Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is a Smash-like fighting game. But instead of creating its roster out of the entire gaming sphere, All-Star Brawl’s fighters come from thirty years of Nicktoons history. Depending on what era of Nickelodeon you’re most familiar with, some characters may seem more elusive than others. So to clear the playing field, here are the origins of all the fighters who have joined Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl thus far, in order of their placement in the character selection screen.
SpongeBob SquarePants
The obvious choice — the Ryu of Nickelodeon. SpongeBob SquarePants debuted on Nickelodeon in 1999 and has been conquering the world ever since. SpongeBob now boasts 13 seasons, three theatrical films, and two spin-off shows. The only question that remains is: are you truly ready?
Patrick Star
Patrick is SpongeBob’s best friend, ever since they both can remember. The character has a spin-off called The Patrick Star Show, which premiered in July 2021 and asks the question, “What if Patrick had a variety show with a family we had never heard of before?”
Sandy Cheeks
Sandy Cheeks is a squirrel from Texas who lives under the sea in a Treedome. She’s one of SpongeBob and Patrick’s best buds, but she and SpongeBob already have a well-documented, friendly rivalry in the realm of “ka-rah-tay.”
Aang
The protagonist of Avatar: The Last Airbender, which ran from 2005 to 2008. As the title suggests, Aang was born an airbender but, as the Avatar, is destined to learn how to fight with air, water, and fire as well. While a critically acclaimed and universally beloved show, Avatar: The Last Airbender earned itself a live-action film adaptation by M. Night Shyamalan which is universally hated.
Toph
Toph is a powerful earthbender who joins Aang’s party in Avatar. Toph is blind and uses the sensations in her feet to see the world around her. Spoilers, but an older version of Toph also shows up in The Legend of Korra.
Korra
Korra is the next Avatar after Aang, which means that — in the world of the series — she contains Aang’s spirit inside herself. Korra, who was born a water bender, is the central figure of The Legend of Korra, which is the sequel to The Last Airbender and takes place decades later. The show itself ran from 2012 to 2014.
Lincoln Loud
Lincoln Loud is the protagonist of The Loud House, which premiered in 2016 and is currently serving as Nickelodeon’s newest “hit show.” In fact, a Loud House movie premiered on Netflix earlier this year, and a live-action film is on the way. Lincoln himself is the middle child of a family in which he has 10 sisters.
Lucy Loud
Lucy is one of the ten sisters in the Loud family, the next youngest after Lincoln. Lucy is a cynical and deadpan 9-year-old goth girl.
Leonardo
Since 2012, Nickelodeon has held the rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. While the beloved franchise kicked off in the 80s with a TV cartoon and live-action film trilogy which warms the nostalgic hearts of many, Nickelodeon’s two series has inspired a new generation of fans. Leonardo is, of course, the katana-wielding leader of the Turtles.
Michelangelo
Of the four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Michelangelo tends to be a fan favorite. After all, he’s goofy, uses nunchucks, and is very vocal about his love of pizza.
April O’Neil
In a surprise move, instead of adding another Ninja Turtle brother, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl added their ally April O’Neil to the roster. In addition to being a TV news reporter, Nickelodeon’s 2012 TMNT series gave April a surprising backstory: she’s half Kraang-mutant and has psychic powers.
Ren and Stimpy
The Ren and Stimpy Show premiered in 1991 and was one of the three original Nicktoons, alongside Doug and Rugrats. Its brazen and often grotesque humor is embodied by the two best friends and housemates who serve as its titular characters: the happy-go-lucky cat, Stimpy, and the controlling, grumpy chihuahua Ren.
Powdered Toast Man
Powdered Toast Man is a superhero in the world of Ren and Stimpy. He is also the spokesman for Powdered Toast, the breakfast which tastes “just like sawdust!” Powdered Toast Man has various Powdered Toast- and breakfast-related powers. At one point in the series, he saves a Pope voiced by Frank Zappa.
Zim
Zim is the titular character of Invader Zim, a relatively short-lived but deeply memorable Nicktoon that ran from 2001 to 2002. Invader Zim was relatively dark and geared towards an older audience. Zim himself was an alien who came to Earth hoping to enslave the human race. He poses as a human child to gather intel.
CatDog
CatDog ran from 1998 to 2005, and Dog himself boasts the same voice actor as SpongeBob (Tom Kenny). Cat and Dog are conjoined twins, and although they love each other, they have very different personalities, with Cat being the clean-oriented straight man and Dog being a sloppy goofball.
Reptar
Rugrats is one of the three original Nicktoons to premiere in 1991, although it’s now enjoying a computer-animated reboot. The show focuses on the lives of adventurous babies — but having babies fight adults doesn’t feel good, does it? Enter Reptar, a pop-cultural figure within the world of Rugrats who holds a similar vibe to Godzilla.
Nigel Thornberry
Smashing! Nigel Thornberry is the father of the protagonist of The Wild Thornberrys, which ran from 1998 to 2004. Nigel hosts a wildlife documentary series, and his family travels around the world with him. Nigel Thornberry has since become a meme in and of himself in millennial circles.
Helga
Helga Pataki frames herself as the bully in Hey Arnold!, which premiered in 1996. However, although she frequently berates the titular character for his “football head,” she secretly has an ardent crush on him, going so far as to have a secret shrine of him in her room.
Danny Phantom
Danny Phantom is the titular character of a mid-2000s series created by Butch Hartman, the same man responsible for The Fairly OddParents. Danny became a human-ghost hybrid after stumbling into a portal to the “Ghost Zone,” which means he’s essentially a superhero.
Oblina
Oblina is one of the three main characters from Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, which was unleashed in 1994 by the same team who brought the world Rugrats. Similar to Monsters Inc., which came later, Oblina and her friends attend school and crawl out of the dump into the human world to perform “scare” assignments.
