Fantendo - Game Ideas & More
Advertisement


Super Smash Bros. Vanguard (???) is the sixth installment (seventh if Wii U and 3DS are counted as separate installments). It is intended for release on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. Vanguard features several elements from previous Smash installments as well as introducing new features.

Gameplay[]

The Super Smash Bros. series dramatically differs from many fighting games. Instead of depleting an opponent's life bar, Smash Bros. seeks players to launch characters off the stage. In Super Smash Bros., characters have a damage total, represented by a percentage value, which rises as they take damage and can exceed 100%. As characters' percentages rise, they can be knocked progressively further by an opponent's attacks. To KO an opponent, the player must send that character flying off the edge of the stage, which is not an enclosed arena but rather an area with open boundaries, usually a set of suspended platforms. When a character is knocked off the stage, they may use jumping moves to (attempt to) return; as some characters' jumps are longer-ranged, they may have an easier time "recovering" than others. Additionally, some characters are heavier than others, making it harder for an opponent to knock them off the edge but likewise harder to recover.

Smash Bros.'s play controls are greatly simplified in comparison to other fighting games. While traditional fighting games such as Street Fighter or Soul Calibur require the player to memorize button-input combinations (sometimes lengthy and complicated, and often specific to a character), Smash Bros uses the same one-attack-button, one-control-stick-direction combinations to access all moves for all characters. Characters are not limited to constantly facing their opponent but may move around freely. Smash Bros. also implements blocking and dodging mechanics, which can be used both on the ground and in the air. Grabbing and throwing other characters is also possible, allowing for a large variety of ways to attack.

One additional major element in the Super Smash Bros. series is the inclusion of battle items, of which players can control the frequency of appearance. There are conventional "battering items" with which a player may hit an opponent, such as a baseball bat or a sword, as well as throwing items, including Bob-ombs and shells, and shooting items, either single-shot guns or rapid fire blasters. Recovery items allow the user to lose varying amounts of their damage percent. From the Pokémon franchise come Poké Balls that release a random Pokémon onto the battlefield to assist the user; Brawl introduces a new "Assist Trophy" item which serves a similar purpose, albeit being capable of summoning a wider range of characters from a variety of franchises. Brawl also introduces items called Smash Balls, which allows fighters to perform powerful character-specific attacks, known as Final Smashes.

Gameplay Upgrades[]

Modes[]

Vanguard[]

Single-Player[]

Stadium[]

Stadium returns from previous Smash installments with various mini-games and modes to play in a departure from regular battles. Many different returning modes appear within the game.

Multi-Man Vanguard[]

Returning from all previous installments following Melee, Multi-Man Vanguard features options that involve taking on multiples copies of the Fighting Hologram Team, replacing the Fighting Mii Team from Smash 4 and Ultimate. The Fighting Holograms being based on various fighters with basic attacks.

  • 10-Man Vanguard ~ Defeat 10 of the Fighting Hologram Team as fast as you can!
  • 100 Man Vanguard ~ Defeat 100 of the Fighting Hologram Team as fast as you can!
  • 3-Minute Vanguard ~ Defeat as many of the Fighting Hologram Team within 3 minutes!
  • 15-Minute Vanguard ~ How long can you last in defeating Fighting Hologram Team members within 15 minutes?
  • Endless Vanguard ~ The fight never ends, how many of the Fighting Hologram Team can you defeat before being KO'd?
  • Cruel Vanguard ~ Face off against the toughest Fighting Holograms out there... with NO items!

Home-Run Contest[]

Break the Targets!![]

Crystal Smash[]

Returning from Super Smash Bros. 3DS's Smash Run mode, all crystals in the room must be destroyed within the time limit. Some crystals are attached to other, bigger ones: destroying a big crystal also destroys all of the attached small ones, while destroying a small crystal makes a crack, which acts as a weak point, appear in the bigger one. Crystals drop small power-ups when destroyed. Easy difficulty contains one crystal, normal difficulty four crystals, and hard difficulty also with four crystals, albeit higher durability.

Board the Platforms[]

Race to the Finish![]

Returning from Super Smash Bros. Melee, fighters must get to the finish line from a branching number of paths within a futuristic maze. Fighters may stop anywhere there's a door, but going on longer and further will often lead to better rewards if completed within the time limit. Assorted spirits and CDs are scattered on some floors within this mini-game.

Defeat them all![]

Returning from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS's Smash Run mode, all enemies must be defeated within the time limit. Enemies appear in waves; all enemies in a wave must be defeated before the next wave appears. Until all enemies are defeated, the floor of the stage below the main platform alternates between being normal and being a Danger Zone, which instantly KOs anything on contact.

Survive![]

Event Match[]

Master Orders and Crazy Orders[]

Boss Battles[]

Returning from Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Coin Launcher[]

Classic Mode[]

Returning from every previous Smash game, Classic Mode appears once again, being based primarily on Ultimate's version featuring a unique route and boss for each fighter known as "Nitro Classic Mode". In addition, a secondary option known as "Retro Classic Mode", based upon Melee's Classic Mode in which every round is randomized with various elements such as Metal, Giant, 2 vs. 2, and Multi-Team battles for every second one, minigames, and a fight with Master Hand and Crazy Hand caps it off.

Nitro Classic Mode rewards the player with their Fighter Spirit, while Retro Classic Mode will reward the player with an alternate version/character of the Fighter Spirit.

Adventure Mode: Shadows of the Vanguard Order[]

Returning from both Brawl and Ultimate, Adventure Mode features a new story titled Shadows of the Vanguard Order, in which the World of Smash is sustained by an ancient, celestial force known as the Eternal Flame. This source of life and creation is guarded by a mysterious order called The Vanguard, who once ensured its protection. However, the Vanguard Order has vanished, leaving the flame vulnerable. In their absence, a shadowy faction emerges, wielding a corrupted fragment of the flame to spread chaos across dimensions.

Their leader, Ignis Obscura, seeks to extinguish the flame entirely and replace it with her dark version, the Void Ember, granting her absolute control over the multiverse. Fighters from every corner of the World of Trophies must unite to uncover the secrets of the Vanguard Order, reignite the Eternal Flame, and confront the forces threatening to consume all of existence.

Adventure Mode Expansion: Echoes of Subspace[]

Following the end of Shadows of the Vanguard Order, the DLC expansion "Echoes of Subspace" sees a priestess of Subspace intending to revive the fallen leader of Subspace, Tabuu within the World of Trophies with the entire roster (including the DLC fighters) having to team up once more to face off against this new threat that intends to open old wounds of the past.

All-Star Mode[]

All-Star Mode returns from Smash 4, replacing the "All-Star Smash" option for Multi-Man Smash in Ultimate. Similar to Melee's All-Star Match Event Modes, fighters are fought in themed groups, the difference being that players face off against multiple fighters at once instead of a singular one like in Smash 4 rather than Melee. All-Star Mode rewards the player with a Spirit of their Final Smash, similar to how Brawl and Smash 4 did with trophies of the Final Smash.

Collection[]

Fighters[]

A total of 161 playable characters are present for the Base Roster, with all veterans returning from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, as well as 63 unique new fighters and 15 new echo fighters.

Returning Fighters[]

Everyone returns from the previous installment, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Italicized names indicate that the fighter is unlockable.

Image Name Voice Actor(s) Debut Franchise
MarioVanguardIcon Mario Kevin Afghani Donkey Kong (1981) Super Mario
DonkeyKongVanguardIcon Donkey Kong Takashi Nagasako Donkey Kong
LinkVanguardIcon Link Kengo Takanashi The Legend of Zelda (1986) The Legend of Zelda
SamusVanguardIcon Samus N/A Metroid (1986) Metroid
YoshiVanguardIcon Yoshi Super Mario World (1991) Yoshi
KirbyVanguardIcon Kirby Kirby's Dream Land (1992) Kirby
FoxVanguardIcon Fox Mike West (English) Star Fox (1993) Star Fox
PikachuVanguardIcon Pikachu Pokémon Red and Blue (1996) Pokémon
LuigiVanguardIcon Luigi Kevin Afghani Mario Bros. (1983)

Super Mario

NessVanguardIcon Ness MOTHER 2 (1994) MOTHER
CaptainFalconVanguardIcon Captain Falcon F-Zero (1991) F-Zero
JigglypuffVanguardIcon Jigglypuff Pokémon Red and Blue (1996) Pokémon
PeachVanguardIcon Peach Samantha Kelly Super Mario Bros. (1985) Super Mario
BowserVanguardIcon Bowser Kenny James
IceClimbersVanguardIcon Ice Climbers Ice Climber (1984) Ice Climber
SheikVanguardIcon Sheik The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1997) The Legend of Zelda
ZeldaVanguardIcon Zelda Patricia Summersett (English)

Yu Shimamura (Japanese)

The Legend of Zelda (1986)
Dr.MarioVanguardIcon Dr. Mario Kevin Afghani Dr. Mario (1990) Super Mario
PichuVanguardIcon Pichu Pokémon Gold and Silver (1999) Pokémon
FalcoVanguardIcon Falco Star Fox (1993) Star Fox
MarthVanguardIcon Marth Yuri Lowenthall (English) Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light (1990) Fire Emblem
YoungLinkVanguardIcon Young Link The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1997) The Legend of Zelda
GanondorfVanguardIcon Ganondorf Matthew Mercer (English)
MewtwoVanguardIcon Mewtwo Dan Green (English) Pokémon Red and Blue (1996) Pokémon
RoyVanguardIcon Roy Ray Chase (English) Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade (2002) Fire Emblem
Mr.Game&WatchVanguardIcon Mr. Game & Watch N/A Ball (1980) Game & Watch
MetaKnightVanguardIcon Meta Knight Eric Newsome (English) Kirby
PitVanguardIcon Pit Antony Del Rio (English) Kid Icarus (1986) Kid Icarus
ZeroSuitSamusVanguardIcon Zero Suit Samus Metroid: Zero Mission (2004) Metroid
WarioVanguardIcon Wario Kevin Afghani Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992) Wario
SnakeVanguardIcon Snake David Hayter (English) Metal Gear (1987) Metal Gear
IkeVanguardIcon Ike Greg Chun (English) Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (2005) Fire Emblem
PokémonTrainerMaleVanguardIcon Pokémon Trainer Billy Bob Thompson (English) Pokémon Red and Blue (1996) Pokémon
SquirtleVanguardIcon Squirtle Michelle Knotz (English)
IvysaurVanguardIcon Ivysaur
CharizardVanguardIcon Charizard Shichiro Miki
DiddyKingVanguardIcon Diddy Kong Katsumi Suzuki Donkey Kong Country (1994) Donkey Kong
LucasVanguardIcon Lucas Lani Minella MOTHER 3 (2006) MOTHER
SonicVanguardIcon Sonic Roger Craig Smith (English) Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) Sonic the Hedgehog
KingDededeVanguardIcon King Dedede Ted Lewis (English) Kirby's Dream Land (1992) Kirby
OlimarVanguardIcon Olimar Kazumi Totaka Pikmin (2001) Pikmin
LucarioVanguardIcon Lucario Sean Schemmell (English) Pokémon Diamond and Pearl (2006) Pokémon
R.O.B.VanguardIcon R.O.B. N/A Stack-Up (1985) R.O.B.
ToonLinkVanguard Toon Link The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002) The Legend of Zelda
WolfVanguardIcon Wolf Jay Ward (English) Star Fox 64 (1997) Star Fox
VillagerVanguardIcon Villager N/A Animal Crossing
MegaManVanguardIcon Mega Man Benjamin Diskin Mega Man
WiiFitTrainerVanguardIcon Wii Fit Trainer October Moore (English) Wii Fit (2007) Wii Fit
RosalinaandLumaVanguardIcon Rosalina & Luma Kerri Kane (English) Super Mario Galaxy (2007) Super Mario
LittleMacVanguardIcon Little Mac Punch-Out!!
GreninjaVanguardIcon Greninja Billy Bob Thompson (English) Pokémon X and Y (2012) Pokémon
MiiBrawlerVanguardIcon Mii Brawler Various Mii Channel (2006) Mii
MiiSwordfighterVanguardIcon Mii Swordfighter
MiiGunnerVanguardIcon Mii Gunner
PautenaVanguardIcon Palutena Brandy Kopp (English) Kid Icarus (1986) Kid Icarus
DarkPitVanguardIcon Dark Pit Antony Del Rio (English) Kid Icarus Uprising (2012)
Pac-ManVanguardIcon Pac-Man Martin T. Sherman Pac-Man (1980) Pac-Man
LucinaVanguardIcon Lucina Laura Bailey (English) Fire Emblem Awakening (2012) Fire Emblem
RobinVanguardIcon Robin David Vincent (English)
ShulkVanguardIcon Shulk Adam Holden (English) Xenoblade Chronicles (2010) Xenoblade
BowserJr.VanguardIcon Bowser Jr. Catey Saigon Super Mario Sunshine (2002) Super Mario
DuckHuntVanguardIcon Duck Hunt N/A Duck Hunt (1984) Duck Hunt
RyuVanguardIcon Ryu Kyle Herbert (English) Street Fighter (1987) Street Fighter
CoudVanguardIcon Cloud Cody Christian (English) Final Fantasy VII (1997) Final Fantasy
CorrinVanguardIcon Corrin Cam Clarke (English) Fire Emblem Fates (2015) Fire Emblem
BayonettaVanguardIcon Bayonetta Jennifer Hale (English) Bayonetta (2010) Bayonetta
InklingVanguardIcon Inkling Splatoon (2015) Splatoon
DaisyVanguardIcon Daisy Giselle Fernandez Super Mario Land (1989) Super Mario
RidleyVanguardIcon Ridley N/A Metroid (1986) Metroid
SimonVanguardIcon Simon Keith Silverstein (English) Castlevania (1987) Castlevania
RichterVanguardIcon Richter David Vincent (English) Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (1993)
ChromVanguardIcon Chrom Matthew Mercer (English) Fire Emblem Awakening (2012) Fire Emblem
DarkSamusVanguardIcon Dark Samus N/A Metroid
KingK.RoolVanguardIcon King K. Rool Toshihide Tuschiya Donkey Kong Country (1994) Donkey Kong
IsabelleVanguardIcon Isabelle N/A Animal Crossing
KenVanguardIcon Ken Street Fighter (1987) Street Fighter
IncineroarVanguardIcon Incineroar Pokémon Sun and Moon (2016) Pokémon
PiranhaPlantVanguardIcon Piranha Plant N/A Super Mario Bros. (1985) Super Mario
JokerVanguardIcon Joker Xander Mobus (English) Persona
ElevenVanguardIcon Hero Dragon Quest
Banjo&KazooieVanguardIcon Banjo & Kazooie Chris Sutherland Diddy Kong Racing (1997) Banjo-Kazooie
TerryVanguardIcon Terry Michael Schneider (English) Fatal Fury (1991) Fatal Fury
BylethVanguardIcon Byleth Jeannie Triado (English) Fire Emblem Three Houses (2017) Fire Emblem
MinMinVanguardIcon Min Min ARMS (2017) ARMS
SteveVanguardIcon Steve N/A Minecraft (2011) Minecraft
SephirothVanguardIcon Sephiroth Tyler Hoechlin (English) Final Fantasy VII (1997) Final Fantasy
PyraVanguardIcon Pyra Skye Bennett (English) Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (2017) Xenoblade
MythraVanguardIcon Mythra
KazuyaVanguardIcon Kazuya Eliot (English) Tekken (1994) Tekken
SoraVanguardIcon Sora Hayley Joel Osment (English) Kingdom Hearts (2002) Kingdom Hearts

Newcomers[]

A grand total of 65 unique fighters and 16 echo fighters make their playable Super Smash Bros. debut after either serving previous roles such as Poke Balls, Assist Trophies, or other elements such as Spirits, Stickers, or Trophies while others make their first official appearance in the Smash Bros. series. Combing both brings about a total of 78 new fighters. Italicized names indicate that the fighter is unlockable.

Shortly before release, the game was confirmed to bring about the return of the Fighter's Pass, comprising of a Fighter, a Stage, various pieces of music, as well as a selection of Spirits coming with the fighter. In a departure from the Fighter's Passes from Ultimate both new items as well as Assist Trophies/Poké Balls are added to boost up representation. Dorothea Arnault from Fire Emblem Three Houses is the first fighter for DLC to be revealed, but as a pre-order Bonus Fighter for players that had pre-ordered Vanguard. Dorothea, much like Mewtwo in Smash 4 and Piranha Plant from Smash Ultimate, will be released as a purchasable fighter. As a bonus fighter, she doesn't come with any other pieces for DLC as the Fighter's Pass, and simply serves as a bonus incentive for players. Fighters that are DLC are underlined under their names to separate them from the base roster's starters and unlockables.

During a Nintendo Direct, the six fighters were revealed to be Isaac from the Golden Sun series, Karnov, the mascot of Data East as well as a common character within their games, Q*bert from the Q*bert series, Chibi-Robo from the Chibi-Robo series, Liu Kang from the Mortal Kombat series, and the popularly requested Geno from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. An additional 8 fighters were confirmed to appear at some point with Volume 2 of the Fighter's Pass, their identities currently being unknown, but expected to have much of the same content as before. These fighters were eventually revealed to be, Takamaru from the Mysterious Marusume Castle,

Of these new fighters, Gooigi, Midbus, Dr. Luigi, Impa, Dark Meta Knight, Fay, Miyu, Shadow Mewtwo, Blood Facon, Glass Joe, Octoling, Spring Man, Roll, Ms. Pac-Man, Jeanne, Jin, Amitie, and Coco are Echo Fighters of Luigi, Bowser, Dr. Mario, Sheik, Meta Knight, Fox, Falco, Mewtwo, Captain Falcon, Little Mac, Inkling, Min-Min, Mega Man, Pac-Man, Bayonetta, Kazuya, Arle, and Crash, meaning that their character slots are located next to the fighters that they are echoing.

Image Name Voice Actor(s) Debut Franchise
PaulineVanguardIrcon Pauline Kate Higgins Donkey Kong (1981) Super Mario
WaluigiVanguardIcon Waluigi Kevin Afghani Mario Tennis (2000)
KingBooVanguardIcon King Boo Luigi's Mansion (2001)
ToadVanguardIcon Toad Samantha Kelly Super Mario Bros. (1985)
GooigiVanguardIcon Gooigi (ε) Kevin Afghani Luigi's Mansion 3 (2022)
MidbusVanguardIcon Midbus (ε) Kenny James Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (2009)
Dr.LuigiVanguard Icon Dr. Luigi (ε) Kevin Afghani Dr. Luigi (2013)
DixieKongVanguardIcon Dixie Kong Kahoru Sasajima Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (1995) Donkey Kong
ForemanSpikeVanguardIcon Foreman Spike Sebastian Maniscalco Wrecking Crew (1984) Wrecking Crew
UrbosaVanguardIcon Urbosa Elizabeth Maxwell (English)

Rei Shamoda (Japanese)

The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild (2017) The Legend of Zelda
Impa (ε) Andi Gibson (English)

Shoko Tsuda (Japanese)

The Legend of Zelda (1987)
TingleVanguardIcon Tingle Hironori Miyata The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask (2000)
MidnaVanguardIcon Midna Akiko Komoto The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess (2005)
SkullKidVanguardIcon Skull Kid Sachi Matsumoto The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask (2000)
LanaVanguardIcon Lana Minako Kotobuki Hyrule Warriors (2014)
LinkleVanguardIcon Linkle Mikako Komatsu Hyrule Warriors Legends (2016)
RavenBeakVanguardIcon Raven Beak Dave Rogers Ruiz Metroid Dread (2021) Metroid
SyluxVanguardIcon Sylux N/A Metroid Prime Hunters (2006)
KamekVanguardIcon Kamek Atsushi Masaki Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995) Yoshi
BandannaDeeVanguardIcon Waddle Dee Kirby Super Star (1996) Kirby
GooeyVanguardIcon Gooey Kirby's Dream Land 2 (1995)
DarkMetaKnightVanguardIcon Dark Meta Knight (ε) Eric Newsome (English) Kirby and the Amazing Mirror (2004)
KrystalVanguardIcon Krystal Alesia Gildewell (English) Star Fox Adventures (2002) Star Fox
Fay (ε) Mackenzie Phillips (English) Star Fox 2 (2017)
Miyu (ε) G.K. Bowes (English)
MeowthVanguardIcon Meowth James Carter Cathcart (English) Pokémon Red & Blue (1998) Pokémon
MeowscaradaVanguardIcon Meowscarada Kei Shindo Pokémon Scarlet & Violet (2022)
ShadowMewtwoVanguardIcon Shadow Mewtwo (ε) Dan Green (English) Pokkénn Tournament (2015)
NintenVanguardIcon Ninten Johnny Young Bosch MOTHER (1988) MOTHER
KumatoraVanguardIcon Kumatora Alajandra Evette MOTHER 3 (2006)
BloodFalconVanguardIcon Blood Falcon (ε) F-Zero X (1998) F-Zero
AnnaVanguardIcon Anna Lizzie Freeman (English)

Saori Seto (Japanese)

Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light (1990) Fire Emblem
LeonieVanguardIcon Leonie Ratana (English)

Sakura Nogawa (Japanese)

Fire Emblem Three Houses (2019)
Dorothea Allegra Clark (English)
MedusaVanguard Medusa Cree Summer (English) Kid Icarus (1986) Kid Icarus
MonaVanguardIcon Mona Stephanie Sheh (English) Wario
AshleyVanguardIcon Ashley Erica Lindbeck (English)
ProfessorHectorVanguardIcon Professor Hector D.C. Douglas Gyromite/Stack-Up (1985) R.O.B.
GlassJoeVanguardIcon Glass Joe (ε) Christian Bernard Punch-Out!! (1984) Punch-Out!!
ElmaVanguardIcon Elma Caitlin Glass (English) Xenoblade Chronicles X (2015) Xenoblade Chronicles
RexVanguardIcon Rex Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (2017)
Noah & Mio Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (2022)
OctolingVanguardIcon Octoling (ε) Splatoon (2015) Splatoon
LolaPopVanguardIcon Lola Pop Soness Stevens ARMS (2017) ARMS
SpringManVanguardIcon Spring Man (ε) Peter Von Gromm
Taro Ninten Casey Mongillo (English)

Megumi Ogata (Japanese)

Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir (1988) Famicom Detective Club
AyumiTachibanaVanguardIcon Ayumi Tachibana Kira Buckland (English)
StylistVanguardIcon Stylist Dani Chambers (English)

Koshimizu Ami (Japanese)

Style Savvy (2008) Style Savvy
AshleyMizukiVanguardIcon Ashley Mizuki Kaitlyn Yott (English) Trace Memory (2005) Trace Memory
VirtualBoyVanguardIcon Virtual Boy N/A Galactic Pinball (1995) Virtual Boy
SheriffVanguardIcon Sheriff Jack Jake Eberle Sheriff (1979) Sheriff
MikeJonesVanguardIcon Mike Jones Damien Haas StarTropics (1990) StarTropics
LarkVanguardIcon Lark Tom Kenny Pilotwings 64 (1996) Pilotwings
Ryota Arnie Pantoja Wave Race 64 (1997) Wave Race
AkariVanguardIcon Akari Ratana 1080 Snowboarding (1998) 1080
YuriKozukattaVanguardIcon Yuri Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water (2014) Fatal Frame
RaidenVanguardIcon Raiden Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001) Metal Gear
TailsVanguardIcon Tails Colleen O'Shaughnessey (English) Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992) Sonic the Hedgehog
KnucklesVanguardIcon Knuckles Dave B. Mitchell (English) Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994)
AmyVanguardIcon Amy Cindy Robinson (English) Sonic CD (1993)
Dr.EggmanVanguardIcon Dr. Eggman Mike Pollock (English) Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
ShadowVangaurdIcon Shadow Kirk Thornton (English) Sonic Adventure 2 (2001)
RollVanguardIcon Roll (ε) Erica Lindbeck (English)

Yuka Iguchi (Japanese)

Mega Man (1987) Mega Man
Ms.Pac-ManVanguardIcon Ms. Pac-Man (ε) Regina Regin Ms. Pac-Man (1981) Pac-Man
Chun-LiVanguardIcon Chun-Li Jennie Kwan (English)

Fumiko Orikasa (Japanese)

Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (1991) Street Fighter
JeanneVanguardIcon Jeanne (ε) Grey DeLisle (English)

Mie Sonozaki (Japanese)

Bayonetta (2010) Bayonetta
GruntildaVanguardIcon Gruntilda Chris Seavor Banjo-Kazooie (1998) Banjo-Kazooie
MaiVanguardIcon Mai Rebecca Rose (English)

Ami Koshimizu (Japanese)

Fatal Fury 2 (1992) Fatal Fury
JinKazamaVanguardIcon Jin (ε) Kaji Tang (English)

Isshin Chiba (Japnese)

Tekken 3 (1997) Tekken
FroggerVanguardIcon Frogger Kathleen Barr Frogger (1981) Frogger
ShantaeVanguardIcon Shantae Cristina Vee Shantae (2002) Shantae
ConkerVanguardIcon Conker Chris Seavor Diddy Kong Racing (1997) Conker
MarinaLiteyearsVanguardIcon Marina Liteyears Nicole Balick (English)

Masami Suzuki (Japanese)

Mischief Makers (1997) Mischief Makers
GoemonVanguardIcon Goemon Bryce Papenbrook (English) Mr. Goemon (1986) Ganbare Goemon
CarmenSandiegoVanguardIcon Carmen Sandiego Gina Rodriguez (English)

Asami Seto (Japanese)

Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? (1985) Carmen Sandiego
CupheadVanguardIcon Cuphead Tru Valentino (English)

Natsuki Hanae (Japanese)

Cuphead
BadMrFrostyVanguardIcon Bad Mr. Frosty Jess Harnell ClayFighter (1993) ClayFighter
RioRollinsTachibanaVanguardIcon Rio Amber Lee-Collins (English) Super Black Jack (2003) Rio's Rainbow Gate
RaymanVanguardIcon Rayman Rayman
GloboxVanguardIcon Globox
ArleVanguardIcon Arle Erica Mendez (English)

Mie Sonozaki (Japanese)

Madou Monogatari Trilogy (1990) Puyo Puyo
AmitieVanguardIcon Amitie (ε) Christine Marie Cabanos (English)

Shiho Kikuchi (Japanese)

Puyo Pop Fever (2004)
CrashVanguardIcon Crash Scott Whyte Crash Bandicoot (1996) Crash Bandicoot
CocoVanguardIcon Coco (ε) Eden Riegal Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back (1997)
ToonVanguardIcon Toon Disney's Toontown Online (2001) Disney's Toontown
UnknownVanguardIcon Isaac Golden Sun (2001) Golden Sun
UnknownVanguardIcon Karnov Karnov (1987) Karnov
UnknownVanguardIcon Q*bert Q*bert
UnknownVanguardIcon Chibi-Robo Chibi-Robo
UnknownVanguardIcon Liu Kang Mortal Kombat
UnknownVanguardIcon Geno Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (1996) Super Mario
Takamaru The Mysterious Marasume Castle (1986) The Mysterious Marasume Castle
Bomberman Bomberman
Frisk Undertale (2015) Undertale
Lara Croft Tomb Raider
Spyro Spyro
Tifa Final Fantasy VII (1997) Final Fantasy
Sukapon Joy Mech Fight
Astro Bot Astro Bot
Euden Dragalia Lost
Nemona & Pawmot Pokemon
Sami Advanced Wars
Masked Man MOTHER
Alear Fire Emblem
Officer Howard Astral Chain
Viola Bayonetta
Doom Slayer DOOM
Sol Badguy Guilty Gear
Cooking Mama Cooking Mama
Cranky Kong Donkey Kong
Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney
Jill Valentine Resident Evil
Sakura Street Fighter
Mappy Mappy
Master Chief Halo

Unlockable Fighter Criteria[]

Name Method 1 Method 2 Method 3 Stage Soundtrack
Luigi Recruit Them in Shadows of the Vanguard Order Mushroom Kingdom: Last Resort {1}
Dr. Mario Mushroom Kingdom: Dr. Mario World
Daisy Mario Kart Grand Prix: Daisy Cruiser
Rosalina & Luma
Bowser Jr. Delfino Isle: Delfino Plaza
Pauline Metro Kingdom: New Donk City
Waluigi Mario Kart Grand Prix: Waluigi Pinball
King Boo
Midbus
Dr. Luigi
Foreman Spike Metro Kingdom: Wrecking Crew {1}
King K. Rool Northern Kremisphere: Kastle KAOS
Dixie Kong Autumn Heights: Windmill Hills
Dark Samus
Raven Beak
Young Link
Urbosa
Midna
Skull Kid
Impa
Lana
Linkle
Tingle
Raven Beak
Falco
Wolf
Fay
Miyu
Jigglypuff Complete Classic Mode on any difficulty with any fighter. Play 25 Vs. Matches
Mewtwo
Pichu
Meowth
Blood Falcon
Lucina
Corrin
Chrom
Byleth
Leonie
Mr. Game & Watch Superflat World: Flat Zone 3
Dark Pit
Medusa
R.O.B.
Professor Hector
Glass Joe
Duck Hunt
Octoling
Gruntilda
Lola Pop
Spring Man
Mike Jones
Lark
Ryota
Akari
Taro Ninten
Ayumi Tachibana
Stylist
Ashley Mizuki Washington: Blood Edward Island
Yuri
Mai
Jin
Jeanne
Conker
Globox
Sheriff Jack Wild West: Frontier Town
Virtual Boy
Raiden
Knuckles
Amy
Shadow
Roll
Ms. Pac-Man
Ken
Chun-Li
Richter
Carmen Sandiego Canary Islands: V.I.L.E. Academy
Marina Liteyears
Amitie
Rio
Bad Mr. Frosty
Toon
Mii Brawler Create a Mii Fighter in the Mii Fighter section of the menu. N/A
Mii Swordfighter
Mii Gunner

Alternate Characters[]

Alternate Characters are fighters that serve as alternate skins to the main fighters. Although many of them have their own voice actors and small details such as animations or weapon changes, they are not considered their own characters for things such as records such as each of the 7 Koopalings featuring their names for announcer calls and crowd chants. They are treated as separate in regards to how they will have their own unique announcer calls, and crowd chants. Many fighters feature a gender-swapped version. Meowth is currently the only Pokémon fighter on the roster to feature alternate forms from both the Alola and Galar regions, while Luigi, Peach, and Bowser all feature alternate possessed forms from various Mario RPGs.

Image Name Alternate Character Base Voice Actor(s) Debut Franchise
Mr.LVanguardIcon Mr. L Luigi Kevin Afghani Super Paper Mario (2007) Super Mario
ShadowQueenVanguardIcon Shadow Queen Peach Samantha Kelly Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
Dry Bowser Bowser Kenny James New Super Mario Bros. (2006)
Dark Bowser
PokémonTrainerFemaleVanguardIcon Pokémon Trainer (Female) Pokémon Trainer (Male) Kate Bristol (English) Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen (2003) Pokémon
Robin (Female) Robin (Male) Lauren Landa (English) Fire Emblem Awakening (2012) Fire Emblem
LarryVanguardIcon Larry Bowser Jr. Super Mario Bros. 3 (1990) Super Mario
Roy2VanguardIcon Roy
WendyVanguardIcon Wendy
IggyVanguardIcon Iggy
LemmyVangaurdIcon Lemmy
MortonVanguardIcon Morton
LudwigVanguardIcon Ludwig
ToadetteVanguardIcon Toadette Toad Samantha Kelly Mario Kart Double Dash!! (2003)
ToadsworthVanguardIcon Toadsworth Scott Burns Super Mario Sunshine (2002)
ToadikoVanguardIcon Toadiko Samantha Kelly Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time (2005)
ToadbertVanguardIcon Toadbert
KammyVanguardIcon Kammy Koopa Kamek Paper Mario (2001) Yoshi
Corrin (Male) Corrin (Female) Cam Clarke (English) Fire Emblem Fates (2015) Fire Emblem
Byleth (Male) Byleth (Female) Zach Aguilar (English) Fire Emblem Three Houses (2019) Fire Emblem
AlphVanguardIcon Alph Olimar Pikmin 3 (2013) Pikmin
LouieVanguardIcon Louie
PresidentVanguardIcon The President
BrittnayVanguardIcon Brittnay Pikmin 3 (2013)
CharleVanguardIcon Charlie
DVanguardIcon Del
Rookie Pikmin 4
AlolanMeowthVanguardIcon Alolan Meowth Meowth Pokémon Sun and Moon (2016) Pokémon
Galarian Meowth Pokémon Sword and Shield (2019)
Professor Vector Professor Hector Richard Epcar Gyromite/Stack Up (1985) R.O.B.
VillagerFemaleVanguardIcon Villager (Female) Villager (Male) N/A Animal Crossing
DigbyVangaurdIcon Digby Isabelle
WiiFitTrainerMaleVanguardIcon Wii Fit Trainer (Male) Wii Fit Trainer (Female) Steve Hinke (English) Wii Fit (2007) Wii Fit
Male Inkling Female Inkling Splatoon (2015) Splatoon
MaleOctolingVanguardIcon Male Octoling Female Octoling
KiwiVanguardIcon Kiwi Lark Tress MacNeille Pilotwings 64 (1996) Pilotwings
RickyWinterbornVanguardIcon Ricky Akari 1080 (1998) 1080 Snowboarding
EggmanNegaVanguardIcon Eggman Nega Dr. Eggman Sonic the Hedgehog
Hero (Erdrick) Hero (Eleven) Dragon Quest III Dragon Quest
Hero (Solo) Dragon Quest IV
Hero (Eight) Dragon Quest VIII
Alex Steve N/A Minecraft
Zombie
Enderman
Ari Minecraft (2022 Update)
Efe
Kai
Makena
Noor
Sunny
Zuri
Jesse (Male) Minecraft: Story Mode (2013)
Jesse (Female)
MugmanVanguardIcon Mugman Cuphead Frank Todaro (English)

Kensho Ono (Japanese)

Cuphead: Don't Deal with the Devil Cuphead
Ms.ChaliceVanguardIcon Ms. Chalice Grey DeLisle (English)

Ayane Sakura (Japanese)


Stages[]

New Stages[]

Image Name Franchise Origin Unlockable?
BattlefieldVanguardIcon Special Stages: Battlefield Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. Vanguard No
BattlefieldVanguardIcon Special Stages: Big Battlefield
FinalDestinationVanguardIcon Special Stages: Final Destination
RainyTempleVanguardIcon Special Stages: Rainy Temple Yes
Special Stages: Seaside Cliff
World of Trophies: The Ruined Zoo The Subspace Emissary Super Smash Bros. Brawl
World of Trophies: The Ruins
World of Trophies: Mid-Air Stadium
World of Trophies: Neo Island of the Ancients
PipeRockPlateauVanguardIcon Flower Kingdom: Pipe-Rock Plateau Super Mario Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Moon Kingdom: Dark Side of the Moon Super Mario Odyssey
Mushroom Kingdom: Dr. Mario World Dr. Mario World
Mushroom Kingdom: Last Resort Luigi's Mansion 3
BowsersKingdomVanguardIcon Dark World: Bowser's Kingdom Super Mario Odyssey
WaluigiPinballVanguardIcon Mario Kart Grand Prix: Waluigi Pinball Mario Kart DS
DaisyCruiserVanguardIcon Mario Kart Grand Prix: Daisy Cruiser Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
SparkleTheaterVanguardIcon Mushroom Kingdom: Sparkle Theater Princess Peach: Showtime!
MariosRainbowCastleVanguardIcon Party Land: Mario's Rainbow Castle Mario Party
BeehiveBrawlVanguardIcon Juicy Jungle: Beehive Brawl Donkey Kong Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
FruityFactoryVanguardIcon Juicy Jungle: Fruity Factory
WindmillHillsVanguardIcon Autumn Heights: Windmill Hills
ScorchnTorchVanguardIcon Bright Savannah: Scorch 'n' Torch
KastleKaosVanguardIcon Northern Kremisphere: Kastle Kaos Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie's Double Trouble
Hyrule: Sky Islands The Legend of Zelda
Hyrule: Palace of Twilight The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess
SkyTownVanguardIcon Elysia: Sky Town Metroid
Forgotten Land: Point of Arrival Kirby Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Paldea Skies: Poké Floats 2 Pokémon Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Galar: Pokémon Stadium 3 Pokémon Sword and Shield
LightningVanguardIcon F-Zero Grand Prix: Lightning F-Zero F-Zero GX/F-Zero AX
Askr: Summoning Gate Fire Emblem Fire Emblem Heroes
Fódlan: Deirdru Fire Emblem Three Houses
OperaHouseVanguardIcon Cyrkensia: Opera House Fire Emblem Fates
FlatZone3VanguardIcon Superflat World: Flat Zone 3 Game & Watch Game & Watch
GreenhornRuinsVanguardIcon Excitement Central: Greenhorn Ruins Wario Wario World
WonkyCircusVanguardIcon Spooktastic World: Wonky Circus
Distant Planet: Blossoming Arcadia Pikmin Pikmin 4
Deserted Island: New Horizons Animal Crossing Animal Crossing: New Horizions
Splatlands: Scorch Gorge Splatoon Splatoon 3
Savvy City: Savvy Boutique Style Savvy
Savvy City: Fashion Show
BloodEdwardIslandVanguardIcon Washington: Blood Edward Island Trace Memory
Holiday Island: Pilotwings X Pilotwings Pilotwings 64
Chiba: Ushimitsu High School Famicom Detective Club
MidnightCityVanguardIcon Angel Light: Midnight City 1080 1080 Avalanche
LaRazzaCanalVanguardIcon Wave Race Grand Prix: La Razza Canal Wave Race Wave Race: Blue Storm
FrontierTownVanguardIcon Wild West: Frontier Town Sheriff Sheriff
Third Dimension: Immersive Madness Virtual Boy Virtual Boy
Pacific Ocean: Barudo Island Doshin the Giant
Athlete's Archipelago: Spocco Square Nintendo Sports Nintendo Switch Sports
Excitebike Grand Prix: Excitebike Excitebike Mario Kart 8
StardustSpeedwayVanguardIcon Little Planet: Stardust Speedway Sonic the Hedgehog Sonic CD
Eggman Empire: Eggman Land Sonic Unleashed
World of Chaos: Thule Bayonetta Bayonetta 3
Isle O' Hags: Gruntilda's Lair Banjo-Kazooie Banjo-Kazooie
Dr.Wiley'sMilitaryBaseVanguardIcon Mega City: Dr. Wily's Military Base Mega Man Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Superheroes
BattleHarborVanguardIcon USA: Battle Harbor Street Fighter Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact
BustlingSideStreetVanguardIcon China: Bustling Side Street Street Fighter V
South Town: Pao Pao Café Fatal Fury Fatal Fury
Sequin Land: Scuttle Town Shantae Shantae
Inkwell Isles: The Devil's Casino Cuphead Cuphead: Don't Deal with the Devil
The River: Forever Crossing Frogger Frogger
Wumpa Islands: N. Sanity Beach Crash Bandicoot Crash Bandicoot
PrimpMagicSchoolVanguardIcon Primp Town: Magic School Puyo Puyo Puyo Pop Fever
HowardResortVanguardIcon Goltschmidt Kingdom: Howard Resort Rio's Rainbow Gate
North Pole: Freezing Fortress ClayFighter
V.I.L.E.AcademyVanguardIcon Canary Islands: V.I.L.E. Acadamy Carmen Sandiego
Toontown: Toontown Central Disney's Toontown Online
UnknownVanguardIcon Fighter's Pass #1
UnknownVanguardIcon Fighter's Pass #2
UnknownVanguardIcon Fighter's Pass #3
UnknownVanguardIcon Fighter's Pass #4
UnknownVanguardIcon Fighter's Pass #5
UnknownVanguardIcon Fighter's Pass #6

Returning Stages[]

Items[]

Image Name Origin Description Franchise
Smash Ball Brawl When broken into, it will unleash the user's Final Smash. Super Smash Bros.
Fake Smash Ball Ultimate When broken, the ball will explode and launch all fighters within its path.
Healing Field Can be thrown on the ground. Once thrown, it will open up and will heal anyone on the spot.
Home-Run Bat 64 An extremely powerful item. Its forward smash is among the most powerful attacks in all games, being a one-hit KO in every installment. As a throwing item, it maintains its high knockback and is a semi-spike. It becomes stronger when hit on the tip.
Beastball Ultimate Reappears near an opponent after being thrown and targets them, covered in flames.
Fan 64 Fastest-swinging battering item. High shield damage.
Basketbomb Vanguard Can be bounced and tossed around. Each bounce brings down the amount of time it can be bounced before it explodes.
Food Melee Each type of food recovers a different amount of damage. Can be produced in large numbers by Peach Blossom.
Ray Gun 64 Fires blasts of energy that have infinite horizontal range.
Banana Gun Ultimate Ejects the banana out of the peel and the player is left with the banana peel after using it.
Barrel 64 Once thrown, struck, or landed on a slope, may roll across the stage and damage what it hits before breaking. Has a one-in-eight chance of exploding.
Assist Trophy Brawl When picked up, after the character lands on the ground, they will perform a short animation and summon a random character to aid them in the fight.
Beam Sword 64
Poison Beam Sword Vanguard
Black Hole Ultimate
Blast Box Brawl
Cracker Launcher

Rage Blaster

Ultimate
Timer Brawl
Team Healer
Motion Sensor Bomb 64
Healing Sprout Ultimate
Cloaking Device Melee
Bumper 64
CD Brawl
Gooey Bomb
Smoke Bomb Brawl
Crate 64
Rolling Crate Brawl
Party Ball Melee
Drill Ultimate
Pillow Vanguard
Super Mushroom Melee Super Mario
Poison Mushroom
Fire Flower 64
Ice Flower Vanguard
Boomerang Smash 4
Super Star 64
Bob-omb
Giga Bob-omb Vanguard
Green Shell 64 When thrown, attacked, or landed on, slides across the stage and damages everything it hits. Can be stopped by jumping on it.
Red Shell When thrown, attacked, or landed on, slides across the stage and damages everything it hits. Aims for nearby characters and avoids sliding off edges.
Spiny Shell Smash 4 Commonly known as the 'Blue Shell'. Hovers above a player before dropping onto them and exploding. Can be dodged, or it can hit someone other than its intended target on descent.
Freezie Melee Slides across the stage, freezing characters when struck by it. Can be destroyed before being picked up.
Metal Box Turns the user metallic, increasing their weight and falling speed, while also reducing the chances of flinching. Can be activated by pickup or by direct attack; indirect attacks will either destroy it (in Melee) or do nothing (other games).
Hothead Brawl Follows the contours of the stage once thrown. Grows in size and damage but lasts for a shorter time when hit by flame or electric attacks.
Banana Peel
Giant Banana Peel Vanguard
Lightning
Soccer Ball
Striker Ball Vanguard
POW Block
Fire Bar
Bullet Bill
Super Leaf
Grass
Super Launch Star
Double Cherry Vanguard
Spring Mushroom
Cloud Flower
Bubble Flower
Drill Mushroom
Golden Hammer Acts the same as the regular Hammer, though faster, more powerful and with the ability to float. May be a dud Squeaky Hammer that deals no damage at all. Wrecking Crew
Hammer Donkey Kong
Barrel Cannon
Spring
Orange Grenade Vanguard
Coconut Gun
Animal Crate
Heart Container The Legend of Zelda
Bunny Hood
Deku Nut
Fairy Bottle
Cucco
Bombchu
Beetle
Gust Bellows
Screw Attack Metroid
Watermelon Fuse Bomb Vanguard Yoshi
Warp Star Once picked up, the user flies into the sky and then crashes down with an explosion. Can be steered slightly, and if there are platforms above, will land there instead of the starting point. Kirby
Maxium Tomato The third most powerful recovery item, healing up to 50% damage (in the original Super Smash Bros., it can heal up to 100% damage).
Star Rod
Parasol
Superspicy Curry

Dragoon

Bomber
Smart Bomb Star Fox
Poké Ball

Pokémon

Master Ball
Mr. Saturn MOTHER
Franklin Badge
Ramblin' Evil Mushroom
Killing Edge Fire Emblem
Killer Axe Vanguard
Devil Axe

Tomahawk

Killer Knuckles Fire Emblem Three Houses (2019)
Daybreak Kid Icarus
Ore Club
X Bomb
Killer Eye
Back Shield
Staff
Dragon Pot

Wario

Hocotate Bomb Pikmin
Pitfall Animal Crossing
Beehive
Death's Scythe Castlevania
Rocket Belt Pilotwings (1990) Pilotwings
Steel Diver Steel Diver
Super Scope Nintendo
Ultra Hand Vanguard
Boss Galaga Galaxian

Assist Trophies[]

A total of __ Assist Trophies appear in game. Several cut Assist Trophies from Brawl and Smash 4 return, notably being Barbara from Jam with the Band, Jill from Drill Dozer, and Elec Man from Mega Man all returning after being absent for Smash 4 and Ultimate and Ultimate for Elec Man. Assist Trophies in Italics are new to the Assist Trophy roster and haven't appeared within this role in the Super Smash Bros. Series.

Image Name Voice Actor

Description

Can Be Defeated? Debut Franchise
Chain Chomp N/A Yes Super Mario Bros. 3 (1990) Super Mario
Lakitu & Spinies N/A Yes

Super Mario Bros. (1985)

ThowmpVanguardIcon Thwomp No Super Mario Bros. 3 (1990)
Flies & Hand No Mario Paint (1994)
Angry Sun No Super Mario Bros. 3 (1990)
MadameGrapeVanguardIcon Madame Grape Yes Princess Peach: Showtime!! (2023)
StanleyVanguardIcon Stanley Runs around blasting opponents with pesticide, similarly to Mr. Game & Watch's neutral attack. Yes Donkey Kong 3 (1983)
Wart Yes Super Mario Bros. 2 (1987)
Klaptrap Yes Donkey Kong Country (1994) Donkey Kong
Lord Frederik Blows through his horn to summon ice dragons that attack opponents. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (2014)
DonkeyKondJr.VanguardIcon Donkey Kong Jr.
Metroid Metroid
Mother Brain
Knuckle Joe Kirby
Chef Kawasaki
StarmanVanguardIcon Starman MOTHER
JeffAndonautsVanguardIcon Jeff Andonuts
SamuraiGorohVanguardIcon Samurai Goroh F-Zero (1991) F-Zero
Bio Rex & Octo Man Appear on stage, then proceed to try and hit opponents with their machines before crashing into each other and are sent flying away while holding each other screaming. F-Zero X (1998)
LilyFlyerVanguardIcon Lily Flyer Runs around while shooting out pink bunny based shots as well as attempting to chokehold opponents she gets close to. F-Zero GX/AX (2003)
LynVanguardIcon Lyn Fire Emblem (2003) Fire Emblem
Tiki Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light (1990)
Gatekeeper Kyle Herbert (English) Blows into his horn as a mob of Church of Serios soldiers attack nearby opponents. Fire Emblem Three Houses (2019)
Bernadetta Von Varley Erica Mendez (English) Screams out "I can't do this!" before launching a barrage of arrows at the opponents while screaming and ducking.
PhosphoraVanguardIcon Phosphora Kid Icarus: Uprising (2012) Kid Icarus
Magnus
Eggplant Wizard
Wario
Aran Ryan Punch-Out!!
Great Tiger Teleports around the stage while using charged punches at opponents.
Disco Kid Punch-Out!! (2009)
Mr.ResettiVanguardIcon Mr. Resetti Animal Crossing
Kapp'n
Squid Sisters Splatoon
Off the Hook
Deep Cut
NintendogVanguardIcon Nintendog Nintendogs
NintencatVanguardIcon Nintencat
Hockey Team NES Hockey
Volleyball Player NES Volleyball
Vince Art Academy
Dr. Wright SimCity
BarbaraVanguardIcon Barbara Jam with the Band
JillVanguardIcon Jill Drill Dozer
Dr.KawashimaVanguardIcon Dr. Kawashima BrainAge
Musashi Sushi Striker
F-TypeVanguardIcon F-Type Stunt Race FX
Color TV Game-15 Color-TV Game
Elec Man Mega Man
Ghosts Pac-Man
Guile Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (1991) Street Fighter
Elena Street Fighter III: Second Impact (1998)
E. Honda Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (1991)
Rodin Bayonetta (2010) Bayonetta
Werner Werman Cuphead
Space Invaders Space Invaders
B.D. Joe Crazy Taxi
NightsVanguardIcon NIGHTS NIGHTS
Neku Sakuraba The World Ends with You


Bosses[]

A total of 26 bosses are fought within Vanguard. Of these bosses, Duon, Porky Minch, and Petey Piranha are fought against for the first time since Brawl, while the rest of the returning bosses are returning from their appearances within Ultimate, being Master Hand, Crazy Hand, Giga Bowser, Galleom, Ganon, Marx, Rathalos, and Dracula with both Galeem and Dharkon as well as Tabbuu not returning as bosses in the game. Emio, Kraid, Chauncey, Rhea, Thales, King Hippo, Dyna Blade, Eternatus, Orson & Toc-Man, Black Jewel, Mecha Dragon, Perfect Chaos, DJ Octavio, and Wonder Bowser Jr. make their Smash Bros. debuts as bosses. Bosses in italics are new to the boss roster of Super Smash Bros. and have not appeared in this capacity before.

Bosses are fought in both Adventure Mode: Shadows of the Vanguard as well as the unlockable Boss Battles, returning from Brawl after being absent in both Smash 4 and Ultimate. All bosses with the exception of Ignis Obscura, the final boss and main antagonist of Shadows of the Vanguard are fought in random order in the latter.

Image Name Smash Debut Origin Franchise
MasterHandVanguardIcon Master Hand 64 Super Smash Bros. (1999) Super Smash Bros.
CrazyHandVanguardIcon Crazy Hand Melee Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001)
GigaBowserVanguardIcon Giga Bowser
GalleomVanguardIcon Galleom Brawl The Subspace Emissary (2008)
DuonVanguardIcon Duon
PorkyMinchVanguardIcon Porky Minch MOTHER 2 (1994) MOTHER
PeteyPiranhaVanguardIcon Petey Piranha Super Mario Sunshine (2002) Super Mario
DraculaVanguardIcon Dracula Ultimate Castlevania (1987) Castlevania
RathalosVanguardIcon Rathalos Monster Hunter
GanonVanguardIcon Ganon The Legend of Zelda (1987) The Legend of Zelda
MarxVanguardcon Marx Kirby
ChaunceyVanguardIcon Chauncey Vanguard Luigi's Mansion (2001) Super Mario
KingHippoVanguardcon King Hippo Punch-Out!! (1987) Punch-Out!!
KraidVanguardIcon Kraid Metroid
EmioVanguardIcon Emio Famicom Detective Club: Emio the Smiling Man (2024) Famicom Detective Club
RheaVanguardIcon Rhea Fire Emblem: Three Houses (2019) Fire Emblem
ThalesVanguardIcon Thales
DynaBladeVanguardIcon Dyna Blade Kirby
EternatusVanguardIcon Eternatus Pokémon Sword and Shield (2019) Pokémon
BlackJewelVanguardIcon Black Jewel Wario World (2003) Wario
PandoraVanguardIcon Pandora Kid Icarus Uprising (2012) Kid Icarus
PerfectChaosVanguardIcon Perfect Chaos Sonic the Hedgehog
MechaDragonVanguardIcon Mecha Dragon Mega Man
Toc-ManVanguardIcon Orson & Toc-Man Pac-Man World PAC-MAN
DJOctavioVanguardIcon DJ Octavio Splatoon (2015) Splatoon
WonderBowserJrVangaurdIcon Wonder Bowser Jr. Super Mario Bros. Wonder (2023) Super Mario
Ignis Obscura Debut Super Smash Bros.

Enemies[]

Enemy hoards appear within Adventure Mode: Shadows of the Vanguard Army. Various species of enemies return from The Subspace Emissary, comprised of both original enemies as well as various members of the Koopa Troop, the sole exceptions to returning being the Primids, R.O.B.s, and Auroros due to the defeat of the Subspace Army as well as the destruction of the Isle of the Ancients with R.O.B. remaining as the last of his kind as of the ending of Subspace. Mizzo, a scrapped enemy that only appeared in a display in the Halberd during Subspace makes its debut as a fightable enemy. Enemies present within Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS's Smash Run mode also return with many series now receiving enemies that are faced off in levels during the mode. Various franchises are now represented with enemies to be fought such as Fire Emblem, Castlevania, and Mega Man amongst others.

Image Name Description Smash Debut Game Debut Franchise
Spaak Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008) The Subspace Emissary Super Smash Bros.
CymulVanguardIcon Cymul
Glunder
Glire
Glice
Greap
Roturret
Poppant
FeyeshVanguardIcon Feyesh
Mite
Towtow
Ticken
Borboras
Bucculus
Buckot
Bytan
Roader
Armight
Autolance
Nagagog
Shellpod
Puppit
Trowlon
Bombed
Shaydas
Gamyga
Armank
Mizzo
Goomba Super Mario
KoopaTroopaVanguardIcon Koopa Troopa
Koopa Paratroopa
Hammer Bro
Bullet Bill
Giant Goomba
Banzai Bill
Bill Blaster
Shy Guy
Magikoopa
Chain Chomp
Flame Chomp
Lakitu and Spinies
Spike Top
Spike
Rolla Koopa Super Mario Bros. Wonder (2023)
SkedaddlerVanguardIcon Skadaddle
Bulrush
SugarstarVanguardIcon Sugarstar
Eggplant Man Wrecking Crew (1984) Wrecking Crew
GotchaWrenchVanguardIcon Gotchawrench
Kritter Donkey Kong Country (1994) Donkey Kong
Klap Trap
Manky Kong
Bubble The Legend of Zelda
Cucco
Darknut
Octorok
Peahat
ReDead
Stalfos
Boblin
Geemer Metroid
Kihunter
Metroid
Reo
E.M.M.I.
Fly Guy Yoshi
Toady
Rattata Pokémon
Alolan Rattata
Starman MOTHER
Devil Car
SwordfighterVanguardIcon Sword Fighter Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light (1990) Fire Emblem
Bow Fighter
LanceFighterVanguardIcon Lance Fighter
Mage
Thief
Grappler Fire Emblem Three Houses (2019)
Manakete Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light (1990)
SteamSwordVanguardIcon Steam Sword Fire Emblem Heroes (2018)
Eggrobo Sonic the Hedghog
Low-Rank Soldier Street Fighter
Mid-Rank Soldier
High-Rank Soldier
Cogs Disney's Toontown Online


Reveal Trailers[]

Trivia[]

  • This is the first Super Smash Bros. to feature multiple changes to the voice cast since Brawl:
    • The first Smash game to feature Kevin Afghani as Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi, succeeding Charles Martinet, as well as marking the first game in the Super Smash Bros. franchise where Charles Martinet is not part of the voice cast.
    • Vanguard also marks the first time that Afghani has officially voiced Dr. Mario as well as Dr. Luigi since the retirement of Martinet.
    • The first Smash game to feature Giselle Fernandez as Daisy, succeeding Deanna Mustard.
    • The first Smash game to see Pac-Man with full voice-acting, with Martin T. Sherman reprising his role from the Pac-Man World games.
    • The first Smash game to see Mega Man with full voice-acting, with Benjamin Diskin reprising his role from Mega Man 11.
    • The first game to feature full English voice acting for Ayumi Tachibana and Taro Ninten.
  • Vanguard marks the first time that several Mario RPG characters have appeared in 3D and are playable, mostly through alternate costumes, being Mr. L, Shadow Queen, Dark Bowser, Toadbert, Toadiko, Kammy Koopa, and Midbus. Of these characters, Midbus is the sole Mario RPG character to be playable as his own fighter, being an Echo Fighter of Bowser.
  • Vanguard marks the first time that both Miyu and Fay have been in 3D, their only current appearance being in the previously-cancelled Star Fox 2 for the SNES.
  • Vanguard marks the first physical appearance of Toadsworth within a game since Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, being as a selectable aliternate costume for Toad with his own voice clips.
  • Meowth is the only fighter from the Pokémon franchise to have alternate forms playable, being his Alolan and Glarian forms from Sun and Moon as well as Sword and Shield.
  • Rhea and Thales are the only individual bosses not originating from the Super Smash Bros. franchise to share a boss battle, which is based on the Final Battle of Scarlet Blaze in Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes in which the Black Eagle House became involved within a threeway battle between both Rhea and the Church or Serios as well as Thales and Those Who Slither in the Dark. True to the battle, both spend most of the fight attacking one another, similar to World of Light's final battle between Galeem and Dharkon who would attack each other and the fighter.
  • Del is currently the only playable alternate skin to have been a fully scrapped character, having been cut from Pikmin 3 during development. Del's appearance as a playable alternate skin for Olimar marks his first physical appearance in any game, making him similar to Roy in being a fighter that debuted in Smash before his own debut.
Advertisement