Who are the TOP 10 most aggressive Smash Ultimate fighters?

Every installment of the Smash Bros. franchise introduces a wide variety of fighters from various assortments of games. Every fighter in the game has their own unique moveset that supports the different ways that players play the game. As a player starts to get better they learn that going into every battle blindly isn’t the best idea and that training and learning about how to beat different fighters is a better way to guarantee success in the game. 

Every fighter in the game has strengths and weaknesses that apply in every battle and can make them either a better or worse matchup against certain opponents. The job of the player is to understand what works and doesn’t work for their character and how to win even if they end up against a bad matchup. However even after training for hours and coming up with a plan for every character and most situations, players can still struggle against aggressive fighters who apply pressure during battle.

It is important for players to understand how to be aggressive and what characters succeed at being aggressive and pressuring other fighters. Luckily I have compiled this list of the top 10 most aggressive Smash Bros Ultimate fighters. The criterion that fighters on this list are judged by are attack speed, projectile speed/accuracy/power, offstage combat, combo ability, and special ability. 

10. Little Mac

Starting off the list is the reigning champion from the game Punch-Out, Little Mac. Little Mac is a smaller fighter that is very good at ground combat. As a boxer all of Little Mac’s moveset revolves around punching and being able to take hits. He has a unique type of super armor for all of his smash attacks. If the charged smash attack he is about to use is either stronger or charged longer than the opponents attack then he can take the opponents hit without getting launched; then launch the opponent with his attack. Little Mac also has a KO meter that fills up when he either takes damage or deals damage out. When the meter fills up he can use a powered up uppercut that can kill opponents at a low percent. 

Little Mac has very low cooldown time for his moves so he can use charged attacks and dash attacks in rapid succession thus pressuring an opponent. The reason that Little Mac is so low on this list is because he is the worst off stage character. If he lands any attack other than jolt haymaker the damage is extremely low and also his recovery is a very short vertical uppercut. His poor recovery, lack of projectiles, and nonexistent off stage combat ability have him solidified at number 10 on this list.

09. Richter

Next on the list is Richter from the Castlevania games. Richter is a range and projectile fighter and the echo fighter of Simon. The reason that Richter is on this list and Simon isn’t is strictly because Richter is more popular amongst players than Simon. The main weapon Richter uses is a cross chain whip. Being farther away is best when using the whip because the edge of the whip does more damage. Richter has a medium cooldown time between moves so he is able to be aggressive without leaving himself open to attacks from his opponent.

The projectiles that Richter can use are holy water, grand cross, and a battle axe. Richter uses holy water by throwing it at the ground in front of him where it will burn and hold opponents in place long enough for him to use another attack. The Grand Cross is used as a boomerang that launches opponents and does shield damage. The battle axe is thrown so that it goes up and comes down over an opponent, preventing them from jumping and punishing them if they do. Richter can use his projectiles to be aggressive and pressure an opponent off stage as well as on stage. 

If Richter is offstage he can use his whip to latch onto the ledge and swing to the ledge but this leaves him open to attacks since he is only safe when his hand is touching the ledge. Richter’s recovery move is a short vertical upward swing of a dagger. The vertical swing does damage but lasts for such a short time and has such a short range that it is bad to use for anything other than a recovery.

08. Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong is a heavy type fighter with all physical attacks and no projectiles. As a heavy fighter Donkey Kong is harder to launch because of his weight. When playing aggressively Donkey Kong uses his super armor and unique grab to his advantage. Only two of his moves have super armor and both do a large amount of damage but have longer cooldown rates so using them can be risky. Donkey Kong’s grab allows him to put an opposing fighter on his back and carry them for a few steps or off the stage. This grab is a great setup for high damage combos. When playing aggressively with Donkey Kong it is important to watch out an opposing fighter’s shield. If Donkey Kong hits a shield with any type of attack the cooldown time with his moves gives the opponent enough time to retaliate with a grab or a quick move.

Donkey Kong’s aerial attacks are just as strong as his ground attacks but some come with a rather long cooldown time so timing is important when doing offstage combat. His forward aerial is a downward swing of both arms clasped at the hands that spikes opposing fighters but can leave Donkey Kong open to various attacks if he misses. All of his other aerial attacks can be used with little concern for cooldown time and vulnerability. His recovery is best used for moving horizontally so it should primarily be used for coming back to the stage after being launched to either side of the stage. While Donkey Kong is a very aggressive fighter since close combat is his only method of attack, the fact that he has no projectile is the reason for him being placed so low on the list.

07. Pikachu

Next on the list is Pikachu. As a primarily short range fighter Pikachu has only two long range projectiles, but a variety of close range combo moves. Pikachu is a smaller faster fighter so opposing fighters have to use moves that come out faster and have a wider radius of damage to properly face Pikachu. As an aggressive fighter Pikachu excels in making combos to rack up damage on its opponents. The cost of being smaller and having more speed is a decreased amount of damage for each move in comparison to other fighters. As a result Pikachu can string many attacks into each other since most of his quick moves have very low knockback.

In terms of long distance fighting Pikachu is lacking. It’s first projectile is a single spark that Pikachu can fire that bounces along the ground and sticks to the stage until either hitting the opposing fighter or reaching a maximum distance and dissipating. The second projectile that Pikachu has is called Thunder. A cloud of lightning forms directly over Pikachu and launches a stream of electricity downward. Any opponent caught between Pikachu and the lightning will be launched. If the opponent is right next to Pikachu when the lightning hits they will be shocked and launched even farther as the lightning radiates around Pikachu for a short time. 

When offstage Pikachu’s aerial attacks have very little cooldown time in between attacks so he can use more attacks in rapid succession to do as much damage as possible. Pikachu’s recovery are two multidirectional zap streams that can be aimed to bring Pikachu either to the ledge or to the stage with the added bonus of briefly stunning fighters that get hit by it. Playing Pikachu aggressively can be very rewarding with damaging combos and safety offstage but a lack of powerful long range projectiles is the reason Pikachu didn’t place higher on this list. 

06. Dark Samus 

Dark Samus the echo fighter of Samus and a newcomer to the Smash Bros franchise. The reason that Dark Samus is on this list and Samus isn’t is because of the fact that Dark Samus does more damage per hit than Samus does. Doing high amounts of damage as an aggressive fighter is key to pressuring the opponent and reminding them not to make mistakes otherwise they will pay dearly. 

As a long range projectile character Samus is suited to being aggressive at a distance without immediate fear of being punished if an attack misses. Samus has 4 projectiles with 3 out of 4 being long ranged. The only projectile that isn’t long ranged is the bomb that Dark Samus can spawn directly under herself. Samus can launch two types of missiles. The first missile is a fast missile that follows a straight horizontal line that explodes automatically upon either impact or maximum distance. The second missile is a slower moving missile with the ability to angle itself to have a better shot at hitting the target. The final projectile that Dark Samus can launch is the energy ball. The damage the ball does to the opponent depends on the time the attack was charged for. 

As a floaty character Dark Samus can perform offstage combat but her attacks offstage are much shorter range aside from her missiles and energy ball. Her long range attacks are strong on and off stage but they have a longer cooldown time between moves so if Dark Samus misses in the air while trying to be up close and aggressive she is vulnerable to attacks or counters of her long range moves for a short time. Dark Samus has an energy whip that she can either grab with or use for recovery. Her recovery move is a vertical boost upward in her ball form. It is short range and can do a lot of damage to an opponent so this allows for a safe recovery to the ledge.

05. Palutena

Palutena is a strategic long range fighter with a quick movement speed. Palutena’s moveset is not made for combos but rather, doing quick damage that either disrupts or launches opponents. As an aggressive fighter Palutena can reflect projectiles as well as counter physical attacks making her opponent guess when is an appropriate time to use a strong attack in response to all of Palutena’s attacks.

Palutena has two projectiles. The first one is Autorectile where Palutena has a large radius of attack and launches 3 quick shots of light at her opponent. These light shots have almost no knockback but they disrupt an opponent. This move is best used for ledge guarding since it can disrupt the recovery move of an opponent and has a very low cooldown time so it can be used repeatedly in rapid succession. The second projectile is Explosive Flame which is a ball of fire that appears half a stage away from Palutena. This attack is unique because it appears out of nowhere and can confuse an opposing player since they have to judge their distance in regards to Palutena. The only other long range attack that Palutena has isn’t a projectile but a tall pillar of light that can hit opponents in the air passing over Palutena or trying to recover. 

For offstage combat Palutena has some short range attacks that have a very small cooldown rate and a high damage output and knockback. Her recovery is a long range multidirectional teleport that can allow for a safe recovery to the stage since an opponent cannot see the direction that Palutena is recovering until she is already there.

04. King K Rool

At number 4 on the list is King K Rool. As a heavy character King K Rool is unique for being the only heavy to have projectiles as well as having a counter. As an aggressive fighter King K Rool has super armor or any attack that involves his gold plated stomach. He can take up to 2 strong hits to the stomach before it cracks and he is left extremely vulnerable similarly to a shield break.The cracks can repair themselves as time goes on.  It is best to use strong attacks with a big knock back so that King K Rool’s cracks can repair themselves. With projectiles and strong grabs King K Rool stays aggressive without much risk of danger. 

The two projectiles at King K Rool's disposal are his cannonball and boomerang crown. The boomerang crown has very low knockback when thrown but it disrupts opponents long enough for King K Rool to attack while the opposing fighter is cornered. The cannonball is a big slow projectile that does a good amount of damage and has a moderate knockback rate. The unique ability King K Rool has with the cannonball is that the gun it was launched from can suck it back in and launch it at a different angle. The gun can also suck in opponents and launch them in one of 3 different directions. Both projectiles have a low cooldown rate and when these two projectiles are used in succession this allows King K Rool to go on the offensive and have stage control for a brief moment of time.

In offstage combat King K Rool has a very good vertical recovery called Propeller Pack. He can recover from near the blast zone and safely get back to stage without having to worry about getting spiked or hit because of the damage that the propeller does. His off stage moves have a higher cooldown time where he can be vulnerable but since he is a heavy there is a lower chance of him dying because of getting launched unless he is at a high damage percent. King K Roole can apply pressure and has a counter move that not only repels physical attacks but also reflects projectiles making him a threatening and successfully aggressive opponent in battle.

03. Fox

Next on the list is Fox. Fox is a primarily close ranged fighter with a fast movement speed. Fox is very fast on the ground and can play very aggressively from up close or far away. Fox can perform a variety of combos using the different moves at his disposal that have a very low cooldown time.  This can allow for very close aggressive gameplay without openings for opposing fighters to retaliate

The one projectile that Fox has is his gun. The lasers that are fired from the gun have no knock back and barely do any damage per hit. The danger these lasers provide is seen when fox rapid fires lasers from his gun. In very short periods of time Fox can rack up a lot of damage and then use his speed to run up and perform various high damage combos on an opposing fighter. The way that Fox deals with projectiles from other fighters is with his reflector shield. The shield is rendered useless if the opponent uses a physical attack and it can only reflect the same projectile up to 3 times before breaking.

Offstage combat is where Fox suffers as a result of his weight. While he isn't a heavy fighter, his jumps are not floaty and he falls to the ground almost as quickly as he jumps. This can limit his midair combat. Using Illusion Fox can horizontally recover to the stage. This move has a moderate cooldown time so if it misses its target Fox can be vulnerable. Fox’s recovery move is Fire Fox. He engulfs himself in a flame and launches himself towards the ledge to recover or towards an opponent to do repeated damage in rapid succession. If he misses the ledge or misses his target he can be left very vulnerable and can be damaged easily. 

02. Young Link

Young Link is one of the 3 variations of link. He is a short ranged fighter with 2 long range projectiles and 1 mid ranged projectile. His aerial and ground movement are fast and even though he is a smaller faster fighter, he can still deal a lot of damage with combos. The main downside to Young Link is that all of his strong attacks use his short sword so he has to be up close for big quick damage to an opposing fighter. When playing aggressively with Young Link using the projectiles as cover for any close range attacks is the key to winning any match up. Most opposing players will shield the projectiles that are being launched in their direction, but players can grab opposing fighters out of the shield and throw them. 

The three projectiles that Young Link has are fire arrows, boomerang, and bombs. The fire arrows launch opposing fighters into the air. The boomerang disrupts opposing fighters and can disrupt strong attacks if Young Link is about to be hit or in the middle of a combo and the boomerang is coming back. The bombs have a short fuse and don’t go very far when thrown before they blow up. They are best used to make opposing fighters dodge or put up their shield so that Young Link can punish with a strong move. All of the projectiles have a very low cooldown time and can be launched in rapid succession. Having a flurry of low power projectiles flying towards an opponent can apply pressure for aggressive gameplay. 

Offstage Young Link can use any one of his projectiles as well as the close range low cooldown rate sword attacks as well. He has a multihit vertical recovery that shows little vulnerability and has a high launch rate if the opposing fighter is hit by either all hits or the final hit of the sword. Young Link has a moveset that permits aggressive gameplay and allows for mistakes to be made with a reduced vulnerability because of quick and easy to use projectiles.

01. Ness

At the number 1 spot on the list for the most aggressive fighter in Smash Ultimate is Ness. Ness is a midrange fighter with a medium movement speed. When playing aggressively as Ness it is important to remember that his strongest throw is his back air which is a kill confirmation at high percentages on the ends of the stage. Since Ness is floaty both his aerial and ground attacks are powerful and can do high amounts of damage. 

Ness has 3 projectiles which are PK Fire, PK Flash, and PK Thunder. PK Flash is a bomb type of attack by which Ness can control the distance that it goes before the energy explodes. PK Fire is where Ness shoots out a bolt of fire at an opponent that suspends them midair and damages the opposing fighter multiple times. This move has almost no cooldown time and can be used in rapid succession up to 3 times before the opposing fighter can dodge out of it. PK Fire is a big combo starter for Ness to use on any opponent. PK Thunder is used as a disorienting ball of lightning with a tail of lightning behind it that disorients opposing fighters. Ness has full control of the lightning and he makes it hit himself, he becomes engulfed in lightning and launches himself in the direction he was hit.

Since Ness is a floaty character he can perform offstage and aerial combat very well. His forward aerial is a multi hit attack with low knockback and a low cooldown rate, so it can be used multiple times to push an opposing fighter away from the stage. For Ness’s recovery move he launches himself toward the stage by hitting himself with the lightning from PK Thunder. Ness’s moveset and movement speed allows for him to do rapid damage through combos and spamming projectiles which can apply pressure and is effective for proper aggressive gameplay without as much vulnerability after he attacks.

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