Street Fighter 6 tier list – best characters May 2023

Want to know who is at the top of the Street Fighter 6 tier list? With a sizable roster coming and more characters arriving on the scene after release, it’s time to rank them in order of who will most consistently be the best pick as the champion of World Warriors.

Right now, this list comes with a big caveat. Given that only eight characters of the 16 are available in the fighting game’s full release and will be available during the Street Fighter 6 beta, we can only judge which of those members of the Street Fighter 6 roster are worth playing. Naturally, this will be an ever-evolving SF6 tier list as we get to grips with each character.

Street Fighter 6 tier list

Here is the current Street Fighter 6 tier list for launch:

S-tier

The two characters in S-tier are here because they were playable in the Street Fighter 6 World Tour demo, so we have a chance to learn their moves and combos ahead of the open beta. In addition, they’re both beginner-friendly characters with a range of powerful attacks and huge combo potential.

Luke

Luke has similar moves, but where he shines is in his ability to fight well at both close and medium range. He can annoy an opponent by firing off Sand Blasts to tempt them into jumping, which he can retaliate with a Rising Uppercut. His punches also close in the distance, allowing for some powerful combos. He does suffer a bit in the range of his pokes compared to some characters in the beta roster, but if he lands a blow, it usually means he can set up for a hard-hitting combo. He ended at the top of the Street Fighter 5 tier list, and his moves in this game seem even better, so that’s why he’s currently the best character.

Ryu

Ryu’s moves are mostly the same as they’ve been for decades, but his moves in Street Fighter 6 are similar to Street Fighter III: Third Strike as he can use the High Blade Kick to knock foes away. He has also mastered the Denjin charge, giving both the Hadoken and Hashogeki electrical properties, making him surprisingly versatile. We think Ryu is the best he’s ever been. Even Daigo, one of the top Street Fighter players of all time, agrees with us on this.

A-tier

The rest of the characters have every chance of ranking highly, but given that not many players have had an opportunity to use them for more than a few hours, it’s difficult to differentiate them at this time. However, we have some observations based on the roster in the beta.

Chun-Li

Chun-Li has some excellent pokes and combo potential, just like every other Street Fighter game she’s been in. The only drawback for her is that her regular moves have a lot of cooldown time, so if she misses, you can whiff punish her quite easily.

Guile

Guile is another charge-based character, but he’s commonly used for long-range engagements. So if he can keep enemies away, he’ll get the advantage.

Ken

Ken is a highly aggressive fighter who will have a similar move set to Ryu, but he shines with close-quarters combat, whereas Ryu has more options at a distance.

Kimberly

Kimberly uses moves to close in space quickly and can be unpredictable, making her a potential rising star on the SF6 tier list. We’ll report back when we have more insight to share.

Jamie

Jamie has a more complicated fighting style, given that he needs to consume his spiritual beverage to awaken his full power and luscious locks.

Juri

Juri requires a bit of setup to unleash her most powerful techniques, but both she and Jamie have immense potential in skilled hands.

That is the Street Fighter 6 tier list as it currently stands. When the Street Fighter 6 release date finally rolls around, we’ll round off the SF6 tier list with the rest of the roster and gather impressions based on the open beta. In the meantime, check out our Street Fighter 6 World Tour preview for our thoughts on the single-player mode.