Smash Community Crowns An Unexpected Character As Its Best

Because Super Smash Bros. Ultimate offers one of the most expansive rosters in the fighting game genre, the game’s community is always debating tier lists. The addition of Xenoblade Chronicles 2‘s Pyra and Mythra took the total character count to 79, and with the rest of Fighters Pass 2, Smash Ultimate should have 81 unique fighters to choose from by the end of 2021. But which of these gaming all-stars are considered the best by the competitive Smash Ultimate community?

Every time Nintendo updates its platform fighter, professional Smashers publish tier lists of what character they believe reigns supreme. These rankings are always highly subjective, so Smash Bros. content creator Sage put together a community-voted tier list. More than 21,000 gamers participated and ranked Smash Ultimate‘s roster in five categories based on how strong they’re believed to be in a competitive setting. In the end, they crowned an unexpected character as the best.

A majority of participants named Lucina from Fire Emblem as the best character in Smash Ultimate, which comes as a surprise to anyone who keeps up with pro tier lists. The sword-wielder has always been considered a solid character choice since she was released in Smash 4. She has been ranked as “high tier” for her entire Smash Bros. career due to her excellent attack range, strong recovery, and above-average movement stats, but she’s rarely been considered the best of the best. So what does the Smash Ultimate community see in Lucina that the pros don’t?

Smash Ultimate Community Crowns Lucina As The Best Character

The Fire Emblem protagonist has long been seen as one of the most well-rounded fighters in Smash Bros. The number-one ranked Smash Ultimate player Leonardo “MKLeo” López Pérez once said, “[She’s] everything you want in a character, [but] she’s the worst of the best.” So what exactly did he mean by this?

Compared to other top-rated characters in Smash Bros. Ultimate, like Joker, Wario, and Pikachu, Lucina lacks an X-Factor that pro Smasher can abuse. For example, Joker and Wario both have devastating comeback mechanics that dictate the pace of matches, while Pikachu dominates off-stage play with his quick aerials and stellar recovery. Lucina, on the other hand, is all about walling off opponents with her sword, which can be a winning strategy but is less overpowering than, say, Joker’s Arsene meter that he can use to come back from a deficit or snowball to a victory.

Even though she lacks the oomph that other highly-ranked Smash fighters tout, Lucina is among one of the simplest characters to pick up and understand. She rewards solid, fundamental play and doesn’t require that much in-depth knowledge of her moves to get the most out of her. It’s likely her ease of use and no-frills gameplay that landed her at the top of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate‘s community tier list.

Source: SageAndyy/Twitter