icineroar, Luigi, Inkling |
| C | Bayonetta, Sheik, Peach, Daisy, Corrin, Greninja, Toon Link, Dr. Mario, Cloud, Wolf, Fox, Snake, Young Link |
| D | Ness, Lucas, Mario, Donkey Kong, R.O.B., Jigglypuff, Lucario, Captain Falcon, Zero Suit Samus, Pit, Dark Pit |
| E | Zelda, Palutena, Isabelle, Villager, Ganondorf, Ridley, Kirby, Rosalina & Luma, Olimar, Duck Hunt, Mr. Game & Watch, Pac-Man, Bowser, Robin, King Dedede |
| F | Little Mac, Bowser Jr., Mega Man, Link, Samus, Dark Samus, Ice Climbers |
| ??? | Ryu, Ken, Sonic, Wario, Wii Fit Trainer, Mii Brawler, Mii Gunner, Mii Swordfighter, Piranha Plant |
So, there you have it. It looks like you might want to ditch Little Mac for one of the Belmonts if these tables are anything to go by, although it’s worth noting that there are some pretty big differences between the two opinions. Naturally, at the end of the day, the best advice we can give is to practice, practice, practice. Oh, and most importantly, have fun!
Do you agree with these lists? Are you shaking with rage that your beloved Ice Climbers haven’t made it to God-Tier status? Share your thoughts with us below.