Fighter: Difference between revisions

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A '''fighter''', also known as a '''playable character''' or simply '''character''', is a character in the ''{{b|Super Smash Bros.|series}}'' series roster that can be controlled by players in [[Versus Mode]] and other modes. These characters are located on the [[character selection screen]] and can be used without a cheat device (e.g. [[Action Replay]]). Playable characters can further be divided into [[starter character|starter]], [[Unlockable character|unlockable]], and [[Downloadable character|downloadable]], which distinguishes whether characters can be played right away, whether they need to be unlocked, or whether they need to be downloaded.

|{{bg|#ffcfcf}}|{{GameIcon|SSB4-3|16px}} Unlockable / {{GameIcon|SSB4-U|16px}} Starter

|{{bg|#cfffcf}}|Customizable<ref>[[Mii Fighter]]s are automatically unlocked upon creation in the Mii Fighter menu.</ref>

|{{bg|#cfcfff}}|Transformation<ref>Some characters are accessible through others' movesets. Transformation characters share a slot on the [[character selection screen]] and are available from the start (with the exception of Pokémon Trainer in ''Ultimate''). Some transformation characters don’t appear on the character selection screen, but in most situations players can start the match as them through alternate means.</ref>

!width="10%"|{{GameIcon|ultimate|24px}}

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|bayonetta|24px}}{{uv|Bayonetta}}

|{{bg|#ffffaf}}|{{Head|Bayonetta|g=SSB4-U|s=24px}}

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|mario|24px}}{{uv|Mario}}

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|mario|24px}}{{uv|Mario}}

|style="text-align:left"|[[Byleth]]<ref name="gender">This fighter’s alternate costumes have male and female variants. Only the default gender’s stock icon is shown on the table.</ref>

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|fzero|24px}}{{uv|F-Zero}}

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|pokemon|24px}}{{uv|Pokémon}}

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|

|

|{{bg|#dfdfdf}}|{{Head|Chrom|g=SSBU|s=24px}}

|{{bg|#ffffaf}}|{{Head|Cloud|g=SSB4-U|s=24px}}

|{{bg|#ffffaf}}|{{Head|Corrin|g=SSB4-U|s=24px}}

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|mario|24px}}{{uv|Mario}}

|

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|mario|24px}}{{uv|Mario}}

|style="text-align:left"|[[Duck Hunt]]<ref>Known as '''Duck Hunt Duo''' in PAL regions.</ref>

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|starfox|24px}}{{uv|Star Fox}}

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|starfox|24px}}{{uv|Star Fox}}

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|zelda|24px}}{{uv|The Legend of Zelda}}

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|pokemon|24px}}{{uv|Pokémon}}

|style="text-align:left"|[[Hero]]<ref>Half of Hero’s costumes represent 4 different protagonists from across the franchise: Luminary, Erdrick, Solo, and Eight. Luminary is the default, and only his stock icon is shown on the table.</ref>

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|pokemon|24px}}{{uv|Pokémon}}

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|splatoon|24px}}{{uv|Splatoon}}

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|style="text-align:left"|[[Ivysaur]]<ref name="trainer"/>

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|pokemon|24px}}{{uv|Pokémon}}

|{{bg|#cfcfff}}|{{Head|Ivysaur|g=SSBB|s=24px}}

|{{bg|#cfcfff}}|{{Head|Ivysaur|g=SSBU|s=24px}}

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|pokemon|24px}}{{uv|Pokémon}}

|style="text-align:left"|[[Ken Masters|Ken]]

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|streetfighter|24px}}{{uv|Street Fighter}}

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|zelda|24px}}{{uv|The Legend of Zelda}}

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|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|pokemon|24px}}{{uv|Pokémon}}

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|mario|24px}}{{uv|Mario}}

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|mario|24px}}{{uv|Mario}}

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|pokemon|24px}}{{uv|Pokémon}}

|style="text-align:left"|[[Mii Swordfighter]]<ref>Known as '''Mii Sword Fighter''' in PAL regions.</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|#dfdfdf}}|{{Head|Olimar|g=SSBU|s=24px}}<ref name="alph"></ref>

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|mario|24px}}{{uv|Mario}}

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|pokemon|24px}}{{uv|Pokémon}}

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|pokemon|24px}}{{uv|Pokémon}}

|{{Head|Pikachu|g=SSBU|s=24px}}

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|mario|24px}}{{uv|Mario}}

|{{bg|#ffffaf}}|{{Head|Piranha Plant|g=SSBU|s=24px}}

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|pokemon|24px}}{{uv|Pokémon}}

|{{bg|#dfdfdf}}|{{Head|R.O.B.|g=SSB4|s=24px|cl=Grey}}<ref name="R.O.B.">R.O.B.’s default appearance in ''Smash 4'' and ''Ultimate'' changes depending on the language the game is set to. His Famicom design is his default appearance in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean languages, while all other languages use his NES design.</ref>

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|castlevania|24px}}{{uv|Castlevania}}

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|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|mario|24px}}{{uv|Mario}}

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|streetfighter|24px}}{{uv|Street Fighter}}

|{{bg|#cfcfff}}|{{Head|Samus|g=SSBB|s=24px}}<ref name="samus">Samus' [[Final Smash]] in ''Brawl'', [[Zero Laser]], transforms her into [[Zero Suit Samus]]. Zero Suit Samus can transform in Samus by using her Final Smash, [[Power Suit Samus]].</ref>

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|zelda|24px}}{{uv|The Legend of Zelda}}

|{{bg|#cfcfff}}|{{Head|Sheik|g=SSBM|s=24px}}<ref name="sheik">In ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'', both Zelda and Sheik have [[Transform]] as their down special, which allows each of them to transform into the other.</ref>

|{{bg|#cfcfff}}|{{Head|Sheik|g=SSBB|s=24px}}<ref name="sheik"/>

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|castlevania|24px}}{{uv|Castlevania}}

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|sonic|24px}}{{uv|Sonic the Hedgehog}}

|style="text-align:left"|[[Squirtle]]<ref name="trainer"/>

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|pokemon|24px}}{{uv|Pokémon}}

|{{bg|#cfcfff}}|{{Head|Squirtle|g=SSBB|s=24px}}

|{{bg|#cfcfff}}|{{Head|Squirtle|g=SSBU|s=24px}}

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|zelda|24px}}{{uv|The Legend of Zelda}}

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|starfox|24px}}{{uv|Star Fox}}

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|zelda|24px}}{{uv|The Legend of Zelda}}

|style="text-align:left"|{{symbol|zelda|24px}}{{uv|The Legend of Zelda}}

|{{bg|#cfcfff}}|{{Head|Zelda|g=SSBM|s=24px}}<ref name="sheik"/>

|{{bg|#cfcfff}}|{{Head|Zelda|g=SSBB|s=24px}}<ref name="sheik"/>

! align="center" |{{rollover|14|13 if Zelda and Sheik are counted as one fighter|y}}

! align="center" |{{rollover|18|15 if Zero Suit Samus isn’t counted due to being a transformation of Samus and all three of Pokémon Trainer’s Pokémon are counted as one fighter|y}}<ref name="fighter">Pokémon Trainer is not included due to not being controlled by the player and not having a [[fighter number]] in ''Ultimate''. Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard on the other hand are included.</ref>

! align="center" |23

! align="center" |{{rollover|21|20 if Zelda and Sheik are counted as one fighter|y}}

! align="center" |{{rollover|65|63 if all three of Pokémon Trainer’s Pokémon are counted as one fighter.|y}} <ref name="fighter"/>

! align="center" |{{rollover|26|25 if Zelda and Sheik are counted as one fighter|y}}

! align="center" |{{rollover|39|35 if Zelda and Sheik, Samus and Zero Suit Samus, and all three of Pokémon Trainer’s Pokémon are each counted as one fighter|y}}

! align="center" |{{rollover|88|86 if all three of Pokémon Trainer’s Pokémon are counted as one fighter.|y}}

A '''newcomer''' is a character who appears as playable for the first time in the series in a given game. A '''veteran''' is the opposite: a character who has been playable in a previous game. For example, Diddy Kong is a newcomer in ''Brawl'', as he did not appear as playable in any previous games, but is a veteran in all subsequent games. Note that the definition of newcomers is distinct from that of "[[unlockable character|unlockable]]" or "secret" characters, which are playable characters who must be unlocked by completing certain tasks; ''Melee'', ''Brawl'', and ''Smash 4'' all had starter veterans, starter newcomers, unlockable veterans, and unlockable newcomers. ''Ultimate'' is the first game in which all newcomers are unlockable; however, most veterans are also unlockable.

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 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]]). 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.”

*[[Dr. Mario]], [[Ice Climbers]], [[Lucas]], [[Mewtwo]], [[Pichu]], [[Pokémon Trainer]]'s [[Squirtle]] and [[Ivysaur]], [[Roy]], [[Snake]], [[Wolf]], and [[Young Link]] are the only fighters to have ever been cut.

**Dr. Mario, Mewtwo, Pichu, Roy, and Young Link were cut in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', but Dr. Mario returned in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' as an unlockable fighter. Lucas, Mewtwo, and Roy were not present in the base roster in ''Smash 4'', but later returned as [[Downloadable content (SSB4)|downloadable content]].

**Pichu and Young Link are the only fighters to have been absent in two subsequent installments.

**[[Lucas]] is the only character to have been a starter character, unlockable character and downloadable character in three seperate games. He is also the only character to be cut from a roster without skipping an installment.

*Currently, [[Bowser]], [[Chrom]], [[Dr. Mario]], [[Ice Climbers]], [[King Dedede]], [[Lucas]], [[Marth]], [[Mewtwo]], [[Mii|Mii Fighters]], [[Pac-Man]], [[Roy]], [[Snake]], [[Sonic]], [[Villager]], and [[Wario]] are the only fighters who were considered or intended to be fighters in at least one other ''Smash'' game.

**Mewtwo is the only one of which who was intended to be a fighter in two ''Smash'' games, namely ''Smash 64'' and ''Brawl''.

*[[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 ''Super Smash Bros.'' series director [[Masahiro Sakurai]], ''The Binding Blade'' was originally scheduled for release before ''Melee''.<ref>https://sourcegaming.info/2015/12/13/sakurai-fe25/</ref>

**While [[Corrin]] debuted as DLC for ''SSB4'' before ''{{s|fireemblemwiki|Fire Emblem Fates}}'' was released in most territories, the game had already been released in Japan several months prior.

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

*[[Wario]] is the first character to debut as a starter before becoming unlockable in another game.

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

*[[Yoshi]] and [[Captain Falcon]] are the only characters who appear in all five ''Super Smash Bros.'' games being the sole representatives of their series.

*{{uv|Metal Gear}} and {{uv|Ice Climber}} are the only universes to have the entirety of their characters cut from one game to the next, and then both being reintroduced in the next game after that.

*[[Samus]] is the only female character to appear in all five ''Super Smash Bros.'' games, as Pokémon were not considered gendered at the time of the first game's release.

*''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' is the first game in the series since ''Melee'' to not have any veterans cut from the roster. All the previously cut veterans that haven't appeared since ''Melee'' and/or ''Brawl'' return with various changes to their appearances and/or movesets including new [[Final Smashes]] (except for Ice Climbers and Pokémon Trainer)

*Currently, [[Charizard]], [[Little Mac]], [[Ridley]], [[Dark Samus]], and [[Isabelle]] are the only characters to have been made fully playable after major non-playable appearances, excluding characters that are playable via items ([[Metal Mario]], [[Giant Donkey Kong]], and [[Giga Bowser]]).

**[[Meta Knight]], [[Pit]], [[Wario]], [[Squirtle]], [[King Dedede]], [[Olimar]], [[Villager]], [[Palutena]], [[Bowser Jr.]], [[Koopalings#Ludwig von Koopa|Ludwig von Koopa]] of the [[Koopalings]], the duck of [[Duck Hunt]], [[Inkling]], [[Daisy]], [[Chrom]], [[King K. Rool]], [[Ken]], [[Piranha Plant]], and [[Min Min]] have also made non-playable appearances prior to their playable debuts in the form of minor representation. These include [[Trophies]], [[Stickers]], [[Spirits]], [[Mii Fighter]] costumes, and cameos in [[stages]] and [[Final Smashes]].

**[[Lucas]], [[Mewtwo]], and [[Min Min]] are the currently the only fighters to have had a non-playable appearance in a installment prior to becoming downloadable content for that installment, with Lucas and Mewtwo being Trophies in ''Smash 4'', and Min Min being a Spirit in ''Ultimate''.

*[[Alph]] and the female [[Pokémon Trainer]] are the only alternate characters who debuted after their base fighter.

**In ''Smash 4'', Alph was [http://sourcegaming.info/2015/07/29/plucky-little-guys-olimar-and-alph-in-smash-4/ intended] to be a [[clone]] fighter of {{SSB4|Olimar}}. Rock Pikmin were even considered for use. However, this was scrapped presumably due to time constraints and he was incorporated as Olimar’s last four [[alternate costumes]].

*The [[Koopalings]] and [[Hero]]es from {{uv|Dragon Quest}} ''[[Hero#Dragon Quest III|III]]'', ''[[Hero#Dragon Quest IV|IV]]'' and ''[[Hero#Dragon Quest VIII|VIII]]'' are the only alternate characters who debuted before their base fighter in their home series.

*The most-recently debuted fighter in every ''Smash'' game has always either been from {{uv|Pokémon}} or {{uv|Fire Emblem}}, even excluding [[DLC]]. ''Smash 64'' and ''Brawl''{{'}}s are from ''Pokémon'', whereas all other games' are from ''Fire Emblem''. Prior to their respective DLC, the most-recently debuted fighters in ''Smash 4'' and ''Ultimate'' were also from ''Pokémon''.