Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s World of Light mode lets players collect over 1500 characters and items from throughout video game history, each equipped with its own stats and abilities that can augment their user.

While no one spirit is the optimal pick for every single situation, there are a few that stand out from the pack, often due to their power, versatility, unique ability, or a mixture of the three.  If you’re looking to conquer the World of Light mode and clear out the spirit boards in both the base game and DLC, here is your guide to the top 12 spirits which you will likely be turning to, time and time again.

1. Galeem

Earned by conquering the World of Light mode’s true ending, Galeem is objectively one of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s most powerful spirits.  With its staggering statline and powerful ability, Galeem will help you close out your adventure in the World of Light.

• Galeem possesses the highest power in the game, at a whopping 13,640 power.
• Galeem’s equal offense and defense ensure that it is a balanced spirit without weaknesses.
• Its Bane of Darkness skill allows the user to do considerably more damage to dark element characters, making it an essential pick for the World of Light mode.

2. Dharkon

Just like Galeem, Dharkon is earned by finishing the World of Light mode’s true ending.  Dharkon is nearly identical to Galeem, meaning that it too is one of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s most powerful spirits.  Dharkon possesses a counterpart ability to Galeem that makes it just as useful, depending on whether you are facing a light element character rather than a dark element one.

• Identical to Galeem, Dharkon possesses some of the highest power in the game at 13,640 power.
• With its identical statline to Galeem, Dharkon’s equal offense and defense also make it a balanced spirit without weaknesses.
• Its Bane of Light skill allows the user to do considerably more damage to light element characters.  With Galeem and Dharkon in your arsenal, you should find considerable help in cleaning up the rest of the World of Light mode.

3. Akuma

If you’re looking for sheer offensive power, particularly in 1v1 matchups or group battles where speedy kills are king, look no further than Akuma.

• Akuma possesses one of the highest spirit statlines at 13,235 power.
• Akuma’s whopping 7941 attack power is the highest offensive statline in the game. He gives the biggest boost to base attack power of any spirit in the game, not counting special ability interactions.
• Akuma does not possess any ability slots, so he may not be the best pick for battles where you will be swarmed by multiple opponents and need to stand your ground.  Use him in situations where you want to overwhelm your opponent with sheer offense.

4. Big Boss

Metal opponents are some of the most difficult battles that you will encounter in World of Light, due to the weight and power of metal-clad fighters. Use Big Boss’s Metal Killer ability and strong statline to take on these problem battles.

• Big Boss may lean slightly more towards attack than defense, but his statline is both relatively balanced and incredibly high.  You can take him into a variety of different battles, even where his ability may not be relevant.
• Big Boss possesses two ability slots, allowing players to expand his niche beyond metal battles.
• The Metal Killer ability is essential in several later battles against metal opponents in World of Light.  This is all the more so when fighting more than one metal opponent, which is quite daunting for most fighters.  Use Big Boss’s ability to level the playing field.

5. Galacta Knight

What makes Galacta Knight such a powerful spirit is the sheer amount of sword users in the playable cast.  As the highest power shield-type spirit, Galacta Knight is a staple in almost any battle where you can bring a blade.

• Like Big Boss, Galacta Knight is attack-focused, but an altogether balanced spirit with hefty stats.
• Galacta Knight’s Sword Attack Up ability empowers any character’s sword-based attack.  Because so many characters use swords (namely, the entire Fire Emblem cast and characters like Hero, Link, Toon Link, Cloud, Sephiroth, and more), Galacta Knight benefits many different characters.
• More than just benefiting a wide range of characters, the Sword Attack Up skill is almost always relevant, regardless of the rules of the battle.  If you’re using a sword character, you can always benefit from this skill.

6. Soma Cruz

Much like Big Boss, Soma excels at a particular niche of difficult battles: that is, battling giant opponents.  He boasts incredibly well-rounded stats and a versatile loadout, making him useful even outside of giant-based battles.

• Soma’s attack stat is incredibly high at 6589 attack - and his defense, just short of 5000, is no slouch either.
• Soma is a null type spirit without any weaknesses, meaning that his massive power can be brought into every battle without disadvantages.
• Although Soma specializes in giant-killing, which is especially useful in some difficult content against some massive enemies that are quite hard to kill, he also sports two slots allowing him to be customized even further than many characters of a similar power level.

7. Fierce Deity Link

You can think of Fierce Deity Link as an attack-type Galacta Knight.  Although his power level on the surface may appear lower than that of some of his peers, one only needs to take a look at his attack number to see that he has no trouble tearing through foes.

• With a whopping 7252 attack, Fierce Deity trades defense for truly fierce offense.
• He benefits greatly from the intrinsically versatile Sword Attack Up skill, which boosts many characters in many situations.  Given this skill, Fierce Deity Link’s attack power is even higher than his statline alone suggests.
• As with other spirits who are statistically offense-oriented, Fierce Deity Link is well-suited for one-on-one battles where you can overwhelm your opponent.  If you are not so confident in your defense, consider taking a spirit with more balanced stats. 

8. Metal Face

While giant characters do more damage and more knockback, they are often easy to rack damage up on.  Giant metal characters, on the other hand, are incredibly difficult to force offstage as they deal massive, crushing blows to their enemies.  Take Metal Face and enjoy a window of powerful opportunity.

• Metal Face has high stats and a single slot for a little bit of customization.
• The Metal and Giant abilities together make the user an unstoppable juggernaut.  If you need to end a battle swiftly and decisively, particularly against a team of foes who might seek to overwhelm you early, these statuses will help you batter at all of your enemies and keep you on-stage.
• Because the Metal and Giant statuses only last for a window of time at the start of the battle, don’t take this spirit into fights where you expect a lengthy battle of endurance.

9. Queen Elincia

While many of the spirits in this list are offense-based, Queen Elincia offers an additional jump and a more defense-slanted statline, allowing you to survive and maneuver about the stage.  Use her in group battles where you are outnumbered.

• Elincia’s high defense allows the user to take more hits. This is useful in longer battles with more opponents, where you might easily be swarmed.
• The additional midair jump synergizes with Elincia’s higher defense.  It allows the user to keep enemies at bay by leaping over a crowd of attackers.  It also allows for better survival and off-stage options.
• Elincia is best with keepaway or spacing-based characters -- from pure zoning characters like Samus and Duck Hunt Dog, to characters who can bat at enemies just outside of range, like Marth and Byleth.  Use the additional jump to outmaneuver your opponents and take them out one by one.

10. Heihachi Mishima

Heihachi’s ability is incredibly useful because, with some exceptions, most characters are either using a sword, or their fists and feet.  If you’re playing with a melee brawler like Mario or Terry, Heihachi is a must.

• Heihachi possesses the highest offensive statline with this melee-buffing ability, and two customizable slots to boot.  He is basically essential for melee-based fighters.
• Speaking of melee-based fighters, they outnumber sword fighters, meaning Heihachi’s fist & foot attack up ability benefits a huge portion of the cast in almost every situation.  
• While several other legendary spirits possess the fist attack up ability, Heihachi is the only character that buffs both fist and foot abilities, immediately rendering him stronger than all other spirits with similar abilities.  Consider Terry, who has mostly fist-based moves, but also has foot-based moves such as his up-B and side-B.  Heihachi’s ability buffs them all.

11. Ender Dragon

Ender Dragon is all about racking up extremely quick damage.  Even better: he’s a support spirit, meaning that he can be used alongside a primary spirit like the ones mentioned above.

• Ender Dragon possesses the most powerful iteration of the Mouthful of Curry ability, which temporarily places the user under the curry status, constantly spitting out harmful flames in front of them.  
• Because this is the double-up version of the curry ability, the flames reach an extremely long distance, pelting the opponent and racking up damage extremely quickly.  
• The CPU’s reaction to the curry ability is often to run away, forcing themself offstage and putting you in an advantage state.  Use this in battles where you want to quickly close out the opponent’s stock, particularly if there is a disadvantage for the battle dragging out too long.

12. Sothis

Sothis’s ability may in fact be too powerful, and is a must-have to survive those long, grueling battles which often appear in World of Light’s endgame. 

• Sothis possesses one of the most powerful recovery abilities in the game, completely recovering its user when his or her damage reaches 100%.  
• You don’t need to do anything special to activate Sothis’s ability.  You will most likely reach 100% damage and activate it before death unless you are clipped by an unlucky smash attack.  It essentially acts as a second life.
• Use Sothis as a failsafe in long battles against strong or multiple opponents, such as against Master Hand and Crazy Hand, or Galeem and Dharkon.

You may also be interested in:

• Smash Bros Ultimate Guide for Beginners and Advanced Players
• Smash Ultimate Best Characters [Smash Ultimate Tier List]
• [Top 10] Smash Ultimate Best Spirits That Are OP
• [Top 10] Smash Ultimate Best Amiibo
• [Top 10] Smash Ultimate Best Air Game
• [Top 10] Smash Ultimate Best Aggressive Characters
• [Top 10] Smash Ultimate Best Beginner Fighters
• Top 10 Best Smash Ultimate Players
• Top 5 Smash Bros. Ultimate Tournaments in The World
• Smash Ultimate Tournaments List (All Major Tournaments To Watch)
• 10 Best Smash Ultimate Custom Stages