KOF 13 Tier List: The Ultimate Tier List

The King of Fighter 13 is a fighting game released and developed by SNK Playmore in 2010. To fix the issues in The King of Fighter 12, the director Kei Yamamoto released a new version of his game which was much more insightful, impeccable, and modified than the prior game.

So in our KOF 13 Tier List, we will rank the characters of the game in order of their performance, abilities, and popularity.

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Key Points

• There are a total of 33 entries in the article.
• We will rank all the characters according to their performance, abilities, strengths, and skills.
• In the highest tiers, you will find characters like Kim Kaphwan, Mr. Karate, Kyo Kusanagi, and Iori EX.
• Among the lowest tiers, you will observe characters like Joe Higashi, Raiden, Kula Diamond, and Chin Gentsai.

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Summary

We will rank all the characters in a short table below.

S Rank	A Rank	B Rank	C Rank	D Rank
Kim Kaphwan	Ryo Sakazaki	Ralph Jones	Maxima	Raiden
Mr. Karate	Benimaru Nikaido	Mature	Billy Kane	Kula Diamond
Kyo Kusanagi	Duo Lon	Takuma Sakazaki	Vice	Chin Gentsai
K’	Mai Sheranui	Elisabeth Blanctorche	Sie Kensou
Iori EX	Andy Bogard	Saiki	Leona
King	Robert Gracia		Joe Higashi
Terry Bogard	Clark Still
Athena	Hwa Jai
Yuri Sakazaki
Shen Woo
Ash Crimson

Learn more about each entry by reading on.

S Tier

The S-tier referred to as the superb tier has some stunning and the most winning characters on the list. Here, we have the best KOF 13 characters to start with. For the characters in this tier, we have placed characters with excellent performance, high scores, form, gaming strategies, combos, and skills.

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In short, these characters with their superb gaming combos and skills are a nightmare to the opponent and can cause some serious damage and win most of their battles.

Character	Type	Skills
Kim Kaphwan	Taekwondo	Taekwondo mastery, Immense physical strength, high intelligence, determination, superhuman stamina, ability to detect the presence of evil entities
Mr. Karate	Kyokugenryo Karate	Kyokugenryu Karate, can sense people nearby, gather up energy, is an energy projectile, and can infuse his attacks with energy.
Kyo Kusanagi	Martial arts	Kusanagi style martial arts, motorcycle driving, accomplished guitarist.
K’	Pure violence	Can translocate himself, K’ can create and manipulate fire out of thin air from his right hand.
Iori EX	Yagami style of martial arts, pure instinct	Slashing hands, a riot of the blood, pyrokinesis- creates purple fire.
King	Muay Thai	Energy projectile, acrobats
Terry Bogard	Martial arts, Hakkyokuseiken chi techniques.	Can sense people around, power waves, energy attacks, can gather chi
Athena	Psychic powers, Chinese Martial Arts	Can send a fireball with her sword, summon magical creatures, and transform into a mermaid.
Yuri Sakazaki	Kyokugenryo Karate, personal style, can copy almost any technique after seeing it once.	Can gather chi from the mother earth, energy projectile, create a ball of energy in her hands.
Shen Woo	Personal boxing style	Superhuman strength deflects projectiles and can duplicate damage caused by his punches using chi energy.
Ash Crimson	Personal style	Fire projectile, power absorption, teletransport.

 

A Tier

Here comes the A tier in which we place characters that do not find a place in the S tier due to some of their disadvantages. In the A tier of our KOF 13 Tier List, we have placed characters that are potent enough but not as strong as the characters in the S tier. the characters placed in the A tier are discussed below along with their skills.

Character	Fighting Style	Skills	Reasons
Ryo Sakazaki	Kyokugenryu Karate	Gather chi, energy projectile, multiple attacks, farming.	Weak version combos.
Benimaru Nikaido	Shoot boxing, Muay Thay kickboxing	Can release electric discharge, can fuel his attack with electricity, super speed.	Lack of long-range tools to fight, floaty jump.
Duo Lon	Preternatural curse combat.	Have powers related to death, stretch limbs and translocation	Low damage, predictable moveset
Mai Sheranui	Shiranui-Ryuu-Ninjutsu	Expert in climbing surfaces, master of stealth, can change clothes within one second with only a gesture, cooking.	Not good at combos, low damage.
Andy Bogard	Shiranui-Ryuu Ninjutsu and koppoken, chi techniques	Can gather chi, energy projectile, energy attacks, fire attacks, acrobats, stealth.	Lack of long-range tools to fight.
Robert Gracia	Kyokugenryu Karate.	Gather chi, energy projectile, multiple attacks.	Lack of long-range tools to fight.
Clark Still	Mercenary Combat, Heidern style of assassination techniques.	Superhuman strength, firearms, can survive in many rough terrains, can use knives.	Risky reversal options, a little on the slow side, smaller move set.
Hwa Jai	Muay Thai	He does not have specific skills but when he drinks a certain mixture of herbs he gains immense strength stamina and speed but loses some reflexes.	Inaccessible projectile.

B Tier

In the B tier, we have placed some of the average-performing characters. These characters are ordinary characters of the KOF 13 Tier List which do have certain flaws and drawbacks either in their gameplay or skills. The characters placed in the B tier and their respective reasons are as follows.

Character	Fighting style	Skills	Reason
Ralph Jones	Mercenary Combat, Heidern style of assassination techniques	Firearm proficiency, fire punch, above-average strength, can create small explosions, can survive difficult terrain, and use knives.	Unreliable
Mature	Speedy attacks	Hands can slash and pierce, snake arms, knife-like nails, powers of light, lipstick trail, and enhanced speed.	Low damage, no reliable cross-ups, no fast reversal moves.
Takuma Sakazaki	Kyokugenryu Karate	Can fire an invisible projectile, multiple attacks, gather chi, energy projectile.	Defense severely lacking.
Elisabeth Blanctorche	Blanc-styled Martial Arts	Can summons a light bow, can translocate, power to control light	Easy to beat
Saiki	Self tossing combat	Translocation, absorb powers, time manipulation dark flames.	Easy to beat, weak air game

 

C Tier

Characters placed in the C tier of ourlist are lagging in their skills and performances. These characters are not much appreciated by the players and have low player stats, but still are better than ones in the D tier. They still do not have a good winning record and have not satisfied the gamers with their gameplay. Characters placed in the C tier along with their respective reasoning are given below.

Consider Reading: KOF 14 Tier List

Character	Fighting type	Skills	Reasons
Maxima	Type-M	Superhuman strength, superhuman reaction, and superhuman endurance can communicate with machines.	Poor defense, laggy normal, and no dependable reversals.
Billy Kane	Bojutsu	Weapon of fire, copy weapon, hide the weapon.	lack of invincibility
Vice	Power attack	Hooked nails, can grab anyone bigger than her, power of darkness, multiple attacks.	Very meter dependent, weak against projectiles.
Sie Kensou	Wing Chun, Chinese Kung Fu	Dragon spirit, telepathy	Does not master his hidden powers, floaty jumps and air escape is hard.
Leona	Martial arts, Heidern style assassination techniques.	Cutting and piecing with hands, can create a ball of energy blades, and explosive techniques.	No solid escape ability, limited gameplay.
Joe Higashi	Muay Thai	Multiple attacks, explosive strikes, aerokinesis	Floaty hop, and low movement speed

D Tier

So the much-awaited D tier is here having some worst characters of the King of fighter 13. Characters in this tier have a specific skill but either these skills are useless or not so efficient to cause good damage to the opponent and thus mostly lose the game and leave the gamer disappointed. In this tier, the player’s stats are really low.

Character	Fighting type	Skills	Reason
Raiden	Pro Wrestling	Poison breathe powerlifting.	Bad dropkick
Kula Diamond	Anti K’ arts	Ice control, ice spikes, freeze, ice shield, ice breath.	Just average damage, difficult to use her superpower in the corner, often ends saving the meter for the opponent.
Chin Gentsai	Chinese Kung Fu	Fire breathe, fire body.	Low stamina.

 

King of Fighter 13 (Bonus Characters):

This is some basic information on the famous King of Fighters characters that will make you get accustomed to the game.

Kim

Why is Kim top-tier KOF 13? Undoubtedly due to his absolute skill, he is on top with the best gaming stats and is most loved by the players in terms of gameplay. Kim has always been famous amongst the gamers as he is a real threat to the opponent as he has full command of his mid-close game. He is a real beast for the opponent if played efficiently. Kim can be played efficiently as a middle man in the game as he uses traditional taekwondo skills and acrobatic style.

With his taekwondo skills, he can do multiple fast chain advanced kicks. Kim also has a habit of singing and is very talented with that although he may yell in his typical Korean battle-style cries Considering his gameplay Kim is a real threat in the game as his air and ground normals are very strong thus giving him a strong grip on the game. His BnB and HD combos still need skills for perfect execution but become very easy to execute with practice.

Terry Bogard

Terry Bogard is a regular in the King of Fighter roster. He has appeared in every King of Fighter game to date. Appearance-wise Terry is a Japanese stereotype of how Americans look. He wears a brown bomber jacket with dark boots and short blond hair and also has a pet monkey called Ukee. He is not all about attack, but he is an excellent character for the defense as well.

Having been placed in the S tier of our KOF 13 Tier List, Terry has excelled in the fields of both gameplay and character design. With his tricky steps, the opponent blocking moves, and a lot of situation normals terry is a true brawler. Terry’s techniques are simple that doesn’t mean they aren’t effective. His simple damaging stunts, cross-ups, and back-turned situations are good to play in pressure situations. Still, many steps are not safe on the block and only specific combos yield damage to the opponent.

King

A Muay Thai kickboxer, she dresses in men’s clothing to conceal her gender but later her true gender became more evident. She was originally forced to hide her gender and pretend to be a man to get employment, but she no longer hides her identity.

She is an absolute fighter and excellent support for a team. As an alone fighter King is also an opponent’s nightmare. King was originally in the Fatal Fury franchise but later her outstanding move set and demand raised her as a mainstay of the series. The gamer enjoys her venom strike and her martial art moves which are a mixture of Muay Thai, Kickboxing, and even Savate.

Mr. Karate

Mr. Karate first appeared as the final boss in the Art of Fighting and hides his identity by wearing a Tengu mask. Mr karate is a very powerful character who can easily be played in any position in a team be it as a point, battery, or anchor position. He is an offensive player and can counter-attack with his Hakyokujin. Mr. Karate has a highly functional active offensive gameplay, but the gamer needs to perfect the skill of accessing all the effective tools in Mr. Karate’s character as he can carry many special moves which ensure maximum damage to the opponent.

Some moves and combos provide you with a high level of gameplay. He can also sense people nearby through their chi/ki. Mr. Karate can also fire two projectiles of energy and infuse his attacks with energy. Mr. Karate also can do multiple attacks at the same time and can deliver multiple punches at the same time. He uses the Shoran principle of Karate as his fighting style.

K’

Generally pronounced as” kay dash” is a character in the King of Fighter series. K’ has a very arrogant personality and has a fighting style that is similar to Bruce Lee. K’s movements show very brutal mannerism which is why referred to as a pure violent style of fighting also another power he has is that he can translocate himself. K’ being infused with Kyo Kusanagi’s DNA can create fire out of his right hand.

He can also create fireballs and his one-inch punch and flying kicks make him the best of all times. K’ wears a special glove to control his powers and is regarded as one of the best in the King of Fighter series roster.

Benimaru Nikaido

Known as the shooting star of the series Benimaru is a character in the King of Fighter series. Being very proud of his skills Benimaru is a true professional and means business in his battles. Benimaru specializes in shooting and electricity and can create static energy around himself which is why his hair is upwards.

Ash Crimson

Ash is a cunning individual who is confident of his powers. He may be average-looking but has immense power and is a major threat to the opponent with his graceful tough fights. Having some extraordinary powers of Yata mirror he can keep the opponent from using his powers. Can create chi and also absorb power from anyone he wants. Ash Crimson is one of the best scorers in the game and is loved by the players.

Athena Asamiya

A happy outgoing and polite girl who strives to do her best in fights. Athena has some outstanding superpowers of moving things with her mind, surrounding and protecting her body with a shield, and can also heal wounds of herself and others. Being a capable hand-to-hand fighter Athena is also a favorite of most of the players.

Shen Woo

With his superhuman strength, Shen Woo gives the player a wild battle. Shen owns a rowdy personality and hates being betrayed and wastes no time in taking revenge in battle. He has his own unique and violent street fight boxing style with power punches and superhuman strength giving an n excellent gameplay to the player.

Comparison Table

Character	Tier	Type	Skills
Kim Kaphwan	S	Taekwondo	Taekwondo mastery, Immense physical strength, high intelligence, determination, superhuman stamina, ability to detect the presence of evil entities
Mr. Karate	S	Kyokugenryo Karate	Kyokugenryu Karate, can sense people nearby, gather up energy, is an energy projectile, and can infuse his attacks with energy.
Kyo Kusanagi	S	Martial arts	Kusanagi style martial arts, motorcycle driving, accomplished guitarist.
K’	S	Pure violence	Can translocate himself, K’ can create and manipulate fire out of thin air from his right hand.
Iori EX	S	Yagami style of martial arts, pure instinct	Slashing hands, a riot of the blood, pyrokinesis- creates purple fire.
King	S	Muay Thai	Energy projectile, acrobats
Terry Bogard	S	Martial arts, Hakkyokuseiken chi techniques.	Can sense people around, power waves, energy attacks, can gather chi
Athena	S	Psychic powers, Chinese Martial Arts	Can send a fireball with her sword, summon magical creatures, and transform into a mermaid.
Yuri Sakazaki	S	Kyokugenryo Karate, personal style, can copy almost any technique after seeing it once.	Can gather chi from the mother earth, energy projectile, create a ball of energy in her hands.
Shen Woo	S	Personal boxing style	Superhuman strength deflects projectiles and can duplicate damage caused by his punches using chi energy.
Ash Crimson	S	Personal style	Fire projectile, power absorption, teletransport.
Ryo Sakazaki	A	Kyokugenryu Karate	Gather chi, energy projectile, multiple attacks, farming.
Benimaru Nikaido	A	Shoot boxing, Muay Thay kickboxing	Can release electric discharge, can fuel his attack with electricity, super speed.
Duo Lon	A	Preternatural curse combat.	Have powers related to death, stretch limbs and translocation
Mai Sheranui	A	Shiranui-Ryuu-Ninjutsu	Expert in climbing surfaces, master of stealth, can change clothes within one second with only a gesture, cooking.
Andy Bogard	A	Shiranui-Ryuu Ninjutsu and koppoken, chi techniques	Can gather chi, energy projectile, energy attacks, fire attacks, acrobats, stealth.
Robert Gracia	A	Kyokugenryu Karate.	Gather chi, energy projectile, multiple attacks.
Clark Still	A	Mercenary Combat, Heidern style of assassination techniques.	Superhuman strength, firearms, can survive in many rough terrains, can use knives.
Hwa Jai	A	Muay Thai	He does not have specific skills but when he drinks a certain mixture of herbs he gains immense strength stamina and speed but loses some reflexes.
Ralph Jones	B	Mercenary Combat, Heidern style of assassination techniques	Firearm proficiency, fire punch, above-average strength, can create small explosions, can survive difficult terrain, and use knives.
Mature	B	Speedy attacks	Hands can slash and pierce, snake arms, knife-like nails, powers of light, lipstick trail, and enhanced speed.
Takuma Sakazaki	B	Kyokugenryu Karate	Can fire an invisible projectile, multiple attacks, gather chi, energy projectile.
Elisabeth Blanctorche	B	Blanc-styled Martial Arts	Can summons a light bow, can translocate, power to control light
Saiki	B	Self tossing combat	Translocation, absorb powers, time manipulation dark flames.
Maxima	C	Type-M	Superhuman strength, superhuman reaction, and superhuman endurance can communicate with machines.
Billy Kane	C	Bojutsu	Weapon of fire, copy weapon, hide the weapon.
Vice	C	Power attack	Hooked nails, can grab anyone bigger than her, power of darkness, multiple attacks.
Sie Kensou	C	Wing Chun, Chinese Kung Fu	Dragon spirit, telepathy
Leona	C	Martial arts, Heidern style assassination techniques.	Cutting and piecing with hands, can create a ball of energy blades, and explosive techniques.
Joe Higashi	C	Muay Thai	Multiple attacks, explosive strikes, aerokinesis
Raiden	D	Pro Wrestling	Poison breathe powerlifting.
Kula Diamond	D	Anti K’ arts	Ice control, ice spikes, freeze, ice shield, ice breath.
Chin Gentsai	D	Chinese Kung Fu	Fire breathe, fire body.

Verdict

To summarize it all King of Fighter 13 is a much improved and better version of its predecessor in terms of notable new modes, satisfying execution, and visual presentation.

The gameplay received many positive reviews from critics and was also awarded as the best fighting game of the year by GameSpot. The KOF 13 is an outstanding game in terms of breathtaking animation and bedazzling graphical presentation and includes some fantastically animated 2-D characters which were much appreciated by the gaming critics. With its distinct and astounding visual graphics, this game won the hearts of the players and critics.