You won't believe what Spirits let you do!

Spirits was a really creative and unique addition to the Smash series. For those unaware, you can place the “essence” of other video game characters into a Smash fighter, which gives them certain attributes and abilities. The sheer amount of available Spirits is insane, so we’re sure you’ll find your own favorites you can’t believe are there, from Cuphead, to Zant, to Ann from Persona 5. 

However, if you’re looking for OP spirits to make your friends regret knowing you, this is the list for you. It’s worth checking out, because Spirits can result in absurd and overpowered buffs that are really fun to mess around with, and go beyond what you usually see with items or Special Smash. Now, since there are so many of them, it can be overwhelming to figure out what is best, but I’m here to ease your worries. Here are the top 10 most OP Spirits in the latest Ultimate patch. 

10. Evil Ryu

Evil versions are just always stronger for some reason. 

Having the highest Max Attack stat in the entire game gives Evil Ryu a guaranteed spot on this list. On top of that, he has the Fist Attack ↑ ability, so put this on any traditional fighting-game character (like Ryu himself) and you will be a frightening offensive powerhouse. Now, why is he this low on the list? He has no support spirit slots, and support spirits (a few of which you’ll see here) let you get other useful and often wacky abilities that make a significant difference in combat. So, as hard as he hits, that might not be enough to handle the various gimmicks this mode has to offer.  

Stats: 

• Type: Neutral
• Max Attack: 8,213
• Max Defense: 3,481
• Support Spirit Slots: 0

Ability: 

• Fist Attack ↑ - Slightly increases the power of punches and elbow strikes (1.1x).

How to Obtain: 

• Appears on the Spirit Board; must be defeated in battle. 

9. Zelda (Ocarina of Time) 

The best offense is a good defense. 

On the other end of it, Zelda from Ocarina of Time boasts the highest Max Defense stat of any Spirit in the game. You might not hit so hard, but you’ll probably do well in battle if most Spirits can barely touch you. She also has not 1, but 2 support slots, giving you a lot of powerful options for further buffs and abilities. Overall, she’s a really solid Spirit you can’t really go wrong with, she’s just a bit low on the list because her own ability is pretty situational, and her offense leaves to be desired.  

Stats: 

• Type: Shield
• Max Attack: 4,154
• Max Defense: 7,227
• Support Spirit Slots: 2

Ability: 

• Assist Killer - Increases the damage dealt to assist trophies (1.3x).

How to Obtain: 

• Enhancing the Young Zelda Spirit by getting it to level 99. Young Zelda appears on the Spirit Board; must be defeated in battle. 

8. Cutie J

At least the Bayonetta franchise got a top tier Spirit… it’s something. 

Cutie J is another really good all-around Spirit. She has great attack and defense stats, and she has 2 support slots, which always enhances a Spirit’s quality, so she doesn’t really fall short in anything. Her own ability, Easier Dodging, though not the most OP thing in the world, is quite solid, because it’s useful in any fight, and can improve recovery. 

Stats: 

• Type: Attack
• Max Attack: 6,166
• Max Defense: 5,467
• Support Spirit Slots: 2

Ability: 

• Easier Dodging - Increases period of invincibility when dodging, and air dodges travel farther (1.2x time & distance).

How to Obtain: 

• Enhancing the Jeanne Spirit by getting it to level 99. Jeanne can be obtained by defeating Bayonetta in The Final Battle area of World of Light. Jeanne also appears on the Spirit Board; must be defeated in battle.

7. Heihachi Mishima

Unfortunately, you sometimes gotta pair up with the bad guy.

Heihachi Mishima is one of the few primary Spirits with their own unique ability. Where most attack bonuses get pretty specific, Heichachi’s improves all body strikes, including knees and elbows, and also gives a higher damage buff than normal. Pair that with his amazing attack stat, and you can put this on any brawler-type fighter and annihilate. Also, as is becoming standard at this point, his two support slots allow for even further improvement. 

Stats: 

• Type: Attack
• Max Attack: 6,009
• Max Defense: 4,090
• Support Spirit Slots: 2

Ability: 

• Fist & Foot Attack ↑ - Increases the power of punches and kicks (1.2x).

How to Obtain: 

• Purchasing the Kazuya DLC fighter pack; must be defeated in battle.

6. Judd

For whenever you need a second chance. 

Judd is the first support Spirit on this list. Now, support Spirits are rarely ranked high because their ability on its own doesn’t really match the value of a buffed primary Spirit… most of the time; this is one of the exceptions. His ability, by itself, can just straight-up win you matches. Always having a second Final Smash lets you take a stock from 0%, or give you a much-needed second chance if you miss the first one. Its large cost of three slots is a drawback, as there are very few great primary Spirits that can handle it. It also isn’t very versatile, because it’s much less OP on characters with bad final smashes. 

Stats: 

• Type: Support
• Spirit Slot Cost: 3 

Ability: 

• Double Final Smash - Grants a second Final Smash after using a Final Smash.

How to Obtain: 

• Summoning him. It costs 2,600 SP, the Judge Spirit core, the Meowth Spirit Core, a Neutral Core and a Support Core (Cores are obtained by dismissing said Spirits).

5. Black Knight

Slow and bulky is not a bad strategy. 

This might be a surprising pick for some, it’s the only Spirit with an ability that has a drawback, but hear me out. Their stats are really solid, and their ability gives you small boost for its already great attack, and crazy boost for its decent defense. Yea, it also makes you slower, but you become a near-untouchable god, and you have two support slots which you can use for movement buffs, or some other cool abilities to cover your movement weakness. 

Stats: 

• Type: Attack
• Max Attack: 5,820
• Max Defense: 4,667
• Support Spirit Slots: 2

Ability: 

• Armor Knight - Reduces move speed, but greatly increases defense and slightly increases attack (1.15x Damage, 1.8x Defense, 0.7x ground mobility and max air speed).

How to Obtain: 

• Enhancing the Zelgius Spirit by getting it to level 99. Zelgius appears on the Spirit Board; must be defeated in battle.

4. Zelda (The Wind Waker)

Zelda dominating the Spirit game out here. 

A look at her ability will make it pretty clear why she rounds up the top 4. Similar to Judd, she can get her fighter another final smash, however it only occurs 40% of the time. Still though, this is a really powerful ability that can come in super clutch in times of need. Furthermore, she has great stats, particularly her defense, and two support slots to boot. So you can be buffed out to amazing levels, and then randomly get a 2nd final smash to put the nail in your opponent’s coffin. 

Stats: 

• Type: Shield
• Max Attack: 4,844
• Max Defense: 6,165
• Support Spirit Slots: 2

Ability: 

• Chance of Double Final Smash - Sometimes grants a second Final Smash after using a Final Smash (40%).

How to Obtain: 

• Enhancing the Tetra Spirit by getting it to level 99. Tetra can be found and defeated in The Final Battle area of World of Light. Tetra also appears on the Spirit Board; must be defeated in battle.

3. Rex (Master Driver)

A small consolation from me for not getting into smash… you’re welcome! 

Rex (Master Driver) is a respectable Spirit in terms of stats. High attack, higher defense, and a solid ability that gives him an overall buff at high damage. But let’s be real, he’s up this high because he’s the best Spirit with three support slots. In general, three slots let you get buffed up like a madman, but more specifically, they let you use some of the best support Spirits in the entire game. We saw one of them with Judd, now get ready for some more. 

Stats: 

• Type: Shield
• Max Attack: 5,436
• Max Defense: 5,773
• Support Spirit Slots: 3

Ability: 

• Critical-Health Stats ↑ - Slightly increases attack, defense, and move speed for a while when badly damaged (1.1x Damage, 1.3x Defense, 1.3x Ground mobility & max air speed). Activates once per stock when above 80% damage or below 30HP in Stamina. Lasts 20 seconds. 

How to Obtain: 

• Enhancing the Rex Spirit by getting it to level 99. Rex can be found and defeated in the Sacred Land / Lost Woods area of World of Light. Rex also appears on the Spirit Board; must be defeated in battle.

2. Celebi

Hey, you wanna just, heal… just because? Here you go.  

Sometimes an ability is just so good, that it, by itself, has more value than any combination of buffs you can think of; this is one of those times. 5% damage healed every 5 seconds. I’m not even gonna get into how annoying you can be with a high-speed Spirit build. Let’s just do some math. If an average match lasts 3 minutes, that’s 180% that you will heal throughout. Nearly two stocks of damage. Nuff’ said. 

Stats: 

• Type: Support
• Spirit Slot Cost: 3 

Ability: 

• Great Autoheal - Recovers some health automatically every five seconds (5%).

How to Obtain: 

• Can be found and defeated in the Sacred Land / Lost Woods area of World of Light. Celebi also appears on Spirit Board; must be defeated in battle.

1. Gold Mario 

Go ahead, hit me, give it a shot.

How is it possible for anything to beat free constant healing? What could it be? Well, how about that even if you take damage, nothing happens? Gold Mario’s ability gives you permanent super armor, meaning that when people hit you, yeah, your damage goes up, but you do not flinch. The only thing that can break it at reasonable percents are super strong smash attacks like Bowser’s. 

It’s hard to even explain what a game-changer this is. Just think about how someone would stop you from hitting them if nearly nothing they do knocks you back. You will always be able to punish any stray hit they land, and while you can rack up damage with combos, they cannot. This almost breaks the fundamental game of Smash, so I have no hesitation placing it as the best Spirit in the entire game. 

Stats: 

• Type: Support
• Spirit Slot Cost: 3 

Ability: 

• Super Armor - Gain super armor while charging smash attacks (132 Knockback limit).

How to Obtain: 

• Summoning him. It costs 2,600 SP, the Metal Mario Spirit core, the Super Mushroom Spirit Core, and the Fire Flower Spirit Core (Cores are obtained by dismissing said Spirits).

You may also be interested in:

• Smash Bros Ultimate Guide for Beginners and Advanced Players
• Smash Ultimate Best Characters [Smash Ultimate Tier List]
• [Top 10] Smash Ultimate Best Spirits That Are OP
• [Top 10] Smash Ultimate Best Amiibo
• [Top 10] Smash Ultimate Best Air Game
• [Top 10] Smash Ultimate Best Aggressive Characters
• [Top 10] Smash Ultimate Best Beginner Fighters
• Top 10 Best Smash Ultimate Players
• Top 5 Smash Bros. Ultimate Tournaments in The World
• Smash Ultimate Tournaments List (All Major Tournaments To Watch)
• 10 Best Smash Ultimate Custom Stages