Auniverse (also referred to as afranchise, and officially known as aseries) is a term used by theSmash Bros. community to refer to the collections of particularcharacters,stages,items,music, and other elements that originate from, or are at least inspired by, pre-existing intellectual properties.

Primary universes[edit]

These are the video game series and franchises that theSuper Smash Bros. games classify as major enough that they assign each franchise its own uniquesymbol that appears with characters and stages belonging to that franchise. These franchises generally have characters, stages, items, and other properties that all appear inSmash Bros. games as part of their primary content. However, the minimum requirement for a symbol is to contribute one stage or one character to the games (witha single exception). Universes that only contribute a stage, with the sole exception ofAnimal Crossing inBrawl, do not get a separate universe listing in thetrophies pages and their items andspirits are not tagged with their symbol (for example, theGolden Hammer is listed as aMario item and theRocket Belt is listed under "Others").

TheSuper Smash Bros. universe: The "default" universe, this represents theSmash Bros. games themselves and accompanies all appearances of characters and stages that are thematically original to the fighting games themselves. Many original characters have been introduced here, but none thus far have been actually playable, with most serving as enemies and bosses in single-player content. The universe symbol seen here is also used as a "placeholder" by the games to indicate a minor universe without its own symbol untilUltimate, where an ellipsis is used instead. InSuper Smash Bros. 4, theSuper Smash Bros. universe gets its own character representation by the customizableMii Brawler, Mii Swordfighter, and Mii Gunner.
TheMario universe: Also referred to as theSuper Mario Bros. or simply theSuper Mario series.Nintendo's flagship video game franchise and one of the most iconic franchises in all of fiction, mostly focusing on the efforts of its eponymous hero to save the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom from the evil Koopa Troop. The protagonist of this multi-genre series,Mario (the mascot of Nintendo who appears on all major Nintendo systems), is a primary playable character in theSmash Bros. games, and has been accompanied by his courageous yet easily-startled brotherLuigi (both sinceSmash 64), his puzzle game alter-egoDr. Mario (Melee and fromSmash 4 onwards), the reigning Mushroom Kingdom princess,Peach (sinceMelee), the villainous king of theKoopasBowser (sinceMelee), his mischievous sonBowser Jr. (Smash 4 andUltimate) (who also has the sevenKoopalings join him in the form ofalternate costumes), the cosmic guardianRosalina along with her childLuma (Smash 4 andUltimate), the princess of Sarasaland usually seen in sports games,Daisy (Ultimate), and one of the many expendable Koopa Troop goons littering the Mushroom Kingdom,Piranha Plant (Ultimate, albeit as DLC) as playable characters.Brawl also started to treatMario Kart as a partially separate universe,containingthreestages anda collectionof musictracks, though it still uses the mainMarioseries symbol.
TheYoshi universe: Also referred to as theYoshi's Island series. Known as being an even more laid-back and light-hearted subset of the already-child-friendlyMario series starring a race of long-tongued dinosaurs with the ability to encase their enemies in eggs and transform into vehicles, best known for their appearances inMario titles, it was initially conceived as a series of falling-block puzzle games, but was launched into popularity by the platforming titleSuper Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, a prequel where a tribe ofYoshis befriend and rescue the infant forms of Mario and Luigi with a pastel color scheme and crayon art style - later games would downplay Mario's involvement and instead emphasize more literal arts & crafts aesthetics alongside easier levels aimed at younger audiences, though Bowser would continue to appear, usually as a baby himself under the eye of Kamek. The Yoshis are the sole fighter of this series in theSuper Smash Bros. games, with the default costume in all games being a green Yoshi, the most recognisable Yoshi color that is typically assigned to the "leader" Yoshi, including the "main" Yoshi character featured inMario games.
TheDonkey Kong universe: A franchise which theMario series was partially spun-off from. Started in the form of a series of single-screen platformer games chronicling the rivalry between the titularDonkey Kong and his owner Mario from both perspectives, it was revitalized under the direction of British companyRare Ltd. in the 1990's, now focusing on the adventures of a new, younger clan of Kongs, led by a descendant of the original DK, alongside their animal steeds and a variety of adversaries, chief among them the reptilians known as the Kremlings. Rare's incarnation of Donkey Kong has been a playableSmash Bros. character throughout the entire series, while his younger "wannabe nephew" friendDiddy Kong has been playable sinceBrawl. InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, the leader of the Kremlings and arch-nemesis to the Kong family,King K. Rool, joined the roster as a playable newcomer in his original king attire.
The Legend of Zelda universe: A critically-acclaimed series of high fantasy action-adventure games known for their heavy emphasis on exploration, puzzle-solving, and use of items, portraying several reincarnations of its main characters across multiple time periods, art styles, and timelines, primarily the young Hylian heroLink, the eponymous princessZelda (sinceMelee), and the demonic warlock/kingGanondorf (sinceMelee). These three, as well as Zelda's ninja-like alter-egoSheik fromOcarina of Time (sinceMelee), and two child versions of Link (Toon Link fromThe Wind Waker sinceBrawl, andYoung Link fromOcarina of Time andMajora's Mask inMelee andUltimate) are playable characters.
TheMetroid universe: An atmospheric science fiction series in either the side-scrolling platforming or first-person shooting adventure genres, with an emphasis on exploration and the acquisition of new items and powers, once considered Nintendo's third biggest ongoing IP prior to the successes of franchises such asPokémon,Kirby, and Nintendo's brief tenure withTetris. The series' formerly silent protagonist, bounty hunterSamus Aran clad in a versatile power suit (as well as without it in an alternative guise namedZero Suit Samus), is the primary playable character. InBrawl, another character from the universe appeared as a boss in the form of the sociopathic and fully-sapient space dragonRidley, and later asMeta Ridley. InSmash 4, Ridley appears as a stage boss in the Wii U version. However inUltimate, Ridley finally becomes a playable fighter alongside Meta Ridley. Also inUltimate,Dark Samus (the bounty hunter's arch-rival from, and a mutated form of the namesake for, theMetroid Prime series) joins the fray, being promoted from anAssist Trophy.
TheKirby universe: A colorful platformer series aimed at beginners in gaming, with its signature mechanic being the ability of its titular character - a brave, baby-like star warrior who travels the galaxy to make friends and fight dark forces - to inhale his enemies and copy their powers. The franchise was created and initially designed byMasahiro Sakurai prior to and alongside his directorial involvement in hisSmash Bros. series, and also developed by formerSmash developers,HAL Laboratory. The titular pink spherical heroKirby (sinceSmash 64), his menacing but friendly rivalMeta Knight (sinceBrawl), and the reformed yet greedyKing Dedede (sinceBrawl) have all been featured as playable characters.
TheStar Fox universe: A series of rail shooter games that got their start as among the first games to popularize 3D polygonal graphics in the 4th generation of gaming. All the games' characters are anthropomorphic animals who travel through and fight in a variety of planets within the Lylat System. The de facto leader of the "Star Fox" teamFox McCloud has been playable for the entire series. Ace wing manFalco Lombardi was added to the list inMelee and has been in every game since.Wolf O'Donnell, Fox's rival and leader of the mercenary group "Star Wolf", has been playable inBrawl andUltimate.
ThePokémon universe: Short for, and known in Japan as,Pocket Monsters. One of the most lucrative media franchises worldwide, this multi-genre franchise emphasizes handheld role-playing games that focus on the catching, training, battling, and trading of at least 1,025 distinctive species of creatures called Pokémon with different powers, personalities, habitats, and weaknesses. Playable characters consist of electric mouse mascotPikachu (sinceSmash 64) and its younger formPichu (Melee andUltimate), the hypnotic pink balloonJigglypuff (sinceSmash 64), the genetically-engineered psychic feline-like Legendary PokémonMewtwo (Melee andSmash 4 onwards), the jackal-likeAura PokémonLucario (sinceBrawl), a genericPokémon Trainer (Brawl andUltimate) who commands his three Pokémon (The water-spitting turtle hatchlingSquirtle, the amphibious grass typeIvysaur, and the fire-breathing "secondary mascot" dragonCharizard, although Charizardreappears by itself inSmash 4) from the background to do battle in the foreground, the speedy ninja frogGreninja (Smash 4 andUltimate) and the pro-wrestler wildcat,Incineroar (Ultimate).
TheF-Zero universe: A futuristic racing game series featuring anti-gravity racing machines that zoom at extremely fast and intense speeds, with gameplay emphasizing speed boosts, cornering, and physically ramming each other's machines to lower life meters. The superhero-like bounty hunterCaptain Falcon serves as the most recognizable racer and "mascot" of the series and is a playable character throughout theSuper Smash Bros. series.
TheEarthBound universe: Also referred to by its Japanese title, theMother series. A cult-classic postmodern take on role-playing conceived byShigesato Itoi, with three games featuring elements of satirical humor, surrealist imagery, and heavy pathos. It focuses on a rotating cast of groups, always led by a child with some form of psychic powers, who travel across the world to save it from destruction. The protagonists of the second and third games,EarthBound's chosen-one prodigyNess (sinceSmash 64) andMother 3's trauma-overcoming heroLucas (sinceBrawl) respectively, have been playable as characters.
TheIce Climber universe: A classic NES game focusing on a pair of parka-clad mallet-wielding explorers named Popo and Nana as they infinitely scale platformed mountains to retrieve stolen vegetables from aCondor. TheIce Climbers, interpreted as children, feature together as one playable character inMelee,Brawl, andUltimate.
TheFire Emblem universe: A long-running series of tactical role-playing games set in sword-and-sorcery medieval fantasy settings and portrayed with numerous anime character designs and tropes. Formerly a series released only in Japan, it gained enough popularity in its appearance inSuper Smash Bros. Melee that the franchise turned international from that point on. The rotating main heroes from the various installments in the series, includingMarth fromShadow Dragon and the Blade of Light andMystery of the Emblem (sinceMelee),Roy fromThe Binding Blade (Melee,Smash 4 andUltimate), andIke fromPath of Radiance andRadiant Dawn (sinceBrawl) have been featured as playable characters. InSuper Smash Bros. 4,Lucina andRobin fromAwakening were added as fighters from this universe, withCorrin fromFates eventually joining them asdownloadable content. InUltimate,Chrom fromAwakening became a playable character, whileByleth fromThree Houses would join as DLC.
TheGame & Watch universe: One of Nintendo's earliest digital products, a series of calculator-esque LCD handheld dedicated consoles with internal clocks, which contained score-attack games either based on generic tropes such as paramedics rescuing people from a burning house and a chef cooking sausages in a kitchen; or utilizing abstract versions of characters from Nintendo's arcade and NES games as well as popular cartoons such asPeanuts andPopeye. A previously unnamed black-and-white character in several of the generic games has been featured as a playable character under the nameMr. Game & Watch sinceMelee.
TheKid Icarus universe: A classic NES vertical side-scroller heavily based on Greek mythology under a more comedic and light-hearted tone. It tells the story of a young angel knight namedPit as he battles to save the goddessPalutena from the Underworld forces of the evil Medusa. Pit appears with a major graphical redesign as a playable character inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl onwards, leading to the series to be revived byMasahiro Sakurai with the release ofKid Icarus: Uprising, with Palutena andDark Pit making their debuts as playable characters inSmash 4.
TheWario universe: Alternatively referred to as theWarioWare universe or theWarioWare, Inc. universe, this spin-off of theMario franchise stars Mario's violent, slobbish anti-hero counterpartWario as he indulges his greed in search of fame and riches, either through treasure hunting in theWario Land platformer franchise, or by making his friends develop video games for him for dubious amounts of pay in theWarioWare microgame compilation franchise. Wario himself is the sole playable representative for the franchise, with his moveset, default costume, and most of his other content being based primarily onWarioWare.
ThePikmin universe: A real-time strategy game series that started on the GameCube, where the player must explore a planet to find and collect resources, with the assistance and use of the titular carrot-like creatures, thePikmin, while either avoiding or battling a variety of unnerving creatures depending on how many Pikmin are at their disposal. The main character,Captain Olimar, and the Pikmin cameo as separate, collectible trophies inMelee. The five different Pikmin types, red, blue, yellow, purple, and white, along with Captain Olimar, are combined into a playable character known asPikmin & Olimar inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl andSuper Smash Bros. 4.Alph, the protagonist ofPikmin 3, appears as a playable character inSmash 4 andUltimate as four of Olimar'spalette swaps.
TheR.O.B. universe: Also known as theRobot universe. It's based around the NES accessory named Robotic Operating Buddy, orR.O.B. for short, which was compatible with only two official games:Gyromite andStack-Up. It was created to allow Nintendo a place in the North American toy market after the infamous market crash of 1983 that made the region's retailers lose faith in video games, allowing them to market the NES as a toy and opening the gates for their eventual successes. Its main contribution toSmash is the playable fighter, R.O.B., who has been playable sinceBrawl, and played a major role in its story mode. R.O.B.'s depiction inSmash is based almost entirely on the hardware itself, with the software supported by the robot only being represented by a music track - as a result of this,R.O.B. is the only franchise with a playable fighter not to have ever had a stage inSmash.
TheAnimal Crossing universe: A series of cheery, stress-free life simulation games where the player's avatar lives in a woodland town featuring anthropomorphic animals as the town's residents and neighbors, some games having the player as a mere resident while others give the player some level of authority. It was introduced to theSmash Bros. franchise inMelee, with three trophies (K.K. Slider, Tom Nook, andMr. Resetti). InBrawl,Animal Crossing was more prominent, with an item, an assist trophy, many stickers and trophies, and an induction into major universe status with theSmashville stage. InSmash 4, it became even more prominent, with aVillager added as a playable character, as well asIsabelle tagging along as anAssist Trophy, who would later become a playable character inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.
TheWii Fit universe: A lucrative fitness-oriented series that makes use of theWii Balance Board for the player to perform various exercises and minigames. The tutor for the yoga lessons in the game, theWii Fit Trainer, was introduced as a playable character inSuper Smash Bros. 4.
ThePunch-Out!! universe: A series of boxing-themed puzzle games, best known for its eccentric cast of rival boxers themed on ethnic stereotypes, as well as the NES title's cross-promotion with legendary real-world boxer Mike Tyson. The main character of the NES and Wii games,Little Mac, appears inBrawl as anAssist Trophy and as a playable character inSmash 4 andUltimate.
TheXenoblade Chronicles universe: A JRPG series created byMonolith Soft as a spiritual successor to theirXeno titles, with a combat system styled after MMOs.Shulk, the protagonist ofXenoblade Chronicles, wields the Monado, a unique sword, in the battle against the mysterious "Mechon" enemies. He appears as a playable character inSmash 4 andUltimate.Pyra &Mythra, the two halves of the all-powerful Aegis sword fromXenoblade Chronicles 2, officially joined the series as the first-ever 2-in-1 DLC fighter combo inUltimate.
TheDuck Hunt universe: A classic NES title using the Zapper light gun peripheral that has the player shooting ducks and clay pigeons, based on a toy produced by Nintendo a decade prior, and granted a legendary status in retro gaming mythos thanks to being bundled with all NES systems in North America, the region where the system was most popular. Thegiggling scent hound and one of the many ducks appear as a single playable character inSuper Smash Bros. 4 andUltimate, having patched up their relationship since the 1980s[1]. Two other games that use the NES Zapper,Hogan's Alley andWild Gunman, are listed as part of this universe.
TheSplatoon universe: A series of competitive third-person shooter games,Splatoon follows the adventures and battles of two races of evolved sea creatures known as the Inklings and Octolings, both in their friendly Turf War competitions through multiplayer mode, and in their efforts to rescue the Great Zapfish from their most hated enemies, theOctarians, through single player story lines. TheInkling made their debut inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate as a playable newcomer alongside theSquid Sisters as a new Assist Trophy.
TheARMS universe: A motion-controlled fighting game released on the Nintendo Switch about a group of colorful characters with extendable, spring-shaped arms who all compete in a tournament. One of the playable characters,Min Min joinedUltimate as DLC. Prior to Min Min's debut as a fighter, the game's mascots,Spring Man andRibbon Girl, appeared as Mii Fighter costumes in the base game ofUltimate, with Spring Man also appearing as an assist Trophy, as well asNinjara,Twintelle, and Min Min herself appearing as spirits.
TheMetal Gear universe: Also referred to as theMetal Gear Solid series. The first third-party franchise to make itsSuper Smash Bros. debut, belonging toKonami. A series of stealth and espionage shooting games set in an apocalyptic future of real-world Earth where nuclear deterrence and various philosophical, political, and moral issues relating to war are dealt with as social commentary. The series' main star,Solid Snake, is a playable character inBrawl andUltimate.
TheSonic the Hedgehog universe:SEGA's primary franchise in Western territories, corporate mascot worldwide, and a longtime rival franchise toNintendo'sMario in the years before SEGA became a software developer for Nintendo and other companies. Primarily a series of platformer games known for its focus on running at high speeds and set in a world of anthropomorphic animals, it centers on the adventures of the eponymous character,Sonic the Hedgehog, as he stops the evil schemes of his archnemesis, Dr. Eggman, alongside his multi-colored friends, with stories of varying tones and stakes. Sonic became a playable character fromBrawl onwards due to high demand.
TheMega Man universe: A long-running series belonging toCapcom, set in a futuristic world where robotics are highly advanced and spanning at least five different series, taking place in multiple continuities, genres, and eras, the main concept for each one being the robotic protagonist fighting themed robotic enemies and taking their powers. The protagonist of the "Classic" series, the eponymousMega Man, debuted as a playable character inSuper Smash Bros. 4.
ThePac-Man universe:Bandai Namco's long-running and historically significant franchise about a yellow, spherical, perpetually hungry creature namedPac-Man, and his many adventures in Pac-Land, warding off evil ghosts and protecting his family, primarily in simplistic maze games, but also having spawned popular platforming spin-offs. While not the first of either,Pac-Man is notable for being an early and highly successful example of a video game marketed to women and a video game featuring a named on-screen character, in addition to being the first video game known to feature a power-up mechanic. The eponymous character appears as a playable character inSmash 4 andUltimate, accompanied by characters and elements from other Namco arcade games.
TheStreet Fighter universe: This long-running, genre-defining fighting game series developed byCapcom tells the many stories of combatants out to prove themselves as the greatest fighter on the planet. This franchise was the first-ever new DLC franchise inSuper Smash Bros. via the introduction of the wandering World Warrior,Ryu, inSmash 4. InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, his rival and best friend,Ken Masters also joins the roster.
TheFinal Fantasy universe: One of the most critically acclaimed and long-running RPG series of all time belonging toSquare Enix. It tells the stories and legends surrounding a rotating group of heroes who go out on an epic quest to stop supernatural evil forces from taking over their world.Cloud Strife, the main hero of the most popular entry of the franchise,Final Fantasy VII, debuted as a new DLC character inSmash 4. InUltimate, Cloud returned as an unlockable character in the base game, along with his nemesisSephiroth joining as DLC.
TheBayonetta universe: An action and combo-oriented third-party franchise fromSEGA, this series tells a rather dark, twisted, and deadly tale about an ancient war between angels and demons in a modern world of fear and deception and the story about an angel hunter who sets off to find her lost memories of her past and rid herself of the war once and for all. The lead eponymous character,Bayonetta first appeared inSmash 4 as a result of her popularity in thefighter ballot. The firstBayonetta title was released on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but later installments have been published by and exclusive to Nintendo for the sake of drawing adult gamers to their platforms.
TheCastlevania universe: One ofKonami's most critically-acclaimed franchises in its long, storied history, this series spans a saga through the millennia of the legendary Belmont clan who swore a never-ending curse to destroy the evil that is the dreaded Count Dracula until the end of time. InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, this is the first new third-party franchise withSimon andRichter Belmont debuting as newcomers.
ThePersona universe: Originally a spin-off of theShin Megami Tensei franchise, this isAtlus's long-running series of turn-based RPGs set in Modern Day Japan and various metaphysical realities, where the groups of main characters are able to control manifestations of their souls and will, the titular Personas. LikeFire Emblem andFinal Fantasy, games are their own individual stories with elements and recurring themes shared between them, though unlike them, they are set in the same world.Joker, the main character fromPersona 5 appears inUltimate as the first member of the DLC Fighters Pass.
TheDragon Quest universe: The second franchise hailing fromSquare Enix, and one of the most influential series in all of video games, defining many of the aspects followed by future series of its genre. This RPG series follows various groups of nobody castaways on an epic quest to slay monstrous demons and evil, corrupt villains to prove themselves as true champions of justice. Despite being relatively niche in Western territories, it is a ubiquitous franchise in its home country, inspiring anime, a theme park, and a high amount of merchandise. InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, the protagonists fromDragon Quest XI,III,IV, andVIII make their debut as a single newcomer under the generic title ofHero.
TheBanjo-Kazooie universe: A cult-classic 3D platformer series developed byRare, where a bear and bird duo known asBanjo &Kazooie go up against the evil, malevolent witch Gruntilda, collecting puzzle pieces known as Jiggies and receiving help from a wide variety of supporting characters in a cartoon world filled with dry British humor. InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, the pair make theirSmash debut as a single playable fighter. TheBanjo-Kazooie series is notable for initially being a partially-owned Nintendo IP, until the acquisition of Rare byMicrosoft in 2002.
TheFatal Fury universe: One ofSNK's most prized fighting game franchises, the series tells the story about a man namedTerry Bogard and his brother Andy teaming up to take on the King of Fighters tournament to face off against Geese Howard, the crime lord who killed their adopted father, though the player is allowed to choose from a variety of characters. Terry makes hisSmash debut inUltimate as the fourth member of the DLC Fighters Pass. Despite being listed as theFatal Fury series in-game, this universe more properly represents SNK'sThe King of Fighters series, which is itself a crossover of many of SNK's properties.
TheMinecraft universe: The single best-selling video game of all time.Minecraft is a series about creation and survival while living alongside a variety of both real-world and fictional creatures (known as "mobs") in a randomly generated, cube-shaped sandbox world, though players are given the freedom to play the game in any variety of ways. Developed byMojang Studios, it is the first indie franchise to have a character inSmash, with the default avatar skin,Steve, making his debut inUltimate. His alternate costumes includeAlex,Zombie, andEnderman. Acquired byMicrosoft in 2014, Mojang Studios is the second Microsoft subsidiary with a character inSmash afterRare.
TheTekken universe: The famed 3D fighting series fromBandai Namco, known for being incredibly fast-paced and having significantly higher skill floors than other titles in the genre.Tekken centers on the King of Iron Fist Tournament in which a set of fighters are vying for control of the Mishima Zaibatsu corporation. One of these fighters isKazuya Mishima, the son of the CEO of Mishima ZaibatsuHeihachi Mishima, who seeks vengeance against his father. Kazuya makes his debut inUltimate.
TheKingdom Hearts universe: The beloved JRPG made as a crossover between variousSquare Enix andDisney properties, with a particular focus onFinal Fantasy and the Mickey Mouse universe.Kingdom Hearts follows the adventures of a young boy namedSora, who travels to different worlds, joined by the Disney characters Donald Duck and Goofy, to save Kingdom Hearts from the Heartless. Sora makes his highly anticipated debut inUltimate, having been the single highest voted character on the fighter ballot prior. BothFinal Fantasy characters who appear inSmash are additionally recurring characters inKingdom Hearts, with Sephiroth'sWinged Form having made its debut in theKingdom Hearts series.
TheNintendo DS universe: One of Nintendo's most successful products, being their best selling system at 154 million sales. A seventh-generation portable console known for its double screen and touch controls. This universe is represented by two stages namedPictoChat (Super Smash Bros. Brawl only) andPictoChat 2 (Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS andUltimate), both based around a built-in writing and scribbling message application meant for social interaction.
TheElectroplankton universe: A music creation tool for the Nintendo DS where the player uses the eponymous zooplankton to make compositions. A stage namedHanenbow is the main representation of this universe.
TheBalloon Fight universe: A classic NES game in which a balloon-propelled man flies through the air and pops the balloons of other enemies in a manner not unlike Williams Electronics'sJoust. A stage titledBalloon Fight inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS andUltimate is the main representation of the universe, though there were trophies, music, and items inMelee, as well as music anda stage hazard inBrawl prior.Balloon Fight is also referenced byVillager's Up Special,Balloon Trip.
TheNintendogs universe: A highly successful series of pet simulators that served as a killer app for the Nintendo DS, letting the player care for and play with puppies without worrying about aging or mortality, theLiving Room stage inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS serves as the main representation of this universe. The other representation is an Assist Trophy sinceBrawl,Nintendog, which changes breed with each installment.
TheMii universe: A collection of games that all feature customizable human characters known asMiis, introduced on the Nintendo Wii and featured on all major Nintendo consoles since, which the player can manipulate the facial features of to resemble friends, family, celebrities, fictional characters, or - with creative enough usage of the parts provided - animals or inanimate objects. While no characters or stages bear this universe's symbol,Mii Fighters get spirit match boosts from equipping the spirits of them, some of which come from series that are represented by stages with different symbols.
TheStreetPass Mii Plaza universe: A universe that consists of the various minigames and DLC expansions to the pre-installed game for theNintendo 3DS meant to encourage use of the social aspects of the system by having 3DS players' Miis visit each other's consoles and assist in a variety of simplistic games. A stage,Find Mii, inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS andUltimate is the main representation of this universe, based around the eponymous RPG featuring the player using StreetPass to collect Miis to save the player's Mii from ghosts and monsters.
TheTomodachi universe: A series made up of life simulation games featuring the player's Miis, known for utilizing robotic voices and featuring a lot of bizarre humor. TheTomodachi Life stage inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS andUltimate is the main and only representation of this universe.
TheWrecking Crew universe: A puzzle/platforming series starring Mario and Luigi as demolition workers, trying to destroy old buildings while avoiding Foreman Spike, Gotchawrenches, and the Eggplant Men. Though some of its assets are listed as belonging to theMario series, the game was given its own symbol for its stage inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U andUltimate.
ThePilotwings universe: A flight simulator series made up of games that allow the player to fly planes across unique environments. Besides a sticker inBrawl and a spirit inUltimate, the stagePilotwings inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U andUltimate, and theRocket Belt item inSmash 4 onwards are the only major representations of this universe.
TheWii Sports universe: An iconic series of casual sports games first created to demonstrate the Wii's motion-sensing capabilities, with later titles utilizing improvements made to motion sensors in later console hardware revisions or consoles. It received one music track inBrawl before receiving its own stage inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U andUltimate.
TheMiiverse universe: TheWii U's and3DS's now-defunctsocial network, where players could post about games they were playing or were interested in. It has one stage inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U.

Secondary universes[edit]

Ellipsis used in place of a symbol for spirits and music from series without a fighter inUltimate

These are the various franchises that have not been recognized as primary universes by anySmash Bros. game, and this is indicated by the fact these franchises do not carry their own universe symbols. As a general rule, such universes lack any playable characters or stages in the games, but if any of the following franchises contribute an item, Assist Trophy, music, or some other minor element to a givenSmash game, the game assigns the property and its respective franchise the defaultSmash Bros. universe symbol. This was changed inUltimate, where those universes received a new symbol to represent them in the form of an ellipsis. These universes contribute elements to the gameplay itself, i.e. Assist Trophies, enemies, items or attacks.

• Art Academy: A series of art training games released for the DSiWare, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, retail Wii U (Japan and PAL regions only), and Wii U eShop. The game also had spin-off crossovers with thePokémon series and The Walt Disney Company for the Nintendo 3DS calledPokémon Art Academy andDisney Art Academy, respectively. The player's art teacher,Vince, appears as an Assist Trophy inUltimate, as well as a trophy inSmash Wii U. A music track titledSwan Lesson appears inSmash Wii U, playing on theDuck Hunt stage.
• Bomberman: A series of maze games by Konami (formerly Hudson Soft before their merge with Konami) in which the main objective is to blow up the opponents by placing bombs.Bomberman, the main character of the series, appears inUltimate as an Assist Trophy and the basis for a DLC Mii Costume.
• Brain Age: A series of games, known in Europe asBrain Training, released for the Nintendo DS, 3DS, and Switch where the player is tasked with multiple logic games to test the speed of their brain activity. The host,Dr. Kawashima, appears as an Assist Trophy inSmash 4 andUltimate. There are two music tracks from the series.Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day, from the first game, plays on thePictoChat stage inBrawl andWii Fit Studio inSmash Wii U, whileMenu (Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day!), from the second game, also plays on theWii Fit Studio stage inSmash Wii U.
• Clu Clu Land: An NES game where the player must swing from poles around an underwater maze to uncover all of the invisible golden ingots in a level.Unira, the main enemies of the game, appear as an item sinceBrawl. The main character,Bubbles, appears as a trophy inMelee. A music track, calledClu Clu Land, plays on theSummit stage inBrawl and theDuck Hunt stage inSmash Wii U.
• Color TV-Game: A series of dedicated consoles released by Nintendo from 1977-1980, making it the oldest universe in the Super Smash Bros. series, older than Game & Watch. A representation ofColor TV-Game 15, a clone of Atari'sPong, appears as an Assist Trophy inSmash 4 andUltimate.
• Custom Robo: A series of action role-playing games, developed by Noise, in which the player battles opponents by using various toy robots with customizable parts.Ray Mk III, the main robot used by the main protagonist ofCustom Robo Arena, appears as an Assist Trophy inBrawl. Three robot combatants fromCustom Robo V2, Ray Mk II, Bayonette, and Annie, appear as trophies inMelee. Two shared trophies of several Custom Robos and Jameson & A.I.R.S., as well as a ton of stickers, appear inBrawl. Ray Mk III serves as the basis for a Mii Fighter costume inUltimate, along with Ray Mk II, Bayonette, and Flare appearing as Spirits.
• Devil World: APac-Man-like NES game where the player must go through a maze to defeat a blue devil, who will move the entire maze around to squish the player. The game is notable for being one of the few Miyamoto-designed games to never release in North America (only ever being localized in Europe), due to the game having heavy religious icons (such as crosses and Bibles), which went against Nintendo of America's policies. TheDevil from the game appears as anAssist Trophy sinceBrawl. Tamagon, the game's protagonist, appears as a trophy inMelee, though it is only obtainable in the Japanese version, as it cannot be obtained unless the game is hacked in the North American version, and it is completely absent from the PAL version. Tamagon returns as a sticker inBrawl and as a Spirit inUltimate. The title screen theme appears as part of theFamicom Medley music track inBrawl.
• Dig Dug: A classic arcade game series developed by Namco based around blowing up underground monsters with an air pump. The common enemy,Pooka, appears as a Smash Run enemy inSmash 3DS and as a cameo in Pac-Man's Namco Roulette taunt inSmash 4. The level start theme, main theme, and level complete jingle from the original arcade game all appear as a part of theNamco Arcade '80s Retro Medley 1 music track.
• Dillon's Rolling Western: A western-style action/tower defense series, developed by Vanpool, set in a world of anthropomorphic animals in which the titular character must defend various villages from a group of rock monsters called "Grocks". The first two installments were released exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS eShop. A third game, titledDillon's Dead-Heat Breakers, has a post-apocalyptic setting instead and was released as a physical Nintendo 3DS game (though it is still a Nintendo eShop exclusive in North America). The main character,Dillon, appears as an Assist Trophy inSmash 4 andUltimate. A music track titledDillon's Rolling Western: The Last Ranger, from the second game of the same name, appears inSmash Wii U, playing on thePilotwings stage. A second music track,Frontier Battle, fromDead-Heat Breakers, appears inUltimate, with Dillon and Russ, Dillon's partner, being Spirits.
• Drill Dozer: An action-puzzle platformer game released for the Game Boy Advance, developed by Game Freak, that followsJill, a schoolgirl who replaces her severely injured father in a bandit gang called "The Red Dozers", who must advance through several levels by using her titular machine in order to retrieve the Red Diamond from a rival gang called "The Skullkers". Jill, along with her Drill Dozer, appears as an Assist Trophy inBrawl. Two stickers of Jill (one in her Drill Dozer and the other outside of it), as well as a sticker of Grutch, appear inBrawl.
• Excite: A series of racing games that had its start as a motorcycle racing game on the NES, before venturing into other vehicles, such as monster trucks inExcite Truck and robotic animals inExcitebots: Trick Racing. A depiction of amotorcyclist racer appears an an Assist Trophy and a sticker inBrawl, as well as a trophy inMelee andSmash 4. A trophy of the Boulder monster truck fromExcite Truck, as well as stickers of it and the Wolf, Firefly, and Rad monster trucks, appear inBrawl. The title theme fromExcitebike appears as part of theFamicom Medley inBrawl, in addition to a music track calledExcite Truck, which plays on theMario Circuit stage in bothBrawl andSmash Wii U.
• Fatal Frame: A series of horror games involving taking photos of ghosts.Yuri Kozukata, the central protagonist ofFatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, appears as an Assist Trophy inUltimate. Mio and Mayu Amakura fromFatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly share a trophy inSmash Wii U, while Maya from the augmented reality-based spin-offSpirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir has a trophy inSmash 3DS. Mio and Maya Amakura both return as a shared Spirit inUltimate.
• Galaxian: A series of famous fixed shooters developed byNamco that revolves around the player in a spaceship who must shoot all of the enemies of an alien swarm. TheBoss Galaga fromGalaga appears as an item sinceSmash 4.
• Golden Sun: A series of fantasy RPGs developed by Camelot Software Planning and thematically based on the four classical elements. The first game's silent protagonist, the young Earth-based warriorIsaac, appears as an Assist Trophy inBrawl andUltimate. A music track calledBattle Scene / Final Boss (Golden Sun), based on two battle themes from the second game,Golden Sun: The Lost Age, appears inBrawl andSmash Wii U, playing on theNorfair stage. An additional music track,Weyard fromGolden Sun: Dark Dawn, appears inSmash Wii U, playing on thePalutena's Temple stage. Several characters from the series appear as Spirits inUltimate.
• GoldenEye: A series of first-person shooter games based on the 17th installment of theJames Bond film series. The 1997 game, developed byRare for the Nintendo 64, helped popularize the FPS genre, and was so popular that many following007 games would base themselves on the movie despite its increasing age. The design of theMotion-Sensor Bomb inSmash 64 and western releases ofMelee is based on the Proximity Mine from the Nintendo 64 title.James Bond is the only franchise from outside of video games to have major representation in Smash.
• Jam with the Band: A series of music games that features a variety of music, ranging from video game music to singles released from various artists to songs from TV shows or movies. The series also lets the player create their own custom music. The series is released mostly in Japan only, though the second installment was released in Europe.Barbara the Bat, the manager of the store in the series, appears as an Assist Trophy inBrawl, where she plays her guitar that sends out damaging shockwaves. Barbara has not reprised her role sinceBrawl, but has appeared as a trophy inSmash 3DS and a Spirit inUltimate. A music track calledPERFORMANCE from the second game appears inSmash Wii U, playing on theGamer stage.
• Joy Mech Fight: A Japan-exclusive fighting game released for the Famicom in 1993 which features limbless robots fighting each other.Sukapon, the main robot from the game, appears inUltimate as an Assist Trophy, as well as a Sticker inBrawl. A snippet of the menu theme appears in theFamicom Medley music track inBrawl.
• Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru (Translated as "For the Frog the Bell Tolls"): A Japan-exclusive Game Boy title in which the main character must save the Princess Tiramisu from the evil King Delarin, who has invaded the Mille-Feuille Kingdom. The unnamed main character, theSablé Prince, appears as an Assist Trophy inSmash 4 andUltimate. Sablé Prince has previously appeared in theSmash Bros. series as a sticker inBrawl, whom which he shares with the frog versions of Prince Richard and Jam the thief.
• Kururin: A series of puzzle games, developed by Eighting, in which a titular young bird must navigate through tight stages with his helicopter-like vehicle in order to find his lost family members, having to make sure his helicopter blades don't clash with the walls of the stages. TheHelirin, the vehicle used by Kururin, appears as an Assist Trophy inBrawl, as well as a trophy inMelee (mistranslated as "Heririn"). Kururin, the main protagonist, appears as a sticker inBrawl, along with a sticker of Helibokaan, in which the later appears as part of a shared trophy of several Helirins called "Action Helirins" inBrawl.
• Monster Hunter: A widely popular series of action role-playing games by Capcom in which the player must hunt several monsters of various sizes and species. TheRathalos appears as anAssist Trophy inUltimate, as well as a boss character. Two Mii Fighter costumes based on aMonster Hunter (one based on the Hunter's Armor Set and the other based on the Rathalos Armor Set) appear as DLC inSmash 4 andUltimate, with a Mii hat based onFelyne also in the latter.
• Nintendo Badge Arcade: An app for the Nintendo 3DS eShop where the player can earn various badges for their Home Menu by playing a claw crane game, which the player usually needs to pay real-life currency in order to play. TheArcade Bunny appears inUltimate as an Assist Trophy.
• Nintendo Wars: A series of light-hearted war strategy games, developed by Intelligent Systems, similar toFire Emblem (another series developed by Intelligent Systems) in which the player takes control of an army and must strategize in order to defeat the opposing army.Various soldiers and tanks from the series appear as anAssist Trophy inBrawl andSmash 4. The three main Commanding Officers (Andy, Max, and Sami) from the first three games, as well asDual Strike protagonists Jake and Rachel, and Black Hole CO Hawke, appear as stickers inBrawl.
• Panel de Pon: A long running series of puzzle games, developed by Intelligent Systems, in which the puzzles must be lined up in order to get a score, which getting a high enough score can cause the player to give their opponent unwanted "garbage blocks". The series only saw a western release after rebranding with other Nintendo mascots, such asYoshi orPokémon, typically under the namePuzzle League. The protagonist of the first game,Lip and her series has referenced several times in theSmash series sinceMelee from her garbage block in one of Kirby's randomStone transformations and her staff (also used by her counterpart inNintendo Puzzle Collection "Furil"),Lip's Stick. Stickers of Furil, Pure, Sala, and Cecil fromNintendo Puzzle Collection appear inBrawl (all of whom are mistranslated as Lip, Ruby, Seren, and Elias respectively, their counterparts in the original). The titular puzzle pieces of the series, Panel also appears as a sticker, which has been referred to as Blocks within localizations of the series afterTetris Attack. A remix ofLip's Theme appears as a music track on thePictoChat stage inBrawl andWrecking Crew inSmash Wii U. Lip appears inUltimate as a Spirit and the basis for a Mii Fighter costume.
• Perfect Dark: A series of sci-fi stealth-based FPS games developed by former second-party Nintendo developer,Rare. The Motion-Sensor Bomb (only in Japanese versions) andCloaking Device, featured as items, were listed as based on this series inMelee, though they are considered generic in localized versions.
• Rhythm Heaven: A series of music games, known in Europe asRhythm Paradise, from the same team behind theWarioWare series where the player must tap along to the rhythm of a song while quirky situations play. A character from one of the games "Sneaky Spirit" appears as a Smash Run enemy inSmash 3DS. A trophy of Karate Joe and a shared trophy of the Chorus Kids appear inSuper 3DS, while a shared trophy of Marshal, Miss Ribbon, and Cam, as well as a shared trophy of the Wrestler & Reporter fromFever, appear inSmash Wii U. Two songs,Blue Birds fromRhythm Heaven andMonkey Watch fromFever, appear as DLC music tracks, both playing on theMiiverse stage. Several characters throughout the series appear as Spirits inUltimate.
• Sheriff: A 1979 arcade game sometimes known asBandido. The titular character, Mr. Jack, must defend a kidnapped woman named Betty from a group of bandits. The titularSheriff appears as an Assist Trophy in his sprite form inSmash 4 andUltimate. The titular sheriff and three enemy sprites share a trophy inMelee.
• Shovel Knight: An independently-developed platformer series developed by Yacht Club Games that pays homage to classic NES games, where the player controls a variety of themed knight characters in a fantastical medieval world. The titular character,Shovel Knight, appears as anAssist Trophy inUltimate.
• SimCity: A series of city simulation games by Maxis (now owned by Electronic Arts) in which the player can freely build their own city.Dr. Wright, the assistant from the SNES adaptation, appears as anAssist Trophy sinceBrawl. He also also appears as a trophy inMelee.
• Sin and Punishment: A series of rail-shooters, developed by Treasure, in which a group of gunners must save the planet from various threats.Saki Amamiya, the main character of the first installment, appears as anAssist Trophy inBrawl andSmash 4. InUltimate, Saki does not return as an Assist Trophy, but appears as a Spirit and the basis for a Mii Fighter costume.
• Steel Diver: A series of submarine simulation games for the Nintendo 3DS, co-developed by Vitei, in which the player controls a submarine to partake in various missions. An item calledSteel Diver, based on one of the playable submarines in the first game, the Blue Shark, appears inSmash 4 andUltimate.
• Swapnote: An app formerly available on the Nintendo 3DS eShop in which the player could draw pictures to send as messages to friends, known in Europe asNintendo Letter Box. The game later got a spiritual successor called "Swapdoodle".Nikki, the host of both games, appears as anAssist Trophy inUltimate.
• The Legendary Starfy: A series of platform games, developed by TOSE, in which the titular character must traverse through various levels, many of them taking place underwater.Starfy appears as anAssist Trophy sinceBrawl. Starfy appears as a trophy inBrawl, in addition to several stickers. Starfy returns as a Spirit inUltimate alongside multiple other characters.
• The Mysterious Murasame Castle: A formerly Japan-exclusive game released exclusively for the Famicom Disk System, in which a young samurai must save a castle in Edo Japan from an evil alien creature.Takamaru, the main character, appears as an Assist Trophy inSmash 4 andUltimate, as well as a sticker inBrawl. A music track titledDouchuumen (Nazo no Murasamejo) plays on theMario Bros. stage inBrawl. An additional music track, titledThe Mysterious Murasame Castle Medley, appears inSmash 4, playing as a Smash Run track inSmash 3DS and on theDuck Hunt inSmash Wii U.
• Virtua Fighter: A long-running series of fighting games from Sega, notable for inventing the 3D fighting game.Akira Yuki, the main protagonist of the series, as he appears in the first Virtua Fighter game, appears as an Assist Trophy inUltimate and is referenced byBayonetta's forward throw attack. Akira, as well as Jacky Bryant as he appears in more recent games, both serve as the basis for two DLC Mii Costumes inSmash 4.
• Xevious: An arcade game produced by Namco in which the player must defeat an alien group from the titular planet. Bacuras appear as indestructible foes in Smash Run. Both the Salvalou and Andor Genesis appear as cameos in Pac-Man'sNamco Roulettetaunt, though the latter does not appear in the 3DS version.

Minor universes[edit]

Main article:List of minor universes

Many other series are represented in smaller forms, such as moveset elements,background characters,trophies,stickers,spirits, music,Mii Costumes, or "dependent" universes that tie in to major universes but are not represented themselves.

Trivia[edit]

• Platformers are the only genre to receive a new major universe in everySuper Smash Bros. game.
  • Theoriginal introducedMario,Donkey Kong,Yoshi,Metroid, andKirby.
  • Super Smash Bros. Melee addedIce Climber.
  • Super Smash Bros. Brawl addedKid Icarus andSonic the Hedgehog.
  • Super Smash Bros. 4 addedMega Man.
  • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate addedCastlevania andBanjo-Kazooie.
• There are currently 40 major universes in total with at least one playable character, 25 of which are first-party and 15 of which are third-party.
• F-Zero andYoshi are the only universes to only have one single fighter throughout the entireSmash series.
• In theSound test menu inBrawl andUltimate,Mario andMario Kart are treated as two separate universes. Despite the distinction, both use the same Mushroom series symbol.
• The oldest universe currently represented in theSmash series isColor TV-Game, which debuted in 1977, while the newest in the series isSakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, which debuted in 2020.

References[edit]

• Universes