Counting Zelda and Sheik as one character, Super Smash Bros. Melee has 25 playable characters.
Melee’s roster is commonly reported as 25 characters under the game’s character-count convention. Zelda and Sheik are treated as one roster slot because Zelda transforms into Sheik during play, even though they have distinct appearances and movesets. Counting them separately produces a total of 26 playable forms.
That distinction explains why different sources can appear to disagree. The number 25 counts character slots, while 26 counts Zelda and Sheik independently. Neither figure includes trophies, non-playable helpers, or characters from other Smash games.
Released for the Nintendo GameCube in Japan on November 21, 2001, Melee expanded dramatically on the original game’s 12-character roster. Fourteen fighters are available initially, with the rest unlocked by completing specific tasks. Its fast gameplay later made it a mainstay of competitive Smash tournaments.