Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Complete guide to every character and their updates
No change too small
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate isn't bringing any huge changes to the series, instead providing a laundry list of smaller updates to bring more balance to the game.
That's no bad thing really - competitive Smash is one of the most exciting things you can watch online - but Nintendo decided to dump basically every change coming to the game into one video during its Direct, and it ran through at breakneck speed.
So to help out anyone who may have missed the changes, we've compiled a huge list of every character coming to the game, and the changes you can expect when you get to play as them on December 7th.
Mario
Nintendo's biggest hero is basically unchanged for the new game, though Cappy from Super Mario Odyssey now sits on his head in certain outfits, including the new Wedding and Builder outfits.
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong's Final Smash is now a series of rapid punches, similar to an attack from Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat.
Link
Link has thrown on his Champion's Tunic from Breath of the Wild, his bombs can now be remotely detonated, and his Final Smash sees him unleashing Ancient Arrows at his opponents. He can also wear his Tunic of the Wild.
Samus
Samus can now charge her special moves in mid-air, which can also be cancelled - though you'll be open to attack if you do.
Yoshi
Yoshi seemingly hasn't been touched for the new game. He's just as silly as ever.
Kirby
Kirby hasn't changed at all, but his Stone Ability can now appear as a chest from Breath of the Wild.
Fox
Fox has been given his Star Fox Zero design for this entry, and the Landmaster Final Smash has been thrown out in favour of a much faster Arwing attack.
Pikachu
You can now play as a female version of Pikachu, including the highly-popular Pikachu Libre. There's not much difference, however - the female Pikachu have hearts on their tails, and that's about it.
Luigi
Luigi has held onto his taunt, which acts as a meteor attack, firing enemies straight down if it connects.
Ness
Ness' new Final Smash has Paula and Poo appear to lend a hand. His PK Fire attack now also looks more like how it did in his own game.
Captain Falcon
Captain Falcon hasn't been changed, but any strong attacks he lands will now be hit with a slow-mo effect to make it look even cooler.
Jigglypuff
Jigglypuff hasn't been changed - her Sleep special is still present and correct.
Peach
Peach is exactly the same as she's always been - though she now has her own Echo Fighter.
Daisy
Daisy is Peach's Echo Fighter - she's got the same moves, but slightly different characteristics to add a new dimension to her strategy.
Bowser
Bowser's Final Smash is much bigger than his last appearance, making him more intimidating when he pulls it off.
Ice Climbers
The Ice Climbers haven't changed from their appearance in Melee - you still need to watch out for enemies attacking and defeating Nana, as she's integral to being fully functional as a fighter.
Sheik
Sheik hasn't been altered, and remains a seperate character entirely from Zelda.
Zelda
Zelda gets a new oufit from 3DS game A Link Between Worlds, and her moves have been made flashier and more energetic. She's also received a new Final Smash, which seals enemies within the Triforce of Wisdom.
Dr Mario
Dr Mario remains a seperate fighter from regular Mario, thanks to his different attributes and special moves.
Pichu
Pichu's electric attacks still damage itself, rendering the character basically useless in a competitive setting. Still funny, though.
Falco
Falco's Final Smash has been overhauled in the same way as Fox's, with an Arwing assault instead of the Landmaster, but Falco's attack is less predictable.
Marth
Marth's Dancing Blade move has received a speed boost, and he's been given a full English voice to boot.
Lucina
Lucina is the Echo Figher version of Marth, and has received a similar speed boost to her Dancing Blade attack.
Young Link
Young Link's inclusion means that there's now three different versions of Link to play as in Smash Bros. Ultimate, but he hasn't changed much.
Ganondorf
Ganondorf retains his Ocarina of Time outfit from Melee, and his Final Smash sees him becoming Ganon himself to dish out huge amounts of punishment.
Mewtwo
Mewtwo remains the same as his previous entries.
Roy
Roy has received a speed boost to his Dancing Blade attack, like Marth and Lucina.
Mr. Game & Watch
Everyone's favourite flat hero looks even more like his original appearance, and his moves from previous entries have all returned.
Meta Knight
Meta Knight seemingly hasn't been changed, though hopefully he's been balanced so as not to upset the meta again.
Pit
Pit's Final Smash is now the Lightning Chariot, which swoops in to knock enemies out of the arena.
Dark Pit
Dark Pit is now considered an Echo Fighter - it just means he's the same as Pit, but looks a lot different.
Zero Suit Samus
Zero Suit Samus' Final Smash now sees her sitting on her gunship, raining damage down on the battlefield in her Power Suit.
Wario
Wario's Final Smash, Wario-Man, has received a major change - there'll be no regular attacks needed to deliver the final blow.
Snake
No major changes to Snake in his reintroduction to the series, though original voice actor David Hayter has confirmed that he's returning for the role.
Ike
Ike is kitted out in both his Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn outfits for the first time in Smash Bros., and each outfit also comes with a different voice actor.
Pokemon Trainer
The Pokemon Trainer has returned, grouping Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard under one character. There's no penalty for sticking with one Pokemon for a whole match, so go wild. You can also now play as a female Trainer for the first time.
Diddy Kong
Diddy Kong wasn't said to have changed at all, so he's probably still as deadly as ever.
Lucas
Lucas' Final Smash mimics Ness' new version, though he's joined by Kumatora and Boney instead.
Sonic
Sonic's Final Smash has been given a speed boost, making it much harder to avoid if he lands it.
King Dedede
King Dedede's Final Smash has been changed to be a weird cage fight, during which he absolutely destroys his opponent with missiles and a Jet Hammer.
Olimar
Olimar has received a tiny cosmetic change - his helmet will now crack when he gets damaged, but it will fix itself upon recovery.
Lucario
Lucario hasn't been altered at all - he still looks badass, and he'll still rip you apart.
R.O.B.
The oft-forgotten robot has received a minor graphical overhaul - a small gauge on his chassis to show you how much longer he can hover.
Toon Link
Toon Link hasn't been altered. He's perfect the way he is.
Wolf
Wolf is also kitted out in his Star Fox Zero attire, and all his moves have been given an upgrade to make him a more competitive fighter.
Villager
You can now see what you've got in your Villager's pockets from an icon above their percentage at the bottom of the screen. There's also eight different versions of the Villager, including male and female options.
Mega Man
While not a change to the character, Mega Man's Wily Castle stage now includes all the hazards from the Wii U and 3DS entries of the Smash Bros. series. His Final Smash also introduces Protoman and Bass to the mix.
Wii Fit Trainer
Wii Fit Trainer has received a slight facelift so she looks a bit happier - apparently the Wii Fit devs requested this change.
Rosalina & Luma
The magical duo haven't been changed at all, and will probably still trip up new players like they always did.
Little Mac
Little Mac's Final Smash is now just a flurry of punches from Giga Mac, the bigger, monster-like version of the boxer.
Greninja
Greninja still looks super cool, and hasn't been adjusted at all.
Mii Fighters
The Mii Fighters have had their proportions adjusted and their movesets overhauled. They will also (hopefully) be included in online play for the first time.
Palutena
Palutena has had her special attacks streamlined - in particular, her down-special now counters and reflects at the same time.
Pac-Man
Pac-Man's Final Smash has also received a significant speed boost, and the move closely mimics his sounds from the original arcade edition of his game.
Robin
Robin has a new gauge above his percentage at all times which tells you how much longer you can use his special abilities.
Shulk
Shulk's Monado Arts now appear in a radial menu, so you don't need to hammer B to get to the right one anymore. Fiora has also joined in his Final Smash.
Bowser Jr.
Bowser Jr. can still be replaced by any other the seven Koopalings through different outfits.
Duck Hunt Duo
Duck Hunt Duo haven't been altered. Watch out for that darn can.
Ryu
Ryu will now face his opponent at all times in one-on-one matches. This will hopefully reduce the number of accidental command inputs in battles, which could make him even deadlier.
Cloud
Cloud's Limit Gauge is now always displayed just above his percentage at the bottom of the screen. You can still play as him in his FFVII costume, or his Advent Children outfit.
Corrin
Corrin is still here, and looks to be completely untouched so far.
Bayonetta
Bayo's back baby, and you can use costumes from both of the first two games in her series - this slightly affects the sound of her gunshots.
Inkling
Inkling is brand new for Smash Bros. Ultimate. Their ink attacks will cause enemies to take more damage the more inked they are, and you need to recover your ink after certain attacks by becoming a squid in inked areas. Both Inkling Boy and Girl are playable in the game.
Ridley
Fans have been clamouring for Ridley's appearance since forever, and he's finally made it. There's little info available on his moves, but he certainly looks deadly.
