There are a ton of unlockable characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on the Nintendo Switch. Since you only start with eight characters to play with, you’ll have some work to do in order to unlock all of the available characters.
Luckily there are several different ways to unlock characters via several different game modes, so you can really play the mode you like most and still make progress toward unlocking characters.
Unlock Characters Playing Classic Mode
Similar to unlocking characters in previous versions of Smash, you can unlock characters simply by playing Classic Mode.
When unlocking characters using Classic Mode, new characters will unlock in a specific order within groups. For example, if you beat Classic Mode using Mario, you’ll be challenged by Sonic. Defeating Sonic will unlock him. Once Sonic is unlocked, beating Classic Mode with Sonic or Mario (they’re in the same group) will prompt a challenge from Bayonetta, and so on.
If you have already unlocked the next character in a group, by playing another mode for example, you will instead be challenged by the next available character in that group that hasn’t been unlocked.
Important note: Unlocking characters using this method will not unlock them for World of Light mode. Characters unlocked in World of Light mode however are unlocked everywhere else.
Below is a text version of the unlock groups:
Mario Group:
Sonic -> Bayonetta -> Little Mac -> Ike -> Luigi -> Roy -> Dr. Mario -> Olimar -> Bowser (leads to Donkey Kong Group)
Donkey Kong Group:
Bowser -> Pokemon Trainer -> Rosalina & Luma -> King Dedede -> Sheik -> Greninja -> Diddy Kong -> Duck Hunt -> Sonic (leads to Mario Group)
Link Group:
King K. Rool -> Ice Climbers -> Simon -> Meta Knight -> Snake -> Young Link -> Richter -> Toon Link -> Sonic (leads to Mario Group)
Samus Group:
Inkling -> Wii Fit Trainer -> Pit -> Incineroar -> Dark Samus -> Cloud -> Wario -> Dark Pit -> Sonic (leads to Mario Group)
Yoshi Group:
Lucario -> Marth -> Ryu -> Ganondorf -> Lucina -> Ridley -> Chrom -> Ken -> Sonic (leads to Mario Group)
Kirby Group:
Ness -> Jigglypuff -> Pac-Man -> Zelda -> Robin -> Corrin -> Lucas -> Palutena -> Sonic (leads to Mario Group)
Fox Group:
Captain Falcon -> Zero Suit Samus -> Peach -> Falco -> Daisy -> Bowser Jr. -> Wolf -> Mewtwo -> Sonic (leads to Mario Group)
Pikachu Group:
Villager -> Shulk -> R.O.B. -> Mega Man -> Isabelle -> Mr. Game & Watch -> Pichu -> Sonic (leads to Mario Group)
If you’re more of a visual person like myself, the following infographic could be a bit more helpful. Huge thanks to reddit user realermemoryman3 for creating it:
Note that Sonic being at the end of most of these groups is not an error, it simply links back to the Mario Group.
Unlock Characters Playing Other Modes
When playing other game modes from Classic Mode (besides World of Light, more on this shortly), you’ll be challenged by an unlockable character about every ten minutes of actual play time. This doesn’t include any time in the menus, just time battling, etc.
Important note again: Unlocking characters using World of Light unlocks them everywhere in the game, however unlocking them via Classic Mode or any other mode besides World of Light will NOT unlock them in World of Light.
Character challenges unlocked using any method besides Classic Mode or World of Light appear in the following order:
Challenger 01 – Ness (Earthbound)
Challenger 02 – Zelda (Legend Of Zelda)
Challenger 03 – Bowser (Mario Bros.)
Challenger 04 – Pit (Kid Icarus)
Challenger 05 – Inkling (Splatoon)
Challenger 06 – Villager (Animal Crossing)
Challenger 07 – Marth (Fire Emblem)
Challenger 08 – Young Link (Legend Of Zelda)
Challenger 09 – Wii Fit Trainer (Wii Fit)
Challenger 10 – Ice Climbers (Ice Climber)
Challenger 11 – Captain Falcon (F-Zero)
Challenger 12 – Princess Peach (Mario Bros.)
Challenger 13 – Ryu (Street Fighter)
Challenger 14 – Ike (Fire Emblem)
Challenger 15 – Jigglypuff (Pokemon)
Challenger 16 – King K. Rool (Donkey Kong Country)
Challenger 17 – Sonic (Sonic The Hedgehog)
Challenger 18 – Simon Belmont (Castlevania)
Challenger 19 – Zero Suit Samus (Metroid)
Challenger 20 – Little Mac (Punchout)
Challenger 21 – Isabelle (Animal Crossing)
Challenger 22 – Shulk (Xenoblade Chronicles)
Challenger 23 – Lucina (Fire Emblem)
Challenger 24 – Wario (Mario Bros.)
Challenger 25 – Ridley (Metroid)
Challenger 26 – Pokemon Trainer (Pokemon)
Challenger 27 – Lucario (Pokemon)
Challenger 28 – Princess Daisy (Mario Bros.)
Challenger 29 – Roy (Mario Bros.)
Challenger 30 – King Dedede (Kirby)
Challenger 31 – R.O.B. (R.O.B. The Robot)
Challenger 32 – Falco (Starfox)
Challenger 33 – Luigi (Mario Bros.)
Challenger 34 – Pichu (Pokemon)
Challenger 35 – Richter Belmont (Castlevania)
Challenger 36 – Lucas (Mother 3)
Challenger 37 – Diddy Kong (Donkey Kong Country)
Challenger 38 – Meta Knight (Kirby)
Challenger 39 – Solid Snake (Metal Gear Solid)
Challenger 40 – Ganon (Legend Of Zelda)
Challenger 41 – Corrin (Fire Emblem)
Challenger 42 – Mega Man (Mega Man)
Challenger 43 – Bayonetta (Bayonetta)
Challenger 44 – Toon Link (Legend of Zelda)
Challenger 45 – Princess Rosalina and Luma (Mario Bros.)
Challenger 46 – Inceniroar (Pokemon)
Challenger 47 – Sheik (Legend Of Zelda)
Challenger 48 – Olimar (Pikmin)
Challenger 49 – Pac-Man (Pac-Man)
Challenger 50 – Dark Samus (Metroid)
Challenger 51 – Starwolf (Starfox)
Challenger 52 – Mr. Game & Watch (Game & Watch)
Challenger 53 – Robin (Fire Emblem)
Challenger 54 – Dark Pit (Kid Icarus)
Challenger 55 – Cloud (Final Fantasy 7)
Challenger 56 – Duck Hunt (Duck Hunt)
Challenger 57 – Ken (Street Fighter)
Challenger 58 – Greninja (Pokemon)
Challenger 59 – Chrom (Fire Emblem)
Challenger 60 – Mewtwo (Pokemon)
Challenger 61 – Bowser Jr. (Mario Bros.)
Challenger 62 – Dr. Mario (Dr. Mario)
Challenger 63 – Palutena (Kid Icarus)
Unlock Characters Playing World of Light
The Adventure Mode known as World of Light is a very different beast. As I have said a couple times already, characters unlocked in World of Light are unlocked everywhere else in the game, however characters unlocked elsewhere are not unlocked in World of Light.
The order that characters are unlocked in World of Light is very different as well, and there isn’t necessarily a set path. Depending on choices you make within World of Light, you’ll unlock characters in a specific order, and you’ll be locked into that order for a little while.
I recommend unlocking characters by playing World of Light if you have any interest in playing it in the future. It’s a pretty fun mode, and quite a bit different than the other modes in the game, introducing the new Spirit mechanic.
The Fastest Way to Unlock All Characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
If you’re simply looking for the fastest way to unlock all of the characters in the game, here is a shortcut you can use to basically trick the game into giving you challenges more quickly.
- Play Smash mode for about ten minutes in order to bring up a challenger battle.
- Beat the challenger to unlock them
- Exit the game back to the Home screen and start the game again.
- Play Smash mode with a second controller plugged in and change the ruleset to 1 Stock.
- Move the second character off the map to win the match.
- A new challenger should appear, defeat them to unlock them and repeat from number 3.
This might be fairly boring after a while, but should be faster overall than unlocking characters in Classic Mode.
In my opinion, unlocking via Classic Mode is also fairly fast since the matches only last about six minutes, and a lot less tedious, but this is up to you to decide.
Don’t forget that no other mode unlocks characters for use in World of Light however.
How to Rematch Lost Challenges
If you lose a match against a challenger, don’t worry too much because you’ll be able to get a rematch against them.
Look for a door labeled Challenger’s Approach which should appear under the Games and More menu. It doesn’t appear every time, so check back every now and then.
Do you have questions or more suggestions? Leave us a comment below!
sources: Gamefaqs, CheatCC, Polygon
