When gamers talk about Super Smash Bros., they usually picture high-intensity clashes: Fire Emblem swords swinging, Fox lasers flying, and dramatic edge-guard spikes on Final Destination. But if you dig deep enough into the community’s labyrinth of absurd humor, internet culture, and unintended gameplay mechanics, you stumble into a wonderfully strange niche: the phenomenon of the “Super Smash Bros. Fish.”
From classic stage hazards to viral community memes and unexpected aquatic combatants, let’s take a deep dive into how finned and scaled creatures have quietly made waves in Nintendo’s premier fighting game franchise.
1. The Literal Fish: Stages and Hazards
While the roster is packed with plumbers, space bounty hunters, and legendary swordsmen, actual aquatic life has historically made its presence felt through stage design and items.
- The Ominous Cheep Cheeps: Stages like Super Mario Maker or classic Mario-themed levels wouldn’t be complete without background obstacles or interactive hazards featuring classic Nintendo fish. While they rarely dictate competitive meta, getting caught off guard by stage transitions or environmental elements keeps casual players on their toes.
- The Balloon Fight Connection: Though the fighter is the Villager or the Balloon Fighter themselves, the stage elements often evoke classic retro waters where fish lurk below just waiting to snap at unsuspecting aerialists.
2. “Going Fishing”: The Meme Evolution
Beyond actual game coding, the phrase “going fishing” has taken on a life of its own within the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate community.
Driven by specific character animations—such as Byleth casting out the Sword of the Creator like a literal fishing line, or Isabelle and the Villager literally dropping a fishing rod off the ledge—players weaponized the concept. “Going fishing” became slang for a humiliating ledge-trapper move: dangling a hitbox off the edge of a stage just waiting for an off-stage opponent to swim right into it. The accompanying memes often pair these cheeky edge-guard setups with ironic captions or mock relaxation, juxtaposing the sweaty intensity of a tournament match with a quiet afternoon by the lake.
3. The Meme Cross-Overs: “Bigger Fish to Fry”
In recent years, short-form video platforms and meme culture have continually mashed up the iconic Super Smash Bros. Ultimate character select theme with casual, absurd phrases—most notably variations of “I think we have bigger fish to fry”.
The contrast between the operatic, apocalyptic hype of the Smash theme music and a mundane, low-stakes idiom about aquatic dinner preparation has turned into a staple format for gaming shitposts.
4. Fan-Made Fusions and AI Voices
The cultural imprint of Smash extends so far that tools like Fish Audio have frequently utilized Super Smash Bros. announcer soundbanks for AI voice generation. Creators regularly use the booming, iconic announcer voice (“SELECT YOUR CHARACTER!”) to narrate completely absurd, fish-related scenarios, proving that the internet will never tire of applying high-octane tournament gravity to the most trivial sea life imaginable.
Final Thoughts
Whether it’s Isabelle reeling opponents into the abyss, a frantic ledge-spike disguised as an angling expedition, or a viral audio joke about having bigger fish to fry, the “Super Smash Bros. fish” represents the absolute best of gaming culture: taking a hyper-polished, competitive masterpiece and finding the silliest possible ways to enjoy it.
After all, in a game featuring a Piranha Plant, a duck teamed up with a dog, and a literal fitness trainer, a fish is hardly the weirdest thing on the roster.
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