The first official Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tier list is here, put together by the top players in the pro scene.
UltRank has released the first ever official Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tier list.
Tier lists are nothing new to Smash players. Top players and trusted sites have been making tier lists based on data, results, and character potential since the game came out. But this is the first time that an "official" tier list has been revealed, put together by the same people that announce the top pros in the world each year.
Here is the first official Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tier list along with the reasoning behind how the characters are placed.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate official tier list
Top Tier:
S+: Steve, Pyra & Mythra, Joker
S: Sonic, Fox, R.O.B., Kazuya, Roy, Peach / Daisy
S-: Cloud, Wolf, Diddy Kong, Pikachu, Pac-Man, Snake, Min Min, Palutena, Mr. Game & Watch, Shulk
High Tier:
A+: Yoshi, Mario, Lucina, Pokémon Trainer, Wario, Samus / Dark Samus, Zero Suit Samus, Sephiroth
A-: Olimar, Young Link, Terry, Sora, Byleth, Greninja, Ken, Sheik, Ryu, Mii Brawler, Mega Man
Upper Mid Tier:
B+: Captain Falcon, Ness, Falco, Corrin, Chrom, Hero, Bayonetta, Inkling, Luigi
B-: Rosalina & Luma, Toon Link, Bowser, Meta Knight, Pit / Dark Pit, Link, Marth, Pichu, Ice Climbers
Lower Mid Tier:
C+: Wii Fit Trainer, Lucas, Jigglypuff, Ridley, Mii Gunner, Robin, Mewtwo, Incineroar
C-: Ike, Banjo & Kazooie, Duck Hunt, Simon / Richter, Villager, Donkey Kong, Lucario, Bowser Jr.
Low Tier:
D+: Isabelle, King K. Rool, Zelda, Kirby, Piranha Plant, Mii Swordfighter, Dr. Mario, King Dedede
D-: Little Mac, Ganondorf
How the Ultimate tier list was determined
The official Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tier list had a panel of players from the top 101 in the six global Smash rankings of 2022. Seventy-one pros filled out the ballot, rating each character from 1 to 10. This means that the tier list is based on how pro players view the game, with the perspective coming from highly competitive fighters inspired by their studies, practices, and experience at major tournaments.
Steve was "by far" considered the best character, taking the number one spot by 41 out of 71 panelists. Pyra & Mythra were the most common pick for the second spot. On the other hand, Ganondorf was given the lowest score by 54 out of 68 panelists and Little Mac was "nearly the unanimous second worst" in most regions, according to the official tier list analysis.
Each region, in fact, had various opinions on characters. North America were the most positive about Marth, Mega Man, and Ness while Latin America rated Luigi, Min Min, and Pikachu as higher than other regions. Europe liked Bayonetta more than other regions but were down on Hero. Japan surprisingly liked Banjo & Kazooie more than other regions along with Yoshi, Piranha Plant, and many more.
It should be noted that most pros were biased towards their main to an extent.