Super Smash Bros. series

Unlockable character

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"Challenger" redirects here. For info on fighters, to whom the title "challenger" is often applied, see List of Super Smash Bros. series characters.
Character selection screen in Super Smash Bros. indicating the unlockable 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

The Challenger Approaching! screen which Captain Falcon challenges the player in Super Smash Bros. 64.
The Challenger Approaching! screen which Dr. Mario challenges the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

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).

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 Luigi challenges the player in Super Smash Bros. 64.

    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 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 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 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 Dark Pit challenges the player in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

  • The Challenger Approaching! screen which Ganondorf challenges the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

    The Challenger Approaching! screen which Ganondorf challenges the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.


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

    Captain Falcon challenging the player in Smash 64

  • Jigglypuff challenging the player in Smash 64

    Jigglypuff challenging the player in Smash 64

  • Luigi challenging the player in Smash 64

    Luigi challenging the player in Smash 64

  • Ness challenging the player in Smash 64

    Ness challenging the player in Smash 64

Super Smash Bros. Melee

Characters

Character How to unlock VS matches required Unlock Location Music
Jigglypuff[note 1] Complete Classic Mode or Adventure Mode with any character. 50 Pokémon Stadium Pokémon Stadium
Dr. Mario[note 1] Complete Classic Mode or Adventure Mode with Mario without using any continues. 100 Princess Peach's Castle Dr. Mario
Pichu Complete Event 37: Legendary Pokémon. 200 Pokémon Stadium Battle Theme
Falco Complete the 100-Man Melee. 300 Battlefield Corneria
Marth Complete Classic Mode or Adventure Mode with all starter characters, or use all starter characters at least once in VS. mode. 400 Fountain of Dreams Fire Emblem
Young Link Complete Classic Mode or Adventure Mode with ten different characters. 500 Great Bay Saria's Theme
Ganondorf Complete Event 29: Triforce Gathering. 600 Final Destination Great Bay
Mewtwo[note 2] Play VS. mode for 20 hours. 700 Final Destination Poké Floats
Luigi Complete Adventure Mode when the second on the time limit in the first stage gets a "2". For example: XX:X2:XX. 800 Mushroom Kingdom II Mushroom Kingdom II
Roy[note 1] Complete Classic Mode or Adventure Mode with Marth without using any continues. 900 Temple Fire Emblem
Mr. Game & Watch[note 1] Complete Classic Mode, Adventure Mode, or Break the Targets with all 24 other characters. 1000 Flat Zone Flat Zone
  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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

    Jigglypuff challenging the player in Melee

  • Dr. Mario challenging the player in Melee

    Dr. Mario challenging the player in Melee

  • Pichu challenging the player in Melee

    Pichu challenging the player in Melee

  • Falco challenging the player in Melee

    Falco challenging the player in Melee

  • Marth challenging the player in Melee

    Marth challenging the player in Melee

  • Young Link challenging the player in Melee

    Young Link challenging the player in Melee

  • Ganondorf challenging the player in Melee

    Ganondorf challenging the player in Melee

  • Mewtwo challenging the player in Melee

    Mewtwo challenging the player in Melee

  • Luigi 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

    Mr. Game & Watch challenging the player in Melee

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
  1. ^ a b c Toon Link, Jigglypuff and Wolf are not part of the main plot of Subspace Emissary; players must beat the main story first then revisit certain stages to find them that way.

Sonic is the only character who can be unlocked four different ways.

Gallery

  • Ness challenging the player in Brawl

    Ness challenging the player in Brawl

  • Marth challenging the player in Brawl

    Marth challenging the player in Brawl

  • Luigi challenging the player in Brawl

    Luigi challenging the player in Brawl

  • Falco challenging the player in Brawl

    Falco challenging the player in Brawl

  • Captain Falcon challenging the player in Brawl

    Captain Falcon challenging the player in Brawl

  • Lucario challenging the player in Brawl

    Lucario challenging the player in Brawl

  • Snake challenging the player in Brawl

    Snake challenging the player in Brawl

  • R.O.B. challenging the player in Brawl

    R.O.B. challenging the player in Brawl

  • Ganondorf challenging the player in Brawl

    Ganondorf challenging the player in Brawl

  • Mr. Game & Watch challenging the player in Brawl

    Mr. Game & Watch challenging the player in Brawl

  • Sonic challenging the player in Brawl

    Sonic challenging the player in Brawl

  • Jigglypuff challenging the player in Brawl

    Jigglypuff challenging the player in Brawl

  • Toon Link challenging the player in Brawl

    Toon Link challenging the player in Brawl

  • Wolf challenging the player in Brawl

    Wolf challenging the player in Brawl

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.

Character How to unlock Vs. Matches Required Unlock location Music
Ness Clear Classic Mode on any difficulty 10 Magicant[note 1] Magicant / Eight Melodies (Mother)
Falco Clear Classic Mode without any continues 20 Corneria Corneria
Wario Complete 100-Man Smash 30 WarioWare, Inc.[note 2] WarioWare, Inc.
Lucina As Marth, clear Classic Mode without any continues 40 Arena Ferox Id (Purpose)
Dark Pit Clear Classic Mode with three or more characters 50 Reset Bomb Forest Wrath of the Reset Bomb
Dr. Mario As Mario, clear Classic Mode on intensity 4.0 or higher 60 Mushroomy Kingdom Ground Theme (Super Mario Bros.)
R.O.B. Collect at least 200 different trophies 70 PictoChat 2 PictoChat
Ganondorf As Zelda or Link, clear Classic Mode on intensity 5.0 or higher 80 Gerudo Valley Gerudo Valley
Mr. Game & Watch Clear Classic Mode with 10 or more characters 90 Flat Zone 2 Flat Zone 2
Bowser Jr. As Bowser, clear Classic Mode on intensity 6.0 or higher 100 3D Land Super Mario 3D Land Theme / Beach Theme
Duck Hunt Clear Classic Mode with 8 or more characters 110 Battlefield Battlefield
Jigglypuff Collect at least 30 different equipment items 120 Unova Pokémon League N's Castle Medley
  1. ^ Flying Men do not appear.
  2. ^ Microgames do not occur.

Gallery

  • Ness challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

    Ness challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

  • Falco 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.

    Wario challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

  • Lucina 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.

    Dark Pit challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

  • Dr. Mario 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.

    R.O.B. challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

  • Ganondorf 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.

    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.

    Bowser Jr. challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

  • Duck Hunt 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
  1. ^ Dog and ducks do not appear.

Gallery

  • Falco challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

    Falco challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

  • Wario 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.

    Lucina challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

  • Dark Pit 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.

    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.

    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.

    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.

    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 Bramble Blast/Stickerbrush Symphony
38 Meta Knight Halberd Meta Knight's 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. Of note is the fact that all Echo Fighters are in the same column as their original counterpart, except for Chrom, as are all characters that represent alternate incarnations and identities (Dr. Mario, Pichu, Young Link and Toon Link), with the exception of Sheik and Zero Suit Samus.

Mario Donkey Kong Link Samus Yoshi Kirby Fox Pikachu
1 Sonic Bowser King K. Rool Inkling Lucario Ness Captain Falcon Villager
2 Bayonetta Pokémon Trainer Ice Climbers Wii Fit Trainer Marth Jigglypuff Zero Suit Samus Shulk
3 Little Mac Rosalina Simon Pit Ryu Pac-Man Peach R.O.B.
4 Ike King Dedede Meta Knight Incineroar Ganondorf Zelda Falco Mega Man
5 Luigi Sheik Snake Dark Samus Lucina Robin Daisy Isabelle
6 Roy Greninja Young Link Cloud Ridley Corrin Bowser Jr. Mr. Game & Watch
7 Dr. Mario Diddy Kong Richter Wario Chrom Lucas Wolf Pichu
8 Olimar Duck Hunt Toon Link Dark Pit Ken Palutena Mewtwo Sonic
9 Bowser Sonic Sonic Sonic Sonic Sonic Sonic Bayonetta

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) Dark World
Samus World of Light, Villager route Norfair Sector 1
Dark Samus The Final Battle Frigate Orpheon Sector 1
Yoshi World of Light, Sheik route (Ribbon Road) Super Happy Tree (Ω form) Obstacle Course - Yoshi's Island
Fox World of Light (Heart Lake) Corneria (Ω form) Star Fox Medley
Pikachu World of Light, Sheik route Pokémon Stadium 2 (Ω form) Main Theme - Pokémon Red & Pokémon Blue (Melee)
Luigi World of Dark (Mysterious Dimension) Luigi's Mansion Luigi's Mansion Theme
Ness World of Light (Magicant-like area) Onett Bein' Friends
Captain Falcon World of Light, Villager route Port Town Aero Dive Mute City
Jigglypuff World of Light, Sheik route Mushroom Kingdom U (Ω form) Road to Viridian City - Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue
Peach World of Light (Molten Fortress) Mushroom Kingdom U Fortress Boss - Super Mario World
Daisy World of Dark (Defeat Dry Bowser's Spirit at Dracula's Castle before encountering) New Donk City Hall
Bowser World of Light (Molten Fortress) Final Destination Giga Bowser
Ice Climbers World of Light (Lower 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 Lumiose 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) Coliseum The Devoted
Young Link World of Dark (Sacred Land) Great Bay Saria's Song
Ganondorf World of Dark (Sacred Land) Bridge of Eldin Hidden Mountain & Forest
Mewtwo World of Dark (Mysterious Dimension, defeat Wispy Woods' spirit) Spear Pillar Victory Road (Pokémon Ruby/Pokémon Saphhire)
Roy The Final Battle Castle Siege Victory is Near
Chrom World of Dark (Sacred Land. Near a treasure chest.) Coliseum Fire Emblem Theme
Mr. Game & Watch World of Light Flat Zone X Flat Zone 2
Meta Knight World of Dark (Mysterious Dimension) Halberd Meta Knight's Revenge
Pit World of Light Skyworld Underworld
Dark Pit World of Dark (Defeat Boo's Spirit at Dracula's Castle before encounter) Reset Bomb Forest Dark Pit's Theme
Zero Suit Samus World of Light Brinstar Brinstar (Melee)
Wario World of Dark (Defeat Mummy Spirit's at Dracula's Castle before encounter) Gamer WarioWare inc.
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) Castle Siege Ike's Theme
Pokémon Trainer World of Light Pokémon Stadium Pokémon Center
Diddy Kong World of Light (Near DK Island) Kongo Falls DK Rap
Lucas World of Light New Pork City (Ω form) Unfounded Revenge / Smashing Song of Praise
Sonic World of Dark (Sacred Land) Windy Hill Zone Sonic Heroes
King Dedede World of Light (sub-area) Dream Land King Dedede's Theme
Olimar World of Light, Marth route Garden of Hope Forest of Hope
Lucario World of Light, Sheik and Villager routes Spear Pillar Battle! (Team Galactic)
R.O.B. World of Dark (Mysterious Dimension) Wrecking Crew Wrecking Crew Retro Theme
Toon Link World of Light Pirate Ship Dragon Roost Island
Wolf World of Dark (Mysterious Dimension) Lylat Cruise Star Wolf
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 (Lumiose City) Wii Fit Studio (Ω form) Yoga
Rosalina & Luma World of Dark (Top middle route, Dark Realm) Mario Galaxy Egg Planet
Little Mac World of Light Boxing Ring Jogging/Countdown
Greninja World of Dark (Mysterious Dimension) Kalos Pokémon League Victory Road (Pokémon X/ Pokémon Y)
Mii Brawler World of Dark (Sacred Realm. Complete a puzzle involving red and blue torches) Wuhu Island Wii Sports Theme
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 Wuhu Island Wii Sports Theme
Palutena The Final Battle (Defeat all spirits in sub-area; Light side) Palutena's Temple Skyworld
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) Arena Ferox Id (Purpose)
Shulk World of Light Gaur Plain
Bowser Jr. World of Dark (Sacred Land) Delfino Plaza Delfino Plaza
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) Ryu Stage
Ken World of Dark (Dracula's Castle) Suzaku Castle Ken Stage
Cloud World of Dark (Sacred Land. Unlock Zelda first, path will open up to lead to him) Midgar Fight On!
Corrin World of Dark (Mysterious Dimension, near Azura's spirit) Coliseum
Bayonetta The Final Battle (Defeat all spirits in sub-area; Dark side) Umbra Clock Tower
Inkling World of Light (Nintendo Themed City Northwest of Starting Area) Moray Towers (Ω form) Splattack!
Ridley World of Dark (Defeat The Creature & Flea Man spirit in Dracula's Castle before encounter) Norfair Vs. Ridley
Simon World of Light (Near final boss) Dracula's Castle
Richter World of Dark (Defeat all dark spirits in Dracula's Castle before encounter. Nearby Clock Tower.) Dracula's Castle
King K. Rool World of Dark (Mysterious Dimension, near Risky Boots' spirit) Jungle Japes DK Rap
Isabelle World of Light, Villager route Town and City The Roost
Incineroar World of Dark (Left Route, The Dark Realm) Boxing Ring

Gallery

  • Dark Samus challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

    Dark Samus challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Luigi 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.

    Ness challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Captain Falcon 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.

    Jigglypuff challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Peach 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.

    Daisy challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Bowser 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.

    The Ice Climbers challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Sheik 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.

    Zelda challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Dr. Mario 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.

    Pichu challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Falco 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.

    Marth challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Lucina 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.

    Young Link challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Ganondorf 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.

    Mewtwo challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Roy 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.

    Chrom challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Mr. Game & Watch 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.

    Meta Knight challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Pit 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.

    Dark Pit challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Zero Suit Samus 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.

    Wario challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Snake 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.

    Ike challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • The Pokémon Trainer 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.

    Diddy Kong challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Lucas 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.

    Sonic challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • King Dedede 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.

    Olimar challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Lucario 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.

    R.O.B. challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Toon Link 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.

    Wolf challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Villager 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.

    Mega Man challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Wii Fit Trainer 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.

    Rosalina & Luma challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Little Mac 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.

    Greninja challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Palutena 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.

    Pac-Man challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Robin 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.

    Shulk challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Bowser Jr. 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.

    Duck Hunt challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Ryu 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.

    Ken challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Cloud 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.

    Corrin challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Bayonetta 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.

    Inkling challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Ridley 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.

    Simon challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Richter 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.

    King K. Rool challenging the player in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

  • Isabelle 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.

    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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • In Ultimate, the first and last characters to be unlocked via Smash battles (Ness and Palutena, respectively) correspond to the first and last characters in Kirby's Classic Mode unlock tree, not counting how all trees loop back around to Sonic once finished.
  • Jigglypuff, Falco, and Mr. Game and Watch tie for the highest amount of times to be an unlockable character. Jigglypuff would have the highest if it wasn't a starter character in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
  • Dr. Mario, Pichu, Falco, Young Link, Mr. Game and Watch, Snake, R.O.B., Wolf, Lucina, Dark Pit, Duck Hunt, Inkling, Daisy, Ridley, Simon, Richter, Chrom, Dark Samus, King K. Rool, Isabelle, Ken, and Incineroar have all been unlockable characters in every Smash installment they are playable in.

See also

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