Unlockable character
- "Challenger" redirects here. For info on fighters, to whom the title "challenger" is often applied, see Fighter.
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 onward.
"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. As a result, 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 SSE method was not used. Also, Brawl removed the word "Warning" and the circle explanation point logo from the challenger approaching screen. 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).
As in Smash 4, the warning siren from Brawl is used in Ultimate. This time there is a dark pink background with a white/pink light shining behind the silhouette of the unlockable character. The text about unlocking characters remains the same from prior games.
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 Ness challenges the player in Super Smash Bros. 64.
The Challenger Approaching! screen which Marth 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 Dark Pit challenges the player in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
The Challenger Approaching! screen which Duck Hunt challenges the player in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
The Challenger Approaching! screen which Simon 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 without using any 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 or higher with three lives or less 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 Because All-Star Mode is itself unlocked by unlocking all characters, it is only possible to unlock a character via All-Star Mode if the player had previously used the Erase Data > Hidden Characters option after unlocking All-Star Mode.
- ^ 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
Roy challenging the player in Melee
Mr. Game & Watch challenging the player in Melee
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Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Masahiro Sakurai has stated that it would be appropriate for third-party characters to be unlockable characters.[citation needed] In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the first game to feature third-party characters, both third-party characters (Solid Snake and Sonic the Hedgehog) are unlockable characters.
In addition to the challenges and versus match method of unlocking, all unlockable characters can be unlocked by playing through The Subspace Emissary. The majority of these characters are unlocked as part of the linear story of SSE. However, Toon Link, Wolf, and Jigglypuff 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, 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.
Despite Duck Hunt having a home stage of the same name added into the game in the 1.1.1 update, they will always be fought on Battlefield for 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.
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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 comprises the eight starter characters from the original Super Smash Bros. game, with all other fighters being unlockable or downloadable. There are two ways to unlock characters: by defeating them in a Challenger Approaching fight, or by awakening them in the World of Light. With the vast majority of the roster being unlockable, unlocking characters is advertised as a core feature of the game; no characters are left "secret" like in previous games, and character unlocks are designed to occur at a more streamlined and consistent pace than in previous games.
In the World of Light, only characters that have been awakened in that mode can be used, with only Kirby initially being available. However, awakening a fighter in the World of Light also unlocks them for the regular roster as well.
Challenger Approaching
In a Challenger Approaching fight, the character must be fought in a one-on-one fight, with the stage and music being specific to that fighter. The difficulty of Challenger Approaching fights start out at being very low, but progressively increases with each character unlocked. If the player loses the fight, they can redo the Challenger Approaching fight via Challenger's Approach on the Games and More menu after a few minutes pass.
All characters except Mii Fighters can be unlocked in a Challenger Approaching fight. Instead, each Mii Fighter can be unlocked by creating a custom Mii Fighter of that type. However, Mii Fighters may also be unlocked by awakening them in the World of Light.
Timed encounters
When the player finishes a VS. match, a Mob Smash, a Spirit Board fight or exits the World of Light, a new character can challenge the player to a Challenger Approaching duel. However, the player must then wait 10 minutes before a new Challenger Approaching challenge will be issued. This 10 minute cooldown can be bypassed by closing the game and reopening it.
Time-based Challenger Approaching challenges are issued in a specific order, skipping any characters unlocked in the World of Light or whose Challenger Approaching fight has already been triggered due to Classic Mode.
Classic Mode
When the player completes Classic Mode with a given character, a new character will challenge the player to a Challenger Approaching duel. All of the eight starter characters have their own character unlock trees, each with eight characters to unlock, except for Pikachu, who has seven. The challenger is determined by the 1st Player character's assigned tree, and will be the next character from the top of their tree down (as indicated on the table below) who has not already been unlocked or issued a Challenger Approaching duel.
When all the characters in a tree are unlocked, completing Classic Mode with those characters will unlock the next available character in Mario's tree, then Donkey Kong's, and so on. Completing Classic Mode with downloadable fighters will also unlock fighters in this order, as these characters are not assigned an unlock tree.
The Challenger Approaching duels are the same as those issued on a timed basis, this is simply another way to trigger them. Notably, all clones, semi-clones, and pseudo-clones except for Ganondorf, Roy, and Chrom are in the same tree as the character they are based on.
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Challenges
Below is a table listing the stage and music for each character's unlock battle. It also includes the order they are unlocked in as time-based challenges.
The values listed under "Cumulative Wait Time" are idealized values that assume that no characters are unlocked in the World of Light or have their Challenger Approaching fights triggered by Classic Mode, that the player never closes the game after first opening it until they trigger Palutena's Challenger Approaching fight, and the player never spends longer than the minimum amount of time (10 minutes) between triggering Challenger Approaching fights.
World of Light
In World of Light, each fighter must be unlocked through a fighter battle, with a few exceptions:
Kirby is always available from the beginning.
Bowser is obtained after defeating Giga Bowser.
Downloadable fighters are directly available once finished downloading them, after awaking a total of 10 fighters. If a file is loaded where those conditions have been already met previously before downloading them, they will be made instantly available.
The fighter battles all feature the same single condition: Win the battle to awaken the fighter
| No. | Name | Type | Power | Stage | Music | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 |  Mario
|
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2,500 | Final Destination | Final Destination | In the Light Realm, right at the beginning |
| 02 |  Donkey Kong
|
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3,300 | Kongo Jungle Ω | Jungle Level (64) | In the Light Realm |
| 03 |  Link
|
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3,600 | Great Plateau Tower Ω | Main Theme - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | In the Light Realm |
| 04 |  Samus
|
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7,500 | Brinstar Ω | Title Theme - Metroid | In the Light Realm (beyond the light breach) |
| 04ε |  Dark Samus
|
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12,500 | Frigate Orpheon Ω | Multiplayer - Metroid Prime 2: Echoes | In The Final Battle area |
| 05 |  Yoshi
|
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3,600 | Super Happy Tree Ω | Obstacle Course - Yoshi's Island | In the Light Realm |
| 06 | Kirby
|
There is no fighter battle for Kirby; this fighter is always available from the beginning | ||||
| 07 |  Fox
|
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3,700 | Corneria Ω | Star Fox Medley | In the Light Realm |
| 08 |  Pikachu
|
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3,300 | Pokémon Stadium Ω | Main Theme - Pokémon Red & Pokémon Blue (Melee) | In the Light Realm |
| 09 |  Luigi
|
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10,600 | Luigi's Mansion Ω | Main Theme - Luigi's Mansion | In the Dark Realm (in the Mysterious Dimension sub-area) |
| 10 |  Ness
|
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7,500 | Magicant Ω | Magicant (for 3DS / Wii U) | In the Light Realm (beyond the light breach) |
| 11 |  Captain Falcon
|
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3,300 | Port Town Aero Dive Ω | F-ZERO Medley | In the Light Realm |
| 12 |  Jigglypuff
|
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3,300 | Mushroom Kingdom U Ω | Road to Viridian City - Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue | In the Light Realm |
| 13 |  Peach
|
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7,500 | Mushroom Kingdom U | Fortress Boss - Super Mario World | In the Light Realm (in the Molten Fortress sub-area) |
| 13ε |  Daisy
|
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10,600 | Mushroom Kingdom U | Underground Theme - Super Mario Land | In the Dark Realm (in the Dracula's Castle sub-area) |
| 14 | Bowser
|
There is no fighter battle for Bowser; to unlock Bowser, simply defeat Giga Bowser | In the Light Realm (in the Molten Fortress sub-area) | |||
| 15 |  Ice Climbers
|
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7,500 | Summit Ω | Ice Climber (Brawl) | In the Light Realm |
| 16 |  Sheik
|
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2,500 | Final Destination | Final Destination | In the Light Realm, one of the 3 starter routes (north route) |
| 17 |  Zelda
|
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10,100 | Temple Ω | Ocarina of Time Medley | In the Dark Realm (in the Sacred Land sub-area) |
| 18 |  Dr. Mario
|
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3,400 | Mario Bros. Ω | Fever | In the Light Realm |
| 19 |  Pichu
|
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7,500 | Prism Tower Ω | Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue Medley | In the Light Realm (in the Power Plant sub-area) |
| 20 |  Falco
|
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7,500 | Lylat Cruise Ω | Space Armada | In the Light Realm |
| 21 |  Marth
|
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2,500 | Final Destination | Final Destination | In the Light Realm, one of the 3 starter routes (west routes) |
| 21ε |  Lucina
|
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10,000 | Arena Ferox Ω | Id (Purpose) | In the Dark Realm |
| 22 |  Young Link
|
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10,300 | Temple Ω | Saria's Song | In the Dark Realm (in the Sacred Land sub-area) |
| 23 |  Ganondorf
|
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10,700 | Bridge of Eldin Ω | Death Mountain | In the Dark Realm (in the Sacred Land sub-area) |
| 24 |  Mewtwo
|
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12,000 | Spear Pillar Ω | Battle! (Dialga/Palkia) / Spear Pillar | In the Dark Realm (in the Mysterious Dimension sub-area) |
| 25 |  Roy
|
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12,500 | Castle Siege Ω | Beyond Distant Skies - Roy's Departure | In The Final Battle area |
| 25ε |  Chrom
|
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10,600 | Castle Siege Ω | Id (Purpose) (Remix) | In the Dark Realm (in the Sacred Land sub-area, by jumping into a treasure chest) |
| 26 |  Mr. Game & Watch
|
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7,500 | Flat Zone X Ω | Flat Zone 2 | In the Light Realm (beyond the light breach) |
| 27 |  Meta Knight
|
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11,800 | Halberd Ω | Meta Knight's Revenge | In the Dark Realm (in the Mysterious Dimension sub-area) |
| 28 |  Pit
|
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3,300 | Skyworld Ω | Underworld | In the Light Realm (in the Temple of Light sub-area) |
| 28ε |  Dark Pit
|
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11,200 | Reset Bomb Forest Ω | Dark Pit's Theme | In the Dark Realm (in the Dracula's Castle sub-area) |
| 29 |  Zero Suit Samus
|
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7,500 | Brinstar Depths Ω | Theme of Samus Aran, Space Warrior | In the Light Realm (beyond the light breach) |
| 30 |  Wario
|
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10,100 | WarioWare, Inc. Ω | WarioWare, Inc. | In the Dark Realm (in the Dracula's Castle sub-area) |
| 31 |  Snake
|
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9,000 | Final Destination | Encounter | In the Light Realm (in the Military Base sub-area) |
| 32 |  Ike
|
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11,200 | Coliseum Ω | Eternal Bond | In the Dark Realm (in the Mysterious Dimension sub-area) |
| 33-35 |     Pokémon Trainer (Squirtle, Ivysaur and Charizard)
|
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7,500 | Battlefield Ω | Main Theme - Pokémon Red & Pokémon Blue (Brawl) | In the Light Realm (beyond the light breach) |
| 36 |  Diddy Kong
|
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9,000 | Kongo Jungle Ω | Stickerbrush Symphony | In the Light Realm (in the Kongo Jungle sub-area) |
| 37 |  Lucas
|
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6,600 | New Pork City Ω | Unfounded Revenge / Smashing Song of Praise | In the Light Realm |
| 38 |  Sonic
|
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9,800 | Green Hill Zone Ω | Green Hill Zone | In the Dark Realm (in the Sacred Land sub-area) |
| 39 |  King Dedede
|
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9,000 | Fountain of Dreams Ω | King Dedede's Theme (Brawl) | In the Light Realm (in the Gourmet Race sub-area, after obtaining a score of 11) |
| 40 |  Olimar
|
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3,300 | Distant Planet Ω | Main Theme - Pikmin | In the Light Realm |
| 41 |  Lucario
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3,300 | Spear Pillar Ω | Battle! (Team Galactic) | In the Light Realm |
| 42 |  R.O.B.
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10,500 | Wrecking Crew Ω | Stack-Up/Gyromite | In the Dark Realm (in the Mysterious Dimension sub-area) |
| 43 |  Toon Link
|
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7,500 | Wuhu Island | Main Theme - The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes | In the Light Realm (in the Forest Hill sub-area) |
| 44 |  Wolf
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11,800 | Lylat Cruise Ω | Star Wolf (Brawl) | In the Dark Realm (in the Mysterious Dimension sub-area) |
| 45 |  Villager
|
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2,500 | Final Destination | Final Destination | In the Light Realm, one of the 3 starter routes (east route) |
| 46 |  Mega Man
|
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7,500 | Wily Castle Ω | Mega Man 2 Medley | In the Light Realm |
| 47 |  Wii Fit Trainer
|
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3,300 | Wii Fit Studio Ω | Yoga | In the Light Realm |
| 48 |  Rosalina & Luma
|
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10,000 | Mario Galaxy Ω | Egg Planet | In the Dark Realm |
| 49 |  Little Mac
|
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3,300 | Boxing Ring Ω | Jogging / Countdown | In the Light Realm |
| 50 |  Greninja
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10,600 | Kalos Pokémon League Ω | Battle! (Trainer Battle) - Pokémon X / Pokémon Y | In the Dark Realm (in the Mysterious Dimension sub-area) |
| 51 |  Mii Brawler
|
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10,000 | Final Destination | Final Destination - Super Smash Bros. for 3DS / Wii U | In the Dark Realm (in the Sacred Land sub-area, after setting the clock to 4:40) |
| 52 |  Mii Swordfighter
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3,300 | Final Destination | Final Destination - Super Smash Bros. for 3DS / Wii U | In the Light Realm |
| 53 |  Mii Gunner
|
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7,500 | Tortimer Island | Final Destination - Super Smash Bros. for 3DS / Wii U | In the Light Realm (beyond the light breach) |
| 54 |  Palutena
|
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12,500 | Palutena's Temple Ω | Destroyed Skyworld | In The Final Battle area |
| 55 |  Pac-Man
|
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3,300 | Pac-Land Ω | PAC-MAN | In the Light Realm |
| 56 |  Robin
|
|
10,700 | Castle Siege Ω | Prelude (Ablaze) | In the Dark Realm (in the Dracula's Castle sub-area) |
| 57 |  Shulk
|
|
8,200 | Gaur Plain Ω | Xenoblade Chronicles Medley | In the Light Realm (beyond the light breach) |
| 58 |  Bowser Jr.
|
|
12,500 | Mushroomy Kingdom Ω | Fortress Boss - Super Mario Bros. 3 | In the Dark Realm (in the Sacred Land sub-area) |
| 59 |  Duck Hunt
|
|
3,300 | Duck Hunt Ω | Duck Hunt Medley | In the Light Realm |
| 60 |  Ryu
|
|
9,000 | Suzaku Castle Ω | Ryu Stage | In the Light Realm (in the World Tour sub-area) |
| 60ε |  Ken
|
|
10,600 | Boxing Ring Ω | Ken Stage | In the Dark Realm (in the Dracula's Castle sub-area) |
| 61 |  Cloud
|
|
11,200 | Midgar Ω | Fight On! | In the Dark Realm (in the Sacred Land sub-area) |
| 62 |  Corrin
|
|
10,700 | Castle Siege Ω | Lost in Thoughts All Alone | In the Dark Realm (in the Mysterious Dimension sub-area) |
| 63 |  Bayonetta
|
|
12,500 | Umbra Clock Tower Ω | Let's Hit the Climax! | In The Final Battle area |
| 64 |  Inkling
|
|
3,300 | Moray Towers Ω | Splattack! | In the Light Realm |
| 65 |  Ridley
|
|
10,600 | Brinstar Depths Ω | Vs. Ridley (Brawl) | In the Dark Realm (in the Dracula's Castle sub-area) |
| 66 |  Simon
|
|
7,500 | Dracula's Castle Ω | Vampire Killer | In the Light Realm (in the Temple of Light sub-area) |
| 66ε |  Richter
|
|
11,800 | Dracula's Castle Ω | Divine Bloodlines | In the Dark Realm (in the Dracula's Castle sub-area, after killing all evil ghosts) |
| 67 |  King K. Rool
|
|
10,600 | Pirate Ship | Gang-Plank Galleon | In the Dark Realm (in the Mysterious Dimension sub-area) |
| 68 |  Isabelle
|
|
3,900 | Town and City Ω | Plaza / Title Theme - Animal Crossing: City Folk / Animal Crossing: Wild World | In the Light Realm |
| 69 |  Incineroar
|
|
12,500 | Spear Pillar Ω | The Battle at the Summit! | In the Dark Realm |
| 70 | Piranha Plant
|
There is no fighter battle for Piranha Plant; after downloading it, it becomes available after awaking 10 fighters. | ||||
| 71 | Joker
|
There is no fighter battle for Joker; after downloading him, he becomes available after awaking 10 fighters. | ||||
| 72 | Hero
|
There is no fighter battle for the Hero; after downloading him, he becomes available after awaking 10 fighters. | ||||
| 73 | Banjo & Kazooie
|
There is no fighter battle for Banjo & Kazooie; after downloading them, they become available after awaking 10 fighters. | ||||
| 74 | Terry
|
There is no fighter battle for Terry; after downloading him, he becomes available after awaking 10 fighters. | ||||
Gallery
Ness challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Zelda challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Bowser challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Pit challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Inkling challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Villager challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Marth challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Young Link challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Wii Fit Trainer challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Ice Climbers challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Captain Falcon challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Peach challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Ryu challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Ike challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Jigglypuff challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
King K. Rool challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Sonic challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Simon challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Zero Suit Samus challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Little Mac challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Isabelle challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Shulk challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Lucina challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Wario challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Ridley challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Pokémon Trainer challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Lucario challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Daisy challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Roy challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
King Dedede challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
R.O.B. challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Falco challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Luigi challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Pichu challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Richter challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Lucas challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Diddy Kong challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Meta Knight challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Snake challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Ganondorf challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Corrin challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Mega Man challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Bayonetta challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Toon Link challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Rosalina & Luma challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Incineroar challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Sheik challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Olimar challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
PAC-MAN challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Dark Samus challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Wolf challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Mr. Game & Watch challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Robin challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Dark Pit challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Cloud challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Duck Hunt challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Ken challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Greninja challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Chrom challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Mewtwo challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Bowser Jr. challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Dr. Mario challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Palutena challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Trivia
- The original Super Smash Bros. is the only game in the series in which playing VS. Mode matches cannot trigger a "Challenger Approaching" battle.
- The original Super Smash Bros. is the only game in which each unlockable character only has a single unlock criterion.
- In Smash 4 and Ultimate, unlock matches are treated as VS. Mode matches - that is, they count towards the total number of VS. Mode matches, and all statistics accumulated during unlock matches are saved.
- In Smash 64, Brawl, for 3DS and Ultimate, the AI level of unlockable character fights start out at being very low, but increases with each consecutive character unlocked.
- 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]
- In Ultimate, the difficulty of the AI was lowered in patch 1.2.0, after notorious reports of the level of difficulty for each match.
- 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.
- If Mii Fighters are considered unlockable, the Yoshi universe is the only universe to have never had any unlockable characters.
- 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 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.
- Prior to Ultimate, the only unlockable characters whose playable status was not kept a secret prior to release were Snake and Sonic in Brawl, and Lucina in Smash 4.
- Out of all of these, Lucina is the only one who is not a third-party character.
- Prior to Ultimate, Wario was the only starter character to become an unlockable character in a later installment.
- Pokémon Trainer is the only multi-fighter character to become unlockable.
- Counting Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and for Wii U separately, Jigglypuff, Falco, and Mr. Game & Watch are tied for the most unlockable appearances, with five each.
- In all games in which he is unlockable, Ness is the first character to be unlocked by playing Vs. matches.
- In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Jigglypuff, Young Link, Wario, Snake, Wolf, and Lucina are fought on the same stage with the same music as in their first unlockable appearance in a Super Smash Bros. game.
- In Ultimate, all non-DLC Sega characters are in Mario's character unlock column, and all Konami characters are in Link's column. Because DLC characters function as part of Mario's character unlock column, the Sega-owned DLC character Joker is also in Mario's character unlock column.
- Ness, Captain Falcon, Sonic, Lucario, and Toon Link are the only characters who debuted as an unlockable character, but became a starter character in the following Super Smash Bros. game.
- Additionally, Bowser Jr. was an unlockable character in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and a starter character in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
