2019 will be Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's year. Released towards the tail end of 2018, Nintendo's brawler assembled all combatants who have previously graced the franchise's iconic stages. Along with being a brilliant fighter in its own right, Ultimate feels celebratory. With the Nintendo Switch proving to be a commercial and critical success, the console demands high-quality titles to maintain its momentum. Simply put, games seldom get any grander than Super Smash Bros. Ultimate!
Any fighting game encounters balancing issues. Be it Street Fighter V or Dragon Ball FighterZ, certain characters tend to float to the top. Taking into account the prominence of competitive online modes throughout the entire industry, studios cannot afford to ignore such criticisms. Even if not deemed suitable for eSports, a broken roster negatively affects a game's casual potential. Who wants to perpetually fight the same two opponents?
Now, in all fairness, certain warriors should demand a greater level of commitment from players, but, ideally, practice is the only thing standing in the way of victory. A mastered Kirby should be able to defeat an amateurish Bayonetta.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's roster is relatively well-balanced, but there are a couple of noticeable exceptions. Ramping up the gameplay's speed and limiting the defensive options, Nintendo's brawler rewards aggressive play. Here are 10 characters so strong they break the game (and 10 who are too weak)!
20 Strong: King K. Rool
Immediately following Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's release, King K. Rool near instantly amassed a reputation for being overpowered. While harder to push off the stage, heavy characters historically tend to struggle in the franchise. Despite speeding up the combat, Ultimate leveled the playing field for the different classes, with K. Rool and Bowser not requiring ten hours to perform a jump.
King K. Rool has a solid argument for being the roster's only worthwhile heavy competitor, but the villain's success seems to be chiefly restricted to the casual scene. Donkey Kong Country's reptile exists to put newcomers in their place! With a solid counter move and his unbreakable super armor, King K. Rool hits like a tank. Recently, the tide has begun to turn against K. Rool. If things continue down this road, he might need a buff!
19 Weak: Bayonetta
Last time out, PlatinumGames' Umbra Witch destroyed the competition! If this list was expanded to encompass all Super Smash Bros. titles, Smash 4's Bayonetta would feature on the Broken side. Unsurprisingly, Nintendo nerfed Bayonetta's flamboyant protagonist.
Who said Nintendo does not listen to fan feedback?
On a surface level, Bayonetta's move-set remains principally unchanged; however, nowadays, the fighter's attacks can be countered with ease. In the previous entry, Bayonetta's expansive combos meant a KO was always a string of punches away. Ultimate nerfs the witch's destructive capabilities, in fact, Bayonetta lacks a strong KO ability. Nintendo may have overcompensated.
18 Strong: Inkling
Ranked as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's strongest character by ZeRo, a professional player deemed to be among the world's best, Inkling should be feared! Promoted to the full roster in 2018's entry, Splatoon's squid requires some practice. Unlike the other fighters, Inkling's moves are directly linked to an ink meter that determines whether an attack can be performed. Once accustomed to the character's abilities, Inkling transforms into a nearly unstoppable force!
Spraying any ink on an opponent amplifies their sustained damage by 50%, which is comfortably the most overpowered passive skill in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Inkling's Final Smash sends out a hard-to-avoid sonic blast that sends opponents flying out of the arena.
17 Weak: Little Mac
Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. accomplished the impossible. Somehow, they managed to take one of Smash 4's weakest characters and make them even worse! Little Mac's deficiencies are too pronounced to ignore, with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's offensive-driven combat poorly complimenting the boxer's defensive fighting style.
Little Mac's attacks are nowhere near as situational as in the previous entry, but the athlete's guard breaks down too quickly. The boxer's strength lies in his powerful punches, but Little Mac is at his weakest while on the ground! Such a fighter is simply not dynamic enough to accommodate for Ultimate's fast-paced action.
16 Strong: Pikachu/Pichu
Pikachu seems to improve with each new entry. Early on, Pokémon's electrifying mascot languished among the lower tiers, but Smash 4 buffed a number of the pocket monster's stats. Nevertheless, Pikachu ranked below the roster's mightiest members.
That's no longer the case!
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate loves the yellow fictional rodent, with even the baby variant faring quite well. Barely weighing more than a feather, both characters are susceptible to knockbacks, but Pikachu's speed and combo strings more than make up for any faults. Pichu may even eclipse its older sibling, as the baby version has access to rage that steadily increases the knockback potential of various attacks.
15 Weak: Mario
Nintendo's definitive mascot is a non-starter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. With the exception of newcomers who want to learn the ropes with a reasonably well-rounded fighter, Mario is currently worthless. The former plumber has access to an array of effective moves, but any positives are undermined by a weakened Super Jump Punch with inadequate combo potential.
At the moment, there is no point wasting time on Mario. The Mushroom Kingdom's savior fares well against mid-tier opponents, but those are normally ignored by competitive players. By aiming to satisfy everyone, Mario ends up offering little to no advantages.
14 Strong: Marth
Marth gamed the system. In order to compliment some of the new mechanics, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate buffed and neutered certain characters, with the hopes of balancing the roster. One of seven Fire Emblem faces to make the cut, Marth's close-quarters battle style is tailormade for Ultimate's fluid gameplay mechanics.
Want to ruin someone's day? Dash cancel into a dancing blade!
Ultimate's dash mechanic is far more flexible than any of the previous iterations, with the movement seamlessly transitioning into all attacks. The gameplay rewards instinctive play and continuous movement; consequently, Marth's quick maneuvers lend themselves brilliantly to such a system!
13 Weak: Ganondorf
The Legend of Zelda's iconic antagonist was a glorified jobber in Smash 4. Ranking among the likes of Jigglypuff and eclipsed by the mighty Bowser Jr., Ganondorf was laughably bad. Surely, Super Smash Bros. will not repeat the same mistakes in Ultimate!
Super Smash Bros. learned nothing. OK, that is not entirely true. 2018's Ganondorf is slightly less embarrassing than his predecessor, but Nintendo neglected some of the character's glaring flaws. Ultimate incentives players to attack rather than defend, but the latter remains an important element worth considering. Ganondorf barely qualifies as a glass cannon, as the villain's attacks are hardly overpowered. Ganondorf's terrible recovery is also an exploitable weakness.
12 Strong: Peach
Who needs Mario? Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's Peach trounces the plumber every day of the week! A mid-card talent in the Wii-U entry, Peach has firmly shed her damsel-in-distress status for the sequel. Along with everyone else on the roster, Peach is quite nimble on her feet, but the princess benefits from a few unique workarounds that bestow an edge over the competition.
If mastered, aerial hoping allows players to maintain the offensive regardless of the opponent's position, while also serving as a last-ditch trick to reverse a knockout. Ultimate nerfs this particular technique, but Peach's floating ability circumvents this restriction. Along with a potent move-set suited for both close and ranged battles, Peach is a force worth reckoning!
11 Weak: Ridley
After years of begging, at long last, Nintendo added Ridley to Super Smash Bros. Samus Aran's archenemy, the monstrous alien is a brawler at heart. As a relatively slender member of the heavyweight class, Ridley benefits from a touch of speed withheld from Bowser or King K. Rool; conversely, Metroid's villain is more susceptible to knockbacks.
Ridley and Inkling are both niche competitors with steep learning curves, but the former is not truly worth the effort. Ridley dominates the airwaves, but a larger than normal hitbox and a below average recovery move are unavoidable weaknesses.
10 Strong: Simon Belmont
Ridley was not the only new character to land on many fans' wishlists. Dating back to the NES era and spawning enough sequels to warrant a brilliant Netflix adaptation, Castlevania's Super Smash Bros. debut was long overdue. Along with Richter Belmont, Simon earned an invite to the greatest crossover event of the generation!
Finally, a heavyweight who is not a punching bag!
King K. Rool's potency is chiefly limited to the casual scene, but the antagonist's eSports viability leaves something to be desired. Due to specializing in ranged attacks, Simon circumvents many of the weaknesses associated with heavies. The Holy Cross is particularly effective, while Holy Water is among the game's more useful defensive abilities. Admittedly, Simon's hype cooled down considerably after the opening month.
9 Weak: Link
To their credit, Nintendo resisted the urge to play favorites. Typically slotting into the mid-tiers, the company's primary mascots are designed to be accessible. Veterans of the franchise should presumably be fully aware of Link's novice status, but newcomers are likely to gravitate towards the Hyrulean. With the exception of Pikachu and Yoshi, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's eight automatically unlocked characters are underachievers.
If compared to the multiple others swordsmen on the roster, Link comes across as a rookie. The Legend of Zelda's silent protagonist can hold his own in close quarters, but Link's recovery moves are in desperate need of a revamp. In capable hands, the hero should test most opponents, but Link is overshadowed by many similar fighters.
8 Strong: Meta Knight
The days of dominating Super Smash Bros. Brawl matches might be long gone, but Meta Knight remains a competent fighter with a reliable offstage presence and fantastic recovery. Comfortably overshadowing Kirby and King Dedede, Meta Knight's aerial mobility makes the most of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's increased speed.
While still a solid option, the character's glory days seem to have ended. In previous games, Meta Knight relied on his dash attack to initiate some truly devasting follow-up combos. Unfortunately for Meta Knight fans, Ultimate heightened the move's knockback by a counterproductive amount, reducing the chances of stringing a successful second attack! Consequently, Meta Knight is simultaneously strong AND a shadow of his former self.
7 Weak: Wii Fit Trainer
Among the weakest members of Super Smash Bros. 4's roster, Wii Fit Trainer grew into a cult favorite due to a fun and quirky move-set. Outside of the competitive scene, the Wii Fit Trainers are surprisingly popular. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate significantly enhances the character's ground attacks and special moves; unfortunately, these buffs pale in comparison to the majority of other fighters!
With the exception of a handful of nerfed moves, 2018's Wii Fit Trainer is a vast improvement over her predecessor, and knocking someone out with a soccer ball never gets old! Despite the upgrades, the character's attacks are simple to counter, while Wii Fit Trainer's abilities provide no margin for error.
6 Strong: Ike
Returning for his third appearance, Ike is a sturdy swordman originating from the over-represented Fire Emblem license. The JRPG franchise earned every ounce of praise tossed its way, but Super Smash Bros. Ultimate would have been fine with just 3 delegates. While more exploitable than some of his contemporaries, Ike is another combatant who benefits greatly from Ultimate's faster pace.
Receiving a massive speed boost, Ike brings the pain quickly and abundantly. Along with the powerful burst of flame included in the previous games, Eruption also summons pillars in front of Ike, which is like adding fuel to an already raging fire. Ultimate's roster contains stronger Fire Emblem swordmen, but Ike should not be underestimated!
5 Weak: Mega Man
Mega Man sucks. Obviously, we are not talking about Capcom's games, as only a select few titles are beyond salvation. The blue hero might be an indisputable icon of the industry, but Super Smash Bros. has constantly failed to highlight Mega Man's capabilities. Nintendo's series has never prioritized authenticity, therefore, any character could potentially fight for the crown.
Peach is a top-tier Super Smash Bros. Ultimate fighter. PEACH!
Smash 4's Mega Man's mediocrity was slightly masked by a devastating Footstool combo, but Ultimate altered the applicability of techs to fully eliminate this option. While the change was more than welcome, Mega Man's patheticness was exposed for all to see!
4 Strong: Lucina
With all the Fire Emblem warriors securing impressive spots in most tier lists, it is beginning to seem like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was rigged to accommodate these characters. A handful of differences notwithstanding, Lucina is essentially Marth's doppelganger. Both fighters share many of the same attacks, strengths, and weaknesses. In the case of the latter, they practically have none.
Equipped with the balanced blade, Lucina lands the same amount of damage regardless of which point of her sword delivers the blow; comparatively, Marth's Falchion necessitates a touch more precision. Lucina's weapon is a better fit for Ultimate's accelerated gameplay.
3 Weak: Samus
Despite appearing three separate times throughout Nintendo's roster, Samus fails to impress in any of her forms. Zero Suit Samus is arguably the most reliable of the bunch, but the bounty hunter struggles to transcend mediocrity. As with most of the characters, Samus can be decent in the right hands. Unfortunately, "decent" rarely secures a win!
Super Smash Bros. Melee contains the only genuinely great iteration of Metroid's protagonist, and that was primarily due to the game's reliance on recovery moves. Since then, Samus' weaknesses have overshadowed her strengths. Ultimate nerfs the bounty hunter's dash attack, which greatly limits Samus' combo potency.
2 Strong: Chrom
Developers can release thousands of patches, certain characters will inadvertently be labeled as broken. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's roster contains various members capable of overwhelming 99% of the competition; nevertheless, 2018's game might be the most balanced entry in the series.
Super Smash Bros. 4's pre-nerfed Cloud and Bayonetta were the equivalent of playing with a cheat code.
Chrom has a convincing case for being Ultimate's toughest fighter, but the swordsman is nowhere near as cheap as Smash 4's Cloud. Equipped with a balanced blade similar to Lucina's weapon and aping Roy's moveset, Chrom's attacks constantly hit for a respectable amount of damage, making the warrior a greater threat than the person who inspired him.
1 Weak: Kirby
Kirby's trademark skill is to inhale enemies and adopt a number of their abilities. As a mechanic, copying lends itself brilliantly to the adorable pink plush toy's own games; sadly, the same cannot be said about Super Smash Bros. Putting aside the entry that launched the license, Kirby typically ranks towards the bottom tiers, and Ultimate continues this trend.
Notoriously overpowered in the Nintendo 64's Super Smash Bros., the subsequently weaker Kirbies feel almost like they are retrospectively apologizing for the original's terrible balancing. As the creator of both Kirby and Super Smash Bros., Masahiro Sakurai must fear that enhancing the character's capabilities would be biased.