Street Fighter 5 Tier List: Best To Worst Characters

Street Fighter 5 is one of the most popular fighting games played by millions of players every month. The game gives players the luxury to choose from over 40 characters, and each one has its advantages. Some characters offer amazing combos, some have powerful attacks, while others are just too good at defending themselves. In any case, to help you choose the right characters for the fight, we are going to write down a Street Fighter 5 tier list in which we will rank all characters from best to worst.

Just like how we did it in our Brawlhalla Tier List we will divide the characters into five different tiers. Also, keep in mind that the following tier list is based on our personal choice and you might not find the placement of some characters suitable.

Complete info on the best and worst characters in SF5: 

S-Tier Characters

S-Tier characters are the strongest characters in Street Fighter 5. They offer some of the best combos and attacks. These are the characters that can help you win every match. 

Akira Kazama

Back when Akira was announced everybody was hyped. It was someone who fans have always wanted but have never expected. Everybody was concerned that how well will Capcom fit her Rival Schools playstyle into Street Fighter. Thankfully, they did a stellar job as she is easily among the best characters in the game.

Her playstyle is all about going in and applying pressure and she is great at it. You can utilize her brother Daigo, who Capcom has beautifully implemented into the game. The player can call him at any time during a combo and he can even launch a character that will get you a very good damaging combo.

Moreover, the most used strategy with Daigo is to switch sides whenever you call him. By doing this you will apply insane pressure on your opponent and they are far more likely to fall prey to this epic brother-sister duo. 

Her other V-trigger is also stellar as it can lead to some of the most stylish and badass combos in the game. These combos also do a lot of damage, as a matter of fact, they are among the most damaging ones in the game. 

Akira Kazama is an excellent addition to Street Fighter. Not only are her combos really fun to do and stylish they also deal a lot of damage. Give her a shot and you might end up maining her. 

Dhalsim

Dhalsim has gone through multiple changes throughout the years in Street Fighter 5. He has gone from being one of the worst zoners to now being the very best. As of now, he is literally a meta-defining character that has very few bad matchups. 

The thing that did so much for Dhalsim in the latest season was V-Shift. If you are not aware V-Shift is a dodge move that was recently added to Street Fighter 5 and it slows down time and opens up the opponent for a counterattack. 

He has long-range attacks and various projectiles. Dealing with him is very hard if you make one mistake against him and he will delete most of your health bar. All of these things are the reason why Dhalsim has become very hated in the community these days.

Furthermore, now you can see where we are going with this. Breaking Dhalsim’s defenses and closing the distance is already extremely hard and frustrating. Now, when you finally get to him he can use V-Shift on you and then gain all his distance back. 

After the recent seasons, he had become high-tier but with how insanely overpowered he has become now he is easily S-tier. Capcom has just made an already overpowered character even more overpowered. He is literally broken now in our opinion. A good Dhalsim player will effortlessly dominate the ranks. 

Luke 

When Luke was announced Capcom made it clear that he was going to be an important part of the franchise going forward. Now we know that he is the protagonist of Street Fighter 6 and that is exactly why he is so strong in Street Fighter 5. They wouldn’t want the new guy to be dull.

While Luke’s design is mostly hated by the community he does have a very unique and fun playstyle. He plays like a Shoto as he has both zoning and rushing attacks. Instead of a Hadouken, he throws sand.

Moreover, this sand projectile of Luke is one of the fastest in the game. It deals good damage and is simply a buffed-up version of a Hadouken. Other than that when the player is close up in the opponent’s face they can utilize many of Luke’s high-hitting attacks, which provide great pressure.

His DP is also one of the best in the game. He also has a charge attack which can lead to a wall bounce combo. Luke is undoubtedly among the strongest characters in the game as of now. His V-trigger also gives him ridiculous opportunities to combo and counter. 

If you are having trouble winning matches online consider switching to Luke. He is very easy to use and while you will probably dislike his appearance, he is still fun to play with. Almost every professional player places Luke in S-tier, he is just that overpowered.

Poison

The latest update and season patch has done so much for Poison. She has gone from being one of the most mediocre characters in the game to be some of the very best. As of now, she is so busted that she makes so many characters feel useless. 

In addition, she can easily close the distance as her Ex attacks can go over projectiles and lows. These attacks also are very safe to use as they don’t lead to any hard-hitting combos on block. They are very fast, which makes them hard to block in time in the first place. 

The main highlight of Poison’s entire moveset is her “Ex Heart Raid” move. In all honestly, this move straight up feels unfair. It can turn into your “use to win” technique. It is an extremely fast overhead that is only plus 4 frames when blocked. Her whole kit is overpowered but Ex Heart Raid is just extra busted. 

Moreover, you can go in on your opponent with the Ex Heart Raid and make them snap under the pressure. It is a move that can be used however you want. Breaking a good Poison player’s defenses is extremely hard, which makes her a thorn in the side of any Street Fighter 5 player.

What’s crazy about all of it is how ridiculously easy Poison is to play. You can do all of these moves with ease and any casual player can master her in no time. There is simply no reason why you shouldn’t play her and dominate the ranked lobbies. 

Akuma

Akuma is yet another strong character who has earned his position in the S-Tier category because of his hard-hitting attacks. He is one of the few characters who can break the enemy’s defense quickly. His power and techniques are amazing, while his mobility is somewhat decent. The only downside about Akuma is his range, something that can put you at a disadvantage at times. 

Rashid

Rashid is one of my favorite characters in the entire game because of one reason; he’s style is fast-paced. The thing about Rashid is that all of his attacks are quick and the enemy won’t be able to tell where he’s going to strike next. Furthermore, he offers a bunch of different skills that can help you with draining the health of your opponent quickly. He offers decent health, mobility, and power. The only thing which players often complain about him is his range. Other than that, Rashid is a strong fighter who can adjust to any playstyle. 

Cammy

Next up, we have Cammy. She used to be an assassin of Shadaloo until Dhalsim helped her. Because of her former profession, Cammy knows how to hold her ground firmly against powerful opponents. She is an expert in close-ranged combats as her attacks are quick and powerful. In fact, her mobility is remarkable and better than most of the characters present in the game. However, as for health and range, they are not that great. Therefore, you must learn how to defend against attacks properly if you’re planning to stick with Cammy for a while.  

M.Bison

M.Bison is one of the characters who offer some of the best combos available in the game. In fact, his combos are so deadly that they can take down the opponent quickly. This is all thanks to his aggressive nature as it allows him to push his target into the corner and prevent him from performing any powerful move. Although his defense is poor, most players don’t care about it considering the character can rely on his attacks throughout the match. His health and mobility are good while his power is excellent. 

Urien 

The final character in the S-Tier category of our Street Fighter 5 tier list is Urien. The best part about this character is that his health and power are excellent, meaning that he won’t get taken down so easily. Furthermore, his mobility is also pretty amazing, which helps him perform quick attacks. Urien’s combos are also decent and he can also break the defense of his opponent easily. Overall, he is an amazing fighter who can easily help you win the match if you learn how to play with him properly. 

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A-Tier Characters

A-Tier characters are some of the most powerful characters in the entire game. They have combos and attacks that are useful in multiple situations. 

G

Starting off in our A-Tier category is G. When it comes to combat, only a few characters match his techniques. This is because his combos and other skills are powerful and unique. He offers good mobility and power, while his health is somewhat decent. This, however, does not mean that he can be taken down quickly in combat. Aside from fighting, G spends most of his time posting videos on social media. 

Rose

Plenty of fans weren’t sure what to think of Rose’s comeback. She wasn’t that much loved by the fans in her last appearance in Street Fighter 4. This was mainly because a lot of the playerbase found her playstyle to be boring and slow when compared to the rest of the roster. 

In Street Fighter 5, Capcom put all of the criticism into consideration and gave us what we think is personally the very best Rose has ever been. She is fast-paced and has great combo potential alongside great pressure due to her projectiles. 

Furthermore, her V-trigger is also very useful and one leads to one of the easiest and highest damaging combos in the game. While the other is just her Street Fighter 4 Soul Satellite which has been significantly buffed. Both of these V-triggers deal a lot of pressure which can make your opponent slip at any moment.

If you love zoning characters or just characters with decent zoning but great projectiles then Rose will be an easy pick for you. She is very strong and what they did with her in Street Fighter 5 is just incredible. 

Moreover, some would argue that she should be placed in B-tier. Our reasoning for placing her in A-tier is that she is one of the best characters in the early ranks. You can easily make these players break with her pressure. 

Zeku

Zeku is one of the complex characters in our Street Fighter 5 tier list. This is because you will need to spend a lot of time learning how his skills and techniques work. However, once you do that, no one will be able to stop you. This is because most professional players who play with Zeku have shown how powerful this character is; that is if he’s in the right hands. His mobility is pretty high, while his health is also great. His combos are also powerful and they can take down the opponent easily. 

Karin

Next up, we have Karin. While her health might be average, her techniques and mobility are great. The thing which most players like about her is that her playstyle is pretty simple and easy to learn. You won’t need to spend a lot of time learning her combos, and this will help you master her quickly. Before getting nerfed, Karin used to have some attacks that helped her with pushing her opponent to the corner. If this returns through a future patch, then Karin will surely make her way to the S-Tier category. But for now, she’ll need to hang around in this one. 

Chun-Li

Chun-Li is easily one of the most popular and strongest characters in Street Fighter 5. The reason behind her popularity is the fact that she has remained a top-tier character in almost every Street Fighter game. Because of this reason, the developers always make sure to give her unique and powerful attributes as players will get disappointed if the opposite happens. Her health and power are average, but her mobility is pretty high. This allows her to perform quick attacks and dodge incoming attacks easily. 

Seth

Seth is yet another character who is affiliated with Shadaloo, as he was created in his Laboratory. The reason why is Seth an A-Tier character is his ability to steal moves from his opponents. This allows him to stay a step ahead of them. His health, power, and mobility are decent, while his range is somewhat better than the three. Despite this, Seth can still give his opponent a difficult time as he cannot be taken down easily. Just like Zeku, Seth is also a complex character and you will need to spend some time to learn his combos and skills. 

Kolin

Kolin’s attacks can deal a lot of damage, something that makes her an A-Tier character. This further allows her to perform deadly combos that are sometimes unblockable and completely drain the health of the opponent. Her health and range are decent, but this does not hold her back from absolutely destroying her enemy because of her high power and mobility. Overall, Kolin is a good fighter with amazing stats, if we put her health aside. 

Gulie

Gulie is one of the easiest characters to master in Street Fighter 5 as he can adjust to almost any playstyle. However, this does not mean that he is weak as the character’s power is one of the highest in the entire game. This is something that allows him to deliver powerful blows to his opponent and take him down quickly. His range and health are also high, while his mobility is decent. If you spend some time playing with Gulie, then he might even become one of your favorite characters. 

Cody

Cody is someone with an inspirational back story as he went from spending time in prison to becoming the mayor of his city. Therefore, he knows both sides of the world. As for gameplay, throughout the years he has gone through many changes and he is now objectively a great pick.

What’s great about Cody is that he has some of the best V-Triggers in the game. Both of his V-triggers are awesome and serve completely different purposes. His V-Trigger I is where he pulls out a knife and you can deal great damage with it, as it also has great speed and frames. 

Moreover, his V-Trigger II is very special. It is known as the comeback V-Trigger among the community. When you activate Cody’s V-Trigger II you literally open up so many opportunities for you to get yourself out of a tricky situation and win the match.

The V-Trigger II turns Cody’s moveset into a guessing game for the opponent. You can command grab them and even force a huge game-changing stun. With all of these things at his disposal, we believe that Cody is an easy A-tier character in Street Fighter 5.

B-Tier Characters

B-Tier characters are not as powerful as S and A-tier characters, but they are still some of the best ones to use in the game. They can hold their ground firmly against powerful opponents. 

Necalli

Necalli’s looks are terrifying enough to put fear into the heart of the opponent. But if that does not work, then you can rely on his skills for the same purpose. The thing about Necalli is that he’s not either too fast or too slow. He is maintaining the perfect balance between the two. His attacks are capable of doing a great amount of damage considering his power is too high. When it comes to defense, his health is high and he knows how to counter his enemy’s attack as well. Overall, Necalli is a solid character with good mobility.

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Menat

Menant is another complex character on our list with whom you will need to spend a lot of time in order to understand her playstyle. This is because her playstyle is unique compared to other characters mentioned on this list. Therefore, if you’re making a switch to her from another character, then it will take some time for you to get adjusted to her playstyle. However, the effort will be worth it considering Menat is one of the best zoning characters in the entire game. She offers a really high range along with decent mobility. As for her health, it’s pretty low, something that makes her defense poor. 

Kage

Kage was created by Satusi no Hado and is actually an evil variant of Ryu, a character we will mention later in our tier list. He offers some amazing combos, something that helps him with keeping his opponent in the corner. When it comes to power and skills, Kage is excellent. He also offers good mobility that allows him to be a little quick. However, when it comes to defense, Kage can die quickly because of his low health.  

Abigail

Over the years Abigail has always remained top-tier but now the nerfs have finally caught up to him and have made him far weaker than he once was. He is still a great pick and can dominate new players or lower-ranked ones but sooner or later people will learn how to counter your Abigail with ease. 

In addition, he still has many matchups where he can straight-up dominate the match but there are way too many bad ones which is why we have placed him in B-tier instead of A-tier. His best weapons are his V-trigger II and his insane damage potential.

The biggest thorn in Abigail’s side has been V-Shift. In the previous seasons, he was a menace because of the unpredictable nature of his moveset. Now the opponent can simply master V-Shift, then dodge and counter their way out of Abigail’s high-damaging attacks. 

If you are an Abigail main you should consider maining multiple characters. As with maining Abigail alone, there is a very high likelihood that you will lose a lot of the matches. You don’t have to abandon your main completely but you will have to significantly reduce his use if you want to win matches back-to-back.

Zangeif

Zangeif is yet another player on our Street Fighter 5 tier list whose health and power are one of the highest in the entire game. This helps him stay longer in combat and allows him to land devasting blows on his opponent. However, while his health and power are one of the highest, his mobility is one of the lowest in the game. This is the reason why Zengief is only for those players who like to engage in close-range battles. But if you manage to learn how to play with him properly, you will be able to destroy your opponent in seconds. 

Birdie

Birdie is yet another character on our list that has high health and power, but poor mobility. If I had written this tier list before Season 4, I would have mentioned Birdie in the A-Tier category. This is because Birdie used to offer the best counters against aerial attacks, something that only a few characters can do in Street Fighter 5. However, in Season 4, the developers nerfed the character and took away this skill from him. Now, Birdie is left with a set of great combos and powerful attacks, but it just doesn’t feel right without his anti-air. 

E.Honda

E.Honda is the first sumo wrestler in our Street Fighter 5 tier list. Most players avoid choosing him because he is not picked often by professional players in different tournaments. However, they don’t understand that E.Honda is one of the most underrated characters because he offers some of the most amazing skills in the entire game. Furthermore, being a sumo wrestler, his health and power are high, something that prevents his opponent from taking him down quickly. This does, however, comes at the cost of poor mobility. 

Oro

When Oro first came out he was liked by a lot of the casual fanbase but disliked by the professional players. Initially, almost everybody placed Oro in the bottom tiers. He was considered slow and one of the worst zoners in the game.

Furthermore, as time passed and after some well-deserved buffs, he is now fairly decent. Most people didn’t get his potential at the start and now are starting to see that he has some tools which can make him viable in a competitive atmosphere. 

The very main reason why we have placed Oro in B-tier is because of his “Tengu Stone” ability. All you need to do is learn to master it. The Tengu Stones are some of the highest damaging roaming projectiles in the game if not the highest. 

A good Oro player can straight-up destroy your entire health bar and win the match as soon as he catches you with Tengu Stones. Without his Tengu Stones, We would place him in the bottom tiers but if you can utilize them to their best potential then he is certainly B-tier. 

C-Tier Characters

C-Tier characters have decent stats and they are neither too powerful nor too strong. If in the right hands, these characters can perform pretty well. 

R.Mika

R.Mika offers a set of decent attacks, but most of them help her with defense only. On the offensive side, she often loses control of the fight as she is unable to land proper attacks on her opponent. Her health and power are somewhat decent, but she can be taken down quickly and easily if she’s not in the right hands. Furthermore, she performs well in close-ranged combat mostly because her mobility and range are poor. Overall, R.Mika is a decent fighter, but don’t expect a lot from her. 

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Dan Hibiki

Next up on our Street Fighter 5 Tier List we have Dan Hibiki. He is a tricky one to place. Ever since he was announced almost all of the playerbase knew that he wasn’t going to be extra powerful since that is the whole point of his character.

In addition, most gamers were even surprised that he made an appearance in Street Fighter 5. He is a joke character but he can make a joke out of his opponent if you can use him right. His Street Fighter 5 version is his best and most fun one in our opinion. 

Capcom knew that they needed to do something special with him as he was a character solely being added for the fans. Once Dan gets going he does have some great pressure which can also lead to some of the most hilarious combos. 

His biggest drawback is his range. He can’t close the distance quickly. He is a complicated character who can either be decent or just dreadful but we are glad that he is here. We place Dan Hibiki in C-tier.

Ryu

Ryu is the character you see on the posters of Street Fighter 5 as he is the front face of the game. In other words, you can say that he’s the main character. Now, I know what most of you will be thinking; “why isn’t Ryu a powerful character considering he is the main character?” Well, that’s a question you should ask from the developers as they failed to provide him with unique skills and moves. His health is also decent, while his power is the same as Cody. Ryu has an attack called Hadoken, which is considered his most popular attack. In fact, it is one of the most widespread attacks in the entire game, as almost every player has heard about it. 

Ibuki

Ibuki is yet another assassin in our Street Fighter 5 tier list. Although she has left her deadly profession, Ibuki hasn’t forgotten how to fight. However, her attacks are not that are powerful, considering her power is one of the lowest in the entire game. Furthermore, she can die quickly as well as her health is low. The only good thing about Ibuki is her techniques as she can use a variety of combos on her opponent. In addition to this, her mobility is high, something that lets her perform quick attacks. 

Ed

Ed is a decent fighter whose entire stats are decent. He is neither too powerful nor too weak. The thing which makes Ed a decent fighter is his unique combos that cannot be countered easily. In addition to this, if you play with Kage, you won’t have a hard time adjusting to Ed considering his playstyle is almost similar to Kage. However, once someone pushes Ed to the corner, it can become hard for him to make a comeback. 

Balrog

Balrog once used to be a professional boxer, but he then decided to use techniques that were forbidden. From that point onwards, his career was finished, and he was banned from performing in professional sports. However, he quickly found a new job and became the bodyguard of M.Bison. Because of his former career, Balrog knows a set of different attacks that can deal a lot of damage. This can be seen from the fact that he is also one of those characters with a high amount of health and power. His mobility is also decent, so you won’t have to worry about slow movement while playing with him. 

D-Tier Characters

These characters are some of the weakest characters in Street Fighter 5. They cannot perform well against strong opponents. 

Laura

Alongside Ryu, Laura is also a popular character in Street Fighter 5 because she is considered one of the most important secondary characters in the game. Her health and power are decent, so you will need to defend yourself properly if you want to stay longer in the match. As for her mobility, it is pretty high. However, there isn’t a lot that Laura offers, something that has earned her a position in this low-tier category. 

Falke

Just like Menat, Flake is also a zoning character who can perform a set of decent attacks on her opponent. However, she can be taken down quickly and easily considering her health is low. Falke is also not meant for those players who like fast-paced characters as her movement is pretty slow. But when it comes to range, Falke has one of the highest in the entire game. The biggest downside about this character is that while facing strong opponents, she is unable to defend herself properly. 

Ken

Ken is yet another character on our Street Fighter 5 tier list who is popular among the fans. His playstyle is similar to Akuma but is not better than him in any way. All of Ken’s stats are decent and he isn’t someone you can rely on to help you win every match. The character also has no powerful combos in his arsenal, something that will put you at a disadvantage against other players. 

F.A.N.G

F.A.N.G is one of those characters who cannot defend themselves properly but are pretty good on the offensive side. His attacks can push the enemy into the corner and can keep them there as well. However, as soon as F.A.N.G loses control of the fight, he won’t be able to make a comeback. His health and mobility are decent, while his power is pretty low. This means that his attacks won’t do a lot of damage, and you won’t be able to drain the opponent’s health with only a few hits. 

Alex

Alex has one of the highest health to offer in the entire game and his attacks are somewhat powerful as well. However, other than this, there isn’t much to talk about Alex. Even though his health is high, he can take down quickly because he cannot properly counter his opponent’s attacks. His mobility and range both are poor, something that puts him at a great disadvantage. 

Sagat

Sagat is yet another zoner on our list who offers a good amount of health. His power is also high, something that makes his attacks devastating. However, the thing about Sagat is that because of the current meta, he is unable to perform as he should. Therefore, if you’re looking for a character who is good at zoning, then you should consider choosing Menat instead. This is because she can perform much better than him. 

Gill

Gill is yet another popular character in the game. Even though he is the leader of the Secret Society, Gill is still unable to perform properly in combat. He has a set of decent combos that he can use against his opponent, but they aren’t powerful enough to put him at an advantage against strong characters. His range is extremely high while his heath and power are great. 

Sakura

Sakura is an ally of Ryu who is currently trying to become a powerful fighter. However, it seems like she is yet to achieve this goal considering she isn’t strong yet. Although she can perform well against strong characters, you shouldn’t expect a lot from her. If she’s in the hand of a professional player, then Sakura can reach her full potential. However, this isn’t something that can happen when a regular player takes control of her. Her health is also pretty low, so she can get taken down quickly. 

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F-Tier Characters

These are the weakest characters in Street Fighter 5. There isn’t any reason for you to choose them. 

Vega

Vega is a character who deserves a buff. At the moment, his combos aren’t that powerful, and his attacks don’t deal a lot of damage. If he loses control of the match, Vega will instantly get eliminated. His heath and power are low, while his mobility is really high. However, he isn’t one of those characters who can handle tough situations. 

Lucia

Lucia has some of the most basic attacks in the entire game. The worst part is that almost every opponent can easily counter her combos, which puts her at a huge disadvantage. Her health is pretty low, but her mobility and range are decent. However, since her combat skills are not that great, you won’t be able to take down strong opponents with Lucia. 

Blanka

Blanka is one of those characters who are yet to be discovered properly. This is because we don’t get to see him getting picked up by professional players in tournaments, which prevents regular players from choosing him. His overall stats are also great, but since we are yet to discover the full potential of this character, we will be keeping him in the F-Tier. 

Nash

Nash is yet another character who has pretty basic attacks and combos. He once used to be one of the strongest characters in the entire game, but the developers then nerfed him. At the moment, he offers simple combos, but nothing unique. 

This was all regarding our Street Fighter 5 tier list. We hope that it will help you choose the right characters for the fight. Before you leave, make sure to check out our For Honor tier list and Langrisser tier list as well.