Autumn 2017 Final Fantasy: Record Keeper Tier Lists

Tier lists are, by default, severely misleading. Without communicating context, reasoning, and methodology they can cause more harm than good.

However, they can generate a healthy discussion and that’s my goal in creating these. I would advise either taking part in that discussion to find out where you personally stand on these characters, or withholding your fiery wrath until the conclusion when I’ll post much more detailed explanations as to why characters have been rated as they are. Enjoy!

The lists do not reflect final ratings until after the end of October, and the cut off date for the ratings is October 25th. Any changes made to the characters will be covered in another tier list(ETA Spring 2018).

The idea is that after the lists are complete, they’ll be easy to update weekly according to information we see coming out of JP.

Table of Contents

Healing
Supports
Fire
Ice
Lightning
Earth
Wind
Water
Holy
Dark
Poison
Non-Elemental
Special Consideration

Healing

Elarra (Core) – S
Sarah (FFI) – S
Relm (FFVI) – S
Aphmau (FFXI) – S
Deuce (FFTZ) – S
Rosa (FFIV) – A
Lenna (FFV) – A
Aerith (FFVII) – A
Selphie (FFVIII) – A
Eiko (FFIX) – A
Larsa (FFXII) – A
Y’shtola (FFXIV) – A
Iris (FFXV) – A
Aemo (Beyond) – A
Arc (FFIII) – B
Aria (FFIII) – B
Porom (FFIV) – B
Yuna (FFX) – B
Penelo (FFXII) – B
Vanille (FFXIII) – B
Ovelia (FFT) – B
Alma (FFT) – B
Minwu (FFII) – C

Supports

Buffing Supports

Onion Knight (FFIII) – S
Sazh (FFXIII) – S
Ramza (FFT) – S
Edward (FFIV) – A
Mog (FFVI) – A
Quina (FFIX) – A
Ignis (FFXV) – A
Red XIII (FFVII) – B
Rikku (FFX) – B
Curilla (FFXI) – B
Minfilia (FFXIV) – B
Cait Sith (FFVII) – C
Reks (FFXII) – C

Debuffing Supports

Faris (FFV) – S
Setzer (FFVI) – S
Vaan (FFXII) – S
Echo (FFI) – A
Shelke (FFVII) – A
Irvine (FFVIII) – A
Lion (FFXI) – A
Noel (FFXIII) – A
Haurchefant (FFXIV) – A
Prompto (FFXV) – A
Meliadoul (FFT) – A
Morrow (Beyond) – A
Thief (FFI) – B
Gordon (FFII) – B
Wakka (FFX) – B
Fran (FFXII) – B
Mustadio (FFT) – B
Wol (FFI) – C
Cid (FFIV) – C
Barret (FFVII) – C
Quina (FFIX) – C

Fire

Physical Fire

Bartz (FFV) – S
Gilgamesh (FFV) – S
Locke (FFVI) – S
Sabin (FFVI) – S
Ignis (FFXV) – S
Refia (FFIII) – A
Cyan (FFVI) – A
Vincent (FFVII) – A
Balthier (FFXII) – A
Zell (FFVIII) – A
Yda (FFXIV) – A
Cid (FFXIV) – A
Irvine (FFVIII) – B
Steiner (FFIX) – B
Delita (FFT) – B
Scott (FFII) – C
Galuf (FFV) – C
Sephiroth (FFVII) – C
Elena (FFVII) – C
Auron (FFX) – C
Gilgamesh (FFV) – D
Amarant (FFIX) – D
Thancred (FFXIV) – D
Lann (Beyond) – D

Magical Fire

Krile (FFV) – S
Terra (FFVI) – S
Vincent (FFVII) – S
Vivi (FFIX) – S
Braska (FFX) – A
Papalymo (FFXIV) – A
Ace (FFTZ) – A
Palom (FFIV) – B
Shantotto (FFXI) – B
Montblanc (FFT) – B
Rubicante (FFIV) – C

Ice

Physical Ice

Celes (FFVI) – S
Squall (FFVIII) – S
Laguna (FFVIII) – S
Snow (FFXIII) – S
Xezat (FFV) – A
Ayame (FFXI) – A
Fran (FFXII) – A
Josef (FFII) – B
Steiner (FFIX) – B
Noel (FFXIII) – B
Delita (FFT) – B
Umaro (FFVI) – C

Magical Ice

Rinoa (FFVIII) – S
Ysayle (FFXIV) – S
Edea (FFVIII) – A
Lulu (FFX) – A
Serah (FFXIII) – A
Matoya (FFI) – B
Montblanc (FFT) – B
Palom (FFIV) – C
Reynn (Beyond) – C

Lightning

Physical Lightning

Kain (FFIV) – S
Lightning (FFXIII) – S
King (FFT0) – S
Reno (FFVII) – A
Laguna (FFVIII) – A
Reks (FFXII) – A
Prompto (FFXV) – A
Orlandeau (FFT) – S
Queen (FFT0) – A
Edge (FFIV) – B
Steiner (FFIX) – B
Aranea (FFXV) – B
Delita (FFT) – B
Raijin (FFVIII) – C

Magical Lightning

Palom (FFIV) – S
Garnet (FFIX) – S
Shantotto (FFXI) – S
Ashe (FFXII) – S
Desch (FFIII) – A
Reno (FFVII) – A
Rapha (FFT) – A
Matoya (FFI) – B
Braska (FFX) – B
Montblanc (FFT) – B
Malach (FFT) – C

Earth

Physical Earth

Ingus (FFIII) – S
Bartz (FFV) – S
Dorgann (FFV) – S
Tifa (FFVII) – S
Orlandeau (FFT) – S
Marche (FFT) – S
Galuf (FFV) – A
Kelger (FFV) – A
Meliadoul (FFT) – A
Yang (FFIV) – B
Ursula (FFIV) – B
Tifa (FFVII) – B
Gladiolus (FFXV) – B
Guy (FFII) – C
Rude (FFVII) – C
Cid (FFXIV) – C
Machina (FFTZ) – C
Wrieg (Beyond) – C
Ward (FFVIII) – D

Magical Earth

Maria (FFII) – S
Emperor (FFII) – A
Rydia (FFIV) – A
Rinoa (FFVIII) – B
Tellah (FFIV) – C

Wind

Physical Wind

Luneth (FFIII) – S
Cloud (FFVII) – S
Zack (FFVII) – S
Zidane (FFIX) – S
Cid (FFVII) – A
Estinien (FFXIV) – A
Freya (FFIX) – B
Vaan (FFXII) – B
Fang (FFXIII) – B
Ricard (FFII) – C
Faris (FFV) – C
Nine (FFTZ) – C

Magical Wind

Fujin (FFVIII) – S
Alphinaud (FFXIV) – A
Strago (FFVI) – B
Emperor (FFII) – C

Water

Physical Water

Edge (FFIV) – S
Yuffie (FFVII) – S
Tidus (FFX) – S
Paine (FFX) – A
Wakka (FFX) – C
Kimahri (FFX) – C
Rikku (FFX) – D

Magical Water

Rydia (FFIV) – A
Meia (FFI) – B
Strago (FFVI) – B
Gogo (FFV) – C

Holy

Physical Holy

Warrior of Light (FFI) – S
Beatrix (FFIX) – S
Orlandeau (FFT) – S
Marche (FFT) – S
Basch (FFXII) – A
Agrias (FFT) – A
Firion (FFII) – B
Paladin Cecil (FFIV) – B
Ceodore (FFIV) – B
Celes (FFVI) – B
Delita (FFT) – C
Leo (FFVI) – D

Magical Holy

Cid Raines (FFXIII) – S
Rem (FFTZ) – S
Hope (FFXIII) – A
Arc (FFIII) – B
Rydia (FFIV) – B
Cloud of Darkness (FFIII) – C

Dark

Physical Dark

Garland (FFI) – S
Shadow (FFVI) – S
Vayne (FFXII) – S
Orlandeau (FFT) – S
Leon (FFII) – A
Sephiroth (FFVII) – A
Jecht (FFX) – A
Gabranth (FFXII) – A
Gaffgarion (FFT) – A
Cloud (FFVII) – B
Rufus (FFVII) – C
Seifer (FFVIII) – C
Zeid (FFXI) – C
Dark Knight Cecil (FFIV) – F

Magical Dark

Kuja (FFIX) – S
Seymour (FFX) – S
Vayne (FFXII) – S
Cid Raines (FFXIII) – S
Cloud of Darkness (FFIII) – A
Kefka (FFVI) – A
Golbez (FFIV) – B
Exdeath (FFV) – B
Jihl Nabaat (FFXIII) – B
Alphinaud (FFXIV) – B
Emperor (FFII) – D

Poison

Physical Poison

Leila (FFII) – B
Edgar (FFVI) – B
Vaan (FFXII) – B
Thancred (FFXIV) – B
Zidane (FFIX) – C

Magical Poison

Quistis (FFVIII) – A
Kefka (FFVI) – B

Non-Elemental

Physical Non-Elemental

Master (FFI) – S
Cloud (FFVII) – S
Vaan (FFXII) – S
Sephiroth (FFVII) – A
Zell (FFVIII) – A
Noctis(FFXV) – A
Bartz (FFV) – B
Lion (FFXI) – B
Prishe (FFXI) – B
Cyan (FFVI) – C
Zidane (FFIX) – C
Gilgamesh (FFV) – D

Magical Non-Elemental

Vivi – S
Alphinaud – A

Special Consideration

Haurchefant
Grand Cross: Exdeath & Celes
Dualcasting Ninjas: Edge, Shadow, and Yuffie
Multi-elemental Coverage: Bartz, Cloud, and Vivi
No Relic Legend Dive: Shelke and Morrow
Instant Cast Wild Cards: Noctis and Umaro
Onion Knight
Tyro
Y’shtola