Street Fighter 6 has finally been released, and our tier list with the 18 fighters at launch for players to choose from can help narrow down your pick. Each of these unique characters has its own playstyle and combos to master, so many are curious about which ones they should focus on first.
Whether you prefer to go straight for the offensive or outsmart your opponents with clever movements, these are how the fighters in Street Fighter 6 rank against each other at launch.
Street Fighter 6 Character Tier List
There are 18 total fighters at launch, with four more planned as DLC in the next year. This tier list approaches the fighters as to how easy they will be to play as in your first time in the game. None of the fighters really deserve lower than Tier D in my opinion, as I found most of them fairly easy once you learn some basic tricks and moves.
Tier D
These fighters represent those that aren’t the most impressive to play for beginners, but that doesn’t mean more seasoned players might not fight something to love. These fighters include:
- Blanka
- Juri
- Jamie
While Blanka is a great character and his personality is really fun, his combat is the only one that’s not a martial art and it was really hard for me to figure out in both the World Tour and online matches I played. Similarly, Juri leads mostly with her feet in combat if that wasn’t blatantly obvious, and I found that to be a little disorienting.
Jamie is pretty quick, but his basic moves feel underpowered compared to those in a similar class like Juri.
Tier C
These fighters were easy to pick up after a couple of matches, but I largely found them to pale in comparison to some of the stronger or more agile fighters. These fighters include:
- Guile
- E. Honda
- Luke
Luke is a great intro character, serving as the first fighting style in World Tour, but he’s meant to be a basic introduction to the game and that’s apparent. If you’re new to fighting games, Luke is pretty easy to learn, but eventually, you’ll want to move on. Guile is a little bit better, having a similar fighting style, but he at least has the benefit of wind projectiles.
E. Honda is great when you learn to use him as a projectile and inter-mingle the sumo grabs, but that was challenging.
Tier B: Street Fighter 6 Tier List
These fighters represent the average on this scale, with most players having a decent chance of picking up these fighters’ most basic combos. These fighters include:
- Cammy
- Dee Jay
- Ryu
- Dhalsim
I have been beaten by way too many Cammys in a leotard to put her any lower on the list, but I also largely had mixed results, succeeding when I nailed the timing for her drill attack. Dee Jay is similar because he’s a movement master when played by someone with enough skill.
Ryu is a classic character, but he’s pretty standard while still being easier and more fun to play than Luke. Dhalsim has probably the coolest abilities in the game, providing a surprising amount of range, but I often found enemies able to block projectiles and long-distance attacks due to their lack of range.
Tier A
If you’re looking for a pretty powerful fighter to pick up at launch, these are some really good choices, providing unique playstyles that each feel pretty powerful. These fighters are:
- Marisa
- Lily
- Chun-Li
- Kimberly
- Manon
Marisa is a powerhouse and the character I’ve gotten the furthest with in Ranked mode because I found her punches to be devastating. She also has multiple abilities that work as a guard or parry, providing me plenty of opportunities to deflect and then return an opponent’s offensive.
Kimberly and Manon are both in this tier because their movement is so fun to play. I found some really fun opportunities to use it against opponents, whether that be Manon’s graceful jumps or Kimberly’s teleport ability.
Lily isn’t given a lot of credit due to her size as the smallest character in the game, but that also means she has a smaller hitbox. Her wind abilities also work well to keep enemies afloat for air combos. Chun-Li is a classic and delivers powerful moves that she’s been doing for years.
Tier S: The Best SF6 Characters
The following are the best and easiest fighters for new characters to try, allowing for powerful moves and abilities that will help even new players feel like they have a chance. These include:
- Zangief
- JP
- Ken
Zangief is a wrestler and his style is very much reminiscent of that, which means a lot of grappling and high-flying moves, most of which are pretty easy to learn. Similar to JP, who practices a special martial art using his cane. In addition to his Psycho Power ranged attacks, I found him to be more than capable to take on the competition.
Ken is currently one of the highest-rated fighters in Street Fighter 6 and players have already been winning with him alongside Zangief in tournaments.
That does it for our Street Fighter 6 tier list! Check out our other guides on how to wall jump and how to use classic controls in World Tour!
