Character Rankings or Character Success in Tournaments

The Version B “Entry” and “Semifinal” Rankings are based on 1072 tournaments, while the “Finals” and “Winners” Rankings are based on 2167 tournaments. The Version C “Entry” and “Semifinal” Rankings are based on 1647 tournaments in Japan, while the “Finals” and “Winners” Rankings are based are 2243 tournaments.

Note: You may have to use the horizontal scroll bar to see both charts



Character Rankings Summary – The colors are arbitrary rankings of a character's success rate in tournaments as either average (yellow), high (dark red), or low (dark blue). The numbers are rankings of a character from a scale of 1 (best) to 17 (worst). Note that the number ranks of 1-17 does not necessarily mean that a character rank 17 is severely disadvantaged compare to a character rank 1.

How do you read the chart? - As an example, I will use Version C Shun: Shun is not a very popular character choice by players entering tournaments, ranking 15th overall. However, the general population of Shun players have above average success in advancing to the semifinals, with a rank score of 2.5. The Shun semifinalists, have a similar rank score in advancing to the finals—3—yet it is only a slightly above average success. Lastly, the population of Shun finalists have average success in winning tournaments with a ranking score of 10.

How were the charts made? - The information above is based on calculations (change in % character distribution and % character advancement) I used on raw tournament results at http://www.virtuafighter.jp website. The calculations relate to the change in character representation throughout a tournament: 1) at the beginning of tournaments (entry), 2) at the semifinals, 3) at the finals, and 4) in conclusion of tournaments (winners).



The Finals and Winners columns are based on VF5R version A tournaments sponsored by Sega in Japan (2355 total tournaments with 48611 player entries from 7-25-08 to 5-20-09). The Entry and Semifinals columns are based on 1348 total tournaments with 28825 player entries from 7-25-08 to 1-7-09).

nice... very nice.

edit: shun dropped like a rock. heh.

This awesome info akai!! Lots of thanks! Not only is the ranking numbers at each stage and colors helpful, the change in colors across stages also say a lot.

It is interesting to note how lots of Akiras and Laus enter tournaments in Version C but few advance far. Ditto for Pai in Version B.

very, very cool on so many levels. . . . also, honestly didn't realize kage was like that.

Thanks, I plan to update the version C charts on a monthly basis. I think the character rankings in "finals" and "winners" will change quite a bit (except maybe Kage and Eileen), since it is only based on two weeks worth of tournaments.

Great chart Akai, and it's especially easy to read with the color scheme. It goes to show how the revision C changes have a big impact in the beginning as players are learning to adapt to these changes.

i really had no clue there were THAT many kage players in japan.

There are ALOT of kages here. At least from my experience, when people sat down to challenge me and their card was being read, I was sitting on the other side thinking, watch, another kage. 40% of the time I was right. :P

I wonder why Goh is so unpopular in Japan. I mean, there is like a million Goh avatars on Shoryuken.

Where is the love for the bastard child of Akira and Jeffry? (hell, Jeffry is 9th in ver. C?!)

After discussions with Japanese friends, I think Goh is unpopular for two reasons:

1) When he was first introduced in Evo, he was pretty weak and he relied heavily on sabakis and inashis which made him difficult to use.

2) His appearance is too dark and personality-heavy for lots of Japanese VF players. According to my friends, VF players like "thin" or "light" personality characters. Almost all of the VF characters are generic and as far as I know, Japanese VF players like it that way. If they wanted more personality, they would play Tekken.