The Ultimate Guide to 'Super Smash Bros. Ultimate' Character Rankings

We’ve still got six long months to wait until Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but in the meantime fans of the fighting game series are analyzing the footage we already have for every bit of information they can find. That includes a series of tier list rankings based on publicly available information (and the results of Nintendo’s E3 tournament) to determine which Super Smash Bros. Ultimate characters are objectively best.

Of course, it’s too soon to know for sure. We still haven’t even seen the entire Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster in action, but that hasn’t stopped a few tier lists from popping up already. Here’s what the internet is saying so far.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Tier List: The Experts Weigh In

Ranked Boost is a pretty reputable source when it comes to video game rankings, along with guides and gaming news. So when the site wighs in with an early tier list you should probably listen.

Ranked Boost breaks its tier list into 6 categories, starting with S Tier for best, followed by A Tier (second best), B Tier, C, D Tier, and finally F Tier (the worst). Here’s the full list:

S Tier – Mario, Link, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Dr. Mario, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Diddy, Zelda, Ganondorf, Toon Link, Young Link, Sheik, Samus, Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede, Fox, Falco, PikachuA Tier – Jigglypuff, Pichu, Mewtwo, Pokemon Trainer, Lucario, Captain Falco, Ness, Lucas, Marth, Roy, Ike, Mr. Game and Watch, Pit, Wario, Olimar, R.O.B,B Tier – Greninja, Robin, Lucina, Corrin, Dark Pit, Villager, Little Mac, Wii Fit Fighter, Shulk, Duck HuntC Tier – Mega Man, Pac Man, Ryu, Cloud, Bayonetta, Mii Brawler, Mii Swordfighter, Mii GunnerD Tier – Splatoon Girl, Daisy, Sonic, Rosalina, Inkling, Bowser. JrF Tier – N/A

Considering how many fighters are up top in S Tier, this probably isn’t a definitive list. The lowly F Tier is also totally empty, but that won’t be the case once the game officially launches. Still, this is a good a place as any to start, though one other tier list seems to base its rankings off a bit more data.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Tier List: The Scientific Approach

Over at the GameFAQs forums, where fans typically discuss all the latest releases and announcements, one person put together a ranking of their own based on how various characters performed in the official Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament Nintendo organized at E3 2018, along with all the other footage that’s been released so far. Of course, that means we’re only seeing analysis of the fighters that actually got used in the tournament, and as a result the bottom category (“not enough info”) is pretty crowded.

Still, this tier list is certainly worth a look:

S Tier: (Amazing/ Overpowered)

Bayonetta

A Tier: ( Great - Very good)

Marth, Mario, Ness, Shiek, Snake, Ike, Pokemon Trainer, Sonic

B Tier ( Pretty good - good enough)

Ganondorf, Zelda, Fox, Link, Pit, Ridley

C Tier ( bad - trash)

Bowser, Donkey Kong, Ice Climbers, Cloud

Not enough info:

Samus, Kirby, Mewtwo, Villager (possibly high tier), Megaman, Little Mac (possibly mid-low tier), Pacman, Ryu (possibly high tier), Corrin ( possibly high tier), Inklings ( possibly mid tier)

Now, before you freak out because your favorite character got ranked unfairly low on one of the lists, remember that these are extremely preliminary rankings. We won’t have a clear sense of which characters dominate in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate until the game comes out later this year, and even then it will take time for players to figure out the best combos and moves for each member of the roster. Also, don’t rule out the possibility for additional new characters that could throw everything off balance.

So don’t give up hope just because GameFAQs ranked Ice Climbers as “trash.” Instead, make it your mission to prove them wrong.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate launches on December 7 for Nintendo Switch.