Tier list
Popularized by gamers, a tier list is a visualization of someone's subjective ranking of members of a related group. For example, a Super Smash Bros fan could make a tier list of their favorite characters in high tiers, and their least favorite characters in low tiers. They could also rank these same characters based on other qualities, such as their power level or usefulness in a fight.
Tier lists became a popular trend among YouTubers and Twitch streamers, who ranked everything from movie characters to fast food restaurants. The striped template with colored boxes, as pictured on this page, were found across every corner of the Internet during the peak of tier list popularity. Today, tier lists are still commonly used to showcase opinions by ranking things.
What tiers are used in a tier list?
The tiers used in a tier list are often predetermined and can vary depending on the template used. Most tier lists use an A through F scale similar to the American school grading system, while some choose to specify what each tier means with phrases like "Most powerful" or "Least favorite." One of the most common tier list templates is based on Japanese academic scores, and consists of the following tiers:
- S-Tier (Superb)
- A-Tier
- B-Tier
- C-Tier
- D-Tier
- E-Tier
- F-Tier
How can I make a tier list?
Many tier lists are created using photo editing software like Photoshop or GIMP (GNU image manipulation program). To set this up:
- Find and download a tier list template image from the Internet.
- Open the image in your preferred photo editor.
- Find images of something you want to rank.
- Copy and paste it into the document as a new layer.
- Repeat the previous step until the tier list is set up.
- Drag all images into their respective rows using the move tool to rank them.
If you don't have photo editing software, websites like TierMaker provide customizable templates for creating your own tier lists or revisiting tier lists created by other users.