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On the other end of the spectrum, there are also numerous characters that are quite intuitive and easy to figure out, offering a much more forgiving learning curve. Which characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate are the easiest for a new player to pick up?
Updated on February 11th, 2022 by Ritwik Mitra: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is one of the best fighting games ever made, making for a great way to spend some time with friends as they duke it out against each other in this amazing title. In this scenario — and many others — newcomers might find themselves stuck when trying to select the most beginner-friendly character, given the huge nature of the game’s roster. Thankfully, with the following list, players will have an easier time recommending certain characters to their friends… if not trying them out first-hand!
15 Samus/Dark Samus
One of the most legendary characters in Nintendo’s long and illustrious history is Samus. This character has had several games in the Metroid series where she’s shone quite bright indeed, barring an odd misstep or two.
This character is quite fun to play around with in Super Smash. Bros Ultimate as well. Her chargeable blast takes a very short time to get used to, with her other powers also being a treat to use.
14 Zero Suit Samus
Samus is actually featured three times in Super Smash. Bros Ultimate, although two of them are basically identical. Zero Suit Samus, on the other hand, is completely different and a joy to use in the game.
She’s fast, has great moves, and is easy to adapt to. Any beginner who takes this fighter shouldn’t be surprised if they end up using this character in the long run.
13 Joker
Persona 5’s Joker was one of the biggest and most welcome additions to the Super Smash. Bros Ultimate lineup of fighters. He’s a nimble and fun character to use, with great recovery as well.
He might seem weak, but awakening his Persona allows him to dish out a ton of damage. As long as players weather the early storm with this character, they’ll enjoy a great time as they shoot and counter their way through a round!
12 Sephiroth
Another DLC fighter who is beloved in his own right, the addition of Sephiroth to the game was met with a ton of critical praise. This legendary villain uses his massive sword to wreak havoc in the game.
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Of course, this comes at the cost of mobility, but players will work around this problem after a point. After all, his immense damage output more than makes up for this minor slight.
11 Sonic
Sonic is an iconic character who hasn’t had the best luck with his 3D outings. Of course, Super Smash. Bros is a series that has a track record of stellar gameplay, so they obviously wouldn’t have messed up Sonic at all.
He plays and feels exactly like how Sonic in a fighting game should play. This, coupled with his brilliant speed and fun moveset, makes him a great character to use for any beginner.
10 Ike
While Fire Emblem’s Ike may be one of the slower sword users in Smash, he is an excellent choice for new players. As Ike cares more about dealing impactful individual hits rather than stringing together long combos, once a player gets a feel for the timing and speed of his moves, taking an opponent’s stocks should not be too difficult.
Due to the massive size of his sword’s hitboxes and the amount of knockback many of his moves deal, Ike has plenty of ways to KO opponents without the need for long combos.
9 Mario
By and large one of the most iconic video game characters of all time, Nintendo’s poster boy is a fine-tuned all-arounder that can be quite intuitive. With decent speed, a projectile spacing, and solid kill options, Mario even has access to some of the most intuitive combos in the game.
Many of Mario’s tilt attacks as well as his aerials are solid combo tools, with his up-air being notoriously reliable. Additionally, due to his nature as a more balanced member of the roster, Mario doesn’t have many blatantly exploitable weaknesses.
8 Donkey Kong
A staple member of the Smash roster that’s been a part of the franchise since the very first installment, Donkey Kong is a very hard-hitting member of the roster. Faster than many players would give him credit for, D.K. has numerous excellent kill options when either grounded or airborne, such as his devastating smash attacks and his spiking forward-air.
While D.K. doesn’t require players to string together combos in order to get mileage out of the character, he does have solid juggling potential.
7 Simon & Richter
Two characters with essentially identical playstyles, Simon and Richter Belmont of the Castlevania series are stellar choices for those interested in playing a projectile-based zoning character.
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In addition to having some of the most long-reaching normal attacks in the game due to their whips, the Belmonts have access to numerous distinct projectiles. Through their use of throwing axes, crosses, and holy water, these characters can make an opponent’s approach a nightmare.
6 Cloud
When it comes to gameplay, Cloud is a similar character to Ike. Wielding giant swords, both characters have access to disjointed hit-boxes and numerous potent kill options.
However, while Ike tends to be more on the sluggish side, Cloud is quite quick and can easily maneuver around a stage. While it may take a bit of learning to get used to, Cloud’s unique Limit Break mechanic can be used to make his special moves even more effective and potent.
5 Ganondorf
Despite having magical abilities in The Legend of Zelda series, Ganondorf is perhaps one of the most simplistic and straightforward characters in Smash. A brawler with relatively low speed and low range, Ganondorf has a vast array of kill options and attacks that allow him to knock out foes on low percentages.
Ganondorf rewards patient players who are willing to wait for an opponent to leave an opening, punishing their mistakes.
4 Bowser
Yet another more tanky member of the roster, Bowser is a character who has a great deal in common with grapplers of traditional fighting games like Street Fighter. While a large and relatively slow-moving target, Bowser uniquely has armor that allows many of his moves to continue even if he’s interrupted by a foe’s attack.
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This enables Bowser to overwhelm unsuspecting foes with substantial pressure. Additionally, Bowser’s side-B is an armored command grab that can be used to reliably rack up damage and KO opponents.
3 King K. Rool
A character with many fundamental similarities to Bowser, King K. Rool takes Bowser’s armor mechanic and puts it at the forefront of his arsenal. Though K. Rool may be slower than other members of the roster, his armor allows him to steamroll through the opposing offense. Players just need to remember that over-reliance on this armor can result in it being temporarily broken, causing King K. Rool to become dazed.
It is also worth mentioning that King K. Rool is one of the only heavy characters in the game to have access to a projectile in the form of his blunderbuss.
2 Chrom
The protagonist of Fire Emblem: Awakening, Chrom serves as Roy’s echo fighter in Smash Ultimate. While the majority of echo fighters in the game primarily provide cosmetic changes rather than gameplay ones, Chrom fundamentally alters the properties of the character’s sword.
While Roy’s sword is more powerful the closer it is to the target, causing the tip of the blade to deal weaker hits, Chrom’s variant deals consistent damage regardless of which part of the weapon connects. As Roy’s move-set is otherwise very intuitive for those looking for an aggressive rushdown character, Chrom is an excellent choice for beginners.
1 Lucina
Similar to Roy, Marth’s sword has unique properties, dealing more damage and knock-back when attacking with its tip. While Lucina, Marth’s echo fighter, has an otherwise identical gameplay style and move set, her altered sword deals the same amount of damage regardless of which area lands a hit.
Additionally, Lucina is a quick and intuitive character with excellent range and combo capabilities.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was released on December 7th, 2018 and is available for the Nintendo Switch.
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