Super Smash Bros. Melee maintains one of the most enduring competitive scenes in fighting game history, with character tiers constantly evolving as players discover new techniques and strategies. The current SSBM tier list reflects decades of competitive play, with Fox maintaining his position as the top character while others like Marth and Jigglypuff have risen through the ranks based on tournament success and player innovation.
| Tier | Characters | Key Strengths | Notable Players |
|---|---|---|---|
| S-Tier | Fox, Marth, Jigglypuff, Falco | Speed, combo potential, recovery | Cody Schwab, Zain, Hungrybox |
| A-Tier | Sheik, Captain Falcon, Peach | Edgeguarding, KO power, floatiness | Plup, Wizzrobe, various |
| B-Tier | Ice Climbers, Pikachu, Yoshi, Samus, Luigi, Dr. Mario | Chain grabs, quick attacks, unique movement | aMSa, Eddy Mexico |
| C-Tier | Ganondorf, Mario, Donkey Kong, Young Link, Link, Mr. Game & Watch | Power, versatility, projectile game | Mekk, Aklo |
| D-Tier | Mewtwo, Roy, Pichu, Ness, Zelda | Niche strengths, high skill ceiling | Limited representation |
| F-Tier | Kirby, Bowser | Limited mobility, predictable recovery | Rare competitive use |
The SSBM competitive community has created numerous tier lists since the game's release in 2001, with each iteration reflecting the evolving meta and discoveries made by players worldwide. The first official tier list was published on October 8, 2002, by the Smash Back Room, establishing a foundation that would be refined over the following decades.
Contents
Early tier lists focused heavily on character speed and basic combo potential, often placing characters like Fox, Falco, and Sheik at the top due to their fast movement and combo strings. However, as players developed more advanced techniques and strategies, certain characters rose or fell in the rankings based on tournament results and matchup discoveries.
The most significant shifts in tier list history include:
Fox (Rank 1) Fox remains the undisputed king of Melee, maintaining his position at the top of every major tier list. His incredible speed, devastating shine combos, and versatile recovery make him the most well-rounded character in the game. Fox's one-frame shine attack allows for infinite combo potential and edgeguarding opportunities that no other character can match.
Key strengths:
Notable players: Cody Schwab (current world #1), Mang0, Leffen
Marth (Rank 2) Marth has solidified his position as the second-best character in Melee, largely thanks to Zain Naghmi's consistent tournament success. His incredible range, spacing tools, and edgeguarding capabilities make him a formidable opponent in any matchup.
Key strengths:
Notable players: Zain, PewPewU, Mew2King
Jigglypuff (Rank 3) Once considered merely high-tier, Jigglypuff's rise to S-tier status is a testament to character specialist Hungrybox's innovation and dominance. The "Wall of Pain" strategy and rest combos have proven devastating at the highest levels of play.
Key strengths:
Notable players: Hungrybox, Prince Abu, Hbox
Falco (Rank 4) Falco rounds out the S-tier with his incredible combo potential and pressure game. While he has fallen slightly in recent rankings due to Marth and Jigglypuff's rise, his laser camping and pillar combos remain among the most powerful tools in Melee.
Key strengths:
Notable players: Plup, Westballz, Mango
Sheik Sheik remains a top-tier threat with her incredible combo game and edgeguarding capabilities. Her chain throws on fast-fallers and needle camping make her a formidable opponent, though she has slightly fallen from the absolute top tier in recent years.
Key strengths:
Notable players: Plup, Ice, Darkatma
Captain Falcon Captain Falcon maintains his position in A-tier thanks to his incredible KO power and movement speed. The "Falcon Punch" may be his most famous move, but his knee smash and combo game are what make him truly dangerous.
Key strengths:
Notable players: Wizzrobe, S2J, n0ne
Peach Peach has slightly fallen in recent tier lists due to Jigglypuff's rise, as the puff matchup is particularly challenging for the princess. However, her float-cancelled aerials and turnip projectiles keep her as a strong A-tier character.
Key strengths:
Notable players: Armada, MacD, Bladewise
Ice Climbers The Ice Climbers remain a threat due to their devastating chain grab potential. While technically demanding, their ability to zero-to-death opponents makes them a fearsome pick in the right hands.
Key strengths:
Notable players: ChuDat, Nintendude, Wobbles
Pikachu Pikachu has seen a resurgence in recent years thanks to players like Axe showcasing the character's incredible speed and combo potential. His quick attack recovery and edgeguarding tools make him a solid B-tier character.
Key strengths:
Notable players: Axe, Anther, Kage
Yoshi Yoshi has made the most significant climb in recent tier lists, largely thanks to aMSa's dedicated development of the character. His unique movement options and parry ability make him a formidable opponent when mastered.
Key strengths:
Notable players: aMSa, Egg$, Shiri
Samus Samus maintains her position as a viable tournament character with her strong projectile game and heavy weight. While technically demanding, her missile camping and charge shot combos can be devastating.
Key strengths:
Notable players: Duck, HugS, Morsecode762
Luigi Luigi has risen in the rankings thanks to players like Eddy Mexico showcasing his incredible combo potential and recovery options. His wavedash is among the best in the game, allowing for incredible movement.
Key strengths:
Notable players: Eddy Mexico, Abate, Vudujin
Dr. Mario Dr. Mario remains a solid choice with his powerful smash attacks and pill projectiles. While slightly slower than Mario, his increased power makes him a viable tournament character.
Key strengths:
Notable players: Shroomed, DJ Nintendo, Dr. Z
Ganondorf Ganondorf has achieved his highest placement in any Smash game at 14th in Melee. His incredible power and surprising aerial mobility make him a viable, though challenging, tournament character.
Key strengths:
Notable players: Kage, Mekk, Bizzarro Flame
Mario Mario represents the balanced archetype in Melee, with solid tools in every area but no outstanding strengths. His versatility makes him a viable, though not top-tier, tournament character.
Key strengths:
Notable players: MarioSSB, Azen, Zenyou
Donkey Kong Donkey Kong has seen a resurgence in recent years with multiple players ranked in SSBMRank 2023. His incredible grab game and cargo throw combos make him a threat when mastered.
Key strengths:
Notable players: Junebug, ckyulmiqnudaetr, Akir
Young Link Young Link offers a projectile-heavy playstyle with good mobility and combo potential. While not top-tier, his zoning tools and speed make him a viable tournament character.
Key strengths:
Notable players: TLTC, Young Link, Hylian
Link Link has achieved unprecedented success in recent years, with Aklo becoming the first Link player to reach top 10 in SSBMRank. His projectile game and strong aerials make him a viable tournament character.
Key strengths:
Notable players: Aklo, Egg$, Izaw
Mr. Game & Watch Mr. Game & Watch offers a unique playstyle with his turtle and judgment hammer. While technically demanding, his edgeguarding and KO potential make him a viable tournament character.
Key strengths:
Notable players: Qerb, Maister, NinjaLink
Mewtwo Mewtwo remains one of the most challenging characters to use effectively in tournament play. While he has strong throws and good recovery, his light weight and large hurtbox make him vulnerable to combos.
Key strengths:
Notable players: Taj, Mew2King, Prince
Roy Roy represents the "slow but powerful" archetype, with strong smash attacks but poor recovery and approach options. While challenging, his KO power can be rewarding in the right hands.
Key strengths:
Notable players: Sethlon, Neo, False
Pichu Pichu has surprisingly climbed the tier lists in recent years, moving up from the absolute bottom. While incredibly light and self-damaging, his speed and combo potential make him a viable, though challenging, character.
Key strengths:
Notable players: Axe, Mango, Hungrybox (for fun)
Ness Ness offers a unique playstyle with his yo-yo and PK Fire setups. While challenging to use effectively, his edgeguarding and KO potential make him a viable tournament character.
Key strengths:
Notable players: A Rookie, Mofo, Firo
Zelda Zelda remains one of the most challenging characters to use effectively in tournament play. While she has powerful smash attacks and good recovery, her slow movement and predictable approach make her vulnerable.
Key strengths:
Notable players: Mike G, Vimaca, Dark
Kirby Kirby continues to struggle in competitive play despite being one of the most powerful characters in the Nintendo universe. His slow movement, predictable recovery, and limited KO options make him the second-worst character in Melee.
Key strengths:
Notable players: ChuDat (for fun), Taj, KirbyKaze
Bowser Bowser has claimed the unfortunate title of worst character in Melee according to recent tier lists. His incredibly slow movement, predictable recovery, and large hurtbox make him extremely vulnerable in tournament play.
Key strengths:
Notable players: Eikelmann, XIF, Bowser
The current SSBM tier list is compiled using multiple data sources and methodologies:
The 13th official tier list consulted 64 professional Melee players, including top-ranked competitors and tournament veterans. These players provided rankings based on their competitive experience and matchup knowledge.
SSBMRank 2023 data was analyzed to determine which characters are achieving success at the highest levels of competitive play. Characters with multiple top-ranked players naturally rise in the tier list.
Community platforms like EventHubs and TierMaker aggregate thousands of player votes to create consensus rankings that reflect the broader player base's perceptions.
Each character's performance against the entire cast is considered, with particular attention paid to matchups against top-tier characters. Characters that perform well against S-tier opponents naturally rank higher.
Fox Dominance Continues Fox maintains his position as the undisputed best character in Melee, with Cody Schwab's 2023 championship victory further cementing this status. His versatility, speed, and combo potential make him the most well-rounded character in the game.
Marth's Ascendancy Marth has solidified his position as the second-best character, largely thanks to Zain Naghmi's consistent tournament success. The character's spacing tools and edgeguarding capabilities have proven devastating at the highest levels of play.
Jigglypuff's Revolutionary Impact Hungrybox's innovative playstyle has elevated Jigglypuff from high-tier to S-tier status. The "Wall of Pain" strategy and rest combos have proven that character specialization can overcome perceived tier limitations.
Character Diversity Increases The 2023 competitive scene has seen unprecedented character diversity, with multiple Donkey Kong, Link, and Yoshi players achieving top 100 rankings in SSBMRank. This suggests that the meta is continuing to evolve and that more characters are becoming viable at high levels of play.
Based on current trends and player development, several characters are positioned for potential tier list changes:
Yoshi's Continued Rise With aMSa's continued success and the development of new Yoshi techniques, the character is likely to continue climbing the tier lists in coming years.
Mid-Tier Character Development Characters like Samus, Luigi, and Pikachu are seeing increased representation in tournaments, suggesting that continued development could lead to tier list improvements.
New Techniques and Discoveries The Melee community continues to discover new techniques and strategies, which could lead to significant tier list shifts as players master these new options.
SSBM tier lists are typically updated every few years, with the most recent official tier list (13th edition) being released in 2022. However, community tier lists and player opinions are constantly evolving based on tournament results and new discoveries.
Fox's combination of incredible speed, devastating shine combos, versatile recovery, and strong matchup spread makes him the most well-rounded character in the game. His ability to approach, combo, edgeguard, and recover effectively gives him no significant weaknesses.
Yes! While rare, low-tier character victories do happen. Notable examples include aMSa's success with Yoshi, Hungrybox's dominance with Jigglypuff (once considered mid-tier), and recent showings from Donkey Kong and Link players in high-level tournaments.
Tier lists provide a general guideline for character viability, but player skill, matchup knowledge, and individual playstyle often matter more than tier placement. Many players achieve success with characters considered "low-tier" through dedicated practice and character mastery.
NTSC (North American) and PAL (European) versions of Melee have some balance differences, particularly with character attributes and move properties. This results in slightly different tier lists between regions, though the overall character rankings remain similar.
Consider factors like playstyle preference, character attributes that match your skills, and matchup knowledge. Many players recommend starting with higher-tier characters to learn fundamental mechanics before specializing in a main.
Advanced techniques like wavedashing, L-cancelling, and character-specific tech significantly impact tier list placement. Characters that benefit most from these techniques (like Fox and Falco) typically rank higher due to their enhanced potential when mastered.
The Melee meta has evolved dramatically since 2001, with characters rising and falling based on technique discoveries, player innovation, and tournament results. What was once considered low-tier can become viable through dedicated development and new strategies.
The SSBM tier list represents decades of competitive evolution, player innovation, and community consensus. While Fox maintains his position at the top, the continued success of characters like Marth, Jigglypuff, and even mid-tier characters demonstrates that Melee's meta is still evolving and that character viability is not static.
For players looking to enter the competitive scene, understanding these tier rankings provides valuable insight into character strengths and weaknesses. However, it's important to remember that player skill, matchup knowledge, and dedication often outweigh tier placement in determining tournament success.
As the Melee community continues to discover new techniques and strategies, we can expect to see further evolution in character rankings and viability. The enduring popularity of Melee's competitive scene ensures that tier lists will continue to be refined and debated for years to come.
Whether you're a seasoned competitor or just starting your Melee journey, understanding the current tier list landscape provides essential context for character selection, matchup preparation, and strategic development in one of fighting game history's most enduring competitive scenes.