Unlockable character
- "Challenger" redirects here. For info on fighters, to whom the title "challenger" is often applied, see List of Super Smash Bros. series characters.
An unlockable character (also referred to as a secret character or hidden character, and in-game as challengers, or newcomers in the N64 game's Backup Clear menu) is one that is not available at the start of the game (unlike a starter character), but instead must be received in-game (unlike downloadable characters) through other means.
Unique criteria must be met in order to unlock each character, as outlined below. Once such criteria are met, the challenger will appear the next time the player returns to the menu. If the player wins the subsequent battle, a message will appear congratulating them for unlocking the new fighter.
In Super Smash Bros., the character select screen displayed placeholders for not yet unlocked characters. This was changed in Melee, where the clones didn't have placeholders prior to unlocking, with their portraits simply appearing afterward. The placeholder slots were completely removed from Brawl onwards.
"Challenger Approaching!" screen
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The "Challenger Approaching!" (挑戦者が現れました！, A Challenger has Appeared!) screen is a message that will be displayed after the player has met a criteria required to unlock any of the available characters. Every game has its unique screen.
The original game had a silhouette of the character merely displayed in a blue box in front of a black background, with an exclamation point in a red circle on the top of the screen, and the phrase "Challenger Approaching" next to it. The screen uses similar music to the 1P-Game's intro, with the only difference being the absence of drums for the "challenger approaching" tune. This is the only game where the challengers' silhouettes are animated, showing them in their fighting stances while rotating (like in the character select screen), rather than just shadowed versions of their official illustrations.
Melee added the phrase "A new foe has appeared!," and also had a silhouette of the approaching challenger. The poses for the challengers were silhouettes of their renders when selected on the Character Select screen (some, however, like Luigi and Ganondorf's, were their renders from inside the boxes). The game also added animations to the screens, with an undulating matrix effect in the background, while the exclamation point, text and silhouette would be eased in. Original music was also provided solely for the screen, which took the sound of a slow, ominous siren.
Brawl returned to the plain black background (there would be a silhouette of an unlockable character the player would face); but this would only occur if the Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary method was not used. It still had animations that would ease in, and when the player pressed any button, the images would fade to black, while the "Challenger Approaching!" text would scatter all over the screen; the siren is also considerably faster and more panicky in its sound than how it sounds in Melee.
Smash 4 reused Brawl's warning siren, but there are some differences in both versions. The 3DS version added in considerably more colors, including hues of green, black, and violet; the screen also says "A challenger approaches!" instead of its previous quotations. The Wii U version uses a font style similar to the ones in the newcomer trailers, and the background contains a picture of a supernova; the text is nonetheless reused from past games. The unlockable character in both versions of Super Smash Bros. 4 on the screen is still a silhouette that the player would face (just like in the previous three installments).
After the "Challenger Approaching!" screen, the unlockable character will then be fought in an ordinary one stock match with no time limit, on a predetermined stage with predetermined music. The AI difficulty of the duel depends on the game, usually at low difficulty for the first fighter, then it gradually increases with every fighter unlocked, however, it is reversed in Melee, and always high in the Wii U version of Smash 4. The player uses the last character played as, including the last used costume. In the case of multiplayer battles, in the first three Smash games, the player who won the match will fight the challenger; if a CPU wins the match, the challenger will not appear. Super Smash Bros. 4 changed this formula such that if a CPU wins the match, then the human-controlled player with the highest rank will battle the challenger.
By defeating the opponent, the character becomes playable. If the player fails, however, they will not unlock the character, but in the next battle they win, they are guaranteed to meet with the challenger again.
The "Challenger Approaching!" screen has become somewhat of a meme in the Smash community. Many digitally manipulated versions of these screens have appeared, often featuring characters who do not appear in the games, mostly using artwork of the character from another game instead of original artwork (which gives away its falseness). The screens became so popular that they were featured as part of the DOJO!!; in earlier updates, whenever a new character was introduced, a banner that said "Warning! Challenger Approaching!" would appear above the entry.
Challenger Approaching Screens
The Challenger Approaching! screen which Luigi challenges the player in Super Smash Bros. 64.
The Challenger Approaching! screen which Mr. Game & Watch challenges the player in Super Smash Bros. Melee.
The Challenger Approaching! screen which Sonic challenges the player in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
The Challenger Approaching! screen which Lucina challenges the player in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
The Challenger Approaching! screen which Dark Pit challenges the player in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
The Challenger Approaching! screen which Isabelle challenges the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
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Challenger Approaching Alarms
Smash 64's challenger alarm.
Melee's challenger alarm.
Brawl, Smash 4, and Ultimate's challenger alarm.
Super Smash Bros.
Characters
| Character | How to unlock | Unlock location |
|---|---|---|
| Captain Falcon | Complete 1P Game in 20 minutes or less with no continues. | Planet Zebes |
| Jigglypuff | Complete 1P Game with any character. | Saffron City |
| Luigi | Complete Bonus 1: Break the Targets with all starter characters. | Peach's Castle |
| Ness | Complete 1P Game on Normal with three lives and without using any continues. | Dream Land |
Gallery
Captain Falcon challenging the player in Smash 64
Jigglypuff challenging the player in Smash 64
Luigi challenging the player in Smash 64
Ness challenging the player in Smash 64
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Super Smash Bros. Melee
Characters
- ^ a b c d If the player had previously used the Erase Data > Hidden Characters option in the Options menu, these characters can be unlocked again if All-Star Mode is cleared under the established conditions.
- ^ The time required is calculated in "player-hours" (e.g. two human players gives two hours for every hour of game-time, three human players give three and four players give four).
Gallery
Jigglypuff challenging the player in Melee
Dr. Mario challenging the player in Melee
Pichu challenging the player in Melee
Falco challenging the player in Melee
Marth challenging the player in Melee
Young Link challenging the player in Melee
Ganondorf challenging the player in Melee
Mewtwo challenging the player in Melee
Luigi challenging the player in Melee
- RoyApproaching.png
Roy challenging the player in Melee
Mr. Game & Watch challenging the player in Melee
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Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Masahiro Sakurai stated that it would be appropriate that third-party, or "guest" characters, like Solid Snake and Sonic the Hedgehog, would be unlockable characters. This became true when Brawl was released.
In addition to the challenges and versus match method of unlocking, all unlockable characters can be unlocked by playing through Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary. The majority of these characters are unlocked as part of the linear story of SSE. However, Jigglypuff, Wolf, and Toon Link are only unlockable after the main SSE gameplay is completed by finding a secret area while replaying levels. Once a character joins a group of playable characters, the character will be instantly unlocked for normal play (without requiring a "Challenger Approaching" battle). However, some characters, as per the SSE's story, must be battled before they will join the player's party, such as Lucario (depending on the path chosen in The Glacial Peak).
Characters
| Character | How to unlock | Subspace Emissary method | VS matches required | Unlock location | Music |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ness | Reflect ten projectiles. | Complete Subspace (Part I). | 5 | Onett | Mother (Melee) |
| Marth | Complete Classic Mode. | Complete Battlefield Fortress. | 10 | Castle Siege | Fire Emblem (Melee) |
| Luigi | Complete Classic Mode without using any continues. | Complete Subspace (Part I). | 22 | Luigi's Mansion | Luigi's Mansion Theme |
| Falco | Complete 100-Man Brawl. | Complete The Swamp. | 50 | Lylat Cruise | Area 6 |
| Captain Falcon | Play through Classic Mode on Normal or higher and beat it in 12 minutes or less. | Complete Outside the Ancient Ruins. | 70 | Port Town Aero Dive | Mute City |
| Lucario | Clear all levels of Target Smash!! with any single character. | Complete Glacial Peak. | 100 | Spear Pillar | Victory Road |
| Snake | Play 15 Vs. Matches on Shadow Moses Island. | Complete Battleship Halberd Interior. | 130 | Shadow Moses Island | Encounter |
| R.O.B. | Collect 250 different trophies. | Complete Subspace Bomb Factory (Part II). | 160 | Mario Bros | Mario Bros. |
| Ganondorf | Clear Classic Mode on Hard with Link or Zelda. | Collect both Link and Zelda's trophies in Subspace (Part II). | 200 | Final Destination | Hidden Mountain & Forest |
| Mr. Game & Watch | Clear Target Smash!! with 30 different characters on any single difficulty level. | Complete Battleship Halberd Bridge. | 250 | Flat Zone 2 | Flat Zone 2 |
| Sonic | Complete Classic Mode with ten characters, or Brawl for ten combined total hours. | Complete The Great Maze. | 300 | Green Hill Zone | Sonic Heroes |
| Jigglypuff[note 1] | Have 20 or more events cleared after beating the Subspace Emissary. | After completing The Great Maze, defeat it in a secret room in The Swamp. | 350 | Pokémon Stadium 2 | Pokémon Center |
| Toon Link[note 1] | Complete Classic Mode after beating the Subspace Emissary. | After completing The Great Maze, defeat him in a secret room in The Forest. | 400 | Pirate Ship | Dragon Roost Island |
| Wolf[note 1] | Complete Boss Battles mode with Fox or Falco. | After completing The Great Maze, defeat him in a secret room in The Ruins. | 450 | Lylat Cruise | Star Wolf |
Sonic is the only character who can be unlocked four different ways.
Gallery
Ness challenging the player in Brawl
Marth challenging the player in Brawl
Luigi challenging the player in Brawl
Falco challenging the player in Brawl
Captain Falcon challenging the player in Brawl
Lucario challenging the player in Brawl
Snake challenging the player in Brawl
R.O.B. challenging the player in Brawl
Ganondorf challenging the player in Brawl
Mr. Game & Watch challenging the player in Brawl
Sonic challenging the player in Brawl
Jigglypuff challenging the player in Brawl
Toon Link challenging the player in Brawl
Wolf challenging the player in Brawl
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Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
Characters
The inclusion of Wendy O. Koopa (as one of Bowser Jr.'s alternate costumes) and Lucina as unlockable characters makes them the first female characters to be unlockable. After every tenth VS. match, the player gets to challenge an unlockable character, starting with Ness and finishing with Jigglypuff when 120 matches are played.
In addition to the characters below, Mii Fighters are not shown on the character select screen until the player has created at least one. However, since the ability to create Mii Fighters is granted from the beginning, the characters cannot truly be called unlockable.
Although Duck Hunt has a home stage of the same name added into the game in the 1.1.1 update, they will always be fought on Battlefield in their unlocking battle regardless of which version of the game is being played.
Gallery
Ness challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
Falco challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
Wario challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
Lucina challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
Dark Pit challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
Dr. Mario challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
R.O.B. challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
Ganondorf challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
Mr. Game & Watch challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
Bowser Jr. challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
Duck Hunt challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
- ChallengerApproachingJigglypuff.jpg
Jigglypuff challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Characters
Unlike Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Ness, Jigglypuff, Ganondorf and Bowser Jr. are starter characters. Like the 3DS version, a character is unlocked for every ten versus matches played starting with Falco. Two exceptions to this are Mr. Game & Watch and Duck Hunt, which they need 20 more versus matches than R.O.B. and Mr. Game & Watch, respectively. Unlike the previous three installments (Melee, Brawl, and the 3DS version), no Super Smash Bros. universe stages are used for challenger approaching battles. Instead, all unlockable characters use a stage from their respective universe except for R.O.B., in which he uses the Wrecking Crew stage due to him not having a stage from his own universe.
In addition to the characters below, Mii Fighters are not shown on the character select screen until the player has created at least one. However, since the ability to create Mii Fighters is granted from the beginning and there is no Challenger Approaching fight, the character cannot truly be called unlockable.
| Character | How to unlock | Vs. Matches Required | Unlock location | Music |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falco | Clear Classic Mode | 10 | Orbital Gate Assault | Theme from Area 6 / Missile Slipstream |
| Wario | Clear 100-Man Smash | 20 | Gamer | Gamer |
| Lucina | Clear Classic Mode on intensity 5.5 or higher | 30 | Coliseum | The Devoted |
| Dark Pit | Clear All-Star Mode on Normal | 40 | Palutena's Temple | Boss Fight 1 (Kid Icarus: Uprising) |
| Dr. Mario | Clear Master Orders on Hard | 50 | Delfino Plaza | Delfino Plaza |
| R.O.B. | Clear Crazy Orders after ten rounds and defeat Crazy Hand | 60 | Wrecking Crew | Wrecking Crew Medley |
| Mr. Game & Watch | Clear Classic Mode on intensity 2.0 or higher with five characters | 80 | Flat Zone X | Flat Zone 2 |
| Duck Hunt | Get at least one KO in Cruel Smash | 100 | Duck Hunt[note 1] | Duck Hunt Medley |
- ^ Dog and ducks do not appear.
Gallery
Falco challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
Wario challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
Lucina challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
Dark Pit challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
Dr. Mario challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
R.O.B. challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
Mr. Game & Watch challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
Duck Hunt challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
The starting roster in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is comprised of the eight starter characters from the original Super Smash Bros. game, and all other fighters are unlockable. This does not, however, apply to World of Light, as everyone but Kirby need to be fought before joining the mode's roster. The Mii Fighters are an exception, as in the previous titles they had a unique status among starter and unlockable characters, becoming accessible once a custom Mii Fighter was created rather than through traditional unlocking conditions, which applies true in this game. Like previous games in the series, unlockable characters must be fought in one-on-one Challenger Approaching fights to unlock them, but it is still unknown if the AI difficulty is high or low during the Challenger Approaching battles.
If characters are unlocked via Vs. Matches, then there is a ten-minute timer before another character challenges the player to a Challenger Approaching duel, but this can be bypassed by changing languages, or by exiting out of the game to the Switch's home menu and rebooting up Ultimate. If players lose the duel, then they can challenge that character again via Games and More in the Challenger's Approach.
VS. Mode
| Order | Character | Unlock location | Music |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ness | Onett | Bein' Friends |
| 2 | Zelda | Temple | Ocarina of Time Medley |
| 3 | Bowser | Mushroom Kingdom U | King Bowser - Super Mario Bros. 3 |
| 4 | Pit | Skyworld | Underworld |
| 5 | Inkling | Moray Towers | Splattack (Original) |
| 6 | Villager | Smashville | Title (Animal Crossing) |
| 7 | Marth | Castle Siege | Story 5 Meeting |
| 8 | Young Link | Great Bay | Saria’s Theme |
| 9 | Wii Fit Trainer | Wii Fit Studio | Main Menu - Wii Fit |
| 10 | Ice Climbers | Summit | Ice Climber (Brawl) |
| 11 | Captain Falcon | Port Town Aero Dive | F-Zero Medley |
| 12 | Peach | Princess Peach's Castle | Rolling Hills A |
| 13 | Ryu | Battlefield | Ryu Stage |
| 14 | Ike | Coliseum | Eternal Bond |
| 15 | Jigglypuff | Saffron City | Pokémon Main Theme (64) |
| 16 | King K. Rool | Jungle Japes | Gangplank Galleon |
| 17 | Sonic | Green Hill Zone | Green Hill Zone |
| 18 | Simon | Dracula's Castle | Vampire Killer |
| 19 | Zero Suit Samus | Brinstar | Theme of Samus Aran, Space Warrior |
| 20 | Little Mac | Boxing Ring | Jogging/Countdown |
| 21 | Isabelle | Town and City | Plaza / Title (Animal Crossing: City Folk / Animal Crossing: Wild World) |
| 22 | Shulk | Gaur Plain | Xenoblade Chronicles Medley |
| 23 | Lucina | Arena Ferox | Id - Purpose (Original) |
| 24 | Wario | WarioWare, Inc. | WarioWare, Inc. |
| 25 | Ridley | Norfair | Vs. Ridley |
| 26 | Pokémon Trainer | Pokémon Stadium | Main Theme - Pokémon Red & Pokémon Blue (Brawl) |
| 27 | Lucario | Spear Pillar | Battle (Team Galactic) |
| 28 | Daisy | Figure-8 Circuit | Mario Tennis/Mario Golf |
| 29 | Roy | Castle Siege | Beyond Distant Skies - Roy's Departure |
| 30 | King Dedede | Fountain of Dreams | King Dedede's Theme (Brawl) |
| 31 | R.O.B. | Wrecking Crew | Stack-Up/Gyromite |
| 32 | Falco | Corneria | Starwing Medley |
| 33 | Luigi | Luigi's Mansion | Main Theme - Luigi's Mansion |
| 34 | Pichu | Pokémon Stadium | Pokémon Red/Pokémon Blue Medley |
| 35 | Richter | Dracula's Castle | Divine Bloodlines |
| 36 | Lucas | New Pork City | Unfounded Revenge/Smashing Song of Praise |
| 37 | Diddy Kong | Kongo Falls | Stickerbrush Symphony |
| 38 | Meta Knight | Halberd | Meta Knights Revenge |
| 39 | Snake | Shadow Moses Island | Encounter |
| 40 | Ganondorf | Bridge of Eldin | Death Mountain |
| 41 | Corrin | Coliseum | Lost in Thoughts All Alone |
| 42 | Mega Man | Wily Castle | Mega Man 2 Medley |
| 43 | Bayonetta | Umbra Clock Tower | Let's Hit the Climax |
| 44 | Toon Link | Pirate Ship | Dragon Roost Island |
| 45 | Rosalina & Luma | Mario Galaxy | Egg Planet |
| 46 | Incineroar | Boxing Ring | The Battle at the Summit |
| 47 | Sheik | Gerudo Valley | Gerudo Valley |
| 48 | Olimar | Distant Planet | Main Theme - Pikmin |
| 49 | Pac-Man | Pac-Land | Pac-Man |
| 50 | Dark Samus | Frigate Orpheon | Multiplayer - Metroid Prime 2: Echoes |
| 51 | Wolf | Lylat Cruise | Star Wolf (Brawl) |
| 52 | Mr. Game & Watch | Flat Zone X | Flat Zone 2 |
| 53 | Robin | Castle Siege | Prelude (Ablaze) |
| 54 | Dark Pit | Reset Bomb Forest | Dark Pit's Theme |
| 55 | Cloud | Midgar | Fight On! |
| 56 | Duck Hunt | Duck Hunt | Duck Hunt Medley |
| 57 | Ken | Boxing Ring | Ken Stage |
| 58 | Greninja | Kalos Pokémon League | Battle! (Trainer Battle) (Pokémon X / Pokémon Y) |
| 59 | Chrom | Arena Ferox | Id - Purpose (New Remix) |
| 60 | Mewtwo | Spear Pillar | Battle! (Dialga/Palkia) / Spear Pillar |
| 61 | Bowser Jr. | Delfino Plaza | Delfino Plaza (New Remix) |
| 62 | Dr. Mario | New Donk City Hall | Fever |
| 63 | Palutena | Palutena's Temple | Destroyed Skyworld |
Classic Mode
Completing Classic Mode with a character unlocks the next available character in their column. Note that "next" begins from the top, not from the character used - completing Classic Mode with a row 5 character will first try to unlock the character in row 1, not row 6. For characters that appear multiple times, only the first time counts for determining what group they belong to. Unlock stages and music are the same as in Vs. Mode.
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World of Light
| Character | Location on Map | Unlock location | Music |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mario | World of Light, 1st character met | Final Destination | Final Destination |
| Donkey Kong | World of Light, Marth route | Kongo Jungle (Ω form) | Jungle Level (64) |
| Link | World of Light, Villager route | Great Plateau Tower (Ω form) | |
| Samus | World of Light | ||
| Dark Samus | The Final Battle | ||
| Yoshi | World of Light, Sheik route (Ribbon Road) | Super Happy Tree (Ω form) | Obstacle Course - Yoshi's Island |
| Fox | World of Light | ||
| Pikachu | World of Light | ||
| Luigi | World of Dark (Mysterious Dimension) | ||
| Ness | World of Light (Magicant-like area) | ||
| Captain Falcon | World of Light, Villager route | ||
| Jigglypuff | World of Light, Sheik route | Mushroom Kingdom U (Ω form) | Road to Viridian City - Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue |
| Peach | World of Light (The Molten Fortress Sub-area) | Mushroom Kingdom U | Fortress Boss - Super Mario World |
| Daisy | World of Dark (Defeat Dry Bowser's Spirit at Dracula's Castle before encountering) | ||
| Bowser | World of Light (The Molten Fortress Sub-area) | Final Destination | Giga Bowser |
| Ice Climbers | World of Light, Villager route (Icy mountain area) | Summit (Ω form) | Ice Climber (Brawl) |
| Sheik | One of 3 starting routes (middle) | Final Destination | Final Destination |
| Zelda | World of Dark (Sacred Land) | Temple (Ω form) | Ocarina of Time Medley |
| Dr. Mario | World of Light, Marth Route (Near Lumious City) | Mario Bros. (Ω form) | Fever |
| Pichu | World of Light (Power Plant) | Prism Tower (Ω form) | Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue Medley |
| Falco | World of Light (Space) | Lylat Cruise (Ω form) | Space Armada |
| Marth | One of 3 starting routes (left) | Final Destination | Final Destination |
| Lucina | World of Dark (Right route, The Dark Realm) | ||
| Young Link | World of Dark (Sacred Land) | ||
| Ganondorf | World of Dark (Sacred Land) | ||
| Mewtwo | World of Dark (Mysterious Dimension, defeat Wispy Woods’ spirit) | ||
| Roy | The Final Battle | ||
| Chrom | World of Dark (Sacred Land. Near a treasure chest.) | ||
| Mr. Game & Watch | World of Light | ||
| Meta Knight | World of Dark (Mysterious Dimension) | ||
| Pit | World of Light | ||
| Dark Pit | World of Dark (Defeat Boo's Spirit at Dracula's Castle before encounter) | ||
| Zero Suit Samus | World of Light | ||
| Wario | World of Dark (Defeat Mummy Spirit's at Dracula's Castle before encounter) | ||
| Snake | World of Light, Marth route (Base (Metal Gear-Like area)) (Get Otacan's spirit first) | Final Destination | Encounter |
| Ike | World of Dark (Mysterious Dimension) | ||
| Pokémon Trainer | World of Light | ||
| Diddy Kong | World of Light (Near DK Island) | ||
| Lucas | World of Light | New Pork City (Ω form) | Unfounded Revenge / Smashing Song of Praise |
| Sonic | World of Dark (Sacred Land) | ||
| King Dedede | World of Light (sub-area) | ||
| Olimar | World of Light, Marth route | ||
| Lucario | World of Light, Villager route | Spear Pillar | Battle! (Team Galactic) |
| R.O.B. | World of Dark (Mysterious Dimension) | ||
| Toon Link | World of Light | ||
| Wolf | World of Dark (Mysterious Dimension) | ||
| Villager | One of 3 starting routes (right) | Final Destination | Final Destination |
| Mega Man | World of Light, Marth route (Near Sigma Spirit) | Wily Castle (Ω form) | Mega Man 2 Medley |
| Wii Fit Trainer | World of Light, Marth route (Lumious City) | Wii Fit Studio (Ω form) | Yoga |
| Rosalina & Luma | World of Dark (Top middle route, Dark Realm) | ||
| Little Mac | World of Light | ||
| Greninja | World of Dark (Mysterious Dimension) | ||
| Mii Brawler | World of Dark (Sacred Realm. Complete a puzzle involving red and blue torches) | ||
| Mii Swordfighter | World of Light, Sheik and Villager routes (Town) | Final Destination | Final Destination - Super Smash Bros. for 3DS / Wii U |
| Mii Gunner | World of Light | ||
| Palutena | The Final Battle (Defeat all spirits in sub-area; Light side) | ||
| Pac-Man | World of Light, Marth route | Pac-Land (Ω form) | PAC-MAN |
| Robin | World of Dark (Defeat Werewolf’s spirit in Dracula’s Castle before entering) | ||
| Shulk | World of Light | ||
| Bowser Jr. | World of Dark (Sacred Land) | ||
| Duck Hunt | World of Light, Marth route (Hidden Forest) | Duck Hunt (Ω form) | Duck Hunt Medley |
| Ryu | World of Light (World Tour) | Suzaku Castle (Ω form) | |
| Ken | World of Dark (Dracula's Castle) | ||
| Cloud | World of Dark (Sacred Land. Unlock Zelda first, path will open up to lead to him) | ||
| Corrin | World of Dark (Mysterious Dimension, near Azura’s spirit) | ||
| Bayonetta | The Final Battle (Defeat all spirits in sub-area; Dark side) | ||
| Inkling | World of Light (Nintendo Themed City Northwest of Starting Area) | ||
| Ridley | World of Dark (Defeat The Creature & Flea Man spirit in Dracula's Castle before encounter) | ||
| Simon | World of Light (Near final boss) | ||
| Richter | World of Dark (Defeat all dark spirits in Dracula's Castle before encounter. Nearby Clock Tower.) | ||
| King K. Rool | World of Dark (Mysterious Dimension, near Risky Boots’ spirit) | ||
| Isabelle | World of Light, Villager route | ||
| Incineroar | World of Dark (Left Route, The Dark Realm) |
Gallery
Dark Samus challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Luigi challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Ness challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Captain Falcon challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Jigglypuff challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Peach challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Daisy challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Bowser challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
The Ice Climbers challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Sheik challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Zelda challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Dr. Mario challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Pichu challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Falco challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Marth challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Lucina challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Young Link challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Ganondorf challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Mewtwo challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Roy challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Chrom challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Mr. Game & Watch challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Meta Knight challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Pit challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Dark Pit challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Zero Suit Samus challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Wario challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Snake challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Ike challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
The Pokémon Trainer challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Diddy Kong challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Lucas challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Sonic challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
King Dedede challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Olimar challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Lucario challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
R.O.B. challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Toon Link challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Wolf challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Villager challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Mega Man challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Wii Fit Trainer challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Rosalina & Luma challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Little Mac challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Greninja challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Palutena challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Pac-Man challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Robin challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Shulk challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Bowser Jr. challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Duck Hunt challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Ryu challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Ken challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Cloud challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Corrin challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Bayonetta challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Inkling challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Ridley challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Simon challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Richter challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
King K. Rool challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Isabelle challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Incineroar challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Trivia
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- The original Super Smash Bros. is the only installment where all unlockable characters cannot be unlocked by playing a specific number of Vs. Mode matches.
- In Smash 64, Brawl, and for 3DS, the AI level of unlockable character fights increases with each consecutive character.
- In Melee, the opposite is the case.
- In for Wii U, the AI level for all eight characters is high, no matter what order they are fought in.[citation needed]
- It is currently unknown about the AI level for unlocking characters' Challenger approaching fights in Ultimate.
- The music in challenger encounters may be music that cannot otherwise play on the stage in question, such as the Fire Emblem theme playing on Fountain of Dreams in Melee when Marth is unlocked.
- Masahiro Sakurai originally intended for all the characters in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U to be available from the start, but eventually decided against it.
- The Yoshi series is the only franchise to have never had any unlockable characters.
- Roy and Mr. Game & Watch in Melee and Wolf in Brawl are the only unlockable characters to have unlock criteria that involve other unlockable characters.
- Mr. Game and Watch in Melee is the only character that must be unlocked last in any Smash game, since his unlock criteria involves all other playable characters.
- It is theoretically possible though pointlessly difficult to bypass this, by playing 1000 Vs. Mode matches and SDing in all ten of the first challenger battles.
- Mr. Game and Watch in Melee is the only character that must be unlocked last in any Smash game, since his unlock criteria involves all other playable characters.
- Wario was the first character who debuted as a starter to become an unlockable character afterwards, being a starter in Brawl before becoming unlockable in Smash 4.
- In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, DLC characters have a "(character name) Joins the Battle!" screen that appears once they are purchased, much like the unlockable characters. Unlike with unlockable characters, the last letters of their names are not larger.
- When a player fights a secret character to unlock in Brawl, their character always uses their default costume even if the character was originally using an alternative costume.
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate marks the unlockable debut for many characters that debuted as starters, as all characters that debuted from Melee onwards, along with the first game's unlockables have been made unlockable regardless of their status in previous games.
- Namely, this includes long-running (appeared in at least two games prior to Ultimate) veterans Peach, Bowser, the Ice Climbers, Zelda, Sheik, Pit, Meta Knight, Zero Suit Samus, Ike, Charizard, Diddy Kong, Lucas, King Dedede, and Olimar.
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the first game in the series to feature unlockable characters in its cover artwork.
- In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, each character unlock notification has a different tone depending on the debut game of the character.
- Strangely, Jigglypuff's unlock notification tone is the same as the Brawl newcomers despite debuting from Smash 64. This is likely because it is unlocked in the post-game Subspace Emissary, as well as its internal ID being right next to Toon Link and Wolf, Brawl newcomers.
- Smash 64 newcomers (except Jigglypuff) use "Rare Trophy" from Melee, Melee newcomers use Brawl's stage unlock fanfare, and Brawl newcomers (and Jigglypuff) use Brawl's sound effect when collecting songs or completing minor challenges.
- Ultimate marks the first time all newcomers introduced in any Smash game are unlockable, including those introduced as starters, whereas only 4, 9, 6, 4 and 3 are unlockable in Smash 64, Melee, Brawl, Smash 3DS and Smash Wii U, respectively.
- Aside from Super Smash Bros. itself, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate are the only games where the original four unlockable characters from Smash 64 are all unlockable.
