Super Smash Bros. series

Series symbol

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This article lists the logos of every universe that appears in the Smash series. For information about the Smash series logo specifically, see Super Smash Bros. logo.

A series symbol is a distinctive iconography that represents game universes, assigned to fighters and stages. For fighters, it is displayed next to their damage meter (in the same color as the player's slot), as well as on the victory screen. For stages, it is visible on the stage selection screen.

To an extent, these symbols are also applicable for items (as seen on the Smash Bros. DOJO!! pages), trophies (as seen in Super Smash Bros. 4's trophy collections), music (as seen in the sound tests from Brawl onward, as well as music previews on the Smash 4 and Ultimate official websites), and spirits (displayed while creating a party and within the Spirit List); however, these generally require a playable character in order to have a symbol assigned. Otherwise, the Smash Bros. logo or ellipsis symbol is assigned by default, or else no symbol appears at all. While some series have a symbol due to being represented by stages, if the universe is not represented by a fighter, the symbol will not be used outside of the stage.

The following is a list of all series symbols, along with a short explanation of what they are and where they come from within their game universes.

List of series symbols

Series represented by fighter

Universe Image Description Explanation
Super Smash Bros.
SmashBrosSymbol.svg
An asymmetrical cross in a circle This logo has represented the series since the first Super Smash Bros. game for the Nintendo 64. Masahiro Sakurai has stated that the cross represents the crossover of the various Nintendo characters and properties, while the logo's four sections reference the four-player aspect of the games. [1]
Mario MarioSymbol(preBrawl).svg
Super Smash Bros.Super Smash Bros. Melee
MarioSymbol.svg
Super Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
A Super Mushroom A common power-up in the Mushroom Kingdom which usually makes Mario and Luigi grow in size. In Smash 64 and Melee, the Super Mushroom's design derives from its appearance in Super Mario Bros. 3, albeit lacking spots; in Brawl onwards, its design derives from its appearance in Mario Kart DS, which itself was the first modern appearance of the Mushroom.
Donkey Kong DKSymbol(preBrawl).svg
Super Smash Bros.Super Smash Bros. Melee
DKSymbol.svg
Super Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
The letters "DK" The initials on Donkey Kong's red tie, introduced in promotional art for 1994's Donkey Kong for the Game Boy. Also found on DK Barrels. Used as Donkey Kong's symbol in all Mario spin-offs. In Brawl onwards, the DK logo is slightly bigger and the gap between the laters were made smaller, along with D no longer being slanted.
The Legend of Zelda
ZeldaSymbol.svg
The Triforce A powerful relic of Hyrule; the driving force of the series. Its iconography is prevalent throughout the series (for example, it appears on Link's Hylian Shield) and is also used as part of the logo for several games, such as Skyward Sword and A Link Between Worlds.
Metroid MetroidSymbol(preBrawl).svg
Super Smash Bros.Super Smash Bros. Melee
MetroidSymbol.svg
Super Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Pre-Brawl: Screw Attack
Post-Brawl: Stylized, Screw Attack-esque "S" symbol
Pre-Brawl: An item that allows Samus to use the Screw Attack. Usually obtained after defeating Ridley in the 2D Metroid games.
Post-Brawl: An S-shaped icon that closely resembles the Screw Attack is used prominently in the Metroid games, as seen in the ending of Super Metroid, the logos of Metroid Fusion and Metroid Prime, and as suit upgrades in the Metroid Prime sub-series.
Yoshi YoshiSymbol(preBrawl).svg
Super Smash Bros.Super Smash Bros. Melee
YoshiSymbol.svg
Super Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Yoshi's Egg Yoshis can be found in eggs and utilize eggs for several signature techniques. Used as Yoshi's symbol in all Mario spin-offs, and also as part of the Yoshi logo. Brawls tweaked the symbol slightly, being rotated clockwise and getting the spots redesigned.
Kirby
KirbySymbol.svg
A five-pointed star Stars are the signature design motif of the Kirby series, as reflected in its Japanese name, Kirby of the Stars, as well as its logo design. This emblem could represent Warp Stars, which transport Kirby between areas; Popstar, Kirby's similarly-shaped home planet; or simply the series' use of stars in general.
Star Fox StarFoxSymbol(preBrawl).svg
Super Smash Bros.Super Smash Bros. Melee
StarFoxSymbol.svg
Super Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
A winged fox This logo adorns each of Team Star Fox's various vehicles, such as the Great Fox, Arwings, and the Landmaster. It was slightly tweaked in Brawl to be longer and more detaled.
Pokémon PokemonSymbol(preBrawl).svg
Super Smash Bros.Super Smash Bros. Melee
PokemonSymbol.svg
Super Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
A Poké Ball An item used to catch and store Pokémon, commonly used as a symbol even in its home universe, appearing in the logo of several in-universe brands and organisations. The symbol from Brawl onwards also represents the white colouration of the bottom half of the Poké Ball.
EarthBound EarthboundSymbol(preBrawl).svg
Super Smash Bros.Super Smash Bros. Melee
EarthboundSymbol.svg
Super Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Earth The Mother games' Japanese logos, as well as the logo for the English EarthBound Beginnings, all substitute this symbol for the letter "O". Based on the original, non-rotated version of "The Blue Marble", a famous photo of Earth from space.[2] In Brawl onwards, the icon has been made much more detailed.
F-Zero
FZeroSymbol.svg
A falcon The golden crest on Captain Falcon's helmet.
Ice Climber
IceClimberSymbol.svg
An eggplant The first of the vegetables the Ice Climbers sought to collect in the bonus levels of Ice Climber.
Fire Emblem
FireEmblemSymbol.svg
Falchion The legendary sword wielded by Marth in the first, third, eleventh, and twelfth Fire Emblem games. Uses the weapon's Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem design.
Game & Watch Game&WatchSymbol(preBrawl).svg
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Game&WatchSymbol.svg
Super Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
A Game & Watch character ringing a bell Represents the alarm feature; this bell was featured on many Game & Watch games. The Melee design features two bells to represent how Game & Watch titles would show all their sprites at once when turned off. The overall design of the Mr. Game & Watch-esque character on the symbol is very reminiscent of the alarm cell from the Game & Watch game Helmet. In Brawl onwards, the second bell on the symbol was removed.
Kid Icarus
KidIcarusSymbol.svg
The Palutena Bow Pit's main weapon and the icon of Bow-type weapons in Kid Icarus: Uprising.
Wario
WarioSymbol.svg
A "W" for "Wario" Wario has this printed on his hat and gloves. Used as Wario's symbol in all Mario spin-offs.
Pikmin
PikminSymbol.svg
A Pikmin's flower (known as bacopa cabana in the real world) Fully grown Pikmin have flowers above their stems; the flower also appears on the Onions, acting as their main propeller, and has been bred in the real world as a marketing stunt for the first Pikmin game.
R.O.B.
ROBSymbol.svg
A gyro One of the real-world accessories used by R.O.B. for the game Gyromite. Also incorporates the Subspace Army symbol.
Animal Crossing
AnimalCrossingSymbol.svg
A leaf with a hole in it Represents a piece of furniture in the player's inventory. It is also the logo of Tom Nook's shop, and appears as part of the logo for Animal Crossing: New Leaf.
Wii Fit
WiiFitSymbol.svg
A silhouette of the Dancer yoga pose One of the poses featured on the Wii Fit box art, and the software icon for Wii Fit U. It is also Wii Fit Trainer's official artwork pose in Smash 4.
Punch-Out!!
PunchOutSymbol.svg
A boxing glove Punch-Out!! is a series of boxing games. This particular design appears on the title screen and victory screens of all versions of the NES Punch-Out!!.
Xenoblade Chronicles
XenobladeSymbol.svg
The Monado A weapon that Shulk wields in Xenoblade Chronicles. It is cropped exactly like in the loading screen of said game.
Duck Hunt
DuckHuntSymbol.svg
A duck This symbol resembles one of the ducks' flying sprites in Duck Hunt. It is also very similar to the artwork of one of the ducks on the Japanese and European box arts for Duck Hunt.
Splatoon
SplatoonSymbol.svg
An Inkling in squid form The squid icon appears often throughout the Splatoon games, in places such as gear ability icons and on the loading screens.
ARMS
ARMSSymbol.svg
An extended fist Represents the series' focus on extendable arm combat. It is specifically drawn from the logo of the ARMS Japan Grand Prix 2017 competition.[3]
Metal Gear MetalGearSymbol(preUltimate).svg
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
MetalGearSymbol.svg
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Brawl: FOX Unit's insignia
Ultimate: Exclamation mark
Brawl: The insignia of the covert operations group FOX from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater; also the former Kojima Productions logo.
Ultimate: Exclamation marks are used in the Metal Gear series to indicate when a enemy has spotted Snake or noticed something.
Sonic the Hedgehog
SonicSymbol.svg
Classic Sonic's head, in profile Often used to represent Sonic, and used in Sonic Team's logo, albeit with eyes. A similar symbol appeared inside the "O" of "Heroes" in the Sonic Heroes logo.
Mega Man
MegaManSymbol.svg
A cog In Japan, cogs are commonly used to represent the Mega Man series.[4] Outside of Japan, cog imagery became prevalent in Mega Man 11.
Pac-Man
PacManSymbol.svg
Pac-Man in his classic "wedge" shape Based on Pac-Man's original sprite in Pac-Man, his first and most famous appearance.
Street Fighter
StreetFighterSymbol.svg
The letters "SF" The appearance of the letters as they appear in the Street Fighter II logo.
Final Fantasy
FinalFantasySymbol.svg
The letters "FF" The series' initials, rendered in the font used for the franchise's iconic logo. Taken directly from the Finest Fantasy for Advance logo for the Game Boy Advance exclusive Final Fantasy games. This could also be a reference to how the series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, back when creating the series, initially wanted the then-nameless first game to be abbreviated as "FF" (エフエフ, Efu Efu) before finally choosing Final Fantasy.[5]
Bayonetta
BayonettaSymbol.svg
A moon with a dot in the center The internal design of an Umbran Watch. Also used as part of the logo of Bayonetta 2.
Castlevania
CastlevaniaSymbol.svg
A castle with a bat in the upper left corner Represents Dracula's Castle, a central location within the Castlevania series. Its appearance is based on its design dating back to the title screen of the original Japanese version of Akumajō Dracula (Castlevania) on Famicom Disk System[6], while the bat is taken from the original box art for Castlevania.
Persona
PersonaSymbol.svg
Stylized mask and top hat The logo of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts from Persona 5.
Dragon Quest
Symbol of the Dragon Quest series.
Erdrick's symbol This sigil, which resembles a bird, is usually seen on important equipment owned by Erdrick, which can be found in the first three Dragon Quest games. This symbol most closely resembles the one found on the Mark of Erdrick, a recurring item that was also found in the first three Dragon Quest games.
Banjo-Kazooie
Official symbol for the Banjo-Kazooie series.
A Jiggy Jiggies—golden jigsaw puzzle pieces—are key items in the Banjo-Kazooie series, granting access to additional levels when collected.
Fatal Fury
FatalFurySymbol.svg
A five-pointed star tilted at an angle Used as part of the logo of several games in both the Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters series, and also as the icon for when Terry wins a round in Garou: Mark of the Wolves. A similar symbol is featured on the back of Terry's jacket.
Minecraft
MinecraftSymbol.svg
A Block Blocks are the main feature of Minecraft; various blocks have been used as icons for the game in the past, such as Grass Blocks and Crafting Tables. The way the block in the symbol is oriented is similar to Minecraft's former desktop icon.
Tekken
TekkenSymbol.svg
Kazuya's fist Clad in Kazuya's trademark metal-studded fingerless gloves, it is symbolic of the series's name, often depicted both in kanji ("鉄拳") and rōmaji ("Tekken"), which literally translates to "iron fist".
Kingdom Hearts
KingdomHeartsSymbol.svg
A crown A three-pointed crown symbol that frequently recurs in the Kingdom Hearts franchise, usually in association with Sora. Notably, it appears in the Kingdom Hearts logo, as Sora’s necklace, and as a negative-space silhouette in the teeth of his Keyblade.

Represented by stage

Universe Image Description Explanation
Nintendo DS
DSSymbol.svg
The "dual screen" logo Represents the upper and lower screens of the Nintendo DS which were used in part of its logo. Prominently featured on the casing for the DS Lite.
Electroplankton
ElectroplanktonSymbol.svg
A Nanocarp Nanocarp, one of the various Electroplankton; featured on the game's box art.
Balloon Fight
BalloonFightSymbol.svg
A pair of balloons In Balloon Fight, the player starts off each life with 2 balloons, with the sprite being designed to portray one balloon being behind the other, as in the symbol.
Nintendogs
NintendogsSymbol.svg
A paw print Represents a dog's paw print. A dog paw print is part of the Nintendogs logo, albeit with a different design.
Tomodachi
TomodachiSymbol.svg
A house Representative of the residential setting of the series, and the homes inhabited by married Miis.
StreetPass Mii Plaza
FindMiiSymbol.svg
The Regal Crown The crown worn by the player's Mii, who takes on the role of a King or Queen in both of the Find Mii games.
Wrecking Crew
WreckingCrewSymbol.svg
A steel drum Steel drums can be used in Wrecking Crew to trap enemies.
Pilotwings
PilotwingsSymbol.svg
An airplane The Pilotwings series focuses on piloting aircraft; this symbol's design is based on the plane in the logo of Pilotwings Resort.
Wii Sports
WiiSportsSymbol.svg
A palm tree next to a volcano A stylized representation of Wuhu Island, the setting of Wii Sports Resort, with the volcano representing Maka Wuhu.
Miiverse
MiiverseSymbol.svg
The Miiverse logo Shows three people, representing the community of players on Miiverse. Also used to represent the Miiverse Administration. Appears as a decorative element on the Miiverse stage.

Represented by other

Universe Image Description Explanation
Mii
MiiSymbol.svg
The word "Mii" The logo used for Miis since their introduction on the Wii. This symbol is unique in that it is not used for any stages, modes, or playable characters, instead being reserved only for spirits from games with Miis as their main playable characters.
Other
OtherSymbol.svg
The ellipsis "…" This symbol is used in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's music section for universes without any series symbol and in the party selection screen for spirits without any series symbol (except when accessed via team setup).

Non-game symbols

The following symbols do not represent any game series, but are used for certain stages or modes.

Usage Image Description Explanation
Metal Mario
MetalMarioSymbol.svg
A metallic Super Mushroom The Mario symbol from Smash 64 and Melee, but edited to look metallic. Used only in Super Smash Bros.
Battlefield (SSBM) SpecialStagesSymbol.svg A circle cut into eighths and slightly spread apart This symbol is used in Melee as the series of Battlefield. One could presume it represents "Special Stages", as this is given as the title of the stage, but Final Destination (which is also titled Special Stages) is given the Super Smash Bros. symbol instead. The meaning and intent of this symbol is therefore unknown.
Subspace SubspaceSymbol.svg A hollow circle with a bar on the inner left Featured prominently on many Subspace Army creatures and objects within The Subspace Emissary. Also used to represent the mode as a whole. Resembles a Mite's head.
Custom stages CustomStagesSymbolWiiU.svg
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
The symbol used for custom stages in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, traced from a screenshot.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
SSB4: A circle, a square and a triangle
Ultimate: A stage with a pencil going through it
These symbols are used in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Ultimate to represent stages created with the Stage Builder when they are about to be chosen for a match. Despite Stage Builder being present in Brawl, there was no symbol associated with it until for Wii U.
Assist Trophy AssistTrophySymbol.svg An unknown character inside capsule, similar to official render This symbol is used in Ultimate to represent voice clips of Assist Trophies in Sound Test. Although an icon associated with voice clips was present in SSB4, the Super Smash Bros. symbol was used in that game (as with the announcer and stage hazards).
World of Light WorldOfLightSymbol.svg Four curved wings around a circular core A stylized render of Galeem, one of the two main antagonists of World of Light. Also used to represent the mode as a whole.

Trivia

FireEmblemSymbol.svgFireEmblemSymbol(BrawlResults).svg
Magnify-clip.pngMagnify-clip.png
Left: standard Fire Emblem symbol.
Right: Brawl results screen variant.
PersonaSymbol.svgPersonaSymbol(Website).svg
Magnify-clip.pngMagnify-clip.png
Left: standard Persona symbol.
Right: Ultimate official website variant.
  • In Brawl, the Fire Emblem series symbol as used on the results screen has a somewhat different design than in all of its other appearances (in both the rest of Brawl and in all other Smash games). The Brawl results screen variant has a thinner blade, an extended crossguard, an asymmetrical hilt, a longer handle, and a flat-sided pommel.
    • A similar inconsistency can be seen in the Persona symbol, where the symbol featured on the official site for Ultimate has no stray line above the brim of the hat, various bumps in the lining around the hat, and a differently shaped flame that does not reach outside of the hat itself.
  • Though the Wii Fit Trainer herself has a ponytail hairstyle, the Wii Fit series symbol has her hair in a bun. A similar case occurs with her Final Smash.
  • Super Smash Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Kirby, and F-Zero are the only universes to use their exact same symbols in all Smash Bros. games.
  • Metal Gear is the only universe to have its series symbol entirely changed in one game after debut rather than edited.
    • The original Metal Gear symbol in Brawl was based on the emblem of Metal Gear's FOX Unit, which is also the former logo for Kojima Productions, used while the studio was a part of Konami. The symbol's change to an exclamation point in Ultimate was likely made due to the dissolution of Kojima Productions from Konami and its re-establishment as an independent studio in 2015, a move itself precipitated by Hideo Kojima's departure from Konami amidst rumors of disagreements with the company's management.
  • In Ultimate, the spirits from universes with only stages do not use their stage symbols; the Wrecking Crew spirits are listed as Mario series spirits, while the rest are listed as Mii series spirits (StreetPass Mii Plaza, Pilotwings) or "other" series spirits (Balloon Fight, Electroplankton, Nintendogs).
  • Donkey Kong, Wario, Street Fighter, and Final Fantasy are the only universes to use their initials as the series symbol.
  • In the files for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, an unused fighter emblem for Rhythm Heaven can be found, suggesting the series was originally going to receive a fighter, but was scrapped later in development for unknown reasons.[7] The identity of the fighter and how far into development they got is unknown.
  • The Wii Sports series symbol would later inspire the design of the Wuhu Island emblem seen in Wuhu Town in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, with a similar stylized motif featuring a palm tree, Maka Wuhu, and the ocean in an identical configuration to the Smash symbol.
  • On the official site for Ultimate, in the "Fighters" page displaying by series, every series symbol has a stripe pattern, with the one exception being Super Mario. This is more noticeable on the mobile layout of the site as the desktop layout has an identical stripe patterned background that shows through the symbol.

References