With over 80 playable characters that will span in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s lifetime, it is to be expected that some characters will have some overlap. Whether it be in regard to character models, playstyles, or even entire movesets, it is hard to expect a game as huge as Smash Ultimate to not share some similarities amongst its current roster.

However, Nintendo has made an effort for characters to stay true to their canonical selves, along with still feeling somewhat unique in a character's gameplay in Smash. This reigns true even with characters that are considered a copy of another character. Characters that are considered copycats to others in the roster are often referred to as echo fighters.

Echo fighters typically have small tweaks to their gameplay that often offer a unique experience compared to the original character they are based on. While some have more obvious differences than others, the tradeoffs will often determine which character a player prefers to use.

A quick note: We will be highlighting the traits of both the original and echo fighters, just to add more context to the nuances of each character. Also, some characters might be excluded from the list, for distinguishing between echo fighters and clone-like characters can be debated. With that being said, let’s dive right into the echo fighters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Dark Samus: Echo to Samus

The reveal of Dark Samus was a pleasant surprise back in 2018, for fans had widely asked for the inclusion of the character in Smash Ultimate’s roster. The fans got what they wanted, but perhaps not in the way they expected: as an echo fighter.

There are really only two significant differences between Samus and Dark Samus. One being that Dark Samus is shorter, meaning moves like Up-Smash hit certain opponents as Dark Samus compared to that of Samus. The other subtle difference would be that Dark Samus does not go into a ball during her roll animation, making her roll faster thus allowing players to react quicker, but also leaves her with a larger hitbox.

There is however a change in their damage properties. This refers to Samus’s attacks being fire-based while Dark Samus’s are electric-based. This small difference only matters in very specific instances that are significant enough to really change much, but it is still worth noting.

Aside from these changes, most of Dark Samus’s changes come from having different animations and particle effects. To some players, details like that feel more appealing, so it offers a slight variety from a visual aspect.

Daisy: Echo to Peach

Peach and Daisy are rather underwhelming in terms of diversity between one another. The only real difference, besides cosmetic, is that Daisy stands slightly lower than Peach, but has a slightly larger horizontal hitbox. The tradeoff of having a shorter vertical hitbox while having a larger horizontal hitbox is something that would matter in regard to microspacing. So depending on how a particular player would like to play the micro game, this very small detail could have a slightly different effect on a player.

However, most players would not focus too much on such a small detail, for hitboxes and hurtboxes are something that is usually felt the more you play, and since Peach and Daisy’s difference is so miniscule, most players might not even notice it.

At one point, there was a difference in the way ratios and trajectories worked on each characters' turnips, however Nintendo patched this out fairly early in Smash UItimate’s timeline.

Lucina: Echo to Marth

Marth and Lucina is a bit more obvious on what makes them different. Marth and Lucina share the exact same moves, however with one major difference.

Marth has a mechanic referred to as a “tipper” meaning that the closer you are hit at the tip of his sword, the more damage and knockback you take. Lucina on the other hand, does an even amount of damage and knockback throughout her sword, making her more consistent.

The tradeoff is far more apparent in their playstyle. Marth rewards spacing out hits correctly in order to get the most damage out, along with taking stocks earlier than perhaps expected. But with Lucina, the consistent threat of all the options she has at her disposal makes it tough to not prefer her over the character she is echoing.

It might feel more rewarding to play Marth, but with Lucina you know what you are getting, and being able to more consistently execute combos and kill options is often a better risk-reward tradeoff.

Chrom: Echo to Roy

Roy and Chrom are similar to that of Marth and Lucina, with both of them sharing the almost the exact same moveset, with the difference being their Up-Specials.

Roy’s Up-Special is similar to that of Marth and Lucina, however covers less ground. Chrom’s Up-Special is similar to another Fire Emblem character, being Ike. Chrom’s Up-Special is almost 100% identical to Ike’s aether, albeit with less drift than Ike.

The other way the two characters are similar to that of Marth and Lucina is based off of their concepts, meaning Roy is a sword character that does more damage at the hilt of his sword, while Chrom has even damage throughout. Chrom also has a higher damage output than Roy, making that something to consider when deciding between the two characters.

The differences between the two characters can lead some to believe that they are more like clones, but they fundamentally share similar characteristics in their gameplay, hence why they are considered echo fighters.

Dark Pit: Echo to Pit

The debate between which version of Pit is better is often more intriguing than the other echo fighters on this list. Although neither character is considered better than Mid-Tier, the subtle differences the two fighters share does offer some intriguing tradeoffs that due affect gameplay.

The first difference will be with their arrows, which is their Neutral Special. Pit’s arrows are easily controllable when used, offering some unique angles on how you can tack on damage to the opponent. Dark Pit’s arrows have less controllability and don’t travel as far, but have greater damage output and knockback.

The difference in arrows offers a tradeoff between a possible edge-guarding tool to raw damage output, which is something worth considering when thinking about certain scenarios and who you are facing.

The other major difference is in their Side Specials. The knockback on Pit’s Side Special is more diagonal, while Dark Pit’s is more horizontal. This would play a factor in regard to stage selection, for stages with lower ceilings might favor Pit more, while stages with smaller side space would favor Dark Pit more.

The tradeoffs between the two characters do feel important, which is why many people debate on which one is better between the two. Ultimately, it is just a matter of preference, but it would be a good idea to try out both and pick the one that better suits your playstyle.

Ken: Echo to Ryu

The Street Fighter icons are by far the most different when it comes to them being echo fighters. They are both niche type characters for Smash Ultimate, for they fight like traditional fighting game characters, which is exactly what they are.

The major differences however are associated with certain moves between the two characters. The biggest differences are between their Up-Specials and Side Specials. Ryu’s Up-Special is a one hit move, while Ken’s is a three-hit move. This matters in terms of damage and kill setups. For Ken, although his Up-Special has three hits, he only needs the last part of the move to connect in order to get kills at higher percentages, which is a nice added effect to an already strong move.

The other notable difference would be between the uses of the Side Specials. Ryu’s Side Special is considered a combo finisher or flat out kill option, while Ken’s is considered more a combo extender and is more useful for kill setups.

Trying to simplify the differences between Ryu and Ken can be its own article. However, the two points highlighted are definitely the biggest factors to consider when trying to consider the two, at least in my opinion.

Richter: Echo to Simon

Last, and unfortunately least, is the Belmonts. Simon and Richter have almost zero differentiating factors.

The only distinguishing factor in terms of gameplay between the two characters is that their Down Specials have different elemental properties. Simon has fire properties while Richter has Aura properties, to which this becomes noticeable when their Down Specials hit other items. Simon’s Down Special will break on impact, while Richter’s will bounce before eventually breaking.

Simon and Richter are underwhelming examples of echo fighters, similar to that of Peach and Daisy, who also share small differences that are rather insignificant.

Conclusion:

The echo fighters in Smash Ultimate are a bit of a mixed bag, with some being rather interesting in the tradeoffs that they possess from the original character they are based on, while others are simply considered re-skins to some players.

Although not all echo fighters have been well-received in Smash community, most if not all of them do serve a purpose within Smash Ultimate. Echo fighters, for the most part, do feel unique in their own right.

Whether it be in terms of slightly altering something in their toolkit that affects their gameplay, or adding a trait that alters how the character feels, or even if it seems simply cosmetic, echo fighters do have a place in the Smash Ultimate roster. Many people have grown to love how expansive and diverse the current roster feels, and if we are being real, part of that feel comes from echo fighters.