Super Smash Bros: The Best Melee Players of All Time
By
Will Brown
Contributor Updated: 20 February 2025
Will Brown Contributor
William Brown is a Content Writer with strong expertise in US and global gambling industry trends. Having covered the local sports betting market since the repeal of PASPA in 2018, William approaches his gambling guides with passion and diligence. He is a keen player of online slots, blackjack, and a regular sports bettor.
Super Smash Bros
Despite being one of the earliest releases in the six-part Super Smash Bros. series, Melee remains one of the most hotly contested games in the esports industry. The best Melee players of all time have exhibited creativity, strategy, and expertise in control techniques with a host of iconic characters and have earned legend status among diehard fans. In this guide, we’ve provided insights into the top 10 ranked players and their wins at the most prestigious Melee tournaments.
Intro to the Best Smash Melee Players Ever
Before diving into our top 10 list of the best Smash Melee players of all time, we’ve briefly introduced the game and explored why it’s so popular. We’ve then discussed how our rankings work, and why the list remains subjective.
From there, we’ve covered the top 10 players in order, beginning with Adam “Armada” Lindgren. While there is still contention about who is the best player, our list was crafted after in-depth research and community feedback.
- About Super Smash Bros. Melee
- How Rankings Work
- 1. Armada
- 2. Hungryboxr
- 3. Mang0
- 4. Mew2King
- 5. PPMD
- 6. Ken
- 7. Leffen
- 8. Azen
- 9. ChuDat
- 10. Zain
About Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee was the second game in the Smash Bros. series and debuted on the Nintendo Gamecube in 2001. The game is a platform fighter, where the aim is to battle with one of 25 characters to knock opponents off a platform. This differs from traditional fighter games in that the aim isn’t necessarily to deplete health bars. That said, the more damage a player has taken, the easier they are to knock off the platform.
Each character has different skills and moves, making some more favorable than others. Melee has become popular for its reliance on strategy. It also includes hidden techniques that the best Super Smash Bros Melee players uncovered, such as wavedashing, L-canceling, and dash dancing.
Rankings: The Top 10 Best Smash Melee Players of All Time
Before we go further with our ranked list, it’s important to note that this list is completely subjective. We have referenced many resources when compiling this list, including Smash History’s Melee Top 100 Players of All Time. We’ve also gauged stats on Liquipedia, community discussions on forums such as Reddit, and other official rankings sources.
You’ll recognize some of the players on this list at several online sportsbooks with esports, with many playing competitively for more than 20 years. With some players only rising in the ranks in recent years, we’ve gauged the top players based on their long-term consistency, results, and their impact on the competition.
1. Adam “Armada” Lindgren
Sweden’s Adam “Armada” Lindgren is perhaps best known for his innovative play with Peach, before refining his approach with Fox. He has won nearly 200 tournaments over his long career, including EVO 2015 and 2017 and several GENESIS wins. His total career earnings exceeded $300,000, a considerable haul considering the game is relatively niche.
Perhaps his most memorable achievement came with a battle against the famed player Mang0, whereby Armada beat his opponent in the first set of the Winners’ Finals of the GENESIS tournament with Peach. He maintained a strong record of never losing to players outside the top six rankings, an unbeaten feat that secured his spot at the top of this list of the best Melee players of all time.
2. Hungrybox
Many would argue that the second of the best Smash Melee players ever, Juan “Hungrybox” DeBiedma, is deserving of the top spot too. The player has used Jigglypuff throughout his entire career, using the character to earn over $400,000 in tournament prizes. His breakthrough win came at Apex in 2010, which positioned him as a player to watch.
Over the following decade, he regularly dominated the scene, with memorable wins at EVO 2016 and 2019 among his most lauded performances. Hungrybox has a strong online following thanks to his YouTube commentaries about the game, and his mastering of Jigglypuff’s up-throw rest combinations has inspired a generation of players.
3. Mang0
Considered one of the “Five Gods” of Melee, Joseph “Mang0” Marquez has had an impressive career in the esport. While he started as a Jigglypuff main, he is perhaps most famous for his use of Falco and Fox. The player has earned over $150,000 from his many tournament wins at Big House, EVO, and GENESIS.
He won his first-ever Smash Summit in 2021 and has a record 17 years as a top 10 ranked player. His use of Fox is characterized by aggression and unique combo extensions, while his Falco’s edge-guarding has made him a force to be reckoned with.
4. Mew2King
Jason “Mew2King” Zimmerman is another of the best Smash Melee players of all time who is revered by audiences. His use of multiple characters such as Marth, Sheik, and Fox has proven him to be a versatile and dynamic talent, earning him more than 300 tournament wins and around $300,000 in earnings.
While “M2K” dominated the sport in 2007 and 2008, he continues to be a consistent talent in the Smash Bros. franchise, competing in all games in the series. While he rarely plays Melee anymore, he is celebrated for his deep knowledge of the game’s mechanics and character skills and has had a lasting impact on how the game is played.
5. PPMD
Kevin “PPMD” Nanney is among the best Smash Melee players of all time for the characters of Falco and Marth. He was formerly ranked number 1 on the SSBMRank list, with his high period in 2014 and 2015. One memorable moment saw him win Apex 2015 in a special comeback performance, beating Leffen and Armada to take the win.
His use of both Falco and Marth was considered to be revolutionary, with his Falco exhibiting precision laser control and his Marth playing uncharacteristically aggressive. The player has won more than 45 tournaments, and he has earned approximately $33,000 from his competitive performances.
6. Ken
Ken Hoang’s dominance of Melee in the early 2000s saw him become the national champion of Major League Gaming in 2005, with his career earnings of $38,000 even financing him through college. The player was known for his dominant gameplay with Marth, and for some time he was known as the “King of Smash”. While he is semi-retired now, Ken is credited with establishing many fundamental techniques associated with Marth and is a beloved figure among the game’s fandom.
7. Leffen
As one of the best Melee players of all time hailing from Europe, the Swedish player William “Leffen” Hjelte earned the nickname “God Slayer” for defeating all five Gods in BEAST 5 in 2015. With over $175,000 in tournament wins, his use of Fox, Falco, and Mewtwo has been described as innovative. His largest victory came in 2018 with the EVO win. While he’s undoubtedly a formidable talent, he remains a controversial personality in the game’s community for poor behavior.
8. Azen
Christopher “Azen” McMullen is another player who is considered to be among the best Smash Melee players ever for his strong performances early in the game’s history. He was considered the second-best Marth player after Ken, though reported a significant victory against him in Tournament Go 6. While he has long since retired from the game, he makes frequent appearances at Melee events as a commentator. He has won over $15,000 in tournament prizes.
9. ChuDat
Daniel “ChuDat” Rodriguez began competing competitively in Melee in 2003, and over the following decade remained a top 10 player. His use of Ice Climbers as a main became a trademark, and his mastery of wobbling was revolutionary for the characters. He remains the only player to win a major using the characters, with over $38,000 in tournament earnings to his name. He is considered among the best Melee players of all time for his early impact on the game.
10. Zain
Although Zain is one of the more recent talents on this list, he has already proven to be a consistent and formidable player, especially against the other top-ranked players such as Leffen and Hungrybox. Zain is currently ranked 1st in the SSBMRanking for Summer 2024 and has performed consistently since 2016. His total tournament earnings hover around $170,000, and he primarily uses Marth as a main. He currently plays for the Shopify Rebellion team.
