Best Smash Bros Players – Top 5 Smash Ultimate and Melee Players

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Smash Bros has one of the longest histories in esports, spanning multiple titles and hundreds of competitors who have risen to the top of the game. The best Smash Bros players are a step beyond though. These are the Smash Bros players who have marked themselves out as the most skilled and talented in the title and as some of the very best players in competitive fighting games as a whole.

These are the best Smash Bros players in 2025. The players who stand out in both Melee and Ultimate as the top contenders for the year ahead.

Top 5 Best Smash Bros Ultimate Players

Smash Ultimate rankings are a little easier to think about than Melee. There isn’t the heft of history and retired players weighing it down. However, these picks for the best Smash Bros players are weighted towards recent events, the top players in the game right now.

1. Sparg0

Sparg0 made a name for himself online in Smash for Wii U as one of the best Cloud players. In Ultimate, he was once ranked as the #1 online player. However, during the Covid-19 online tournaments, he made the jump to a powerhouse at big events proper and became one of the best Smash Bros players.

Since 2021, he’s broken out to become one of the most promising players in the scene. He won tons of majors between 2022 and 2021, even taking wins off other names in the best Smash Ultimate players. Sparg0 stepped away for personal reasons for the rest of 2022, but he’s come back and made it to the number 1 of the rankings. In 2023, he won a lot. He took 1st at Watch the Throne 2023, one of the biggest tournaments for Smash last year. In 2025 he’s got off a strong start too winning Luminosity Makes BIG Moves. He’s had an amazing run and may end up going down as the best Smash Bros Ultimate player.

2. Acola

Acola is a player who has shot up the rankings for best Smash players. It was only in 2022 that he really started to make appearances outside of locals. Pretty quickly though, he won his first Kagaribi tournament and was catapulted to the top tier of Smash Bros. This year, he’s won more major events and is now ranked as the best Japanese player and possibly the best overall. He got 2nd in the UltRank earlier in 2023 before making the very top spot by the year’s end.

Acola has won tons of events in recent years, including numerous Japanese tournaments and a Smash Ultimate Summit. He’s definitely the strongest Steve player at the moment. In 2025 he already has a major win under his belt.

3. Miya

Miya is another Japanese Smash player. While Acola is the best Steve player, Miya dominates where it comes to Game and Watch. He was the first player to win a major with the character and was continued to push them forward. Although, like a few others he does use Steve too sometimes.Miya has been in competition for the top spot on the rankings for quite a while. However, in 2024 he made one big leap forward. He won 12 majors, which breaks the record set by MKleo. While he’s only third in the list of best Smash Bros players, Miya could easily rise to first. He’s one of the most consistently skilled players.

4. Light

Light is a Fox main who has been climbing up the rankings since Smash 4 Wii U. In recent years on Ultimate, he’s become one of the best Smash players. Across last year he had some great results like winning Shine 2023 and LVL UP Expo.

The player has had an impressive journey to the top flight of Smash. In 2019 tournaments he got great results and showed a lot of promise. By 2021, as the in-person events returned, Light began a run with much stronger consistency and placements. He’s taken routine 1st and 2nd finishes for the bulk of 2022’s tournaments. In 2023 he continued that and jumped to the highest level. Now in 025, he’s sitting in the top 5. He’s got here through some impressive recent achievements like winning the Livitational 3 and Wavelength 2024.

5. Sonix

Sonix is a player with one of the most impressive story. The Sonic main shot to prominence in recent years, taking the character from obscurity to the top of Smash Ultimate rankings. In 2023, he’s cemented his position as one of the best active players. He won tons of tournaments on the rise up in 2023, but stepped up as we went into the next year.

At the Coinbox IRL Sonix took first place at an impressive final. After coming back from the lower bracket, he forced a full reset before taking Spargo 3-1. Taking on one of the best players like this is a big accomplishment and it helped cement Sonix as one of the players competing for that top spot.

Sonix has proven just about any character can be a top-tier one in the right hands. Since he rose to the top using Sonic, he’s continued to improve.

Read also: Le'Veon Bell wants to run the biggest Smash Bros Tournament 

The Best Smash Melee Players

When ranking the best Smash Melee players, it’s a little more difficult to come to a conclusive rank on since this is such a longer-running competitive fighting games. There are players who aren’t as prominent in the community anymore, but their standing as one of legendary players in the game is hard to dispute. We’ll be focusing on the best Smash Bros players in 2025 though, it’s not an all-time best list. This means that some legendary players aren’t included, but these are the top Melee players as we start this year.

1. Zain

Zain absolutely dominated Smash Bros in recent years. The player rose to the top of the pack for Melee in 2022, following up on strong previous years. Zain held the top rank in multiple ranking systems for the best Smash Bros players in that year. 2023 began with some pullback from Zain, but he’s been back on top through 2024 and 2025.

Zain definitely deserves his spot at the top of the rankings. He hasn’t managed the mass of Major wins that he got in previous years lately. However, he’s had a very solid run of 2nd places. This with his history in the game has kept him on top of the rankings for the best Fortnite players.

2. Cody Schwab

iBDW, or Cody Schwab as he’s now known, is an easy pick for one of the best Smash Melee players. He got 4th in the SSBMRank in 2022, and after improving in 2023 and 2024, he’s now risen up to second.

He’s only the second player to win two consecutive Smash Summits and had an amazing run of results in 2023 and 24. He’s recently won events like Beak Bonk 2025, Boulder Melee, and Afterburner. If he can keep the momentum up he might grasp the number 1 in the world ranking this year.

3. Mango

Mango is one of the older or more legendary players to still be active in Melee. Despite being one of the all-time greats in the game, he’s actually still pretty much on top of the playing field. Even including huge major wins in recent years. He’s had the longest run in the top 10 of Melee. While we’re not focusing on older Legends here, Mango manages to do both.

In recent tournaments, he’s performed well. Mango has taken 4th at Genesis X2, 1st at Supernova 2024, and a host of high placement finishes. He might not be as consistent as he used to be, but Mango is still on top of the game as one of the best Smash players.

4. moky

Moky is a Canadian melee player, he’s been around in the game nearly 10 years. Playing primarily ox. The player has been on a real run recently though. Winning his first big major at Don’t Park on the Grass in 2024.

Since then, he’s kept it up. Coming in third at the Nounsvitational, just losing out to Zain. He has the potential to keep it up winning majors too. He’s a more recent entry to the best Smash Bros players but could make it even higher.

5. aMSa

aMSa is a Japanese Melee player with one of the most impressive runs in recent history. He broke all kinds of new ground in 2023. Since he won a major with Yoshi he’s been on fire, repeating the feet loads of times. He’s risen to hit the second-place rank on SSBM Rank 2022 but did drop a bit over 23. Hr’s still putting in the performances to remain in the highest few players across the years.

aMSa’s had great momentum since he pushed Yoshi to the top of the game. The novelty of seeing that dinosaur dominating at Majors might have worn off, but the player has stuck around and proven he’s more than a one-trick pony.

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