Guilty Gear Strive isn’t just a fighting game; it’s a spectacle of high-speed battles, flashy combos, and jaw-dropping animations. With a constantly evolving meta, choosing the right fighter can make all the difference between victory and defeat. It has 27 unique characters (including DLC fighters), so choosing the right one can be challenging, especially for new players, and that's where our Guilty Gear Strive tier list guide comes in!
Whether you're a seasoned veteran looking to dominate the ranked ladder or a newcomer trying to find the perfect main, our tier list ranks every character based on their strengths, ease of use, and competitive viability.
From S-tier powerhouses that control the battlefield with insane mix-ups to D-tier underdogs that require expert-level execution, we’ve got the ultimate breakdown to help you climb the ranks. So, which warriors stand at the top in this latest patch? Let’s dive in and find out!
For more on the brawler, check out Guilty Gear Strive Happy Chaos beginners tips guide for pointers if you're new to that one. And if you're just new to the game for crossplay, here's how to change controls and how the guts system works as well.
Guilty Gear Strive tier list - Best characters for (April 2025)
Guilty Gear Strive tier list
S
A
B
C
D
See the table above for our ranking of all the 27 (DLCs added) fighters currently available in Guilty Gear Strive. This tier list is based on LordKnight, a YouTuber and a gamer who is knowledgeable and a top-level player of Guilty Gear.
As expected, those at the top of the list will perform best and most likely net you a win - especially if you're a newcomer. Most fighters in the game are generally useable, so it's worth testing the lot to see which ones click with you.
Who is the best fighter in Guilty Gear Strive?
Leo Whitefang is the best fighter in Guilty Gear Strive per our tier list based on LordKnight's verdict. His strength lies in his versatile move set, which allows players to adapt to diverse combat scenarios effectively. His ability to switch between standard and Brynhildr (back-turned) stances provides a mix-up game that keeps opponents on their toes.
Of course, several other fighters are also worth considering in Guilty Gear Strive. Goldlewis Dickinson is a slow but solid juggernaut who suffers on the defensive but has a suffocating offense filled with disjointed attacks, guard breaks, and great damage.
As we said, any of the fighters in the S and A tiers are worth trying if you're a newcomer. Let them see which suits your style, and you'll start winning battles soon!
Some of the DLC characters are worth a go as well, for the following reasons:
- Johnny - His long-reaching normals, especially his f.S and 2S, allow him to control space effectively. Although he’s not easy to use, but in the hands of a skilled player, he is unstoppable. (Notable players: LordKight, Hotashi)
- Jack-O' - Tricky pet-based fighter that controls the match when her Servants are out. Servants can cover her offense and stifle her opponent's advances if used well. Struggles on defense due to lacking strong meterless reversal options. (Notable players: LostSoul, Kazunoko, Purepure, SonicFox)
- Happy Chaos - A versatile character who can play effective zoning and heavy rushdown if his shooting resources are well maintained. While he can attack from close and far, his lack of invulnerable options leaves his defense and shutting down momentum steals severely lacking. (Notable players: Gobou, Kazunoko, SonicFox)
The best and worst Guilty Gear Strive characters according to pros
We've gathered a few tier lists from some known players of Guilty Gear Strive. So far, any tier lists released from the first day of Guilty Gear Strive up to the release of Goldlewis Dickinson are still applicable. The latest patch that included the first DLC character didn't have any major buffs or nerfs to any character in the roster. Here are some of the tier lists that we've gathered:
Tiger_Pop's Mid-Season 4 Tier List
- S+ Tier: Johnny, Goldlewis, Leo, Sin, Potemkim, Nagoriyuki
- S Tier: May
- A Tier: Anji, Elphelt, Chipp, Chaos, Sol, Slayer, Ramlethal, Baiken, Bedman
- B Tier: Jack-O, Ky, I-No, Giovanna, Asuka
- C Tier: Bridget, A.B.A, Faust, Millia, Axl, Zato, Testament
- D Tier: Dizzy
Hotashi's Mid-Season 4 Tier List
- S+ Tier: Johnny, Sin, Potemkin, Leo, Goldlewis
- S Tier: Sol, Ramlethal, Nagoriyuki, Anji, Chaos
- A Tier: Baiken, May, Ky, Giovanna, I-No, Bridget, Millia, Chipp, Slayer
- B Tier: Jack-O, A.B.A
- C Tier: Elphelt, Bedman, Faust, Testament
- D Tier: Axl, Asuka
- E Tier: Dizzy, Zato
Zando's Season 4 Tier List
- S+ Tier: Ramlethal, Goldlewis
- S Tier: May, Sin
- A Tier: Nagoriyuki, Johnny, Slayer, Sol
- B Tier: Chaos, Chipp, Leo, Baiken, Potemkin, Elphelt, Anji
- C Tier: Ky, Bridget, Bedman, Giovanna, Jack-O, I-No, Testament, A.B.A, Dizzy
- D Tier: Faust, Asuka, Zato, Axl, Millia
Lord Knight's Final Tier List for 3.5 with New Characters
- S+ Tier : Nagoriyuki, Leo, Goldlewis, May, Sin, Sol, Happy Chaos
- S Tier: Ky, Bridget, Asuka, Ramlethal, Jack-O, Anji
- A Tier: Giovanna, I-No, Chipp, Slayer
- B Tier: A.B.A., Axl, Faust
- C Tier: Millia, Baiken, Johnny, Elphelt, Potemkin
- D Tier: Testament, Bedman?, Zato
Leffen's 2024 tier list
- S+ Tier: Goldlewis, Sol, Leo, Nagoriyuki, Sin, May
- S Tier: Asuka, Millia, Ky, Anji, Ramlethal
- S- Tier: Bridget, Jack-O, Chipp
- A Tier: I-No, Faust, Giovanna, Happy Chaos, Potemkin, Baiken, A.B.A, Axl
- B+ Tier: Elphelt
- B Tier: Johnny, Testament, Bedman?
- E Tier: Zato
Source: Youtube
Jonathan Tene's Season 3.5 tier list
- S Tier: Sin, Ramlethal, Nagoriyuki, Sol, Goldlewis
- A Tier: May, Ky, Leo, Chipp, Giovanna
- B Tier: Anji, I-No, Asuka
- C Tier: Happy Chaos, Bridget, Jack-O, Baiken
- D Tier: Faust, Axl, Bedman?
- F Tier: Potemkin, Johnny, Testament, Zato
Source: Twitter
Zando's Season 3.5 tier list
- S Tier: Nagoriyuki, Leo, May, Goldleweiss, Sol, Sin, Ramlethal
- A+ Tier: Ky, Anji
- A- Tier: Jack-O, Bridget, Happy Chaos, Millia, Chipp, Giovanna, I-No, A.B.A, Baiken
- B+ Tier: Asuka, Faust, Axl
- B- Tier: Elphelt Valentine, Bedman?, Potemkin
- C Tier: Testament, Johny
- F Tier: Zato
Source: YouTube
Very Bored's tier list
- S Tier: Testament, Nagoriyuki, Ramlethal, Ky, Baiken
- A Tier: Sol, I-No, Potemkin, Anji, Johnny
- B Tier: Happy Chaos, Millia, Jack-O, Giovanna, Bridget, Goldlewis
- C Tier: A.B.A., Elphelt, May, Axl, Zato, Chipp, Sin, Leo
- D Tier: Asuka, Bedman?, Faust
Source: Twitter
Lord Knight's Season 3.5 tier list
- S Tier: Sin, Goldlewis, Sol, Nagoriyuki, Ramlethal, Leo, May, Ky
- A Tier: Chipp, Giovanna, Asuka, I-No, Happy Chaos, Anji
- B Tier: Baiken, Jack-O, Millia
- C Tier: Bridget, Faust, Axl, Potemkin
- D Tier: Johnny, Elphelt Valentine, Bedman?, Testament, Zato
Source: Youtube
How do I select a fighter in Guilty Gear Strive?
Fortunately, selecting your fighter of choice in Guilty Gear Strive is nice and easy.
The character select screen appears when you first go into a fight, whether online or offline. That's par for the course with fighting games, with a full collage of each character for you to pick.
One thing to note is that not every single character in Guilty Gear Strive is available at launch. A good number of fighters are only accessible by purchasing DLC. These are as follows:
- Goldlewis
- Jack-O'
- Happy Chaos
- Baiken
- Testament
- Bridget
- Johnny
- Elphelt
- A.B.A.
- Slayer
If you want those fighters, buy the two-season passes in Guilty Gear Strive. Of course, that isn't compulsory, as the base game has plenty of strong choices for you to use.
Who is the latest fighter to release in Guilty Gear Strive?
Arc Systems Works announces that Queen Dizzy will join Guilty Gear Strive later. She'll be added on October 31, 2024, as the first fighter in season 4.
Keep a close eye on our tier list because we'll update our rankings as soon as new fighters pop!
Well, that's it for this update's latest tier list. There's a huge change coming soon as a new season pass will be released later with four new characters so watch out for another huge wave of changes! Check out our Raid: Shadow Legends codes list for some freebies that can help you immensely ingame, plus if you're a Roblox player, we also have a list of Haze Piece codes, as well as a Haze Piece fruit tier list and a Haze Piece weapons tier list.