What does S tier mean?
If you have spent any time around games, anime, food rankings or YouTube, you have seen a tier list with a row at the top labelled S. It sits above A, which is an odd place for a letter that comes nineteenth in the alphabet. This guide explains what S tier means, where it came from, and how to use the tiers in your own lists.
The short answer
S tier is the top tier. It is reserved for the best items on the list: the ones that are so strong, so good or so well loved that they do not need to compete with the A-tier items below them. After S, the tiers usually run A, B, C, D and sometimes E or F, from great to worst.
On its own the letter does not have a fixed value. What S means depends on the thing being ranked and the person doing the ranking, and that is part of the fun of tier lists.
Where does the S come from?
There is no single agreed origin, but the most common explanations are:
- Japanese grading. In Japan, grades are sometimes written as 秀 (shū, "excellent"), 優, 良, 可 and 不可. In romanised form the top grade is often written S, and Japanese games, schools and rankings adopted it for "superb" or "special".
- Arcade and game rankings. Japanese arcade and console games began awarding an S rank above A for a perfect result. Fighting-game communities then borrowed the letter for their character tier lists, which ranked every fighter by how good they are in competitive play. From there it spread to every other game genre.
- "Super" or "special". Fans have always read the S as standing for "super", "special" or "supreme", which is probably why the label stuck outside Japan.
Whichever version you prefer, the usage is the same: S is above A.
What the other tiers usually mean
There are no official definitions, but most lists follow a similar pattern:
| Tier | Typical meaning |
|---|---|
| S | The best. Essential, outstanding, a favourite. |
| A | Very good. Strong picks with only small flaws. |
| B | Good. Solid, decent, pleasant but unremarkable. |
| C | Average. It does the job; you would not go out of your way. |
| D | Weak. Has problems that outweigh its strengths. |
| F | Failed. Bad, broken or unpleasant. |
Some lists add SS or S+ for an item that is better even than the rest of S tier, and E between D and F. Others replace letters with words like "Goated", "Mid" and "Trash". On MapsMake you can rename, recolour, add and remove tiers in the editor, so use whatever vocabulary suits your list.
How to decide what goes in S tier
The most common reason tier lists go wrong is that the author never decided what the tiers mean. A few questions help:
- What is the criterion? "Best" is vague. Is it the strongest character in a game, the tastiest flavour, the most nostalgic film or the best value for money? Write the criterion in the chart title or description so readers know what they are looking at.
- How strict is S? If everything is S, nothing is. Many people aim for S to hold only a small share of the items, perhaps one in ten.
- Is it a ranking or a sorting? In a sorting tier list, the order within a tier does not matter. In a ranking, you also order items inside each tier from left to right. Decide which you are doing.
- Who is it for? A competitive tier list reflects how strong something is. A personal tier list reflects how much you like it. Both are valid, just not the same.
Common types of tier list
- Power rankings (video games, sports): which character, team or tactic is strongest right now.
- Taste rankings (food, music, films): your opinion, with no right answer.
- Retrospective rankings (a franchise, a band's albums): from the best entry down to the worst.
- Community tier lists: many people rank the same items, and the results are combined.
Make your own
The fastest way to see how it works is to try one:
- Open the tier list maker, add a few items, and drag them into rows.
- Browse the template gallery for ready-made lists you can start from, such as films, foods, countries or games.
- Read how to make a tier list for a step-by-step walk-through.
When you are done you can publish the list, share the link, and let others heart it, comment on it or rank the same items themselves and see how their opinions compare to the community's.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an official S tier? No. It is a convention, not a rule. Define it for your list and you will be understood.
Why is there no E? Many lists skip E because F is a well-known grade for failing. Others keep E to give themselves one more step.
What is the opposite of S tier? Usually F tier. Some lists call the bottom tier "Z" or "Trash", but F is the common choice.
Can I make a tier list without letters? Of course. Rename the rows to anything you like: "Must have", "Maybe", "Skip"; or "Love", "Like", "Meh", "Never again".