One of the most fun and rewarding things to learn in a fighting game are combos -- sequences of moves that a player can learn and rely on to rack up damage.  While Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has many characters who can succeed just by swinging with a single move at a time, combo-based characters can capitalize on hits by following up with guaranteed damage.

If you’re looking for a character to spend some time with, learning and practicing their combos so that you can take your game to the next level, we have some recommendations.  Here are 15 characters with major combo potential who are both fun and rewarding to learn.

#1: Mario

While Mario is the de facto “beginner character,” he thrives at higher levels of play due to his ability to rack up combo damage in the air.  His neutral, up, and down air attacks are all useful tools in his air combo game that allow him to juggle an enemy at slightly different angles, capping off his combo with an up-B.  His forward and back air attacks are potent kill threats at the ledge.  On the ground, his down and up tilts, as well as his down grab, are all ways to get the party started in the air.

Mario Combo Guide by Frenzy Light: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vi7YpjtOkg

#2: Young Link

Young Link’s quickness is an asset not only to his short-ranged attacks, but also his ability to follow up on stray projectile hits.  Boomerang, fire arrow, and bomb can lead to moves like neutral, forward, and back air, dash attack, or even another fire arrow, depending on the distance of your opponent.  This makes playing Young Link quite involving, as every projectile hit could be an opportunity to rush in and execute a combo.  Learning which projectiles lead into which attacks will take some studying, but is well worthwhile to bring out the latent potential of the character.

Young Link Combo Guide by hivesteel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-BYxBDF5I8

#3: Fox

Fox’s combos are not as long as some of the others on this list, generally spanning 2-3 hits, but Fox more than makes up for it with his high damage.  What’s important is to pay attention to the opponent’s percentage, as this will influence Fox’s available combo routes.  Short hop neutral air is his most versatile combo starter at nearly all percentages, and can lead into moves like dash attack, popping the opponent up in the air and either allowing Fox to continue the combo, or go for the kill with moves like up and back air.

Fox Combo Guide by Frenzy Light: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa6e1g4wQ0k

#4: Lucina

Lucina’s strong combo damage, as well as kill confirms on safely-spaced aerials such as forward and up air, make her a woman to be feared.  Her power in neutral and in an advantage state makes comboing with her simple and enjoyable, as you don’t necessarily need a deep knowledge of her gameplay to be able to string moves together.  With that said, those who learn her combos will be able to capitalize on Lucina’s major launch power, setting up her lethal off-stage game with forward, neutral, back, and down air.

Lucina Combo Guide by ChouX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRLAZy-jgbA

#5: Palutena

It’s hard to escape Palutena, who can punish your whiffed attack with quick combo-starters like dash attack, neutral air, and down grab.  All these moves can easily be converted into a forward air, or followed up further with neutral air, which can swallow up opponents who drift the wrong way.  Neutral air in general is an easy-to-use and generous combo tool which makes challenging Palutena in the air a threatening proposition.  If you want a combo character who is a little less technical or fast, Palutena may be up your alley.

Palutena Combo Guide by ProGuides: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWZ_Nstx1Hg

#6: Zero Suit Samus

ZSS was definitely tuned down from her time in the fourth Smash game, where her infamous up air into up-B “ladder” combos could kill opponents off the top of the stage at egregiously low percentages.  Still, she is an exceedingly nimble character that can turn low-commitment moves like falling neutral air into a forward air, up air, back air, or up smash.  Up air is still a great juggling tool that can combo into up B in certain circumstances.  Down B is a combo ender that can kill if it connects off-stage, giving her a strong mobility tool that can turn into a quick stock.  ZSS’s agility and consistent ability to convert aerials into follow-up hits require precision on the part of the player, but make her feel rewarding to play.

Zero Suit Samus Combo Guide by Sersun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWEyZB-PtqI

#7: Roy

Roy’s combo game is exceedingly threatening due to how much damage he can pull off in a single sequence.  Low risk moves like neutral air and up air can easily lead to a combo of over 40% damage if “sweetspotted” at the center of Roy’s sword.  His jab is a great tool -- fast and low-commitment, it can lead to a killer back air on hit, and is a great way to threaten the opponent on the ground.  If you want your combos to crush your opponent like a can, then Roy is your boy.

Roy Combo Guide by Leroy._.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6mSmMFaRMc

#8: Pikachu

It can feel like Pikachu’s combos never end, due to the multi-hit properties on many of his aerial moves.  By the time a combo is over, he’s hit the ground and you’re still in the air, exposing you to yet another aerial sequence.  His moves are so quick that he can even use certain moves 2-3 times in a single combo, such as up tilt and up air.  When the opponent is at 0% damage, and their knockback is low, Pikachu can easily rack up 40% damage or more off of a stray up tilt.  If you want to keep the juggle going and frustrate your opponent to no end, look no further than one of the strongest characters in the game.

Pikachu Combo Guide by Frenzy Light: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NeuHNVOq38

#9: Mythra

Pro players generally agree that Mythra and Pyra are a top 5 character, and it mostly comes down to Mythra.  Her neutral, forward, back, and up air are all extremely quick combo fodder that an opponent is bound to get clipped by at some point during early percentages, leading to a quick 30-40%.  Because Mythra’s knockback power on these moves is generally low, she can keep her combo game going into later percentages.  One might think that Mythra is required to switch into Pyra to secure a kill, but this isn’t true, with guaranteed combo setups leading into fatal neutral B’s and back airs.  Her ability to aggressively and continuously swarm the opponent makes her very fun to play.

Mythra Combo Guide by MoS Trixxx: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf2tJJBY7iw

#10: Joker

Joker is a character that most players agree is in the game’s top 3, if not number 1.  His ground speed, air mobility, and safe combo starters all make him evasive and difficult to react to.  You may attempt to swat him as he approaches, whiff as he steps back, and get punished by a falling neutral air, leading into all manner of shenanigans.  He’s a technical and stylish character that requires practice to combo with, particularly in hitting only with the first hit of his forward air (which will cancel as you hit the ground, allowing you to fllow up) and dragging the opponent towards the ground with up air so that you can continue the combo.  Arsene unlocks major kill threats in his combo game.  He requires some time and commitment, but will reward a tenacious player with the ability to convert small openings into major advantages.

Joker Combo Guide by Frenzy Light: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqSPZ9ZrApA

#11: Terry

Like Ryu and Ken, Terry can “special cancel” into many of his normal moves.  This means that he can combo most of his A-button moves, like his jab and tilts, into various B-button moves.  Due to his excellent damage and kill power, contending with Terry in neutral is particularly threatening -- getting hit by a tilt attack often leads directly into the special move behind it, resulting in getting thrown off-stage or killed very quickly.  At 100%, Terry can easily combo into his “Go!” moves off of his tilt attacks, which are almost guaranteed to kill at high double digit percentages.  He is an explosive character with relatively easy, impactful combos.

Terry Combo Guide by Most Valuable Gaming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vox7GE11-EM

#12: Ryu

Like Ken and Terry, Ryu can “special cancel” most of his normal A-button attacks into special B-button attacks.  He is a weighty fighter that requires stricter timing than Terry, but his combos can kill very early.  Being pressured by Ryu’s down tilt and up tilt is particularly threatening at higher percentages because he can special cancel these moves into his up-B, the legendary Shoryuken, a brutal stock-ender.  Ryu is for players looking for a technical, weighty combo-based character that can pressure with meaty normals.

Ryu Combo Guide by Frenzy Light: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDnUQGvbPVo

#13: Kazuya

One of the most technically demanding characters on this list, Kazuya can turn a single touch into death at absurdly low percentages.  One of the things that makes the character so difficult is his Electric Wind God Fist, a move that requires very precise timing to execute but will essentially lock an opponent into place on hit, allowing you to follow up with his many deadly combo tools.  With that said, he possesses many potent combo starters, such as neutral air and his special command grab.  His moveset is extensive, and he can feel clumsy and heavy at first, but once you can execute his combos consistently, you can terrorize your opponent with insane damage and combo conversions.

Kazuya Combo Guide by Frenzy Light: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb1yvX1uZ1Q

#14: Sheik

As one of the quickest characters in the game, Sheik possesses many low-knockback moves that allow her to stick to the opponent and juggle them repeatedly.  Her forward air, neutral air, forward tilt, and down tilt are both combo starters and combo fillers that can beat a lot of moves on start-up and take her opponent into the sky.  One of her flashiest combo tools is her drag-down up air, which can combo into her up smash or down smash to secure the kill.  Sheik is for players who enjoy long combos with swift aerial movement.

Sheik Combo Guide by Frenzy Light: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0HpQQn1ZEg

#15: Sora

Sora is a bit of an oddball on this list.  While he is absolutely a combo-based character, his combo ability does not stem from speed, but from his floatiness.  In particular, he possesses a special aerial jab that consists of three hits.  The timing of all three hits can be varied.  If a hit connects right as Sora is hitting the ground, he can follow up almost immediately after, generally by leaping into the air and keeping the opponent locked in with more aerial jabs.  This jab is the lynchpin of Sora’s gameplay, and allows him to create a vertical wall of attacks that can lead to a combo on hit.  For those who want a combo character less focused on speed and more focused on rhythm and timing, give Sora a whirl.

Sora Combo Guide by Frenzy Light: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdj9BQIbb9A

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