20. Finio
A true PA smash and Lab legend, Finio has been showcasing his expertise with Pikachu for about a decade. He returned to form in 2024 after previously being named a Hidden Boss in 2023, and he showed why he deserves to be known as one of the most dangerous Pikachu mains in the US.
His tournament experience, strong punish game, and signature Pikachu Up B angles make him a formidable opponent for anybody that runs into him in bracket, and he showcased that by finishing in the Top 8 at Keystoned and Top 25 at Supernova.
One of the staples of the local and national scene as well as the Smash 64 Netplay community, keep an eye out for Finio in 2025 as he looks to reach new heights.
– KD3
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19. epad10
Notorious for both downing beers and downing opponents, epad10 is the type of player you do not want to lose to, more for the social repercussions of getting trash-talked at 3 a.m. than for your bracket run. He feeds off of that fear while rocking a nearly permanent smile. The tri-main has a wide cast, a pool of great victories, and a titanium-enforced floor. What’s next for epad10? Wouldn’t you like to know, kid.
– Grain
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18. Fray
When it comes to the sheer amount of contributions made towards the 64 scene inside and outside the game, it’s hard to think of many names that rival Fray. As a lead developer of Smash Remix and 19XX, Fray has helped contribute to and manage an immense amount of quality of life features that we know and love today. Lately, Fray has taken up the mantle of being a local TO in Prince Edward Island where he hosts a variety of Smash brackets. No surprise, the top tier 12 character cast master was able to transfer his skill relatively quickly to start winning other platform fighter brackets. Fray is the best Ness main in the western hemisphere and remains a strong mainstay within every ranking he’s qualified for. In fact, Fray is the first low tier main to reach top 20 on the rankings since Gyaki back in 2017. With his lightning-fast platform movement, insane follow ups on combos against all sorts of DI, and inescapable edgeguard flowcharts, Fray is able to go toe-to-toe with the highest level of players. Although Fray only attended Supernova, he still managed to take sets off big names: ReefyBeefy, waxy:joe, Andykins, fellow netplayer Qapples, and even Dogs_Johnson. Fray’s curiosity and love for the game is apparent in his fun combos but also his game development skills – as long as his passion for the game continues I’m sure we’ll see more and more innovative work from him as time goes on.
– Dogs_Johnson & Supa
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17. Grain
Grain, formerly known as etab, is Smash 64’s rising star from the Rochester, New York scene. Grain’s journey seemed destined from the moment she picked up an N64 controller in 2021. Initially, she faced challenges from veteran players like Eri, Jello, and the King of RIT, Bobakanoosh. However, these players became mere milestones for her to surpass within a year of starting. By 2022, Rochester had a Queen instead of a King. Grain had become a household name, recognized for her relentless drive to improve. To put her progress in perspective, she drowned in division 4 pools at Super Smash Con 2022, placed 25th at SSC 23, and achieved 13th at Supernova 2024. This year, she had wins over two former top 10 players in the world in KD3 and Josh Brody. Such rapid improvement is unprecedented, and it seems she’s not slowing down. Grain’s deep understanding of efficient gameplay is evident in her positioning, combo ability, and reactions. She has shown to be able to go toe to toe against some of the best players in the world, and it feels like only a matter of time before she becomes the best. I am happy to have had such a great seat to watch this journey unfold.
– Waxy:joe
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16. FranK
Coming in hot from South of the border, FranK lands at #16. FranK has been a student of the game for years, studying under one of the BEST! this game has to offer, JaimeHR. Like a branch off the same tree, FranK’s game is built on patience, consistency, and world class edge guarding. Widely considered one of the best in the Pikachu ditto, his dominance was on full display at Battle at the Border 2 where he knocked out fellow Pikachu players B33F, Andykins, and Josh Brody in succession. Well known on the west coast as an online warrior, FranK has reasserted himself as one of the top competitors in any format, online or console. FranKs commitment to improvement, and desire to win, has him challenging the throne for Mexico’s top player.
– Closenberg
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15. Shihman
Shihman starts almost every competitive year the same – with a clean sweep at Genesis practically uncontested. Andy became part of an exclusive group this year, becoming one of the few top players in smash to also be a father. The west coast powerhouse from NorCal wasn’t able to travel outside his coast due to becoming a family man, but he still managed to put up an impressive year as always. Although his Sunset Blast 2 performance wasn’t quite what he had hoped it’d be, he still managed to take a set off the hidden Mexico legend Zuber and another one off Frank – the latter of which would go on to have a Cinderella run at Battle At the Border 2. Shihman showcased top player dominance at No Contest where he absolutely refused to get upset by Grain in a close set and then beat KrisKringle in the runback after losing to him in pools, only to fall to Josh Brody at the end of the tournament. Shihman’s falcon/yoshi tag team makes for a lethal combination, as he melts stocks with his clean punish game and suffocating advantage state in every match up he plays. If that wasn’t enough, it feels almost impossible to get a clean opening on him in neutral, as his positioning and predictive skills are of the top echelon of play. It seems that no matter how much he’s able to play he’ll always be able to lock in and be a serious tournament threat wherever he goes.
– Dogs_Johnson
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14. KrisKringle
KrisKringle, known as “KD3 at home” to some, and “Tacos-lite” to others, is known for his strong cast of tournament ready characters. Able to compete at a high level with Kirby, Pikachu, Ness, and Jigglypuff, Kris does most of his damage in tournaments with his main, Falcon.
Kris put together a hell of a year, winning sets over top players such as Josh Brody and Shihman at No Contest, and finishing 3rd after losing the rematch to both. He followed it up with an impressive top 16 at Supernova 2024, surviving the infamous “Japan+Midwest pool,” and finished the tournament with a 75% win percentage. As his floor gets higher, and his ceiling shows more cracks, I won’t be surprised to find Kris as an odds on favorite at the regional level in the near future.
If you catch Kris on the right night in Discord, he might lead you to believe that Captain Falcon is a low tier character that he happens to be really good with. Although Falcon is typically characterized by his incredible speed, combo game, varied ground game, and a multitude of K.O. moves, in the words of Kris, “Falcon has nothing.” But as long as Falcon has Kris, the character at least has a chance.
– Andykins
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13. Dogs_Johnson
A dogged competitor, Dogs_Johnson has been steadily climbing his way up to the precipice of competitive Super Smash Bros for years, now at the very foot of that precipice. With an incredible 9th place finish at 64’s premier event, Supernova, it’s clear he’s once again upped his game even further! The odds are stacked against nearly anyone who is pitted against his falcon, which is scarily precise, hits hard, and feels like a brick wall of mental resilience. But many of us already know this about Dogs as he’s been a feared name in the tournament scene for nearly a decade. What I want to be sure people know is how he invests himself in the community outside of tournaments. He’s filled in the void that Darkhorse left behind by becoming one of the pillars that holds up our community behind the scenes. He leads and contributes to projects like these yearly rankings, is one of the very few players to offer high-level coaching, and formed a netplay discord (The Dawg House) that has become a nexus of new players diving into our world of competition. He never seems to back down from an opportunity to give back to the community. His love for the game is clear in these contributions and in how much of himself he places into competition. Inside and outside the game, he’s been an example of excellence and one of our community’s guiding lights. Pogs_Johnson.
– B33F
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12. Crovy
With his dedication to his process and craft, Crovy has ascended to the upper level of North American talent. Crovy’s spent hours experimenting in his remote, state-of-the-art laboratory, with a chori in hand and frame counter on screen. This year he moved his R&D into production, formulating bracket victories like Ghost Town 2 and high ranked wins like Josh Brody, ending the year with a win over his lab partner FranK at Battle at The Border ‘24. Crovy is someone who is one of a kind; his attitude and mustache brings joy to all those who can see. With pure love and passion, the sky’s the limit for the rising Canadian star.
– Grain
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11. Josh Brody
Another year and another top 15 ranking for Josh Brody. Being again outside the top 10 this year is not a sign of decline for Maryland’s disciplined Pikachu main, but a sign of the field around him becoming so competitive. Just a few years ago Brody dominated players that have now earned his equal, and his legacy of being a top player as long as he has affirms he’s one of the best in the world and wins don’t come as easy in 2024. A player of great talent and even greater sportsmanship, his resume mirrors his fandom. Outside of smash, Brody enjoys the dominance of the LA Dodgers and the humiliation of the NY Jets. Winning No Contest in the summer found Brody at his best, but shortly after he failed to make Top 8 at Supernova 2024. Brody has been around a long time and when you’re a player as talented as he is who travels to compete as much as him you’ll have good tournaments and outstanding ones, years where you’ve fallen on and years where you’ve fallen off, but one thing that’s certain is when Josh Brody is down he’ll always come barking back.
– Shears
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Continue to Top 10 Players of 2024