SSBMRank Summer 2025: 31–40

Melee Stats is proud to present SSBMRank Summer 2025! The annual countdown of the best Melee players in the world continues with a look at the fifty best players of 2025 so far, from old favorites to new breakouts and so much more.

We polled 21 community figures to rate each ballot-eligible player based on their performances throughout the first half of 2025. These panelists span a wide range: top players, tournament organizers, writers, analysts, and more. Each panelist rated each player with a value between 1 and 70, and then each player’s rating was aggregated to a single value based on their distribution of votes.

SSBMRank Summer 2025 #40: Graves | Photographer Credit: Ben McDowell (@ben__mcdowell)

#40: Graves | Rating: 42.77

Whether he’s grinding chess or Melee, Eli Graves always has something in the kiln. Wielding just a good pair of headphones, a conch, and a nasty bird, Washington’s hometown hero has dominated his home region, posting a positive record on every single PR eligible player. Wins on Dacky, Espi, Stiv, and more PNW favorites have solidified him as Washington’s #1 player. So where’s a young bird to go but up?

At Battle of BC 7, Graves showed signs of pushing past his limits by defeating moky in a tense game 5 upset, only to fall to Spark and Preeminent. At Fight at the Museum, he’d take down Slowking, get revenge on Preeminent, and play another banger set with local rival Stiv on his way to third, losing to Aura; but Graves has waded through choppy waters and come out stronger for it. Three years ago, a loss to Slime brought Graves into broader awareness — but since then, Graves has eclipsed his cruel entry point in the zeitgeist to grow into one of the modern era’s best solo Falcos. Going from Slime’s best win to your favorite player’s most recent loss? Now that’s Melee.

-Stude

SSBMRank Summer 2025 #39: Preeminent | Photographer Credit: Ben McDowell (@ben__mcdowell)

#39: Preeminent | Rating: 42.86

No longer young. No longer underestimated. We come upon another season of Anthony “Preeminent” Braun demonstrating that their lofty tag befits the level of fine gaming provided. After coming up as one of the young Foxes that heralded a new era of Melee, Preeminent has kept Minnesota afloat before and after his first time being ranked #1 there in 2023 with appearances nationally to boot.

Though Preeminent usually attends tournaments based around the ease of school, a new obstacle arose this summer being restricted to a liquid diet for six weeks after Tipped Off 16: Safari in a bit of a Mouth Wide Shut situation. Not even wires in their mouth were able to keep the gaming at pause; Preeminent made a trip to Canada even amidst all this recovery. A traveler at heart, Preeminent always makes a vacation out of the event, indulging in the best fare his trips can offer, whether it be excursions or cuisine. They’re not too stingy about making time to collect some wins either. Such crusades have taken him this year to California, Colorado, and Illinois. If your brochure happens to include them sending your adored players to the losers bracket, don’t be surprised.

-Michael Wills

SSBMRank Summer 2025 #38: Slowking | Photographer Credit: Ben McDowell (@ben__mcdowell)

#38: Slowking | Rating: 44.10

For more than a few members of Melee’s Top 100, the time they spend with their local scene seems inversely correlated to the number beside their name on these very rankings. However, David “Slowking” Fuentes scores at the top percentile for how attached he is to the Iowa community. Barring any catastrophes, you’ll find him running the Des Moines Gaming Club weekly and adjusting matches with the love and care that every attendee has come to expect. Visitors and locals abound are welcome to pop into Dave’s Diner (note: though charming, this house local does not possess a license to serve food).

And if you can’t make time to breeze through his state, don’t fret. Dave will find the time to come right to your stream. Using his employee hotel discounts, Slowking manages to throw hands all across the Midwest, like at Burrow Brawl in Minnesota, where Preeminent and Ben were terrorized en route to his 1st place finish. While the summer season is filling his work schedule with family vacations and booked floors, we’ll hope autumn brings Melee back in focus for his electric agenda.

-Michael Wills

SSBMRank Summer 2025 #37: Dawson | Photographer Credit: Victoria Hamilton (@bluerosetori)

#37: Dawson | Rating: 45.79

Despite a disappointing finish to his 2024 — a run-ending game 5 loss to The Weapon at Don’t Park on the Grass — Dylan “Dawson” Dougherty got right back into the mix this season. After letting a quick phoenix gif fly alongside a tourney recap post, Philadelphia’s top Jigglypuff hit the ground running and took down freshly-minted Top 30 player MOF at Indiana regional Afterburner 2025 on his way to 5th place. Back on solid footing, Dawson set out for a marathon journey, one that’s taken him across the country in search of what Melee might have in store.

Both on and off the sticks, Dawson’s been putting in the work. He’s got Melee on the brain 24/7, but as he’s documented online, he’s still making time for his health and his other hobbies. That effort manifested into success at many points, as Dawson has defeated talents such as Ben, BING, Faust, Grab, and more on his myriad trips around North America. Whether he’s baking a fresh batch of cookies, writing nearly ten pages of notes on the Fox matchup, or discussing his most recent sets, you can be sure that Dawson has Melee on his mind.

-Kevin “tenacity” Donnelly

SSBMRank Summer 2025 #36: Chickenman400 | Photographer Credit: Atheen (@atheen_art)

#36: Chickenman400 | Rating: 46.91

In his first full ranking period with the power a tag change brings, Chickenman400 continues to hustle day in and out as one of, if not the top, tournament grinder in this game. Chickenman’s attendance is nothing short of extraordinary; since February, he’s averaged a regional or major every three weeks.

Other players take notes: getting used to the slaughterhouse that is competing in a double elimination bracket has paid off. Look no further than how he shined, pillared, and dumpstered S2J, Ben, and Panda on his way to a 17th place finish at GENESIS X2. While some days the beak may be at its peak, others the tides pull a different way. Some top player secondary swaps can peter out, but Chickenman400’s enthusiasm for his own play is as infectious as his combos themselves, and I wholeheartedly believe we’ll be seeing a whole lot more of his Fox (and maybe Jiggylpuff). Chickenman400’s elegant prose reads as follows, “Let us walk this world together, through the storm, whatever weather, cold or warm. My time hasn’t come yet, but it will come. It always comes together.”

-Darren “Krakhead” Lynch

SSBMRank Summer 2025 #35: Zanya | Photographer Credit: Atheen (@atheen_art)

#35: Zanya | Rating: 48.03

Twenty four years in, Melee players are still innovating. Some players innovate towards optimization, discovering new tech or ways to abuse SDI. Zanya innovates by finding uses for Sheik’s chain against Jigglypuff, or figuring out which matchup makes the most sense for Zelda. Think that’s not optimization? Just check her results. In a region rich with history, it’s Zanya who sits atop the throne.

The last few years, upstate Melee has revolved around Zanya. Even when she isn’t winning, she’s still the main character. When she placed third at Salt the Roads, it was the first time in upstate history with Zanya, BING, and Agent in attendance that she did not play in grand finals. Less than a month later, she bounced back at Frame 16, defending upstate from the invader Faust and defeating BING twice to regain her crown.

But Zanya isn’t satisfied with her local reign. One year after putting herself on the map in a visit to Los Angeles, she is road-tripping once again. With the support of the upstate community, Zanya will be traversing the eastern seaboard and attending as many tournaments as possible, highlighted by her visits to Supernova 2025 and Collision 2025. The queen of upstate is looking to expand her kingdom.

-Nikita “nicklebackair” Bair

SSBMRank Summer 2025 #34: Sirmeris | Photographer Credit: Chadd Brown (@browningtons_)

#34: Sirmeris | Rating: 50.94

The thing about Daniel “Sirmeris” Dolin: he gets on base. He began this year as Ohio’s newly crowned #1 player, ending Drephen’s historic dominance over the spot. He’s yet to place below his seed or even take a bad loss this season, aside from one single bracket reset to Holiday at Almost Heaven 6 (Sirmeris still won the tournament, for the record). He shows up and puts in the work, never faltering, reaching a little higher each time. This consistency shows itself in his runs at Fight Pitt 10, where he defeated Zasa, SluG, and Chem and Full Bloom 2025 where he defeated Grab, Blue and Preeminent.

Since 2022, when he moved from West Virginia to a region containing some of the finest players in the world, Ohio, Sirmeris has been steadily climbing up the Top 100 rankings year after year. He’s headed back to his home state this year; the story for the rest of 2025 will be whether or not Sirmeris can keep his yearly climb up the Top 100 rankings going in a region that may not be as suited to top level competitive growth. But who knows — perhaps a retreat to the mountains of Appalachia is just what he needs to push the envelope for his play.

-Trinity Meleesadposts

SSBMRank Summer 2025 #33: Maelstrom | Photographer Credit: Victoria Hamilton (@bluerosetori)

#33: Maelstrom | Rating: 52.93

After debuting at 81st on SSBMRank 2024 at the ripe old age of 21, Ethan “Maelstrom” Welch looked like a prodigy. As a former Ultimate player, his Melee journey began much later than the likes of other established MD/VA talents. But don’t let this fool you — Maelstrom can hang with the best in his region. This year, he started the year off strong with a 3rd place finish at stacked regional It’s Not You, It’s Melee #23, picking up wins on Juicebox, max, Kevin Maples, and Khryke on the way.

Maelstrom’s tenacious attitude and levelheaded approach to the game have continued to propel him further. At Altitude Sickness 2, he would go on a six-set losers run to 9th, besting the likes of Vegas Matt, Stiv and DayDream. Then, an incredible upset on Hungrybox at Tipped Off 16: Safari en route to a 33rd place finish proved that Maelstrom can hang with the best not just in MD/VA, but anywhere.

Maelstrom announced he made Top 100 in January 2025 with a tweet that simply read “If I can do it, you can do it too,” an invitation for the rest of us to do the same. And maybe, just maybe, that should be taken to heart.

-Connor “Zyko” Kenney

SSBMRank Summer 2025 #32: Chem | Photographer Credit: Atheen (@atheen_art)

#32: Chem | Rating: 55.50

You could easily be forgiven for confusing Andrew “Chem” Khalili with Rodin’s The Thinker — any conversation with the man would leave you considering him an expert of reflection. His hours of mental Melee near eclipse his physical ones; Chem spends hours focused on analyzing mix-ups you’ve never played in situations you’ve never quantified. If you strike up a dialogue with Chem, be ready for him to defend any stance, philosophical or button-related, with confidence and evidence born from hours spent pondering. Count on any move you see from him on screen bursting with the same signature certainty.

Chem’s relentless rumination has also prodded him to scheme for logical choices to accentuate his cash flow in addition to his Melee winnings. First it was gambling, where Chem levied his penchant for calculations and study; sources say his eyes are now honed on stocks and startup opportunities. Chem’s set out to maximize his potential, in game and out — now let’s see just how high he can peak.

-Michael Wills

SSBMRank Summer 2025 #31: Ben | Photographer Credit: Victoria Hamilton (@bluerosetori)

#31: Ben | Rating: 56.87

Adopting an analytical approach to Melee as of late, Minnesota’s Ben Strandmark continues to succeed as a highly dedicated student of the game, proven by his many hours of studying VODs and routine lessons with DruggedFox. This commitment to studying has allowed him to evolve his play while being unfortunately unable to attend many events due to his work schedule. But even with low attendance, Ben has used the year to prove a simple fact yet again: he is one of the best Sheik players in the world.

Although 17th place finishes at Full Bloom 2025 and Get On My Level: Forever are nothing to scoff at, Ben’s greatest performance came at Out of the Blue 4, where he placed second, notching a trio of high-profile wins over the likes of Aura, MOF and Midwest nemesis Ossify.

Despite his workplace obligations keeping him largely grounded behind state lines, Ben appears just as hungry as ever to thrive on the world stage. The Minnesota ninja remains a stellar competitor — and when his PTO next reaches a high enough amount, expect the young contender to make a splash at his next major.

-Hank Strandberg

The SSBMRank Summer 2025 Team

Director: Brendan “GimmeDatWheat” Malone Editing Lead: Zane “epengu” Bhansali Data Lead: Eryk “Ambisinister” Banatt Graphics Lead: Nick “DarkDragoon” Konstantino Community Lead: Justin “DarkGenex” Cohen

Check out start.gg/SSBMRank to follow along with the full list as it releases