Perceived skill level

Throughout all Smash games, there is a very clear link between certain characters that carry an ill reputation. This link presents itself in tournament play, when a particular character may be seen as easier to play due to their game plan or move set, and even happens across different games.



This is an issue that exists in both casual and competitive environments, as characters and the players who play them are often chastised for their choices, even if they lose their matches. This kind of character hatred also has roots in match up based frustration, which will be examined later in this piece.



One of the best examples of a character who fell into this section very quickly was Little Mac at the beginning of Smash Wii U's life cycle. The stigma against Mac got so bad that it even warranted



With time, however, people began to see that while the match up had to be approached a certain way, it was by no means as devastating as they believed. There are still people who despise the character this way, but it isn't as community-based as it was before.



Throughout all Smash games, there is a very clear link between certain characters that carry an ill reputation. This link presents itself in tournament play, when a particular character may be seen as easier to play due to their game plan or move set, and even happens across different games.This is an issue that exists in both casual and competitive environments, as characters and the players who play them are often chastised for their choices, even if they lose their matches. This kind of character hatred also has roots in match up based frustration, which will be examined later in this piece.One of the best examples of a character who fell into this section very quickly was Little Mac at the beginning of Smash Wii U's life cycle. The stigma against Mac got so bad that it even warranted serious media coverage , and gave people deep concerns about the character and whether he was too strong, especially for what seemed to be a "brain-dead" character.With time, however, people began to see that while the match up had to be approached a certain way, it was by no means as devastating as they believed. There are still people who despise the character this way, but it isn't as community-based as it was before.

Changing the way we play

Another major influence into hating a character comes from the actual match up, and that the character forces an opponent to think of the game differently during their fight. This is a major aspect of tournament play, but even in that environment, can still produce plenty of stigma and ill atmosphere.



In Smash for Wii U, Bayonetta and Rosalina would easily fall into this category, requiring players to adapt to the match up and how that character plays from the beginning. There are many infamous examples of a Rosalina getting grabbed, only to KO the person who grabbed her by using Luma, like



One of the most famous current examples of this category would be Jigglypuff in Melee, spearheaded by Liquid|Hungrybox. In an interview last year with



Jigglypuff forces a normally lightning fast game to slow down and be played with even more precision than is normally required, while also being considered easier to play because the character requires less technical prowess compared to the likes of Fox.



As we can see, different categories for character stigma can easily overlap, shedding light on how embracing one negative view of a character can lead to many more. But if we can acknowledge these views, what can they do to help us grow as players?



Another major influence into hating a character comes from the actual match up, and that the character forces an opponent to think of the game differently during their fight. This is a major aspect of tournament play, but even in that environment, can still produce plenty of stigma and ill atmosphere.In Smash for Wii U, Bayonetta and Rosalina would easily fall into this category, requiring players to adapt to the match up and how that character plays from the beginning. There are many infamous examples of a Rosalina getting grabbed, only to KO the person who grabbed her by using Luma, like this gem from NEC 2016.One of the most famous current examples of this category would be Jigglypuff in Melee, spearheaded by Liquid|Hungrybox. In an interview last year with Red Bull eSports , he stated, “I believe around 2008, I would start getting third place at locals over and over. People didn't like that at all [...] There’s a huge stigma against Puff. I’ve had Florida crowds cheer against me at nationals."Jigglypuff forces a normally lightning fast game to slow down and be played with even more precision than is normally required, while also being considered easier to play because the character requires less technical prowess compared to the likes of Fox.As we can see, different categories for character stigma can easily overlap, shedding light on how embracing one negative view of a character can lead to many more. But if we can acknowledge these views, what can they do to help us grow as players?