Image via Nintendo

How to unlock all of the characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Find out how to unlock specific characters in this guide.

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.

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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

CharacterHow to unlock
MarioStarting roster
Donkey KongStarting roster
LinkStartingroster
SamusStarting roster
Dark SamusComplete Classic Mode as Incineroar
YoshiStarting roster
KirbyStarting roster
FoxStarting roster
PikachuStarting roster
LuigiComplete Classic Mode as Ike
NessComplete Classic Mode as Kirby
Captain FalconComplete Classic Mode as Fox
JigglypuffComplete Classic Mode as Ness
PeachComplete Classic Mode as Zero Suit Samus
DaisyComplete Classic Mode as Falco
BowserComplete Classic Mode as Donkey Kong
Ice ClimbersComplete Classic Mode as King. K Rool
SheikComplete Classic Mode as King Dedede
ZeldaComplete Classic Mode as Pac-Man
Dr. MarioComplete Classic Mode as Roy
PichuComplete Classic Mode as Mr. Game and Watch
FalcoComplete Classic Mode as Peach
MarthComplete Classic Mode as Lucario
LucinaComplete Classic Mode as Ganondorf
Young LinkComplete Classic Mode as Snake
GanondorfComplete Classic Mode as Ryu
MewtwoComplete Classic Mode as Wolf
RoyComplete Classic Mode as Luigi
ChromComplete Classic Mode as Ridley
Mr Game and WatchComplete Classic Mode as Isabelle
Meta KnightComplete Classic Mode as Simon Belmont
PitComplete Classic Mode as Wii Fit Trainer
Dark PitComplete Classic Mode as Wario
Zero Suit SamusComplete Classic Mode as Captain Falcon
WarioComplete Classic Mode as Cloud
SnakeComplete Classic Mode as Meta Knight
IkeComplete Classic Mode as Little Mac
Pokémon TrainerComplete Classic Mode as Bowser
Diddy KongComplete Classic Mode as Greninja
LucasComplete Classic Mode as Corrin
SonicComplete Classic Mode as Mario
King DededeComplete Classic Mode as Rosalina
OlimarComplete Classic Mode as Dr. Mario
LucarioComplete Classic Mode as Yoshi
R.O.B.Complete Classic Mode as Shulk
Toon LinkComplete Classic Mode as Richter Belmont
WolfComplete Classic Mode as Bowser Jr
VillagerComplete Classic Mode as Pikachu
Mega ManComplete Classic Mode as R.O.B.
Wii Fit TrainerComplete Classic Mode as Inkling
RosalinaComplete Classic Mode as Pokémon Trainer
Little MacComplete Classic Mode as Bayonetta
GreninjaComplete Classic Mode as Sheik
Mii FightersCreate a Mii character
PalutenaComplete Classic Mode as Lucas
Pac-ManComplete Classic Mode as Jigglypuff
RobinComplete Classic Mode as Zelda
ShulkComplete Classic Mode as Villager
Bowser Jr.Complete Classic Mode as Daisy
Duck Hunt DuoComplete Classic Mode as Diddy Kong
RyuComplete Classic Mode as Marth
KenComplete Classic Mode as Chrom
CloudComplete Classic Mode as Dark Samus
CorrinComplete Classic Mode as Robin
BayonettaComplete Classic Mode as Sonic
InklingComplete Classic Mode as Samus
RidleyComplete Classic Mode as Lucina
Simon BelmontComplete Classic Mode as Ice Climbers
Richter BelmontComplete Classic Mode as Young Link
King K. RoolComplete Classic Mode as Link
IsabelleComplete Classic Mode as Mega Man
IncineroarComplete Classic Mode as Pit
Piranha PlantDLC

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.


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Author
Adam Newell
Assigning Editor. In 2015, Adam graduated from the University of Aberystwyth with a bachelor's in Media and Communications. Working in the industry for over ten years. If it has anything to do with Nintendo and Pokémon chances are you will see me talking about it, covering, and likely not sleeping while playing it.