Key takeaways
- Neutral tools (30%) — how well a character controls space, contests round start and forces the opponent to approach.
- Matchup flexibility (25%) — how few “you simply cannot play your game” matchups a character has.
- Damage (20%) — how many touches it takes to kill, and how often that damage is available without spending meter.
- Execution demand (15%, lower is better) — how much of your practice time goes into your own hands rather than into the opponent.
- Practical value for new players (10%) — whether the character teaches useful habits or hides bad ones.
The short answer
In BlazBlue: Central Fiction’s final 2.0 balance, the characters most often placed at the top are Jubei, Nine, Izanami, Naoto and Es — and the most practical picks for someone new to the game are Mai, Ragna and Jin. Below is the reasoning, the criteria behind it, and a situational guide that matters more than the tier letters themselves.
How this tier list was ranked
Rather than repeat a bare ordering, this list weighs five things a player actually feels in a match:
- Neutral tools (30%) — how well a character controls space, contests round start and forces the opponent to approach.
- Matchup flexibility (25%) — how few “you simply cannot play your game” matchups a character has.
- Damage (20%) — how many touches it takes to kill, and how often that damage is available without spending meter.
- Execution demand (15%, lower is better) — how much of your practice time goes into your own hands rather than into the opponent.
- Practical value for new players (10%) — whether the character teaches useful habits or hides bad ones.
One important context note: BBCF’s balance has been frozen since the 2.0 patch, so this list does not rotate the way a live-service game’s does. What does shift is the player base. Rollback netcode revived online play, and online rewards stable confirms, short combos and strong round-start options more than it rewards long, route-heavy optimization.
The tier list at a glance
| Character | Tier | Neutral (1–5) | Damage (1–5) | Execution demand (1–5) | New-player value (1–5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jubei | S | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| Nine | S | 4 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| Izanami | S | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Naoto | S | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| Es | S | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| Mai | A | 4 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Ragna | A | 4 | 4 | 2 | 5 |
| Jin | A | 4 | 4 | 2 | 5 |
| Valkenhayn | A | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Hazama | A | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Carl | A | 3 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| Nu-13 / Lambda-11 | A | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Arakune | A | 3 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Hakumen, Azrael, Bang, Tsubaki, Makoto, Noel, Rachel, Taokaka, Litchi, Relius, Mu-12, Platinum, Amane, Bullet, Kagura, Terumi, Kokonoe, Celica, Hibiki, Izayoi, Susanoo, Iron Tager | B | 2–4 | 2–5 | 2–4 | 2–4 |
The B row is not a dumping ground — it is where most of the roster lives, and the gap between the bottom of B and the bottom of A is smaller than the gap between a practiced main and a pocket pick.
Why the S tier is the S tier
Jubei
A small hurtbox, fast normals, easy hit-confirms and enormous corner carry. He has almost no dead zones — the only real cost is that his range is short, so you must win the approach.
Nine
Her stored-spell system gives her the best space control in the game along with very high damage. The trade is that you are managing a resource while also playing neutral, and her routes are long and situational. Highest reward per hour invested, and the highest cost.
Izanami
Float movement, long-range pokes and strong okizeme let her control space without committing hard. The learning curve is her movement system rather than her inputs, which makes her a good “second character” for players who already understand neutral.
Naoto
His dash-cancel mechanic extends pressure and converts almost anything into a kill combo. The catch is that the cancels demand clean inputs under pressure, and his neutral requires earning the first hit.
Es
The best “strong and easy” pick on the roster: solid normals, a useful projectile, simple confirms and no exotic resource. If you want a top-tier character without a lab requirement, start here.
A tier: strong, with a catch
Mai deals top-tier damage with the simplest inputs in the game — the standard recommendation for a first main. Ragna is the classic all-rounder with life drain and straightforward routes; he teaches spacing, hit-confirming and defense. Jin pairs a projectile with a reliable reversal, which makes him forgiving while still honest. Valkenhayn has the best mobility in the game and a wolf-form stance, but demands heavy execution. Hazama owns neutral with chain movement but pays for it with below-average damage. Carl has the highest ceiling in the game and the hardest execution, because controlling Nirvana means releasing buttons as well as pressing them. Nu-13 and Lambda-11 dominate at range and struggle when the opponent gets in. Arakune is a curse-based lab character whose results swing wildly with matchup knowledge.
Best character for your situation
| Your situation | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First fighting game ever | Mai, Ragna, Jin | Short combos, simple motions, no resource management |
| Want top-tier strength without lab time | Es, Jubei | Strong normals, low execution cost |
| You enjoy zoning and full-screen control | Nu-13, Lambda-11, Rachel, Mu-12 | Win from range; accept weaker close-range defense |
| You want a grappler | Iron Tager | Highest health and a 720 command grab; slow neutral |
| You want a puppet or setplay character | Carl, Relius | Oppressive offense, heavy practice requirement |
| You want the highest ceiling and don’t mind losing for months | Carl, Nine, Izanami | Reward scales with execution and matchup study |
| You mostly play online | Mai, Ragna, Azrael, Hakumen | Short, stable confirms that survive variable connections |
| You hate being zoned out | Jubei, Naoto, Taokaka, Valkenhayn | Mobility and approach options that close distance fast |
| You want fewer motion inputs | Hakumen, Mai, Es | Simple special-move inputs, damage from normals |
Execution reality check
What actually separates characters in practice is rarely raw tier placement — it is the input bill you pay every round:
- Motion inputs: most of the cast uses quarter-circles, dragon-punch motions and charge motions. Iron Tager adds a full 720 rotation for his command grab; Carl adds negative edge, where releasing a button is itself an input.
- Resource juggling: Nine’s spells, Arakune’s curse meter and Rachel’s wind gauge all have to be managed while you are being pressured.
- Route memory: Nine, Carl and Arakune ask you to memorize many combos that only work from specific starters or positions.
- Neutral difficulty: short-range characters like Jubei, Tager and Makoto must solve the approach problem before their damage matters at all.
The numbers behind the rankings
| Value | Typical range | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Character health | roughly 10,000–13,000 | The heaviest characters, Iron Tager among them, sit at the top end; the lightest die in three touches |
| Meterless combo damage | about 2,000–3,000 | Sets how many neutral wins a round actually costs |
| Combo with 50 Heat or Overdrive | about 4,000–6,000 | Where high-damage characters pull ahead of the pack |
| Rapid Cancel / Counter Assault | 50 Heat each | Defensive and pressure-relief options priced in meter, not health |
| Crush Trigger | 25 Heat | Cheap guard-breaking tool that many beginners never use |
| Exceed Accel | 50 Heat, during Overdrive | Ends Overdrive for a large burst of damage |
| Astral Heat | 100 Heat plus a badly weakened opponent | Instant kill; situational, but it ends rounds outright |
| Burst | One per round | Refreshes each round, so spending it early has a real cost |
| Round timer | 99 counts | Time-outs are a legitimate win condition for zoners |
| Overdrive duration | roughly 5 seconds at full health, stretching toward 10 when you are low | Comeback mechanic: your best damage window is when you are nearly dead |
Where tier lists mislead
A tier list assumes offline play, near-optimal execution and long sets against the whole roster. Below the highest level of play, matchup familiarity beats tier position: a dedicated Tager who knows the Jubei matchup will beat a player who picked Jubei last week. Online, characters with short combos and simple confirms tend to overperform relative to their listed placement, while route-heavy characters lose damage to dropped inputs and unstable connections. Treat the tiers as a description of ceilings, not as a prediction of your results.
FAQ
Is Iron Tager actually bad?
He is usually placed low because his neutral is slow and his game plan is readable, but his health, damage and 720 command grab mean a single mistake can end a round. If you enjoy him, the tier placement is not a reason to switch.
Does the tier list matter if I am new?
No. Pick a character whose buttons feel right, learn one combo route and one defensive option, and you will improve faster than by chasing a top-tier pick you do not enjoy.
Will the roster still change?
Balance has been frozen at the 2.0 patch for years, and rollback netcode is what keeps the online scene active. Do not expect buffs or nerfs to move this list.
