Fighter

A character is one of the fighters in the Super Smash Bros. series. Characters can be sorted into playable and non-playable, which distinguishes whether characters can be used without the use of a cheat device (like Action Replay) or not. Playable characters can further be divided into starter, unlockable, and downloadable, which distinguishes whether characters can be played right away, whether they need to be unlocked, or whether they need to be downloaded.

Playable characters

MAH DICK!1

Non-playable characters

corrin

Newcomers and veterans

A newcomer is a character who appears as playable for the first time in the series in a given game. A veteran is the opposite: a character who has been playable in a previous game. For example, Olimar is a newcomer in Brawl, as he did not appear as playable in any previous games, but is a veteran in all subsequent and future games. Note that the definition of newcomers is distinct from that of "unlockable" or "secret" characters, which are playable characters who must be unlocked by completing certain tasks; every game starting with Melee has had starter veterans, starter newcomers, unlockable veterans, and unlockable newcomers.

The term newcomer was originally used to describe the unlockable characters in the original Super Smash Bros. by the data deletion menu. It was later used in the first trailer for Super Smash Bros. Brawl, in which new characters were introduced with the title "Newcomer" atop their name. The word newcomer was later used on the Smash Bros. DOJO!! site to classify new characters whether unlockable or not. This use of the term has become the community-preferred usage for other games in the series.

"Perfect-attendance crew"

Less commonly, the term "veteran" can also denote the "eight regulars" or "perfect-attendance fighters", terms which refer to the eight starter characters in the original Super Smash Bros. which have been in all subsequent games of the series. The terms originated in the description for the 10th Brawl event match All-Star Battle Regulars, reading: "The Smash Bros. perfect-attendance crew! Fight the eight regulars in order!" A popular, unofficial term referring to this group is "The Original 8" (Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, Samus, Yoshi, Kirby, Fox, and Pikachu), which may also be called "The Original 12" if including the four unlockable characters (Luigi, Captain Falcon, Ness, and Jigglypuff). Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is the first game where all the "Original 12" are starter characters.

Trivia

• Roy is the only "non-native" character to debut in a Super Smash Bros. game before appearing in any other game in their respective series. His inclusion in Melee was intended to promote Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade, which was released shortly after Melee.
• Dr. Mario, Mewtwo, and Roy are the only characters to skip an installment, being playable in Melee but not Brawl, before returning in Smash 4 thirteen years later.
• Captain Falcon (in SSB) and the Mii Fighters are the only characters to use head icons that don't portray their faces.
• Dr. Mario, Falco, Mr. Game & Watch, and R.O.B. are the only characters that have been unlockable characters in every one of their playable appearances.
• Smash 4 is the first game to feature playable female swordfighters: Lucina, female Robin, female Corrin, and female Mii Swordfighter.
  • Wendy O. Koopa, who appears as an alternate costume for Bowser Jr., is the first female villain to be a playable character in the series.
• Wario is the only character to debut as a starter before becoming unlockable in another game.
• Yoshi and Captain Falcon are the only sole representatives of their series to appear in all four Super Smash Bros. games.
• Ice Climbers are the only characters to be cut after appearing in multiple games.
• Metal Gear and Ice Climber are the only universes to have the entirety of their characters cut from one game to the next.
• Samus is the only female character to appear in all four Super Smash Bros. games, as Pokémon were not considered gendered at the time of the first game's release.