Street Fighter V 2024 Competitive Character Rankings: Tier List

As Street Fighter V enters its final competitive phase in 2024, the meta has solidified into a fascinating and nuanced landscape. With no further balance updates expected, the tier list reflects years of adjustments, character explorations, and the evolving strategies of the world's best players. This ranking is based on a synthesis of major tournament results (such as Evo, Capcom Cup, and Premier events), online league performance, and the consensus among top-tier pros and analysts. It considers factors like toolkits, match-up spreads, damage output, comeback potential, and consistency at the highest level of play.

S-Tier: The Meta-Defining Powerhouses

These characters are considered the absolute best in the game. They possess minimal bad match-ups, overwhelming offensive tools, and few exploitable weaknesses. Picking one of these characters is often a statement of intent to win a tournament.

Luke: Topping most lists, Luke is the quintessential complete character. His Sand Blast (fireball) is one of the best in the game, controlling space effortlessly. His normals, like his crouching MP and standing HP, are incredibly fast, long-range, and safe. He boasts a top-tier damage output with his "Perfect Knuckle" enhancing combos and pressure, plus an invincible reversal in his OD Flash Knuckle. He has all the tools with no significant downside.
Ken: The eternal shoto, perfected. Ken's rushdown is arguably the most oppressive in SFV. His run cancels grant him unparalleled mobility and mix-up potential, allowing him to convert any normal into a devastating combo. His damage is astronomical, especially in the corner, and his V-Trigger 1 (Shinryu Reppa) remains one of the best comeback mechanisms ever designed. His only slight weakness is a predictable fireball game, but it's a minor flaw in his overwhelming arsenal.

A-Tier: The Elite Contenders

These characters are extremely powerful and are common sights in top 8 brackets. They have the tools to win any tournament but might have one or two more difficult match-ups or require more specific knowledge to pilot at the highest level.

Cammy: A timeless icon of consistency. Cammy's game plan is straightforward but brutally effective: relentless pressure. With the best divekick in the game, fantastic normals for poking, and a spiral arrow that covers distance quickly, she is always in your face. Her invincible EX Cannon Strike provides a reliable reversal option. She can struggle against characters with superior zoning, but her speed often allows her to bypass it.
Rashid: The epitome of mobility and vortex. Rashid controls the screen with his whirlwind shot (Eagle Spike) and can navigate it like no other with his rolling mixer and wall jump. His V-Trigger 2 (Altair) creates a massive tornado that leads to insane pressure and damage sequences. While his damage without resources can be modest, his ability to dictate the pace of the match is S-tier.
M. Bison: The dictator reigns with oppressive, plus-frame pressure. Bison is a walking nightmare for players who struggle against defense. His Scissor Kicks are consistently plus on block, his Psycho Axe is a fantastic approach tool, and his V-Trigger 1 (Psycho Nightmare) makes his pressure even more terrifying. His main weakness is the lack of a traditional invincible reversal, making him vulnerable to heavy offense himself.
Urien: The setup king. Urien's Aegis Reflector (V-Trigger 1) is a legendary tool that can single-handedly win rounds. His normals are excellent, his tackle is a powerful special move, and his damage output is massive. A skilled Urien player can make the opponent feel like they are playing a different game, trapped in a corridor of deadly reflections.

B-Tier: The Strong & Viable

This tier comprises a large group of very strong characters who are fully capable of winning tournaments in the right hands. They may have a wider spread of even or slightly disadvantageous match-ups against the top tiers, or they might rely on specific gimmicks or resources that can be managed.

Guile: The premier zoning character. Guile's strength is his incredible defense and ability to shut down opponents with Sonic Booms and Flash Kicks. His match-ups against rushdown characters are often very favorable. However, in a meta where characters like Luke and Ken can so effectively navigate his zoning, and with the universal defensive tools like V-Shift, his absolute dominance has waned slightly, placing him firmly in high B-Tier.
Kage: The high-risk, high-reward demon. Kage possesses unbelievable damage potential and scary mix-ups, especially when his V-Trigger 1 (Metsu Shoryuken) is active. However, his stubby normals and low health make him a glass cannon. He requires precise execution and risky calls to succeed, which keeps him from the upper echelons.
Karin: A neutral monster. Karin's goal is to win the footsies battle with her incredible normals, particularly her standing MK and Tenko follow-ups. Her ressenha is a great approach tool. While her pressure is strong, she lacks a true invincible reversal and can sometimes struggle to open up a defensive opponent without taking risks.
Others in this tier: Zeku (incredible versatility but complex), Ibuki (strong mix-ups but reliant on triggers), Akuma (high damage but low health), Laura (scary grapple/mix-up hybrid, but linear), and Poison (strong keep-away with her whip).

C-Tier: The Specialist Picks

These characters require significant player skill and matchup knowledge to overcome their inherent weaknesses. They can pull off upsets and have dedicated mains who find success, but they are generally fighting an uphill battle against the top tiers.

Chun-Li: A character with fantastic pokes and mobility but notoriously low damage output. She often has to win many more interactions than her opponent to secure a round, which is a tough ask against high-damage characters like Ken or Luke.
Nash: A mobile zoner with unique tools, but he has been heavily nerfed from his early SFV glory days. His damage is lacking, and his defensive options are subpar.
Ryu: The balanced shoto has been overshadowed. While his Denjin Renki V-Trigger 1 is powerful, he is generally outclassed by the more versatile and damaging Ken and Luke.
Others: Birdie, G, Sakura, and Juri often find themselves in this category, each having clear strengths but also notable flaws that hold them back in the current meta.

D-Tier: The Struggle

These characters are considered the weakest in the game. They have fundamental flaws in their design, severely limited tools, or an overwhelming number of bad match-ups. Winning a major with these characters would be a Herculean feat.

F.A.N.G: His unique poison-based gameplay is too easily countered by aggressive players. He has poor health, low damage, and his setups are often predictable and easy to avoid for experienced opponents.
Alex: A grappler with poor defensive options and slow normals. He struggles to get in against the game's strong zoners and is easily kept out by the top tiers' superior footsies.
E. Honda: While his Hundred Hand Slap and headbutt can be frustrating for newcomers, at high levels of play, these moves are easily punished. He is overly reliant on predictable patterns.

Conclusion

The Street Fighter V tier list for 2024 is a testament to the game's long journey of balance. While a clear hierarchy exists, it's crucial to remember that SFV is a game deeply reliant on player skill and matchup knowledge. A master of a B-Tier character will almost always defeat a novice using an S-Tier pick. However, at the absolute pinnacle of competition, where players are of equal skill, the tools and advantages of Luke, Ken, and the other top tiers provide that critical edge needed to lift the trophy. This final meta, while seemingly solved, still offers thrilling matches and demonstrates the rich depth Capcom's flagship fighter achieved over its long lifespan.