Character Tier List
S–D tier rankings for all characters, updated for 2024 patch environment
Tier Criteria
| Tier | Description |
|---|---|
| S | Top meta. Highest tournament usage and win rates |
| A | Strong and consistent at the highest levels |
| B | Well-rounded, competitive in most matchups |
| C | Viable with exploitable weaknesses |
| D | Struggles in high-level environments |
S Tier
Sol Badguy
The face of GGST. High base stats with intuitively strong tools. Consistently S-tier across all seasons. Gunflame + Fafnir pressure is overwhelming.
Strengths:
- Gunflame has excellent speed and hitbox for a fireball
- Fafnir (rushing special) maintains offense on block
- Close-range damage is among the highest in the game
- Volcanic Viper (reversal) is fast and invincible
I-No
Aerial movement specialist. Airborne attacks from multiple angles disorient grounded opponents. Her pressure and damage ceiling are among the highest in the game.
Strengths:
- Best air mobility in the game
- Codestamp chains for extended combos
- Devastating corner pressure
- Unique air dash creates varied offensive angles
Weaknesses:
- Very high execution requirement
- Limited grounded options
Nagoriyuki
Large vampire swordsman with the Blood Rage system. When in Blood Rage, his damage output is unmatched in the game.
A Tier
Ky Kiske
Sol's counterpart. Balanced tools with accessible combo routes. Highly recommended for beginners.
Strengths:
- Stun Edge projectile is reliable and consistent
- Rich lightning-based combo routes
- Glide Gate provides mid overhead option
- Vapor Thrust (anti-air) is excellent
Millia Rage
High-speed hair-weapon attacker. Pin setup creates strong close-range mixups. Advanced character.
Chipp Zanuff
Ninja-style ultra-fast character. Clone techniques and high mobility create confusion. Extremely low HP is the trade-off.
Ramlethal Valentine
Sword deployment specialist. Extreme reach and screen-control pressure in the mid-range.
B Tier
May
Anchor attacks with solid range and Dolphin dive for top/bottom mixups. Accessible for beginners.
Potemkin
Highest HP, lowest movement speed. Potemkin Buster command throw is one of the highest-damage moves in the game. Dangerous up close.
Zato-1
Shadow (Eddie) control provides unmatched pressure but demands the highest execution in GGST.
Beginner Recommendations
Top 3 for New Players
- Ky Kiske — Accessible combo routes, clear gameplan (Stun Edge + anti-air). The classic "tutorial character" of GGST.
- Sol Badguy — Strong from day one. Intuitive tools mean results come quickly while learning.
- May — Simple anchor tools and Dolphin divekick create natural top/bottom mixups without complex setups.