SmallAnt

Early career and Super Mario Odyssey

SmallAnt began his online content creation career on March 2, 2016, initially streaming gameplay and creating levels in LittleBigPlanet 3. His early inspiration came from other creators like FearsomeFire. He first gained significant attention in the speedrunning community through Super Mario Odyssey, joining its inaugural speedrunning tournament and placing third. This success prompted him to start uploading Super Mario Odyssey speedrunning tutorials to his YouTube channel in early 2018, followed by stream highlight compilations later that same year. A significant moment came when a subscriber goal on his Twitch channel led him to attempt the 'Minimum Captures' category in Super Mario Odyssey, a niche and difficult challenge run. He pursued this category intensely, eventually earning former world records and establishing his reputation for mastering complex game mechanics. Beyond standard speedruns, he expanded his challenge content with videos such as completing Super Mario Odyssey while blindfolded or without taking any damage, demonstrating his precision and deep understanding of the game.

His dedication to Super Mario Odyssey formed the core of his early channel growth, but he also experimented with other formats. The decision to try the Minimum Captures category was a direct result of community interaction through Twitch subscriber goals. This approach of letting his audience influence content became a recurring theme in his later work. The technical skill required for these early challenges, from precise movement to detailed knowledge of game physics, laid the foundation for the more complex runs he would later undertake in other titles.

Expansion into diverse games and viral challenges

After experiencing some creative burnout, SmallAnt deliberately branched out from Super Mario Odyssey to explore other games, a move that proved highly successful. He was among the first creators to perform and upload a complete 100 percent speedrun of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a marathon endeavour that garnered millions of views. In 2023, he later surpassed his own achievement by completing a second, faster 100 percent run before the release of Tears of the Kingdom, beating his previous record by tens of hours. His foray into the Pokémon franchise produced several of his most popular videos. On February 20, 2020, he published a video of himself completing Pokémon Platinum without taking any damage. His run of Pokémon SoulSilver using only Shiny Pokémon, creatures with an extremely low random encounter rate of 1 in 8192, was uploaded on October 20, 2020, and became his most viewed video with over 17 million views as of April 2025. He also demonstrated his versatility with offbeat challenges, such as pursuing and achieving a world record for sharpening pencils as fast as possible in a video uploaded on July 4, 2020.

SmallAnt's content continued to evolve with community-driven challenges and mod explorations. In 2022, he played and helped popularize the Super Mario Odyssey: Online mod, created by CraftyBoss, particularly its hide-and-seek multiplayer mode, which he played alongside streamers like cjya, Fir, and GrandPooBear. That same year, he began an extensive Minecraft Skyblock playthrough, a long-term project where the player starts on a small island with limited resources. He documented this challenge in a video released on January 5, 2024, titled 'I took Minecraft's Most Popular Challenge to its Absolute Limits'. His ability to complete games quickly was further demonstrated when he became the second person to achieve 100 percent completion in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in May 2023, a feat that took 139 hours. He later humorously completed a viewer-suggested challenge to collect every rock in that game.

Recent projects and competitive events

SmallAnt's activity from 2023 onward includes a mix of high-profile completions, competition participation, and continued challenge runs. In October 2023, he competed with fellow streamer GrandPooBear in the Red Bull competition titled Settle the Score. On February 27, 2024, he released a video detailing his completion of the difficult 'Kaizo Ironmon' challenge in Pokémon FireRed. He participated in the MC Championship Season 4 Kick-Off event, where his team placed fourth out of ten, and he individually placed twentieth out of forty competitors. In July 2024, he uploaded a playthrough of Pokémon Ultra Sun governed by dozens of rules suggested by his Twitch chat, such as playing the game in German, which was a challenge he had originally completed in 2022.

Following the release of The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, SmallAnt created content focused on finding and exploiting glitches within the game. A notable later achievement was on October 29, 2025, when he became the 77th player to beat a hardcore nuzlocke of the fan game Pokémon Run and Bun, doing so on his first attempt. This run was recorded with the fifth lowest amount of deaths at the time, and he was the second player to have beaten the game in one try. Despite this success, he stated his reason for attempting it was because he did not want to do another nuzlocke again. This pattern of tackling viewer-suggested or personally daunting challenges continues to define his content pipeline.

Notable achievements and records

SmallAnt's career is marked by a series of significant speedrunning and challenge completion milestones. His dedication has secured him former world records in several games, most notably in the Minimum Captures category for Super Mario Odyssey. He has also set benchmarks for being the first to accomplish specific in-game goals shortly after a title's release. For instance, he was the first streamer to catch every Pokémon in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond, completing the task less than 48 hours after the game launched. His competitive spirit extends to organized events, such as his participation with GrandPooBear in the Red Bull Settle the Score competition in October 2023.

• Former world records in Super Mario Odyssey Minimum Captures category.
• First streamer to complete the Pokédex in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond (within 48 hours of release).
• Second person to achieve 100% completion in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (May 2023, 139 hours).
• Completed a hardcore nuzlocke of Pokémon Run and Bun on first attempt (October 29, 2025), becoming the 77th player to do so with the fifth lowest recorded deaths.
• Won the Speedrunner of the Year award at the 2021 Streamer Awards.
• Uploaded the viral 'Shiny-only' Pokémon SoulSilver challenge (October 20, 2020), achieving over 17 million views.
• Achieved a world record in pencil sharpening speed (July 4, 2020).
• Placed third in the first Super Mario Odyssey speedrunning tournament.

SmallAnt's key speedrun and challenge completions span many years. In 2020, he completed Pokémon Platinum without taking any damage and achieved a world record for sharpening pencils as fast as possible. That same year, he uploaded a video of a Pokémon SoulSilver run using only Shiny Pokémon, which became his most viewed video with 17 million views as of April 2025. In 2022, he was the first streamer to catch every Pokémon in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond less than 48 hours after its release and began a popular Minecraft Skyblock playthrough. In 2023, he was the second person to achieve 100% completion of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, a feat that took 139 hours.

Content style and community engagement

SmallAnt's content is characterized by a blend of high-level technical skill, creative rule sets, and engaging presentation. He frequently involves his audience in the creative process, taking suggestions for challenges and rules, as seen in his community-driven Pokémon Ultra Sun playthrough. This interactive approach has fostered a dedicated fanbase, which congregates on platforms like the r/Smallant subreddit. His videos often explain complex game mechanics and strategies, making advanced speedrunning techniques more accessible to viewers. The longevity of his projects, such as the multi-year Minecraft Skyblock challenge, demonstrates a commitment to deep, exploratory gameplay rather than fleeting trends.

His collaboration with other prominent streamers in mods and competitions has also helped solidify his position within the broader online gaming community, creating crossover appeal and shared viewer experiences. The use of Twitch chat to dictate rules, as in the German-language Pokémon Ultra Sun run, exemplifies a direct line of interaction with his community. His willingness to attempt absurd or sarcastic viewer challenges, like collecting every rock in Tears of the Kingdom, adds a layer of humour and relatability to his technically demanding content. This balance between elite gameplay and community-driven fun is a key component of his enduring popularity.

Award recognition and public profile

The pinnacle of SmallAnt's industry recognition came in 2021 when he was awarded the Speedrunner of the Year title at the Streamer Awards. This accolade acknowledged his influence and skill within the speedrunning sphere, particularly for his work in Super Mario Odyssey and his popular challenge runs. While his primary fame stems from his digital content, his online alias and achievements are a recognized part of contemporary gaming culture. His success story, from early streaming experiments to award-winning world record holder, exemplifies the potential for dedicated creators to build a career through platform-specific content like speedrunning and challenge videos. The award serves as formal validation from his peers within the streaming and content creation industry, distinguishing him from many other creators in the same space.

Questions about SmallAnt

What is SmallAnt's real name?

SmallAnt's real name is Tanner Charles Minecraft. He was born on May 3, 1996, and is a Canadian content creator. He is widely known by his online alias, which was originally SmallAnt1 before being shortened to SmallAnt. This name is used across his primary platforms, YouTube and Twitch.

What is SmallAnt most famous for?

SmallAnt is most famous for his highly skilled speedruns and inventive challenge runs in video games. He gained significant fame for his work in Super Mario Odyssey, particularly in the Minimum Captures category where he held world records. His most viewed video is a 2020 challenge where he played Pokémon SoulSilver using only Shiny Pokémon, which has garnered over 17 million views. He also won the Speedrunner of the Year award in 2021.

When did SmallAnt start streaming?

SmallAnt began streaming on March 2, 2016. Some of his first content was inspired by the content creator FearsomeFire. On stream, he created levels in the game LittleBigPlanet 3 and did playthroughs of video games. He began speedrunning Super Mario Odyssey by joining its first speedrunning tournament and placing third.

What world records does SmallAnt hold?

SmallAnt has held and holds speedrun world records in multiple games, most notably in the Minimum Captures category of Super Mario Odyssey. He earned former world records in that specific category after first trying it to fulfill a Twitch subscriber goal. Beyond video games, he also achieved a world record for sharpening pencils as fast as possible, which he documented in a video uploaded on July 4, 2020. His speedrunning prowess was formally recognized when he won the Speedrunner of the Year award at the 2021 Streamer Awards.

Has SmallAnt won any awards?

Yes, SmallAnt won the Speedrunner of the Year award at the 2021 Streamer Awards. This award acknowledges his significant achievements and influence within the speedrunning community. His award winning status is built upon a career of notable world records and challenging content, such as his records in Super Mario Odyssey's Minimum Captures category. This official recognition highlights his standing as a prominent figure in online streaming and competitive gaming.

What other games does SmallAnt play besides Super Mario Odyssey?

Beyond Super Mario Odyssey, SmallAnt creates extensive content for the Pokémon franchise, Minecraft, and The Legend of Zelda series. He was among the first to complete a 100% speedrun of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and later beat his own record in 2023 before the release of Tears of the Kingdom, which he also completed 100%. His content includes unique challenges like a no damage run of Pokémon Platinum, using only Shiny Pokémon in SoulSilver, and exploiting glitches in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. He also engages with community mods like Super Mario Odyssey: Online and participates in events such as the MC Championship.

Sources: Wikipedia and current public reporting, checked by the Novello Desserts desk. Last updated 2026-10-26.