(This is a crosspost from r/streetfighter.)

It’s finally time. The last ranking in this series (At least until Ingrid comes out.) The strongest attacks in the game: Level 3 supers.

Frankly speaking, there’s not much to say about most of these. Level 3s all share one function: land a hit and begin a cinematic. I’ll still be ranking them in terms of viability, but the differences mostly come down to startup and hitboxes. The main reason you’d want to equip any particular super is because of how cool they look. In the spirit of that, I’ve decided to do something unique: I’m going to discuss my personal opinions on which level 3s look the coolest in an avatar context. (Note: I like almost every super a lot so the rankings will be skewed towards the higher range.) Enough preamble, let’s finish this!

https://preview.redd.it/xggo5e2dsc0h1.png?width=1140&format=png&auto=webp&s=7d6d0d3ff4fde436102ff355254df8dce4de58fb

F Tier

• Pas de Deux (Manon): Because it’s a command grab, Pas de Deux can’t be comboed into unless the enemy remains grounded. This is a huge problem, as any juggles or special moves that knock down suddenly can’t be used to finish a combo with a super. It is unblockable, but this means nothing as the enemy can jump after the super flash to avoid it. It doesn’t even deal extra damage to compensate.
  • Notable Synergies: Manège Doré and Renversé. Medal levels increase the damage of this super, which is a pretty cool niche. In fact, medal level 5 Pas de Deux deals the second highest raw damage of any level 3 super. On that note, it’s also the only level 3 that can be canceled from Renversé, so it might be recommended if you really want to use that move.
  • Cinematic Discussion: The uselessness of this super bothers me a lot, because it’s one of my favorite supers in the game. The idea behind it is really funny and the poses are pretty. It does lose some points on the avatar version, as they don’t sing Manon’s song during the critical art. 9/10
• Raging Typhoon (Lily): Everything said about Manon’s super applies here too. The only differences are the direction of the input and the higher base damage. Ranks higher since it doesn’t have to rely on medals for extra damage.
  • Cinematic Discussion: The animation for this super is really cool, as it manages to make your character look both agile and strong. There is a slight disconnect between the normal and critical art versions, as one portrays a fantasy of power while the other is a lot more silly. Still, that could work if it’s what you want. 8/10

D Tier

• Merciless Yoga (Dhalsim): 10 frame startup, which is standard for a lot of level 3s. The hitbox is terrible, having the worst horizontal range of any level 3 and not a lot of vertical range to compensate. To put into perspective how bad the hitbox is, this is the only super that whiffed after canceling it from Bison’s heavy punch at max range
  • Cinematic Discussion: I really like the use of Dhalsim’s stretchy arms in this super, as it’s the only way to use his stretchy limbs on an avatar without needing his base moveset. The second half messes it up a lot, as the head drill doesn’t really fit any of my OCs. The critical art is also barely different, and I don’t really understand why it causes every character to make the same weird face. 5/10
• The Final Prison (Alex): 12 frame startup makes this super relatively slow. The hitbox doesn’t make up for it, having moderate horizontal range but bad vertical range. For example, this always whiffed when canceled from OD Electric Thunder during testing.
  • Cinematic Discussion: The most unique aspect of this super is how the animation changes if it’ll kill or not. Combined with its critical arts, this gives it 4 different animations to consider. The non-killing normal version is the least good, as the constant camera cuts kind of ruin the impact of the throw. The normal killing version has some really fun facial expressions, the non-killing critical art has a really well-done dramatic throw, and the killing critical art feels brutal as hell. All in all, this deserves a top rating just for the sheer number of animations. 10/10
• Tiger Vanquisher (Sagat): 12 frame startup, but with a bigger hitbox than The Final Prison. Note that no avatar can be as tall as Sagat, which makes the range a little worse.
  • Notable Synergies: Tiger Uppercut. Tiger Vanquisher has 2 frame startup when canceled from Tiger Uppercut, making it much better for combos. Note that this does not apply to any other DPs.
  • Cinematic Discussion: This is perhaps the most brutal super in the game, as it visibly destroys the enemy’s knee and jaw. Although, it doesn’t work quite as well for avatars. Since you can’t make an avatar as tall as Sagat, this super’s animation is affected quite a lot. For the record, I tested all of these with a minimum height character, but it is worth noting that the knee-breaking kick was aimed at the enemy’s hip instead. Despite that problem, it still feels pretty powerful. 9/10
• Goddess of the Hunt (Marisa): At 13 frame startup, this is the second slowest level 3 in the game. It does have a pretty big hitbox, but I’ve seen it whiff too many times to call it great. The reward on hit somewhat makes up for these flaws, as it always puts the enemy in the corner. This doesn’t make it oppressive or anything, as there’s nothing stopping the enemy from just teleporting out, but it is a nice bonus to have.
  • Cinematic Discussion: As a Marisa main, I have to admit that I’m biased. Still, the way that you just loom over the enemy before blasting them away with a single gigantic punch is PEAK. The critical art could be unfitting if your character doesn’t have any kind of love-based gimmick, but it still feels brutal. 10/10

C Tier

• Getsuga Saiho (Jamie): This is a standard 10 frame startup with a REALLY bad hitbox. It does have a compensation hit (a second attack that can deal damage if the cinematic starter whiffs), but that would only count if it has to win a tie. The main draw of this super is that it puts the enemy in a free juggle state, being the only level 3 you can combo off of. It deals much lower damage to compensate, and you’re left very far away so you might have to drive rush to pick up the combo. This can be really good, but I’d argue it’s better to deal more damage rather than rely on a juggle that requires more resources and can be dropped. Besides, the critical art version loses this juggle mechanic, meaning it’s just a standard level 3 with a bad hitbox.
  • Cinematic Discussion: I’m not normally a fan of supers that consist of a series of random hits, but this one manages to make it work. The framing where it tricks the enemy into a standoff is really cool, but the critical art’s neck rip is what makes this super as good as it is. I don’t have much to say about the normal version’s attack, which does hold it back a lot. 8/10
• Hard Luck Rejector (C. Viper): Standard 10 frame startup. The hitbox isn’t bad, but it’s nothing special. On whiff, you stumble forward a bit after the punch, which can make enemy punishes slightly easier.
  • Cinematic Discussion: The main attack of this super is a really cool idea with great execution, but I feel unsure about everything surrounding it. Letting the enemy punch you feels weirdly unhelpful, and the zoom in on the rocket boots doesn’t work as well for avatars (unless you really want to show of the kicks). The critical art is what bothers me the most. Not because it isn’t cool, but because it annoys me how the best-looking electric level 3 is locked behind the critical art while the normal version has no electricity in sight. 8/10
• Psycho Chamber (Ed): Standard 10 frame startup with decent horizontal hitbox.
  • Cinematic Discussion: The super flash for this move is weird, as the low angle combined with the fact that Ed usually hides one of his eyes causes some avatars to look really creepy, especially if they have low eyelids. Aside from that, the concept and execution of this super are both amazing. Using flicker strings to turn the enemy into a punching bag, before hitting them so hard they break out of the trap. The critical art feels especially brutal with the way it pulls them back in for a smash into the ground. Creative and cool, what’s not to love? 9/10
• Claws of Ya Zi (A.K.I.): 10 frame startup with somewhat small hitbox. It does have a good vertical hitbox during juggles, which helps a ton when comboing into it.
  • Cinematic Discussion: This super is already really good on A.K.I., but it ranks especially high because of how well it works with avatars. A criticism one could say about avatars in general is that they tend to look uncanny, as it feels like they aren’t always designed well for most characters’ automatic facial expressions. This actually works perfectly for A.K.I.’s supers though, as she’s supposed to be creepy and insane. The facial expressions fit amazingly for the avatar using them, and that’s on top of how cool the super is normally. 10/10
• Kaisen Dankai Raku (Juri): 10 frame startup with pretty big hitbox, and it becomes even bigger vertically when used during a juggle.
  • Cinematic Discussion: A lot of the facial expression talk with Claws of Ya Zi also applies here, but I enjoy the action of the super itself even more. The way the enemy gets kicked to the ground and caught on the user’s foot is so cool and hits really hard. I will say the lack of unique voice lines hurts it a lot, as half of the appeal of the super is Juri’s voice lines. That said, I like the super itself too much for that flaw to lose any points. (Also if you want to make a fanservice avatar, there’s no better super to choose than this one.) 10/10

B Tier

• Soten Ranka (Chun-Li): The fastest level 3 so far at frame 8. Has a decently big hitbox being a kick, and a couple of compensation hits on top of that.
  • Cinematic Discussion: I never liked this super. Its another series of random attacks, except they really don’t flow into each other at all. I do enjoy the big Hazanshu at the end, but that’s lost entirely with the critical art. In terms of avatars specifically, the timing in which they yell the name of the super is very different from when Chun-Li says it, which makes it feel like there’s a bunch of dead air while they prepare for the finishing hit. 6/10
• Song of the Grasslands (Elena): 8 frame startup with a much bigger vertical hitbox than Soten Ranka, especially so when used during juggles.
  • Cinematic Discussion: This super gains points for being one of the only attacks in the game with a nature theme, which can be great if your avatar wants that. The attack itself is fun, basically just playing soccer with the opponent before kicking them into the screen. It does have some problems, like the second-to-last kick launching the enemy too high and the breakdance juggle during the critical art, both of which lower the impact of the overall attack. 8/10
• The Final Bout (E. Honda): Slightly slower at 9 frame startup, but rushes forward a decent distance which can help for fireball punishes or certain juggles.
  • Cinematic Discussion: The ring of fire is sooo sick dude. Outside of that, it’s just okay. Honda’s moves tend to be hard to justify for anyone that isn’t specifically a sumo wrestler, and this is obviously the biggest example of that. It also bothers me how the characters switch sides before switching sides again during the animation, as it makes it kind of hard to remember which side you started on. That’s a minor nitpick, though. This super’s still cool. 8/10
• Shiranui Ryuu: Enbu Ada Zakura (Mai): 10 frame startup, but moves forward pretty far. Also has an extremely strong compensation hitbox, which you can even juggle out of.
  • Notable Synergies: Hissatsu Shinobi Bachi. This super speeds up to frame 3 when canceled out of Mai’s cartwheel, but this is mostly for consistency.
  • Cinematic Discussion: This is the best super to use if you want your character to be a ninja. The fiery tornado rocks and the series of fan strikes is elegant, but my favorite part is the fire acting as spurting blood. 10/10
• Weekend Pleasure (Dee Jay): 9 frame startup with absolutely massive vertical range, great for juggles and anti-airs. While this doesn’t affect the ranking, it is worth noting that the quick series of punches makes this perfect for some of the best gear skills, such as Carnage and Dedicated Pugilist.
  • Cinematic Discussion: This super’s animation is alright when Dee Jay uses it, but it’s completely ruined by avatars. The entire point is that Dee Jay looks jovial while beating up his enemy, but the facial animations do NOT convey the same thing for avatars. They end up looking creepy and psychotic instead of joyous, which ruins everything. I’m not even the biggest fan of the attack itself, but it’s not like I hate it as a concept. 5/10
• Bushin Ninjastar Cypher (Kimberly): 8 frame startup with very good anti-air hitbox. While it activates an install for Kimberly, it doesn’t seem to do the same for avatars. (Note: I have been told that the install does work if you have Kimberly’s base moveset equipped, but I can’t tell if there’s a difference in walk speed and no icon shows up so I’m unable to verify if this is true. If it does work, the ranking would be unaffected.)
  • Cinematic Discussion: The Ragnarok attack and Izuna drop during the critical art are both cool ninja things, but I feel like the presence of the spray cans hurts how well this can work for most avatars. Kimberly’s whole “ninja with spray cans” thing is such a specific concept and this works well for her, but I can’t think of a single character that could pull off the same idea without just being a ripoff of her. Aside from that, it looks pretty cool and I like the song. 8/10

A Tier

• Pale Rider (Luke): 10 frame startup up close, but you run forward a massive distance before attacking. This can uniquely be used to combo from some longer-range specials, but your mileage may vary. It’s also somewhat annoying to punish, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe or anything. I could hear arguments to rank this higher or lower tbh.
  • Cinematic Discussion: I LOVE the MMA style lockdown. The normal version is okay, but the critical art feels SO brutal. I especially love the detail of the enemy’s arm remaining where it is after they get hit with the final punch, before the user just brushes them aside. It does bother me a little that the user is standing over the enemy rather than sitting on them, but it’s not a huge deal. 9/10
• Altair (Rashid): This is relatively slow at 11 frame startup, but it has a gigantic hitbox and travels forward a massive distance.
  • Cinematic Discussion: I love the way the user wall jumps up a tornado to attack from all angles, but the flying kicks before the finisher feel pretty sparse and weak. The critical art bumps it up a lot though, attacking rapidly from every angle before riding the enemy all the way to the ground. 8/10
• Ground Shave Cannonball (Blanka): 10 frame startup but travels over half of the screen forward much faster than most other supers can.
  • Cinematic Discussion: I’ve always disliked this super. The bites are okay, but there’s way too long of a gap between that and punching the enemy into the air. The rolling attack on the normal version feels weak, and the critical art breaks the laws of physics in a way that feels dumb instead of cool. It’s even worse on avatars, as the bites don’t work if you’re wearing any kind of mask. Even if you aren’t wearing a mask, these bites reveal a big problem with the avatar creator: you can’t change your teeth at all. 3/10
• Interdiction (JP): At 18 frame startup, this is the slowest level 3 in the game. This is absolutely worth it, as it teleports to the enemy’s location before attacking. Since it hits full screen, it can be used to deal huge damage after landing a fireball, punish from long range, or work in nearly any combo you’d want it to. The slow startup doesn’t matter too much in most combos, but it can make it harder to juggle or punish certain attacks.
  • Cinematic Discussion: This is by far the evilest cinematic in the game, which can be amazing for OCs. The way it erupts spikes from inside the enemy is so cool, and JP’s smarmy attitude shines through perfectly, especially with the handkerchief in the critical art. One detail I never noticed until now is that several longer spikes appear and narrowly avoid JP, which is super neat. Those longer spikes don’t appear in the avatar version, though, which loses a few points. 9/10
• Crossfire Somersault (Guile): This is the first of an important category: Uppercut supers. These are great because their upwards hitboxes allow them to combo from DPs, a trait most level 3s don’t have. At 9 frame startup, this is the slowest uppercut super, though it does share the massive hitbox of flash kick for its non-cinematic hit. The bigger issue is its charge input, which can make it easier to cancel out of charge moves but makes it virtually impossible to cancel from DPs or most quarter circle forward moves.
  • Cinematic Discussion: I like the concept of combining a Double Flash Kick with a spinning Sonic Boom, but the execution could use some work. The enemy gets launched like 200 feet into the air, yet the user is still able to jump onto them from off screen? Also the critical art changes literally nothing but the timing and camera angle, which is incredibly disappointing. It is helped a lot by how brutal the sound effect of the second kick is, but it could still overall be better. 7/10
• Rising Fang (Terry): Frame 8 uppercut super. Non-cinematic hit has the potential to be weaker than Crossfire Somersault, but the motion input and startup are better.
  • Notable Synergies: Quick Burn/Burning Knuckle and Rising Tackle. Startup speeds up to frame 2 when canceled from any of these moves.
  • Cinematic Discussion: Fun fact: The pose in the super flash is a reference to the 1992 anime movie, Fatal Fury: Legend of the Hungry Wolf. For the actual animation, it’s pretty cool in terms of being a super version of Rising Tackle. That being said, Rising Tackle itself is a weird and confusing move, as it goes from being a kick to a series of spinning punches. The finishing hit and the critical art’s aerial Buster Wolf both make up for this weirdness though. 8/10
• Shinryu Reppa (Ken): Frame 7 uppercut super, though the cinematic hit has less range than other uppercuts and tends to whiff if canceled from single-hit DPs. While the non-cinematic hit deals less damage than Rising Fang, it can be juggled out of.
  • Cinematic Discussion: If I had to nitpick, I find the concept of combining Shoryureppa and Shinryuken strange since Ken still has Shoryureppa as OD Shoryuken. That doesn’t matter because this super is awesome. While it’s somewhat basic conceptually, the cinematography does a ton of work. The zoom in on the fist catching fire as it grazes the ground, the expression on the user’s face before leaving the ground, and the subtle glance before the enemy falls back to the ground, and the shot of the user landing are all absolutely gorgeous. Not to mention the critical art literally smashing in the enemy’s face while yelling “Sit down, and shut up!” (Note: Avatars don’t say this part but I don’t care.) 10/10

S Tier

• Shin Shoryuken (Ryu): Frame 5 uppercut super, tied for the fastest super in the game, making it absolutely incredible for combos and punishes. The non-cinematic hit does more damage than any other non-cinematic hit, so it’s still strong even if it hits wrong.
  • Notable Synergies: Shoryuken (Ryu): Shin Shoryuken has frame 2 startup when canceled from heavy Shoryuken, though I’m not sure if that’s even needed.
  • Cinematic Discussion: I never thought Shin Shoryuken as a concept is boring, as every protagonist has a big version of their iconic move. The execution in this game isn’t the best though. It’s mostly focused on the musculature of Ryu’s arm, but avatars’ biceps don’t animate at all so it loses a lot of the impact. The punch itself is decent, but it bothers me how the knee becomes part of the attack. Like, that’s supposed to propel you off the ground, why are you hitting with it? The critical art also doesn’t add much beyond a filter and some electric effects. 6/10
• Unlimited Psycho Crusher (M. Bison): Frame 10 startup with massive horizontal range, and the vertical hitbox isn’t bad either. This is already great, but it speeds up to frame 5 when canceled from any special move, meaning it works in almost any combo you want. Despite not being an uppercut, this speed means it works from DPs as well.
  • Cinematic Discussion: This is a rare case where I actually like the normal version more than the critical art. Dragging the enemy around with a psycho crusher before throwing them to the floor is just so much cooler to me than a single explosive attack. Both versions are still really good, though it hurts a little that the avatar can’t finish of the enemy by calling them a worm. 10/10
• Bolshoi Storm Buster (Zangief): Frame 6 startup before the super flash, and unjumpable afterwards. This combined with its high base damage makes it the best reversal super in the game, and it can be extremely dangerous as a mixup as well. It’s not flawless, as the 720 input can be difficult to use and it doesn’t work on enemies in hitstun. You can combo into it if you can cause a crumple, but these flaws don’t really matter. When Zangief has three bars, all of his matchups get turned on their head. Imagine that fear factor on literally any other character. Or someone with a teleport.
  • Cinematic Discussion: It’s a giant SPD, what more do you need? Frankly, I’ve seen the lariat to the throat more than the entire super because of the memes, so I find the rest of it a bit harder to remember. It’s still really good, though it loses a point or two since the avatar doesn’t say any of the funny lines. 8/10
• Delta Red Assault (Cammy): Frame 9, but travels full screen while being fully invincible for most of the journey. This is basically just a better version of Interdiction, sacrificing some vertical range for a ton more speed.
  • Cinematic Discussion: This thing is scary. The dark atmosphere, lightning-fast movement, and the way it targets the enemy’s weak points to make them stumble all work so well. The final hit is okay in the normal version, but the critical art’s reveal and kick THROUGH the neck are both amazing. 10/10
• Sip of Calamity/Shun Goku Satsu (Akuma): I swear I’m not biased. Sip of Calamity is a frame 8 strike with a decent hitbox, nothing too special by itself. The main appeal of equipping this super is that you gain access to Shun Goku Satsu, the Raging Demon, at low health. While the input is hard to use and it has no invincibility, it’s another frame 0 command grab and comes with a lot of the same qualities as Bolshoi Storm Buster. It also has projectile invincibility and moves forward very fast, so it could be used as a projectile punish as well. Even if you want something truly invincible or you want to finish a combo where the enemy is airborne, you can just use Sip of Calamity instead. Say what you will about Raging Demon, but no other level 3 has this level of versatility.
  • Notable Synergies: Adamant Flame and Gou Shoryuken. Sip of Calamity is sped up to frame 2 when canceled from either of these specials.
  • Cinematic Discussion: I can’t coherently address everything I love about either of these supers, so I’ll just list the stuff I like. The stomp in the activating hit exudes so much power despite not even being visible if it lands. The way you just loom over the enemy. The fact it’s just a single big punch, which if you remember from Marisa’s super I really like that part. The absolute struggle the enemy has in the critical art. KONGOU KOKURETSU ZAN TO THE FACE!. If it kills, the shockwave from the critical art looks like a Torii gate. EVERYTHING about Raging Demon. The sheer intimidation of the instant super flash. The endless field of darkness. The hundreds of clones, which are still Akuma tbf but they show up as shadows, almost as if the spirit of the Satsui no Hado itself is fighting alongside you. The pose. Akuma does a speech if it’ll kill, which STILL happens for avatars: "Usurp the heavens, embrace the sorrow, become the demon!" THE GODDAMN POSE! I’m ranting, but I do have to rate it fairly. 100/10

It’s finally time. The last ranking in this series (At least until Ingrid comes out.) The strongest attacks in the game: Level 3 supers.

Frankly speaking, there’s not much to say about most of these. Level 3s all share one function: land a hit and begin a cinematic. I’ll still be ranking them in terms of viability, but the differences mostly come down to startup and hitboxes. The main reason you’d want to equip any particular super is because of how cool they look. In the spirit of that, I’ve decided to do something unique: I’m going to discuss my personal opinions on which level 3s look the coolest in an avatar context. (Note: I like almost every super a lot so the rankings will be skewed towards the higher range.) Enough preamble, let’s finish this!

https://preview.redd.it/05a15l5wrc0h1.png?width=1140&format=png&auto=webp&s=3a583b75bd0c0d57c969ad01485a082bbd4667b9

F Tier

• Pas de Deux (Manon): Because it’s a command grab, Pas de Deux can’t be comboed into unless the enemy remains grounded. This is a huge problem, as any juggles or special moves that knock down suddenly can’t be used to finish a combo with a super. It is unblockable, but this means nothing as the enemy can jump after the super flash to avoid it. It doesn’t even deal extra damage to compensate.
  • Notable Synergies: Manège Doré and Renversé. Medal levels increase the damage of this super, which is a pretty cool niche. In fact, medal level 5 Pas de Deux deals the second highest raw damage of any level 3 super. On that note, it’s also the only level 3 that can be canceled from Renversé, so it might be recommended if you really want to use that move.
  • Cinematic Discussion: The uselessness of this super bothers me a lot, because it’s one of my favorite supers in the game. The idea behind it is really funny and the poses are pretty. It does lose some points on the avatar version, as they don’t sing Manon’s song during the critical art. 9/10
• Raging Typhoon (Lily): Everything said about Manon’s super applies here too. The only differences are the direction of the input and the higher base damage. Ranks higher since it doesn’t have to rely on medals for extra damage.
  • Cinematic Discussion: The animation for this super is really cool, as it manages to make your character look both agile and strong. There is a slight disconnect between the normal and critical art versions, as one portrays a fantasy of power while the other is a lot more silly. Still, that could work if it’s what you want. 8/10

D Tier

• Merciless Yoga (Dhalsim): 10 frame startup, which is standard for a lot of level 3s. The hitbox is terrible, having the worst horizontal range of any level 3 and not a lot of vertical range to compensate. To put into perspective how bad the hitbox is, this is the only super that whiffed after canceling it from Bison’s heavy punch at max range
  • Cinematic Discussion: I really like the use of Dhalsim’s stretchy arms in this super, as it’s the only way to use his stretchy limbs on an avatar without needing his base moveset. The second half messes it up a lot, as the head drill doesn’t really fit any of my OCs. The critical art is also barely different, and I don’t really understand why it causes every character to make the same weird face. 5/10
• The Final Prison (Alex): 12 frame startup makes this super relatively slow. The hitbox doesn’t make up for it, having moderate horizontal range but bad vertical range. For example, this always whiffed when canceled from OD Electric Thunder during testing.
  • Cinematic Discussion: The most unique aspect of this super is how the animation changes if it’ll kill or not. Combined with its critical arts, this gives it 4 different animations to consider. The non-killing normal version is the least good, as the constant camera cuts kind of ruin the impact of the throw. The normal killing version has some really fun facial expressions, the non-killing critical art has a really well-done dramatic throw, and the killing critical art feels brutal as hell. All in all, this deserves a top rating just for the sheer number of animations. 10/10
• Tiger Vanquisher (Sagat): 12 frame startup, but with a bigger hitbox than The Final Prison. Note that no avatar can be as tall as Sagat, which makes the range a little worse.
  • Notable Synergies: Tiger Uppercut. Tiger Vanquisher has 2 frame startup when canceled from Tiger Uppercut, making it much better for combos. Note that this does not apply to any other DPs.
  • Cinematic Discussion: This is perhaps the most brutal super in the game, as it visibly destroys the enemy’s knee and jaw. Although, it doesn’t work quite as well for avatars. Since you can’t make an avatar as tall as Sagat, this super’s animation is affected quite a lot. For the record, I tested all of these with a minimum height character, but it is worth noting that the knee-breaking kick was aimed at the enemy’s hip instead. Despite that problem, it still feels pretty powerful. 9/10
• Goddess of the Hunt (Marisa): At 13 frame startup, this is the second slowest level 3 in the game. It does have a pretty big hitbox, but I’ve seen it whiff too many times to call it great. The reward on hit somewhat makes up for these flaws, as it always puts the enemy in the corner. This doesn’t make it oppressive or anything, as there’s nothing stopping the enemy from just teleporting out, but it is a nice bonus to have.
  • Cinematic Discussion: As a Marisa main, I have to admit that I’m biased. Still, the way that you just loom over the enemy before blasting them away with a single gigantic punch is PEAK. The critical art could be unfitting if your character doesn’t have any kind of love-based gimmick, but it still feels brutal. 10/10

C Tier

• Getsuga Saiho (Jamie): This is a standard 10 frame startup with a REALLY bad hitbox. It does have a compensation hit (a second attack that can deal damage if the cinematic starter whiffs), but that would only count if it has to win a tie. The main draw of this super is that it puts the enemy in a free juggle state, being the only level 3 you can combo off of. It deals much lower damage to compensate, and you’re left very far away so you might have to drive rush to pick up the combo. This can be really good, but I’d argue it’s better to deal more damage rather than rely on a juggle that requires more resources and can be dropped. Besides, the critical art version loses this juggle mechanic, meaning it’s just a standard level 3 with a bad hitbox.
  • Cinematic Discussion: I’m not normally a fan of supers that consist of a series of random hits, but this one manages to make it work. The framing where it tricks the enemy into a standoff is really cool, but the critical art’s neck rip is what makes this super as good as it is. I don’t have much to say about the normal version’s attack, which does hold it back a lot. 8/10
• Hard Luck Rejector (C. Viper): Standard 10 frame startup. The hitbox isn’t bad, but it’s nothing special. On whiff, you stumble forward a bit after the punch, which can make enemy punishes slightly easier.
  • Cinematic Discussion: The main attack of this super is a really cool idea with great execution, but I feel unsure about everything surrounding it. Letting the enemy punch you feels weirdly unhelpful, and the zoom in on the rocket boots doesn’t work as well for avatars (unless you really want to show of the kicks). The critical art is what bothers me the most. Not because it isn’t cool, but because it annoys me how the best-looking electric level 3 is locked behind the critical art while the normal version has no electricity in sight. 8/10
• Psycho Chamber (Ed): Standard 10 frame startup with decent horizontal hitbox.
  • Cinematic Discussion: The super flash for this move is weird, as the low angle combined with the fact that Ed usually hides one of his eyes causes some avatars to look really creepy, especially if they have low eyelids. Aside from that, the concept and execution of this super are both amazing. Using flicker strings to turn the enemy into a punching bag, before hitting them so hard they break out of the trap. The critical art feels especially brutal with the way it pulls them back in for a smash into the ground. Creative and cool, what’s not to love? 9/10
• Claws of Ya Zi (A.K.I.): 10 frame startup with somewhat small hitbox. It does have a good vertical hitbox during juggles, which helps a ton when comboing into it.
  • Cinematic Discussion: This super is already really good on A.K.I., but it ranks especially high because of how well it works with avatars. A criticism one could say about avatars in general is that they tend to look uncanny, as it feels like they aren’t always designed well for most characters’ automatic facial expressions. This actually works perfectly for A.K.I.’s supers though, as she’s supposed to be creepy and insane. The facial expressions fit amazingly for the avatar using them, and that’s on top of how cool the super is normally. 10/10
• Kaisen Dankai Raku (Juri): 10 frame startup with pretty big hitbox, and it becomes even bigger vertically when used during a juggle.
  • Cinematic Discussion: A lot of the facial expression talk with Claws of Ya Zi also applies here, but I enjoy the action of the super itself even more. The way the enemy gets kicked to the ground and caught on the user’s foot is so cool and hits really hard. I will say the lack of unique voice lines hurts it a lot, as half of the appeal of the super is Juri’s voice lines. That said, I like the super itself too much for that flaw to lose any points. (Also if you want to make a fanservice avatar, there’s no better super to choose than this one.) 10/10

B Tier

• Soten Ranka (Chun-Li): The fastest level 3 so far at frame 8. Has a decently big hitbox being a kick, and a couple of compensation hits on top of that.
  • Cinematic Discussion: I never liked this super. Its another series of random attacks, except they really don’t flow into each other at all. I do enjoy the big Hazanshu at the end, but that’s lost entirely with the critical art. In terms of avatars specifically, the timing in which they yell the name of the super is very different from when Chun-Li says it, which makes it feel like there’s a bunch of dead air while they prepare for the finishing hit. 6/10
• Song of the Grasslands (Elena): 8 frame startup with a much bigger vertical hitbox than Soten Ranka, especially so when used during juggles.
  • Cinematic Discussion: This super gains points for being one of the only attacks in the game with a nature theme, which can be great if your avatar wants that. The attack itself is fun, basically just playing soccer with the opponent before kicking them into the screen. It does have some problems, like the second-to-last kick launching the enemy too high and the breakdance juggle during the critical art, both of which lower the impact of the overall attack. 8/10
• The Final Bout (E. Honda): Slightly slower at 9 frame startup, but rushes forward a decent distance which can help for fireball punishes or certain juggles.
  • Cinematic Discussion: The ring of fire is sooo sick dude. Outside of that, it’s just okay. Honda’s moves tend to be hard to justify for anyone that isn’t specifically a sumo wrestler, and this is obviously the biggest example of that. It also bothers me how the characters switch sides before switching sides again during the animation, as it makes it kind of hard to remember which side you started on. That’s a minor nitpick, though. This super’s still cool. 8/10
• Shiranui Ryuu: Enbu Ada Zakura (Mai): 10 frame startup, but moves forward pretty far. Also has an extremely strong compensation hitbox, which you can even juggle out of.
  • Notable Synergies: Hissatsu Shinobi Bachi. This super speeds up to frame 3 when canceled out of Mai’s cartwheel, but this is mostly for consistency.
  • Cinematic Discussion: This is the best super to use if you want your character to be a ninja. The fiery tornado rocks and the series of fan strikes is elegant, but my favorite part is the fire acting as spurting blood. 10/10
• Weekend Pleasure (Dee Jay): 9 frame startup with absolutely massive vertical range, great for juggles and anti-airs. While this doesn’t affect the ranking, it is worth noting that the quick series of punches makes this perfect for some of the best gear skills, such as Carnage and Dedicated Pugilist.
  • Cinematic Discussion: This super’s animation is alright when Dee Jay uses it, but it’s completely ruined by avatars. The entire point is that Dee Jay looks jovial while beating up his enemy, but the facial animations do NOT convey the same thing for avatars. They end up looking creepy and psychotic instead of joyous, which ruins everything. I’m not even the biggest fan of the attack itself, but it’s not like I hate it as a concept. 5/10
• Bushin Ninjastar Cypher (Kimberly): 8 frame startup with very good anti-air hitbox. While it activates an install for Kimberly, it doesn’t seem to do the same for avatars. (Note: I have been told that the install does work if you have Kimberly’s base moveset equipped, but I can’t tell if there’s a difference in walk speed and no icon shows up so I’m unable to verify if this is true. If it does work, the ranking would be unaffected.)
  • Cinematic Discussion: The Ragnarok attack and Izuna drop during the critical art are both cool ninja things, but I feel like the presence of the spray cans hurts how well this can work for most avatars. Kimberly’s whole “ninja with spray cans” thing is such a specific concept and this works well for her, but I can’t think of a single character that could pull off the same idea without just being a ripoff of her. Aside from that, it looks pretty cool and I like the song. 8/10

A Tier

• Pale Rider (Luke): 10 frame startup up close, but you run forward a massive distance before attacking. This can uniquely be used to combo from some longer-range specials, but your mileage may vary. It’s also somewhat annoying to punish, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe or anything. I could hear arguments to rank this higher or lower tbh.
  • Cinematic Discussion: I LOVE the MMA style lockdown. The normal version is okay, but the critical art feels SO brutal. I especially love the detail of the enemy’s arm remaining where it is after they get hit with the final punch, before the user just brushes them aside. It does bother me a little that the user is standing over the enemy rather than sitting on them, but it’s not a huge deal. 9/10
• Altair (Rashid): This is relatively slow at 11 frame startup, but it has a gigantic hitbox and travels forward a massive distance.
  • Cinematic Discussion: I love the way the user wall jumps up a tornado to attack from all angles, but the flying kicks before the finisher feel pretty sparse and weak. The critical art bumps it up a lot though, attacking rapidly from every angle before riding the enemy all the way to the ground. 8/10
• Ground Shave Cannonball (Blanka): 10 frame startup but travels over half of the screen forward much faster than most other supers can.
  • Cinematic Discussion: I’ve always disliked this super. The bites are okay, but there’s way too long of a gap between that and punching the enemy into the air. The rolling attack on the normal version feels weak, and the critical art breaks the laws of physics in a way that feels dumb instead of cool. It’s even worse on avatars, as the bites don’t work if you’re wearing any kind of mask. Even if you aren’t wearing a mask, these bites reveal a big problem with the avatar creator: you can’t change your teeth at all. 3/10
• Interdiction (JP): At 18 frame startup, this is the slowest level 3 in the game. This is absolutely worth it, as it teleports to the enemy’s location before attacking. Since it hits full screen, it can be used to deal huge damage after landing a fireball, punish from long range, or work in nearly any combo you’d want it to. The slow startup doesn’t matter too much in most combos, but it can make it harder to juggle or punish certain attacks.
  • Cinematic Discussion: This is by far the evilest cinematic in the game, which can be amazing for OCs. The way it erupts spikes from inside the enemy is so cool, and JP’s smarmy attitude shines through perfectly, especially with the handkerchief in the critical art. One detail I never noticed until now is that several longer spikes appear and narrowly avoid JP, which is super neat. Those longer spikes don’t appear in the avatar version, though, which loses a few points. 9/10
• Crossfire Somersault (Guile): This is the first of an important category: Uppercut supers. These are great because their upwards hitboxes allow them to combo from DPs, a trait most level 3s don’t have. At 9 frame startup, this is the slowest uppercut super, though it does share the massive hitbox of flash kick for its non-cinematic hit. The bigger issue is its charge input, which can make it easier to cancel out of charge moves but makes it virtually impossible to cancel from DPs or most quarter circle forward moves.
  • Cinematic Discussion: I like the concept of combining a Double Flash Kick with a spinning Sonic Boom, but the execution could use some work. The enemy gets launched like 200 feet into the air, yet the user is still able to jump onto them from off screen? Also the critical art changes literally nothing but the timing and camera angle, which is incredibly disappointing. It is helped a lot by how brutal the sound effect of the second kick is, but it could still overall be better. 7/10
• Rising Fang (Terry): Frame 8 uppercut super. Non-cinematic hit has the potential to be weaker than Crossfire Somersault, but the motion input and startup are better.
  • Notable Synergies: Quick Burn/Burning Knuckle and Rising Tackle. Startup speeds up to frame 2 when canceled from any of these moves.
  • Cinematic Discussion: Fun fact: The pose in the super flash is a reference to the 1992 anime movie, Fatal Fury: Legend of the Hungry Wolf. For the actual animation, it’s pretty cool in terms of being a super version of Rising Tackle. That being said, Rising Tackle itself is a weird and confusing move, as it goes from being a kick to a series of spinning punches. The finishing hit and the critical art’s aerial Buster Wolf both make up for this weirdness though. 8/10
• Shinryu Reppa (Ken): Frame 7 uppercut super, though the cinematic hit has less range than other uppercuts and tends to whiff if canceled from single-hit DPs. While the non-cinematic hit deals less damage than Rising Fang, it can be juggled out of.
  • Cinematic Discussion: If I had to nitpick, I find the concept of combining Shoryureppa and Shinryuken strange since Ken still has Shoryureppa as OD Shoryuken. That doesn’t matter because this super is awesome. While it’s somewhat basic conceptually, the cinematography does a ton of work. The zoom in on the fist catching fire as it grazes the ground, the expression on the user’s face before leaving the ground, and the subtle glance before the enemy falls back to the ground, and the shot of the user landing are all absolutely gorgeous. Not to mention the critical art literally smashing in the enemy’s face while yelling “Sit down, and shut up!” (Note: Avatars don’t say this part but I don’t care.) 10/10

S Tier

• Shin Shoryuken (Ryu): Frame 5 uppercut super, tied for the fastest super in the game, making it absolutely incredible for combos and punishes. The non-cinematic hit does more damage than any other non-cinematic hit, so it’s still strong even if it hits wrong.
  • Notable Synergies: Shoryuken (Ryu): Shin Shoryuken has frame 2 startup when canceled from heavy Shoryuken, though I’m not sure if that’s even needed.
  • Cinematic Discussion: I never thought Shin Shoryuken as a concept is boring, as every protagonist has a big version of their iconic move. The execution in this game isn’t the best though. It’s mostly focused on the musculature of Ryu’s arm, but avatars’ biceps don’t animate at all so it loses a lot of the impact. The punch itself is decent, but it bothers me how the knee becomes part of the attack. Like, that’s supposed to propel you off the ground, why are you hitting with it? The critical art also doesn’t add much beyond a filter and some electric effects. 6/10
• Unlimited Psycho Crusher (M. Bison): Frame 10 startup with massive horizontal range, and the vertical hitbox isn’t bad either. This is already great, but it speeds up to frame 5 when canceled from any special move, meaning it works in almost any combo you want. Despite not being an uppercut, this speed means it works from DPs as well.
  • Cinematic Discussion: This is a rare case where I actually like the normal version more than the critical art. Dragging the enemy around with a psycho crusher before throwing them to the floor is just so much cooler to me than a single explosive attack. Both versions are still really good, though it hurts a little that the avatar can’t finish of the enemy by calling them a worm. 10/10
• Bolshoi Storm Buster (Zangief): Frame 6 startup before the super flash, and unjumpable afterwards. This combined with its high base damage makes it the best reversal super in the game, and it can be extremely dangerous as a mixup as well. It’s not flawless, as the 720 input can be difficult to use and it doesn’t work on enemies in hitstun. You can combo into it if you can cause a crumple, but these flaws don’t really matter. When Zangief has three bars, all of his matchups get turned on their head. Imagine that fear factor on literally any other character. Or someone with a teleport.
  • Cinematic Discussion: It’s a giant SPD, what more do you need? Frankly, I’ve seen the lariat to the throat more than the entire super because of the memes, so I find the rest of it a bit harder to remember. It’s still really good, though it loses a point or two since the avatar doesn’t say any of the funny lines. 8/10
• Delta Red Assault (Cammy): Frame 9, but travels full screen while being fully invincible for most of the journey. This is basically just a better version of Interdiction, sacrificing some vertical range for a ton more speed.
  • Cinematic Discussion: This thing is scary. The dark atmosphere, lightning-fast movement, and the way it targets the enemy’s weak points to make them stumble all work so well. The final hit is okay in the normal version, but the critical art’s reveal and kick THROUGH the neck are both amazing. 10/10
• Sip of Calamity/Shun Goku Satsu (Akuma): I swear I’m not biased. Sip of Calamity is a frame 8 strike with a decent hitbox, nothing too special by itself. The main appeal of equipping this super is that you gain access to Shun Goku Satsu, the Raging Demon, at low health. While the input is hard to use and it has no invincibility, it’s another frame 0 command grab and comes with a lot of the same qualities as Bolshoi Storm Buster. It also has projectile invincibility and moves forward very fast, so it could be used as a projectile punish as well. Even if you want something truly invincible or you want to finish a combo where the enemy is airborne, you can just use Sip of Calamity instead. Say what you will about Raging Demon, but no other level 3 has this level of versatility.
  • Notable Synergies: Adamant Flame and Gou Shoryuken. Sip of Calamity is sped up to frame 2 when canceled from either of these specials.
  • Cinematic Discussion: I can’t coherently address everything I love about either of these supers, so I’ll just list the stuff I like. The stomp in the activating hit exudes so much power despite not even being visible if it lands. The way you just loom over the enemy. The fact it’s just a single big punch, which if you remember from Marisa’s super I really like that part. The absolute struggle the enemy has in the critical art. KONGOU KOKURETSU ZAN TO THE FACE!. If it kills, the shockwave from the critical art looks like a Torii gate. EVERYTHING about Raging Demon. The sheer intimidation of the instant super flash. The endless field of darkness. The hundreds of clones, which are still Akuma tbf but they show up as shadows, almost as if the spirit of the Satsui no Hado itself is fighting alongside you. The pose. Akuma does a speech if it’ll kill, which STILL happens for avatars: "Usurp the heavens, embrace the sorrow, become the demon!" THE GODDAMN POSE! I’m ranting, but I do have to rate it fairly. 100/10

(This is a crosspost from r/streetfighter.)

Now that we’ve finished ranking level 1 supers, it’s time to rank level 2s.

There’s a ton of variance in level 2 supers and every character has one, so this will be the longest ranking in the whole series. Unlike level 1s, it’s not incredibly important that these moves have invincibility. Also, level 2 supers have a very high base level of strength, so there’s no F tier this time. (Additional note: We will only be ranking supers that can be selected in the Super Arts tab. This means Shin Akuma’s additional supers and Shin Bison’s Ultimate Psycho Crusher won’t be ranked since avatars can’t use them, and Omega Wing Buster won’t be ranked because it’s directly tied to Power Bomb.) Without further ado, here’s the ranking.

https://preview.redd.it/5xwzrv7k6zyg1.png?width=1140&format=png&auto=webp&s=e8a057b833b68265528272e841d7e45107b8b2b1

By the way, don’t be fooled by the placement of The Install Tier. I wanted to rank install supers separately since they require specific movesets or specials to be useful, but none of them are necessarily bad.

The Install Tier

• The Devil’s Song (Jamie): An install that temporarily maxes out your drink level. This powers up several moves and gains access to others, while only having 6 total frames of animation. As useful as this might be, it’s worth noting that there’s nothing this super allows for that can’t be done by just getting 4 drinks elsewhere. It’s not worthless though. If you’re already at 4 drinks, this can be used to refill a ton of drive meter or speed up your burnout timer, which could be useful for some strategies.
  • Required Synergies: Jamie’s Drink Mechanics. This install only benefits Jamie’s Base Moveset, Freeflow Strikes, Bakkai, Swagger Step, Tenshin, and/or Luminous Dive Kick.
• Feng Shui Engine (Juri): This is the most limited install, as it only works with Juri’s base moveset. That being said, its effects are incredible. It allows you to chain between normals allowing for freeform combos and pressure, chained normals become universally special-cancelable, and crouch heavy punch also becomes a jump-cancelable launcher. It can be somewhat hard to learn and execute these combos, which holds it back a little bit.
  • Required Synergies: Juri’s Base Moveset.
• Solid Puncher (Guile): This is technically the only install super that’s useful without it’s associated moves, as it grants access to Sonic Break regardless of equipped moves. Sonic Break itself is nice, being a mini-Sonic Boom that doesn’t require charge. What makes this super great, though, is how it affects Sonic Boom.
  • Required Synergies: Sonic Boom. Not technically required, but come on. Sonic Boom is already an amazing projectile, and this super allows it to become the most oppressive projectile spam in the game. Not to mention the combo potential that comes from perfectly spaced Sonic Breaks in the corner.
  • Negative Synergies: Double Lariat. Meterless Lariat is out-prioritized by Sonic Break, but OD Lariat is still usable while the install is active.
• Lightning Beast (Blanka): Since it affects so many moves with little opportunity cost, this is the easiest install to justify on any moveset. All of Blanka’s rolling attacks can follow up with Rolling Cannon, an omnidirectional roll that can be done three times in a row. This drastically increases the neutral utility of all rolling attacks, and makes them capable of the Youtube Poop of Street Fighter combos. This ranks as the best install because of how easy it is to justify combined with how strong it is.
  • Required Synergies: Blanka’s Rolling Attack Specials. Along with accessing Rolling Cannon, these moves also don’t have to be charged when canceling into.
  • Notable Synergies: Blanka-Chan Bomb. Rolling attacks also activate Blanka-Chan, which can make pressure and combos even more annoying.
  • Notable Synergies: Shout of Earth. The install makes Blanka’s level 1 into an instant full-screen projectile. This is essentially a level 3 in terms of meter cost, but it’s absolutely worth it as you can punish anything from anywhere.

D Tier

• Meteorite (Marisa): Full disclosure, I’m a Marisa main and I may be downplaying a bit, but I don’t care because I HATE this super. First, It’s labeled as an Anti-Air in the move select. You know what Meteorite is awful at? ANTI-AIRS. If the enemy is just an inch too close, it will just whiff under them and you look like an idiot. But if they’re slightly too far, it whiffs anyway and you look like a bigger idiot. The range could be used to punish close fireballs, but if you’re not close enough you’ll just miss entirely and get punished for making a correct read. All this for a reversal that’s not even fast and gives the enemy more than an entire second to punish if they know what they’re doing. Literally every other level 2 does something better than this garbage.
• Mission Complete (C. Viper): One super later and Meteorite is already outclassed. This does the same damage, has better corner carry, and is two frames faster. It does have a worse hitbox, but at least the opponent doesn’t have time to read a novel before punishing. This is still a very underwhelming super, being a single close-range hit with no unique combo or punish potential, but at least it’s not Meteorite.
• Étoile (Manon): Let’s start with the flaws. This super is -61 on block, but it goes all the way up to -118 if the enemy manages to avoid the final hit, which is very easy to do. If you fail to land this super, the enemy has nearly two entire seconds to punish. That being said, this super isn’t that hard to land. It has massive range, is only frame 7 startup, and can be used as a strong anti-air. Although, anti-airs are not hard to come by. You have 11 special move slots and literally all of them can be anti-airs.

C Tier

• Bushin Scramble/Soaring Bushin Scramble (Kimberly): This is the first super in the tier list with an airborne version, which adds a ton of utility. It can be canceled from OD air specials, used to punish whiffed attacks while jumping, and combo from some grounded moves that leave you airborne. Though, if this super didn’t have an air version, it would be ranked even lower. The grounded version’s divekick angle can make it hard to use in combos, it has no invincibility, and it basically has no corner carry.
• Yoga Sunburst (Dhalsim): There’s a lot to talk about here. When used as a reversal, it whiffs on crouch and has a very small horizontal hitbox, making it relatively easy to bait. The lack of horizontal range can also hurt as a combo ender, though the massive fireball can be easy to hit in juggles. When the fireball is released, it could be used for high-damage mixups, but it’s way too slow to do this consistently. It can be charged for very high damage and combo potential, but this is highly impractical outside of stun combos. It’s not impossible to charge mid-combo, but it’s not easy. (Note: Even though it can only be input with medium kick, you can change the trajectory by holding forward or back.)
• Eraser (Luke): There’s one great thing about this super: It only has frame 5 startup. This makes it the fastest super in the game, which is obviously great for reversals and combos. Despite that, it has very short range and not great oki, so it’s held back a lot.
• Shippu Jinrai-kyaku (Ken): In some ways, this is like a lower risk, lower reward version of Eraser. While it’s not invincible, it has a ton more range while only being one frame slower. This makes it just as good, if not better in combos. It also deals bonus damage on counter hit and is safe on block, making it amazing for whiff punishing. The reward on hit is better than Eraser, but still not much compared to most other supers.

B Tier

• Tainted Talons (A.K.I.): This super is great for punishing whiffed attacks, as it has very fast startup and a massive hitbox. It also leaves behind a giant poison puddle, which is great for dealing extra damage and setting up future Toxic Blossom combos. In terms of flaws, it’s not invincible so it can’t be used as a reversal and is unreliable as a fireball punish. Also, it can’t be used while the puddle is active, which may come into play sometimes, though it’s usually not a big deal. (Note: Even though it can only be input with medium punch, you can change the trajectory by holding forward or back.)
  • Notable Synergies: AKI’s Toxic Blossom.
• Power Geyser (Terry): Because of its massive hitbox, you’d think this super would be useful as a close fireball punish and anti-air. While it can be used in these scenarios, the relatively slow startup holds it back from being the best choice for those purposes. The main draws of this super are the double and triple geysers, which cost 3 drive bars and one super bar respectively. This can be great if you have the resources to dump, but it does hurt that you need those resources in the first place. One might want to use the double geyser to juggle afterwards, but this scales very heavily and can’t be done without spending 4 or more drive bars. Still, it’s an option.
• Thunderbird/Soaring Thunderbird (Lily): The second of the four air supers. This is a bit harder to land than Bushin Scramble due to the upwards trajectory, but both the air and ground versions gain a lot from their invincibility. Keep in mind that it’s extremely punishable on block, so that counts as a pretty big flaw.
  • Notable Synergies: Condor Wind. Windclad stocks benefit this super in two ways: More damage, and a vacuum that pulls enemies in. This obviously helps it a lot in combos and punishes. Definitely worth going for.
• Revival Dance (Elena): The first of an iconic category: Fully invincible moves that dash forward so they can punish fireballs and stuff. (Meteorite doesn’t count, shut up.) Anyway, this move is okay for damage, but it has another purpose. Healing sacrifices damage for more health, which normally isn’t worth it for Elena. For avatars, it becomes a lot better, as you can stack it with healing skills to become a lot harder to kill. Most players might prefer to just deal damage, which means the coolest part of this super isn’t as enticing. Still, this is something no other level 2 can do, so that’s worth something.
• Killer Bee Spin/Aerial Killer Bee Spin (Cammy): Another air super, and this one has totally different utility than the last two. On grounded hit, this does a cinematic with good damage. If it hits an airborne opponent, though, it causes an insane launch that allows you to combo basically anything. This is especially cool for the air version, as it lets you go from an air juggle to a ground juggle. It’s hurt a lot by having no invincibility, though.
• Empyrean’s End (Akuma): Every time Akuma does this super, I hear “Blades of Broly” for some reason. Anyway, this is very good as a single-hit reversal. The main benefit comes when you hit it in the corner, as it causes a wall splat for further combos. That said, it would really benefit from being a launch instead. You can’t combo from it outside of the corner, and it doesn’t work if the combo had a wall splat previously. It’s not the best wall splat either, but a combo tool is a combo tool.

A Tier

• Psycho Punisher (M. Bison): This super is extremely slow, making it really hard to use in combos and problematic for reversals. But true to its name, this can punish a LOT. It can go anywhere on screen with a massive hitbox, and you can even choose which side you end up on. You might have to choose specific moves just to be able to land it in combos, but if you do it’s very rewarding for its neutral utility and ability to switch sides.
• Sledgecross Hammer (Alex): Another invincible move that can punish fireballs, but with a sprinkling of Killer Bee Spin’s combo properties. It causes a cinematic on grounded hit, and a much stronger wall splat than Empyrean’s End on airborne hit. This super has also has much better corner carry than Empyrean’s End, making it more likely to land the wall splat in the first place. (Sorry Akuma mains please don’t kill me.)
• Sunrise Festival (Dee Jay): This super works well to punish fireballs, but it also has a rhythm mechanic that gives it a lot more intrigue. While Dee Jay’s medium sunrise festival requires some level of timing, the avatar version is much more generous as you can basically just mash the buttons. As a reward for memorizing the button order, you can even choose which side you want to end on. As if that wasn’t enough, failing any of the button prompts still leaves you at +6, making it very easy to combo afterwards.
• Hoyoku-sen (Chun-Li): In terms of utility, this super shares a lot of DNA with Sunrise Festival. It’s one frame faster and has a lot more range by being a series of kicks, though it deals less raw damage. The jump cancel at the end allows for a ton of combo expression even after a reversal, which may be less rewarding than Sunrise Festival but it’s a lot easier to deal good damage afterwards.
• Ultimate Killer Head Ram (E. Honda): A full-screen, fully invincible headbutt with incredible corner carry on hit. This is a charge super, which can be problematic for punishing, but at the very least 90% of OD moves give the time to charge it for combos.
• Shin Hashogeki (Ryu): This super is amazing on Ryu, but it can nearly become broken on avatars. The uncharged version is good for a big chunk of damage, and the half charged version can be used from a lot of characters’ normals and OD moves. OD moves that can combo into the fully charged version are very rare, but extremely rewarding as it gives you a rolling knockdown with a wall splat. An easy to land super with incredible damage and combo potential depending on the moves you have, what more do you need?
  • Notable Synergies: Denjin Charge. THIS is what more you need. If Denjin Charge is active, all versions deal even higher damage and even the half charge version causes a rolling knockdown. An absolutely amazing combo.
• Cyclone Lariat (Zangief): At 18 frame startup, this can be hard to land sometimes. The main benefits come from its massive vacuum hitbox and myriad of follow-ups. Jackhammer, the neutral follow-up, is the best for damage while also switching sides. The held version instead causes a great launch, allowing for even more powerful combos while letting you keep the same side. It should be noted that the held version is forced if the enemy is airborne, and the forward/back follow-ups aren’t very useful.

S Tier

• Chou Hissatsu Shinobi Bachi/Air Chou Hissatsu Shinobi Bachi (Mai): Mai my what a mouthful that name is. On the ground, this is a frame 7 reversal with great range and corner carry. In the air? 3. This move is frame 3 for some reason. This is a game where the fastest normal is frame 4 and yet Air Chou Hissatsu Shinobi Bachi has frame 3 startup. (Also, for some reason super cancelable normals go into the air version exclusively. I don’t know why, but I’m not complaining.)
  • Notable Synergies: Kagerou no Mai. Despite effectively costing 3 super bars, this is genuinely the best use of Flame Stocks. A frame 7 projectile invulnerable rushing attack that goes full screen in a fraction of a second. Also you can juggle out of it. This thing is insane. Also it’s still 3.
• Savage Tiger (Sagat): This is similar to Cyclone Lariat, except it has almost half the startup and all of its follow-ups are useful. Savage Tiger Raid (neutral) is tied for the highest base damage of all level 2s. Savage Tiger Zenith (forward) deals lower damage but causes an amazing launch. Savage Tiger Pendulum (back) and Savage Tiger Stomp (down) are both great for positioning the enemy where you want them. This is like 4 B-tier supers in one, which is more than enough to bring it to S tier.
• Psycho Cannon (Ed): You know how cool the dream combo is? Now imagine that but with like 75,000 different permutations. With enough time and dedication, any moveset could find their own dream combo, or at least something that approaches it. Just for one example, I like to activate Sumo Spirit while the orb is active and then immediately juggle into a boosted Hundred Hand Slap. Even if it’s blocked, you have over a second to act before the enemy can do anything, meaning there’s never a bad time to use this super. (Also you can change the speed by holding forward or back.)
• Ysaar (Rashid): You may notice a trend with the top 3. While it’s slower and less rewarding than Psycho Cannon, it’s much harder to get around as it’s nearly impossible to jump over. It would already be S tier if this was it, but it also has a lot of synergies.
  • Notable Synergies: Literally Rashid’s Entire Moveset. Rashid’s base moveset, Spinning Mixer, Eagle Spike, and Arabian Skyhigh all have enhanced movement and properties when going through Ysaar or the lingering whirlwind. Arabian Cyclone’s follow-ups also have enhanced properties, but the main purpose of Arabian Cyclone is kicking the tornado forward as a real projectile. Whirlwind Shot can’t be used while Ysaar is active, but this doesn’t matter much.
• Lovushka (JP): How everyone feels when blocking this. Who decided this thing needs install-level recovery? Who decided this thing needs to surround the opponent no matter where they are? Who decided it needs to hit overhead, then low, then overhead again? Who decided it should deal damage on par with Hoyoku-sen and let the user be fully actionable while it’s active? Who designed JP’s moveset, and where can I find them so I can cry on their door step? That is a threat, I WILL cry.
  • Negative Synergies: Torbalan and Embrace. Oh boo hoo, you can’t use ghosts while the win button is active. Go cry about it. I’ll join you.

Now that we’ve finished ranking level 1 supers, it’s time to rank level 2s.

There’s a ton of variance in level 2 supers and every character has one, so this will be the longest ranking in the whole series. Unlike level 1s, it’s not incredibly important that these moves have invincibility. Also, level 2 supers have a very high base level of strength, so there’s no F tier this time. (Additional note: We will only be ranking supers that can be selected in the Super Arts tab. This means Shin Akuma’s additional supers and Shin Bison’s Ultimate Psycho Crusher won’t be ranked since avatars can’t use them, and Omega Wing Buster won’t be ranked because it’s directly tied to Power Bomb.) Without further ado, here’s the ranking.

https://preview.redd.it/yl1dq21s5zyg1.png?width=1140&format=png&auto=webp&s=8311cf40af42b0f0f000557321279cc5c5c91fb6

By the way, don’t be fooled by the placement of The Install Tier. I wanted to rank install supers separately since they require specific movesets or specials to be useful, but none of them are necessarily bad.

The Install Tier

• The Devil’s Song (Jamie): An install that temporarily maxes out your drink level. This powers up several moves and gains access to others, while only having 6 total frames of animation. As useful as this might be, it’s worth noting that there’s nothing this super allows for that can’t be done by just getting 4 drinks elsewhere. It’s not worthless though. If you’re already at 4 drinks, this can be used to refill a ton of drive meter or speed up your burnout timer, which could be useful for some strategies.
  • Required Synergies: Jamie’s Drink Mechanics. This install only benefits Jamie’s Base Moveset, Freeflow Strikes, Bakkai, Swagger Step, Tenshin, and/or Luminous Dive Kick.
• Feng Shui Engine (Juri): This is the most limited install, as it only works with Juri’s base moveset. That being said, its effects are incredible. It allows you to chain between normals allowing for freeform combos and pressure, chained normals become universally special-cancelable, and crouch heavy punch also becomes a jump-cancelable launcher. It can be somewhat hard to learn and execute these combos, which holds it back a little bit.
  • Required Synergies: Juri’s Base Moveset.
• Solid Puncher (Guile): This is technically the only install super that’s useful without it’s associated moves, as it grants access to Sonic Break regardless of equipped moves. Sonic Break itself is nice, being a mini-Sonic Boom that doesn’t require charge. What makes this super great, though, is how it affects Sonic Boom.
  • Required Synergies: Sonic Boom. Not technically required, but come on. Sonic Boom is already an amazing projectile, and this super allows it to become the most oppressive projectile spam in the game. Not to mention the combo potential that comes from perfectly spaced Sonic Breaks in the corner.
  • Negative Synergies: Double Lariat. Meterless Lariat is out-prioritized by Sonic Break, but OD Lariat is still usable while the install is active.
• Lightning Beast (Blanka): Since it affects so many moves with little opportunity cost, this is the easiest install to justify on any moveset. All of Blanka’s rolling attacks can follow up with Rolling Cannon, an omnidirectional roll that can be done three times in a row. This drastically increases the neutral utility of all rolling attacks, and makes them capable of the Youtube Poop of Street Fighter combos. This ranks as the best install because of how easy it is to justify combined with how strong it is.
  • Required Synergies: Blanka’s Rolling Attack Specials. Along with accessing Rolling Cannon, these moves also don’t have to be charged when canceling into.
  • Notable Synergies: Blanka-Chan Bomb. Rolling attacks also activate Blanka-Chan, which can make pressure and combos even more annoying.
  • Notable Synergies: Shout of Earth. The install makes Blanka’s level 1 into an instant full-screen projectile. This is essentially a level 3 in terms of meter cost, but it’s absolutely worth it as you can punish anything from anywhere.

D Tier

• Meteorite (Marisa): Full disclosure, I’m a Marisa main and I may be downplaying a bit, but I don’t care because I HATE this super. First, It’s labeled as an Anti-Air in the move select. You know what Meteorite is awful at? ANTI-AIRS. If the enemy is just an inch too close, it will just whiff under them and you look like an idiot. But if they’re slightly too far, it whiffs anyway and you look like a bigger idiot. The range could be used to punish close fireballs, but if you’re not close enough you’ll just miss entirely and get punished for making a correct read. All this for a reversal that’s not even fast and gives the enemy more than an entire second to punish if they know what they’re doing. Literally every other level 2 does something better than this garbage.
• Mission Complete (C. Viper): One super later and Meteorite is already outclassed. This does the same damage, has better corner carry, and is two frames faster. It does have a worse hitbox, but at least the opponent doesn’t have time to read a novel before punishing. This is still a very underwhelming super, being a single close-range hit with no unique combo or punish potential, but at least it’s not Meteorite.
• Étoile (Manon): Let’s start with the flaws. This super is -61 on block, but it goes all the way up to -118 if the enemy manages to avoid the final hit, which is very easy to do. If you fail to land this super, the enemy has nearly two entire seconds to punish. That being said, this super isn’t that hard to land. It has massive range, is only frame 7 startup, and can be used as a strong anti-air. Although, anti-airs are not hard to come by. You have 11 special move slots and literally all of them can be anti-airs.

C Tier

• Bushin Scramble/Soaring Bushin Scramble (Kimberly): This is the first super in the tier list with an airborne version, which adds a ton of utility. It can be canceled from OD air specials, used to punish whiffed attacks while jumping, and combo from some grounded moves that leave you airborne. Though, if this super didn’t have an air version, it would be ranked even lower. The grounded version’s divekick angle can make it hard to use in combos, it has no invincibility, and it basically has no corner carry.
• Yoga Sunburst (Dhalsim): There’s a lot to talk about here. When used as a reversal, it whiffs on crouch and has a very small horizontal hitbox, making it relatively easy to bait. The lack of horizontal range can also hurt as a combo ender, though the massive fireball can be easy to hit in juggles. When the fireball is released, it could be used for high-damage mixups, but it’s way too slow to do this consistently. It can be charged for very high damage and combo potential, but this is highly impractical outside of stun combos. It’s not impossible to charge mid-combo, but it’s not easy. (Note: Even though it can only be input with medium kick, you can change the trajectory by holding forward or back.)
• Eraser (Luke): There’s one great thing about this super: It only has frame 5 startup. This makes it the fastest super in the game, which is obviously great for reversals and combos. Despite that, it has very short range and not great oki, so it’s held back a lot.
• Shippu Jinrai-kyaku (Ken): In some ways, this is like a lower risk, lower reward version of Eraser. While it’s not invincible, it has a ton more range while only being one frame slower. This makes it just as good, if not better in combos. It also deals bonus damage on counter hit and is safe on block, making it amazing for whiff punishing. The reward on hit is better than Eraser, but still not much compared to most other supers.

B Tier

• Tainted Talons (A.K.I.): This super is great for punishing whiffed attacks, as it has very fast startup and a massive hitbox. It also leaves behind a giant poison puddle, which is great for dealing extra damage and setting up future Toxic Blossom combos. In terms of flaws, it’s not invincible so it can’t be used as a reversal and is unreliable as a fireball punish. Also, it can’t be used while the puddle is active, which may come into play sometimes, though it’s usually not a big deal. (Note: Even though it can only be input with medium punch, you can change the trajectory by holding forward or back.)
  • Notable Synergies: AKI’s Toxic Blossom.
• Power Geyser (Terry): Because of its massive hitbox, you’d think this super would be useful as a close fireball punish and anti-air. While it can be used in these scenarios, the relatively slow startup holds it back from being the best choice for those purposes. The main draws of this super are the double and triple geysers, which cost 3 drive bars and one super bar respectively. This can be great if you have the resources to dump, but it does hurt that you need those resources in the first place. One might want to use the double geyser to juggle afterwards, but this scales very heavily and can’t be done without spending 4 or more drive bars. Still, it’s an option.
• Thunderbird/Soaring Thunderbird (Lily): The second of the four air supers. This is a bit harder to land than Bushin Scramble due to the upwards trajectory, but both the air and ground versions gain a lot from their invincibility. Keep in mind that it’s extremely punishable on block, so that counts as a pretty big flaw.
  • Notable Synergies: Condor Wind. Windclad stocks benefit this super in two ways: More damage, and a vacuum that pulls enemies in. This obviously helps it a lot in combos and punishes. Definitely worth going for.
• Revival Dance (Elena): The first of an iconic category: Fully invincible moves that dash forward so they can punish fireballs and stuff. (Meteorite doesn’t count, shut up.) Anyway, this move is okay for damage, but it has another purpose. Healing sacrifices damage for more health, which normally isn’t worth it for Elena. For avatars, it becomes a lot better, as you can stack it with healing skills to become a lot harder to kill. Most players might prefer to just deal damage, which means the coolest part of this super isn’t as enticing. Still, this is something no other level 2 can do, so that’s worth something.
• Killer Bee Spin/Aerial Killer Bee Spin (Cammy): Another air super, and this one has totally different utility than the last two. On grounded hit, this does a cinematic with good damage. If it hits an airborne opponent, though, it causes an insane launch that allows you to combo basically anything. This is especially cool for the air version, as it lets you go from an air juggle to a ground juggle. It’s hurt a lot by having no invincibility, though.
• Empyrean’s End (Akuma): Every time Akuma does this super, I hear “Blades of Broly” for some reason. Anyway, this is very good as a single-hit reversal. The main benefit comes when you hit it in the corner, as it causes a wall splat for further combos. That said, it would really benefit from being a launch instead. You can’t combo from it outside of the corner, and it doesn’t work if the combo had a wall splat previously. It’s not the best wall splat either, but a combo tool is a combo tool.

A Tier

• Psycho Punisher (M. Bison): This super is extremely slow, making it really hard to use in combos and problematic for reversals. But true to its name, this can punish a LOT. It can go anywhere on screen with a massive hitbox, and you can even choose which side you end up on. You might have to choose specific moves just to be able to land it in combos, but if you do it’s very rewarding for its neutral utility and ability to switch sides.
• Sledgecross Hammer (Alex): Another invincible move that can punish fireballs, but with a sprinkling of Killer Bee Spin’s combo properties. It causes a cinematic on grounded hit, and a much stronger wall splat than Empyrean’s End on airborne hit. This super has also has much better corner carry than Empyrean’s End, making it more likely to land the wall splat in the first place. (Sorry Akuma mains please don’t kill me.)
• Sunrise Festival (Dee Jay): This super works well to punish fireballs, but it also has a rhythm mechanic that gives it a lot more intrigue. While Dee Jay’s medium sunrise festival requires some level of timing, the avatar version is much more generous as you can basically just mash the buttons. As a reward for memorizing the button order, you can even choose which side you want to end on. As if that wasn’t enough, failing any of the button prompts still leaves you at +6, making it very easy to combo afterwards.
• Hoyoku-sen (Chun-Li): In terms of utility, this super shares a lot of DNA with Sunrise Festival. It’s one frame faster and has a lot more range by being a series of kicks, though it deals less raw damage. The jump cancel at the end allows for a ton of combo expression even after a reversal, which may be less rewarding than Sunrise Festival but it’s a lot easier to deal good damage afterwards.
• Ultimate Killer Head Ram (E. Honda): A full-screen, fully invincible headbutt with incredible corner carry on hit. This is a charge super, which can be problematic for punishing, but at the very least 90% of OD moves give the time to charge it for combos.
• Shin Hashogeki (Ryu): This super is amazing on Ryu, but it can nearly become broken on avatars. The uncharged version is good for a big chunk of damage, and the half charged version can be used from a lot of characters’ normals and OD moves. OD moves that can combo into the fully charged version are very rare, but extremely rewarding as it gives you a rolling knockdown with a wall splat. An easy to land super with incredible damage and combo potential depending on the moves you have, what more do you need?
  • Notable Synergies: Denjin Charge. THIS is what more you need. If Denjin Charge is active, all versions deal even higher damage and even the half charge version causes a rolling knockdown. An absolutely amazing combo.
• Cyclone Lariat (Zangief): At 18 frame startup, this can be hard to land sometimes. The main benefits come from its massive vacuum hitbox and myriad of follow-ups. Jackhammer, the neutral follow-up, is the best for damage while also switching sides. The held version instead causes a great launch, allowing for even more powerful combos while letting you keep the same side. It should be noted that the held version is forced if the enemy is airborne, and the forward/back follow-ups aren’t very useful.

S Tier

• Chou Hissatsu Shinobi Bachi/Air Chou Hissatsu Shinobi Bachi (Mai): Mai my what a mouthful that name is. On the ground, this is a frame 7 reversal with great range and corner carry. In the air? 3. This move is frame 3 for some reason. This is a game where the fastest normal is frame 4 and yet Air Chou Hissatsu Shinobi Bachi has frame 3 startup. (Also, for some reason super cancelable normals go into the air version exclusively. I don’t know why, but I’m not complaining.)
  • Notable Synergies: Kagerou no Mai. Despite effectively costing 3 super bars, this is genuinely the best use of Flame Stocks. A frame 7 projectile invulnerable rushing attack that goes full screen in a fraction of a second. Also you can juggle out of it. This thing is insane. Also it’s still 3.
• Savage Tiger (Sagat): This is similar to Cyclone Lariat, except it has almost half the startup and all of its follow-ups are useful. Savage Tiger Raid (neutral) is tied for the highest base damage of all level 2s. Savage Tiger Zenith (forward) deals lower damage but causes an amazing launch. Savage Tiger Pendulum (back) and Savage Tiger Stomp (down) are both great for positioning the enemy where you want them. This is like 4 B-tier supers in one, which is more than enough to bring it to S tier.
• Psycho Cannon (Ed): You know how cool the dream combo is? Now imagine that but with like 75,000 different permutations. With enough time and dedication, any moveset could find their own dream combo, or at least something that approaches it. Just for one example, I like to activate Sumo Spirit while the orb is active and then immediately juggle into a boosted Hundred Hand Slap. Even if it’s blocked, you have over a second to act before the enemy can do anything, meaning there’s never a bad time to use this super. (Also you can change the speed by holding forward or back.)
• Ysaar (Rashid): You may notice a trend with the top 3. While it’s slower and less rewarding than Psycho Cannon, it’s much harder to get around as it’s nearly impossible to jump over. It would already be S tier if this was it, but it also has a lot of synergies.
  • Notable Synergies: Literally Rashid’s Entire Moveset. Rashid’s base moveset, Spinning Mixer, Eagle Spike, and Arabian Skyhigh all have enhanced movement and properties when going through Ysaar or the lingering whirlwind. Arabian Cyclone’s follow-ups also have enhanced properties, but the main purpose of Arabian Cyclone is kicking the tornado forward as a real projectile. Whirlwind Shot can’t be used while Ysaar is active, but this doesn’t matter much.
• Lovushka (JP): How everyone feels when blocking this. Who decided this thing needs install-level recovery? Who decided this thing needs to surround the opponent no matter where they are? Who decided it needs to hit overhead, then low, then overhead again? Who decided it should deal damage on par with Hoyoku-sen and let the user be fully actionable while it’s active? Who designed JP’s moveset, and where can I find them so I can cry on their door step? That is a threat, I WILL cry.
  • Negative Synergies: Torbalan and Embrace. Oh boo hoo, you can’t use ghosts while the win button is active. Go cry about it. I’ll join you.

We’ve finally finished ranking all of the special moves, but we’re not done yet. It’s time to rank Super Arts!

Today we’ll start with level 1 supers, a very homogenous category. Aside from confirming off super-cancelable normals or ending combos, the most important use of these is as invincible reversals. While this isn’t quite as important for avatars since they can fill half their moveset with invincibility, level 1s are still important as reversals when in burnout. Anyway, here’s the list.

https://preview.redd.it/r00y6b9sfkxg1.png?width=1140&format=png&auto=webp&s=cb21844026b6a3effc10b6140c0793ca8b9a2e68

Since there’s so many supers to go through and not much variance between them, I’ve decided to use all but the top and bottom tiers as “categories” instead. I’ll go more into the tiers and their categories as I go. Also I’m going to name the characters these supers belong to since the names of supers tend to be harder to remember than most special moves.

F Tier

Yeah, there’s no preamble needed for this tier, so let’s just get it over with.

• Aerial Russian Slam (Zangief): Let’s start with the positives. Unlike a few supers ranked above it, Aerial Russian Slam is fully invincible. It also deals very high damage, even higher than level 2 supers. The biggest problem is twofold. First, it can never hit grounded opponents, making it worthless as a reversal and only usable as an anti-air or juggle ender. The second problem kinda makes that previous point moot, as its hitbox is GARBAGE. Behind-the-scenes fun fact: When I tested this move by making the dummy keep jumping, I could land it consistently. But the moment I set it to act as a CPU, I failed literally every anti-air attempt. I was willing to go into this with the benefit of the doubt, but Aerial Russian Slam doesn’t even deserve it. (By the way, I won’t go this in depth with most other supers. I just needed to rant here.)

D Tier

As stated before, level 1 supers are most useful as invincible reversals. These supers don’t have that property, meaning they fail at their most important purpose. Still, each of these have something good going for them, so they might not be worthless if your character has other reversals they’d rather rely on.

• The Greatest Sobat (Dee Jay): While it has no invincibility, this super is very fast and has a ton of pushback that makes it mostly safe on block. More importantly, it causes a crumple on counter hit/punish counter, making it the rare level 1 you can combo off of.
• Yoga Inferno (Dhalsim): This super does have throw invincibility, but it can still be hit by strikes. It’s also relatively safe, which might help it if the enemy blocks on oki. Here’s an interesting fun fact: This move was changed for avatars. Originally, it used to do the light version. I don’t know when, but at some point this was changed to do the medium version instead, despite still being input with light punch. While it has less range now, it does more damage and is probably better in juggles.
• Meteor Volley (Elena): This super only has anti-air invincibility, but it launches on hit for a very good juggle opportunity. It can even juggle into itself, making for a makeshift level 2 super if you want one.

C Tier

This tier is for close-range strike supers, the bare minimum that a level 1 should be.

• Psycho Storm (Ed): At 13 frame startup, this is tied as the second slowest level 1 in the game. It has decent range, but it’s slower than all of the rushing attacks so it doesn’t even matter. It can function as a reversal at least, but it’s more likely to fail against meaty light attacks than most other supers so it’s not really worth running.
• Dragonlash Flame (Ken): This super has pretty short range, which is saying a lot cause I tested these with a moderate height avatar with maximum leg length. The bigger problem is that it always switches sides on hit, even if the enemy is cornered. While this can help to escape the corner, you’re left so far away that you can’t really take advantage of that. (Bonus fun fact: This is the only level 1 input with a double quarter circle back.)
• Breezing Hawk (Lily): The clubs give this super pretty good range and it has higher base damage than most other level 1s. It is somewhat slow, and it can be very difficult to juggle into. It also has a lingering multi-hit after the cinematic starting hits, but to me this feels more like a punishment than a benefit.
• Limit Decoupler (C. Viper): As an isolated attack, this super is pretty good. It covers a very high area, making it a strong anti-air with decently fast startup. The main draw is the install, which has many positive and negative aspects. First of all, it’s the only super in the game that clashes with other supers, as it can’t be equipped alongside any install level 2s. Whether or not you’d want to equip multiple installs, this is still a restriction that no other level 1 has to deal with. Also, since you can’t build more super meter for over 10 seconds afterward, there’s basically no reason to equip this super if you don’t also want to use its synergies. This applies to every install, but it’s still something you must consider.
  • Required Synergies: C. Viper’s Base Moveset, Thunder Dash, and/or Burning Kick. C. Viper’s base moveset is definitely the best benefit of the install, as free super jumps do so much for the character. Thunder Dash and Burning Kick also benefit with their follow-ups. The install not only makes those follow-ups free, but causes them to gain drive meter instead. Not to mention Seismic Hammer and its free super jumps. Limit Decoupler definitely becomes a lot more worth it if you also want to use any of these moves.
• Deadly Implication (A.K.I.): This super has fairly slow start up and relatively low base damage, which logically speaking should cause it to rank lower. The main benefit of this move is that it inflicts poison, which is decent for extra damage even if you don’t have moves that inflict Toxic Blossom. Sometimes you can only end a combo in a super and you want to end that combo with poison, so you’d need Deadly Implication to do so.
  • Notable Synergies: AKI’s Toxic Blossom. Of course, the main reason you want to inflict poison is for Toxic Blossom combos. No need to elaborate.
• Show of Force (E. Honda): It’s a giant slap. What more do you need? The oki situation of this move is very interesting, as it has a metric ton of corner carry but very little knockdown advantage. Still, this super is amazing if you just need the enemy to get off of you.
• Kikosho/Aerial Kikosho (Chun-Li): While this technically has projectile properties, the range is too short for me to truly consider it one. It does beat other level 1s thanks to its properties, and it has a massive hitbox that makes it perfect for anything you want to use it for. Unfortunately, I don’t think Aerial Kikosho is useful enough to really consider it in the ranking. Still, it doesn’t hurt to have it.

B Tier

This tier is for strike supers that have the character dash forward a decent distance. I consider these overall better than close-range strikes, as their increased range means they can more easily punish whiffed moves or attacks with high pushback on block.

• Breakin’ (Jamie): This super is pretty good in terms of speed and range, but it has a few problems that hold it back. First, this is the worst kind of multi-hit, as the time between kicks can make this move incredibly difficult to juggle into. The bigger problem is its recovery. Most level 1s are punishable on block, but very few of them are -60. And if god forbid it whiffs instead, the enemy has like 5 entire seconds to set up their personal buffs before punishing with whatever they want. Still, this is really good on hit.
  • Notable Synergies: Jamie’s Drink Mechanics. Holding down during Breakin’ allows you to end the attack early and gain a drink instead, which obviously synergizes with all of Jamie’s stuff. I don’t think this is ever worth it, cause why would you give up damage on a super just to lose all of your oki?
• Knee Press Nightmare (M. Bison): This super has a similar recovery problem to Breakin’, but it’s only -41 on block which is genuinely a massive improvement. It’s also way easier to juggle into the full connect version. The partial connect version also has twice the range, which helps it feel more like a compensation than a punishment unlike Breezing Hawk’s partial connect.
• Arabesque (Manon): Arabesque travels very fast across half the screen, and apparently it hits low. (That doesn’t matter cause of the super flash but still kinda neat.) It’s a bit cumbersome that it swaps sides on hit, though at least it doesn’t leave you cornered like Dragonlash Flame.
• Super Rashid Kick (Rashid): This super barely qualifies as a rushing attack, but I figured it fits here better than it would in close-range strikes. Plus, it can be used as an anti-air from very far away. It deals more damage and switches sides if it hits a grounded enemy, but hitting an airborne enemy leaves you on the same side. This is almost exclusively a good thing, as you’d always want to juggle into it in a combo and the side switch helps to escape the corner when used as a reversal.
• Raging Spear (Alex): The tackle goes decently far with a single hit, making it pretty reliable. Though it doesn’t have a ton of active frames, so it can be kind of hard to juggle into sometimes. Not much else to say.
• Bushin Beats/Bushin Thunderous Beats (Kimberly): This is the longest range super so far, though it doesn’t travel quite as fast as others. Since it only attacks when close to the enemy, it’s very easy to combo into and it’s extremely reliable due to being a cinematic.
  • Notable Synergies: Genius at Play/Shuriken Bomb. You can spend a spray can to deal more damage and gain more knockdown advantage, though it leaves you further away. Shuriken Bomb is already a great move, so might as well go for it.
• Spin Drive Smasher (Cammy): This is the only rushing attack level 1 that goes full screen, and it still goes into the cinematic if it hits from that far. While it can lose some hits when juggled into, it lasts long enough that you still deal good damage when doing so.

A Tier

This tier is reserved for projectile supers. These are good for a multitude of reasons. First, the projectile properties allow these moves to win against other level 1s if needed, and many of these are also able to win fireball wars. More importantly, these supers tend to have even better range than rushing forward strikes, though that property isn’t universal.

• Shout of Earth (Blanka): Normally, this has very low range. So much so that I was tempted to put it in the rushing attack tier just to split the difference. But I decided it belongs in the projectile tier mainly thanks to its synergies.
  • Notable Synergies: Blanka-Chan Bomb. Shout of Earth can activate Blanka-Chan, sending him forward as an additional projectile. I find it difficult to hit with both the super and the doll, but with just the right spacing this can be one of the few level 1s you can combo off of. More practically, Blanka-Chan makes the super plus on block, allowing you to force your way in or gain advantage off of a reversal.
  • Notable Synergies: Lightning Beast. Blanka’s install also powers up his level 1, turning it into a true full-screen projectile. If this didn’t cost 3 bars and two super slots, it would be an easy S tier. But it does, so it’s not.
• Vulcan Blast (Luke): Vulcan Blast can’t really be used to win fireball wars due to its relatively short range and hurtbox expansion. That being said, it’s tied for the fastest level 1 super and does have great range outside of that one context.
• Sonic Hurricane (Guile): This super is inherently strong, with good range and speed. The alternate version is also amazing, sacrificing invincibility for an anti-air that you can juggle into and out of. Also, you know how this version is normally input with heavy punch but all avatar level 1 supers are input exclusively with light normals? Well, Sonic Hurricane got special treatment. You can do the anti-air version with light kick, an input totally unique to avatars. Speaking of the input, that’s also the biggest weakness of this move. As a charge super, it’s inherently limited and harder to combo into. And since it’s a level 1, you can’t cancel it from special moves or use them to charge for free. Sonic Hurricane is really an amazing super with one achilles heel holding it back.
• Sakkai Fuhazan (Juri): Another half-screen projectile, but this one is even better in combos than the rest of them. It covers a much taller area so it can be used as an anti-air, which is surprisingly rare for level 1s. It does have very long recovery, which can be a huge detriment if the enemy manages to jump over you or teleport.
  • Notable Synergies: Fuhajin. You can spend a fuha stock to deal more damage. Unlike Bushin Thunderous Beats, there’s no downside to doing this.
• Chernobog (JP): This is kind of the best close-range strike, which also happens to be a full-screen projectile. As a projectile, it can be used to win fireball wars, punish from nearly any range, and juggle off a launcher from any distance as long as the first hit doesn’t take too long. Outside of the projectile, it’s a frame 8 reversal with a massive hitbox.
• Shinku Hadoken (Ryu): Everything said about Chernobog applies here, except that this move is way faster. The hitbox isn’t nearly as big, but it requires a lot less planning.
  • Notable Synergies: Denjin Charge. The Railgun. Denjin Hadoken travels full screen in a nanosecond. It’s so fast it can even punish neutral jumps or stock setups. If you didn’t have to equip Denjin Charge or set it up, this would be an easy S tier. Unfortunately, Capcom decided to balance it at least a little bit.
• Tiger Cannon (Sagat): The Cooler Railgun. Everything I said about Denjin Hadoken applies here, except you don’t need to set it up beforehand. It does have one downside: 13 frame startup. This makes it worse as a reversal, but every other time you want to use it, it just straight-up does better. (Also it beats other fireball supers cause why not.)

S Tier

The top tier is for supers that stand out as being amazing regardless of their category. I will mention what category each of these would belong to, but they all rank above their own category tiers for a reason.

• Javelin of Marisa (Marisa): On paper, this super has ridiculously slow startup that one would think makes it terrible. However, this isn’t an invincible attack. This is a counter. Just by holding the button, it can punish attacks just as well as other level 1s, and it may even be better thanks to its incredibly fast frame 7 startup. There are two aspects that set it above. First, the uncharged version has armor, meaning this is the only level 1 that can actually punish meaty fireballs. The slow startup does become a problem here, but the fact is that Javelin of Marisa has a chance to work in situations that no other level 1 can work in. Also, if you can find a way to combo into the fully charged version, you get level 2 damage for one bar, which is just the cherry on top. Crazy how just one buff, making the counter work against throws, suddenly shot this move up from D tier to S tier.
• Messatsu Gohado/Tenma Gozanku (Akuma): Messatsu Gohado is most comparable to Shinku Hadoken. While it has a bit slower startup, it deals more damage and beats most other super projectiles for free. If it ended here, this would probably rank on par with Tiger Cannon. But what brings it to S tier is the air version, Tenma Gozanku. It can be used as a great anti-anti-air, air combo ender, or even a combo starter if you space it well. All that on top of the best projectile level 1, and it’s no wonder this super is top tier.
• Kagerou no Mai (Mai): Funny enough, the level 1 with the lowest range is also one of the best. At a blazing (haha) 6 frame startup, this is tied for the fastest level 1 in the game. It also covers a very high area, making it a great anti-air. It is punishable like all other level 1s, but from my experience the lingering flames make it very difficult to do so. These factors would already be enough to rank it high, but it also grants Flame Stocks.
  • Notable Synergies: Mai’s Special Moves/Chou Hissatsu Shinobi Bachi. This super is the only way to gain Flame Stocks, which is obviously good as it powers up some really strong moves, including Kachousen. This already makes it worth running, but I’d like to mention one additional synergy with Kagerou no Mai: Itself. If you have at least 1 Flame Stock, Kagerou no Mai has more than triple the range, massively increased damage, and even the potential to juggle out of it if you hit it really high. The fact that this super has so many synergies it even synergizes with itself is kind of insane and I love it.
• Buster Wolf (Terry): Frame 7. Half screen. Travels super fast. If you hit it just right, you can juggle it into itself. Sometimes the simplest solution really is the best one. (Plus it’s objectively the coolest looking level 1 so it’s worth running for that reason alone.)