Top 10... Err I mean 15 Super Smash Bros. Characters by Marshall (Redux)

Now that Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS has been on the market for a while and we've had some time to handle all the characters, it's about that time where we updated this list of personal favorite characters. The first thing that might pique your interest is that we've taken the standard 10 we originally published and have extended it to a 15, because the roster has had so many great additions with Smash 4. Since this update will swallow up the original, we've slapped that list beneath the intro. Remember: this is purely preference and opinion. If you've got your own picks, be sure to let us know at the end or on any of our social media whatchamacallits...

OG List
(10) Samus   (9) Meta Knight   (8) Fox   (7) Mewtwo   (6) Sonic   (5) Captain Falcon              
(4) Lucas      (3) Marth              (2) Mario                      (1) Link

15. Ganondorf

Series: The Legend of Zelda

First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda, NES, 1986/The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Nintendo 64, 1998

First SSB game: Super Smash Bros. Melee (GameCube)

The King of Evil is upon us. Quickly, I've split Ganondorf's first appearance for a few reasons. In the original Zelda, Zelda II and A Link to the Past, he appeared as a large pig monster named Ganon. It wasn't till Ocarina of Time that he donned his human appearance as King of the Gerudo Thieves. Albeit, they're the same person but just different incarnations of the hatred will of Demon King Demise.

Anyway, Ganondorf sneaks onto the list due to all his improvements in SSB 4. He's much faster with buffs to a majority of his standard moves. There's also a big enough variance for Ganon to step out of Captain Falcon's shadow. For the newcomers to Smash, Ganondorf was a clone of Captain Falcon in his first appearance. He was a last minute clone, as his stature was similar to Falcon and so he was adapted for Melee on the GameCube. He was much slower, but had stronger blows and was arguably the heaviest hitter in Melee. Ganon's move set has improved and diversified in the past 3 games and he stands on his own now. He's heavy, but has enough speed that allows him to keep up with any fighter. The Triforce of Power is in Ganon's capable(?) hands here.

He is still very similar to Falcon, so translation between the two is easy. His Warlock Punch is a devastating blow with a lengthy charge however. Dark Dive now has a much higher lift than Captain's Falcon Dive. Dark Kick is a truly unstoppable move that you better dodge. Flame Choke is my favorite Special Move, it allows Ganon to pause the battle (if it connects) and deliver a massive hit. Aerial Flame Choke also ends in a smash against the ground, making a great move to suicide use too.

 

14. Shulk 

Series: Xeno

First Appearance: Xenoblade Chronicles, Wii, 2012 (for North America)

First SSB game: Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS

I'm really feeling it!!! Shulk is one of the reasons why we waited to play both versions of the game. Shulk handles good on 3DS, but so much better with an actual controller. Shulk is the wielder of the Monado blade, a sword that can change into different modes and allows the user to also see into the future via a short vision. These translate into Shulk's move set greatly. He's a welcome sword fighter to the mix, giving us more diversity than the Fire Emblem fighters and the Links.

Most of Shulk's moves stem or are based off of attacks from his only appearance in his Xenoblade Chronicles ARPG game. The Up Special Air Slash is similar to Marth/Lucina's Dolphin Slash, but Shulk can use an additional slash at the top of the attack for major knock back. His Side Special is his iconic Back Slash, as it's the first skill you pick up in XC. It's a nice jump attack in tandem with Link's new dash attack, the lock-on jump striker in all 3D Zelda titles. As the name implies, it deals greater damage when it makes contact with the back. His best moves are Vision (Down Special) and Monado Arts (Neutral Special).

Vision is your standard Down Special counterattacking move like Counter or Double Team, wait to get hit and strike back, Shulk's Vision is one of the better counters. It has a long hit window and the strike is so broad that it has a huge chance of hitting more than just the one intended target. The Monado Arts circles through Shulk's available Arts to give him buffs at a cost. Jump allows insane jump height, but you rack up damage faster. Speed gives him blinding movement, but lowers jump height and attack strength. Shield buffs defense and launched distance at the cost of jump height, attacking power and speed. Buster gives attacking a boost by sacrificing defense and launching power. Smash excels at launching power in exchange for weaker attacks and lowered defense from getting launched.

13. Meta Knight

Series: Kirby

First Appearance: Kirby's Adventure, NES, 1993

First SSB game: Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)

Fight me!!! It's the Dark Knight of Dreamland, Meta Knight. Just as a quick reminder for those who may have forgotten.... Meta Knight was so overpowered!!! In Brawl, Meta Knight had great attacks that hit quick and hard, he could jump up to five times like Kirby and had access to the now-dead glide mechanic... That has all changed in Smash for Wii U and 3DS. Unlike most of the entries on this list, Meta Knight has received little buffs in favor of many nerfs to his character. He's very lucky he's still on this list actually.

Meta retains all of his special moves from his previous entry. His standard is still Mach Tornado as Meta will spin at a high enough speed with his sword and has the ability to maneuver around the stage easily. The Side Special Drill Rush is a great horizontal move where Meta Knight propels himself forward at a great speed. This move can also be curved vertically as well, giving MK a lot of versatility. His Up Special is Shuttle Loop, a sweet upward loop-de-loop with a lot of sweeping to it to get back up to a stage and strike many a character within its range too. Meta's Down Special is the Dimensional Cape, a teleportation move unlike any other. Unlike other teleports like Palutena's Warp and Shiek's Vanish which teleport in any direction, Dimensional Cape can only move horizontally because it's not a recovery move. The plus side to this is that if you hold the Special button, MK will deliver a sword slash upon reappearing that has decent damage and great knock back. He may have been kicked off his high horse, but Meta is still a character to fear in the long run.

12. Pac-Man

Series: Pac-Man

First Appearance: Pac-Man, Arcade, 1980

First SSB game: Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS

Waka Waka!! Pac is back baby! The console wars are rolling in their graves. As soon as Bandai Namco was brought on board the help with Smash 4, Pac-Man was always on people's most wanted list. Luckily for us, we've got him now. A lot of Pac's moves incorporate a lot of references to his old school Namco brethren too. As much as I didn't think I use Pac-Man competitively, he's one of my favorites on the online scene. He's a gimmick character like Olimar and Duck Hunt, but he pulls it off with such range and control and that's what makes Pac what he is. Pac-Man also has the hitting power of a semi-truck so that helps as well.

His Neutral Special is Bonus Fruit, a move that cycles through Namco power ups that can be used as projectiles. Items from the slow but powerful Melon, to the agile Galaxian and the ALMIGHTY Key too. Pac-Man's recovery Up Special is Pac-Jump. He spawns a three use trampoline beneath him that allows him to be launched back upwards. Each use provides a bigger jump than the one before and the tramp will dissolve after its third use. His Power Pellet move his Side Special. Pac-Man unleashes a Power Pellet along a trail of dots with the Power Pellet being maneuverable. Once it extends as far as it can, Pac will follow the path and end at the Power Pellet, a great move for faking out opponents and anyone hit along the path will experience severe knock back. His Down Special is the Fire Hydrant, a move that plops a hydrant beneath Pac that will spray water similar to Mario's F.L.U.D.D but from a standstill position. The great thing about using this mid-air is that you drop it down from above for a massive damage output. Ain't no school like the old school.

11. Dark Pit

Series: Kid Icarus

First Appearance: Kid Icarus: Uprising, Nintendo 3DS, 2012

First SSB game: Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS

Who wants some?! The world's most unrequested clone outshines his pretty counterpart for a spot on this list. The main difference between Pit and his double are subtle but there. They're affected by the Dr. Mario effect. Dark Pit is a slower version than his original but with minor tweaks and more damage output. He is a bit heavier than Pit, but can still easily utilize his multi-jump ability to get back to the stage with ease.

His Neutral is his Silver Bow, similar but different than Pit and his Palutena's Arrow. DP's Bow has more damage, but cannot be curved as much as Pit's and is much slower. Since I main Link, I find the Silver Bow much easier and useful to my play style. The other change in his Specials is that his Side Special is the Electroshock Arm. Compared to Pit's Upperdash Arm, the Electroshock provides more damage at the cost of a more sideways launching angle, making it more of a damaging move than a finishing one. The cool thing most players forget is that both Arms will reflect projectiles at opponent, making them so versatile. Also probably because they both posses another reflecting move called Guardian Orbitars. This Down Special works the same for both angels as they cast a shield on both sides that pushed enemies away and reelects projectiles. Their Up Special remains the same across both fighters as well. Although it deals no damage, the Power of Flight allows them to shoot off in one direction very far. You better beware this dark angel of death.

10. Greninja

Series: Pokémon 

First Appearance: Pokémon X Version and Pokémon Y Version, Nintendo 3DS, 2012

First SSB game: Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS

Ninja, Ninja!! Greninja stole my heart in Smash Bros. just like it stole my heart in Pokémon Y. As a trainer who undoubtably chooses the Fire-Type starter, Froakie made me reassess my life choices. Greninja is a welcome Pokémon in Smash. It moves swiftly across the field and smacks opponents around using its water attacks.

Greninja's Down Special is Substitute. Like Lucario's Double Team, it's a counter move that results in a lunging strike rather than a single swipe. This allows it to hit multiple targets along with the intended. Its Up Special is the amazing recovery move, Hydro Pump. Similar to Pikachu's Quick Attack, it allows Greninja to shoot in one direction for a long recovery or two separate directions quickly. His Side Special is the illusive Shadow Sneak attack. It allows Greninja to disappear and reappear on a horizontal path to recover and also to attack any opponents near it once it reappears. Greninja's signature Water Shuriken is the Standard Special. It's an awesome charge move that allows Greninja to shoot a Water Shuriken attack. The length of the charge determines the speed and power of the attack, so use wisely. This is one ninja you might not be able to handle.

9. Little Mac

Series: Punch-Out!!

First Appearance: Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, NES, 1987

First SSB game: Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS

Smash ain't no joke!! Don't mess with Mac!! That guy from Punch-Out!! is now a player in Smash Bros. and he's a perfect fit. Ever since Little Mac's appearance as an assist trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, there's been a lot of fan support for him to become an actual character and it hath come to fruition. As a character from a fighting game, it makes a whole lot of sense. The only reason I have to put Mac so low on the list is because he's not very good when he's not on the ground. Like Doc Louis says: "You ain't no air fighter Mac!!" Mac loses so much power when he's airborne and makes him pretty much useless. He has such limited momentum and recovery, so you want to keep his feet planted at all times. 

Mac is devastating on the ground, to make up for his nonexistent air game. He hits like a heavyweight (and doesn't flinch either) and moves around the stage at a speed that rivals Captain Falcon and Greninja. Little Mac also has a Power Meter, similar to his Star Uppercuts from Punch-Out!! After dealing and taking enough damage, the meter will fill up and allow Mac a KO Uppercut move. As awesome as it sounds, it's not as useful as one might think it would be. It replaces Mac's Neurtal Special move for the time being, a move I like to utilize often in scare tactics. The move itself is slow and has a small niche window to hit and lots of ending lag. You think with these flaws that the damage would be real super fantastic... Not really. For a move that was conveyed as a One-Kit KO move before launch, it was very lackluster. The move does a lot of damage and has decent launch, but  probably won't KO anyone below 50% damage. Besides these negatives, Mac's a great fighter to use. His power and speed will keep any opponent on their toes for the entire match.

Onto Little Mac's move set now. His Neutral Special is the Straight Lunge, a charge move that shoots Mac forward depending on the charge. It's a useful and hard hitting move as it covers a lot of ground. The Side Special is the infamous Jolt Haymaker. I say infamous for a few reasons. The Haymaker covers quite a bit of distance and is Mac's primary move for a horizontal recovery. Since it covers a vast distance, you don't want to use this close to any ledge... ever... Up Special is the Rising Uppercut, the vertical recovery move. It correlates to Mac's style, as the move has more lift when used on the ground compared to being used mid-air. It can trap opponents easily in it's connecting frames too. Mac's Down Special is the Slip Counter. Despite so many new characters getting a standard Counter as their down special (Shulk, Palutena, etc.), they all have enough diversity to make them matter and Mac is no different. The Slip Counter hits hard and fast and is probably my favorite Counter move of the bunch.

8. Ike

Series: Fire Emblem

First Appearance: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, GameCube, 2005

First SSB game: Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)

We like Ike! We like Ike! I wasn't the biggest Ike fan in Brawl, but I still used him to a degree. He's received many good buffs to his moves and make him a more useful character in my book. He might be heavier, but hits harder and has better recovery than Brawl Ike. It's enough usefulness to put Ike at No. 8.

Ike's buffed move set remains primarily the same though. Like move heavyweight veterans, he's been given more weight, more power and a dash of speed. It's these buffs to him and his move set that make him greater. Ike still has his iconic Eruption (the mirror of Marth's Shield Breaker), a charge move that has Ike stab his sword into the ground and surround himself in flames. Quick Draw is another charge move with a literal charge. The charge determines how far Ike will skid across the field and attack.This is THE horizontal recovery move as people tend not be prepared for a recovery that will smack them in the face and Quick Draw has the range to do it. Aether is your recovery move and (fun fact) Ike is invincible during the entire animation. Just be careful when using it horizontally, as it has little lateral movement and it speeds towards the ground (like Kirby's Final Cutter) after Ike hits the height of the move. His last Special is Counter, so he sure to exploit this whenever you're under fire. It'll hit the opposing character back for damage, and the severity of the strike will be redistributed to them.... Remember that....

7. Sonic

Series: Sonic the Hedgehog

First Appearance: Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega Genesis, 1991

First SSB game: Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)

Gotta go fast!!! It's the blue blur himself: Sonic. Sonic still sits high on this list for a reason as he still retains his trademark speed and much more. I mentioned in our original list that Sonic's never at a full stop, his speed keeps him at a momentum and he never truly stops. This was slippery and unnerving in Brawl, but now it has been refined into a controllable tone. This makes Sonic one of my favorites to use as he can maneuver ever so quickly around any opponent.

He has his trademark Homing Attack to lock on to a nearby enemy. This is useful, as the starting animation will bump Sonic into the air if on the ground and have him stall in mid-air if used as an aerial. This makes it nice for countering and faking out opponents. Spring Jump allows for a massive vertical recovery, allowing Sonic to get back to the ground with relative ease. His Spin Charge and Spin Dash are very similar in use. Spin Dash is the Side Special and is a charge move. It is the slower of the two but has some invincibility frames during charge and it's slower speed can be used to track opponents for juggling. Spin Charge is the Down Special and can be revved up. This makes it much faster and more frightening to other players. Spin Dash should be Sonic's horizontal recovery as Spin Charge keeps you on a downward path and Charge takes you to the side immediately. Charge is more powerful, so you can use it when you're not too far off to come back and wreck someone unsuspecting. You can shorthop out of both moves and jump during both, this makes for some tight air game and fun juggling of the enemy.

6. Captain Falcon

Series: F-Zero

First Appearance: F-Zero, SNES, 1991

First SSB game: Super Smash Bros. (N64)

You'd better SHOW YA MOVES!!! Captain Falcon still retains his high ranking from the original list, minus one space. The Cap was nerfed going from Melee to Brawl, but have restored him to his glory days in this latest outing. Falcon is a very good example of a projectile-less fighter. He has great speed and heavy hits plus a fantastic air game. Captain Falcon is just a joy to use.

Falcon Punch returns in all of its glory. Time it right and you can send any opponent flying. You can also flick the control stick in the backwards direction to execute a Reverse Falcon Punch that'll turn around and deal more damage than its standard. Raptor Boost covers ground really well and can easily KO opponents just over 100%. Falcon Kick covers a bit more ground than Raptor Boost at the cost of speed and adding damage. It will cause a spike if used mid-air, so use it when returning to the stage from above to hit someone unaware. Falcon Dive has been given a big vertical boost, making it a much better recovery move now. You can also use it to grapple an opponent in mid-air, which is great if your both recovering as you can get back to the stage whilst sending them to their doom.

5. Lucina

Series: Fire Emblem

First Appearance: Fire Emblem: Awakening, Nintendo 3DS, 2013

First SSB game: Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS

The future isn't written!!! Lucina comes to us from the future to take the spot away from her ancestor Marth. This descendant of the Hero King is a clone of him, but I tend to prefer Lucina over Marth. The only big difference between the two is their swords. Marth's Falchion does the least amount of damage at the base of the sword and it gets more powerful towards the sword's tip. Lucina's Parallel Falchion has its power distributed evenly throughout the blade, meaning that any point on the sword does the same amount of damage. Lucina is also a bit shorter than Marth... but besides that they're pretty much the same. 

They share all the same special moves too. Although the execution is different, Lucina's Shield Breaker performs the exact same way. Be careful of this move as it can completely destroy a fighter's shield and net you some valuable time in any match whilst the opponent is stunned. Dancing Blade is great combo move, as you can easily trap opponents between your blade swings that you can choose between. The Dolphin Slash is a great recovery swing, so make sure to use it during a recovery. Lucina's counter is great rebuttal move too. The strength of the counter-slash varies upon how hard the opponent would've hit you. Counter a charged or smash attack and you'll definitely send an enemy flying off stage.

4. Mario

Series: Super Mario

First Appearance: Donkey Kong, Arcade, 1981

First SSB game: Super Smash Bros. (N64)

It's-a me!! Mario still manages to make the Top 5 of this list, falling from his #2 grace. Don't get it twisted though, he's still one of my favorite fighters. Mario retains his all-around greatness, with a good bit of buffs added to the mix as well. He's still a jack of all trades and an expert at none.

Fireball is still his standard projectile move. It can also be tricky to track it as it bounces along the ground and drops when used in mid-air, instead of going straight like most projectiles. Super Jump Punch is a great recovery move too. It allows Mario great height and deals a good amount of damage because it traps opponents in its different animation frames. It adds to Mario's excellent airborne maneuverability. Cape is a favorite of mine, as it will turn an opponent around and reflect projectiles as well. The Cape also allows Mario to stunt his fall to allow him to transition horizontally back to the stage. A favorite of mine is to hit a recovering opponent with the Cape. This allows me to get back to the stage and screw over the opponent. The last Special is Mario's F.L.U.D.D pack that allows  him to push away opponents with water. It's range and power has been increased from Brawl, also allowing you to push away recovering opponents from the stage too.

3. Bowser

Series: Super Mario

First Appearance: Super Mario Bros, NES, 1985

First SSB game: Super Smash Bros. Melee (GameCube)

The original Super Mario boss beats out his rival this time. Bowser is another heavy case, like we've seen before with Ike and Ganondorf. The difference is that Bowser got HUGE speed boost. His walking speed is the same, but who walks in Smash?! Bowser's dash speed has greatly improved, allowing him to keep up with adversaries like Mario and his power is still there. Bowser can easily KO opponents before they hit 100% damage.

His Fire Breath is like any constant fire attack, it starts out strong and will get weaker over time. This is good for keeping opponents you need to get in close at a fair distance and will usually stun them enough to get an attack in once done with. His Flying Slam is a melee slash attack with good range. If you get hit with it on the ground, Bowser will grapple you and force you into a airborne suplex and you will crash into the ground. This is a very tricky move to dodge and it has its reasoning, as Bowser can easily maneuver during the airborne portion and take you with him offstage for a suicide kill. His Up Special is the Whirling Fortress, he retreats into his shell and spins around. This will propel him upwards when used in the air, as it is his main recovery move. 

His move devastating move has to be the Bower Bomb Down Special Move. Similar to the Ground Pound that Yoshi does, Bower will jump into the air and slam himself into the ground or just slam down if used in the air. This move is one that will strike fear into the hearts of children everywhere... The Bowser Bomb is so strong that it will do massive damage and send foes flying and BREAK ANYONE'S SHIELD SHOULD THEY TRY AND BLOCK IT!! A direct hit with the BB will break any shield, which will leave the user in a helpless state for a few seconds. This is frightful with any player but especially with Bowser, whose moves can KO an opponent at very low damage percentages. There is a huge reason why he IS the Koopa King.

2. Zero Suit Samus

Series: Metroid

First Appearance: Metroid: Zero Mission, Game Boy Advance, 2004

First SSB game: Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)

Is that all you've got? This version of everyone's favorite female bounty hunter made her first appearance without her famous Power Suit in Metroid: Zero Mission, a GBA re-release of the original Metroid game. Zero Suit Samus is usually a tease at the end of most Metroid games, whether it be the original that showcased he was actually a girl or more recent entries that offer you a look for beating a certain percentage or more in the game. Zero Suit has been given a good buff to her everything!! She's a much better fighter on, mainly because transformations were cut and she cannot transform to and from her armored form. She now has added Jet Boots to her arsenal that give Zero Suit more moves to finish off an opponent with AND with style to boot... Get it?

Her neutral Special Move is the Paralyzer, her stun pistol that can be charged up to unleash a projectile. The longer the charge is held, the longer the opponent is stunned for if it makes contact. Side Special unleashes Plasma Whip, which has Samus throw out a beam of energy to smack opponents. It also works as a tether alongside Zero Suit's standard grab move and allows her to snag ledges from a distance for awesome recoveries. The Up Special is been altered from Brawl and is now Boost Kick. She launches herself vertically into the air via Jet Boots and finishes with a  powerful kick, like a combination between Mario's Super Jump Punch and Shulk's Air Slash.

1. Link

Series: The Legend of Zelda

First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda, NES, 1986

First SSB game: Super Smash Bros. (N64)

The champion retains his title!!! Just like many of the higher ups on this list, Link has received many generally positive buffs in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS. These on top of the fact that Link has always been my main keep him at his glorified #1 spot. He's now faster with a bigger jump height and more mid-air maneuverability to boot. Link's dash attack has also been replaced with the standard Jump Attack from many Zelda games and can easily send foes caught in his slash flying towards an early grave.

All of Link's Specials stay the same, with a few tiny tweaks. Link's Standard Special move is the Hero's Bow, a move that will travel farther the longer you charge it. A very straightforward projectile that works great to keep opponents at a distance. The Side Special is the Gale Boomerang, a tornado powered boomerang Link can throw. The angle he throws it can be altered when it's launched. When the Gale Boomerang returns to Link, any opponents that are in its return path will be pulled along with it. The Spin Attack is his Up Special, a spinning attack that spirals him higher in the air. If used on the ground, it can be charged to deal more of a devastating blow. Link's Down is still his Bombs, allowing you access to standard item to throw as well. Bombs can be scary because you can throw them in any direction and they WILL explode. One new feature is that if Link's Bomb hits another character and explode, he won't be damaged by the fire and can follow up the explosion too.

I still love Link for all the same reasons I've loved him in the past: his versatility is unlike no other. He has great melee attacks, but can also command the battle from afar using his many projectiles. His weak ends tended to be his speed and mid-air maneuverability, which have been given a decent sized buff since Brawl. These changes keep Link a cut above the rest.