[Smash Bros. SP] Characters whose evaluations were reversed in the final environment | Thorough explanation of tier changes and meta background

“Super Smash Bros. SPECIAL” has almost completed its official large-scale update in 2025, and is currently being played by many players as a “final balance environment”.
In such a mature environment, the reality is that characters are performing differently than past evaluations and evaluation changes are occurring due to tournament results and community research.

In this article, we will pick up characters whose evaluations were reversed in the final environment and explain the reasons for this based on the latest tier information and tournament trends.
*Smash Bros. SP is basically analyzed as “Smash Bros. Ultimate version (competitive environment)”. (esportsinsider.com)

Author: “Even now that the official balance adjustment for Super Smash Bros.

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1. Characters whose “ratings have increased”

・Snake

Although he was not one of the top characters in the past, he has become a character that is often ranked in the top S+ in the 2025-2026 tiers. (esportsinsider.com)

Reason:

• High control force in ground battle
• You can take over the stage with grenades and explosives
• Excellent recovery and anti-air performance

This is a typical example where ratings have jumped significantly due to an increase in usage examples by professional players.
Author: “In the past, there was an image that the character was difficult to master, but the more skilled the character, the more strategic value it can bring out.”

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・Luigi

In some tier lists, there is a tendency for Luigi to be rated from medium to A/A+ class. (esportsinsider.com)

Luigi is originally a character for intermediate to advanced players, but

• Powerful duck shots and combo crushing
• Easy to secure superiority on the ground
• High recovery ability

Strengths such as

have been reviewed and it has become a “character that is dependent on the environment and is easy to play an active role”.
Author: “Luigi is the type of character who “creates an advantage through his maneuvers,” and I get the impression that the more skilled the player is in the final environment, the more highly rated he is.”

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・Characters who rose to A+~A (examples)

In the TierPoll system and community vote, there are voices saying that Olimar, Cloud, Cornet, Roy, etc. are better than past evaluations. (esportsinsider.com)
These are not simple performance increases, but are cases where were evaluated because of advances in environmental research and understanding of strategies.

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2. Characters with noticeable “decrease in ratings”

・Mars

In some Tiers, it has been confirmed that Mars’s evaluation has dropped significantly from its past high evaluation. (findingdulcinea.com)

This character used to be highly rated, but now it’s in the final environment.

• Limited elongation
• Decrease in usage examples of top professionals

The ranking has been relatively lower due to a combination of factors.
Author: “Mars has traditionally been rated as a strong character, but there are some aspects where “compatibility barriers depending on the environment” have become obvious.”

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・Characters who stagnate in the lower ranks

Simon/Richter, Ganondorf, etc. have lower ratings fixed in multiple tiers. (esportsinsider.com)
These are not just simple performance issues.

• Weakness in combo continuity
• Running constraints
• Limited ability to respond

“Environmental disadvantages” such as

have become established as evaluation results.
Author: “As the environment matures, the number of characters who are unable to grasp situations that they are good at” tends to decline relatively.

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3. Why did the evaluation change? Factors unique to the final environment

(1) Impact of tournament performance

The tournament results of professional/competitive players greatly affect the tier.
For example, behind the rise in Snake’s reputation is his performance in past tournaments and improved recognition among players. (esportsinsider.com)

Author: “Characters who achieve results in tournaments are directly linked to the “expected value” of the entire community.”

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(2) Research progress of top players

Characters not only have strong skills, but also

• Anti-aircraft tactics
• Combination strategy
• Risk management

Evaluation will change depending on practice and research.
Part of the reason why Sonic and Steve are consistently highly rated is because player research is progressing. (game8.co)

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(3) As the environment matures, “potential” becomes apparent

Since the official patches for Super Smash Bros. SP have stopped, the environment is fixed and the same data accumulates.
This allows

• Character with strong basic performance
• Character with unexpected strengths
• Characters that were difficult to research

will affect the evaluation as a result.
Author: “When the environment becomes stable, the way research progresses” and the player’s ability to adapt become factors that create differences in character evaluation.”

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4. Guidelines for maneuvering in the final environment

In the final environment, it is not always possible to win just by character’s fixed evaluation.
Players who want to win should be aware of the following points:

• “Understand and master” higher-tier characters
• “Master your favorite character” within the tier range
• Analyze match data/tournament research

Author: “Character evaluation is one indicator, and in many cases, “skills, thinking, and maneuvering” have more decisive power in the end when it comes to winning rates.”

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Summary｜Evaluation reversal and current meta

Representative examples of characters whose evaluations have been reversed in the final environment of Super Smash Bros. SP are as follows:

Characters with increased ratings:

• ススークク（s+ (Luigi (Middle → Top) (esportsinsider.com)
• Olimar, Cloud, etc. are also on the rise in ratings (findingdulcinea.com)

Character whose rating decreased:

• Relative evaluation of historically high-ranking characters such as Marth has declined (findingdulcinea.com)
• Simon/Richter, Ganondorf, etc. are fixed at the bottom (esportsinsider.com)

Author: “In the final environment, understanding not only “which character is strong” but also “which character’s strategy and research is progressing” will greatly influence the winning rate.”