Super Smash Bros Brawl: Unlock Characters Fast

Quick answer

To unlock all hidden characters in Super Smash Bros Brawl, focus on playing Subspace Emissary, accumulating Vs. matches, and meeting specific milestone conditions. This guide walks you through each unlock method and the common pitfalls to avoid.

How to unlock every hidden character in Super Smash Bros Brawl

1. 1. Clear Subspace Emissary chapters: Play through the Subspace Emissary story mode. After completing certain levels, characters like Ness, Luigi, and Falco join your roster automatically. Keep progressing until you finish the final boss fight to unlock the largest batch of fighters in one go. Don't skip cutscenes if you're unsure which character unlocks next—some are tied to specific chapters.
2. 2. Accumulate Vs. matches for match-count characters: Several characters unlock after a set number of Vs. matches (not Subspace Emissary battles). For example, Marth appears after 10 matches, and Sonic after 200. You can speed this up by setting up 1-stock matches on the Bridge of Eldin stage and letting the timer run out—each counts as a match. Matches must be Vs. mode (any rules) and last at least a few seconds. Very short matches may not count, so avoid quitting immediately.
3. 3. Meet special milestone conditions: A few characters require specific actions. To unlock Toon Link, clear Classic Mode with any character. To get Jigglypuff, complete 20 Vs. matches after unlocking all other hidden characters. For Wolf, clear Boss Battles mode. Check your progress in the Challenges menu. Wolf requires Boss Battles mode, not Subspace Emissary—don't confuse the two. Use a strong character like Meta Knight to survive the gauntlet.
4. 4. Use the Home Run Contest for fast unlocks: The Home Run Contest can help you unlock characters like Ganondorf. Simply play the mode once (even a weak hit counts) to trigger his unlock. This is much faster than grinding Vs. matches for characters that have alternative unlock conditions. You only need to participate, not achieve a high score. A single swing is enough.
5. 5. Check the Challenges board for hints: The Challenges menu in the game shows a grid of unlockable items, including characters. Each panel gives a vague hint about how to unlock it. Use this to track what you've missed and which mode to focus on next. Some panels require specific items or stickers—don't assume every panel is a character. The board also tracks trophies and music.

Game you'll need

• Super Smash Bros Brawl - Wii Game: The game is fully tested & guaranteed to work. It's the cartridge / disc only unless otherwise specified. Welcome to a brawl for the ages, where anything can happen, anyone can show up and all bets are off. Duke it out with your favorite Nintendo characters in Super Smash Bros. for the Wii. Solid Snake from the Metal Gear Series makes a special appearance in this title for the Wii game system. Having a clean, tested copy ensures your save data is stable and you won't lose progress while unlocking characters. The disc-only format is fine as long as you have a working Wii console.