Smash Ultimate: Avoid These Characters in Tournament Play
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate received its allegedly last update from Nintendo when 13.0.1 dropped last year. This is when the final fighter adjustments were made, but the tier list has continued to change. Why? Smash tier lists aren’t just determined by what’s written on paper but by how the fighters perform in competition.
It’s a widely agreed upon notion that every character on the massive Smash roster has a chance to be good with the right skill and practice, regardless of their placement on a tier list. That’s why you have seen Leonardo “MkLeo” Lopez dominate major tournaments with formerly mid-tier fighter Byleth, Edgar "Sparg0" Valdez fight his way to the top of UltRank partially with Cloud, and Japanese pro Takuma "Tea" Hirooka make himself known all over the world with Pac-Man.
So who are the fighters at the bottom of the tier list? These are the worst fighters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, according to pro play, performance, and the characters’ capabilities.
Kirby
This pains me to admit but Sakurai’s first born son himself — the innocent poyo known for his cannon “infinite power” — is trash in Smash. Not that it will stop me from using him as a pocket fighter.
It’s hard to come by a Kirby in pro Ultimate. Smash enthusiasts can probably name like one or two well-known Kirby players that have proven the powerful pink puffball has potential at locals. But I’m trying to recall if a Kirby ever made it out of Groups at a large major tournament.
The problem in Ultimate is that Kirby has a pitiful attack range. Despite being a very weak and light character, you still have to aggressively approach the enemy to get in an attack. He struggles against any fighter with more reach than him. Kirby also has no kill power so you’ll have to rush in over and over again, risking your life.
Isabelle
The cutesy assistant mayor from Animal Crossing may be very useful while carrying out tasks on your weed-overgrown island, but she has no place in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Despite initial (inappropriate) excitement over Isabelle, it’s become clear that she’s consistently low-tier for a reason.
Isabelle has some fun attacks that are stylized and weird, full of quirky props. But her attacks are frustratingly slow. It’s super easy to avoid her setups as well as her incoming attacks, rendering her a bit useless at controlling the stage or getting in damage. While Isabelle enthusiasts have found some interesting combos and can become menaces with their Tree when you’re trying to get back on stage, she is overall a poor performer at high-level play.
There is basically no reason to pick Isabelle at all when Villager exists since she is essentially a worse version of Villager with an even more disjointed kit. But Isabelle is a dog and she’s in a dress, so expect the furries in your life to keep playing her anyway.
Little Mac
It’s never a surprise to see Little Mac at the bottom of the tier lists. His movement is his largest downfall, with one of the worst recoveries in the game and no way to really outplay opponents on platforms. Both slow-moving and quick to fall, Little Mac has very few options when it comes to attempting to get the upper hand in neutral, leaving him very predictable.
Previously, Little Mac had some good combos that start with his tilt attacks but those were nerfed, making it quite easy for opponents to escape before Little Mac can juggle them. The tilt nerf removed his best kill confirm, which was down tilt into his KO Punch — it’s no longer a guarantee.
You will never see a Little Mac in the top cut of a Smash major. Against top players, Little Mac is too slow and too obvious.
Doctor Mario
At a casual level, Doctor Mario seems almost identical to Mario, who is A-tier. So what gives? Well, players who grind the game constantly have found out that him being slightly slower with a slightly worse recovery has essentially rendered him completely useless.
Doctor Mario is considered to have one of the top three worst recoveries in the game. This is already enough to leave him down in the trenches with Little Mac, with competitive players claiming that you can basically just throw Doctor Mario off the stage, attack him, watch him struggle and fail to recover, and then repeat.
Like Kirby, Doctor Mario has to get close to opponents in order to damage them in most instances. But his combo setups are not great, meaning a skilled player can easily disrupt your approach and get the upper hand. Once they have control of the stage, you’re back to the pattern outlined above.
Ganondorf
The Legend of Zelda villain is often considered the undisputed worst fighter in the entirety of Ultimate. UltRank put him last in the “first ever official tier list,” putting him behind Kirby, Doctor Mario, Little Mac, and all the other usual suspects. So what makes Ganondorf so undeniably terrible?
Ganondorf is a heavyweight fighter that moves slowly and hits hard. His extreme lack of mobility makes him susceptible to combos — often known as “combo food.” He has a difficult time approaching enemies due to his poor mobility and his attacks are too slow to hit, meaning you leave yourself wide open to counter-attacks (including massive combos). And if the attacks do hit, you will have a hard time following up due to the lag.
While other heavyweight fighters are slow, like King Dedede, Bowser, and King K. Rool, Ganon lacks the extra tools these fighters have to make up for their terrible lag and movement. He doesn’t have extra armor, counters, or projectiles. This leaves Ganondorf vulnerable and unable to control the stage at all.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!