Super Smash Bros. MeleeTier List

Super Smash Bros. Melee Tier List

Fox, Marth and Jigglypuff lead the 4 S-tier characters in the RankedBoost Super Smash Bros. Melee tier list for NTSC 1.02, out of 26 graded. Unlockable characters hold 3 of the 4 S-tier spots.

26graded11unlockableNov 7, 2026updated
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Rapid gradeTap a tier to start your own list · 26 characters
STop4 charactersThe strongest picks on NTSC 1.02Click any character for its gradeTap a card for its grade
FoxFox
MarthMarth
JigglypuffJigglypuff
FalcoFalco
Click any character for its gradeTap a card for its grade
AStrong3 charactersStrong picks, a step below the top
SheikSheik
PeachPeach
Captain FalconCaptain Falcon
BSolid5 charactersSolid picks that hold their own
Ice ClimbersIce Climbers
YoshiYoshi
PikachuPikachu
LuigiLuigi
SamusSamus
CSituational8 charactersBelow the middle of the roster
Donkey KongDonkey Kong
GanondorfGanondorf
Young LinkYoung Link
LinkLink
Dr. MarioDr. Mario
Mr. Game & WatchMr. Game & Watch
MarioMario
MewtwoMewtwo
DBottom6 charactersThe weakest picks on NTSC 1.02
ZeldaZelda
PichuPichu
BowserBowser
KirbyKirby
NessNess
RoyRoy

What each tier means

  • STop The strongest picks on NTSC 1.02
  • AStrong Strong picks, a step below the top
  • BSolid Solid picks that hold their own
  • CSituational Below the middle of the roster
  • DBottom The weakest picks on NTSC 1.02
2 reads blended into one listreblend in Showing26/ 26

Character portraits from Super Smash Bros. Melee by Nintendo and HAL Laboratory.

Board breakdown

Who is the best character in Super Smash Bros. Melee?

Fox is the best character in Melee, and Falco joins him in S to put both Star Fox fighters at the top. Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda bring five fighters each, yet their best picks, Peach and Sheik, stop in A.

Select a face to open that character's card on the board.

Are the clones better than the original characters in Melee?

Not by a tier: none of Melee's six full clones grades a tier above the fighter it copies, and Ganondorf, Pichu and Roy drop lower. Young Link and Dr. Mario even edge out Link and Mario inside C. The exception is a semi-clone: Luigi grades B, a band above Mario in C.

  • Clone of FoxSame tier
  • Clone of Marth4 tiers lower
  • Clone of Captain Falcon2 tiers lower
  • Clone of Pikachu2 tiers lower
  • Clone of LinkSame tier
  • Clone of MarioSame tier

Which unlockable characters in Super Smash Bros. Melee are worth the effort?

Marth is the best character you have to unlock: play the 14 starter characters in VS mode, Classic Mode or Adventure, or play 400 VS matches. The other S tier unlocks are Falco, for a 100-Man Melee clear or 300 VS matches, and Jigglypuff, for a Classic Mode or Adventure clear or 50 VS matches.

Where do the Ice Climbers rank in Melee with wobbling banned?

The Ice Climbers lead the B tier even with wobbling banned at major tournaments. Wobbling is the Ice Climbers' grab infinite: the opponent stays caught until the stock is gone.

Which characters rank lowest in Super Smash Bros. Melee?

Bowser, Kirby, Ness and Roy fill the last seats of D, the lowest tier in Melee, under Zelda and Pichu.

RankedBoost is not affiliated with or endorsed by Nintendo. Super Smash Bros. is a trademark of Nintendo. Character art and game imagery: © 2001 Nintendo / HAL Laboratory, Inc. Characters © Nintendo / HAL Laboratory, Inc. / Creatures Inc. / GAME FREAK inc. / APE inc. / INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS.