Best Current 3 Players of Every Ultimate Character (64 Cast)
Given that Ultimate has a notoriously well balanced cast, it is naturally difficult to keep track of who is even the best of any given character. Just listing the best of each wouldn’t be reaching the depths of the iceberg though, and for many not even two is enough! This is why we are opting to highlight the best 3 of each respective character. This includes even the niche ones who see little competitive play. Each segment has a short description of skill, history, or achievements, and we are using a gap system to signify whether there is a major discrepancy or not between the players. Sometimes a question mark will be used if a gap can not be fairly or properly assessed (often due to regional differences). Without further ado, this is the best 3 players of each character in Smash Ultimate, starting with the base 64 cast:
NOTE: This article is TIME SENSITIVE, this was written post-LVLUPEXPO which is mid February 2023. It is also rating current top players, so legacy means a lot less. Any type of banned player is also excluded.
Mario: Kurama >> Nao > Dark Wizzy
Norcal’s Kurama had a sudden rise to the top, but his ascent was not completely unforeseen. Kurama (formerly known as Prodigy) was already top 40 in the world during the first PGR season and famously beat MkLeo at Frostbite 2020, which would send him on his way to make the best losers run in Ultimate history. However, starting in late 2022, Kurama’s runs became consistent, as he made arguably the best underdog run ever in Ultimate at LSI, beating several top 10 contenders. This was with him not only being seeded to drown in the main bracket, but also miss LCQ qualification. He continued this strength into performances like Port Priority and Mainstage (earning a Summit spot too). Kurama’s place as the best Mario has been deeply solidified, and his opportunities only grow with his new sponsor, Karmine Corp.
Hokkaido’s Nao also had a rise which was explosive and debatably even more surprising. He occasionally made quiet upsets at majors but nothing big, oftentimes he even drowned. His Maesuma TOP#10 was really good but too late in 2021 to have him ranked, but this was our first warning of what would come. His breakout would be at Genesis 9 where he would shockingly become the highest placing Mario of that entire tournament, which was even more surprising as this was Kurama’s home region! And only a few weeks later, he would then top 8 his first (super)major ever, being Kagaribi 9. A lot of these runs were saved by the skin of his teeth due to last second comebacks, as shown by recent sets against Hero and Goblin. Nao’s rise is most compelling when you consider that he is ranked as only the 2nd best Mario in Hokkaido (that PR might need a bit of work), and whether he continues these fantastic runs remains to be seen.
New York’s Dark Wizzy has unfortunately had the narrative around him talking about how good he was in the past, but his performances are still quite strong. A majority of his wins are spread out across multiple recent majors, but his best ones include Muteace, Kameme, Marss, and Sigma and although he rarely goes on a massive run, he has kept making big dents in bracket. Although he has lost the title of best Mario, do not underestimate him, he is still a top player.
Donkey Kong: HIKARU > ChunkyKong >>> Rarikkusu
Kanto’s HIKARU became famous from his DK from Smash 4, and at the start of the game, it almost seemed like he wanted to get rid of him. PT, Roy, Steve; all of these characters came into his rotation. But his DK always stuck around, and with how he plays to the crowd every time he uses him, it seems like HIKARU really is a DK at heart. Ultimate Fighting Arena 2022 is where it reached a peak, beating the two best players in Europe and making top 3 at the tournament overall. This run stunned many as DK is still considered a bottom of the barrel character, but HIKARU makes it work. He continues to pull out DK, with it often working more than his other rotation of top tiers. His flexibility of characters means he isn’t the best solo main of DK, but HIKARU still continues to be the king of the bunch overall.
SFL’s ChunkyKong is the best solo main DK. He has made many upsets over the past year and although he is prone to being upset, it doesn’t stop him completely. His best wins are funnily enough from the same origin, including Kola, Aaron, and Goblin, becoming a Moist slayer. This even earned him a spot on UltRank 2022, being ranked 71st worldwide with the character. He is inconsistent, which is to be expected, but once ChunkyKong gets a run going, it is hard to stop him.
Kansai’s Rarikkusu is one of many Smashmate depth players, also showcasing some strong performances offline. His best performance was a 9th place at MaesumaTOP#9 where he defeated Eim x2, Gorioka, and Omuatsu. Many of his wins are depth such as YamaD, Ike, and saboten but that one run is better than a majority of other DK’s accomplishments combined. Although it was admittedly hard to find a third Kong, Rarikkusu is a strong high-level player who may one day replicate his peaks consistently.
Link: Rido >> T > RaZe
Hokuriku’s Rido has had a rise predominantly on Smashmate like most of Japan in 2020–2022, but he translated this success quite well. Being ranked 107th in the world on Orionrank 2022 despite having such low attendance was a big feat, given that algorithms often reward high attendance. His wins are sporadically spread throughout the years, such as Yoshidora, Hero, and Kameme. It does feel like attendance is holding him back, as he took a break from Smash to play Splatoon, but he is now back and looked quite solid at Kagaribi 9. Whether he translates this energy into an even better 2023 is to be seen.
Kanto’s T is the Japanese Link main which you are most likely more familiar with. However, from the pre-COVID top players of Japan, he was one of the ones who took the longest break from Smash between COVD, and jumping back in years later was initially underwhelming in comparison. He still retains his place as a top player but loses his #1 Link slot due to inconsistency and leaning to using YL a lot more. Make no mistake though, he is still able to convert his energy into top player wins: Kameme, Taikei, and Neo are his biggest standouts. We all know that T is able to keep rising, his past performances say it all, whether he will is to be seen.
Australia’s RaZe is a difficult player to rank as not only does he use Pit a lot, but he is also in Australia which makes it difficult to compare results to other regions. Even then he has at least a win on everybody in Australia and is one of their best players. We hope to see him continue succeeding and with Australia looking better than ever, perhaps he will follow the train.
(Dark) Samus: Sisqui ≈ Yaura >> Toura
bola. Spain’s Sisqui quickly took the place as the 2nd best in Europe when quarantine ended, funnily enough taking the place of another Samus (QuiK). Unlike past Europeans though, he is well able to hold his own internationally and continues to take big wins not only in Europe but all around the world. Traveling to France, UK, USA, Mexico and more, he continues to pop up in brackets where you wouldn’t expect him. Although the past few months have been relatively empty, he still retains the best consistency of any of the Samus players and will continue making Spain proud.
Shikoku’s Yaura has had a rise which has gone under the radar. Many statisticians believed that he was the most underrated player in the world in the 2022 season (read more here). Yaura has many things going for him to become the best Samus, most notably his incredible win quality. Unlike his contemporaries, he doesn’t seem to struggle against the top of the top, taking wins on players such as acola, Protobanham, and Yoshidora. His consistency is worse than Sisqui’s, but the race is closer than many realize. Unfortunately his lack of travel holds him back, but with a new sponsor, he is open to the idea.
Chubu’s Toura, not to be confused with the above, continues to be a consistent threat in brackets while also having the ability to make great runs. His last Umebura was his best ever, making top 8 in a surprise run. Although he struggles to get top player wins, he is always in the zone to get them. Toura has all the potential to be just as great as the others here, he just needs to keep it going.
Yoshi: Yoshidora >> Ron >> Suarez
Kansai’s Yoshidora has struck some fear into North America, surprising given the fact he is a Japanese exclusive threat. And this was with earlier doubts about him, he had to prove his strengths. Piloting Yoshi like nobody else in the world, his ability to stay so consistent to be a top 10/15 player in the world is incredibly commendable. He won a major, has beaten basically everybody in Japan, and is always in the top ranks. The only thing which holds him back is that he doesn’t travel, but that is about to change with a confirmed slot at Battle of BC as well as a unannounced major in August (likely SSC). Perhaps he solidifies a top 10 argument this year, who knows, but Yoshidora’s sudden dominance is unlikely to go anywhere.
Chugoku’s Ron has also struck some fear in NA, though for a different reason (his PGRUv2 placement was fine). Although an inactive player, largely due to how remote his region is in Japan, whenever he plays in tournaments he makes sure to make a large impact. Notably he took a 8 month break between offline brackets recently, and still ended up winning Sumabato. If Ron attended more, he could be just as much of a monster as Yoshidora, and with him signing up for Maesuma TOP#11, it may be time. But for now, he is the hidden boss which everybody keeps an eye out for and is still regarded as the top of his class.
New York’s Suarez was the original PGR Yoshi before Japan took over the character’s meta, and he is still a fighter. He still puts up great wins, including Zomba, Ned, and Aaron and attends a lot, largely locally. Although he has a problem with consistency, he still finds ways to break his way into brackets either through upsets or solid play.
Kirby: Jejajeja > Konokururu >> Guilheww
Oregon’s Jejajeja has been optimizing Kirby to new levels, beginning during lockdown, and it is finally showing in his results offline. With this character, he is surprisingly consistent and the win quality he has is really impressive to boot. With recent wins over Ouch?!, Peabnut, and jaredisking1, none of these matchups are said to be even remotely decent for Kirby but his work truly shines when he is put in situations like this. He will continue to grow both online and offline, as he pushes this character to its limit.
Kanto’s Konokururu is the holder of the best ever Kirby placement at a major, being 17th at Kagaribi 7. He still puts in the work with Kirby, getting notable wins like Abadango, Huto, and Noi and although many of them are in debatably unrankable tournaments, his win quality puts up the work. His main issue like most Kirby’s is that he is insanely inconsistent, being able to top 32 majors but also go 1–2. He is still a player you need to watch out for if he is in your bracket though.
Mexico’s Guilheww is a tough one to pin down as a majority of his wins are at a local level, but even then you can not beat players like Chag, Cloudy, and Javi without immense skill. He is part of the vast Mexican depth and continues to improve internally. Whether he starts traveling or making it big elsewhere is to be seen, but his results at smaller regionals are promising.
Fox: Light >> Paseriman > Kaninabe
Connecticut’s Light needs no real introduction. Top 2 in the USA and a play style which speaks for itself, he is the best Fox in the world. As he says it himself, he may be the protagonist of this story. Having won several majors, beaten basically everybody, and having some of the best consistency in the world, Light is a threat to top players in any given bracket and is never someone you can underestimate, as seen by his adaptation given enough sets. He has shown no signs of slowing down either, despite whispers of this character being “bad”. Light will continue being an omnipresent threat to the meta. And with his victory at LVL UP EXPO, his slot to become the best in the USA may come again.
Kanto’s Paseriman is one of the most inconsistent players in the world. Able to top 3 a major beating several of his demons, while also being able to 1–2 another major only a few months later, it makes him a fascinating player to watch progress in bracket. His results seem the worst they have ever been but I am not worried, he has bounced back from situations like this constantly. He is able to beat anybody in Japan; as well as succeed abroad as his two trips abroad have also shown greatness, beating the best in the USA and Europe. Paseriman knows he has all the potential, and he will inevitably find a groove again.
Kansai’s Kaninabe is quite different from his Japanese counterpart, where he has continued and consistent success at regionals but doesn’t often make it big at majors. Even then the win quality you can get at Japanese regionals is immense, Yoshidora, Yaura, Rizeasu and more. His Umebura may be a sign of change as it was fantastic in comparison to his past majors. Kaninabe was one of the world’s biggest rising stars in 2021, going from lackluster to a threat very fast. And now being sponsored by Murash Gaming, the Japanese version of Moist, the skies are the limit for this up-and-comer.
Pikachu: Esam ? Shinymark ? H4
Florida’s Esam is one of the hardest players to rank as he continues to get high profile wins but oftentimes busters out before making it too far. Even then the extent of which he has “fallen off” has been greatly exaggerated, much of that is due to his caution in attending events in the modern era. He hasn’t had a resounding performance like Glitch 8.5 since, but he still remains a top threat. Whether he can call himself the best Pikachu is being challenged, but Esam is not a player you would want to face on one of his good days.
Guatemala’s Shinymark also lacks attendance, this time in part due to how remote he is from any notable majors. Even then he has had some great breakouts, notably his Smash Factor where he was able to beat players which every other Pikachu struggles against, including Sisqui and WaDi. There is a very sound argument for him being the best Pikachu, whether it is true will hopefully be explored more.
Washington’s H4 is the opposite of the other Pikachu’s where his attendance is actually quite great, but his overall win quality falls behind quite a bit. Even then he rarely gets “upset” at the big events, with most of them being ended by super high profile players which makes his overall record seem weaker than it actually is. This is why I had to give a three way tie here, all of them could have an argument of “best” Pikachu depending on what your method is. H4’s rise is notable though and is starting to be noticed, as he continues to be one of PNW’s best.
Luigi: Luugi ? WaKa ? Yamanaction
Another three way tie? Man. Britain’s Luugi has seen a very sudden rise, to the point that if it continues from here, he would likely take the slot as best Luigi solidly. His greatest achievement is winning Tech Republic in a dominant fashion, a European sub-major. He was already on the radar but this performance was quite impressive and Europe continues to rally behind his potential. With Luugi going to BOBC and running for Summit too, it will only be a matter of time before we see how he does everywhere.
Mexico’s WaKa is one of Mexico’s best highlights of depth, having little travel but still retaining great wins. His argument for best Luigi comes from how he is able to stay as big of a threat in a region which is considered absurdly competitive at the middle levels. WaKa has had runs at the international scene, winning many of them, but he is likely to stay in Mexico for now. This makes it difficult to truly prove himself, but given the right time, WaKa may be able to.
Kanto’s Yamanaction may seem weird to not be at the top of this list, he has the best win quality and has the best overall performances at majors. Issue is that he succumbed to the Luigi-to-Steve pipeline, seemingly transitioning into becoming a Steve main. We are still unsure if it will stick, which is why he is still mentioned, and his results still showcase the most consistent string of results of any of the contenders. Perhaps Yamanaction will stay as the most reliable answer to best Luigi or simply disappear from the equation, it is to be seen.
Ness: Gackt > Syrup > Scend
Kanto’s Gackt is not only one of the biggest smash content creators in Japan, but a strong player who succeeds in the now tough meta for Ness. He has been inconsistent for awhile but he is still oftentimes able to come back from losers in either big runs, or succeed in winners anyways. With win quality which is far better than anybody else piloting the character, as well as a continued presence in tournaments, Gackt is one of the finest players to come out of Japan.
New Jersey’s Syrup may be surprising to see above another American Ness main, but he has proven himself with continued consistency and strong performances. Looking at Syrup’s Smashdata unfortunately does no justice though as he might be one of the most unlucky players when it comes to brackets. Even in brackets where it does seem tough to win he is still able to make it big. It is only a matter of time until Syrup has his first big breakout, his growth over the years has been obvious, at this point he may even be gunning for the best Ness slot.
Utah’s Scend was formerly known as BestNess for a reason, he truly was the top of his class. Although things have slightly slowed down, he remains an incredibly good player. Most particularly shown in his regional performances where oftentimes he will sweep the opposition with little to no problem, being a 3 time consecutive winner of the Back in Blood series. Although his overall performances have slowed down, he still shows plenty of evidence that he can replicate their successes, and may eventually reclaim his title.
Captain Falcon: Fatality ≈ Jogibu > Karaage
Georgia’s Fatality is a world warrior, traveling to places to compete where people may only dream of visiting: Columbia, France, the Dominican Republic, Austria, the UK, Mexico, and somehow even more. And there is a reason why he gets these opportunities so much, he is simply one of the most flashy players in the world. When Fatality is on he really is on, some of his most highlighted wins such as Protobanham and Cosmos shows how far he can go. With a further lean towards content creation as well as general underperformances, his slot as best Falcon is starting to be challenged greatly. However, with how much Fatality is living the dream, there is no denying that he has made his mark.
Kansai’s Jogibu is consistently a player who is able to impress with how much he can fight back with the character. Notably he just won a big super regional not only over Tsubaki and Masha, but also beating Miya in a matchup which is considered futile by many. He has also made a habit of exploding out of brackets early. Every time you see him succeed, next time you may see him in the losers side of his pool. This inconsistency makes him a fascinating player to watch in bracket, but it does hurt his chances of taking the slot of best Falcon. Whether he keeps it up from the regional is unknown, but it is an incredible start for his 2023, and he wishes for even further success.
Kansai’s Karaage is one of many rising stars who have popped up, interestingly enough having the biggest peak win of any Falcon player. This would be a win over acola at a regional, having two last hit sets with him, and although he still lost the tournament, it will likely be his defining win. Other notable wins include Kome, alice, and Tsumusuto, with all of these wins coming from the last three months. He also falls victim to the biggest thing which holds back Japanese depth, inconsistency. He is grinding more than ever though so whether he can replicate his best wins overtime will be interesting heading into the new season.
Jigglypuff: Bassmage ≈ Senra >>> Hungrybox
Arizona’s Bassmage is the one who pioneered her meta to where it is now, near single handedly changing the opinions of many in the process. The legacy he has is by far the best of any Puff, top 8ing several majors, becoming top 50, and beating players such as Scend, Ned, Chag, Fatality, and Jahzz0 over the past few months. His progress has slowed slightly but everytime he faces a top player, you can tell he always has the ability to win. He has challenges with staying consistent or closing sets, but with adjustments, he could be making massive runs in the near future. We will have to see how Bassmage’s year pans out, and with his throne as being the best Puff being challenged, we will have to see how he does.
Kansai’s Senra has had incredibly sudden success in a plethora of regionals and majors, contesting the spot of best Puff confidently. He retains moments of underperformances much like everyone else who plays the character, but unlike most others, his peaks are really good. With wins over HIKARU, Huto, takera, and Noi just this year alongside a grand finales at KOWLOON #4, if his current streak is what defines his year, he is likely to become the best Puff. Momentum is difficult to keep in Japan, but Senra has already proven that he is a top player and is able to push the character far.
Florida’s Hungrybox has truly done it in Ultimate, becoming the first Melee player to be ranked in Ultimate since Leffen in 2019. I almost didn’t believe this as the true option at first but alas, cross comparing him and Arika, I came to this conclusion. His win quality of recent is quite diverse such as Bassmage, T3 Dom, and MPg. As expected he struggles with consistency, but with him not even having Ultimate as his main focus, still being top 5 in Melee, AND having one of the largest streams right now? Yeah he doesn’t need to prove anything more, Hungrybox truly is one of the gods of Smash.
Next article will be on the Melee cast which will be slightly longer than this one (14 characters vs the 12 here). If you disagree feel free to comment it in the twitter or reddit thread as finding playing, especially a third one for some, was challenging. All the players here deserve recognition for staying strong in a game with so much competition, it is absurdly difficult to stay consistent in this meta. Next article will be on the Chubu region in Japan, slated next week, with the Melee cast likely releasing in 2 weeks.
Ultimate Iceberg
Writing/Production/Graphics: Swidd
Editing: SelfDestructGambit (@thethiefoflight) and Alice
