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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Image via Nintendo

What is the unlock order in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate?

Many challengers approaching.

Crossover fighter Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has over 80 characters to choose from, but players will start off with just eight characters. Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, Samus, Yoshi, Kirby, Fox, and Pikachu are your eight starters, having had this role in the original Nintendo 64 Super Smash Bros. As you begin playing Ultimate, you will be slowly unlocking characters through a number of means. The order in which you get the remaining characters may seem random at first, but there is indeed a set order in which you get them. But how exactly do you unlock these characters?

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The following methods are surefire ways to unlock characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. After doing any of these methods, a CPU-controlled character will challenge you to a fight — defeat them, and they’ll be added to your roster. Meanwhile, Mii Brawler, Mii Gunner, and Mii Swordfighter are available options for customizable characters by default.

How to unlock fighters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

  • Beating Classic Mode with any character
  • Playing VS. Mode matches roughly every 10 minutes
  • Defeating characters in the World of Light adventure mode

Keep in mind that characters to challenge in World of Light will be spread throughout the game board, so unlocking them through this mode will be outside the traditional order of unlocking. Otherwise, below is the set order in which you will unlock Super Smash Bros. Ultimate fighters with Classic Mode and VS. Mode. If you lose your fight against any of these characters, they will reappear under the Challenger’s Approach option in the Games & More menu.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate unlock order

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate characters
Image via Nintendo
  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

DLC Fighters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

There are several fighters in Ultimate that you unlock through purchasing DLC. Piranha Plant is a separate purchase, while there are five characters in Fighters Pass Vol. 1 and six in Fighters Pass Vol. 2. There is no need to fight any of these characters, and they will be added to your roster upon purchase.

Separate purchase

  • Piranha Plant

Fighter’s Pass Vol. 1

  1. Joker
  2. Hero
  3. Banjo & Kazooie
  4. Terry Bogard
  5. Byleth

Fighter’s Pass Vol. 2

  1. Min-Min
  2. Steve/Alex
  3. Sephiroth
  4. Pyra/Mythra
  5. Kazuya
  6. Fighter #82 TBA

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Author
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Chris Compendio
Chris Compendio has been covering pop culture for over five years. Their work has been published on Paste, Destructoid, DualShockers, Polygon, Fanbyte, and several other publications. Besides gaming, their interests include creative writing and comedy performance.