Why is S above A on a tier list?

Because the scale came from Japanese grading, where a teacher could award an S above the usual A to mark work that was exceptional rather than just excellent. Japanese video games used the same convention for performance grades, and fighting game communities inherited it when they started publishing character rankings.

Where did tier lists come from?

Competitive fighting game communities, who ranked characters by how viable they were in tournament play. The format spread outward from there and is now used for films, food, music, sports teams and almost anything else people argue about.

What is the difference between a tier list and a ranked list?

A ranked list puts everything in a strict order from first to last. A tier list groups items into a handful of buckets instead, so you only have to decide roughly how good something is rather than whether it is the seventh or eighth best.

Is a tier list the same as a ranking chart?

In everyday use, yes. Ranking chart, tier chart and tier ranking chart all usually mean the same thing as a tier list: a visual grid of labelled rows with items sorted into them.

How many tiers should a tier list have?

Most use five or six - S, A, B, C, D and sometimes F. Fewer than four tends to lose useful detail, and more than seven makes the placement decisions harder than the ranking is worth.

What is a tier list?

A tier list is a ranking system that sorts items into labelled tiers - most often S, A, B, C, D and F - from best to worst, so that a group of things can be compared at a glance instead of ranked one by one.

How to read a tier list

A tier list is drawn as a stack of labelled rows. The top row holds the best items, and quality descends as you move down. Everything on the same row is treated as roughly equal, which is the whole point - you avoid arguing about whether one item is slightly better than the one next to it, and only decide which band it belongs in.

S: the top rank, above A
A: strong, just below the top
B: solid and middling
C: workable but weak
D: clearly outclassed
F: the optional bottom rank

Each rank is covered in full on the tier list ranks page.

Where tier lists came from

The format grew out of competitive fighting games. Players needed a shorthand for how viable each character was in tournament play, and grouping them into bands was faster and less contentious than ordering thirty characters one by one. The S rank came along with it: Japanese grading uses S as a mark above A for exceptional work, Japanese games adopted it for performance grades, and the tier list inherited it.

The format then escaped gaming entirely. It works for anything with more candidates than anyone wants to rank strictly, which is why you now see tier lists of films, snacks, football teams, album tracks and programming languages.

Tier list, ranking chart or ranked list?

"Ranking chart", "tier chart" and "tier ranking chart" are all used to mean the same thing as a tier list. A ranked list is different - it puts items in a strict order from first to last, with no ties. A bracket is different again: it settles an order through rounds of head-to-head matchups rather than by direct placement.

Frequently asked questions

What is a tier list?: A tier list is a ranking system that sorts items into labelled tiers - most often S, A, B, C, D and F - from best to worst, so that a group of things can be compared at a glance instead of ranked one by one.
Why is S above A on a tier list?: Because the scale came from Japanese grading, where a teacher could award an S above the usual A to mark work that was exceptional rather than just excellent. Japanese video games used the same convention for performance grades, and fighting game communities inherited it when they started publishing character rankings.
Where did tier lists come from?: Competitive fighting game communities, who ranked characters by how viable they were in tournament play. The format spread outward from there and is now used for films, food, music, sports teams and almost anything else people argue about.
What is the difference between a tier list and a ranked list?: A ranked list puts everything in a strict order from first to last. A tier list groups items into a handful of buckets instead, so you only have to decide roughly how good something is rather than whether it is the seventh or eighth best.
Is a tier list the same as a ranking chart?: In everyday use, yes. Ranking chart, tier chart and tier ranking chart all usually mean the same thing as a tier list: a visual grid of labelled rows with items sorted into them.
How many tiers should a tier list have?: Most use five or six - S, A, B, C, D and sometimes F. Fewer than four tends to lose useful detail, and more than seven makes the placement decisions harder than the ranking is worth.

Make a tier list How to make a tier list All tier list ranks