Super Smash Bros. Melee/Characters

While each character in Super Smash Bros. Melee is evenly balanced, some are better suited for certain players than others. This section discusses every playable character in detail, providing an overall view of the character, his or her pros and cons, unique moves, and more. The format for each character is as follows (subject to change):

Summary of character, including background information Games in which this character is featured B Button special moves for the character (standing still, left/right, up, down) Helpful comments and tips relating to the character

Mario
Mario has been at the forefront of Nintendo for a long time. Mario was originally known as Jumpman in the original Donkey Kong arcade game. Since then Donkey Kong has become a hero and Bowser has taken his place as Mario's archnemesis. Mario set the standard for 2D platformers, and, with Super Mario 64, the standard for 3D platformers.

Featured Games:
 * Donkey Kong
 * Super Mario Bros.
 * Super Mario Bros. 2
 * Super Mario Bros. 3
 * Super Mario World
 * Super Mario 64
 * Super Mario Sunshine

B Button Special Attacks:
 * Fireball
 * A projectile that bounces along the ground and off its surroundings
 * +/: Cape
 * Reflects projectiles and reverses enemies
 * +: Super Jump Punch
 * Pummels opponents in a shower of coins. Can be used as a third jump to return to the stage.
 * +: Mario Tornado
 * Spins opponents around and tosses them into the air. Rapidly tapping B will cause Mario to rise slightly.

Bowser
Mario's nemesis, appearing in most of the games starring the plumber.

B Button Special Attacks:
 * Fire Break
 * Breathes fire. The longer you hold it down, the shorter the flame gets.
 * +/: Koopa Klaw
 * Slices someone in the imidiate vicinity. If you hit somebody you pick them up and you can hit B to whack them with your forehead.
 * +: Whirling Fortress
 * You go into your shell and spin around.
 * If used on the ground, press left/right to move back and forth.
 * Can be used as a third jump to return to the stage.
 * +: Bowser Bomb
 * A butt stomp move. If used on the ground you will jump up first.

Pikachu
Pokémon #25, a yellow mouse with electricity-based attacks. The most well-recognized of all Pokémon, and the most merchandized.

B Button Special Attacks:
 * Thunder Jolt
 * A little bouncing lightning bolt. bounces about half the stage or until it hits somthing. It can also go up vertical walls like the wing in Corneria.
 * If you attack in the air, it becomes a little ball of lightning that goes down at a 45 degree angle until it hits ground where it starts behaving normally.
 * +/: Skull Bash
 * Chargable headbutt type attack.
 * +: Quick Attack
 * A right angle type jump that you control the direction with the control stick.
 * If you press the opposite direction just after jump the first direction, you can jump the other direction too.
 * Can be used as a third jump to return to the stage.
 * +: Thunder
 * Summons a lightning bolt above your head. Goes straight down until it hits somthing or hits a platform on the stage.

Peach
B Button Special Attacks:
 * Toad
 * Pull out Toad to use him as a sheild. I think it blocks all attacks for a while. He can also be used as a counterattack weapon from melee attacks.
 * +/: Peach Bomber
 * A really wierd side attack where you bump into them and they explode.
 * +: Peach Parasol
 * A clone of the Parasol Item. Makes it so you float more in the air. The initial attack gives you a height boost.
 * Can be used as a third jump to return to the stage.
 * +: Vegetable
 * Pull out a random radish ala Super Mario 2. The happier the expression, the more damage you do when you throw it like a normal item(press A). Sometimes, you will pull out a regular item like a bombomb or something like that. Very rarely, you will pull out a dead radish which is an instant KO item.

At any time, hold, , or to float horizontally for a short time.

Yoshi
B Button Special Attacks:
 * Egg Lay
 * Press B to lash out your tongue a short distance. If you snag someone, you turn them into an egg. They will be trapped in it for a few seconds, So take advantage of the time to use the Yoshi Bomb against them a few times.
 * +/: Egg Roll
 * You turn into a sparkling egg for about 6 seconds and roll around. If you hit someone, they fly up. A good attack for juggling, but be careful not go carreen of an edge.
 * +: Egg Throw
 * Throw an egg at an enemy. Aim with the control stick. Tilt control distance. A good anoyance attack.
 * +: Yoshi Bomb
 * A butt stomp attack. If you don't hit anyone directly, the little stars that pop out do a bit of damage.

Yoshi cannot use B+Up as a third jump, but his second jump is a flutter jump and is quite large.

Captain Falcon
B Button Special Attacks:
 * Falcon Punch
 * A really powerful attack that takes a a long time to build up. Good to use on a team battle if you teammate is holding them.
 * +/: Raptor Boost
 * A extended punch where you run a while with a flaming fist. If you don't hit anyone, you trip and fall and the recovery time is fairly long. if done in mid-air, you can punch an opponent down into the ground or out of the arena.
 * +: Falcon Dive
 * Jump up a bit and flash. If you touch someone while jumping, you latch on to them and propel yourself up and to the left/right a bit more and they explode.
 * This attack can actually attack through kirby's rock attack without damaging you.
 * Can be used as a third jump to return to the stage.
 * +: Falcon Kick
 * A jumping kick. If done in mid-air, then you'll do a dive bomb style version of the attack.

Donkey Kong
Games:
 * Donkey Kong
 * Donkey Kong 64

B Button Special Attacks:
 * Giant Punch
 * A chargable punch. hold B to charge it. If it is charged a little glowly light will be on your fist.
 * +/: Headbutt
 * Slams someone into the ground. A little dirt clod will appear and they will be stuck in it for a while.
 * +: Spinning Kong
 * Spin a round with arms out. Covers a pretty good horizontal distance.
 * Can be used as a third jump to return to the stage.
 * +: Hand Slap
 * Repeatedly slap the ground in front of you. Keep pressing B to keep it going. It also attacks a little bit behind too.
 * The attack you want to use if you want to beat the 15 minute melee.

Donkey Kong has the ability to carry his opponents on his back after grabbing them.

Fox McCloud
B Button Special Attacks:
 * Blaster
 * A peashooter blaster with fast fire. It doesn't even stop someone from moving forward. Just use as they are approaching you because the 1-2% damage each shot does can add up.
 * +/: Fox Illusion
 * A really quick dash in the direction you specify. You basically run through your opponent.
 * +: Fire Fox
 * You start flaming and then charge in the direction you specify.
 * While Fox is charging, the attack can be aimed in any direction.
 * Can be used as a third jump to return to the stage.
 * +: Reflector
 * Reflects all thrown items and projectiles. Also does damage in the immidiate vicinity when activated. Very good for spiking.

Ness
B Button Special Attacks:
 * PK Flash
 * Hold down to charge a green flashy thing. You can move it slowly around using . Press  to detonate it or just wait about 4 seconds for it to detonate at full charge by itself.
 * +/: PK Fire
 * Useful attack that shoots a little red ball horizontally. If the ball touches an opponent, the opponent will burst into flame and by stuck there for about 2 seconds. In this time you can swing at them with the bat and they still won't move.
 * +: PK Thunder
 * A little ball of lightning you can control around the stage for about 5 seconds.
 * When using this attack in the air, Ness will float in the air.
 * If you guide the PK Thunder so that it hits Ness, Ness becomes a projectile and also this acts as his third jump.
 * +: PSI Magnet
 * Absorbs energy projectiles (not thrown items, just things like Samus' Charge shot or Fox's Blaster) and heals you the damage the projectile would have done.

Kirby
B Button Special Attacks:
 * Swallow
 * Swallow an opponent. You can walk around slowly with them in their mouth. They can get out by rapidly moving the Control Stick around. When you spit them out, you copy whatever their B button power is and it is assigned to this attack. To get rid of the copied attack, press the taunt button.
 * +/: Hammer
 * Swing a hammer left or right.
 * If used in the air, you will spin it 360 degrees around.
 * +: Final Cutter
 * Slice a sword up and come back down. When you land you send out a little shockwave that can do damage.
 * You can attack someone three times if you hit them on the way up.
 * Can be used as a third jump to return to the stage.
 * +: Stone
 * Turn into a heavy object and drop like a rock. It does damage on the way down
 * Provides temporary invincibility. You can be grabbed as a stone, though.
 * Press B anytime to get out of rock mode. Otherwise you pop out at around 3 seconds.

Ice Climbers
A special duo character. You control the one of them while the other, AI-controlled, attempts to follow. You always do the same attack. If the AI partner dies, you can still do your attacks, but their effect is weakened.

B Button Special Attacks:
 * Ice Shot
 * Both of you shoot little ice block things that slide along the ground till they hit something
 * The ice thing is very fragile and can be attacked and broken.
 * +/: Squall Hammer
 * Swing little hammers around and twirl in a direction a bit
 * If theres only one of you, then you have only one direction of attack.
 * +: Belay
 * If there are two of you, a little rope appears between the two of you and you both get catapulted up quite a bit.
 * If there is only one of you, then all this does is boost you a tiny bit up, so try to keep both of them alive.
 * This does no damage in either mode.(?)
 * Can be used as a third jump to return to the stage.
 * +: Blizzard
 * You both breathe out a bit of ice in opposite directions. If hit, the opponent is frozen in a large ice blocks for a few seconds.
 * Obviously, if theres only one of you, you only attack in the direction you are facing.

Samus
Samus Aran is a bounty hunter who frequently encounters Space Pirates and Metroids.

Games:
 * Metroid
 * Metroid II: Return of Samus
 * Super Metroid
 * Metroid Fusion
 * Metroid Prime
 * Metroid Zero Mission
 * Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

B Button Special Attacks:
 * Charge Shot
 * A chargable energy ball thing. Hold be to charge it. you can release it at any charge level. If it is fully charged you store it automatically and can let it off anytime.
 * While charging, you can press left or right to roll left or right to avoid attacks. You then keep charging after the roll.
 * If you get hit with a powerful attack, you lose the charge.
 * While charging, press R/L to save the charge at its current level.
 * +/: Missile
 * Send a fairly slow homing missle that doesn't go as far or do as much damage.
 * Smash the direction to send a non-homing missle that is faster and more powerful.
 * +: Screw Attack
 * Spin around and move up. Anyone touching you while doing this is trapped in the attack,
 * Can be used as a third jump to return to the stage.
 * +: Bomb
 * Turn into the morph ball mode and drops the little bombs like in the metroid games. You can also bomb jump slightly. Useful for crowd attacks.

Samus has a special move where she can extend her grapple move to 3 times the normal size perform by:
 * rotating the d-pad in a counter-clockwise direction
 * simultaneously tapping the 'z' button rapidly

if performed correctly when you use her grab move the grapple will be able to reach opponents much farther away.


 * Hold the 'R' button to have the grapple home in on the enemy and press 'A' to grab

Link
Link likes to wear green, fight monsters, and save Princess Zelda.

Games:
 * See Zelda
 * Soul Calibur II (GameCube version only)

B Button Special Attacks:
 * Bow
 * A chargable silver bow and arrow. The more you charge it the farther it goes. It is affected by gravity.
 * Hold B to charge the arrow.
 * +/: Boomerang
 * A aimable boomerang. Press up or down to aim it slightly.
 * It can hit an opponent twice(Obviously).
 * You can also hit someone behind you if you time your jump right.
 * +: Spin Attack
 * Spin the sword around. Used on the gound, you stay in place. In the air, you rise up.
 * The final spin is the most powerful.
 * Can be used as a third jump to return to the stage.
 * +: Bomb
 * Pull out a bomb which becomes an item like a less powerful Bombomb. Explodes in your hand if you don't throw it.

Link's hookshot (grab/Z) can be used to grab onto walls when he's in the air.

L-Canceling the Down+B attack: If Link misses with the Down+B attack, his sword sticks in the stage and takes a relatively long time for link to pull it out. If you press L exactly when the tip of his sword touches the ground or platform, then the animation for pulling the sword out of the ground runs twice as fast, allowing you to recover more quickly.

Zelda/Sheik
Zelda likes to be kidnapped and be rescued by Link.

Games:
 * Most of the games Link's been in.

B Button Special Attacks: (As Zelda)
 * Nayru's Love
 * Zelda conjures a spinning field of jagged ice crystals to slice any adjacent enemies. This move can be performed in the air and on the ground. It hits repeatedly and has nearly no knockback.
 * This attack is useful for area denial, when Zelda is directly adjacent to one or more opponents. Use it to get Zelda out of trouble when she's in the fray.
 * This attack can deflect distance shots back at opponents
 * +/: Din's Fire
 * Zelda forms a glowing ball that accelerates away from her, disappears for a short instant, and explodes in a small fireball. The player can control the motion of the ball along the vertical axis, but its horizontal motion is strictly linear acceleration. The player must hold the B button until the ball reaches a desired position, at which point it explodes after a slight delay. It lights the opponent on fire, has a small radius of effect, and causes minimal knockback.
 * Use this attack to annoy unsuspecting foes at range. This requires a degree of anticipation, as the player must stop the ball about one and a half body widths in front of a moving opponent.
 * +: Farore's Wind
 * Can be used as a third jump to return to the stage.
 * The player can control Zelda's destination by pressing a direction while the animation executes.
 * This maneuver does not affect Zelda's fall trajectory when performed in the air, and removes the player's air control ability while the animation completes. Zelda also cannot teleport through solid objects. However, Zelda can often teleport completely across some playfields with this maneuver when the path is clear.
 * After teleporting, the player loses all control of Zelda except for her falling trajectory. Thus, she is completely vulnerable after telporting and falling.
 * The attack does no damage.
 * +: Transform
 * Transform into Sheik

B Button Special Attacks: (As Sheik)
 * Needle Storm
 * Hold B for more needles
 * Needles shoot straight forward when on the ground, but angle down and forward when shot in the air.
 * +/: Chain
 * Hold B and move the Control Stick to swing the chain around.
 * +: Vanish
 * Can be used as a third jump to return to the stage.
 * Works like Farore's Wind but does damage.
 * +: Transform
 * Transform into Zelda

Zelda has the more powerful attacks while Sheik is much more spry.

Hidden Characters
Many of the hidden characters have movesets based off of other characters. They can be unlocked by playing a certain number of vs mode matches or completing a certain objective.

Luigi
Mario's brother. Slower and slightly more powerful than mario(?).

B Button Special Attacks:
 * Fireball: A green fireball like mario's exept its not affect by gravity. it will go straight until it hits somth
 * +/: Green Missile: Hold down B to charge up a headbut like attack.
 * At random times, you will go farther and make a more powerful hit, but you may fall off of the arena.
 * +: Super Jump Punch: If you are physically touching another character when initiating this attack, you set the character on fire and it does more dammage.
 * Can be used as a third jump to return to the stage.
 * +: Luigi Cyclone: Like mario cyclone exept it characters bounce around inside the cyclone instead of getting knocked away(i know theres a better way to say that).


 * Unlocked by playing 800 vs matches or by completing the first stage of adventure mode (the mario platformer one) with a time with a 2 in the seconds meter. Then you will fight luigi and peach. and if you win, you get luigi.

Dr. Mario
Mario in a doctor suit. Starred in the puzzle game Dr. Mario. Slightly slower and more powerful than Mario.

B Button Special Attacks:
 * Megavitamins: red/white pills that bounce fairly high and do damage when they hit stuff.
 * +/: Super Sheet: works like Mario's Cape.
 * +: Super Jump Punch: works like Mario's Super Jump Punch
 * Can be used as a third jump to return to the stage.
 * +: Dr. Tornado: works like Mario's Tornado.


 * Unlocked by playing 100 vs matches or completing classic mode with Mario (any difficulty).

Jigglypuff
A pink pokemon. Jigglypuff is able to inflate itself like a balloon and thus float very high.

B Button Special Attacks:
 * Rollout
 * You spin arround in one place and start sparkling. When you let go, you charge out really fast and if you hit anyone at full charge, its almost a definite KO.
 * If you miss, you will fly off the stage. If you don't charge it all the way, you usually can turn around kind of.
 * +/: Pound
 * A punch. Used in the air, it gives pretty good horizontal distance. You can use this between every little mini jump that jiggly puff does to gain significant horizontal distance.
 * +: Sing
 * You sing and anyone in the immidiate vicinity falls asleep. You are then free to attack them while they are asleep.
 * A pretty much useless attack in SSBM because you sing for about as long as they stay asleep. The sleep in SSB is a whole lot better.
 * +: Rest
 * A really hard attack to do right. Basically, you have to use it exactly when you touch the top of their head. You have to jump on their head first. If you do it right, You will hear the homerun sound and they will instantly be KO'd.
 * Whether you miss or not, you will fall asleep for about 3 seconds, in which time you can't do anything. Therfore, don't use this attack unless you're good at timing.


 * Unlocked by playing 50 vs matches or completing Classic or Adventure mode with any character.

Ganondorf
Dark wizard in Zelda games. Plays like a slower, more powerful Captain Falcon.

B Button Special Attacks:
 * Warlock Punch
 * Exactly like Falcon Punch exept more powerful and slower.
 * +/: Gerudo Dragon
 * Same as Raptor Boost.
 * +: Dark Dive
 * Same as Falcon Dive.
 * Can be used as a third jump to return to the stage.
 * +: Wizard's Foot
 * Same as Falcon Kick.


 * Unlocked by playing 600 vs matches or completing event match 29.

Falco
Another member of the Starfox team. Plays like a slower, more powerful Fox.

B Button Special Attacks:
 * Blaster
 * Falco's blaster is slower, more powerful, and actually stops opponents from moving a bit each time a bolt hits them.
 * +/: Falco Phantasm
 * Same as Fox Illusion. It takes a bit less time to use, but doesn't go as far.
 * +: Fire Bird
 * Same as Fire Fox
 * Can be used as a third jump to return to the stage.
 * +: Reflector
 * Same as Fox's Reflector, only it sends oppenents up on contact, not sideways.


 * Unlocked by playing 300 vs matches or completing the 100 man melee.

Young Link
Plays like a faster, less powerful link. He can wall jump.

B Button Special Attacks:
 * Fire Bow
 * Same as Link's bow except slightly more powerful and with flames.
 * +/: Boomerang
 * Same as Link's Boomerang.
 * +: Spin Attack
 * Unlike Link's Spin Attack, Young Link's Spin attack traps enemies for the whole duration of the attack and flings them away at the end of the attack.
 * Can be used as a third jump to return to the stage.
 * +: Bomb
 * Same as Link's Bomb.

Wall Jumping: If you've ever played a 2D Metroid game, you know what this means. Basically, to wall jump with young link, just jump into a wall and exactly when you touch it, hit the direction going away from the wall. you should flash white a bit and jump the opposite wall. A good place to practice this is Young link's target smash level where you're required to do it anyway.

Pichu
Pichu is identical to Pikachu except almost all his electrical attacks do damage to himself, the attacks are more powerful, and he's a little more nimble.

B Button Special Attacks:
 * Thunder Jolt
 * Same as Pikachu's Thunderbolt exept you do 2% damage to yourself everytime you use it.
 * +/: Skull Bash
 * Same as Pikachu's and it doesn't do damage to yourself.
 * +: Quick Attack
 * Can be used as a third jump to return to the stage.
 * +: Thunder
 * If you make it so the bolt doesn't hit Pichu(stand under a platform, it won't do damage to Pichu.

Mewtwo
Psychic Pokemon; has fancy effects with all the items by floating them around. The hammer will just float around him in a circle.

B Button Special Attacks:
 * Shadow Ball
 * A chargable Charge Shot like attack. When you fire it, it has considerable kickback and it flies in a zigzag pattern.
 * While charging, someone behind you will recieve damage by the glowing ball youre charging.
 * +/: Confusion
 * Stun inducer, has a very short range.
 * +: Teleport
 * A no damage attack that can teleport you through solid objects. You can move in any direction by holding the Control Stick.
 * Can be used as a third jump to return to the stage.
 * +: Disable
 * Reflects projectiles and flips other characters.

Marth
Character from the Fire Emblem series of games. Is slightly more nimble and weaker than Roy, and his blade does more damage when striking with the tip.

B Button Special Attacks:
 * Shield Breaker
 * A chargable sword slash.
 * +/: Dancing Blade
 * Dance around with your sword for a while.
 * +: Dolphin Slash
 * An upward leap with your sword.
 * Can be used as a third jump to return to the stage.
 * +: Counter
 * A counter move. If used while hit with an attack, you counter their attack and hit them with your sword.

Roy
Character from the Fire Emblem Series of games. Plays exactly like Marth exept he is more powerful and slower, and his blade does more damage when striking with the middle.

B Button Special Attacks:
 * Fire Blade
 * This attack can be charged by holding down the B button.
 * If you charge this up for about 10 seconds(the max), there will be a huge explosion and anyone you hit will get 50% damage and a likely KO but you also do 10% damage to yourself.
 * +/: Double Edge Dance
 * Same as Marth.
 * +: Blaster
 * Same as Marth exept with a slightly larger range and flames.
 * Can be used as a third jump to return to the stage.
 * +: Counter
 * Same as Marth, but again with flames.

Mr. Game & Watch
The star of all those old Nintendo handheld LCD games.

B Button Special Attacks:
 * Chef: Flying Bacon! Flings burning bacon.
 * +/: Judgment: A number appears above Mr. Game and Watch's head and the attack does damage according to the number.
 * 1: does damage to Mr. Game & Watch and 10% to the character.
 * 2: don't know.
 * 3: don't know.
 * 4: don't know.
 * 5: a medium damage attack that engulfs the enemy in flames.
 * 6: electric attack.
 * 7: makes 1 'food item' appear in front of character.
 * 8: Freezes the character.
 * 9: lighting attack with Home Run Bat sound effect. it is a meteor attack and will usually KO enemys with high damage.
 * +: Fire: Two guys appear with a trampoline and bounce Mr. Game and Watch up. Does damage if you hit anyone with your body.
 * Can be used as a third jump to return to the stage.
 * +: Oil Panic: Whenever someone uses a projectile weapon against you pull this out to absorb in one of the 3 slots in the bucket thing. if you absorb 3 projectiles, then the next time you use B+down you'll throw oil in the direction you're facing doing damage equivalent to the sum of the damage of the projectiles you absorbed. For instance, if you absorb 3 fully charged Power Beam shots from Samus, this attack will do 75% damage.

&lt;&lt; The Basics | Table of Contents | Battle Items &gt;&gt;