What does S tier mean?

S tier is the highest tier on a tier list — a level above A, reserved for the very best of the best. If something is “S tier”, it’s top of its class.

Where does S tier come from?

The most common explanation traces S tier to Japanese grading and video games. Many Japanese games award an S rank for a performance beyond an A — think action games and arcade titles that grade your run at the end of a level. The S is usually read as special or superior. When fighting-game communities started grouping characters by strength, they borrowed that S to mark characters in a class of their own, and the label stuck.

There’s no single official definition, which is part of the charm: S tier simply means “better than excellent”.

The S-to-F ranking scale

Tier	Meaning	Typical share of a list
S	Exceptional — the very best	~5%
A	Excellent	~15%
B	Good	~25%
C	Average	~30%
D	Below average	~15%
F	Poor — avoid	~10%

The shares are a rule of thumb for a balanced list of around 20 items — not a law.

Why is there no E tier?

Tier lists borrow from American school grades, which traditionally jump from D to F (for “fail”). Most tier lists follow suit. You’re free to add an E tier if your list needs it — in our tier list maker you can add, rename and reorder tiers in a click.

How to use S tier well

• Keep it rare. If a quarter of your list is S tier, the label stops meaning anything.
• Compare against S, not A. When unsure, ask: “Is this as good as the other S items?”
• Order within the tier. The leftmost S item is your number one.
• Add SS or S+ sparingly for something genuinely untouchable.

Variations on the scale

Not every list needs letters. Popular alternatives include “God tier / Great / Good / Meh / Bad”, “Must play / Worth it / Skip”, or a simple 1–5 star scale. See our guide to tier list colours for matching palettes.

Try it now: open a blank S-to-F tier list or browse templates.