Super Smash Bros. Brawl didn't change much about the concept of palette swaps - players can pick a different colour for their character by cycling through a list of up to six choices. The buttons used to cycle are 1/2 for the Wii Remote and Nunchuk combination, A and B for the Wii remote alone configuration, and pressing X/Y for the Classic Controller and GameCube controller.
Most characters have six colours available, though Jigglypuff, Lucario, Pokémon Trainer, and Sonic only have five, and Pikachu has only four. Wario on the other hand has two outfits with six choices each, not only doubling his options but allowing him to change outfits even when locked into a colour for Team Battles.
A few characters (namely, Lucario, Pokémon Trainer, and Sonic) have sets of palette changes that can be difficult to distinguish from each other in a match. As such, tournaments have the "colorblind rule" in doubles matches, where a player can choose which colours their team and their opponents' team are, if either team has one of the aforementioned characters on their team. While texture hacks are usually discouraged from being used in tournaments, if not flat out disallowed, it's usually acceptable to use simple texture hacks on these characters to make the colour difference between their team palettes more obvious.
When selecting characters in tournament mode, instead of displaying the character's coloured image of the chosen costume, a coloured bar is displayed in the player list. This colour is usually an intuitive indicator of which costume has been chosen, but there are several cases where costumes are given strange colours (such as giving cyan to Ike's default blue-brown getup, or using orange or yellow when the opposite is clearly more correct).
In online and Team Brawls, if two characters shared the same palette swap, the second player would have a lighter tint in their appearance. A third player uses a darker tint. A fourth player's tint it even darker than the third player's. It is generally quite difficult to distinguish from the third player's palette.
The following lists are sorted by the order in which they're selected on the character selection screen. This order isn't always the same as the internal .pac file names' numbers; the correct numbers can be found between parenthesis on the respective color's bullet point.
- Indigo: (Default, file 00)
- Black: Falcon's costume from the F-Zero X Expansion Kit, as well as the F-Zero X commercial in Japan. (File 04)
- Red: Nearly identical to his rival Blood Falcon's outfit; even the writing on his back changes to say "Blood Hawk", with a skull design around the lettering. (Red Team color, file 01)
- Green: Resembles the color scheme of the Wild Goose, Pico's F-Zero vehicle. (Green Team color, file 02)
- Blue: May be a reference to his original F-Zero series appearances (his costume in the F-Zero games is more vibrant than his Super Smash Bros. outfits). (Blue Team color, file 03)
- White: Resembles Jody Summer's outfit. (File 05)
All of Donkey Kong's color changes can be traced back to the multiplayer mode of Donkey Kong 64.
- Brown (Default, file 00)
- Black: In Donkey Kong Country, Donkey Kong wears a yellow tie for his alternate color scheme in the Two-Player Contest Mode. (File 04)
- Red: May represent the original Donkey Kong from the arcade game with the same name who had reddish orange fur. (Red Team color, file 01)
- Blue: One of the alternate colors in Donkey Kong 64. (Blue Team color, file 03)
- Green: One of the alternate colors in Donkey Kong 64. (Green Team color, file 02)
- White: Resembles a yeti. A Fire Mini Donkey Kong from the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series also has a similar appearance. This recolor is the inspiration for "Super Kong" from Donkey Kong Country Returns. (File 05)
- White: Based on his design from Star Fox Command. (Default, file 00)
- Orange: Looks like clothes from Star Fox: Assault's multiplayer. In addition, it slightly resembles his yellowish-white default outfit from Melee. (File 05)
- Blue: Looks like clothes from Star Fox: Assault's multiplayer. (Blue Team color, file 03)
- Red: Looks like clothes from Star Fox: Assault's multiplayer. Also resembles his main outfit from Star Fox: Assault. (Red Team color, file 01)
- Green: Looks like clothes from Star Fox: Assault's multiplayer. (Green Team color, file 02)
- Black: Looks like the clothes he wore from Star Fox Adventures, excluding the black feathers. The black color is also to match Fox's (and by extension, Wolf's) dark costume. Also, it might be a reference to Falco's feathers on the box cover for Star Fox. (File 04)
- Grey: Based off his character model from Star Fox: Command. (Default, file 00)
- Black: Named "Dark Fox" on the DOJO. Similar dark color schemes are also available for Falco and Wolf. (File 04)
- Red: Looks like clothes from Star Fox: Assault's multiplayer. This costume replaces his orange costume from SSB64 and Melee. (Red Team color, file 01)
- Green: Looks like clothes from Star Fox: Assault's multiplayer. Also resembles the outfit of his father, James McCloud. This costume replaces his black pants version on SSB64 and Melee. (Green Team color, file 02)
- Purple: Looks like clothes from Star Fox: Assault's multiplayer. (Blue Team color, file 03)
- White: Appears to be derived from his default outfit from Star Fox Adventures and Star Fox: Assault. (File 05)
- Grey: Based off his recent character design in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. (Default, file 00)
- Black (File 04)
- Blue (Blue Team color, file 03)
- Green (Green Team color, file 02)
- Red: May or may not be referencing the fact that he wore red in the original The Legend of Zelda (in his Beast Ganon form). (Red Team color, file 01)
- Brown: This costume has the same colors as his SpaceWorld 2000 and Super Smash Bros. Melee designs, slightly darkening his red hair, using the same design of cape, and giving his armor the same kind of design seen in the demo. (File 05)
Popo and Nana switch positions for their red, black, and white costumes, but they do not switch positions on the selection screen like they did in Melee. The first color is the color of the leading (human-controlled) Ice Climber.
- Blue and Pink (Popo leads, default, file 00)
- Red and White: Makes Nana resemble the red ice climber on the boxart for Ice Climber. (Nana leads, Red team color, file 01)
- Blue and Blue (Popo leads, Blue Team color, file 03)
- Grey and Black (Nana leads, file 04)
- Green and Yellow (Popo leads, Green team color, file 02)
- White and White: The only one that gives them different mitt colors. It also resembles the color of any Ice Climber when touched by an enemy in Ice Climber. (Nana leads, file 05)
Jigglypuff's alternate costumes are mostly feminine accessories, which is one of the reasons why this Jigglypuff is considered to be female.
- Pink (Default, file 00)
- Red: The same red flower Jigglypuff had in Melee. It also resembles the flower worn by Phoebe of the Elite Four in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. (Red Team color, file 01)
- White: Gives Jigglypuff a hat like the one that Leaf, the female hero of Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen wears, just as Pikachu wears the hat of Red, the male hero of Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen. (File 04)
- Blue: Jigglypuff's shiny color. The hat resembles those worn by the Bug Catcher and Lady trainer classes from the Pokémon games. It also resembles the hat worn by Yellow from the Pokémon Adventures manga. (Blue Team color, file 03)
- Green: Very similar to the hat worn by Kirby when he has his Sleep ability. (Green Team color, file 02)
- Red (Default, Red Team color, file 00)
- Pink: Similar to an alternate costume in Kirby Air Ride. (File 06)
- Green: Similar to an alternate costume in Kirby Air Ride. (Green Team color, file 02)
- Purple: Features a very ornately decorated belt, similar to one on a formal Japanese kimono. This costume is also similar to an alternate costume in Kirby Air Ride. (File 05)
- Blue: Features a belt that contains the same icons as one of the menu schemes from Kirby 64. (Blue Team color, file 03)
- Brown: Mirrors Kirby's white costume, making him appear like he did in Game Boy Color version of Kirby's Dream Land for the Game Boy. (File 04)
All these colors are also similar to different Kirby colors in games such as Kirby Air Ride and Kirby & the Amazing Mirror. They are all also usable in Kirby: Squeak Squad, where color variations are distinct and each have their own names.
- Pink (Default, file 00)
- Yellow: Shigeru Miyamoto originally wanted Kirby to be yellow, but Masahiro Sakurai was determined to make him pink. Sakurai won, but the yellow Kirby design later appeared as Keeby, the character controlled by Player 2 in Kirby's Dream Course and the yellow kirby controled by Player 2 in recent Kirby games. Yellow Kirby also resembles Beam Kirby from Kirby Super Star, sans the hat. (File 04)
- Blue: The same as when Kirby is Ice Kirby in Kirby Super Star, sans the hat. Also used for Player 3 in Kirby 64. (Blue Team color, file 03)
- Red: The same as when Kirby is Fire Kirby in Kirby Super Star, sans the hat. Also used for Player 3 in recent multiplayer games. (Red Team color, file 01)
- Green The same as when Kirby is Plasma Kirby in Kirby Super Star, sans the hat. Also used for Player 4 in recent multiplayer games. (Green Team color, file 02)
- White: Based on Kirby's monochrome appearance from the original Kirby's Dream Land. It is also similar to Kirby's appearance on the North American box cover. In addition, it resembles Ice Kirby from Kirby's Adventure. It also resembles Shadow Kirby from Kirby & the Amazing Mirror. It is most similar in appearance to the alternate "Chalk" palette in more recent Kirby games. (File 05)
- Green: Based off his latest character design from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. (Default, Green Team color, file 00)
- Red: Directly based on the Goron Tunic that featured in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, although red costumes for Link in general can be traced back to the Red Ring in the original The Legend of Zelda game. It is Link's only Brawl color scheme that changes the color of his belt. (Red Team color, file 01)
- Blue: Can be traced back to the Zora Tunic used during The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. (Blue Team color, file 03)
- Lavender: Based on the Blue Ring from The Legend of Zelda for the NES. In Melee, it is more of a white color. (File 05)
- Yellow: A possible reference to an instance in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess; when he drinks either Rare Chu Jelly or Great Fairy's Tears, it would give him a golden appearance. (File 06)
- Black: Based off Dark Link who originated from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link and appeared again in Ocarina of Time. His design is based on Dark Link's cameo appearance in Twilight Princess, where Lanayru used the character to symbolize the Dark Interlopers in his vision. His shield is similar to the Mirror Shield from a few Zelda games. (File 04)
- Blue (Default, Blue Team color, file 00)
- Red (Red Team color, file 01)
- Cyan: Makes Lucario resemble its pre-evolved form, Riolu. (File 04)
- White (File 05)
- Green (Green Team color, file 02)
- Yellow (Default, file 00)
- Orange: Makes Lucas's hair orange, and also changes his shirt to blue and yellow stripes, making him resemble the color scheme of his twin brother Claus. (File 04)
- Red (Red Team color, file 01)
- Blue: Is somewhat similar to Ness's pajamas in EarthBound. (Blue Team color, file 03)
- Green (Green Team color, file 02)
- Purple (File 05)
- Green (Default, Green Team color, file 00)
- Orange: Similar to Mario's color scheme on the boxart of Pinball. (File 05)
- Pink: Based around Luigi's color scheme in Wrecking Crew, in which he wore pink. (Red Team color, file 01)
- Blue: Probably resembles Mario on the American boxart for Mario Bros. It is also one of the 'flashing colors' when using a star in an underground stage of the original Super Mario Bros. (Blue Team color, file 03)
- White: Based on Fire Luigi. This costume replaces the yellow-gloves and yellow circle with the brown L and tan skin version that appeared in SSB and SSBM, which was based off Luigi's colors in the NES version of Mario Bros. and in the original Super Mario Bros.. (File 04)
- Purple: Makes Luigi resemble his rival, Waluigi. (File 06)
- Red (Default, Red Team color, file 00)
- White: Based on Fire Mario's appearance dating back to Super Mario Bros. onward. (File 06)
- Blue: Based on Mario's overalls colors from when he was Jumpman from Donkey Kong, though he wore a red hat with that outfit. It's also based upon one of the promotional images for Mario Bros., although it's not what he wore in the actual game. It is also similar to Balloon Fighter's color scheme. Ice Mario in his recent appearances also wears this outfit, though with a lighter blue shirt. (Blue Team color, file 03)
- Yellow: Based on Wario, just as in the previous Smash titles. (File 04)
- Black: Based on Foreman Spike from Wrecking Crew '98, which was confirmed on the original SSB Japanese site. (File 05)
- Green: The color inverse of his traditional colors. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a reference to Luigi, although it does coincidentally resemble Luigi's colors from the arcade version of Mario Bros. It also appeared as part of the "flashing" animation from a Starman in the original Super Mario Bros. (Green Team color, file 02)
- Navy Unlike in Melee, this is the color of his default costume instead of blue. (Default, file 00)
- Red: Similar to his palette swap in Melee, this costume is the only one that changes the color of Marth's headband. Could be based on the "enemy unit" colors in Fire Emblem. (Red Team color, file 01)
- Green: Possibly based on the standard color for NPC units in Fire Emblem. (Green Team color, file 02)
- Black (File 04)
- White: Loosely resembles Leif Faris Claus, the protagonist of Fire Emblem: Thracia 776. (File 05)
- Blue: Closely based off his official artwork for Fire Emblem: Monsho no Nazo (even the hair color changes to match the said artwork). It closely resembles the color scheme used for the non-promoted male Lord class in many Fire Emblem games, especially when coupled with the abnormally blue hair and bright red cape lining. (Blue Team color, file 03)
All of Meta Knight's costumes are similar to alternate costumes from Kirby Air Ride.
- Purple (Default, file 00)
- White (File 04)
- Red: Resembles the color scheme of the original design for Meta Knight, with his armor being mostly red, and his gloves & boots being a gold or yellow color. (Red Team color, file 01)
- Green (Green Team color, file 02)
- Blue: Contrary to popular belief, this costume is not a reference to Dark Meta Knight from Kirby and the Amazing Mirror. Rather, it resembles his official art from his first appearance in Kirby's Adventure, where his mask and shoes were depicted as a dark purple color, his body was close to black, and his cape was red. However, in this appearance, his eyes were not red and his gloves were white, unlike the palette swap. (Blue Team color, file 03)
- Pink: Makes him look similar to Kirby. (File 05)
All of his colors are in the first color Game & Watch, Spitball Sparky. It is also possible that the colors refer to the Tabletop and Panorama lines of Game & Watches, which had multi-colored LCD screens.
- Black: Based on the G&W characters from the games Fire and Parachute. (Default)
- Red (Red Team color)
- Yellow: The yellow is more greenish compared to the yellow color seen in Melee, when Game & Watch charges a Super Scope shot.
- Blue (Blue Team color)
- Green (Green Team color)
- Cyan
- Red (Default, Red Team color, file 00)
- White: Features a white T-shirt with red sleeves, the same as the shirt Fuel wears in Mother 3. (File 05)
- Yellow: The yellow/black color scheme resembles that of the Hanshin Tigers, a Japanese baseball team. (File 04)
- Green (Green Team color, file 02)
- Blue: Is based on Ness's younger self that he encounters briefly in Magicant in EarthBound, who was wearing a blue hat. Some also consider this outfit to be a reference to EarthBound's final battle against Giygas, where a reflection of Ness's face appeared in the Devil's Machine; however, contrary to popular belief, this reflection did not wear a blue hat. (Blue Team color, file 03)
- Purple: Has a Mr. Saturn sprite drawn on the front of his shirt. (File 06)
- Tan (Default, file 00)
- White: Resembles a realistic spacesuit. (File 04)
- Red (Red Team color, file 01)
- Black: Makes him resemble The President of Hocotate Freight from Pikmin 2. His icon shows his helmet as clear, and his suit as black, however. (File 05)
- Green: Makes Olimar resemble his son. (Green Team color, file 02)
- Blue: Makes Olimar look like Louie. (Blue Team color, file 03)
- Pink Unlike in Melee, this costume is no longer use when Peach is on the Red Team. (Default, file 00)
- Yellow: Resembles Daisy. However, unlike Melee, this is only a re-coloring. Her earrings, crown, brooch, and skin remain unchanged. (File 05)
- Red: Makes Peach appear similar to Pauline, Mario's girlfriend from Donkey Kong. (Red Team color, file 01)
- Blue: Resembles Daisy's outfit from NES Open Tournament Golf. Also gives her a crown similar to that of Rosalina from Super Mario Galaxy. (Blue Team color, file 03)
- Green: Resembles Peach's outfit from NES Open Tournament Golf. In Melee, the jewels on her crown are green and red. In this version, the jewels are green and blue. (Green Team color, file 02)
- White: May be a reference to her appearance at the end of Super Mario Bros. and her wedding dress from Super Paper Mario. The white color of her dress isn't as bright as her Melee white costume, and this one doesn't include tights anymore. In Melee, the jewels on her crown are yellow and red. In this version, the jewels are green and blue. (File 04)
Pikachu is the only character to have only four costume choices in Brawl.
- Yellow (Default, file 00)
- Red: Includes Red's hat; Red is the protagonist of Pokémon Red and Blue. Pikachu's fur color also changes to look akin to a shiny Pikachu. (Red Team Color, file 01)
- Green: Includes Brendan's headband as it appeared in Pokémon Emerald. (Green Team color, file 02)
- Blue: Has the goggles worn by Pichu in Melee, similar to those worn by the Swimmer class of trainers in the Pokémon series. (Blue Team color, file 03)
- White (Default, file 00)
- Yellow: Similar to his outfit in the Captain N comic. (File 04)
- Red: Similar to an outfit in Kid Icarus. (Red Team color, file 01)
- Green: Similar to an outfit in Kid Icarus. (Green Team color, file 02)
- Blue: Similar to an outfit in Kid Icarus. An episode of the Captain N TV show had Kid Icarus (Pit) in a similar costume. (Blue Team color, file 03)
- Black: Said by the DOJO to be a "fallen angel". This palette was later used in Kid Icarus Uprising on the 3DS to serve as the character Dark Pit, although his eye color, gauntlets, and crown are changed in Uprising. (File 05)
- Yellow (Default, file 00)
- Red: The trainer's hat resembles that of Leaf, the female trainer in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. (Red Team color, file 01)
- Charizard resembles its pre-evolution, Charmeleon.
- Squirtle resembles its evolution, Wartortle.
- Green: The trainer takes on the color scheme of Brendan as he appeared in Pokémon Emerald. (Green Team color, file 02)
- Ivysaur and Squirtle resemble their respective shiny colors.
- Blue (Blue Team color, file 03)
- Charizard's purple colour is similar to that of its shiny color from Generation II.
- Squirtle's blue colour is possibly inspired by its original sprite in Generation I, particularly Pokémon Yellow.
- White: (File 04)
- Charizard's yellow tint resembles the shiny colors of its pre-evolutions, Charmander and Charmeleon.
- Red: Based on R.O.B.'s Japanese color scheme for the Famicom. (Default, Red Team color, file 00)
- Grey: Makes R.O.B. look like North American versions of R.O.B.s. Even the words on his base change from "Family Computer Robot" to "R.O.B. - Robotic Operating Buddy", the same as the American design. (File 06)
- Yellow: Has the color scheme of the glitch, Flipper, from Stack-Up. (File 05)
- Pink: Resembles the North American SNES color scheme. Also the only color where the cord on the back is a different color. It also has the color scheme of the glitch, Spike, from Stack-Up. (File 04)
- Blue Resembles the R.O.B.-like character, Nav-Com, from StarTropics. (Blue Team color, file 03)
- Green: Similar to the R.O.B. Launcher from the Subspace Emissary, though lacking the same bright blue cord and missile-launching face. (Green Team color, file 02)
- Orange: Based on the Varia Suit and the Power Suit. No longer used as Samus's Red team costume, as the corresponding Zero Suit Samus is a blue colour. (Default, file 00)
- Blue: Based on the Fusion Suit from Metroid Fusion. (Blue Team color, file 03)
- Pink: Based on the appearance of the Varia Suit of the original Metroid when missiles are selected. (Red Team color, file 01)
- Brown: Based on the Dark Suit from Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. (File 05)
- Purple: Based on the Gravity Suit as it appeared in Super Metroid and most games in the series since. The visor has the same coloration as the Gravity Suit has in Metroid Prime. The Gravity Suit costume was previously used as Samus' blue team color. (File 04)
- Green (Green Team color, file 02)
Most of these are based on different camouflage suits worn by Naked Snake (a.k.a. Big Boss) in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.
- Grey: Based on Snake's standard camouflage suit from Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. (Default, file 00)
- Red: Based off the Fury's Fire camouflage. Also resembles Snake's outfit from Snake's Revenge. (Red Team color, file 01)
- Blue: Based off the Splitter camouflage. Also resembles Snake's outfit from the MSX version of Metal Gear. (Blue Team color, file 03)
- White: Based off the Snow camouflage. (File 04)
- Green: Based off the Tiger Stripe camouflage. Also resembles Snake's outfit from the NES version of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. (Green Team color, file 02)
- Brown: Based off Major Ocelot's Animal camouflage. (File 05)
Sonic is the only non-Pokémon character to have fewer than six palette swaps. The stripe on his sneakers is white in all palette swaps, and, in all but the default palette swap, the rest of his sneakers match his wristbands.
- Blue (Default, Blue Team color, file 00)
- Black: Resembles Dark Sonic from the Sonic X anime. (File 05)
- Yellow: Gives Sonic an indigo color and bracelets that resemble the ones worn by Silver the Hedgehog. (File 04)
- Green: His wristbands resemble the ones attached to the gloves that appear in the special stages in Knuckles the Echidna in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The blue color also is akin to when Sonic goes underwater in the Labyrinth Zone. (Green Team color, File 02)
- Red: His wristbands resemble the ones attached to the gloves that appear in the special stages in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The blue color also resembles the one of Classic Sonic on the SEGA Genesis. (Red Team color, File 01)
- Green: Based on the character design from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. (Default, Green Team color, file 00)
- Red: Based on the red Link copy from the Four Swords saga. (Red Team color, file 01)
- Blue: Based on the blue Link copy from the Four Swords saga. (Blue Team color, file 03)
- Purple: Based on the purple Link copy from the Four Swords saga. (File 04)
- Brown: Based on the color scheme of Link in the original The Legend of Zelda. The brown hair and sleeves with the more traditional green tunic resembles some of the older iterations of Link in games such as The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. (File 05)
- Black: Based on a toon version of Dark Link, who appeared closer to this color scheme in The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures. (File 06)
Unlike all other characters, Wario has two outfits each with multiple color choices: his biker costume from the WarioWare games, which is his default costume, and his classic overalls. This doubles his alternate costume choices. There are a total of 12 costume choices for Wario in Brawl.
- Cyan (Default, file 00)
- Red: Resembles the color scheme of Fire Mario with the white helmet and red jacket. (Red Team color, file 01)
- Yellow: Resembles the color scheme of his overalls, with a yellow jacket and purple shirt. (File 05)
- Green: Has a similar color scheme to Zombie Wario's sprite in Wario Land 3. (Green Team color, file 02)
- Black (File 04)
- Blue: Resembles the appearance of an actual biker. (Blue Team color, file 03)
Wario's overalls closely resemble the cartoonish look in both the Mario and Wario games, in contrast to Mario, Luigi, and Waluigi, who were given more realistic-looking overalls.
- Yellow (File 06)
- Red: Resembles how Mario looked in the early Mario games where he had red overalls and a blue shirt instead of the blue overalls and red shirt he wears today. This somewhat mirrors the way that Wario's "classic" outfit appears as one of Mario's alternate costumes. (Red Team color, file 07)
- Blue: Resembles Mario's appearance in Japanese art for Mario Bros. (Blue Team color, file 09)
- Green: Similar to Mario's green costume. (Green Team color, file 08)
- Brown: Perhaps, like Mario's brown outfit, a reference to Foreman Spike as he appeared in Wrecking Crew '98. (File 10)
- White: Makes Wario look like his appearance in the Wario Land games until the rerelease of Wario Land 2, since those games were in black and white. Wario also wore an outfit of black and white in Wario Land 3. Also resembles one of his palette swaps from Mario Golf (N64). (File 11)
- Grey: Resembles his default attire in Star Fox: Assault. (Default, file 00)
- Red (Red Team color, file 01)
- Black: Gives Wolf a dark palette swap similar to Fox's and Falco's. (File 04)
- Green (Green Team color, file 02)
- Blue Looks similar to clothes from Star Fox: Assault's multiplayer. (Blue Team color, file 03)
- White (File 05)
All of Yoshi's costumes are different variations of the Yoshi species in many of his games, specifically Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Yoshi's Story, and Yoshi's Island DS. The soles of his shoes, the saddle on his back, and his scales stay the same color, no matter what color he is.
- Purple/Light Blue: Zelda is based on her character model from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Sheik is based on unused concept art for the same. (Default, file 00)
- Red: Based on Zelda's early appearances in The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: Adventure of Link. This is also the only one of her color schemes in which she doesn't wear gloves. (Red Team color, file 01)
- Blue: Official art for The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past shows Zelda with a blue dress, while Sheik seems to be based on Tetra with the blue costume and red scarf. (Blue Team color, file 03)
- Pink: Based on Zelda's appearance in Ocarina of Time and, by extension, Melee. The only one of her Brawl costumes to show her with blonde hair. (File 05)
- Green: If The Legend of Zelda for NES is completed without collecting any rings, Zelda's dress will be green. (Green Team color, file 02)
- Black (File 04)
- Cyan (Default, file 00)
- Blue: Based on her outfit she wears upon completion of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, as well as her bikini from the ending of Metroid Fusion. (Blue Team color, file 03)
- Pink: A reference to her first appearance in the original Metroid after completing it 100%, or by entering JUSTIN BAILEY into the password screen. (Red Team color, file 01)
- Black: Similar to the outfit she wore in the Japanese Super Metroid commercial, and a reference to the bikini she wore in said game's ending. (File 05)
- Purple (File 04)
- Green: May be a reference to her appearance in the Captain N comic. (Green Team color, file 02)
Glitch
There is a glitch in Brawl that allows multiple players to be the same character with the same color scheme, without the shading seen in Team Battles.
Trivia
- Captain Falcon's red outfit actually has one file for each available PAL language in the game (English, French, German, Spanish, Italian). While presumably done so localizers could edit the "Blood Hawk" on the back to match the current language, this appears to have been skipped or glossed over, as there is no difference between the files.
- Mr. Game and Watch only has one file for his model/textures. This indicates that the color variations come from tinting or blending the textures, instead of pre-rendered bitmaps.
- Luigi's model file 02 looks a lot like his blue outfit, but is slightly lighter and goes unused.
Stats
- There is a total of 216 palette swaps.
- The average number of costumes per character is exactly 6.
- The character with the least amount of alternate colors is Pikachu, and the character with the most is Wario.
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