Editing Fighter

|<ref name="pokeball">Is a [[Poké Ball]] Pokémon.</ref>

|<ref name="chrom">Appears in [[Robin]]'s [[Final Smash]].</ref>

|{{bg|#dfdfdf}}|{{Head|Chrom|g=SSBU|s=24px}}<ref name="chrom"/>

|<ref name="assist">Is an [[Assist Trophy]].</ref>

|{{Head|Olimar|g=SSB4|s=24px}}<ref name="alph">In ''Smash 4'' and ''Ultimate'', half of Olimar's costumes allow players to control [[Alph]] instead.</ref>

|{{bg|#ffffaf}}|{{Head|Piranha Plant|g=SSBU|s=24px}}<ref name=plant/>

|<ref>Is a [[boss]].</ref>

|<ref>Is a [[stage hazard]] in {{forwiiu}}.</ref>

Less commonly, the term "veteran" can also denote the "eight regulars" or "perfect-attendance fighters", which are the eight [[starter character]]s in the original ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' which have been in all subsequent games of the series. The "perfect attendance" part of the term is a reference to the fact that these eight fighters have always been available from the start of every game without needing to be unlocked. The terms originated in the description for the 10th ''Brawl'' event match [[Event 10: All-Star Battle Regulars|All-Star Battle Regulars]], reading: ''"The Smash Bros. perfect-attendance crew! Fight the eight regulars in order!"'' A popular, unofficial term referring to this group is "The Original 8" ([[Mario]], [[Donkey Kong]], [[Link]], [[Samus]], [[Yoshi]], [[Kirby]], [[Fox]], and [[Pikachu]]), which may also be called "The Original 12" if including the four unlockable characters ([[Luigi]], [[Ness]], [[Captain Falcon]], and [[Jigglypuff]]), who have likewise appeared in every game in the series. The 29th ''Brawl'' event match [[Event 29: All-Star Semifinal Regulars|All-Star Semifinal Regulars]] states: ''"Four hidden characters from the past game! They're secret perfect attendees."'' {{forwiiu}} is the only installment where all the "Original 12" are starter characters. ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' refers to the concept of the perfect-attendance crew by making the only starter characters the aforementioned "Original 8".

*{{uv|Pokémon}} is the only universe to have multiple fighters cut throughout the series, being Mewtwo, Pichu, and Pokémon Trainer's Squirtle and Ivysaur.

**However, it is also the only universe to have newcomers in all games.

*{{uv|Metal Gear}} and {{uv|Ice Climber}} are the only universes to have the entirety of their characters cut from a game.

*Pichu and Young Link are the only fighters to have been absent from multiple consecutive installments.

*Ice Climbers are the only characters to have been a fighter in multiple games before being cut.

*Lucas is the only fighter to have been a starter character, unlockable character, and downloadable character in separate games. Lucas is also the only playable character who has never appeared in a non-''Smash'' game released outside Japan.

*[[Roy]] is the only playable character to debut in ''Super Smash Bros.'' before appearing in any other game. His inclusion in ''Melee'' was intended to promote ''{{s|fireemblemwiki|Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade}}'', his debut in his home series, which was released shortly after ''Melee'' in Japan. According to [[Masahiro Sakurai]], ''The Binding Blade'' was originally scheduled for release before ''Melee''.<ref>https://sourcegaming.info/2015/12/13/sakurai-fe25/</ref>

*[[Charizard]], [[Little Mac]], [[Ridley]], [[Dark Samus]], [[Isabelle]], [[Chrom]], and [[Piranha Plant]] are the only characters to have been made fully playable after major non-playable appearances, excluding characters that are playable via items such as [[Metal Mario]]. These include [[Poké Ball]] Pokémon, [[Boss]]es, [[Assist Trophies]], [[stage hazard]]s, or part of another character's moveset. Of these characters, Chrom and Piranha Plant are the only ones to retain their non-playable roles even after becoming playable.

*{{SSB|Captain Falcon}} (in ''Smash 64''), the {{SSB4|Mii Fighter}}s in both of their appearances, and {{SSBU|Pac-Man}} (in ''Ultimate'') are the only fighters to use head icons that don't portray their faces.

*Prior to ''Ultimate'', the only unlockable characters whose playable status was not kept a secret in official sources prior to release were {{SSBB|Snake}} and {{SSBB|Sonic}} in ''Brawl'', and {{SSB4|Lucina}} in ''Smash 4''.