When you load Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the first time, you’ll only be able to choose from a measly eight fighters, the same amount that was available in Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64.
There are multiple ways to unlock the game’s entire roster of more than 60 characters, though. The easiest is to just play versus matches to unlock them all gradually, or play through the World of Light story to unlock them while you progress.
Characters might also be unlocked as you play. So if you do a big chunk of World of Light and decide to step out to do another mode, you might suddenly be challenged by a new fighter. The game will then force you to fight against them with whichever character you last played.
The versus and time method, however, will unlock characters in a set order, so you’ll have no control over which ones you’ll get while playing through the game. It’s also worth noting that amiibo don’t unlock the characters early for you in-game.
The order in which characters unlock this way is as follows:
1) Ness
2) Zelda
3) Bowser
4) Pit
5) Inkling
6) Villager
7) Marth
8) Young Link
9) Wii Fit Trainer
10) Ice Climbers
11) Captain Falcon
12) Peach
13) Ryu
14) Ike
15) Jigglypuff
16) King K. Rool
17) Sonic
18) Simon
19) Zero Suit Samus
20) Little Mac
21) Isabelle
22) Shulk
23) Lucina
24) Wario
25) Ridley
26) Pokémon Trainer
27) Lucario
28) Daisy
29) Roy
30) King Dedede
31) R.O.B.
32) Falco
33) Luigi
34) Pichu
35) Richter
36) Lucas
37) Diddy Kong
38) Meta Knight
39) Snake
40) Ganondorf
41) Corrin
42) Mega Man
43) Bayonetta
44) Toon Link
45) Rosalina & Luma
46) Incineroar
47) Sheik
48) Olimar
49) PAC-MAN
50) Dark Samus
51) Wolf
52) Mr. Game & Watch
53) Robin
54) Dark Pit
55) Cloud
56) Duck Hunt
57) Ken
58) Greninja
59) Chrom
60) Mewtwo
61) Bowser Jr.
62) Dr. Mario
63) Palutena
It’s worth noting that if you already have unlocked a character by other means, then the next available character will be unlocked instead using the versus method.
If you want to get a certain fighter, however, you can unlock them by completing Classic Mode with a specific character. All the characters that you can unlock, along with who you need to use to unlock them, can be found below.N
Character | How to unlock |
Mario | Starting roster |
Donkey Kong | Starting roster |
Link | Startingroster |
Samus | Starting roster |
Dark Samus | Complete Classic Mode as Incineroar |
Yoshi | Starting roster |
Kirby | Starting roster |
Fox | Starting roster |
Pikachu | Starting roster |
Luigi | Complete Classic Mode as Ike |
Ness | Complete Classic Mode as Kirby |
Captain Falcon | Complete Classic Mode as Fox |
Jigglypuff | Complete Classic Mode as Ness |
Peach | Complete Classic Mode as Zero Suit Samus |
Daisy | Complete Classic Mode as Falco |
Bowser | Complete Classic Mode as Donkey Kong |
Ice Climbers | Complete Classic Mode as King. K Rool |
Sheik | Complete Classic Mode as King Dedede |
Zelda | Complete Classic Mode as Pac-Man |
Dr. Mario | Complete Classic Mode as Roy |
Pichu | Complete Classic Mode as Mr. Game and Watch |
Falco | Complete Classic Mode as Peach |
Marth | Complete Classic Mode as Lucario |
Lucina | Complete Classic Mode as Ganondorf |
Young Link | Complete Classic Mode as Snake |
Ganondorf | Complete Classic Mode as Ryu |
Mewtwo | Complete Classic Mode as Wolf |
Roy | Complete Classic Mode as Luigi |
Chrom | Complete Classic Mode as Ridley |
Mr Game and Watch | Complete Classic Mode as Isabelle |
Meta Knight | Complete Classic Mode as Simon Belmont |
Pit | Complete Classic Mode as Wii Fit Trainer |
Dark Pit | Complete Classic Mode as Wario |
Zero Suit Samus | Complete Classic Mode as Captain Falcon |
Wario | Complete Classic Mode as Cloud |
Snake | Complete Classic Mode as Meta Knight |
Ike | Complete Classic Mode as Little Mac |
Pokémon Trainer | Complete Classic Mode as Bowser |
Diddy Kong | Complete Classic Mode as Greninja |
Lucas | Complete Classic Mode as Corrin |
Sonic | Complete Classic Mode as Mario |
King Dedede | Complete Classic Mode as Rosalina |
Olimar | Complete Classic Mode as Dr. Mario |
Lucario | Complete Classic Mode as Yoshi |
R.O.B. | Complete Classic Mode as Shulk |
Toon Link | Complete Classic Mode as Richter Belmont |
Wolf | Complete Classic Mode as Bowser Jr |
Villager | Complete Classic Mode as Pikachu |
Mega Man | Complete Classic Mode as R.O.B. |
Wii Fit Trainer | Complete Classic Mode as Inkling |
Rosalina | Complete Classic Mode as Pokémon Trainer |
Little Mac | Complete Classic Mode as Bayonetta |
Greninja | Complete Classic Mode as Sheik |
Mii Fighters | Create a Mii character |
Palutena | Complete Classic Mode as Lucas |
Pac-Man | Complete Classic Mode as Jigglypuff |
Robin | Complete Classic Mode as Zelda |
Shulk | Complete Classic Mode as Villager |
Bowser Jr. | Complete Classic Mode as Daisy |
Duck Hunt Duo | Complete Classic Mode as Diddy Kong |
Ryu | Complete Classic Mode as Marth |
Ken | Complete Classic Mode as Chrom |
Cloud | Complete Classic Mode as Dark Samus |
Corrin | Complete Classic Mode as Robin |
Bayonetta | Complete Classic Mode as Sonic |
Inkling | Complete Classic Mode as Samus |
Ridley | Complete Classic Mode as Lucina |
Simon Belmont | Complete Classic Mode as Ice Climbers |
Richter Belmont | Complete Classic Mode as Young Link |
King K. Rool | Complete Classic Mode as Link |
Isabelle | Complete Classic Mode as Mega Man |
Incineroar | Complete Classic Mode as Pit |
Piranha Plant | DLC |
The only other characters left to unlock now after the main roster are DLC fighters, like Piranha Plant. You won’t need to unlock them in a certain way, however—once they’re released, they’ll just be added to your roster.
Published: Dec 8, 2018 01:25 pm