29. ZERO SUIT SAMUS

Franchise / home series: Metroid

Notable non-Smash games: Metroid: Zero Mission (2004); Metroid: Other M (2010)

Zero Suit Samus first appeared in Brawl as the unarmored form of Samus, initially accessible via Final Smash transformation. She represents Samus without her Power Suit, emphasizing agility, acrobatics, and hand-to-hand combat.

In Smash, Zero Suit Samus is a fast, combo-heavy character with long-reaching tools like the Paralyzer, Plasma Whip, and Flip Jump. Her playstyle revolves around quick burst movement, ladder combos, and strong anti-air options. While Samus focuses on zoning and projectiles, Zero Suit specializes in rushdown and whiff punishing, giving the Metroid series two very distinct playstyles within the roster.

Later games made Zero Suit Samus a separate selectable fighter, further polishing her animations and moveset. In Smash 4, she became one of the top competitive characters, known for her devastating up-air and boost kick KO setups. Her inclusion highlights Smash’s ability to explore multiple facets of a single character’s identity through different movesets and archetypes.