A non-playable character (or NPC) is a character that cannot be controlled by a player via any legitimate means. Most of the time, these characters are controlled by the game (e.g. enemies or bosses). A few of these characters are playable via the use of a GameShark or Action Replay but may cause glitches and/or freeze the game.
Bosses
Usually found in Classic or Adventure modes, bosses are unique characters that (with the exception of Master Core) are defeated by depleting their HP.
Fighter variants/Minor bosses
These are variants of playable fighters with modified appearance, attributes or status effects like metal or giant.
Common enemies
Like major bosses, these are commonly found in Adventure modes and are defeated by depleting HP.
Characters in moveset
These characters appear as part of fighters' movesets.
Characters in stage
As stage hazards
These characters are stage hazards, as they can interact with players or influence the stage, while being part of the stage.
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, stage hazards can be turned on or off. If stage hazards are off, most of these characters do not appear, yet some still appear as background characters.
As background
These characters appear in the stage background and have no impact on the battle. If stage hazards are turned off, most of these characters still appear, but some do not as their stages no longer transform.
In addition, some stage hazard characters continue to appear when stage hazards are turned off, but they lose their ability to interact with the battle (at that point becoming background characters).
Characters as items
These characters appear as spawnable items besides Poké Balls and Assist Trophies.
Poké Ball
Assist Trophies
Characters in costumes
These characters appear alongside fighters as part of an alternate costume, but have no effect on gameplay.
| Character | Costume (s) | 
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Universe |
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| Azurda | Mii Swordfighter (Rex Outfit) | 
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 Xenoblade Chronicles
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| Cappy | All type Mii Fighter (Cappy Hat) |
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 Mario
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| Majora's Mask | All type Mii Fighter (Majora's Mask, Skull Kid's Hat) |
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 The Legend of Zelda
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| Munchie | Hero (Eight) |
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 Dragon Quest
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Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Appears as a Spirit.
- ^ a b Appears as Ganondorf's Final Smash, Beast Ganon.
- ^ Appears as Ganondorf's Final Smash, Ganon, The Demon King.
- ^ a b c Appears as Bowser's Final Smash, Giga Bowser.
- ^ Master Hand is playable during a special World of Light battle.
- ^ Appears as an alternate costume for Ridley.
- ^ Appears as Piranha Plant's Final Smash, Petey Piranha.
- ^ a b Appears as a Smash Tour item.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Appears as an Assist Trophy.
- ^ a b Appears as a stage hazard.
- ^ Cameos in the background of a stage.
- ^ Appears as a Trophy.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Became a fighter.
- ^ Playable by selecting one of Link's alternate costumes from Brawl onward.
- ^ Playable by changing Link's costume using the debug menu or the black character glitch.
- ^ a b c Playable by selecting the base fighter and using a Super Mushroom from Melee onward.
- ^ a b Playable by selecting the base fighter and using a Metal Box from Melee onward.
- ^ Only appears in The Subspace Emissary in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
- ^ Only appears in Smash Run in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
- ^ Only appears inside Master Fortress in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
- ^ In Ultimate, Chrom also appears as a playable character. However, his appearance in Robin’s moveset remains unchanged.
- ^ A zombie is one of Steve's alternate costumes.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Also appears as a background character with stage hazards turned off.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Also appears in Ω form or Battlefield form.
- ^ a b Also appears in Ω form or Battlefield form in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
- ^ a b c d e f Do not appear with stage hazards turned off.
- ^ Appears as an enemy in Smash Run.
- ^ Appears as a cameo in Ness's Congratulations screen.
- ^ Categorized solely as a non-playable character in Melee.
- ^ Appears unfinished in the game's code.
See also
| Bosses | |
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| Super Smash Bros. | Master Hand · Metal Mario · Giant Donkey Kong · Fighting Polygon Team |
| Melee | Master Hand · Crazy Hand · Giga Bowser · Fighting Wire Frames (Male · Female) |
| Brawl | Master Hand · Crazy Hand · Petey Piranha · Rayquaza · Porky · Galleom · Ridley · Duon · Meta Ridley · Tabuu · Fighting Alloy Team (Red · Blue · Yellow · Green) · False characters |
| Smash 4 | Master Hand · Crazy Hand · Master Core · Fighting Mii Team |
| Ultimate | Master Hand · Crazy Hand · Rathalos · Galleom · Giga Bowser · Galeem · Dharkon · Dracula · Ganon · Marx · Fighting Mii Team · False characters |
| Smash Run | |
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| Enemies | Bacura · Banzai Bill · Bill Blaster · Bonkers · Boom Stomper · Bronto Burt · Bubble · Bulborb · Bullet Bill · Bumpety Bomb · Chain Chomp · Chandelure · Clubberskull · Cryogonal · Cucco · Daphne · Darknut · Devil Car · Eggrobo · Flage · Flame Chomp · Fly Guy · Gastly · Geemer · Generator · Ghost · Giant Goomba · Glice · Glire · Glunder · Goomba · Gordo · Hammer Bro · Iridescent Glint Beetle · Kihunter · Koffing · Koopa Paratroopa · Koopa Troopa · Kritter · Lakitu and Spinies · Lethinium · Lurchthorn · Magikoopa · Mahva · Megonta · Metroid · Mettaur · Mimicutie · Mite · Monoeye · Nutski · Octorok · Orne · Parasol Waddle Dee · Peahat · Petilil · Plasma Wisp · Polar Bear · Pooka · Poppant · Reaper & Reapette · ReDead · Reo · Roturret · Shotzo · Shy Guy · Skuttler · Sneaky Spirit · Souflee · Spike Top · Starman · Stalfos · Tac · Tiki Buzz · Waddle Dee · Waddle Doo · Zuree |