KOF XIII Tier List:
An overall ranking assigned based on the total number of tools, strengths and weaknesses each character possesses.
S: Mr. Karate, Hwa, Kyo (XIII), Benimaru, Kyo (EX), Iori (EX), Takuma, Goro
A+: Kim, Iori (Claw), Yuri, Elisabeth, Robert, Andy, Billy, Saiki, K’, Shen
A: Duo Lon, Kensou, Chin, Kula, Joe, Mature
B+: Leona, Ash, Vice, Athena, Ryo, Raiden, King, Terry
B: Ralf, Clark, Mai, Maxima
Potential Based on Position:
A ranking assigned to each character based on how strong they are when compared to other characters in the same position on the team (first/second/third). Essentially a tier list for each spot on the team.
Andy: A+/A/B+
Ash: B/B+/A
Athena: A/B+/B
Benimaru: A+/S/S
Billy: A/A/A
Chin: A/A/A+
Clark: B+/B/B
Duo Lon: A/B+/B
Elisabeth: A/A/A
Goro: B+/A+/S
Hwa: A+/S/S
Iori (Claw): A/A+/S
Iori (EX): S/A+/A+
Joe: B/B+/A
K’: A/A/A
Kensou: A/A/A
Kim: S/A/A
King: A/B+/B
Kula: A/A/B+
Kyo (XIII): S/A+/A+
Kyo (EX): S/A+/A
Leona: B/B+/A+
Mai: B/B+/B+
Mature: A/B+/B+
Maxima: B/B+/B+
Mr. Karate: S/S/S
Raiden: B+/B+/A
Ralf: A/B+/B+
Robert: S/A/B+
Ryo: A/B+/B+
Saiki: B+/A/S
Shen: B/A/S
Takuma: A+/S/S
Terry: B/B+/B+
Vice: B/B+/A
Yuri: B+/A+/S
Top 10 Batteries:
A list of the characters who both build meter very quickly, while also having many tools and strong damage options with no meter or drive.
Mr. Karate - No bad matchups, amazing at everything.
Kyo (XIII) - Also no bad matchups, good at everything, needs corner more than Karate does.
Kyo (EX) - Very strong normals, safe pressure, auto guard bullshit.
Kim - Safe as hell, fast as hell, strong as hell.
Iori (EX) - Every tool, he’s goddamn Iori.
Duo Lon - Fast fast fast, scary mixups. Hope you like blocking.
Billy - Amazing normals, safe pressure, good meter building and cost-effective combos.
Robert - Every tool in the game, meterless, so why not?
Andy - See Robert, but without grab and with higher damage.
Hwa - Like Kim until he gets a drink in him, then he’s like Mr. Karate + Takuma combined.
Honourable Mentions:
Kensou
Ralf
King
Athena
Mature
Top 10 Anchors:
Characters who have many tools and extremely high damage potential with high resources.
Hwa - Stupid damage, can start 800+ damage combos (non-HD) from any hit, and lands hits well
Mr. Karate - No bad matchups, amazing at everything, and now with high damage!
Benimaru - Throw combos, rekkas, zoning, crossups, he has it all.
Takuma - Touch of death. The end.
Goro - Grab touch of near death. The end is near.
Shen - Don’t jump! Don’t not jump! Don’t get hit! At all!
Saiki - Good zoning and defensive tools; insanely strong HD combo in the corner.
Iori (EX) - Every tool needed to get into HD mode.
Kyo (XIII) - Like EX Iori minus without grab > HD.
Iori (Claw) - Great pressure, great mixups, great damage. Lacks zoning tools.
Honourable Mentions:
Yuri
Chin
Leona
Kim
Elisabeth
Top 10 1 Meter and/or 1 Drive Potential (Ideal Middle Characters):
This is essentially an assessment of a character’s EX and Drive Cancel usefulness alongside their tools with low to medium resources.
Hwa - Who else nearly kills you from a mid-screen invulnerable shoryu?
Takuma - Who else nearly kills you from a mid-screen meterless grab?
Mr. Karate - Have you been paying attention so far?
Benimaru - Every tool needed to land big damage without HD.
Chin - Drunk combos are scary, very strong defense and tricky offense.
Kyo (XIII) - Doesn’t really need meter but can use it to increase his already great damage.
Joe - 1 drive and 1 meter gives him access to ridiculous combo potential in the corner.
Yuri - With meter and drive her offense, defense and combo potential all skyrocket.
Goro - Meter and drive allow him to turn his grabs into amazing damage. Gains an overhead.
Iori (Claw) - High damage mid-screen and even higher damage in the corner.
Honourable Mentions:
Billy
Shen
Iori (EX)
Terry
K’
This is a well thought-out tier list of the entire cast based on which position on the team that they are most effective in, how their gameplay changes based on the amount of meter/drive they have and how they compare to one another in the team placement scenario. The tier list was mainly done by Sami (t3h mAsTarOth...!) and Matt Alder over the course of roughly the last 6 months.