History Main / CharacterTiers

** Fourth is the [=NeverUsed=] (NU) tier. This tier is, as it's name says, composed of Pokémon that are [[CaptainObvious never used in higher tiers]] because of their terrible Stats, Ability or Movepool. As such, you'll find that many Pokémon in this tier serve purposes that Pokémon in higher tiers can do better. In NU battles, only Pokémon in the NU tier can be used. NU has its own banlist, [=BL3=], which, as of March 2015, has only 3 Pokémon.
*** In September 2014, the previously unofficial PU tier (Whose name doesn't mean anything, it's just a {{Pun}} to imply that these Pokémon suck on competitive battles) became a permanent ladder on Pokémon Showdown!, though it's still not considered an official tier (Pokémon that are PU by usage still show up as NU in the Smogon Pokédex).

** The first actual tier is the OverUsed (OU) tier. This tier is composed of the Pokémon that have been used the most (About a 3.4% usage) based on data gathered by Smogon's battling simulator Pokémon Showdown!, and is updated every month. These are basically the best Pokémon in terms of their stats, abilities, typing, and/or movepool (not counting Pokémon in Ubers, of course). In OU battles, only Pokémon from OU and below are allowed.
** The second tier is the UnderUsed (UU) tier. This tier is composed of Pokémon that are occasionally used. The Pokémon in this tier usually have a problem or two that prevents them from being used easily, or have Pokémon in the upper tiers that fulfill the same purpose, but do it better [[note]] Though it is not unheard of for a UU Pokémon to find a niche in OU or even Ubers, as being on a lower tier doesn't necessarily make them bad (For example, the ORAS Viability Rankings rank Mega Aerodactyl as A-, which is basically the Top Tier, despite being UU for the majority of Gen VI (and still is, as of March of 2015.)[[/note]]. In UU battles, only Pokémon from the UU and below are allowed.

** The third tier is the RarelyUsed (RU) tier. Added in Generation V to account for the [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters ever-increasing number of Pokémon]], this tier often features Pokémon that can be used competitively but have notable flaws, Pokémon that are simply outclassed by both OU and UU Pokémon, or simply Pokémon that are terrible in OU and UU. Similar to UU, RU has a banlist named [=BL2=], with Pokémon too strong for RU but not used enough for UU.
** Fourth is the NeverUsed (NU) tier. This tier is, as it's name says, composed of Pokémon that are [[CaptainObvious never used in higher tiers]] because of their terrible Stats, Ability or Movepool. As such, you'll find that many Pokémon in this tier serve purposes that Pokémon in higher tiers can do better. In NU battles, only Pokémon in the NU tier can be used. NU has its own banlist, [=BL3=], which, as of March 2015, has only 3 Pokémon.

** First off is Ubers. This tier can be seen as a ban list, as Pokémon in it are only in there so that the OU metagame doesn't suffer, as Pokémon in this tier are considered too [[GameBreaker broken]] for standard competitive play. Pokémon in this tier can not be used in any competitive battle unless the rules specifically allow it, or the players agree to use them. This tier is a metagame in itself, since the overpowered nature of all the Pokémon used creates balance. At least until Mega Rayquaza showed up, which was too overpowered ''[[UpToEleven even for Ubers]]'', necessitating the creation of AG (see below).
** Second is the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Over Used]] (OU) tier. This tier is composed of the Pokémon that have been used the most (About a 3.4% usage) based on data gathered by Smogon's battling simulator Pokémon Showdown!, and is updated every month. These are basically the best Pokémon in terms of their stats, abilities, typing, and/or movepool (not counting Pokémon in Ubers, of course). In OU battles, only Pokémon from OU and below are allowed.
** The second "real" tier is the Under Used (UU) tier. This tier is composed of Pokémon that are occasionally used. The Pokémon in this tier usually have a problem or two that prevents them from being used easily, or have Pokémon in the upper tiers that fulfill the same purpose, but do it better [[note]] Though it is not unheard of for a UU Pokémon to find a niche in OU or even Ubers, as being on a lower tier doesn't necessarily make them bad (For example, the ORAS Viability Rankings rank Mega Aerodactyl as A-, which is basically the Top Tier, despite being UU for the majority of Gen VI (and still is, as of March of 2015.)[[/note]]. In UU battles, only Pokémon from the UU and below are allowed.
** In between OU and UU is the Borderline (BL) tier, composed of Pokémon that are too strong for UU but not actually used enough to be OU. BL, like Ubers, is a banlist (but for UU instead of OU). Since OU is based on usage statistics and not on the Pokémon's actual power, it also frequently changes[[note]]For example, when Pinsir dropped to UU in February 2015, it immediatly became BL[[/note]]. While some of the Pokémon are good enough to have a niche on OU, such as Mega Alakazam or Tornadus-Therian, some of them aren't strong enough to carry their weight on an OU team (Such as Zygarde).
** The third "real" tier is the Rarely Used (RU) tier. Added in Generation V to account for the [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters ever-increasing number of Pokémon]], this tier often features Pokémon that can be used competitively but have notable flaws, Pokémon that are simply outclassed by both OU and UU Pokémon, or simply Pokémon that are terrible in OU and UU. Similar to UU, RU has a banlist named [=BL2=], with Pokémon too strong for RU but not used enough for UU.
** Fourth is the Never Used (NU) tier. This tier is, as it's name says, composed of Pokémon that are [[CaptainObvious never used in higher tiers]] because of their terrible Stats, Ability or Movepool. As such, you'll find that many Pokémon in this tier serve purposes that Pokémon in higher tiers can do better. In NU battles, only Pokémon in the NU tier can be used. NU has its own banlist, [=BL3=], which, as of March 2015, has only 3 Pokémon.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', despite having 719 characters of varying balance (as well as mons with alternate forms such as Rotom and Mega Evolutions), has taken to heart the game's preaching of using your favorite Pokémon. The most well-known tier system, Website/{{Smogon}}'s, organizes all Pokémon into 5 official tiers, along with a "semi-unofficial" tier (PU) and an unofficial tier (FU), with tournaments and friendly battles taking place in any one of the tiers. It is also continuously changing, with Pokémon changing tiers based on usage, and even implementation or removal of [[HouseRules clauses]] and other factors (for instance, the introduction of Eviolite[[note]]A held item that boosts the defense and special defense stats of the holding Pokémon by 50% provided that the Pokémon can still evolve[[/note]] altered plenty of Pokémon placement in tiers).

** Second is the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Over Used]] (OU) tier. This tier is composed of the Pokémon that have been used the most (About a 3.4% usage) based on data gathered by Smogon's battling simulator Pokémon Showdown! and updated every month. These are basically the best Pokémon in terms of their stats, abilities, typing, and/or movepool (not counting Pokémon in Ubers, of course). In OU battles, only Pokémon from OU and below are allowed.
** The second "real" tier is the Under Used (UU) tier. This tier is composed of Pokémon that are occasionally used. The Pokémon in this tier usually have a problem or two that prevents them from being used easily, or have Pokémon in the upper tiers that fulfill the same purpose, but do it better [[note]] Though it is not unheard of for a UU Pokémon, to find a niche in OU or even Ubers, as being on a lower tier doesn't necessarily make them bad (For example, the ORAS Viability Rankings rank Mega Aerodactyl as A-, which is basically the Top Tier, despite being UU for the majority of Gen VI (and still is, as of March of 2015.)[[/note]]. In UU battles, only Pokémon from the UU and below are allowed.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokémon}}'', despite having 719 characters of varying balance (as well as mons with alternate forms such as Rotom and Mega Evolutions), has taken to heart the game's preaching of using your favorite Pokémon. The most well-known tier system, Website/{{Smogon}}'s, organizes all Pokémon into 5 official tiers, along with a "semi-unofficial" tier (PU) and an unofficial tier (FU), with tournaments and friendly battles taking place in any one of the tiers. It is also continuously changing, with Pokémon changing tiers based on usage, and even implementation or removal of [[HouseRules clauses]] and other factors (for instance, the introduction of Eviolite[[note]]A held item that boosts the defense and special defense stats of the holding Pokémon by 50% provided that the Pokémon can still evolve[[/note]] altered plenty of Pokémon placement in tiers).

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', despite having 718 characters of varying balance (as well as mons with alternate forms such as Rotom and Mega Evolutions), has taken to heart the game's preaching of using your favorite Pokemon. The most well-known tier system, Website/{{Smogon}}'s, organizes all Pokemon into 4-5 tiers, with tournaments and friendly battles taking place in any one of the tiers. It is also continuously changing, with Pokemon moving from tiers or usage, and even implementation or removal of [[HouseRules clauses]] and other factors (for instance, the introduction of Eviolite[[note]]A held item that boosts the defense and special defense stats of the holding Pokemon by 50% provided that the Pokemon can still evolve[[/note]] altered plenty of Pokemon placement in tiers).
** First off is the Uber tier. This tier can be seen as a ban list, as Pokemon in it are only in there so that the rest of the metagame doesn't suffer. Pokemon in it are either too powerful (Mewtwo), too versatile (Arceus), or too broken (Lugia). Pokemon in this tier can not be used in any competitive battle unless the rules specifically allow it, or the players agree to use them. This tier is a metagame in itself, since the overpowered nature of all the Pokémon used creates balance. At least until Mega Rayquaza showed up, which was too overpowered ''[[UpToEleven even for Ubers]]'', necessitating the creation of AG (see below).
** Second is the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Over Used]] (OU) tier. This tier is composed of the Pokemon that have been used the most, typically around 50 at a time, based on data gathered by Smogon's battling simulator [[strike:Shoddy Battle]] Pokemon Online and updated every month. These are basically the best Pokemon in terms of their stats, abilities, typing, and/or movepool (not counting Uber Pokemon, of course). In OU tier battles, only Pokemon from the OU tier and below are allowed.
** The second "real" tier is the [[SugarWiki/NeedsMoreLove Under Used]] (UU) tier. This tier is composed of Pokemon that are occasionally used. The Pokemon in this tier usually have a problem or two that prevents them from being used easily, or have Pokemon in the upper tiers that fulfill the same purpose, but do it better [[note]] Though it is not unheard of for a UU Pokemon, such as Quagsire, to find a niche in Ubers, as different metagames call for different capabilities.[[/note]]. In UU tier battles, only Pokemon from the UU tier and below are allowed.
** In between OU and UU is the Borderline (BL) tier, composed of Pokemon that are too strong for UU but not actually used enough to be OU. BL, like Ubers, is a ban tier (but for UU instead of OU). Since OU tier is based on actual use and ''not'' on actual stats, it also frequently chnges. BL battles are not common, but most Pokemon in the tier are good enough to see use on OU teams.
** The third "real" tier is the Rarely Used (RU) tier. Added in the fifth generation to account for the [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters ever-increasing cast list]], this tier often features Pokemon that can be used competitively but have notable flaws [[note]]Tangrowth, which has amazing physical walling stats but a relatively poor defensive typing, for example[[/note]], or Pokemon that are simply outclassed by both OU and UU Pokemon [[note]]such as Entei, a constant top threat in RU play, but almost completely outclassed by the UU Arcanine[[/note]]. Similar to UU, RU has a banlist tier named [=BL2=], with Pokemon too strong for RU but not used enough for UU.
** Fourth is the Never Used (NU) tier. This tier isn't actually composed of Pokemon that are never used, but the Pokemon in this tier are simply seldom used due to a variety of different reasons, from stat problems (for instance, [[GlassCannon Pikachu can dish out serious hurt, but it just can't take a hit]]), to actually being useless (Unown). As such, you'll find that many Pokemon in this tier serve purposes that Pokemon in higher tiers can do better. In NU tier battles, only Pokemon in the NU tier can be used. NU has its own banlist, [=BL3=], which is presently empty.
*** Some members of the Smogon forum have also somewhat popularized the concept of an unofficial "PU" Tier, that contains the least used Pokemon[[note]]Those with less than 3.41% usage, to be exact.[[/note]] of the abovementioned NU Tier.
** In addition to this, there is a tierless metagame aptly titled Anything Goes (AG). It's essentially Ubers, except that the only clause is the Infinite Battle Clause (which means evasion boosting moves, OHKO moves and multiple opponents asleep are all allowed, and teams can have multiple copies of the same Pokémon), and well as certain Pokémon that are ''[[UpToEleven too Uber for Ubers]]'' are permitted here (currently only Mega Rayquaza). This is a relatively new system, but current tests show that it's just as insane as it sounds.
** The tier system is designed to allow any Pokemon to be used competitively by sifting Pokémon into a collection of similarly powered groups. Removing this would force everyone into playing AG.
** As a final note, it's worth noting that tiers are constantly changing as data is collected from [[strike:Shoddy Battle]] Pokemon Online and as new games are released. A good example is Charizard. [[note]]Formerly in the Borderline tier, the release of the 4th generation and Stealth Rock (deals damage to Pokemon switching in depending on its weakness or resistance to Rock) dropped it down to the Never Used tier, as Stealth Rock lowered its HP to the point that its most common strategy (sacrificing HP for Substitute and Belly Drum) left it to where any attack would instantly faint it. Now that Gen VI has come and gave Charizard 2 Mega Evolutions, it has skyrocketed to the #1 most used spot in OU.[[/note]] At the beginning of a new generation, the tiers are typically wiped, anything with a base stat total of over 600 is automatically sent to Ubers (barring special cases like Slaking and Regigigas, whose abilities make them lackluster), and the tiers are sorted out from there as the new metagame evolves.
** It is also worth noting that other than banlist tiers (Uber and Borderline), the placement of a Pokemon is determined exclusively by their frequency of usage, and thus a high tier Pokemon is simply one that is frequently used in a high tier environment, even if they would not unbalance a lower tier [[note]]Tentacruel, for example, lost its UU status when people noticed what a great Infernape counter and Toxic Spiker it made, despite the fact that it was causing no problems in UU[[/note]]. Conversely, a Pokemon may be KickedUpstairs into a tier where it is useless, because placement in a lower tier would destabilize that metagame [[note]]For example, Dusclops is currently in UU and actually has low enough usage there to merit a demotion to RU or NU, but neither tier wants it because none of their Mons can kill it. [[/note]]. This means that the tiers are completely objective.
** In addition to the standard tier set (which organizes Pokemon on the assumption that anything you can do without hacking is legal) there's Little Cup, where Pokemon must be level 5, must be able to evolve, and must not evolve from anything. Little Cup has its own list of Ubers, OU, and UU, and other modified rules. And the up-and-coming "Middle Cup" allows only level 50 Pokemon that both evolve from and evolve into something. Both of these are a great way to be able to use your favorite not-fully-evolved Pokemon and still do well (the standard tiers allow [=NFEs=], but not all of them are viable choices).
** Everything above applies only to single battling. Double-battling tiers are only in their proto-stage (due to official tournaments being in the double battle format), and triple-battling and rotation-battling are far too new and hardly played competitively. Enough is known, however, that different traits are of importance in different formats, meaning any Pokémon tier list can only apply to one format. For instance, the Ice-type is defensively bad (weak to four types and resistant only to itself) but offensively good (can hit four other types for super-effective damage). Playing defense is key in single battles while offense is more important in double battles, so Ice-types like Glaceon and Vanilluxe struggle in single battles but thrive in double battles.

** Brawl also has the odd case of King DeDeDe, who isn't generically overpowered, but is so strong against a small number of characters that those characters are essentially non-viable in tournaments.

* David Sirlin (who did balancing for StreetFighter and PuzzleFighter HD Remix) accepts that perfect balance is impossible, as characters with differing abilities will always have advantages and disadvantages over each other, but believes that the God Tier and Garbage Tier should be empty, and that no specific character-versus-character matchup should give more than a 6-4 advantage (meaning that if equally-skilled players play ten matches, the character with the advantage should at most win six and lose four). His own games (Kongai, and especially the tabletop games Puzzle Strike, Flash Duel and Yomi) go through ''years'' of playtesting and tweaking in search of this.

* ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'', despite being an RPG, has over 40 characters to choose from, so tiers were bound to arise, especially since some characters are worse than others.

* In the first ''Franchise/MassEffect'' game, Adepts were basically the top class - their powers kept enemies under permanent lockdown to the point where they could never fight back. Even the final boss was not immune. This made the hardest difficulty in the game (Insanity) pretty easy. Sentinels were considered the absolute worst class in the game, due to being a SpoonyBard class that was basically the MasterOfNone, having the worst weapon skills and weaker biotic and tech skills than any class bar the Soldier (who had no biotic or tech skills) without anything to really make up for it. In an attempt to tone down Adepts in the sequel, the game was changed so that biotic powers no longer work on shielded enemies. Pretty much every single enemy in Insanity difficulty is shielded, dropping Adepts from the best class to the worst. Sentinels also got a huge boost when they were given the same weapon skills as Engineers or Adepts (still technically the worst, but this could be remedied in a later mission that let them upgrade their weapon selection to include assault rifles) and the Tech Armor power, which made them the most durable class. They also got abilities to deal with pretty much every protection (Overload was especially useful considering how common shields were).

** [=NPCs=] in ''Mass Effect 2'' are ranked based on their powers. Miranda's powers are always useful, and she gives a damage bonus to the entire squad, making her the best overall. Mordin is feast or famine - against organics (even armored) he is insanely powerful, but against Synthetics he's pretty much useless.

* Bring this up in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series, and expect chaos between one side that considers tier lists SeriousBusiness and the other side that believes [[http://ssbwiki.com/Tires_don_exits TIRES DON EXITS]] or [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR6sxFBm1P8 tiers are for queers.]] It's a ''very'' touchy subject.
** The ''Smash'' community maintains a tier list decided upon by top level players on Smash Boards. There's a sticky thread where you can read the current lists, and it undergoes yearly revision to compensate for changes in the metagame. One example was when Armada ''blazed'' to the #2 spot in [[TournamentPlay Genesis I]] with Peach, at the time agreed to be aggressively middle-tier.
** Most tournaments are composed exclusively of high and top-tier characters because other characters are generally seen as too weak or too finicky to be competitive, with special tournaments run where players are restricted to playing mid-tier and below characters.
** SuperSmashBrosBrawl had a single god-tier character - Metaknight. Believed to have nothing but advantageous matchups against the rest of the cast, with even his worst matchup being merely level with him (and even then people were skeptical). He was widely hated before he became widely banned; many characters didn't even have a chance against a competent Metaknight player. Brawl also has the odd case of King DeDeDe, who isn't generically overpowered but is so strong against a small number of characters that those characters are essentially non-viable in tournaments.

* In ''VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom'', the Japanese developed a different tier list for the characters (partially because unlike in the United States, the players didn't stop thinking that {{Karas}} was a broken character), using two tier lists - one for the overall character performance being the point (combat) character and another for the character's assist. Roll isn't considered the lowest tier (she's mid), and her assist is ranked high in the tier list, upping her rank as a JokeCharacter to LethalJokeCharacter.

** In addition to this, there is a tierless metagame aptly titled Anything Goes (AG). It's essentially Ubers, except that the only clause is the Infinite Battle Clause (which means evasion boosting moves, OHKO moves and multiple opponents asleep are all allowed, and teams can have multiple copies of the same Pokémon), as well as certain Pokémon that are ''[[UpToEleven too Uber for Ubers]]'' (currently only Mega Rayquaza). This is a relatively new system, but current tests show that it's just as insane as it sounds.

** First off is the Uber tier. This tier can be seen as a ban list, as Pokemon in it are only in there so that the rest of the metagame doesn't suffer. Pokemon in it are either too powerful (Mewtwo), too versatile (Arceus), or too broken (Lugia). Pokemon in this tier can not be used in any competitive battle unless the rules specifically allow it, or the players agree to use them. This tier is a metagame in itself, since the overpowered nature of all the Pokémon used creates balance. [[BeyondTheImpossible At least until Mega Rayquaza showed up]], which was too overpowered ''even for Ubers'', necessitating the creation of AG (see below).

** First off is the Uber tier. This tier can be seen as a ban list, as Pokemon in it are only in there so that the rest of the metagame doesn't suffer. Pokemon in it are either too powerful (Mewtwo), too versatile (Arceus), or too broken (Lugia). Pokemon in this tier can not be used in any competitive battle unless the rules specifically allow it, or the players agree to use them. This tier is a metagame in itself, since the overpowered nature of all the Pokémon used creates balance.

** The tier system is designed to allow any Pokemon to be used competitively by sifting Pokémon into a collection of similarly powered groups. Removing this would force everyone into using Ubers and [=OUs=].

** SuperSmashBrosBrawl had a single god-tier character - Metaknight. Believed to have nothing but advantageous matchups against the rest of the cast, with his worst matchup being perhaps even (and even then people were skeptical), he was widely hated before he became widely banned; many characters didn't even have a chance against a competent Metaknight player. Brawl also has the odd case of King DeDeDe, who isn't generically overpowered but is so strong against a small number of characters that those characters are essentially non-viable in tournaments.

* The ''VideoGame/ForzaMotorsport'' series simultaneously adheres to this trope and subverts it: every car is designated a "performance index", complete with a corresponding tier denoted by a letter grade, but most low-tier cars can be upgraded enough to compete with higher tiers.

It seems inevitable when you've got a game with LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: the time will come when the only thing left is to try and figure out whether [[FireEmblem Lowen's]] early joining time and superior supports make up for his crappy strength growth. It can be a polite discussion or a FlameWar; a debate of logic and reason or a contest to see who can stick their fingers in their ears the longest. It usually gives birth to legions of {{Scrub}}s and StopHavingFunGuys.

* A big thing in the ''FireEmblem'' fandom, where the participants don't stop simply at unit performance. They also take into account joining time, joining requirements, joining level, starting stats, stat growths, weapon options, support options, elemental affinity, promotion requirements, and other, additional abilities in their quest to accurately rank the characters. Due to [[{{Cap}} the way]] [[RandomNumberGod the system works]] in ''FireEmblem'', the vast majority of characters are at least usable if you really want to play them, and so the tier lists are mostly arranged by merit of which characters are most helpful for Ranked or low-turn playthroughs. The ''FireEmblem'' community's mantra in these debates is "personal experience means nothing"; just because a character worked out for you does not make that character good; you may have simply gotten lucky with the {{Random Number God}}dess. The community judges a character's stats based on averages for their level progression.
** As a general rules, the Top Tiers of a Fire Emblem Tier List are mostly dominated by unit with Mounted Traits. This is largely thanks to the how poorly balanced Mounted units are compared to foot units, who have better movement, solid stats for combat, immediate access to 2 weapons, and the Rescue - Drop system which allow them to excels for both combat and utility. Fliers are usually put on the same category thanks to their ability to ignore terrains which allows fast clears of a lot of maps when used correctly That being said, unless they have a utility that match the mounted units(ex. Healers and Dancer) or have a really good combat, they will not be as high as unit with mounts.
** Character who sit in their God Tiers are generally those who influence the game in a much bigger extent than the rest of the cast, such as [[FireEmblemAkaneia Sheeda and Rena]], [[FireEmblemJugdral Sigurd]], [[FireEmblemElibe Young Marcus]], [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones Seth]], [[FireEmblemTellius POR!Titania, and RD!Haar]], and then there's [[GameBreaker Robin]] -- the PlayerCharacter [[FireEmblemAwakening from Awakening]].

** Character who sit in their God Tiers are generally those who influence the game in a much bigger extent than the rest of the cast, such as [[FireEmblemAkaneia Sheeda and Rena]], [[FireEmblemJugdral Sigurd]], [[FireEmblemElibe Young Marcus]], [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones Seth]], and [[FireEmblemTellius POR!Titania, and RD!Haar]]

* This happens in ''VideoGame/DarkCloud''.
** Toan and Ruby are the most powerful characters due to Toan's quick attack-speed, high HP, and having a wide selection of weapons (Doesn't help that some powerful weapons can be obtained early) and Ruby being able to hit for a lot of damage despite being a ranged attacker who can't combo.
** Ungaga and Osmond are clearly middle-tier characters. While they can both combo, they both wind up coming too late to match Toan and Ruby by the point they come. Osmond CAN move while he is attacking and hits for a lot, but Ungaga is also a little slow.
** And Goro and Xiao just get ridiculously outclassed due to their slow attack speeds rendering them vulnerable to attack and their weapons can be hideously inaccurate. Goro especially, since he can only attack enemies in front of him and even then, he can still miss because a lot of enemies don't hold still.
** The sequel ''VideoGame/DarkChronicle'' is infinitely better at this - although the only character tier that exists is Monster Transformation, which is generally seen as worthless or unnecessary due to it never being needed for important boss battles in the future. The Ridepod is, however, seen as very useful due to it being the only way to beat several boss battles.

** The first game was also very glaring in two regards: One was that the Krogan Battlemaster (aka Wrex) was very powerful due to him being sort of a Vanguard (soldier/adept hybrid), while still retaining most of the perks of the soldier class (heavy armor, regeneration, wide array of weapons to choose from...) as opposed to the standard vanguard. The other was the predominance of synthetic opponents, which made classes that were good at controlling/hurting these comparatively strong. ME2 did away with this due to geth not being nearly as prominent in this game as in the first one.
** [=NPCs=] in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' are ranked based on their powers. Miranda's powers are always useful, and she gives a damage bonus to the entire squad, making her the best overall. Mordin is feast or famine - against organics (even armored) he is insanely powerful, but against Synthetics he's pretty much useless.

* The GundamVsSeries has its tiers built into the game; the Universal Century and Cosmic Era games use a five-star system (with half-stars), typically following technical progress (which means in the ''GundamSEEDDestiny''-based game, most of the returning ''SEED'' machines are downgraded). In ''Gundam Vs. Gundam'' the system is simplified to three levels (3000 for hero machines, 2000 for middle-of-the-roaders, and 1000 for {{Mooks}}); ''Gundam Extreme Vs.'' adds a 2500 tier consisting mostly of [[TheRival Rival]] and [[TheLancer Lancer]] machines.

* . LeagueOfLegends has spawned lost of Tier Lists, the most popular can be found [[http://www.reignofgaming.net/tier-lists/solo-tier-list here]]. They're constantly being changed, cause every patch brings nerfs and buffs to certain characters. As such posting a tier list here would be kinda useless. Once in a while, low tier characters get "discovered" and end up in top tiers. Many agree that characters in lower tiers can still be effective, [[OvershadowedByAwesome maybe being less allrounder than the top tiers]]