S Tier Meaning: Why the Top Row Is Not Just “Best”

S tier is the row above A. It is reserved for the picks that are not merely excellent, but clearly separated from the next group. The letter is a convention borrowed from grading systems; it is not a numerical score and it does not stand for “super” in any official sense.

Why S and not A+?

Grading systems that use S, A, B, C, D and F need a way to mark work that exceeds the top grade. Adding S avoids rewriting the rest of the scale. In a tier list, the same logic applies: A is already the top of the normal range, so S is the escape hatch for the outliers.

Some boards use SS or S+ for an even smaller group. That is a local convention, not a standard. If a board uses SS, the author should say what separates it from S; otherwise the extra row is decoration.

What S tier should mean

On a well-built board, S tier means: if you are optimizing for the stated criterion, this pick is hard to argue against. It does not mean “my favourite” and it does not mean “strong in every situation”.

A useful test is to ask what would have to change for the pick to leave S. If the answer is “nothing, it is always the best”, the board is probably confusing a strong pick with a universal one. If the answer is “a patch, a new counter, or a different criterion”, the placement is doing real work.

S tier inflation

The most common mistake is putting too many items in S. If half the roster is S, the row stops separating anything. A good board usually has a small S row, a larger A and B, and a thin bottom.

This is not a rule about percentages. It is a rule about contrast. The reader should be able to see why the S picks are above the A picks without reading a paragraph of caveats.

Examples in different contexts

In a game tier list, S usually means “strong across the current patch and not dependent on a niche team”. In a character tier list, it often means “central to the story and memorable after the arc ends”. In a food tier list, it means “reliably excellent when ripe or freshly made”.

Those are different criteria. The letter stays the same because the format is familiar, not because the judgment is identical. Always read the criterion before the row.

How to use S tier in your own board

Start with the criterion in one sentence. Put the obvious top picks in A first, then ask which of them you would still recommend after a bad patch, a bad matchup or a bad season. Move only those to S.

Then check the bottom. If F contains items that are merely “not for me”, move them up. The bottom row should be reserved for picks that are hard to recommend under the stated criterion.

Build the board in the maker, then compare it with a published example such as Genshin Impact or Fruit.

How to tell S from A

A is excellent. S is separated. The practical test is to imagine tightening the criterion until only the strongest picks survive. If the item still belongs, it can stay in S. If it only belongs because the criterion is broad, it is an A.

Another test: ask what would have to change for the item to leave S. A patch, a new counter, a different roster, a different format? If the answer is “nothing”, the item may be a category-defining pick, or the board may be treating a favourite as a universal. Those are different claims.

Do not use “S” to mean “I like this”. Use it to mean “under this criterion, I would recommend it before the A row”. The reader can then disagree with the criterion instead of guessing what the letter meant.

S tier in games vs characters

In a game board, S is usually relative to a patch. A character can be S because the current items, maps or matchups favour it. In a character board, S is usually relative to story importance, arc quality or screen time. The same word is doing different work.

That is why importing a game S row into an anime board produces nonsense. A character can be top tier in a fighting game and a minor character in the story. Both statements can be true; they are not competing claims.

If a board mixes gameplay strength with story importance, split it. Two boards with clear criteria are more useful than one board with an unstated compromise.

When to use SS or S+

SS and S+ are local extensions, not a standard. Use them only when you can name the rule that separates them from S. For example: S means “top of the current meta”, S+ means “top of the current meta and has no even matchup”. That is a real distinction.

If the rule is “these are my favourites”, skip the extra row. It adds resolution without adding information, and it makes the board harder to read on a phone.

The same applies to A+, B− and other sub-rows. A six-row board is already a compression. Adding rows should make a specific argument clearer, not make the board look more scientific.

Four common S-tier mistakes

Inflation. Too many items in S means the row is no longer a separation. Legacy bias. An item stays in S because it was strong two patches ago. Favourite bias. The item is S because the author likes it, with no criterion. Universal claims. The item is S in every mode, every rank and every roster, which is rarely true.

Each mistake has the same fix: write the criterion and date, then ask which items would leave S if the criterion were stricter. The answer is usually the real S row.

None of this makes the board objective. It makes the argument inspectable, which is the most a tier list can offer.

A worked example

Take a 20-item roster. Put the four strongest picks in A, not S. Then ask which two of those four you would still recommend after a bad patch, a bad matchup or a bad season. Move those two to S. Put the two weakest items in F, then move up anything that is merely “not for me”.

The remaining 16 items go into B, C and D. If more than six items are still in A, the middle rows are doing too little work. If S has eight items, the board has not made a decision yet.

This process is deliberately simple. The hard part is not the drag; it is writing the criterion before the first drag and resisting the urge to make the board look bigger than the argument.