Super Smash Bros. Melee added 14 new characters over the original Super Smash Bros.
The first game had 12 playable fighters, while Melee expanded the roster to 26 when Zelda and her transformation, Sheik, are counted separately. All 12 original characters returned, joined by newcomers such as Bowser, Princess Peach, Ganondorf, the Ice Climbers, Marth, Roy, Mewtwo, and Mr. Game & Watch.
The count can look inconsistent because some references count Melee as having 25 characters, treating Zelda and Sheik as one fighter with two forms. Under that convention, Melee introduced 13 character slots. Trivia references commonly count the two playable forms separately, producing the canonical answer of 14 new characters.
Melee launched for Nintendo GameCube in Japan in 2001 and greatly expanded the original’s roster, stages, modes, and collectibles. Its larger cast helped establish the series’ tradition of mixing returning veterans with major newcomers.