[Top 10] Smash Ultimate Best Beginner Fighters

Updated:

10 Jun 2020

Who are the TOP 10 Smash Ultimate Easiest Fighters to Play?

The Smash Bros. franchise has always been known for having an extensive roster of various popular characters from a multitude of games. With every new installment the base roster increases and when paired with dlc characters the task of picking a character becomes difficult.

The current roster in Smash Bros Ultimate consists of 80 characters with more to come. For a newcomer to the franchise it is important to remember that the characters are split into 4 types which are offensive, defensive, strategic, and flexible. The recommended type of character that a newcomer to the franchise should choose is flexible which is a mixture of offensive, defensive, and strategic. Flexible characters are better known as well rounded fighters to play since they have a good amount of power, speed, aerial mobility, a good special move, and a good recovery.

Choosing a fighter that is easy to play may be difficult and can vary from player to player, but some characters are made to be easy for anybody to play with very little practice. Luckily I have compiled a list of the top 10 easiest to play fighters in all of Smash Ultimate.

10. Chrom

Starting off the list is the echo fighter Chrom from the Fire Emblem series. For players that like sword characters, Chrom is the perfect fit. Not only is he fast and strong, but his special moveset is made up of moves from the other Fire Emblem fighters throughout the roster. His side special move is taken from Marth, Lucina, and Roy. It is a multi hit flurry of jabs that has three different variations based on the angle that the player wants to send the opposing fighter. His down special is a counter which means that if an opposing fighter hits Chrom while this move is active, the opposing fighter will get hit instead. This is taken from Lucina, Marth, and Roy. His special move is his recovery which is taken directly from Ike with some stylistic differences. If an opposing fighter is hit by the first hit of this move they will fly into the air before being slashed to the ground. Chrom’s neutral special move which is a charged sword slash is taken from Roy.

The variation of Chrom’s moveset mixed with his speed and power can help new players succeed even when they are new to the franchise. The main drawback to Chrom is his aerial mobility. Chrom is not a floaty character and because of this his jumps don’t take him very far. Since offstage combat is a big part of Smash Ultimate, new players may struggle adjusting to the midair handicap.

Some things to remember when playing Chrom:

His jumps don’t carry him far, so do not rely on them outside of a means of avoiding projectiles or recovery.
Change the angle of his side special move based on where you would like to launch the opposing fighter.
Counter can be bad to use repetitively because it has a high cooldown time and leaves you very vulnerable.
His recovery move is best used only for recovery, not on the stage because it can leave you vulnerable for a valuable second.

09. Donkey Kong

Next on the list is a resident of Kong Isle, Donkey Kong. In Smash Bros Ultimate, Donkey Kong is under the category called “heavy”. A heavy is a character that is harder to launch into the blast zone because of their increased weight. Heavy fighters also tend to be more suited for ground combat and have increasingly high attack strength. Donkey Kong is a slight exception to this rule since his jumps are floatier than other heavies, so his aerial mobility isn’t as bad as most heavies. As a result he can compete in midair and offstage combat as well as many other fighters on the roster. His side special move and upward special move (if used on the ground) both have super armor which means that if these moves are hit by another move they can power through and come out on top. On stage Donkey Kong can be a bigger target but the super armor can save him from strong attacks when he is at high damage percentages.

The main drawback to Donkey Kong is his recovery move and his bigger stature. Donkey Kong has a recovery that hits on both sides of it to defend against opposing fighters but from the top he is vulnerable. The move also is best used for horizontal recovery since it can barely rise vertically. Donkey Kong is a bigger fighter and normally this isn’t a bad thing, but when he is facing fighters who either are faster than him or have projectiles, he can run into a bit of trouble.

Some things to remember for a newcomer to the franchise that is interested in playing Donkey Kong as follows:

Remember to grab shields and make use of his throws.
Charge up his neutral special punch for maximum damage.
Use super armor moves when dealing with projectile opponents to close the gap
Recover horizontally
Be careful of using upward special moves on the ground because it has a big cooldown time and can leave Donkey Kong vulnerable.
Donkey Kong’s upward special move changes depending on whether he is in the air or on the ground.

08. Hero

Hero, the protagonist of the Dragon Quest RPG was the second dlc fighter to be added to Smash Bros Ultimate. Hero is a sword and projectile character. The unique quality that Hero has is that he has a mana counter that allows him to use up to 21 different spells. Every spell used takes up some mana, but to refill his mana storage Hero either has to wait for it to refill automatically or by hitting the opposing fighter. Hero has spells that can freeze, do flame damage, electrocute, put to sleep, explode after a distance, get a one hit KO, etc.

Every Smash Bros character in any game of the franchise has a basic set of charged attacks. Similarly to a classic RPG sometimes moves can hit and do even more damage than usual because of a critical hit mechanic. This was incorporated into Hero’s charged moves by having 1 in 8 chance that his moves will do double the damage. The drawback that Hero suffers from is his downward special moves involving reading the name of the attack. This can be a struggle for people to focus on reading and selecting an attack while also trying to battle an opposing fighter. Some players simply select the first option but sometimes that can be counterproductive if a move like Kamikazee (a self destructive attack that can do massive damage to surrounding opponents) or Kaklang (turns Hero an invincible stationary metal statue for a short period of time. It has a long cooldown time) is used.

Some important information to remember when playing Hero is:

His recovery move uses up mana so if Hero has no mana and is knocked off stage he cannot use his recovery move.
Hero’s sword critical hits every 1 in 8 charged hits
Metal slash only is a one hit KO to metal opponents
Thwack and Wack work best on fighters with a higher damage percentage
Hero’s recovery can be used to spike opposing fighters off the stage to the blast zone.
Magic Burst drains all mana and should not be used offstage.

07. Ganondorf

Next on the list is the user of the Triforce of Power, Ganondorf. Ganondorf is best for newcomer players who want to use charged smash attacks and kill opposing fighters with strong hits. While Ganondorf isn’t a fast character and his aerial mobility isn’t great, he is the strongest fighter in the game. His charged forward smash attack can kill as early as 65% and his other smash attacks are just as if not more powerful. His special move warlock punch can do a maximum damage of 37% on the ground and 40% in the air.

Ganondorf is categorized as a heavy fighter and as shown by his lack of speed is a lot heavier than other heavy fighters such as Piranha Plant, Donkey Kong, King K Rool. This can be used to a new player’s advantage because they can take more damage without as much fear of losing a life or the round. Ganondorf’s heaviness and lack of aerial mobility can be his downfall if he is ever forced into offstage combat or needs to recover from far away.

Some important things to remember for newcomers playing Ganondorf are:

His recovery is best used for horizontal recovery because it leaves Ganondorf very vulnerable on the descent.
Ganondorf’s warlock punch can be turned around in the beginning of its charge to do more damage.
The warlock punch has super armor
Many of Ganondorf’s moves have a high cooldown to accommodate for his overwhelming power.
Be aggressive and stay close to projectile fighters, so they don’t have the chance to use a lot of strong projectiles.

06. Cloud

Next on the list is Cloud from the Final Fantasy franchise. Cloud a sword fighter with a fast ground movement speed. The sword that he uses is longer than most other swords in the game, but the main advantage in using Cloud is that he can swing around his big sword quickly and with power. Using Cloud’s fast ground and aerial movement speed is the key to successfully playing Cloud.

Unlike many sword fighter’s Cloud doesn’t have a counter move, but instead he has a limit gauge. His limit gauge can either be charged up manually with his downward special move or charged through attacking and taking damage from opposing fighters. Once his limit is full Cloud will begin radiating a blue aura for 15 seconds. Within that time he can use his limit to launch a stronger version of any of his special moves. A strong limit move can change the way a battle is going and give Cloud an advantage against an opposing fighter. The main drawback for playing Cloud is his recovery move which is best used for vertical recovery to the ledge. Unlike many fighters this recovery move can be used to take an opposing fighter's life with Cloud when fighting off stage.

A newcomer to the franchise that wants to play Cloud should remember these important tips:

Limit boosts Cloud’s recovery distance.
Using Cloud’s recovery move at the ledge when recovering can take down opposing fighters while allowing Cloud to grab the ledge.
Cloud’s forward aerial move can spike opposing fighters if they are hit with the last hit of the move.
Cloud’s neutral special move launches a projectile that moves faster on the ground than in the air.
All of Cloud’s special attacks are boosted in distance and power by Limit.

05. Mario

Mario is one of the most flexible fighters in Super Smash Bros Ultimate. Mario has an average ground movement speed and has an above average movement speed. He has floaty jumps with very little landing lag, so this supports offstage combat as well as players who like to jump around a lot and use aerial attacks. When it comes to dealing with ranged fighters, he uses his cape to reflect projectiles. Mario can use his downward special move Fludd to push opposing fighters away from the stage when they are offstage trying to recover. Mario has strong grabs and supports beginning players who like to get close and try out all types of combinations with throws and charged attacks. The main downside to Mario is his recovery move since it is very short and best used for vertical recovery.

Newcomers to the Smash Bros franchise that are interested in Mario should remember:

Mario’s forward aerial attack can leave him vulnerable for a short time if it misses.
Mario’s cape can be used to turn opposing fighters around.
Mario’s up throw is a combo starter.
Mario’s recovery distance can be extended if he hits an opposing fighter.

04. Dark Samus

Dark Samus is next on the list and the echo fighter of Samus. The reason that Dark Samus is on this list and Samus isn’t is because Dark Samus does slightly more damage with each hit than Samus does. Dark Samus falls under the ranged fighter category. With an assortment of different projectiles from missiles to energy shots, Dark Samus has the option to play either offensively or defensively. Dark Samus has a medium ground movement speed and a medium aerial movement speed. She is best suited to fight larger opponents because her projectiles have a better chance of hitting their intended target. The main drawback of playing Dark Samus is her recovery since it lacks range and is best suited for vertical recovery.

Some important information for newcomers to Smash Bros Ultimate to remember is:

Dark Samus struggles against opposing fighters with reflectors.
It is best to fight at a distance but Samus isn’t limited to just distance fighting.
Dark Samus uses a long energy whip to grab opposing fighters and perform her throws.
She can use her energy whip for recovery to the ledge.
Dark Samus has two types of missiles which are homing and straight shot.
The homing missile has a much shorter distance than the straight shot missile and only changes its angle slightly to aim for a fighter.

03. Kirby

Next on the list is the puffball with an insatiable appetite, Kirby. He is a floaty character with both a fast ground and aerial movement speed. Kirby’s moveset is average and the damage percentage per hit is not anything exceptional, but his true skill exists in combos. A lot of Kirby’s hits don’t have a high knock back so his attacks can chain together using timing and a mixture of both ground and aerial moves to rack up damage instead of relying on charged attacks for all of the damage. Kirby also has the unique ability to copy the neutral special ability of any fighter in the game by sucking an opposing fighter in, absorbing their ability, then spitting the fighter back out. His copy ability will take the place of his suck in ability once he has used it on an opposing fighter. His look will also change to mimic the fighter he is copying the ability of. He will revert to normal after losing a life or taunting.

Newcomers to the Smash Bros franchise who are interested in playing Kirby should remember this:

Kirby’s side special move hammer can be charged, but an extended charge causes burn damage to Kirby
If Kirby is hit hard enough he can lose his copy ability.
Kirby’s recovery move is best used vertically
Kirby’s downward aerial is a great combo starter into ground moves. It also spikes.

02. Mr. Game & Watch

The mascot for The Game & Watch, Mr. Game & Watch is next on the list. Mr. Game & Watch is an all around fighter with a variety of moves. He has a medium movement speed and an above average aerial movement speed. In Smash Ultimate Mr. Game & Watch is best known for his randomized hammer move which is his side special move. The hammer switches numbers from 1 to 9 with different effects for each number and the maximum power being given to number 9. His forward aerial and backward aerial moves have very little cooldown time. Mr. Game & Watch’s recovery move is special because it is one of the few recovery moves that allows the player to still attack even after using it. The move itself starts with a trampoline that launches Mr. Game & Watch upward and has him float down with a parachute. He can attack at any point in his descent and gets an increased movement speed and maneuverability as long as the parachute is active.

Some important information for a newcomer to Smash Bros who wants to play Mr. Game & Watch is:

His recovery move can be used for both vertical and horizontal recovery.
The odds of Mr. Game & Watch getting a 9 from the hammer are 1 in 5.
Mr. Game & Watch can attack after he uses his recovery move
His moves have very little cooldown time
His downward charged smash attack bury’s opponents into the ground and sets up for a strong follow up attack.

01. King K Rool

The easiest fighter for newcomers to play in Smash Ultimate is King K Rool. He falls under the category of heavy as a flexible fighter. He is the only heavy fighter to have projectiles and a counter. King K Rool has a moderately quick ground movement speed and a moderately fast aerial movement speed that allows for players to switch between ground and air combat with ease. The gold plating for King K Rool’s torso is his one weakness but also his biggest strength. When using attacks that involve this gold plating he gets super armor against attacks but the cost for this is that strong attacks can crack the gold plating. If enough cracks form King K Rool gets disoriented as though his shield was broken and he is extremely vulnerable. His recovery allows him to use any move offstage with no worry about how far is too far for offstage combat. Unlike all other heavy fighters King K Rool has a recovery that works both horizontally and vertically.

Some important information for newcomers to Smash Ultimate that want to play King K Rool is:

King K Rool’s counter works on both physical moves and projectiles of all kinds.
Strong hits do not crack King K Rool’s gold plating when he uses the counter.
His backwards aerial spikes opposing fighters.
King K Rool can suck in his cannonball and fire it back out at a different angle.
If his boomerang crown projectile flies offstage it will appear directly over him as many times as necessary till it is back on his head.
The boomerang crown can be used as a projectile for opposing fighters to use if it is on the ground.

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Charles Smith

In the Pennsylvanian king's castle, it is my job to inform all of the masses of my records. I am called the Writing-smith because my content is just as put together as any Blacksmith's creation

Gamer Since:

2005

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