How many characters are in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate?

Much of the hype surrounding Super Smash Bros. Ultimate concerns the huge number of characters available in the game. The team at Nintendo kicked off an advertising campaign stating that "everyone is here," and they meant it. Not only does every single fighter from past Smash Bros. releases make an appearance in the new game, nearly a dozen new characters have also been introduced. So how many characters are in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate total? Read on to find out.

How many characters are in Smash Ultimate?

There are a total of 74 different characters featured in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Of that number, 63 are fighters returning from previous games in the series, while 11 of them are totally new to the Super Smash Bros. franchise. The new characters include:

Chrom from the Fire Emblem series
Dark Samus from the Metroid series
Incineroar from the Pokemon series
Inklings from the Splatoon series
Isabelle from the Animal Crossing series
Ken Masters from Street Fighter series
King K. Rool from the Donkey Kong series
Princess Daisy from the Super Mario series
Richter Belmont from the Castlevania series
Ridley from the Metroid series
Simon Belmont from the Castlevania series

Players dropping into the latest Nintendo Switch brawler will quickly notice that the game only has eight characters available from the start. The remaining 66 characters can be unlocked by playing through the game's various modes. One of the most popular ways to unlock new characters is to go for Classic Mode unlocks, which allow players to dictate the next character that will be unlocked by completing the mode using a specific character.

Nintendo has previously revealed that all-new characters will be introduced into the game as downloadable content in the coming months. The first DLC character will be Joker from Persona 5, who will mark the first of five new characters to land in Smash Ultimate as part of the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters Pass.

Unlocking each of the 74 available characters is one of the most entertaining pursuits in Nintendo's latest Switch brawling release. To learn more about the new Smash Bros. entry, including the hottest news and in-depth character unlock guides, be sure to head over to Shacknews' Super Smash Bros. Ultimate walkthrough and guide.