Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has 86 playable fighters, or 89 if you count Pokémon Trainer’s three Pokémon separately and split Pyra and Mythra in two. You start with 8. Another 63 arrive as “Challenger Approaching” fights in a fixed order, 3 Mii Fighters come from the Mii menu, and 12 are paid DLC. The order isn’t random, and the 10-minute wait between challengers is optional if you know how to skip it.
Below you’ll find all 63 challenger unlocks in order with the in-battle action counts behind them, the three fastest ways to work through that list, both Fighters Passes by release date, and the 7 echo fighters sorted into “plays differently” and “functionally the same fighter.” Everything was checked against SmashWiki’s data and Nintendo’s patch notes in October 2026; the current game version is 13.0.5, and its only change was an online fix.
Quick Start: What to Do on a Fresh Save
- Know your starters. Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, Samus, Yoshi, Kirby, Fox and Pikachu are the only fighters available on a new save with no DLC.
- Finish Classic Mode with one starter. Each completed run triggers a challenger from that starter’s unlock tree, and Classic Mode has no wait timer.
- Play Vs. matches in between. Ending a Vs. match, a Mob Smash, a Home-Run Contest round or a Spirit Board fight, or leaving World of Light, can trigger a challenger once you’ve racked up enough in-battle actions.
- Skip the 10-minute wait. If your action count is high enough but no challenger shows up, close the game from the HOME menu, reopen it, and finish another match.
- Lost a challenger fight? Open Games & More, then Challenger’s Approach, for an immediate rematch.
- Create your three Mii Fighters (Brawler, Swordfighter, Gunner) in the Mii Fighters menu to unlock them.
- Don’t “unlock” DLC fighters. Anything you’ve bought is selectable from the start.
How Many Characters Are in Smash Ultimate?
Ultimate has 86 fighters by character count and 89 by the widest count. SmashWiki’s Ultimate page gives both numbers, and the gap comes from two counting choices: Pokémon Trainer’s Squirtle, Ivysaur and Charizard (+2) and Pyra and Mythra as separate fighters (+1). Here’s where each one comes from:
| Group | Fighters | How you get them |
|---|---|---|
| Starters | 8 | Available on a fresh save |
| Challenger unlocks | 63 | Classic Mode, timed encounters, or World of Light |
| Mii Fighters | 3 | Create one in the Mii Fighters menu |
| Base roster | 74 (76) | No purchase needed |
| Piranha Plant | 1 | DLC, sold separately |
| Fighters Pass Vol. 1 | 5 | DLC pass |
| Fighters Pass Vol. 2 | 6 (7) | DLC pass (Pyra and Mythra share one pack) |
| Total | 86 (89) | All of the above |
In short: 74 fighters without paying anything, and 12 more with DLC. The bracketed numbers are the wiki’s alternate count.
How Challenger Approaching Works (and Why It Isn’t Random)
A challenger is always the fighter closest to the top of a fixed list who you haven’t already unlocked or been challenged by. That’s the rule SmashWiki’s unlock data documents, and it explains why two players who only use Vs. matches meet Ness first. Launch-week coverage got this wrong: Shacknews’s December 2018 guide flatly said “These battles are randomized,” then noted Reddit chatter pointing to a set order. The order is real, and the wiki has since mapped it in full.
Ultimate also dropped the unique per-character challenges of earlier games. Unlockable fighters “no longer have unique criteria to unlock them,” the wiki notes, and unlocks are designed for a “more streamlined and consistent pace.” Three triggers now feed the same challenger fights:
- Classic Mode. Finishing a run with a fighter in one of the eight starter trees challenges you with the next fighter down that tree.
- Timed encounters. Ending a Vs. match, Mob Smash, a Home-Run Contest round or a Spirit Board fight, or leaving World of Light, can trigger the next fighter on the master list. Quitting a match, CPU-only Vs. matches, and the challenger fights themselves don’t count.
- World of Light. Awakening a fighter in the adventure mode also unlocks them for the regular roster.
Timed encounters have two gates. The first is a cumulative count of in-battle stick inputs across the whole save file. Ness needs roughly 200, Zelda 400, Bowser 700, Pit 1,100, and Inkling 1,400; then fighters 5 through 30 all share the same 1,400, so once you hit it, those 26 are gated only by the clock. After that the requirement climbs from R.O.B. at 1,600 to Palutena at 8,100. The wiki says each fighter’s count is fixed: Palutena always needs about 8,100 actions, no matter which other fighters you’ve unlocked by other means.
The second gate is the wait: at least 10 minutes since the previous challenger, except for the first five challenger fights, which skip it entirely. That timer is the thing most guides call a “cooldown,” and per SmashWiki you can bypass it by closing the game and reopening it. Changing the Language setting also does this, because it restarts the game. The wiki lists the action counts as fixed, so a restart helps when you’re short on minutes, not when you’re short on matches played.
If you lose a challenger fight, that fighter won’t come back through Classic Mode or timed encounters. They move to Challenger’s Approach in the Games & More menu. Since update 4.0.0 they appear there immediately, and a Continue menu offers a rematch the moment you lose; before it, you needed about 400 more in-battle actions, per the wiki’s Challenger’s Approach page. Quitting a rematch sends that fighter to the back of the queue, and unlocking them in World of Light quietly removes them.
All 63 Challenger Fighters in Unlock Order
Palutena is the last challenger in the timed-encounter order, and reaching her through Vs. matches alone means roughly 8,100 in-battle actions and 9 hours 40 minutes of waiting. The action counts are approximate community data-mined figures, not numbers Nintendo publishes. This is the order for timed encounters; Classic Mode follows each starter’s own tree instead. “Min. wait” assumes you only use timed encounters, wait out every 10 minutes, and never reopen the game, which is the wiki’s “theoretical” figure.
| # | Fighter | Approx. actions | Min. wait (Vs. only) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ness | 200 | None |
| 2 | Zelda | 400 | None |
| 3 | Bowser | 700 | None |
| 4 | Pit | 1,100 | None |
| 5 | Inkling | 1,400 | None |
| 6 | Villager | 1,400 | 10 min |
| 7 | Marth | 1,400 | 20 min |
| 8 | Young Link | 1,400 | 30 min |
| 9 | Wii Fit Trainer | 1,400 | 40 min |
| 10 | Ice Climbers | 1,400 | 50 min |
| 11 | Captain Falcon | 1,400 | 1 hr |
| 12 | Peach | 1,400 | 1 hr 10 min |
| 13 | Ryu | 1,400 | 1 hr 20 min |
| 14 | Ike | 1,400 | 1 hr 30 min |
| 15 | Jigglypuff | 1,400 | 1 hr 40 min |
| 16 | King K. Rool | 1,400 | 1 hr 50 min |
| 17 | Sonic | 1,400 | 2 hr |
| 18 | Simon | 1,400 | 2 hr 10 min |
| 19 | Zero Suit Samus | 1,400 | 2 hr 20 min |
| 20 | Little Mac | 1,400 | 2 hr 30 min |
| 21 | Isabelle | 1,400 | 2 hr 40 min |
| 22 | Shulk | 1,400 | 2 hr 50 min |
| 23 | Lucina (echo) | 1,400 | 3 hr |
| 24 | Wario | 1,400 | 3 hr 10 min |
| 25 | Ridley | 1,400 | 3 hr 20 min |
| 26 | Pokémon Trainer | 1,400 | 3 hr 30 min |
| 27 | Lucario | 1,400 | 3 hr 40 min |
| 28 | Daisy (echo) | 1,400 | 3 hr 50 min |
| 29 | Roy | 1,400 | 4 hr |
| 30 | King Dedede | 1,400 | 4 hr 10 min |
| 31 | R.O.B. | 1,600 | 4 hr 20 min |
| 32 | Falco | 1,700 | 4 hr 30 min |
| 33 | Luigi | 1,900 | 4 hr 40 min |
| 34 | Pichu | 2,000 | 4 hr 50 min |
| 35 | Richter (echo) | 2,200 | 5 hr |
| 36 | Lucas | 2,300 | 5 hr 10 min |
| 37 | Diddy Kong | 2,400 | 5 hr 20 min |
| 38 | Meta Knight | 2,600 | 5 hr 30 min |
| 39 | Snake | 2,700 | 5 hr 40 min |
| 40 | Ganondorf | 2,900 | 5 hr 50 min |
| 41 | Corrin | 3,000 | 6 hr |
| 42 | Mega Man | 3,200 | 6 hr 10 min |
| 43 | Bayonetta | 3,300 | 6 hr 20 min |
| 44 | Toon Link | 3,500 | 6 hr 30 min |
| 45 | Rosalina & Luma | 3,600 | 6 hr 40 min |
| 46 | Incineroar | 3,700 | 6 hr 50 min |
| 47 | Sheik | 3,900 | 7 hr |
| 48 | Olimar | 4,000 | 7 hr 10 min |
| 49 | Pac-Man | 4,200 | 7 hr 20 min |
| 50 | Dark Samus (echo) | 4,300 | 7 hr 30 min |
| 51 | Wolf | 4,600 | 7 hr 40 min |
| 52 | Mr. Game & Watch | 4,900 | 7 hr 50 min |
| 53 | Robin | 5,200 | 8 hr |
| 54 | Dark Pit (echo) | 5,500 | 8 hr 10 min |
| 55 | Cloud | 5,800 | 8 hr 20 min |
| 56 | Duck Hunt | 6,100 | 8 hr 30 min |
| 57 | Ken (echo) | 6,400 | 8 hr 40 min |
| 58 | Greninja | 6,700 | 8 hr 50 min |
| 59 | Chrom (echo) | 6,900 | 9 hr |
| 60 | Mewtwo | 7,200 | 9 hr 10 min |
| 61 | Bowser Jr. | 7,500 | 9 hr 20 min |
| 62 | Dr. Mario | 7,800 | 9 hr 30 min |
| 63 | Palutena | 8,100 | 9 hr 40 min |
Two readings of that table go beyond what SmashWiki states, so treat them as analysis rather than documented fact. First, the wait is what limits you in the middle of the list (fighters 6 to 30, where the action count is flat at about 1,400), and the action count is what limits you at the end (fighters 31 to 63, where it rises with each fighter). Second, 58 of the 63 fighters carry the 10-minute wait, and 58 × 10 minutes is exactly the 9 hours 40 minutes the table shows for Palutena.
The Three Fastest Ways to Unlock Everyone
For most players the fastest route is Classic Mode: SmashWiki describes no wait timer for it and gives action counts only for timed encounters. Which route is fastest for you depends on whether you’re short on time, short on matches, or after one specific fighter. The ranking below is our read of the wiki’s data, not an official one.
1. Classic Mode: no timer, one fighter per run
Finish Classic Mode with any fighter in a starter tree and the next fighter down that tree challenges you. Beat it as Donkey Kong and Bowser comes first; if Bowser’s fight has already happened, Pokémon Trainer is next, according to the Classic Mode page. When a starter’s tree runs dry, the game moves to the top four of Mario’s tree, then Donkey Kong’s, and so on. That means one fighter’s Classic Mode runs can eventually unlock the whole roster, and DLC fighters (who have no tree) start from the top of Mario’s tree.
2. Vs. matches plus a game restart: best while you’re already playing
Every finished Vs. match is a chance at a challenger, so this route costs nothing extra if you’re playing with friends anyway. The restart trick removes the 10-minute wait but not the action requirement, which is why it works best through fighter 30 and gives you less as the counts climb.
3. World of Light: the only way to pick who you get
Timed encounters and Classic Mode both hand you the next fighter on a list. World of Light is the only route where you choose, because each fighter has to be beaten and awakened one at a time. Kirby is available from the start, Bowser unlocks after you beat Giga Bowser in the Molten Fortress, and downloaded DLC fighters become available once you’ve freed 10 fighters. It’s the slowest route per fighter, so we’d use it for a specific target or a completionist file, not for bulk.
| If you are… | Do this | Skip this |
|---|---|---|
| A new player | Run Classic Mode with the starter you like most; you learn one kit while the roster fills in. | The restart trick. The first five challengers have no wait anyway. |
| A casual player | Keep playing Vs. with friends and close the game whenever a wait is the blocker. | World of Light, unless you want its mode for its own sake. |
| A hardcore player | Alternate Classic Mode runs with different starters, then use Vs. plus restarts to cover the late, action-count-gated fighters. | Waiting out timers in menus. |
| A completionist | Use World of Light for the fighters you want first and let the other routes mop up; a World of Light win also removes that fighter from your rematch queue. | Re-fighting a challenger you lost. Use Challenger’s Approach. |
The decision tree is short. Want one specific fighter now? World of Light, or buy them if they’re DLC. Have 20 minutes and a friend? Vs. matches with a restart between. Playing alone? Classic Mode. Lost a challenger? Challenger’s Approach, then back to the route you were on.
Fighters Pass Vol. 1 and Vol. 2: All 12 DLC Fighters
There are 12 DLC fighters, and 11 of them come in two Fighters Passes. Piranha Plant is outside both. It was a free early-purchase bonus through January 31, 2019 and went on sale separately on February 1, 2019, per SmashWiki’s DLC page. Launch US prices were $24.99 for Vol. 1 and $29.99 for Vol. 2, about a 17% discount on buying each $5.99 Challenger Pack separately; Nintendo’s store page lists Vol. 2 at $29.99. Check the eShop for current pricing before you buy.
| Pass | Fighter | Franchise | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standalone | Piranha Plant | Mario | Jan 29, 2019 |
| Vol. 1 | Joker | Persona 5 | Apr 17, 2019 |
| Vol. 1 | Hero | Dragon Quest | Jul 30, 2019 |
| Vol. 1 | Banjo & Kazooie | Banjo-Kazooie | Sep 4, 2019 |
| Vol. 1 | Terry Bogard | Fatal Fury | Nov 6, 2019 |
| Vol. 1 | Byleth | Fire Emblem | Jan 28, 2020 |
| Vol. 2 | Min Min | ARMS | Jun 29, 2020 |
| Vol. 2 | Steve (with Alex) | Minecraft | Oct 13, 2020 |
| Vol. 2 | Sephiroth | Final Fantasy VII | Dec 22, 2020 |
| Vol. 2 | Pyra / Mythra | Xenoblade Chronicles 2 | Mar 4, 2021 |
| Vol. 2 | Kazuya Mishima | Tekken | Jun 29, 2021 |
| Vol. 2 | Sora | Kingdom Hearts | Oct 18, 2021 |
Sephiroth’s date is his formal release; he was playable earlier, from December 17, 2020, through a limited Sephiroth Challenge. Sora was the last fighter, and active development has reportedly ended. The latest version, 13.0.5 (September 1, 2026), is described in Nintendo’s update notes as an online-battle data fix, so the 86-fighter roster and the unlock table above shouldn’t be moving.
Echo Fighters: 7 Are Official, 4 Play Differently
The game marks exactly 7 Echo Fighters, and only four of them play differently enough to matter. “Echo Fighter” is Ultimate’s label for certain clones; they share a fighter number with their parent and sit right after them on the select screen. SmashWiki’s clone breakdown sorts them by how much their movesets really differ:
| Echo fighter | Based on | What actually differs | Plays differently? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ken | Ryu | The only semi-clone. Unique held neutral attack and forward tilt, two command-input kicks, a multi-hit Shoryuken, faster walk and run. | Yes |
| Chrom | Roy | New up special (inspired by Ike’s Aether), new Final Smash, no sweetspot, different Counter knockback. | Yes |
| Dark Pit | Pit | Unique Final Smash; neutral special and side special have different properties. | Yes |
| Lucina | Marth | No tipper, so her damage is the average of Marth’s tippered and non-tippered hits. | Yes |
| Dark Samus | Samus | Electric effects, faster rolls with no Morph Ball, smaller shield, small hitbox shifts. | Barely |
| Daisy | Peach | Identical moveset; only idle and dash animations (hurtboxes) differ. | No |
| Richter | Simon | Identical moveset; Holy Water uses a blue aura effect instead of flame. | No |
SmashWiki treats Daisy, Richter and Dark Samus as the same fighter as their parents in competitive terms, and says Dark Pit does have notable differences in two attacks. Two fighters often grouped with them aren’t labeled echoes at all: Dr. Mario and Pichu are full clones of Mario and Pikachu with a few unique moves, but the game doesn’t tag them. If you want a clone that’s worth learning on its own, start with Ken, who is a genuinely different Ryu. If you just like the character, Daisy and Richter cost you no new kit knowledge at all.
FAQ
How many characters are in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate?
86 playable fighters, or 89 if you count each of Pokémon Trainer’s three Pokémon and split Pyra and Mythra. Of those, 8 are starters, 63 are challenger unlocks, 3 are Mii Fighters, and 12 are DLC.
Is the unlock order in Smash Ultimate random?
No. Timed encounters follow one fixed list from Ness to Palutena, and Classic Mode follows each starter’s tree. Early guides called the fights random, but only when one arrives varies (it depends on your action count and the timer); who arrives is determined.
How do I skip the 10-minute wait for a new challenger?
Close the game from the HOME menu and reopen it, or change the Language setting, which restarts it. This removes the 10-minute timer but not the action count each fighter requires, so a restart only helps if you’ve already played enough.
Do I need to unlock DLC fighters?
No. A purchased DLC fighter is playable from the start. In World of Light they become available after you’ve freed 10 fighters, and the DLC fighters have no unlock tree, so Classic Mode with them starts from the top of Mario’s tree.
Which unlock route should I use?
Classic Mode, if you want the roster fast and play alone, because SmashWiki describes no wait timer for it. Vs. matches with a restart if you’re playing with friends anyway. World of Light only when you want a specific fighter before the list reaches them.
Keep Playing
Wondering where Ultimate stands against current fighters? Our Best Fighting Games 2026 ranking puts it in A-tier as the best platform fighter. For something calmer on the same console, see the best cozy games on Nintendo Switch, and if you’ve picked up a Switch 2, our Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Switch 2 guide covers one of its biggest RPG ports. New to the genre? Our Guilty Gear Strive beginner’s guide is a good 2D follow-up.
Sources
- SmashWiki. Unlockable character (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate section) — unlock trees, timed encounters, action counts and wait times. SmashWiki
- SmashWiki. Challenger’s Approach — rematch mode and update 4.0.0 changes. SmashWiki
- SmashWiki. Classic Mode (SSBU) — Classic Mode unlock criteria. SmashWiki
- SmashWiki. Clone (Echo Fighters in Ultimate) — echo and clone differences. SmashWiki
- SmashWiki. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate — roster counts, echo fighter markings and base-roster composition. SmashWiki
- SmashWiki. Downloadable content (SSBU) — DLC release dates and launch prices. SmashWiki
- Nintendo. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate — update history (Ver. 13.0.5, September 1, 2026). Nintendo of America Support
- Nintendo. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters Pass Vol. 2 — Nintendo Store (US). Nintendo of America
- Shacknews. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: How to unlock characters (December 6, 2018). Shacknews
I've been playing video games for over 20 years, spanning everything from early PC titles to modern open-world games. I started Switchblade Gaming to publish the kind of accurate, well-researched guides I always wanted to find — built on primary sources, tested in-game, and kept up to date after patches. I currently focus on Minecraft and Pokémon GO.