While originally released in 2001, SSBM is still one of the most popular fighting games even after 2 decades, so it comes as no surprise that players are looking for a tier list of the best characters in Super Smash Bros Melee from time to time. The game gives you 25 characters to choose from. And it is actually 26 when you consider how different Zelda and Shiek’s movesets are.
Table of Contents
There will always be some characters like Fox and Marth that you can find no matter what level of competition you are looking at. But there have also been changes to the meta with characters like Jigglypuff and Yoshi on the rise. So below is our ranking of every character in the game. It may be different from your opinion because rankings are subjective, but if you’d like to know our perspective, make sure to read till the end.
Smash Melee Tier List
S Tier
- Fox
- Marth
- Falco
- Sheik
A Tier
- Jigglypuff
- Princess Peach
- Captain Falcon
- Yoshi
B Tier
- Ice Climbers
- Pikachu
- Samus
- Luigi
- Doctor Mario
C Tier
- Mario
- Ganondorf
- Donkey Kong
- Link
D tier
- Roy
- Young Link
- Mr. Game & Watch
- Mewtwo
F Tier
- Pichu
- Ness
- Zelda
- Kirby
- Bowser
SSBM S Tier Characters Explained
Fox
It goes without saying but Fox McCloud is the best character in the game. Not only does he have multiple ways to recover, he is also one of the fastest characters in the game. It is easier to go into combos from his one-frame shines. You can even do chip damage with his blaster. And he has powerful up attacks. All in all, he is a character that can go toe to toe with any other character in the game.
Marth
Marth is not only of the best characters in Melee. But his popularity is one of the main reasons Nintendo decided to bring the Fire Emblem series to everyone outside Japan. Speaking of his in-game capabilities, he is best known for his excellent grab range. With him, you get fast startup attacks. While most players might already know, but you should use him as a tipper, thanks to the extra damage you get when hitting with the tip of his blade. The best finish combos for him are his forward smash and his down aerial.
Falco
If Fox doesn’t work out for you but you like his playstyle, then you should play as Falco. He has a nice toolkit that can work well no matter how far you are at mastering him. Be it his Neutral which you can use to fire lasers to play a bit safe and get used to the character. Or his Edgeguarding with moves like forward smash, down smash, back air, and down air. The main thing you need to look out for when playing as him is to not get caught in your opponent’s combos or chaingrabs as they can easily horizontal KO you due to Falco’s lightweight.
Sheik
Sheik appeared first time in Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time as Zelda’s disguise to keep Ganondorf in the dark. And in Melee too, you can use her as Zelda’s alter ego. But Sheik’s moves are way more powerful than Zelda’s. You can best use her, for her Edgeguarding tools. Using her forward aerial, you can throw most enemies horizontally off the screen in such a way that not many can recover from it. But you will need to prepare a little to get there. Her down throw is good, and you can also use her dash attacks or down throw chaingrabs to damage your opponents a lot.
That’s it for this Tier List for all Super Smash Bros Melee (SSBM) characters. While you are here you might also want to check out our SSBU Best Characters Tier List. And to check more such rankings for other games, head over to our Tier List section.