Guilty Gear is known for its recognizable cast and stylish approach to gameplay. After all, the Arc System Works franchise showcases a stellar fusion between fast-paced battles and a skills-heavy battle system. With a cast of at least 50 characters with varying styles and themes, players will love the unique visual flair of their mains – whoever they may be.
Due to these intricacies, players may have a hard time choosing their favorite Guilty Gear character. After all, each character not just boasts a signature anime look but also a battle style to reckon with. Just which characters get the S-Tier ranking in the Guilty Gear franchise?
Disclaimer: While the game is not out yet, Guilty Gear Strive will also be considered since an open beta was made available in February 2021.
10 Zato-1
Anyone who's tried Guilty Gear would never miss Zato-1 or Eddie. Why? Well, his signature black garb, blindfold, and rather elegant nature will tempt anyone to try him out. In the lore, Zato-1's attractive nature hides a skilled assassin. Behind his skill in manipulating literal shadows is Eddie, a powerful and murderous Forbidden Beast. His story revolves around Eddie possessing Zato-1 and the latter regaining control over his body, giving him one of the most interesting story arcs in the series.
Throughout his appearances, Zato-1 demands a bit of skill to master, hence his Technical classification in Strive. Thanks to Eddie, Zato-1 boasts unconventional movement that he can utilize for both defense and offense. He has strong spatial control and offense, thanks to Eddie. Unfortunately, Zato-1 as a whole is limited with Eddie's combo support, and he has no reliable reversals.
9 Giovanna
Upcoming Strive will mark the debut of Giovanna, the quiet member of the US President's spec-ops protection unit. She's easily recognizable for her rather "ordinary" outfit – baggy cargo pants, a loose white shirt, and heeled sneakers. She's extremely friendly with animals and children – but her growing environment meant a lack of social skills as a whole.
Accompanying Giovanna is Rei, a green wolf spirit that comes to her aid in combat. In Strive, Giovanna is a Rush-type, capable of breaking defenses. Giovanna boasts one of the highest speeds in the game, and her Tension increases her damage output provided she continues the fight. Sadly, her short-ranged nature and lack of combos won't make her fit with technical players.
8 Leo Whitefang
One could look at Leo Whitefang and see two things: the ton of fur on his outfit and the huge greatswords he's holding. Despite his brash and proud nature, Leo is an extremely cautious person, especially given his status as one of the Kings of the United Kingdom of Illyria. He has a friendly rivalry with Ky, also a King of the United Kingdom and fellow former Holy Knight.
Leo's toolkit boasts attacks for all-around fighting, but his pride does motivate him to become aggressive. Sadly, his balanced fighting style makes him slow for his own good. His attacks involve fierce slashes coupled with energy harnessed by his swords. In combos, Leo can change the shape and nature of his blades, wielding them as normal swords or even forming a lion's head for beam attacks.
7 Millia Rage
Millia Rage comes across as a quiet yet fashionable girl. However, behind her innocent frame and her unrealistic need for shampoo is a master assassin that uses her very hair for combat. Fans of her recurring character would know her fondness for children and her complicated relationship with her lover Zato, especially as they're both bearers of Forbidden Beasts. Behind her controllable hair is Angra, a force of murderous intent.
While she doesn't want to show it, Millia excels in fast-paced combat. As a High-Speed type, Millia boasts one of the best speed options in the game – multiple air options, fast dodges, and air movement alterations. She also holds the title of setplay queen in Strive, especially due to her tricky combos. Sadly, she trades her speed with a lack of health and defense, and she doesn't have as much DPS.
6 Ky Kiske
Alongside Sol, Ky remains one of the most recognizable characters in the game. Whereas the rival Sol has a penchant for fire, Ky Kiske commands lightning with the Thunderseal. Fans love Ky for his strong sense of justice and that stylish white garb of the Gear-hunting Sacred Order of Holy Knights.
Like Sol, Ky has a toolkit that excels in doing damage to close range. However, he's more of a Balance type, with his prowess giving him multiple options for any situation. His attacks can put enemies in Shock State, opening them for devastating combos. Sadly, his straightforward approach does leave him with a lot of vulnerabilities as well.
5 Axl Low
Unfortunately for Axl Low, a time slip to the year 2178 would mean his status as a gang leader is virtually useless. In search for his girlfriend Megumi, Axl hopes to win the Second Holy Order Selection Tournament to "wish" him and Megumi back to the 20th Century. Despite his troubling childhood, Axl is relatively optimistic. He's not too keen on thinking very hard and is usually content with just going with the flow.
Thanks to his Sickle Chain, Axl is classified as a Long Range type. His moveset relies on far-reaching combos that let him control the fight from a distance. Sadly, Axl remains extremely vulnerable when zoned in, while his slowpokes make it hard for him to apply pressure.
4 Potemkin
Formerly a slave of the Zepp Armed Air Empire, the monstrous Potemkin serves as part of President Gabriel's presidential guard. He's one of the tallest (and bulkiest) members of the Guilty Gear cast, and he is extremely intelligent despite his size.
Players shouldn't underestimate Potemkin's "gentle giant" appearance, though. In fact, he's capable of fighting Large-Class Gears with just shockwaves from his attacks – all while being equipped with a Power Limiter. As a character, he boasts some of the highest damage numbers in the game. Characters trapped in his grabs are in for a world of hurt. Sadly, he's extremely slow and has no air dash, run, or step mechanics.
3 Sol Badguy
Sol Badguy has the blunt edge of the Fireseal to scream he's the main character, and he has a sense of righteousness that translates to beating the bad guys to submission. However, as his story arc proves, Sol's "mean streak" is almost always to protect other people.
Interestingly, Sol Badguy's up-your-face combat style complements his all-fired-up nature. He's not the typical straightforward protagonist, either. Sol needs a proper setup to execute his moves; all balanced, but all giving room for interesting throws and traps to punish enemy movements. Unfortunately, given his short-range nature, his moves do leave him open for punishers. Likewise, knowing Sol well enough can make his combos easy to predict.
2 May
Would any player ever forget May when she uses a giant anchor for her moveset? This orange-clad lass with an optimistic streak is a member of the Jellyfish Pirates – twelve female pirates under the leadership of Johnny who steal from the rich and give to the poor. Aside from this odd backstory, her status as a recurring character makes her one of the most recognizable female protagonists of the Guilty Gear franchise.
May serves as one of the franchise's introductory characters for newcomers. Her balanced skillset – especially now in the upcoming Strive – allows May to deal high damage numbers from afar. May's only disadvantage would be her mixups, as she has a lot of straightforward combos. Regardless, her signature dolphins and anchor attacks remain fan favorites.
1 Ramlethal Valentine
As a newcomer in the recent Guilty Gear Xrd title, Ramlethal is the fourth Valentine Sister following the commands of Mother, the Universal Will. As with other genetic copies of Aria Hale, Ramlethal is emotionless, focusing only on her objective. However, her memorable character arc will slowly have her develop emotions, particularly the recognition that she and her sisters aren't just mere tools.
In terms of gameplay, Ramlethal is as heavy as she is fast. Much of her combos involve dishing out slashes and explosions with her greatswords. She boasts insane damage numbers, although she has to manually pick up her swords whenever she lets go of them, adding an element of risk to her high-powered gameplay.