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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate features a roster bigger than most fighting games, but some characters still stand above the rest. The best characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate are the ones with well-rounded move sets. They also have solid recoveries and strong finishing moves to confirm a knockout at high damage percentages. While the characters on this list are strong, like all other fighting games, your picks can only carry you so far. Personal skill and knowledge will almost always outweigh how strong a character is, so don’t expect an easy win just because you picked a character on this list.
5. Mr. Game and Watch
Mr. Game and Watch is one of the best characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, thanks to the massive variety in his move set and his ability to surprise. Mr. Game and Watch have solid close-range abilities, and multiple ranged attacks, which can be used to hit enemies and stagger their attacks. He moves pretty fast, and his smaller size can make him harder to hit than other characters. The best part of his kit is his neutral special, which is his hammer. It randomly has a number attached to it, one through nine, which indicates the power level. This move is great because, at its worst, it does some damage, and at its best, it hits super hard. It’s difficult for an opponent since they don’t know how hard it will hit until it’s too late.
4. Peach/Daisy
The Mushroom Kingdom princesses are some of the best characters in Super Smash Bros Ultimate, thanks to their very dynamic kits. While some “clone” characters have enough differences to be considered separately, the difference between Daisy and Peach is negligible. What makes them great is how well-rounded their abilities are. Having a counter and the ability to spawn and throw an item gives you much flexibility. They have a solid recovery with the umbrella and can hit decently hard with close-range smash attacks. The only real downside is that they don’t have a ton of launch on their attacks for finishing people off, but that can be worked around, thanks to the rest of their abilities.
3. Joker
Joker is the third-best character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, thanks to his fast movement and hard-hitting attacks. Hailing from Persona 5, Joker offers a combination of fast, close-range attacks and ranged abilities. While some of his abilities, like his gun, seem a bit lackluster at first, when his Persona fully charges, all of his abilities can a massive bump in power. Joker can reliably get his Persona charged, so you have the added strength regularly. He has a solid recovery with his grappling hook, and he moves across the stage at pretty high speeds. Those high speeds carry over to his close-range attacks, making him difficult to deal with.
2. Steve
Minecraft Steve might check every box for what could be considered a joke character, but he is one of the best characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Added as part of the second wave of DLC characters, Steve offers massive power with his relatively simple attacks. His lava blocks and anvils hit really hard, and crafting a weapon makes even his basic moves deal massive damage. While his mining and crafting systems are a little funky, they are simple enough to grasp pretty quickly, and Steve, armed with a diamond sword, is difficult to go blow-for-blow with. His recovery is a little lackluster, but his mine cart and TNT abilities are great for setting up opponents for big hits.
1. Lucina
Lucina is the best character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. While it feels like it’s almost impossible for a Fire Emblem character to not take a top spot thanks to the sheer quantity of them on the roster. What puts Lucina above the rest of the Fire Emblem characters and the rest of the roster is the combination of speed and power. Lucina moves incredibly fast and attacks at the same speed. She does a ton of damage with those attacks, too. Her move set is relatively simple to use but still has much to offer. Her side special is a full combo attack that can be done with a simple repeated button pressed. Her shield breaker move can punish more defensive players, and her counter gives her an easy way out of big attacks. Lucina doesn’t have any major downsides either, making her the best character.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available on Nintendo Switch.
