Universe

A universe (also referred to as a franchise, and officially known as a series) is a term used by the Smash Bros. community to collectively refer to all the particular characters, stages, items, music, and other properties appearing in the fighting games that are thematically featured in another game franchise.

Primary universes

These are the video game series and franchises that the Super Smash Bros. games classify as major enough that they assign each franchise its own unique symbol that appears with characters and stages belonging to that franchise. These franchises generally have characters, stages, items, and other properties that all appear in Smash Bros. games as part of their primary content. However, the minimum requirement for a symbol is to contribute one stage or one character to the games (with a single exception). Universes that only contribute a stage, with the sole exception of Animal Crossing in Brawl, do not get a separate universe listing in the trophies pages and their items and spirits are not tagged with their symbol (for example, the Golden Hammer is listed as a Mario item and the Rocket Belt is listed under "Others").

The Super Smash Bros. universe: The "default" universe, this represents the Smash Bros. games themselves and accompanies all appearances of characters and stages that are thematically original to the fighting games themselves. Many original characters have been introduced here, but none thus far have been actually playable, with most serving as enemies and bosses in single-player content. The universe symbol seen here is also used as a "placeholder" by the games to indicate a minor universe without its own symbol until Ultimate, where an ellipsis is used instead. In Super Smash Bros. 4, the Super Smash Bros. universe gets its own character representation by the customizable Mii Brawler, Mii Swordfighter, and Mii Gunner.
The Mario universe: Also referred to as the Super Mario Bros. or simply the Super Mario series. Nintendo's flagship video game franchise, mostly focusing on the efforts of its eponymous hero to save the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom from the evil Koopa Troop. The mascot at the head of this multi-genre series, Mario (the mascot of Nintendo who appears on all Nintendo systems), is a primary playable character in the Smash Bros. games, and has been accompanied by his brother Luigi (both since Smash 64), his alter-ego Dr. Mario (Melee and from Smash 4 onwards), the Mushroom Kingdom princess, Peach (since Melee), the villainous king of the Koopas Bowser (since Melee), his mischievous son Bowser Jr. (Smash 4 onwards) (who also has the seven Koopalings join him in the form of alternate costumes), the cosmic guardian Rosalina along with her child Luma (Smash 4 onwards), the reigning princess of Sarasaland, Daisy (Ultimate), and a feared enemy of the kingdom, Piranha Plant (Ultimate, albeit as DLC) as playable characters. Brawl also started to treat Mario Kart as a partially separate universe, containing three stages and a collection of music tracks, though it still uses the main Mario series symbol.
The Yoshi universe: Also referred to as the Yoshi's Island series. Known as being a more laid-back and light-hearted subset of the Mario series starring a race of long-tongued dinosaurs with the ability to encase their enemies in eggs and transform into vehicles, best known for their appearances in Mario titles, it was initially conceived as a series of falling-block puzzle games, but was launched into popularity by Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, a prequel where a group of Yoshis befriend and rescue the infant forms of Mario and Luigi with a pastel color scheme and crayon art style - later games would downplay Mario's involvement and instead emphasize more literal arts & crafts aesthetics alongside easier levels aimed at younger audiences, though Bowser would continue to appear, usually as a baby himself under the eye of Kamek. Yoshi is the sole fighter of this series in the Super Smash Bros. games.
The Donkey Kong universe: A franchise which the Mario series was partially spun-off from. Started in the form of a platformer game where the titular Donkey Kong was an antagonist, it was revitalized under the direction of British company Rare Ltd., now focusing on the adventures of a new, younger Donkey Kong alongside his many simian friends, animal steeds, and his reptilian adversaries known as the Kremlings. Donkey Kong himself has been a playable Smash Bros. character throughout the entire series, while his younger "wannabe nephew" friend Diddy Kong has been playable since Brawl. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the leader of the Kremlings and arch-nemesis to the Kong family, King K. Rool, joined the roster as a playable newcomer in his original king attire.
The Legend of Zelda universe: A critically-acclaimed series of fantasy action-adventure games known for their heavy emphasis on exploration, puzzle-solving, and use of items, portraying several incarnations and continuities of its main characters across the ages, primarily the young Hylian hero Link (who is accompanied by Young Link in Melee & Ultimate, and Toon Link since Brawl), the eponymous princess Zelda (since Melee), and the dark warlock Ganondorf (since Melee). These five, as well as Zelda's ninja-like alter-ego Sheik (since Melee), are playable characters.
The Metroid universe: A science fiction series in either the side-scrolling platforming or the first-person shooting adventure genres. The series' formerly silent protagonist, bounty hunter Samus Aran clad in a versatile power suit (as well as without it in an alternative guise named Zero Suit Samus), is the primary playable character. In Brawl, another character from the universe appeared as a boss in the form of the sociopathic and fully-sapient space dragon Ridley, and later as Meta Ridley. In Smash 4, Ridley appears as a stage boss in the Wii U version. However in Ultimate, Ridley finally becomes a playable fighter. Also in Ultimate, Dark Samus (the bounty hunter's arch-rival from the Prime series) joins the fray, being promoted from an Assist Trophy.
The Kirby universe: A colorful platformer series aimed at beginners in gaming, its signature mechanic being its main character's ability to inhale his enemies and copy their powers, and the game franchise developed by Masahiro Sakurai prior to and alongside his directorial involvement in his Smash Bros. series, and also developed by HAL Laboratory. The titular pink spherical hero Kirby (since Smash 64), his menacing rival Meta Knight (since Brawl), and the greedy King Dedede (since Brawl) have all been featured as playable characters.
The Star Fox universe: A series of space shooting games that got its start as among the first games to popularize 3D polygonal graphics in the 4th generation of gaming. All the games' characters are anthropomorphic animals. The de facto leader of the "Star Fox" team Fox McCloud has been playable for the entire series. Ace wing man Falco Lombardi was added to the list in Melee and has been in every game since. Wolf O'Donnell, Fox's rival and leader of the mercenary group "Star Wolf", has been playable in Brawl and Ultimate.
The Pokémon universe: Short for, and known in Japan as, Pocket Monsters. One of the most lucrative media franchises worldwide, this multi-genre franchise emphasizes handheld role-playing games that focus on the catching, training, battling, and trading of at least 1,008 distinctive species of creatures called Pokémon with different powers, personalities, habitats, and weaknesses. Playable characters consist of electric mouse mascot Pikachu (since Smash 64) and its younger form Pichu (Melee and Ultimate), the hypnotic pink balloon Jigglypuff (since Smash 64), genetically-engineered psychic feline Mewtwo (Melee and Smash 4 onwards), the jackal-like Lucario (since Brawl), a generic Pokémon Trainer (Brawl and Ultimate) who commands his three Pokémon (The water-spitting turtle hatchling Squirtle, the amphibious grass type Ivysaur, and the fire-breathing "secondary mascot" dragon Charizard, although Charizard reappears by itself in Smash 4) from the background to do battle in the foreground, the speedy ninja frog Greninja (Smash 4 onwards) and the pro-wrestler wildcat, Incineroar (Ultimate).
The F-Zero universe: A futuristic racing game series featuring anti-gravity racing machines that zoom at extremely fast and intense speeds, with gameplay emphasizing speed boosts, cornering, and physically ramming each other's machines to lower life meters. The superhero-like bounty hunter Captain Falcon serves as the most recognizable racer and "mascot" of the series and is a playable character throughout the Super Smash Bros. series.
The EarthBound universe: Also referred to by its Japanese title, the Mother series. A cult-classic postmodern take on role-playing conceived by Shigesato Itoi, with three games featuring elements of satirical humor, surrealist imagery, and heavy pathos. It focuses on a rotating cast of groups, always led by a child with some form of psychic powers, who travel across the world to save it from destruction. The protagonists of the second and third games, EarthBound's Ness (since Smash 64) and Mother 3's Lucas (since Brawl) respectively, have been playable as characters.
The Ice Climber universe: A classic NES game focusing on a pair of parka-clad mallet-wielding children named Popo and Nana as they infinitely scale platformed mountains to retrieve stolen vegetables from a Condor. The Ice Climbers feature together as one playable character in Melee, Brawl, and Ultimate.
The Fire Emblem universe: A long-running series of tactical role-playing games set in sword-and-sorcery medieval fantasy settings and portrayed with numerous anime character designs and tropes. Formerly a series released only in Japan, it gained enough popularity in its appearance in Super Smash Bros. Melee that the franchise turned international from later on, and has proven quite popular as such. Main heroes from the various unrelated installments in the series, including Marth (since Melee), Roy (Melee, Smash 4 and Ultimate), and Ike (since Brawl) have been featured as playable characters. In Super Smash Bros. 4, Lucina and Robin were added as fighters from this universe, with Corrin eventually joining them as downloadable content. In Ultimate, Chrom became a playable character, while Byleth from Three Houses would join as DLC.
The Game & Watch universe: The Super Smash Bros. games' representation of one of Nintendo's earliest digital products, which is a series of LCD handheld dedicated consoles with internal clocks named Game & Watch. A previously unnamed black-and-white character in several of these games has been featured as a playable character under the name Mr. Game & Watch since Melee.
The Kid Icarus universe: A classic NES vertical side-scroller heavily based on Greek mythology under a more comedic and light-hearted tone. It tells the story of a young angel knight named Pit as he battles to save the goddess Palutena from the Underworld forces of the evil Medusa. Pit appears with a major graphical redesign as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl onwards, leading to the series to be revived by Masahiro Sakurai with the release of Kid Icarus: Uprising, with Palutena and Dark Pit making their debuts as playable characters in Smash 4.
The Wario universe: Alternatively referred to as the WarioWare universe or the WarioWare, Inc. universe, this spin-off of the Mario franchise stars Mario's violent, slobbish anti-hero counterpart Wario as he indulges his greed in search of fame and riches, either through treasure hunting in the Wario Land platformer franchise, or by making his friends develop video games for him for dubious amounts of pay in the WarioWare microgame compilation franchise. Wario himself is the sole playable representative for the franchise, with his moveset, default costume, and most of his other content being based primarily on WarioWare.
The Pikmin universe: A real-time strategy game series that started on the GameCube, where the player must explore a planet to find and collect resources, with the assistance and use of the titular carrot-like creatures, the Pikmin. The main character, Captain Olimar, and the Pikmin cameo as separate, collectible trophies in Melee. The five different Pikmin types, red, blue, yellow, purple, and white, along with Captain Olimar, are combined into a playable character known as Pikmin & Olimar in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. 4. Alph, the protagonist of Pikmin 3, appears as a playable character in Smash 4 and Ultimate as four of Olimar's palette swaps.
The R.O.B. universe: Also known as the Robot universe. It's based around two NES games, Stack-Up and Gyromite, which are compatible with the accessory named Robotic Operating Buddy, better known as R.O.B.. Created to allow Nintendo a place in the North American toy market after the infamous market crash of 1983 that made the region's retailers lose faith in video games, allowing them to market the NES as a toy and opening the gates for their eventual successes. Not much is known about this universe, other than the fact that its symbol is a Gyro from Gyromite, and its only contributions are the character R.O.B., R.O.B.-based enemies in the Subspace Emissary, a piece of music, Gyromite, and a few spirits. R.O.B.'s depiction in Smash is based almost entirely on the hardware itself, with the software supported by the robot only being represented by a music track.
The Animal Crossing universe: A series of cheery, stress-free life simulation games where the player's avatar lives in a woodland town featuring anthropomorphic animals as the town's residents and neighbors, some games having the player as a mere resident while others give the player some level of authority. It was introduced to the Smash Bros. franchise in Melee, with three trophies (K.K. Slider, Tom Nook, and Mr. Resetti). In Brawl, Animal Crossing was more prominent, with a stage, an item, an assist trophy, and many stickers and trophies that originated in this universe. In Smash 4, it became even more prominent, with a Villager added as a playable character, as well as Isabelle tagging along as an Assist Trophy, who would later become a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
The Wii Fit universe: A lucrative fitness-oriented series that make use of the Wii Balance Board for the player to perform various exercises and minigames. The series main tutor, the Wii Fit Trainer, was introduced as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4.
The Punch-Out!! universe: A series of boxing-themed puzzle games, best known for its eccentric cast of rival boxers themed on ethnic stereotypes. The main character of the NES and Wii games, Little Mac, appears in Brawl as an Assist Trophy and as a playable character in Smash 4 and Ultimate.
The Xenoblade Chronicles universe: A JRPG series created by Monolith Soft as a spiritual successor to their Xeno titles, with a combat system styled after MMOs. Shulk, the protagonist of Xenoblade Chronicles, wields the Monado, a unique sword, in the battle against the mysterious "Mechon" enemies. He appears as a playable character in Smash 4 and Ultimate. Pyra & Mythra, the two halves of the all-powerful Aegis sword from Xenoblade Chronicles 2, officially joined the series as the first-ever 2-in-1 DLC fighter combo in Ultimate.
The Duck Hunt universe: A classic NES title using the Zapper Gun peripheral that has the player shooting ducks and clay pigeons, based on a toy produced by Nintendo a decade prior, and granted a legendary status in retro gaming mythos thanks to being bundled with all NES systems in America, the region where the system was most popular. The giggling scent hound and one of the many ducks appear as a single playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4 and Ultimate, having patched up their relationship since the 1980s. Two other games that use the NES Zapper, Hogan's Alley and Wild Gunman, are listed as part of this universe.
The Splatoon universe: A series of competitive third-person shooter games, Splatoon follows the adventures and battles of two races of evolved sea creatures known as the Inklings and Octolings, both in their friendly Turf War competitions through multiplayer mode, and in their efforts to rescue the Great Zapfish from their most hated enemies, the Octarians, through single player story lines. The Inkling made their debut in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a playable newcomer alongside the Squid Sisters as a new Assist Trophy and Moray Towers as an all-new stage.
The ARMS universe: A motion-controlled fighting game released on the Nintendo Switch about a group of colorful characters with extendable, spring-shaped arms who all compete in a tournament. One of the playable characters, Min Min joined Ultimate as DLC. Prior to Min Min's debut as a fighter, the game's mascots, Spring Man and Ribbon Girl, appeared as Mii Fighter costumes in the base game of Ultimate, with Spring Man also appearing as an assist Trophy, as well as Ninjara, Twintelle, and Min Min herself appearing as spirits.
The Metal Gear universe: Also referred to as the Metal Gear Solid series. The first third-party franchise to make its Super Smash Bros. debut, belonging to Konami. A series of stealth and espionage shooting games set in an apocalyptic future of real-world Earth where nuclear deterrence and various philosophical, political, and moral issues relating to war are dealt with as social commentary. The series' main star, Solid Snake, is a playable character in Brawl and Ultimate.
The Sonic the Hedgehog universe: SEGA's primary franchise in Western territories, corporate mascot worldwide, and a longtime rival franchise to Nintendo's Mario in the years before SEGA became a software developer for Nintendo and other companies. Primarily a series of platformer games known for its focus on running at high speeds and set in a world of anthropomorphic animals, it centers on the adventures of the eponymous character, Sonic the Hedgehog, as he stops the evil schemes of his archnemesis, Dr. Eggman, alongside his multi-colored friends, with stories of varying tones and stakes. Sonic became a playable character from Brawl onwards due to high demand.
The Mega Man universe: A long-running series belonging to Capcom, set in a futuristic world where robotics are highly advanced and spanning at least five different series, taking place in multiple continuities, genres, and eras, the main concept for each one being the robotic protagonist fighting themed robotic enemies and taking their powers. The protagonist of the "Classic" series, the eponymous Mega Man, debuted as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4.
The Pac-Man universe: Bandai Namco's long-running and historically significant franchise about a yellow, spherical, perpetually hungry creature named Pac-Man, and his many adventures in "Pac-Land", warding off evil ghosts and protecting his family, primarily in simplistic maze games, but also having spawned popular platforming games. The eponymous character appears as a playable character in Smash 4 and Ultimate, accompanied by characters and elements from other Namco Arcade games.
The Street Fighter universe: This long-running, genre-defining fighting game series developed by Capcom tells the many stories of combatants out to prove themselves as the greatest fighter on the planet. This franchise was the first-ever DLC third-party franchise in Super Smash Bros. via the introduction of the wandering World Warrior, Ryu. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, his rival and best friend, Ken Masters also joins the roster.
The Final Fantasy universe: One of the most critically acclaimed and long-running RPG series of all time belonging to Square Enix. It tells the stories and legends surrounding a rotating group of heroes who go out on an epic quest to stop supernatural evil forces from taking over their world. Cloud Strife, the main hero of the most popular entry of the franchise, Final Fantasy VII, debuted as a new DLC character in Smash 4. In Ultimate, Cloud returned as an unlockable character in the base game, along with his nemesis Sephiroth joining as DLC.
The Bayonetta universe: An action and combo-oriented third-party franchise from SEGA, this series tells a rather dark, twisted, and deadly tale about an ancient war between angels and demons in a modern world of fear and deception and the story about an angel hunter who sets off to find her lost memories of her past and rid herself of the war once and for all. The lead eponymous character, Bayonetta first appeared in Smash 4 as a result of her popularity in the fighter ballot. The first Bayonetta title was released on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but later installments have been published by and exclusive to Nintendo for the sake of drawing adult gamers to their platforms.
The Castlevania universe: One of Konami's most praised franchises in its long, storied history, this series spans a saga through the millennia of the legendary Belmont clan who swore a never-ending curse to destroy the evil that is the dreaded Count Dracula until the end of time. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, this is the first new third-party franchise with Simon and Richter Belmont debuting as newcomers.
The Persona universe: Originally a spin-off of the Shin Megami Tensei franchise, this is Atlus's long-running series of turn-based RPGs set in Modern Day Japan and various metaphysical realities, where the groups of main characters are able to control manifestations of their souls and will, the titular Personas. Like Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy, games are their own individual stories with elements and recurring themes shared between them, though unlike them, they are set in the same world. Joker, the main character from Persona 5 appears in Ultimate as the first member of the DLC Fighters Pass.
The Dragon Quest universe: The second franchise hailing from Square Enix, and one of the most influential series in video games, defining many of the aspects followed by future series of its genre. This RPG series follows various groups of nobody castaways on an epic quest to slay monstrous demons and evil, corrupt villains to prove themselves as true champions of justice. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the protagonists from Dragon Quest XI, III, IV, and VIII make their debut as a single newcomer under the generic title of Hero.
The Banjo-Kazooie universe: A classic 3D platformer series developed by Rare, where a bear and bird duo known as Banjo & Kazooie go up against the evil, malevolent witch Gruntilda, collecting puzzle pieces known as Jiggies and receiving help from a wide variety of supporting characters in a cartoon world filled with dry British humor. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the pair make their Smash debut as a single playable fighter. The Banjo-Kazooie series is notable for initially being a partially-owned Nintendo IP, until the acquisition of Rare by Microsoft in 2002.
The Fatal Fury universe: One of SNK's most prized fighting game franchises, the series tells the story about a man named Terry Bogard and his brother Andy teaming up to take on the King of Fighters tournament to face off against the crime lord who killed their adopted father, Geese Howard. Terry makes his Smash debut in Ultimate as the fourth member of the DLC Fighters Pass. Despite being listed as the Fatal Fury series in-game, this universe more properly represents SNK's The King of Fighters series, which is itself a crossover of many of SNK's properties.
The Minecraft universe: The single best-selling video game of all time. Minecraft is a series about creation and survival while living alongside a variety of both real-world and fictional creatures (known as "mobs") in a randomly generated, cube-shaped sandbox world, though players are given the freedom to play the game in any variety of ways. Developed by Mojang Studios, it is the first indie franchise to have a character in Smash, with the default avatar skin, Steve, making his debut in Ultimate. His alternate costumes include Alex, Zombie, and Enderman. Acquired by Microsoft in 2014, Mojang Studios is the second Microsoft subsidiary with a character in Smash after Rare.
The Tekken universe: The famed 3D fighting series from Bandai Namco, known for being incredibly fast-paced and having significantly higher skill floors than other titles in the genre. Tekken centers on the King of Iron Fist Tournament in which a set of fighters are vying for control of the Mishima Zaibatsu corporation. One of these fighters is Kazuya Mishima, the son of the CEO of Mishima Zaibatsu Heihachi Mishima, who seeks vengeance against his father. Kazuya makes his debut in Ultimate.
The Kingdom Hearts universe: The beloved JRPG made as a crossover between Final Fantasy and various Disney properties in a collaboration between Square Enix and Disney. Kingdom Hearts follows the adventures of a young boy named Sora, who travels to different worlds, joined by the Disney characters Donald Duck and Goofy, to save Kingdom Hearts from the Heartless. Sora makes his highly anticipated debut in Ultimate, having been the single highest voted character on the fighter ballot prior. Both Final Fantasy characters who appear in Smash are additionally recurring characters in Kingdom Hearts, with Sephiroth's Winged Form having made its debut in the Kingdom Hearts series.
The Nintendo DS universe: One of Nintendo's most successful products, being their best selling system at 154 million sales. A seventh-generation portable console known for its double screen and touch controls. This universe is represented by two stages named PictoChat (Super Smash Bros. Brawl only) and PictoChat 2 (Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Ultimate), both based around a built-in writing and scribbling message application meant for social interaction.
The Electroplankton universe: A music creation game where the player uses the eponymous zooplankton to make compositions. A stage named Hanenbow is the main representation of this universe based on the Nintendo DS interactive music game, Electroplankton.
The Balloon Fight universe: A classic NES game in which a balloon-propelled man flies through the air and pops the balloons of other enemies in a manner not unlike Williams Electronics's Joust. A stage titled Balloon Fight in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Ultimate is the main representation of the universe, though there were trophies, music, and items in Melee, as well as music and a stage hazard in Brawl prior. Balloon Fight is also referenced by Villager's Up Special, Balloon Trip.
The Nintendogs universe: A highly successful series of pet simulators that served as a killer app for the Nintendo DS, letting the player care for and play with puppies without worrying about aging or mortality, the Living Room stage in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS serves as the main representation of this universe. The other representation is an Assist Trophy since Brawl, Nintendog, which changes breed with each installment.
The Mii universe: A collection of games that all share Miis as the main playable character. While no characters or stages bear this universe's symbol, Mii Fighters get spirit match boosts from equipping the spirits of them.
The StreetPass Mii Plaza universe: A universe that consists of the various minigames and DLC expansions to the pre-installed game for the Nintendo 3DS meant to encourage use of the social aspects of the system by having 3DS players' Miis visit each other's consoles and assist in a variety of simplistic games. A stage, Find Mii, in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Ultimate is the main representation of this universe, based around the eponymous RPG featuring the player using StreetPass to collect Miis to save the player's Mii from ghosts and monsters.
The Tomodachi universe: A series made up of simulation games featuring the player's Miis, known for utilizing robotic voices and featuring a lot of bizarre moments. The Tomodachi Life stage in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Ultimate is the main and only representation of this universe.
The Wrecking Crew universe: An NES puzzle/platform game starring Mario and Luigi as demolition workers, trying to destroy old buildings while avoiding Foreman Spike, Gotchawrenches, and the Eggplant Men. Though some of its assets are listed as belonging to the Mario series, the game was given its own symbol for its stage in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Ultimate.
The Pilotwings universe: A flight simulator series made up of games that allow the player to fly planes across unique environments. Besides a sticker in Brawl and a spirit in Ultimate, the stage Pilotwings in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Ultimate, and the Rocket Belt item in Smash 4 onwards are the only major representations of this universe.
The Wii Sports universe: An iconic series of casual sports games first created to demonstrate the Wii's motion-sensing capabilities, with later titles utilizing improvements made to motion sensors in later console hardware revisions or consoles. It received one music track in Brawl before receiving its own stage in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Ultimate.
The Miiverse universe: The Wii U's and 3DS's now-defunct social network, where players could post about games they were playing or were interested in. It has one stage in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

Secondary universes

Ellipsis used in place of a symbol for spirits and music from series without a fighter in Ultimate

These are the various franchises that have not been recognized as primary universes by any Smash Bros. game, and this is indicated by the fact these franchises do not carry their own universe symbols. As a general rule, such universes lack any playable characters or stages in the games, but if any of the following franchises contribute an item, Assist Trophy, music, or some other minor element to a given Smash game, the game assigns the property and its respective franchise the default Smash Bros. universe symbol. This was changed in Ultimate, where those universes received a new symbol to represent them in the form of an ellipsis. These universes contribute elements to the gameplay itself, i.e. Assist Trophies, enemies, items or attacks.

• Art Academy: A series of art training games released for the DSiWare, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, retail Wii U (Japan and PAL regions only), and Wii U eShop. The game also had spin-off crossovers with the Pokémon series and The Walt Disney Company for the Nintendo 3DS called Pokémon Art Academy and Disney Art Academy, respectively. The player's art teacher, Vince, appears as an Assist Trophy in Ultimate, as well as a trophy in Smash Wii U. A music track titled Swan Lesson appears in Smash Wii U, playing on the Duck Hunt stage.
• Bomberman: A series of maze games by Konami (formerly Hudson Soft before their merge with Konami) in which the main objective is to blow up the opponents by placing bombs. Bomberman, the main character of the series, appears in Ultimate as an Assist Trophy and the basis for a DLC Mii Costume.
• Brain Age: A series of games, known in Europe as Brain Training, released for the Nintendo DS, 3DS, and Switch where the player is tasked with multiple logic games to test the speed of their brain activity. The host, Dr. Kawashima, appears as an Assist Trophy in Smash 4 and Ultimate. There are two music tracks from the series. Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day, from the first game, plays on the PictoChat stage in Brawl and Wii Fit Studio in Smash Wii U, while Menu (Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day!), from the second game, also plays on the Wii Fit Studio stage in Smash Wii U.
• Clu Clu Land: An NES game where the player must swim around a maze to uncover all of golden Ingots in a level. Unira, the main enemies of the game, appear as an item since Brawl. The main character, Bubbles, appears as a trophy in Melee. A music track, called Clu Clu Land, plays on the the Summit stage in Brawl and the Duck Hunt stage in Smash Wii U.
• Color TV-Game: A series of dedicated consoles released by Nintendo from 1977-1980, making it the oldest universe in the Super Smash Bros. series, older than Game & Watch. A representation of Color TV-Game 15, a clone of Atari's Pong, appears as an Assist Trophy in Smash 4 and Ultimate.
• Custom Robo: A series of action role-playing games, developed by Noise, in which the player battles opponents by using various toy robots with customizable parts. Ray Mk III, the main robot used by the main protagonist of Custom Robo Arena, appears as an Assist Trophy in Brawl. Three robot combatants from Custom Robo V2, Ray Mk II, Bayonette, and Annie, appear as trophies in Melee. Two shared trophies of several Custom Robos and Jameson & A.I.R.S., as well as a ton of stickers, appear in Brawl. Ray Mk III serves as the basis for a Mii Fighter costume in Ultimate, along with Ray Mk II, Bayonette, and Flare appearing as Spirits.
• Devil World: A Pac-Man-like NES game where the player must go through a maze to defeat a blue devil, who will move the entire maze around to squish the player. The game is notable for being one of the few Miyamoto-designed games to never release in North America (only ever being localized in Europe), due to the game having heavy religious icons (such as crosses and Bibles), which went against Nintendo of America's policies. The Devil from the game appears as an Assist Trophy since Brawl. Tamagon, the game's protagonist, appears as a trophy in Melee, though it is only obtainable in the Japanese version, as it cannot be obtained unless the game is hacked in the North American version, and it is completely absent from the PAL version. Tamagon returns as a sticker in Brawl and as a Spirit in Ultimate. The title screen theme appears as part of the Famicom Medley music track in Brawl.
• Dig Dug: A classic arcade game series developed by Namco based around blowing up underground monsters with an air pump. The common enemy, Pooka, appears as a Smash Run enemy in Smash 3DS and as a cameo in Pac-Man's Namco Roulette taunt in Smash 4. The level start theme, main theme, and level complete jingle from the original arcade game all appear as a part of the Namco Arcade '80s Retro Medley 1 music track.
• Dillon's Rolling Western: A western-style action/tower defense series, developed by Vanpool, set in a world of anthropomorphic animals in which the titular character must defend various villages from a group of rock monsters called "Grocks". The first two installments were released exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS eShop. A third game, titled Dillon's Dead-Heat Breakers, has a post-apocalyptic setting instead and was released as a physical Nintendo 3DS game (though it is still a Nintendo eShop exclusive in North America). The main character, Dillon, appears as an Assist Trophy in Smash 4 and Ultimate. A music track titled Dillon's Rolling Western: The Last Ranger, from the second game of the same name, appears in Smash Wii U, playing on the Pilotwings stage. A second music track, Frontier Battle, from Dead-Heat Breakers, appears in Ultimate, with Dillon and Russ, Dillon's partner, being Spirits.
• Drill Dozer: An action-puzzle platformer game released for the Game Boy Advance, developed by Game Freak, that follows Jill, a girl who replaces her severely injured father in a bandit gang called "The Red Dozers", who must advance through several levels by using her titular machine in order to retrieve the Red Diamond from a rival gang called "The Skullkers". Jill, along with her Drill Dozer, appears as an Assist Trophy in Brawl. Two stickers of Jill (one in her Drill Dozer and the other outside of it), as well as a sticker of Grutch, appear in Brawl.
• Excite: A series of racing games that had its start as a motorcycle racing game on the NES, before venturing into other vehicles, such as monster trucks in Excite Truck and robotic animals in Excitebots: Trick Racing. A depiction of a motorcyclist racer appears an an Assist Trophy and a sticker in Brawl, as well as a trophy in Melee and Smash 4. A trophy of the Boulder monster truck from Excite Truck, as well as stickers of it and the Wolf, Firefly, and Rad monster trucks, appear in Brawl. The title theme from Excitebike appears as part of the Famicom Medley in Brawl, in addition to a music track called Excite Truck, which plays on the Mario Circuit stage in both Brawl and Smash Wii U.
• Fatal Frame: A series of horror games involving taking photos of ghosts. Yuri Kozukata, the central protagonist of Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, appears as an Assist Trophy in Ultimate. Mio and Mayu Amakura from Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly share a trophy in Smash Wii U, while Maya from the augmented reality-based spin-off Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir has a trophy in Smash 3DS. Mio and Maya Amakura both return as a shared Spirit in Ultimate.
• Galaxian: A series of famous fixed shooters developed by Namco that revolves around the player in a spaceship who must shoot all of the enemies of an alien swarm. The Boss Galaga from Galaga appears as an item since Smash 4.
• Golden Sun: A series of fantasy RPGs developed by Camelot Software Planning and thematically based on the four classical elements. The first game's silent protagonist, the young Earth-based warrior Isaac, appears as an Assist Trophy in Brawl and Ultimate. A music track called Battle Scene / Final Boss (Golden Sun), based on two battle themes from the second game, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, appears in Brawl and Smash Wii U, playing on the Norfair stage. An additional music track, Weyard from Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, appears in Smash Wii U, playing on the Palutena's Temple stage. Several characters from the series appear as Spirits in Ultimate.
• GoldenEye: A series of first-person shooter games based on the 17th installment of the James Bond film series. The 1997 game, developed by Rare for the Nintendo 64, helped popularize the FPS genre, and was so popular that many following 007 games would base themselves on the movie despite its increasing age. The design of the Motion-Sensor Bomb in Smash 64 and western releases of Melee is based on the Proximity Mine from the Nintendo 64 title. James Bond is the only franchise from outside of video games to have major representation in Smash.
• Jam with the Band: A series of music games that features a variety of music, ranging from video game music to singles released from various artists to songs from TV shows or movies. The series also lets the player create their own custom music. The series is released mostly in Japan only, though the second installment was released in Europe. Barbara the Bat, the manager of the store in the series, appears as an Assist Trophy in Brawl, where she plays her guitar that sends out damaging shockwaves. Barbara has not reprised her role since Brawl, but has appeared as a trophy in Smash 3DS and a Spirit in Ultimate. A music track called PERFORMANCE from the second game appears in Smash Wii U, playing on the Gamer stage.
• Joy Mech Fight: A Japan-exclusive fighting game released for the Famicom in 1993 which features limbless robots fighting each other. Sukapon, the main robot from the game, appears in Ultimate as an Assist Trophy, as well as a Sticker in Brawl. A snippet of the menu theme appears in the Famicom Medley music track in Brawl.
• Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru (Translated as "For the Frog the Bell Tolls"): A Japan-exclusive Game Boy title in which the main character must save the Princess Tiramisu from the evil King Delarin, who has invaded the Mille-Feuille Kingdom. The unnamed main character, the Sablé Prince, appears as an Assist Trophy in Smash 4 and Ultimate. Sablé Prince has previously appeared in the Smash Bros. series as a sticker in Brawl, whom which he shares with the frog versions of Prince Richard and Jam the thief.
• Kururin: A series of puzzle games, developed by Eighting, in which a titular young bird must navigate through tight stages with his helicopter-like vehicle in order to find his lost family members, having to make sure his helicopter blades don't clash with the walls of the stages. The Helirin, the vehicle used by Kururin, appears as an Assist Trophy in Brawl, as well as a trophy in Melee (mistranslated as "Heririn"). Kururin, the main protagonist, appears as a sticker in Brawl, along with a sticker of Helibokaan, in which the later appears as part of a shared trophy of several Helirins called "Action Helirins" in Brawl.
• Monster Hunter: A series of action role-playing games by Capcom in which the player must hunt several monsters of various sizes and species. The Rathalos appears as an Assist Trophy in Ultimate, as well as a boss character. Two Mii Fighter costumes based on a Monster Hunter (one based on the Hunter's Armor Set and the other based on the Rathalos Armor Set) appear as DLC in Smash 4 and Ultimate, with a Mii hat based on Felyne also in the latter.
• Nintendo Badge Arcade: An app for the Nintendo 3DS eShop where the player can earn various badges for their Home Menu by playing a claw crane game, which the player usually needs to pay real-life currency in order to play. The Arcade Bunny appears in Ultimate as an Assist Trophy.
• Nintendo Wars: A series of war games, developed by Intelligent Systems, similar to Fire Emblem (another series developed by Intelligent Systems) in which the player takes control of an army and must strategize in order to defeat the opposing army. Various soldiers and tanks from the series appear as an Assist Trophy in Brawl and Smash 4. The three main Commanding Officers (Andy, Max, and Sami) from the first three games, as well as Dual Strike protagonists Jake and Rachel, and Black Hole CO Hawke, appear as stickers in Brawl.
• Panel de Pon: A long running series of puzzle games, developed by Intelligent Systems, in which the puzzles must be lined up in order to get a score, which getting a high enough score can cause the player to give their opponent unwanted "garbage blocks". The series only saw a western release after rebranding with other Nintendo mascots, such as Yoshi or Pokémon, typically under the name Puzzle League. The protagonist of the first game, Lip and her series has referenced several times in the Smash series since Melee from her garbage block in one of Kirby's random Stone transformations and her staff (also used by her counterpart in Nintendo Puzzle Collection "Furil"), Lip's Stick. Stickers of Furil, Pure, Sala, and Cecil from Nintendo Puzzle Collection appear in Brawl (all of whom are mistranslated as Lip, Ruby, Seren, and Elias respectively, their counterparts in the original). The titular puzzle pieces of the series, Panel also appears as a sticker, which has been referred to as Blocks within localizations of the series after Tetris Attack. A remix of Lip's Theme appears as a music track on the PictoChat stage in Brawl and Wrecking Crew in Smash Wii U. Lip appears in Ultimate as a Spirit and the basis for a Mii Fighter costume.
• Perfect Dark: A series of sci-fi stealth-based FPS games developed by former second-party Nintendo developer, Rare. The Motion-Sensor Bomb (only in Japanese versions) and Cloaking Device, featured as items, were listed as based on this series in Melee, though they are considered generic in localized versions.
• Rhythm Heaven: A series of music games, known in Europe as Rhythm Paradise, from the same team behind the WarioWare series where the player must tap along to the rhythm of a song while quirky situations play. A character from one of the games "Sneaky Spirit" appears as a Smash Run enemy in Smash 3DS. A trophy of Karate Joe and a shared trophy of the Chorus Kids appear in Super 3DS, while a shared trophy of Marshal, Miss Ribbon, and Cam, as well as a shared trophy of the Wrestler & Reporter from Fever, appear in Smash Wii U. Two songs, Blue Birds from Rhythm Heaven and Monkey Watch from Fever, appear as DLC music tracks, both playing on the Miiverse stage. Several characters throughout the series appear as Spirits in Ultimate.
• Sheriff: A 1979 arcade game sometimes known as Bandido. The titular character, Mr. Jack, must defend a kidnapped woman named Betty from a group of bandits. The titular Sheriff appears as an Assist Trophy in his sprite form in Smash 4 and Ultimate. The titular sheriff and three enemy sprites share a trophy in Melee.
• Shovel Knight: An independently-developed platformer series developed by Yacht Club Games that pays homage to classic NES games, where the player controls a variety of themed knight characters in a fantastical medieval world. The titular character, Shovel Knight, appears as an Assist Trophy in Ultimate.
• SimCity: A series of city simulation games by Maxis (now owned by Electronic Arts) in which the player can freely build their own city. Dr. Wright, the assistant from the SNES adaptation, appears as an Assist Trophy since Brawl. He also also appears as a trophy in Melee.
• Sin and Punishment: A series of rail-shooters, developed by Treasure, in which a group of gunners must save the planet from various threats. Saki Amamiya, the main character of the first installment, appears as an Assist Trophy in Brawl and Smash 4. In Ultimate, Saki does not return as an Assist Trophy, but appears as a Spirit and the basis for a Mii Fighter costume.
• Steel Diver: A series of submarine simulation games for the Nintendo 3DS, co-developed by Vitei, in which the player controls a submarine to partake in various missions. An item called Steel Diver, based on one of the playable submarines in the first game, the Blue Shark, appears in Smash 4 and Ultimate.
• Swapnote: An app formerly available on the Nintendo 3DS eShop in which the player could draw pictures to send as messages to friends, known in Europe as Nintendo Letter Box. The game later got a spiritual successor called "Swapdoodle". Nikki, the host of both games, appears as an Assist Trophy in Ultimate.
• The Legendary Starfy: A series of platform games, developed by TOSE, in which the titular character must traverse through various levels, many of them taking place underwater. Starfy appears as an Assist Trophy in since Brawl. Starly appears as a trophy in Brawl, in addition to several stickers. Starly returns as a Spirit in Ultimate.
• The Mysterious Murasame Castle: A formerly Japan-exclusive game released exclusively for the Famicom Disk System, in which a young samurai must save a castle in Edo Japan from an evil alien creature. Takamaru, the main character, appears as an Assist Trophy in Smash 4 and Ultimate, as well as a sticker in Brawl. A music track titled Douchuumen (Nazo no Murasamejo) plays on the Mario Bros. stage in Brawl. An additional music track, titled The Mysterious Murasame Castle Medley, appears in Smash 4, playing as a Smash Run track in Smash 3DS and on the Duck Hunt in Smash Wii U.
• Virtua Fighter: A long-running series of fighting games from Sega, notable for inventing the 3D fighting game. Akira Yuki, the main protagonist of the series, as he appears in the first Virtua Fighter game, appears as an Assist Trophy in Ultimate. Akira, as well as Jacky Bryant as he appears in more recent games, both serve as the basis for two DLC Mii Costumes in Smash 4.
• Xevious: An arcade game produced by Namco in which the player must defeat an alien group from the titular planet. Bacuras appear as indestructible foes in Smash Run. Both the Salvalou and Andor Genesis appear as cameos in Pac-Man's Namco Roulette taunt, though the latter does not appear in the 3DS version.

Minor universes

Main article: List of minor universes

Many other series are represented in smaller forms, such as moveset elements, background characters, trophies, stickers, spirits, music, Mii Costumes, or "dependent" universes that tie in to major universes but are not represented themselves.

Trivia

• Platformers are the only genre to receive a new major universe in every Super Smash Bros. game.
  • The original introduced Mario, Donkey Kong, Yoshi, Metroid, and Kirby.
  • Super Smash Bros. Melee added Ice Climber.
  • Super Smash Bros. Brawl added Kid Icarus and Sonic the Hedgehog.
  • Super Smash Bros. 4 added Mega Man.
  • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate added Castlevania and Banjo-Kazooie.
• There are currently 40 major universes in total with at least one playable character, 25 of which are first-party and 15 of which are third-party.
• F-Zero and Yoshi are the only universes to only have one single fighter throughout the entire Smash series.
• In the Sound test menu in Brawl and Ultimate, Mario and Mario Kart are treated as two separate universes. Despite the distinction, both use the same Mushroom series symbol.
• The oldest universe currently represented in the Smash series is Color TV-Game, which debuted in 1977, while the newest in the series is Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, which debuted in 2020.