Super Smash Bros. Brawl/Characters

Bowser
The arch-nemesis of Mario and probably the most popular of the Nintendo villains makes his reappearance in SSBB! Bowser is the definitive example of a heavyweight, boasting the highest weight and biggest model size of any character. In his transition from Melee, he has gained some speed and a new attack, the Flying Slam, while still keeping his arsenal of powerful attacks. Bowser is obviously hindered by his poor mobility, but his range and power makes him a fearsome opponent.
 * Series: Super Mario series
 * Original Game: Super Mario Bros. (NES) — 1985

Diddy Kong
Donkey Kong's best buddy and partner arrives as a new character on the scene. In contrast to his tie-wearing friend, Diddy Kong is much lighter and thus much more agile than Donkey Kong. Diddy Kong has great mobility and relatively strong attacks, but what really separates him from other lightweights is his Banana Toss. While being able to spawn banana peels at will might seem like a rather tame ability, it gives Diddy Kong amazing stage control. If you're ever up against a good Diddy, watch where you're running or you'll most certainly trip.
 * Series: Donkey Kong series
 * Original Game: Donkey Kong Country (SNES) — 1994

Donkey Kong
Being one of Nintendo's first characters and part of the original 12 in Super Smash Bros., Donkey Kong's inclusion doesn't come as much of a surprise. As in previous installments, Donkey Kong's attacks pack a punch, and his high weight makes him difficult to KO. However, unlike other heavyweights, Donkey Kong also has relatively fast movement and attacks, while his long limbs give him more physical reach than other characters. Donkey Kong is often overlooked when it comes to heavyweights as he lacks any extreme strength or unique properties, but his mix of speed, power and reach makes him a solid character at any level of play.
 * Series: Donkey Kong series
 * Original Game: Donkey Kong (Arcade) — 1981

Fox
Since the lift off from Super Smash Bros., Fox McCloud makes his continuity consistent in Brawl. One of the series' trademark glass cannons, Fox boasts attacks that are both quick and deadly, letting him chase down his opponents or react to mistakes very quickly. However, he is still hindered by his high fall speed which, while usually beneficial for combos and surviving vertical KOs, makes him vulnerable to chaingrabs or attack chains. Regardless of these flaws, his sheer offensive power makes him a good choice for aggressive players who can fully utilize his speed.
 * Series: Star Fox series
 * Original Game: Star Fox (SNES) — 1993

Ice Climbers
While not exactly a fan favorite, the Ice Climbers still managed to make it into Brawl. One of the most technical characters in the game, the Ice Climbers excel at 1v1 matches due to their infinite chaingrab, which lets one climber throw his opponent to the other and vice versa. This makes them extremely scary to fight against, since one mistake can mean the loss of a point or stock. Unfortunately, the Ice Climbers have two simple but crippling weaknesses: any match where there are more than one opponent and aerial stages. Both of these conditions can prevent the Ice Climbers from pulling off a chaingrab and makes it easy for them to be separated. If you primarily play 1-on-1s and is willing to put in tons of practice for a single character, the Ice Climbers is the perfect character for you to focus on.
 * Series: Ice Climber
 * Original Game: Ice Climber (NES) — 1985

Ike
Another Fire Emblem character joins the vast Smash family, filling in the space Roy left behind. Ike is one of the strongest swordsmen in the game. His powerful sword Ragnell gives him an array of powerful attacks, which also boast great range due to the sword's length. He also has one of the best jab attacks in the game, being a quick move in contrast to his laggy sword attacks while also letting him pull off high damage combos with jab canceling. Ike suffers from the same problems as other heavyweights, namely slow attacks and a poor recovery, but his reach and power more than makes up for these flaws, especially in the hands of a patient master.
 * Series Fire Emblem series
 * Original Game: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (GameCube) — 2005

King Dedede
The king of Dream Land, King Dedede, makes his first appearance in the Smash Bros. series, bringing with him his big, wooden hammer. As his large body might suggest, he is a heavyweight, but one who has an above average air game, possessing multiple jumps and useful air attacks. His hammer gives him great reach, more than most characters, and his weight along with his strong momentum canceling gives him the best vertical endurance in the game. King Dedede also possesses he longest grab range for characters without a tether grab, as well as an effective chaingrab, meaning he can be played as sort of a grappler character that relies on grabs for most of his damage. With good survivability overall, nice reach, great air game and a notorious chain grab, King Dedede is a strong choice against any player.
 * Series: Kirby series
 * Original Game: Kirby's Dream Land (Game Boy) — 1992

Kirby
Kirby is another long-time veteran character in the Super Smash Bros. series, having been in the series since the first game. Kirby is blessed with a moveset that excels in multiple aspects. His attacks have surprising reach, his KO moves pack a punch and his throws easily set up most combos. However, he still has his weaknesses, which is a lack of speed and survivability. Kirby is one of the simpler characters in the game. While he isn't noticeably stronger than other characters, his balanced moveset makes him a solid choice for newcomers and seasoned veterans alike.
 * Series: Kirby series
 * Original Game: Kirby's Dream Land (Game Boy) — 1992

Link
Link has been updated to match his recent Twilight Princess appearance, along with changes to some of his moves. Link's playstyle is similar to his previous appearances, being a strong but sluggish fighter complemented by a variety of projectiles. This makes Link a great defensive character who can survive lots of attacks and keep opponents at bay, while his powerful attacks makes him decent offensively. However, Link is saddled with many noticeable weaknesses, such as having a horrible recovery and very sluggish attacks. These weaknesses means that Link will have more trouble facing faster characters, but with enough practice, one can overcome or compensate for this handicap to make Link a balanced and versatile brawler.
 * Series: The Legend of Zelda series
 * Original Game: Legend of Zelda (NES) — 1986

Lucas
Lucas is a newcomer to the series and the second character representing the Mother series thus far. While Lucas' specials are very similar to Ness', his normal attacks are completely different, giving him a very different playstyle compared to Ness'. Lucas has speed and agility as expected from most lightweights, but he also possesses strong KO moves. Just like Ness, Lucas also has a very versatile recovery and can combo relatively well compared to other characters. Unfortunately, like Ness, Lucas suffers from a minor nuance that causes him to take longer to recover from grab releases. He is also weak in the aerial and grabbing department, having subpar attacks for situations involving them. Overall, Lucas is a unique character that requires a bit of technical mastery, but can be a very tricky opponent to fight against.
 * Series: Mother series
 * Original Game: Mother 3 (Japan only) (GBA) — 2006

Mario
As the most recognizable character from any Nintendo series, Mario's return in Brawl is a no-brainer, but with a new Down Special, he is not quite the same as before. Like in most multiplayer games he appeared in, Mario is a balanced fighter, with average speed, average power and specials that give him a variety of abilities like a projectile and a reflector. However, Mario is also an example of the adage: "jack of all trades, master of none", lacking physical range and KO power, having a predictable recovery and just generally being outshined by characters with more specialized abilities. That said, Mario is still a solid and simple character, making him a recommended character to try for beginners, and a decent fighter for and against experienced players.
 * Series: Super Mario series
 * Original Game: Donkey Kong (Arcade) — 1981

Meta Knight
Kirby's arch-rival makes his debut in SSBB, being one of the two newcomers from the Kirby series. Metaknight's abilities are renowned throughout the Smash Bros. fanbase, considered as the best character in the game by competitive players and respected by many casual smashers. Metaknight excels in aerial combat, having amazingly quick attacks and great reach with his sword, Galaxia. Along with his useful Mach Tornado, excellent edgeguarding, lightning-fast finishers and unbeatable recovery, Metaknight is a force to fear. Whatever weaknesses are nearly negligible. His light weight is offset by Shuttle Loop's momentum cancel, his amazing air attacks compensate for his poor air speed and his lack of projectile is negated by his many approach options and a Mach Tornado that actually dispels certain projectiles. Being the only character to have ever been banned from a standardized tournament ruleset, Metaknight is a fearsome opponent on any level of play.
 * Series: Kirby series
 * Original Game: Kirby's Adventure (NES) — 1993

Olimar
Captain Olimar joins the Smash Bros. series as a newcomer, representing the relatively new Pikmin series. Olimar has a very unique playstyle that revolves around Pikmin, which are basically minions that Olimar uses to attack. This means that Olimar has little combat ability without Pikmin, but also means that he is very deadly with an army of Pikmin. Olimar has fast, powerful attacks coupled by great reach, as demonstrated by his deadly smashes and excellent grab. He can also rack up damage very quickly with Pikmin Throw. These attributes make him a strong defensive character that can KO without a problem, but his dependence on a tether recovery and his poor mobility gives him trouble against characters who can exploit these weaknesses.
 * Series: Pikmin series
 * Original Game: Pikmin (Nintendo GameCube) — 2001

Peach
Peach returns from Melee, keeping her signature Toad, Turnips and ability to float. Peach is a character whose playstyle revolves around her versatile Turnips, which lets her camp and helps her approach enemies. Peach also has an excellent air game, as her strong air attacks and float lets her rack up damage against her opponents. Her float also gives her strong edgeguarding abilities and an effective recovery. Unfortunately, Peach has the worst air dodge in the game, having half a second of endlag, and she lacks effective KO moves, meaning that getting KOs take longer or require more precision. Peach is a tricky character to get the hang of due to her odd mechanics and moveset, but she can be a scary opponent in the hands of a master.
 * Series: Mario series
 * Original Game: Super Mario Bros. (NES) — 1985

Pikachu

 * Series: Pokémon series
 * Original Game: Pokémon Red and Blue (Game Boy) — 1996

Pikachu comes back with its new Final Smash attack, Volt Tackle. Volt tackle is where Pikachu becomes a glowing blue orb, and he flies around the screen at high speeds(You control him). He sends his foes flying! Pikachu isn't the strongest character- he gets knocked around easily- but if you learn to use his moves to control the field, he can become a very worthy opponent. Pikachu has the same normal moves in Melee, and is a basic character you can play as in the start of the game.

In the subspace game, Samus finds Pikachu in the Bomb Factory, trapped in a generator. The ROBs are using the electricity inside Pikachu to help power the factory. Samus frees Pikachu, and then Pikachu fights along Samus for the rest of the level.

Pit

 * Series: Kid Icarus series
 * Original Game: Kid Icarus (NES) — 1992

Pit fights using his bow, which can be split into two knife-type weapons. He can multi-jump due to his wings, rivaling Kirby's multi-jump. His final smash involves centurions swarming and attacking his foes, but centurions can be dodged! His Mirror Shield Reflects all attacks which causes trouble to ranged attackers.

Pokémon Trainer

 * Series: Pokémon series
 * Original Game: Pokémon Red and Blue (Game Boy) — 1996

The Pokémon Trainer finally hits the Smash field, but not exactly. He comes out and stays on the sidelines cheering the three Pokémon he brought with him on. He brought with him Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard. One Pokémon is out at a time and when you want to switch, you perform the Pokémon Change. The change cycle goes like the order that the Pokémon had just been named, and each one has their own attacks. All final smashes involve a triple finish.
 * Squirtle uses water attacks.
 * Ivysaur uses plant attacks.
 * Charizard: uses fire and flying attacks.

Samus

 * Series: Metroid series
 * Original Game: Metroid (NES) — 1986

The female bounty hunter Samus Aran returns to the Smash Bros. arena. for the third time. She will still have the ability to charge up shots and use a grappling laser to grab foes and hook onto walls.

Samus' final smash will shoot a giant blast of energy, in turn, making her armor fall off and turning her into Zero Suit Samus (see below).

Zero Suit Samus

 * Series: Metroid series
 * Original Game: Metroid: Zero Mission (GBA) — 2004

To use Zero Suit Samus you must play with Samus and use her Final Smash (Zero Laser). After that your space suit will fall and you will only be able to use the Zero Suit. You'll be faster and the pieces of your space suit can be picked up and thrown like items. You will be able to use a small hand held gun that can also turn into a laser whip.

If you want to start using Zero Suit Samus, press and hold a shield button in the character-selection screen and continue to the next screen. To regain your Power Suit, use her Final Smash.

Wario

 * Series: Wario series
 * Original Game: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (Game Boy) — 1992

Brawl is Wario's first début in the world of Smash Bros. (although he appeared as a mere trophy in Melee). He wears the costume from the WarioWare games (his original costume is an alternate color). Nintendo stated that they aimed to give Wario some rather excessive movements, such as his motorcycle and flatulence.

His final smash turns him into Wario Man who wears a cape and is tougher than Wario.

Yoshi

 * Series: Mario series
 * Original Game: Super Mario World (SNES) — 1991

Yoshi is back from Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee and he is cuter than ever, with more airtime for his egg-throwing abilities. His moves are the same in Melee, only his final smash temporarily makes him sprout wings and spit fire.

Zelda

 * Series: The Legend of Zelda series
 * Original Game: Legend of Zelda (NES) — 1986

Zelda, like Link, has been redesigned to match her appearance in Twilight Princess. She can use Din's fire to rack up high damage in large stages where she can stay far away from enemies and send it out, and she has a reflector (Nayru's Love) that reflects both projectiles and fired shots. While her two jumps are not very impressive, she has the amazing recovery move Farore's Wind to help her out in this aspect. Her side and up smashes, while having a small amount of ending and start up lag, have high knockback and can send opponents off the stage fairly easily once the opponent has at least 90-100% damage.

Sheik
Even though Sheik didn't appear in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, she returns here with a new design that was made during the development of that game. Her moves are the same as in Melee, and if you want to start off with her, just press on her icon next to Zelda's.
 * Series: The Legend of Zelda series
 * Original Game:  The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64) — 1998