Across 89 characters, Smash Ultimate has a ridiculous roster. While it’s a fairly well-balanced game, they can’t all be top-tier. There are some fighters who clearly rise to the top of the Smash Ultimate tier list.

If you’re looking for a new main, then going for the characters on top of the meta now is a great choice. As Smash has left active development, it’s not going to see a whole lot of change. That means those at the top of the Smash Bros tier list are likely to stay there, at least outside of new tech and other developments being discovered by players.

Smash Ultimate Tier List

This is how the Smash Ultimate tier list breaks down and which characters have the most potential for the rest of the game’s competitive life.

S Tier

These are by far the strongest characters in the game. Those in the S tier have clear advantages over the rest of the roster. You’ll see them dominating Majors and coming up as a pick disproportionately. They’re not necessarily the easiest characters to play, but you can take them the furthest.

• Steve – Steve has become huge. His toolkit is the closest thing Smash has to broken, he’s definitely high tier even if pretty controversial. He’s so popular there are whole Steve-only tournaments.
• Pyra and Mythra – A favourite of some of the best Smash players. These are one of the top pick, they have great combos and are pretty fast-moving when played right.
• R.O.B – R.O.B has been a real grower in Ultimate. Over time, more uses for his moves have made him one of the top characters.
• Joker – Ever since MKLeo took him to the top level, Joker has been a high-tier pick. You can get a lot done with his kit. He’s tricky to master but a clear stand out, especially at the pro level.
• Pikachu – On the smaller and faster side, Pikachu is a great choice for more frantic gameplay. He’s difficult to play in a high-tier way, but master his combos and you’re in a strong place.

A Tier

In a game as well balanced as Smash, there isn’t too wide a gulf between the S and A Tier. The fighter in this section of the Smash Ultimate tier list are all pretty viable, some of them are even the main of the top Smash players out there. They might not have quite the same power and advantages as the S tier, but these characters can all hold their own.

• Roy
• Byleth
• Fox
• Shulk
• Cloud
• Kazuya
• Pokémon Trainer
• Wario
• Inkling
• Min Min
• Lucina
• Peach/Daisy
• Sephiroth
• Zero Suit Samus

A- Tier

This section is also roughly the A Tier. It’s the top characters in the game, but with so many fighters being on the higher end of a Super Smash Bros tier list it’s worth dividing them here. These characters aren’t quite as powerful as those above, but a very skilled player can defiantly make them feel that way. They have more bad matchups but still have combos, decent movesets, and get compete in played creatively.

• Mr Game and Watch
• Olimar
• Pac Man
• Sonic
• Palutena
• Yoshi
• Snake
• Young Link
• Sheik
• Diddy Kong
• Greninja
• Sora
• Chrom
• Mario
• Mega Man
• Link
• Samus
• Captain Falcon
• Ness
• Terry
• Hero

B Tier – Smash Ultimate Tier List

The B Tier moves more towards characters that aren’t as OP. These have clear problems in their kit or just too many bad matchups. A good player can still elevate them, even with so many above in the Super Smash Bros tier list. However, you largely don’t see them winning Smash Bros majors.

• Rosalina
• Bowser
• Luigi
• Ken
• Ryu
• Falco
• Toon Link
• Marth
• Duck Hunt
• Wii Fit Trainer
• Bayonetta
• Corrin
• Ike
• Pichu

C Tier

With such a huge roster, there are bound to be some characters that struggle. This section has them. Some players can still do special things with these guys like the ice Climbers. However, for the most part, their kit is too one-sided to really play at a higher level. This is the C list of the Smash Bros Ultimate tier list.

• Mii Gunner
• Lucas
• Robin
• Dark Pit
• Pit
• Richter
• Simon
• Ice Climbers
• Ridley
• Zelda
• Mewtwo
• Meta Knight
• Mii Brawler
• Lucario
• Kirby
• Banjo

D Tier – Super Smash Bros Tier List

Going into the D tier with how characters whose moves are just far too one-sided. They have big flaws which most skilled players are going to be able to outplay them. They’re fun, but largely unless someone really reinvents the meta they’re probably not getting any higher in the Smash Ultimate tier list.

• Incineroar
• Bowser Jr
• Jigglypuff
• Donkey Kong
• Piranga Plant
• King Dedede
• Villager
• Dr Mario

E Tier

This bottom tier is really the worst of the characters in a Smash Bros tier list. These characters are hard to get too many wins with at most levels. They have fairly obvious problems, like Ganondorf being slower than a tortoise. There are some good matchups, but for the most part, they’re going to be completely outplayed.

• Little Mac
• Isabelle
• Mii Swordfighter
• King K. Rool
• Ganondorf

That’s roughly where everyone stands for a Super Smash Bros tier list based on how well players in tournaments do and how the characters are at a higher level. Tier lists are fairly subjective though, with play style and more effecting where characters are ranked. Now that Sonic has won a Major, the days of everyone going for the same few picks are over.

It’s always good to check out the tier lists of pro players who are constantly labbing to try and find new advantages for their characters. These are the tier lists made by some of the top pro players and how they rank characters for their play style.

Different pros will have different rankings for a Smash Ultimate tier list. Between these though, you should get a feel for where the highest-level players estimate each character. With so many choices in Smash Ultimate though, you don’t have to stick to just the top-tier characters.

Recent tournaments have shown just about anyone can be viable if you’re willing to put the time in to grind.