We initially did not seek to continue OrionRank into Ultimate, but after a bit of mulling it over – and with a TTS available to work with – we decided it would be fine to keep producing them, given we had the time & interest. Interest was something we lacked at the end of Smash 4, for hopefully obvious reasons, but Ultimate changed that and made a lot of people love postmelee Smash again.

Normally, we’d just to a top 50 or so for the halfway point of the year, but it was decided that we’d roll ahead with a top 100 for the first five months (and about mid-way into June) of Ultimate. As usual, this was announced by freeziebeatz on reddit and by myself on Twitter.

The focus of OrionRank has always been to be an independent ranking that uses materials we utilize to analyze the metagame (such as the TTS I will be linking) in order to shine a light on lesser known players or regions, hence the use of a top 100. There’s also our schedule for release – as we are avoiding competition with the PGR, we release at different times, allowing for player rankings during different periods that the official ranking.

Methodology/OrionStats TTS Link

EDIT: There was a miscommunication between Freeziebeatz & I regarding when the ranking period ended. I believed it was June 2nd and wrote this as such, but it was actually June 16th. The ranking was scored correctly but some writing has been edited due to my misunderstanding.

As with previous years, the ranking gives players values based on their average placements, and then scores them based on set records. Variation exists based on how stacked the event is, and an official list of events used is provided on the OrionStats TTS, for January 1st to June 15th. Any events before or after this period were not used.

Thus, the ranking is predominantly based on head to head records.

Terms like “major” or “supermajor” will pop up frequently, and these are directly referring to category 4 events (majors) and category 5 events (supermajors), while “national” is a simplified term for superregional, category 3 events. The TTS provides more detail, though the general idea is that category 5 are S-tier equivalents, category 4 are A-tier equivalents, and so forth, if we were to make comparisons to the PGR.

Since this TTS uses a different methodology from the PGR, there are significant differences, such as Prime Saga being a supermajor, Collision being a major, etc. This should be clear by now, but this ranking is not at all affiliated with the PGR, and not intended as a competitor. It typically releases at a different time that the PGR so as to avoid conflicts and often has its own quirks that separate it, such as the usage of a top 100 or different ranking periods.

There are a few things people may consider oddities on the rankings, but this can largely be explained by regional event influence being high this early in the game, as well as consistency being as major issue for many players ranked. This may improve by the December iteration, though looking at many independent/fan rankings, it seems inevitable that oddities will arise if the game continues to be as volatile as it is.

#51-100 Runthrough

100) DarkShad – Shulk/Wolf – Midwest

99) dyr – Joker/Inkling – Central Florida

98) Morpheus – Megaman – South Florida

97) Daybreak – Wolf – Midwest

96) Puppeh – Pokemon Trainer – MDVA

95) Daijoubu | Laid – Lucina – New England

94) LeoN – Bowser – Tristate

93) Magister – Incineroar – Pacific Northwest

92) Kome – Shulk – Kansai

91) PA | k9sbruce – Wolf – Southwest

90) Juice – Zero Suit Samus – Tristate

89) EMG | tamim – Bayonetta – Ontario

88) Strike – Fox – Prairie Canada

87) Wizzrobe – Wolf – Central Florida

86) YB – Dark Samus – Kanto

85) Kie – Peach/Ice Climbers – Kansai

84) mR eV | quiK – Samus/Zero Suit Samus – Germany

83) ven – Zelda – Southwest

82) HyperKirby – Roy – Atlantic Southeast

81) Awestin – Ness – North Texas

80) Javi – Lucina – CDMX

79) TSM | Leffen – Pokemon Trainer/Pichu/Roy – Sweden

78) Nicko – Shulk – SoCal

77) GEKI | ZAKI – King Dedede – Kansai

76) SV | Pelca – Snake – New England

75) NCG | Jw – Greninja – Ontario

74) UtopianRay – Palutena – Tristate

73) Fatality – Captain Falcon – Atlantic Southeast

72) akasa – Cloud – Kansai

71) SV | Maister – Mr. Game & Watch – CDMX

70) Armada | Ned – Pokemon Trainer – Midwest

69) Meme – Yoshi – Nuevo Laredo

68) BxA | Tachyon – Pichu – North Florida

67) DOG | Blank – Chrom – South Florida

66) BlazingPasta – Peach – Tristate

65) LingLing – Peach – New England

64) Armada | BestNess – Ness – Southwest

63) The Great Gonzales – Palutena – Tristate

62) T1 | Larry Lurr – Falco/Wolf – SoCal

61) Gomakenpi – Olimar – Midwest

60) Ri-ma – Toon Link – Kansai

59) Etsuji – Lucina – Kanto

58) KEN – Sonic – Kanto

57) Pandarian – Pokemon Trainer – Pacific Northwest

56) Frozen – Palutena – Tristate

55) Zinoto – Peach/Diddy Kong – Midwest

54) Big D – Ice Climbers – Pacific Northwest

53) SDX – Joker/Mewtwo – Tristate

52) Prodigy – Mario – NorCal

51) ImHip – Olimar – SoCal

While we don’t have write-ups for this large block of players, they stand as early pioneers of Ultimate’s metagames. Some have been consistent and just outside of the boundary needed to break top 50, some have a mixture of performances that may have simply dipped too low at points, while others are supported by one particularly energized run that could signal future successes.

YB and Wizzrobe are examples of the latter, while players like KEN and Maister are more on the inconsistent end of the spectrum. Some, like Awestin, merely lack major attendance to connect their incredible regional accomplishments to something definitively national in nature.

Lacking the ability to shout out every name here in detail, I can only congratulate all of these players, for being some of the best of their cities, states, or countries, and hope to see them at the end-of-year iteration of the ranking, where descriptions for all 100 players will be given.

50) Choco – 286.15

Main: Zero Suit Samus

Region: Kanto

Notable Placements:

9th – Umebura Japan Major 2019 | 7th – Umebura SP 3

Limited by a lack of attendance, Choco’s early results were a non-stateside example of Zero Suit Samus’s enduring relevance from Smash 4. He still stands as the best among a larger crowd of Japanese ZSS players, with the potential to go much farther with his current top 12 major peaks.

49) Ryuga – 287.4

Main: Ike

Region: Midwest

Notable Placements

9th – Frostbite 2019 | 17th – MomoCon 2019 | 33rd – Smash n Splash 5

After Ike’s position in Smash 4 became dire as the meta developed, Ryuga moved on to Corrin. However, the roles have flipped in Ultimate – with Ike seeing massive buffs and Corrin seeing the short end of the stick.

In Smash Ultimate, Ryuga capitalized on this with a particularly notable run at Frostbite 2019 that saw him taking down both MVD and Salem in winner’s bracket and additionally snagging sets on both Goblin and Captain L in losers, losing to Tweek and Shuton for an impressive 9th.

48) Blacktwins13 – 290.6

Main: Pichu

Region: Canada

Notable Placements:

49th – Frostbite 2019 | 25th – Smash n Splash 5 | 49th – Get On My Level

Ontario’s new champion has enjoyed dominance over his region, moving from Cloud in Smash 4 to a very powerful Pichu. While his major attendance is limited, his in-region dominance at many regional events was enough to push him into the top 50.

47) ZD – 293.5

Main: Fox

Region: MDVA

Notable Placements:

33rd – Genesis 6 | 25th – Frostbite 2019 | 33rd – Pound 2019 |

33rd – Smash n Splash 5 | 5th – Glitch 6

MD/VA’s breakout Fox had humble beginnings in Smash 4, but enjoyed a particularly hot streak in January and February of Ultimate, with a long list of top wins – peaking at Tweek – that all pile up and result in a top 50 finish. His results have tapered off somewhat, but he’s shown the ability to go incredibly far, so keep a lookout for ZD!

46) Tsu – 296.6

Main: Lucario/Joker/Mii Swordfighter

Region: Kanto

Notable Placements:

65th – Frostbite 2019 | 5th – Umebura Japan Major 2019 |

13th – Umebura SP 3

A player with a long and storied history in Smash 4, Tsu has returned to the fold in Ultimate. Still a Lucario main, Tsu has also dabbled in many secondaries and pockets that make his bracket runs unpredictable and exciting. A revitalized scene has been kind to Tsu, with his ranking jumping from Smash 4’s last year.

45) Raito – 298.7

Main: Duck Hunt

Region: Kanto

Notable Placements:

3rd – Umebura Japan Major 2019 | 65th – Sumabato SP 1 |

9th – Umebura SP 3 | 4th – Sumabato SP 4

Raito initially struggled to find his footing in Ultimate, a factor that may hold his true potential back on this ranking, but he nonetheless stands in the top 50 as a powerful example of a player adapting to character adjustments. Initially discarded by many, Raito stuck to his guns and continued to main Duck Hunt – he was eventually rewarded for this at events like Come to Papa 3 and Umebura Japan Major, which turned into unexpected breakouts for Raito.

44) Lui$ – 298.9

Main: Fox/Dr.Mario

Region: NorCal

Notable Placements:

33rd – Genesis 6 | 33rd – Frostbite 2019 | 33rd – 2GG: Prime Saga |

17th – Smash n Splash 5

One of NorCal’s greats, Lui$ had his career take off late in Smash 4. However, he’s seen early successes in Ultimate, including a peak run at Smash N’ Splash 5 that involved wins over Stroder & Captain L. This run at Smash N’ Splash warded off a series of 33rds and may signal bigger things to come from the Fox/Dr. Mario main.

43) 8BitMan – 312.6

Main: ROB

Region: Florida

Notable Placements:

17th – Genesis 6 | 65th – Frostbite 2019 | 25th – Smash n Splash 5 |

9th – Smash Conference United | 9th – Glitch 6

As Florida’s metagame has developed, a South Florida resident – 8BitMan – has become an example of Florida’s increasingly terrifying depth. Defying the often mediocre showings of R.O.B. mains from the prior title, 8BitMan stands as one of the character’s pioneers, and proves the robot’s viability in Ultimate with a string of solid major performances.

42) Umeki – 318.8

Main: Daisy

Region: Kanto

Notable Placements:

33rd – Genesis 6 | 17th – Frostbite 2019 | 25th – Umebura Japan Major 2019 |

17th – MomoCon 2019 | 9th – Umebura SP 3

A major figure in organizing Japanese events, the TO and Daisy main Umeki has seen heightened success in Smash Ultimate. While a major threat in the last year of Smash 4, Umeki turned up the dials with an unexpected win over MKLeo at Umebura Japan Major. Alongside this are various solid major performances, demonstrating Umeki as a fairly consistent Top 32 major threat.

41) MVG | ScAtt – 323.4

Main: Megaman/Snake

Region: Atlantic Southeast

Notable Placements:

49th – Frostbite 2019 | 25th – MomoCon 2019 | 9th – Smash n Splash 5 |

25th – Smash Conference United

Seeing a return to glory after a quiet last year in Smash 4, ScAtt has already made significant waves by defeating 2/3 of the best Snake players – Salem & MVD – as well as taking shots at other major Florida talents, most notably Myran.

40) Lea – 334.1

Main: Greninja

Region: Japan

Notable Placements:

9th – Frostbite 2019 | 25th – Umebura Japan Major | 5th – Umebura SP 3

Japan’s premier Greninja continues his streak of success in Ultimate, with his first international performance – much like in Smash 4 – being built on the back of a shocker upset on VoiD. At home, Lea is a persistent top 8 threat, only missing the mark once at Umebura Japan Major.

With Greninja more powerful than ever, Lea will likely remain a dangerous hidden boss that could remain underestimated due to his lower attendance numbers.

39) Suarez – 345.9

Main: Yoshi

Region: Tristate

Notable Placements:

25th – Frostbite 2019 | Pound 2019 – 25th | 17th – MomoCon 2019 |

9th – Collision 2019

One of many examples of Tristate depth on this list, Suarez is likely the most prominent player curing Yoshi’s long drought of relevance in Postmelee titles. His earliest success, a pre-January event, was an upset on Cosmos that immediately put him and Yoshi on the map.

In-season, though, Suarez has defeated Light and many Tristate threats, and retained a consistent series of placements at majors, never dropping below Top 32.

38) Salt One – 356.2

Main: Cloud/Roy

Region: Atlantic Southeast

Notable Placements:

49th – MomoCon 2019 | 2nd – Just Roll With It 11 |

5th – 2GG Grand Tour – South Carolina

Georgia’s current premier player and possibly the most dangerous active Cloud player, Salt One comes in at 38th with a heavy hand over his native state of Georgia, consistently performing well at regional events – winning many – and only seeming to drop at MomoCon 2019.

37) WaDi – 357.9

Main: ROB

Region: MDVA

Notable Placements:

25th – Genesis 6 | 33rd – Frostbite 2019 | 25th – 2GG Prime Saga |

9th – MomoCon 2019 | 7th – Glitch 6

Despite initial difficulties at GENESIS 6 and Frostbite, WaDi has a number of regional performances under his belt that keep him afloat as he positions himself to break further into brackets at major events. MomoCon may be a sign of things to come – at that event, he defeated MuteAce, Wrath, and Cosmos, only dropping sets to Marss and Samsora.

Notably, alongside him helping push R.O.B.’s metagame, WaDi also is currently an early pioneer of Wii Fit Trainer, a character many considered underrated and unrepresented.

36) Captain L – 376.9

Main: Pikachu/Pichu

Region: Pacific Northwest

Notable Placements:

33rd – Genesis 6 | 17th – Frostbite 2019 | 49th – 2GG Prime Saga |

25th – MomoCon 2019 | 25th – Smash n Splash 5 | 13th – GOML 2019

British Columbia’s Pikachu (and also Pichu) enthusiast has made a return in Ultimate, with persistent regional presence and a strong hand at majors that sees him frequently placing top 32. While beating a long list of regional talents during his major runs, Captain L also scored a win on WaDi at Frostbite 2019.

35) MuteAce – 378.1

Main: Peach

Region: South Florida

Notable Placements:

49th – Genesis 6 | 17th – Frostbite 2019 | 17th – Pound 2019 |

17th – MomoCon 2019 | 5th – Smash Conference United | 49th – GOML 2019

Kicking off his Ultimate career with a stunning set win on ZeRo, MuteAce would go on to be a fairly consistent top level threat and a representative of Peach’s newfound glory.

While all but two of his major runs can be described as solid, his peak was during the last weekend of the ranking period – an incredible event win at DreamHack Dallas 2019 from loser’s bracket with wins over top Texas talent like Awestin and ARMY, as well as a set on ESAM and two consecutive wins on ANTi.

34) Wishes – 381.45

Main: Pokemon Trainer/Joker

Region: Tristate

Notable Placements:

9th – Frostbite 2019 | 17th – Smash n Splash 5 | 33rd – Glitch 6 |

9th – Collision 2019

Going by many tags in the past, Wishes long seemed like a player with enormous potential based on his regional performances in New Jersey, a fairly strong region in Smash 4. In Ultimate, this potential exploded, heightening Pokemon Trainer’s peak with wins on Samsora, Fatality, and Tea at Frostbite 2019.

Currently, he is moving on to Joker, but his last significant outing as Pokemon Trainer saw him take an otherwise unstoppable MKLeo to Game 5 at Smash N’ Splash 5.

33) Gen – 383.1

Main: Palutena

Region: Tristate

Notable Placements:

49th – Frostbite 2019 | 33rd – Pound 2019 | 33rd – Smash n Splash 5 |

17th – Glitch 6 | 33rd – Collision 2019 | 13th – Get On My Level 2019

Yet another one of Tristate’s depth players, Gen’s most notable post-December run was Get On My Level 2019. After an early loss in winners to Raykushi, Gen proceeded to take out not only one of Mexico’s top threats – BigBoss – but ran through a number of top Canadian players in losers, including Blacktwins, before placing 13th after losing to Myran.

32) Mr.E – 399.8

Main: Lucina

Region: Tristate

Notable Placements:

33rd – Genesis 6 | 49th – Frostbite 2019 | 13th – 2GG Prime Saga |

13th – Pound 2019 | 25th – MomoCon 2019 | 13th – Smash n Splash 5

The third Tristate player in a row on this list, Mr E lands comfortably in the lower 30s due to good attendance & a string of solid performances at major events across North America. His current peak achievement is likely his positive record over Myran, snagging sets on him at both Smash N’ Splash 5 and 2GG: Prime Saga.

31) Abadango – 400

Main: Inkling/Palutena

Region: Kanto

Notable Placements:

25th – Genesis 6 | 25th – Frostbite 2019 | 13th – Umebura Japan Major 2019 | Sumabato SP 1 – 13th | Umebura SP 3 – 5th | Sumabato SP 4 – 13th

Abadango seemed to initially struggle greatly with Ultimate, but he found his way, with his North American stumbling blocks being fairly tame – 25ths at both GENESIS 6 and Frostbite 2019. Since then, he’s become a more persistent threat at events.

A man of many characters across the series, Abadango seems to have settled on Inkling, with a dash of Palutena, Wario, and Meta Knight.

30) ProtoBanham – 406.6

Main: Luicna/Inkling

Region: Kanto

Notable Placements:

2nd – Umebura Japan Major 2019 | 4th – Umebura SP 3

ProtoBanham was an obscure name in Smash 4 – a wifi warrior who once almost took KEN the distance in the Cloud matchup, one KEN notoriously dominated. In Smash Ultimate, we’ve seen him three times – a middling run at Umebura SP 2, and two insane, unexpected, lengthy runs at both Umebura SP 3 and Umebura Japan Major.

The latter in particular saw him taking a loss in Winner’s Quarters to Cosmos after beating Tsu. A Tsu win on its own would be impressive, but Proto would proceed to beat Choco, Ri-Ma, Tea, Cosmos, and Raito – his revenge set versus Cosmos particularly notable given how much he struggled in their first set.

Proto is likely held back from a significantly higher ranking due to his very low attendance numbers, but he will be at CEO. Watch out – he could go very far!

29) Goblin – 410.9

Main: Roy

Region: Central Florida

Notable Placements:

13th – Frostbite 2019 | 17th – Pound 2019 | 17th – MomoCon 2019 |

33rd – Smash n Splash 5 | 33rd – Smash Conference United

Florida’s next appearance on this list comes in Goblin, a Roy main from Central Florida noted as potentially the best active solo-Roy. His performances definitely stack up – he has consistently solid regional & major performances, and his run at Frostbite – where he defeated Kameme – has aged particularly well given Kameme’s accomplishments.

28) MVG | Dark Wizzy – 414.5

Main: Mario

Region: Tristate

Notable Placements:

17th – Genesis 6 | 65th – Frostbite 2019 | 13th – Pound 2019 |

13th – MomoCon 2019 | 25th – Smash n Splash 5 | 5th – Collision 2019

The Upstate New York Mario main makes his highest appearance on OrionRank yet, but now – unlike ever before – he’s ranked as the best solo-Mario main the world. His peak wins are on Light, New England’s deadly fox, and major winner Nietono.

In addition to solid regional performances, Dark Wizzy has been a consistent threat at majors, which is where he managed to take his above noted wins.

27) yeti – 425

Main: Megaman/Snake

Region: Midwest

Notable Placements:

9th – Genesis 6 | 97th – Frostbite 2019 | 25th – Smash n Splash 5 |

5th – Full Bloom 5 | 2nd – Combo Breaker 2019

One of many unexpected success stories, Yeti began Ultimate by going on an extensive win streak. While this didn’t last, he still put up an impressive performance at GENESIS 6, and after an uncharacteristic dud at Frostbite, Yeti has gone on to become one of the Midwest’s primary threats.

His best accomplishments beyond his GENESIS run are found in his regular appearances in the top 3s or 8s of various Midwest national events, such as Full Bloom, Combo Breaker, or more regionally inclined events like Retro Arena and Midwest Arena.

26) NAKAT – 460.5

Main: Pichu/Lucina

Region: Midwest

Notable Placements:

33rd – Genesis 6 | 33rd – Frostbite 2019 | 7th – Smash n Splash 5 |

13th – Umebura SP 3 | 17th – Get On My Level 2019

NAKAT has quickly become a major threat in Ultimate. Trading in Pikachu for Pichu, NAKAT’s best run was at the last tournament counted for the ranking – Smash N’ Splash 5.

At Smash N’ Splash 5, NAKAT would tear through loser’s bracket, beating DarkShad, Gen, Yeti, Nairo, Mr E, and Shoyo James – all before being sent home by Samsora in top 8. After often struggling to get big wins in Smash 4, this run represents a huge breakthrough for NAKAT, and cements him very near the top 25 with a lot of upwards mobility in sight when paired with his steadfast consistency.

25) CaptainZack – 461.2

Main: Bayonetta/Daisy

Region: Inland/Gulf Southeast

Notable Placements:

9th – Genesis 6 | 65th – Frostbite 2019 | 33rd – 2GG Prime Saga |

33rd – Pound 2019 | 17th – MomoCon 2019 | 13th – Smash n Splash 5

One of Smash 4’s Bayonetta pioneers, CaptainZack has dabbled in both attempting to return to his original main, Peach, and attempting to innovate Bayonetta’s metagame in a game that is not kind to her.

The results have been mixed, with some inconsistencies, but both GENESIS 6 and Smash N’ Splash 5 proved to be gems. Between both events, he defeated Prodigy, Lui$, Ally, Nairo, Salem, Goblin, Dark Wizzy, and Wishes – losing only to Nairo, ScAtt, Tweek, and Light between these two events.

While inconsistent, Zack has proved to remain an explosive player with the potential for equally explosive runs.

24) DA | Sinji – 479.05

Main: Pac Man

Region: Tristate

Notable Placements:

25th – Genesis 6 | 9th – Pound 2019 | 7th – MomoCon 2019 |

7th – Collision 2019

Tristate’s depth, at a certain point, becomes almost exhausting to consider. Here, we have the oldschool Deadly Alliance Pac-Man main, continuing his ascent from a remarkable last year in Smash 4.

His pound run would be mostly noted for the share of regional wins taken, but Sinji also picked up a 2-0 victory over VoiD. Beyond this, he would go on to solidify his top 25 status with a series of wins over Myran, Cosmos, and Shoyo James in order to place top 8 at MomoCon – an undeniably fantastic accomplishment.

23) bc | Mr.R – 509.5

Main: Chrom/Snake

Region: Netherlands

Notable Placements:

9th – 2GG Prime Saga | 17th – Pound 2019 | 33rd – MomoCon 2019 |

25th – Smash n Splash 5 | 4th – Ultimate Nimbus | 9th – Collision 2019

A string of bad luck prevented Mr. R from seeing play at either GENESIS 6 or Frostbite, but he made an impressive debut at Nimbus, with wins over Larry Lurr, ESAM, and ZD. He later one-upped this with a shocking and solid win over MKLeo, a player who had a massively positive record over him in the prior title.

Currently, he’s seeing some consistency issues – somewhat expected, given a late start and being forced to switch characters, but we’ve seen these sort themselves out one way or another, and Mr. R’s Prime Saga run demonstrates that he has his Smash 4 peaks within him, ready to fly.

22) Nietono – 524.1

Main: Pichu

Region: Kanto

Notable Placements:

49th – Genesis 6 | 9th – Umebura Japan Major 2019 | 1st – Umebura SP 3

Despite not frequently attending events and even having a rather subpar performance to his name at GENESIS 6, Nietono shoots to the top 25 thanks to a sudden extremely dominant win at Umebura SP 3, where he became the first to win an Umebura event without dropping any games, defeating Tsu, JILL, Lea, and Kameme (x2) to take home a major win.

Later, he’d attend Umebura Japan Major. Despite placing 9th, he would beat several top talents, including Kishiru, Umeki, and Sigma.

21) Kameme – 575.55

Main: Megaman/Wario

Region: Kanto

Notable Placements:

25th – Frostbite 2019 | 1st – Umebura Japan Major | 2nd – Umebura SP 3

Despite repeated nerfs, Kameme brushed many concerns people had about the character’s future aside and proceeded to quite handily win Umebura Japan Major, taking HIKARU, Kirihara, Tea, Raito, and ProtoBanham down in order to fulfill this accomplishment.

This marked Kameme’s first supermajor win, his last closest moment to that being his 2nd place at EVO 2016. Despite those humble beginnings at Umebura SP 2 and Frostbite, Kameme has proved to be one of Ultimate’s top threats with his back-to-back top 2 placements at Japanese majors.

Outside of the ranking period, you also have two super regional wins – one in SoCal, the other in South Carolina, only further demonstrating how greatly Kameme has improved.

20) Stroder – 615

Main: Joker/Greninja/Mario

Region: Southwest

Notable Placements:

33rd – Genesis 6 | 13th – 2GG Prime Saga | 33rd – Smash n Splash 5 |

5th – Ultimate Nimbus

Dominant in the Southwest, Stroder’s Greninja has the highest peaks seen from the character as of right now. Most notably, he defeated Tweek at Ultimate Nimbus, and has continued to handily take most Southwestern tournaments he attends, in tandem with his fairly consistent major records.

His peak supermajor run was at 2GG: Prime Saga, where he narrowly defeated ESAM and quickly defeated Germany’s best, quiK, before being eliminated by Glutonny for a solid 13th place.

19) Tea – 678.9

Main: Pac Man

Region: Kansai

Notable Placements:

Frostbite 2019 – 13th | 2GG Prime Saga – 5th | Umebura Japan Major 2019 – 5th | Sumabato SP 1 – 2nd | Sumabato SP 4 – 2nd

A late comer into Smash 4’s scene, Tea proved what many had seen saying for a year with a series of unexpected performances in late 2018: He’s the best Pac-Man. Would that success carry over into Ultimate?

It would, and it wouldn’t take long to solidify the Pac–Man prodigy as a potential top 3 player in his own country. His North American performances were nothing short of fantastic, taking home a list of wins that includes a 2-0, 6-0 game record on Dabuz, a fairly dominant set on Tweek, and a nailbiter set on Marss.

At home, he’d win a Kansai national – Sumabato SP 2 – and go on to place 5th at Umebura Japan Major, matching his overseas placement of 5th at 2GG Prime Saga. There, he beat his bracket demon Shuton, proving further that he has incredible potential going further.

18) PG | ESAM – 694

Main: Pikachu

Region: Oklahoma

Notable Placements:

Genesis 6 – 7th | Frostbite 2019 – 65th | 2GG Prime Saga – 33rd |

Pound 2019 – 25th | Ultimate Nimbus – 2nd | GOML 2019 – 3rd

Never a skeptic of his own character, ESAM was one of the few to stick with Pikachu during the early meta Pichu craze, and was quickly rewarded for it at GENESIS 6 with a nailbiter game 5 win on Tweek and final placement of 7th at Ultimate’s largest-to-date major.

Later, at Get On My Level 2019, ESAM would meet MKLeo in the bracket – the first time this occurred at a non-weekly event – and also defeated him in a game 5 nailbiter. While that would be impressive all on its own, ESAM had to take out Ally, Cosmos, and Nairo to get the opportunity.

Despite brief patches of inconsistency in April, ESAM has persisted as one of Ultimate’s most dangerous players, and stands as a national winner at Battle of B.C. 3 over Ally.

17) Glutonny – 722.5

Main: Wario

Region: France

Notable Placements:

17th – Genesis 6 | 9th – 2GG Prime Saga | 1st – Valhalla 2 |

1st – Tech Republic IV | 2nd – Stunfest 2019

After years of being touted as a player with huge potential, Glutonny ultimately proved it by usurping Mr. R to become the #1 player from Europe. While dominant in Europe, particularly his home country of France, Glutonny has also made international waves, with notable losers runs at both GENESIS 6 and Prime Saga that saw him defeating top players such as Nietono, Marss, Stroder, T, and Prodigy.

He also had an odds-defying run at Summit that stunned many, with wins on Light, Cosmos, and Zackray – who you will soon see as particularly high ranking players. With more international presence, Glutonny’s ranking would likely go even higher. As it stands, he has continued his trend of becoming increasingly highly ranked each OrionRank iteration.

16) MVG | Salem – 766.1

Main: Snake

Region: Central Florida

Notable Placements:

13th – Genesis 6 | 65th – 2GG Prime Saga | 5th – Pound 2019 |

7th – MomoCon 2019 | 17th – Smash n Splash 5 | 3rd – Ultimate Nimbus

The first of the “Snake trio”, Salem initially began Ultimate as a Link player, placing top 8 at both Glitch 6 and SCU with the character. As time went on, Salem would shuffle through several characters in bracket before landing on Snake.

This may have been unlikely, as his Snake initially disappointed at Frostbite, but he would quickly adjust and go on to perform very well at most events he attended. Most notably, perhaps, is his lengthy loser’s run at Pound 2019, where he took sets off of Larry Lurr, Zinoto, MuteAce, Mr E, Pelca, and a crown-jewel win – MKLeo.

Salem would later make headlines within the community with an unexpected reverse 3-0 on Dabuz at MomoCon 2019, using Shulk from games 3-5.

15) CLG | VoiD – 786.6

Main: Pichu

Region: SoCal

Notable Placements:

2nd – Genesis 6 | 13th – Frostbite 2019 | 17th – 2GG Prime Saga |

49th – Pound 2019 | 5th – MomoCon 2019 | 5th – Smash n Splash 5

In an era where SoCal has seen struggle, VoiD continues to persevere and succeed, defying both the difficulties seen with the region’s transition to Ultimate, and the common issue of main switching causing a decline in results. VoiD was defined by his technical Sheik in Smash 4, and with Sheik more or less out the window, who could VoiD use?

His choice was Pichu, a character that provided an array of combo trees and quick damage building, and allowed his unique style to flourish. He was immediately successful, winning SoCal Regionals, and went on to place second at GENESIS 6.

VoiD’s mid-season performances saw some dips, however, he quickly picked the pieces back up at back-to-back-to-back majors– GOML, MomoCon, and Smash N’ Splash – and ended up solidifying his status as a top 15 player.

14) Shoyo James – 793.75

Main: Chrom

Region: Tristate

Notable Placements:

9th – Frostbite 2019 | 9th – MomoCon 2019 | 9th – Smash n Splash 5 |

13th – Glitch 6 | 33rd – Collision 2019 | 9th – Get On My Level 2019

Out the gate, opinions on Chrom dramatically swung back and forth. Initially deemed poor due to far much attention placed on his recovery, players swung in the other direction after seeing his raw strength & confirms and general strength on-stage.

Opinions petered out and most assumed Chrom as a worthy high tier, and Shoyo James would quickly support these claims with a ruthless and unexpected run at Frostbite 2019. Despite an early loss in pools, Shoyo James buckled in and proceeded to defeat ESAM, HIKARU, DM, Pelca, MuteAce, and VoiD before finally being stopped in a game 5 nailbiter by fellow New Jersey player Nairo.

Recently, he’s had a string of good top 12 performances between GOML, MomoCon, and Smash N’ Splash. At these events, he’s take two sets from Myran, as well as individual sets from Larry Lurr, Cosmos, MuteAce, Wrath, Rags, and Dabuz.

13) WBG | MVD – 811.2

Main: Snake

Region: Oklahoma

Notable Placements:

13th – Genesis 6 | 7th – Frostbite 2019 | 7th – Pound 2019 |

4th – Smash Conference United | 25th – Glitch 6 | 13th – GOML 2019

Like VoiD, MVD stands as an example of a player who didn’t struggle much in his transition to a new main after his long term Smash 4 main, Diddy Kong, was heavily nerfed. Immediately successful at Don’t Park on the Grass with Snake, MVD would continue to be a consistent threat with his revived Brawl main.

He’s one of the most consistent active players at the moment, notably not ever placing outside of a top 32, and only placing outside of top 16 once – at Glitch 6. A member of the current trio of top Snake players, MVD will likely continue to be a fixture of top Ultimate events.

12) Ally – 920.3

Main: Snake

Region: Quebec

Notable Placements:

25th – Genesis 6 | 49th – Frostbite 2019 | 5th – 2GG Prime Saga |

1st – Pound 2019 | 9th – MomoCon 2019 | 3rd – Smash n Splash 5

Slow starts are a surprisingly common factor among many of Smash 4’s top players. Ally was hit by this, with some bad bracket luck and suboptimal placements. However, it all changed at Prime Saga, where he unexpectedly beat Samsora, and ended up placing 5th at a major.

A fluke? Not a chance. One week later, Ally would go on to scrape out wins over a vast array of regional talent, as well as Dabuz and Myran (x2!) to take Pound 2019. This represented a solo Snake win, first of its kind, and put both Ally and Snake on the map in a way that might make one remember the Brawl days.

Seeing his peaks in Smash 4 and continued post-Pound success, Ally will likely see his ranking rise – and he will almost certainly become a major fixture of events going forward, following the same trend as his Brawl and Smash 4 career.

11) Armada | Myran – 1063.4

Main: Olimar

Region: South Florida

Notable Placements:

9th – Genesis 6 | 3rd – Frostbite 2019 | 17th – 2GG Prime Saga |

2nd – Pound 2019 | 13th – MomoCon 2019 | 33rd – Smash n Splash 5

Known best for being a quickly-rising Olimar main in 2017, Myran eventually attended less events and slipped out of the public eye as Smash 4 met a slow and painful decline. As soon as Ultimate began, however, Myran exploded onto the scene, with a series of unceasingly consistent performances that forced many to contend a relatively new face was now a top level contender.

Filling his resume to the brim with regional-level and top level wins – including an impressive 2-0 record over Shuton – Myran stacks up an impressive 11th, only held back by some consistency slips at superregionals Come to Papa 3 and supermajor Smash N’ Splash 5.

After a clean win at Yucatan regional Encurentro Mitico with post-nerf Olimar of Mexican elites like Rox and Chag – as well as a win over Mr. R – , it’s likely that he will continue to be a major threat at events going forward.

10) Liquid | Dabuz – 1079.6

Main: Olimar/Rosalina/Palutena

Region: Tristate

Notable Placements:

4th – Genesis 6 | 17th – Frostbite 2019 | 9th – 2GG Prime Saga |

5th – Pound 2019 | 9th – MomoCon 2019 | 5th – Smash n Splash 5

Another player well noted for his consistency, Dabuz has brought the goods to Ultimate with both his Brawl main Olimar and newfound Palutena, taking a different direction from his wall-like Rosalina from Smash 4.

While Olimar is particularly relevant to his season, Dabuz has also made a return to using Rosalina, with some immediate success at post-rank events like Paramount. However, he used her to success at Summit as well, beating Samsora game 5 with a Rosalina counterpick.

His peak runs this season are his national wins at Overclocked Ultimate, as well as a win at Thunder Smash over MVD that saw him taking a home a big chunk of change. At Smash Summit, after losing to Zackray in WQF, Dabuz went on to sail through Mew2King, Cosmos, Nairo, Samsora, and Glutonny before being shut out by MKLeo.

9) PG | Cosmos – 1160

Main: Inkling

Region: Midwest

Notable Placements:

7th – Genesis 6 | 5th – Frostbite 2019 | 4th – Umebura Japan Major 2019 |

13th – MomoCon 2019 | 13th – Smash n Splash 5 | 7th – GOML 2019

Cosmos’ Smash 4 story deserves a long look on its own – a Texan native that moved to the Loft house, and would eventually go from Wifi Warrior to major winner at The Big House 8. Needless to say, expectations were high in Ultimate, though his character of choice – Corrin – was not treated well by Ultimate.

This didn’t seem to be an issue for Cosmos, as he quickly picked up Inkling and eventually became the character’s most prominent representative, ending the initial lack of solid Inkling results by becoming arguably the most consistent player, never missing a top 8 from a period of GENESIS 6 to MomoCon 2019, where he dropped at 13th to Sinji and WaDi.

In addition to his consistency in America, he’s brought that level of skill abroad – to Canada at GOML and Saints Gaming Live, to Australia at Expand Gong 4, and to Japan to Umebura SP 3 and Umebura Japan Major.

8) GW | zackray – 1162.45

Main: Wolf/Lucina/Wario

Region: Japan

Notable Placements:

5th – Genesis 6 | 2nd – 2GG Prime Saga | 7th – Umebura Japan Major 2019 |

1st – Sumabato SP 1 | 1st – Umebura SP 2 | 1st – KVOxTSB 2019

Zackray showed signs of greatness late in Smash 4, taking the mantle as a sort of pseudo-swordie main. Known for his spacing and patience, he’d using a combination of Corrin, Marth, and Bayonetta to largely great success in Japan in the waning months of Smash 4.

Ultimate, however, showed him to have insane potential that few could ever have imagined. After a shaky Umebura SP, Zackray proceeded to dominate the country with an iron fist in the lead-up to GENESIS 6.

After impressing the states, Zackray continued to perform well in his home country while expanding his character horizons to absurd lengths, with a tournament ready character list that continues to expand. Unsurprisingly, zackray’s in-country and out of country performances with pockets filled to the brim with characters has earned him a top 10 spot.

7) Shuton – 1233.1

Main: Olimar

Region: Japan

13th – Genesis 6 | 4th – Frostbite 2019 | 1st – 2GG Prime Saga |

9th – Umebura Japan Major | 1st – Sumabato SP 4 | 1st – Stunfest 2019

While Zackray initially was the country’s #1, it seems ever-clearer month-by-month that Shuton is the country’s most powerful player. The tides began to turn at Prime Saga, after a well-prime to win Zackray buckled under Shuton’s oppressive Olimar.

While Zackray exacted revenge at Umebura Japan Major, Shuton has gone on to win two Kansai majors, a France national, and generally stay in the public eye as the best Olimar – unfettered by nerfs. Many would argue he should be higher – but limited international exposure and an underperformance at Umebura Japan Major hold him back ever so slightly.

6) NRG | Nairo – 1302.2

Main: Palutena/Lucina

Region: Tristate

Notable Placements:

17th – Genesis 6 | 7th – Frostbite 2019 | 4th – 2GG Prime Saga |

9th – Pound 2019 | 5th – MomoCon 2019 | 17th – Smash n Splash 5

Tristate’s greatest player hasn’t changed – though his characters certainly have. An early adopter of Palutena, the New Jersey beast has proved himself one of the game’s most formidable players with a largely consistent set of top 8 placements.

He lacks major wins, and has two notable underperformances at GENESIS 6 and Smash N’ Splash, but his wins over Tweek & MKLeo abate the former and he at the very least has an event win at the national event Suplex City Smash to abate the latter.

His best performance to date could be debated, though many will name his 2nd place at Collision as particularly notable. After defeat Mr. R, Sinji, and Tweek, he ran into Light, and seemed to lack any answer – until he pulled out Ganondorf and performed an incredible reverse 3-0, proceeding forward to beat Frozen and take one set off of Marss before falling in their second set.

5) Rogue | Light – 1466.3

Main: Fox

Region: New England

Notable Placements:

5th – Genesis 6 | 5th – Frostbite 2019 | 3rd – 2GG Prime Saga |

17th – Pound 2019 | 13th – MomoCon 2019 | 9th – Smash n Splash 5

The world’s best Fox – by a large margin – Light quickly became known as a fierce and consistent player, known for incredible comebacks. He has sets on all of the top 3, including a positive 2-1 set record on MKLeo.

On the OrionStats TTS, Nimbus is notably listed as a major, making Light a perhaps underappreciated major winner after taking out various top players, most notably Mr. R, Salem, and ESAM.

If we don’t consider that his peak, it must certainly be 2GG: Prime Saga, where Light defeated Larry Lurr, Glutonny, MKLeo, Ally, and Nairo, only losing sets to event winner Shuton during Winners Quarters and Losers Finals.

4) eUnited | Samsora – 1487.1

Main: Peach

Region: Southeast

Notable Placements:

3rd – Genesis 6 | 13th – Frostbite 2019 | 9th – 2GG Prime Saga |

4th – Pound 2019 | 4th – MomoCon 2019 | 2nd – Smash n Splash 5

Samsora’s story of success began as him defeating EVO champion Ally at Clutch City Clash in 2016. From there, he would prove Peach’s long-believed potential, growing in skill and consistency until he left Smash 4 as one of the game’s best-ever players.

After Peach’s buffs in Smash 4, many immediately considered Samsora an early top 5 candidate. His results to that end have not disappointed, with Samsora only placing outside of top 8s at two major events – Frostbite 2019, and Prime Saga. Beyond that, he stands as one of the most consistent players in the world with a highly technical character.

With the game’s young state, Samsora’s consistency – and incredible peaks, as seen with his win versus MKLeo at GENESIS 6 – make him one of, if not the, most likely candidates to be the next new major winner. With a myriad of events to take place during Summer of Smash, Samsora will have many opportunities to prove himself. At Smash N’ Splash 5 alone, he came closer than ever, with a peak 2nd at the supermajor event.

3) PG | Marss – 1542.8

Main: Zero Suit Samus

Region: New England

25th – Genesis 6 | 25th – 2GG Prime Saga | 3rd – Pound 2019 |

3rd – MomoCon 2019 | 4th – Smash N Splash 5 | 1st – Collision 2019

Marss had long made himself known as a top player in Smash 4, but with the worse perception of Zero Suit Samus and a slightly inconsistent start, it’s unlikely that many predicted just how successful Marss would turn out to be. By far the best active Zero Suit Samus, Marss has not placed outside of the top 4 of events since Pound 2019, where he went on a deep run and placed third.

A less credited but highly impressive success was his run at Collision 2019, a star-studded event that ranked as a major on the OrionStats TTS. There, he most notably took sets off of Wishes, Nairo, and Dabuz, and double eliminated Nairo in a chaotic, back-and-forth Grand Finals.

2) TSM | Tweek – 1790.05

Main: Wario/Young Link/Roy

Region: Midwest

Notable Placements:

9th – Genesis 6 | 1st – Frostbite 2019 | 7th – 2GG Prime Saga |

2nd – MomoCon 2019 | 33rd – Smash n Splash 5 | 1st – GOML 2019

Tweek made himself known as a man of many characters in Smash 4, using at least five to a top level capacity over the game’s history. Skipping on bottom tiers in this iteration, Tweek has quickly amassed an army of tournament ready characters, most powerful of which is probably his Wario.

Tweek himself can be described as volatile as evidenced by a few lacking performances, but he’s shown to be nearly unbeatable on his best days. His best day this season was likely the final day of Frostbite 2019, where he fought through to Grand Finals and quickly shut MKLeo down during their second set.

More recently, he cruised through a difficult bracket consisting of Strike, Jw, Ally, Samsora and Marss (x2) in order to win GOML 2019, a near supermajor event that took place in Canada. Not long after, he placed a solid second at MomoCon 2019, this time losing his rematches versus MKLeo’s increasingly powerful Joker.

1) FOX MVG | MKLeo – 2357

Main: Joker/Ike/Lucina

Region: Mexico

Notable Placements:

1st – Genesis 6 | 2nd – Frostbite 2019 | 7th – 2GG Prime Saga

7th – Pound 2019 | 1st – MomoCon 2019 | 1st – Smash n Splash 5

2018’s heir apparent returns to Ultimate with a long list of accomplishments. MKLeo began the year with a fairly clean run at Smash Conference United, the game’s first major. Despite an underperformance at Glitch 6, he’d go on to win his third GENESIS title in a row, this time through loser’s bracket.

The debate as to who was #1 between him and Tweek would light up over the next few months as Tweek took Frostbite and both underperformed at events like Pound & Prime Saga. Many wrote MKLeo’s status as #1 off entirely after a very poor outing at Umebura Japan Major, where he lost to TKM and Umeki.

However, MKLeo quickly adjusted from his trip to Japan, and scored a solid 4th at Get on My Level 2018. Still, many considered him to be in a #2 position, but he solidified his #1 status with two back-to-back supermajor wins at MomoCon 2019 and Smash N’ Splash 5, the latter being a particularly dominant showcase of both his abilities and what a well-developed Joker looks like.

Across these many months, MKLeo – like Tweek – developed a vast array of characters to use. His initial success was with Ike, but he’d also be seen putting time into both Wolf & Lucina. As of late, however, MKLeo seems fully invested in Joker, and that decision has worked incredibly well for him.

Will MKLeo remain #1? Well, June is set to end with CEO, a supermajor, and there’s no predicting how it will go – but another solid MKLeo win may start to echo memories of ZeRo, and may drift us into a metagame ruled by Mexico’s prodigy.

Region Look-Over

Breaking regions down has always been something of a logistical nightmare since it’s hard to know when a “sub-region” becomes a “region”, ergo, should Michigan or Chicago be classed as individual regions on a ranking map, or should it just be merged into the Midwest? Should the Midwest be split? Who knows!

I ended up going with two region rankings – one that’s broad and covers every region that appears in the top 100, and another that requires at least 3 players from one region appear in order for that region to count, with a few places like Europe meshed together.

For this, the player scores were added up on a regional basis.

Link to Sheet with ranking

Ranking 1 – Three Player Method

Ranking 2 – Broad Method

Notes

-The Pacific Northwest is a combination of U.S. states Washington and Oregon, as well as Canadian province British Columbia.

-The Atlantic Southeast is a combination of Georgia and the Carolinas.

-I/G (or Inland/Gulf) Southeast is a combination of Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

-On the “Three Player Method” ranking, Europe consists of Glutonny, Mr. R, Leffen, and quiK.

-Oklahoma consists of MVD and ESAM.

The immediate takeaway here is South Florida’s emergence as one of the top regions in the world. This is aided by MKLeo and Samsora currently residing in South Florida, adding thousands of points, but the region is still strong enough to justify the three-region split applied to the state. Central Florida makes a handy ninth on its own.

Mexico, Ontario, and SoCal take the biggest dives. Mexico’s reason for dropping is obvious (MKLeo is residing in South Florida) while Ontario lost Tamim, who drove Ontario up on the rankings in 2018.

SoCal is probably the biggest shocker here. It’s still ranked within the top 10, but only 4 players – ImHip, VoiD, Larry Lurr, and Nicko – appear on the ranking, and only VoiD sits in the Top 50 among these for the first few months of Ultimate. Thankfully, there’s reason to believe this will begin to turn around, as Elegant has put up recent performances that indicate he on track to becoming a solid top 30 player again.

Conclusions

The first five months of Smash Ultimate have revitalized player and community interest in the postmelee scene as a rather apocalyptic ending to Smash 4’s lifespan. That in mind, Ultimate is a very volatile and chaotic game, with tons of unpredictability and variance reflected in this first major ranking of the game’s players.

The Summer of Smash is underway, and with supermajors like CEO, Albion 4, EVO, Shine, SSC, and possibly more along the way, the narrative I’ve laid out in this article will likely undergo radical changes, perhaps as quickly as weekend-by-weekend.

Thank you, as always, for reading.

-Rankings by Freeziebeatz

-Written by Barnard’s Loop

Top 100 image – by Freeziebeatz.