Smash Ultimate ยท Full Breakdown

Every Smash Ultimate Balance Suggestion

Bring every fighter into roughly the same competitive tier without making them lose their identity or the things that make them fun to play.

Proposed changes 236
Buffs 95
Nerfs 139
Characters covered 84

Suggestions written against the July 15th, 2026 patch-note landscape. The roster is walked from bottom to top using a competitive-scene tier list (Ult Rank 2026).

Below is every character grouped by tier, with a one-line summary of what each proposal is trying to do. Follow any name for the full structured breakdown: the move or ability affected, the proposed adjustment, the issue it targets, and the stated reasoning.

Low Tier

Low Tier โ€” Give Them More To Work With

Buff a handful of moves that currently do little for the character's kit so they have more options in combat, and improve several recoveries so low tiers are not losing stocks as cheaply. Not every suggestion needs to be implemented.

  • Ganondorf Mixed 3 changes

    Give Ganondorf a real way back to the stage and a little protection against being poked to death, without touching what makes him terrifying when he connects.

  • Little Mac Buffs 5 changes

    Little Mac could use more options on the ground alongside a better recovery and a combo breaker.

  • Simon & Richter Buffs 7 changes

    Speeding up several of the Belmonts' melee moves helps them once an opponent has closed the distance, while an air stall on the axe gives them a defensive option offstage that leads back into a recovery.

  • Villager Buffs 7 changes

    Villager could use more reward for landing aerials and a better combo game.

  • King Dedede Buffs 4 changes

    These changes should help Dedede actually go for his more powerful moves during a fight.

  • King K. Rool Buffs 6 changes

    The goal is to stop King K. Rool from being punished quite so hard every time he misses an attack.

  • Ike Buffs 5 changes

    Ike needs a better recovery and a way out of combos, plus some faster combo tools of his own.

  • Dr. Mario Buffs 2 changes

    Dr. Mario already has solid combos and kill moves. His recovery is what costs him stocks, so he gets an air stall like Mario's and better movement out of his down special.

  • Marth Buffs 1 change

    Marth often misses tipper swings even with good spacing, so a slightly larger overall sword hitbox should let his tippers land more consistently.

  • Zelda Buffs 3 changes

    Zelda's combo moves are slow and her smash attacks have short range, so these changes make both more effective.

  • Mewtwo Buffs 1 change

    Mewtwo has good combos and air mobility but is often knocked out of attacks by hits that land nowhere near his body, so his tail should stop launching him.

  • Mii Swordfighter Mixed 8 changes

    Mii Swordfighter has several moves that do not do much for them in a fight, along with limited combo potential, so those moves get better numbers.

Mid Tier

Mid Tier โ€” One Buff, One Nerf

Each mid-tier character receives a buff and a nerf: shave off the most unfair part of the kit while lessening the character's biggest weakness.

  • Piranha Plant Mixed 2 changes

    A steerable poison cloud forces opponents to keep repositioning, paid for with a little less power on up smash.

  • Kirby Mixed 2 changes

    Forward smash is quite fast and quite strong for what it is, while Kirby's neutral air could be doing more work as a combo move.

  • Incineroar Mixed 2 changes

    Incineroar leans on side special far too hard in neutral, but taking that away means he needs another way to approach.

  • Bowser Mixed 2 changes

    Bowser gets a lot of free damage from a well positioned flame breath, but he also needs an easier way out of combos.

  • Link Mixed 2 changes

    Link could use a faster combo extender, paid for with a boomerang that is easier to see coming.

  • Chrom Mixed 2 changes

    Chrom is regularly hit out of his recovery, so it should grab the ledge more reliably. In exchange, one of his strongest combo moves gets slower.

  • Jigglypuff Mixed 2 changes

    Down tilt becomes a more reliable combo starter, while forward air stops chaining into itself quite so freely.

  • Lucario Mixed 2 changes

    Using side special in neutral rarely paid off, while down air was sometimes impossible to react to.

  • Bowser Jr. Mixed 2 changes

    Bowser Jr. is combo food, so he gets a faster defensive option โ€” but his up air should stop producing inescapable strings.

  • Banjo & Kazooie Mixed 2 changes

    The grenade gets used constantly, so reaching for it should carry a little more risk. A faster forward air gives them a better combo finisher in return.

  • Ridley Mixed 2 changes

    Ridley needs some way to escape combos, and his dash attack closes out stocks a little too simply.

  • Robin Mixed 2 changes

    Robin could use a more reliable aerial combo tool, while opponents should not be stuck inside Arc Fire for quite so long.

  • Wii Fit Trainer Mixed 2 changes

    Deep Breathing can build a big lead on a character who already hits hard, so its damage buff comes down. Neutral air combos become more consistent in exchange.

  • Lucas Mixed 2 changes

    Lucas leans on PK Fire to keep opponents away, so recasting it should be slower โ€” with a better neutral tool in back air to make up for it.

  • Mii Gunner Mixed 6 changes

    Several of Mii Gunner's moves are either too risky to throw out or serve no purpose, while neutral air covers so much space that it needs more risk attached.

  • Isabelle Mixed 2 changes

    Isabelle throws out a lot of forward airs to zone, while forward tilt is a little too risky to reach for.

  • Duck Hunt Mixed 2 changes

    Trick Shot sits on the field with no risk attached to putting it there, while the dash attack is slow for the archetype and goes unused.

  • Sephiroth Mixed 2 changes

    Sephiroth does not have many close-range options, so down tilt gets safer โ€” while an up smash that covers that much air gets riskier.

  • Meta Knight Mixed 2 changes

    Landing neutral special should let Meta Knight act sooner, while up air stops looping into itself quite so many times.

  • Byleth Mixed 2 changes

    Up special lands strong combos too readily, so hitting it should take more precise timing. Down tilt gets fast enough to be worth using.

  • Sheik Mixed 2 changes

    Sheik has plenty of burst options and not enough kill power, so forward smash hits harder while the dash attack slows down.

  • Ness Mixed 2 changes

    PK Fire is low risk for high reward, so it gets laggier โ€” and Ness gets a faster dash attack as compensation.

  • Inkling Mixed 2 changes

    The dash grab connects far too often thanks to its shifting animation, while up smash almost never catches a landing.

  • Pichu Mixed 2 changes

    Pichu converts grabs into early kills with no chance to DI out, while up tilt is less reliable than the rest of the kit.

  • Donkey Kong Mixed 2 changes

    Donkey Kong struggles to get back to the stage, so his up special moves faster. Down tilt, already a strong low-commitment combo starter, comes out later.

  • Ice Climbers Mixed 2 changes

    Up air is a fast aerial that combos reliably, so it comes out later. Neutral air, which is worse at comboing, gets less end lag.

  • Rosalina & Luma Mixed 2 changes

    Losing Luma near the ledge is far too cheap, so Rosalina gets a way to call it back. Star Bits, a strong disruption tool, comes out later.

  • Pit & Dark Pit Mixed 2 changes

    Neutral air is close to unreactable while forward tilt is too easy to avoid.

  • Young Link Mixed 2 changes

    Landing an arrow leads straight into solid combos, so arrows come out slower โ€” while forward tilt becomes a better combo tool.

  • Toon Link Mixed 2 changes

    Boomerang combos become harder to time, while down tilt becomes a better combo starter.

  • Pac-Man Mixed 2 changes

    Forward air combos into itself repeatedly while a projectile lingers on screen, but Pac-Man can now rush in more reliably.

  • Zero Suit Samus Mixed 2 changes

    Up special has a small hitbox and does not take stocks, so it goes back to its old start up. Zair, a fast spacing and combo tool, slows down.

  • Ken Mixed 2 changes

    A 20 damage down smash that is fast and combos is doing too much, while Ken struggles to get safely back to the ledge.

  • Lucina Mixed 2 changes

    Forward smash has strong kill power, good range and a fast start up all at once. Up smash is hard to land, so going for it should be less punishing.

  • Squirtle Mixed 2 changes

    Up air leads into too much for how well it lands in neutral, while side special pays out almost nothing when it connects.

  • Ivysaur Mixed 2 changes

    Up air pairs strong knockback with a good hitbox, so it comes out slower โ€” and down tilt picks up the slack as a combo starter.

  • Charizard Mixed 2 changes

    Neutral air has a big hitbox, a fast start up and combo ability all at once. Down tilt has none of that, so it gets faster.

  • Terry Mixed 2 changes

    Terry's back special makes him very hard to punish offstage, while his only projectile is a niche edgeguard tool that should reach like other projectiles do.

High Tier

High Tier โ€” Trim The Oppressive Tools

Nerf around three moves per character that are too oppressive inside an already strong kit. Not every suggestion needs to be implemented.

  • Greninja Nerfs 3 changes

    Greninja has a lot of combos and a solid combo starter, so each of the moves doing that work becomes a little less effective at it.

  • Captain Falcon Nerfs 3 changes

    Falcon combos heavily off up air and converts into a sweet-spot forward air for early kills, while up special takes stocks from the side too readily.

  • Shulk Nerfs 3 changes

    Monado Speed makes Shulk hard to catch and hard to avoid at the same time, while forward air and up tilt are both doing more than their risk warrants.

  • Falco Nerfs 2 changes

    Up tilt gets used repeatedly in quick succession for easy combos, and both of Falco's main aerials combo into themselves multiple times.

  • Corrin Nerfs 3 changes

    Side special is a ranged burst option that can kill, and both of Corrin's key aerials combo into themselves with good range on top.

  • Ryu Nerfs 3 changes

    The input Hadoken is excellent in neutral while also dealing real damage and comboing, and โ€” like Ken โ€” down smash is fast and hits hard.

  • Cloud Nerfs 3 changes

    Up smash has range and speed, up special gets Cloud out of trouble for free, and dash attack kills reliably as a burst option.

  • Sora Nerfs 3 changes

    Side special is unreactable as Sora dashes through the air, and both multi-hit aerials cover so much with their follow-ups that starting them should carry risk.

  • Mega Man Nerfs 3 changes

    Leaf Shield is hard to escape even when Mega Man is positioned badly, back air is close to unreactable in neutral, and up tilt kills reliably behind a wall of projectiles.

  • Mii Brawler Mixed 6 changes

    Several of Brawler's alternate specials go unused because they are unreliable next to the viable ones, so their frame data improves โ€” while the tools carrying his neutral and his early kills get toned down.

  • Wolf Nerfs 3 changes

    Forward air, down tilt and neutral air are all low-risk moves that lead somewhere good, so each of them takes on more commitment.

  • Mario Nerfs 3 changes

    Up air ladders to the blast zone with down air as the finisher, and down tilt is the safe neutral tool that starts the whole sequence.

  • Bayonetta Nerfs 3 changes

    Up special and side special chain into side special repeatedly, and up tilt is the fast hitbox that reliably starts it.

  • Hero Nerfs 3 changes

    Hero's most powerful spells are cheap and low risk, so the speed and damage buffs plus the free recovery spell all cost more.

  • Roy Nerfs 3 changes

    Forward air and jab land quick combos whether or not Roy hits the sweet spot, and back air is a reliable kill move that those combos feed into.

  • Wario Nerfs 3 changes

    Neutral air lingers a long time across several hitboxes, up tilt combos into itself, and dash attack is a fast, strong kill option that also finishes combos.

  • Olimar Nerfs 2 changes

    Olimar is rarely punished for throwing Pikmin around or for losing them, so he should have to balance throwing them away against keeping them for close range.

  • Pikachu Nerfs 3 changes

    Pikachu's aerials are fast enough to produce inescapable combos, and up tilt is the safe move that keeps landing them.

  • Palutena Nerfs 3 changes

    Neutral air loops into itself and lingers, neutral special can be used back to back to wall off approaches, and dash attack is both a fast combo starter and a way to block attacks.

  • Samus & Dark Samus Nerfs 3 changes

    Charge Shot gets held to bait opponents and cash out combos, up special lands far too often for its speed, and forward air is fast, strong and lingering at once.

  • Joker Nerfs 3 changes

    Joker combos into a guaranteed-kill up smash, Rebel's Guard punishes any stray move, and up air both loops and feeds into smash attacks.

  • Fox Nerfs 3 changes

    Fox is known for speed and strong combos, but he also gets kill confirms straight out of those combo starters, so every kill move slows down.

  • Yoshi Nerfs 3 changes

    Up air combos into itself to the point of killing, up tilt is the quick hitbox that sets it up, and neutral air is a risk-free combo tool in neutral.

  • Peach & Daisy Nerfs 3 changes

    Peach stalls out matches by floating and waiting for opponents to come to her, and her turnip combos rely on recatching with no lag at all.

  • Luigi Nerfs 3 changes

    Down air and up air come out fast enough to drive long combos that end in a sweet-spot up special kill, so that finisher loses knockback.

  • Pyra & Mythra Nerfs 4 changes

    Two characters in one slot is what puts them in S tier, so each form receives two nerfs. Pyra's kill combos run through down air and down tilt into her many kill moves; Mythra has enough combo tools and kill power that a player could ignore Pyra entirely.

  • Diddy Kong Nerfs 3 changes

    Banana starts combos that reach all the way into kill moves, up smash is the main way those convert into stocks, and forward air racks up damage when the banana is not out.

  • Kazuya Nerfs 3 changes

    Kazuya is slow and does not have an amazing neutral, but a lot of his moves do heavy damage and combo very reliably, so the damage comes down rather than the frame data.

  • Min Min Nerfs 2 changes

    The Ram Ram arm is a very strong neutral tool โ€” fast, able to hit airborne opponents, and able to combo into the other arm โ€” and up smash has hitbox, speed and kill power all at once.

  • R.O.B. Nerfs 3 changes

    Down tilt is spammable with good range into grab combos, the gyro has no real cost when it disappears, and neutral air converts into early offstage kills.

  • Mr. Game & Watch Nerfs 3 changes

    Neutral air is hard to avoid and loops into itself, up special escapes punishes and extends combos from below, and forward air walls off both air and ground approaches.

  • Snake Nerfs 3 changes

    An instantly available grenade is very hard to play around, side special kills early offstage, and up tilt converts projectile pressure into a stock.

  • Sonic Nerfs 3 changes

    Spin Dash and Spin Charge outmanoeuvre practically the whole cast with no end lag while running, and both of Sonic's key aerials convert into combos or early kills.

  • Steve Nerfs 4 changes

    Blocks wall opponents off while Steve gathers resources or drags them into whichever directional combo kills fastest, and his upward and forward conversions kill at very low percents.

Where The Source Is Unclear

16 of the 84 entries contain something ambiguous, contradictory or incomplete in the original analysis. Those points are flagged on the relevant character page rather than resolved with a guess:

  • Ganondorf โ€” The up tilt entry is written as a statement of new frame data rather than an explicit buff or nerf, and the source does not give the move's current start up for comparison.
  • Simon & Richter โ€” The source spells this entry "simon/ricter"; it is read here as the Simon and Richter echo pair.
  • Mewtwo โ€” The source says "damage is halved" without stating whether this refers to damage Mewtwo takes on the tail hurtbox or to something else.
  • Piranha Plant โ€” The source writes "can now direction input its poison to move forward on caste" without naming the special input; it is read here as Poison Breath.
  • Link โ€” The source's rationale reads "while not having his boomerang being more reactable," which contradicts the change itself; the slower boomerang is read here as the intended nerf.
  • Chrom โ€” The source's rationale refers to "his side special" needing to snap to the ledge, while the change itself is written for up special. The up special reading is used here.
  • Bowser Jr. โ€” The source reads "Neutral air end start up reduced to frame 5-17," which is garbled; it is presented here as a frame 5 start with hitboxes running to frame 17.
  • Wii Fit Trainer โ€” The source reads "Neutral air will have 17 frames of decreased end lag," which could mean an end lag of 17 frames or a reduction of 17 frames. The wording is ambiguous.
  • Mii Gunner โ€” "Gunning missile will have 3 frames of end lag" is unusually low and the source does not say whether this is an absolute value or a reduction.
  • Byleth โ€” The source reads "Down tilt on byleth is used much due to its slow start up," which appears to be missing a negation โ€” the buff only makes sense if the move currently goes unused.
  • Sheik โ€” The source describes the dash attack change as making the move "a little slower," but the frame 7 figure given is not compared against the move's current start up.
  • Mega Man โ€” The source lists back air under nerfs but says it "should have a lower start up," which contradicts the stated problem of the move being unreactable. The intended direction is unclear.
  • Peach & Daisy โ€” The source states Peach's current float duration is 4 seconds, adding "despite what google says" โ€” the figure is the author's own and is flagged as disputed in the document itself.
  • Pyra & Mythra โ€” The source lists Pyra and Mythra under separate headings but gives them a single shared rationale; they are presented together here as one fighter slot.
  • Mr. Game & Watch โ€” The neutral air line in the source ends mid-sentence ("increased to frame 9 and."), so any further detail intended for that change is missing.
  • Steve โ€” The source's rationale also cites Steve's up tilt as having very low end lag, but no up tilt change is listed among the proposals.

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