Fatal Fury City of the Wolves tier list: Best characters ranked & explained

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves has a diverse roster of fighters for almost any archetype you can think of. And, though it’s a well balanced and structured game, there are naturally some characters that are better than others.

Whether it’s high combo damage, good mix-ups, strong normals, exceptional air control, or something else entirely, every fighter excels in at least one area. Keep in mind that even those placed in B tier are playable, and they’re only there because using their tools is just a bit harder than the rest of the cast.

Ultimately, pick whichever character looks most fun to you to start, maybe a guest character like Ronaldo is what gives you the motivation to stick with and learn CotW. Enjoying your character will give you the best experience with this already great fighting game.

But, if you’re looking to be truly competitive, picking a strong character is the best place to start.

Here’s our full tier list of the best fighters in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves tier list

Tier	Characters
S	Vox, Kain, Hokutomaru, Gato, Billy Kane, Salvatore Ganacci
A	Ronaldo, Rock Howard, Hotaru, Preecha, Terry, Tizoc, Marco, Mai, B. Jenet
B	Kevin, Dong Hwan

Our tiers explained

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves has a generally small and well-balanced roster on launch. Everyone is viable, but there are some slight differences between characters that put some above and below the midpoint of balance. That’s why we only have 3 tiers in the list at the moment, though that could change post-launch when more characters get added.

• S: The definitive top characters. They excel in pretty much every situation and have unique strengths that set them apart from the rest of the crowd.
• A: Generally well balanced. Defined strengths and weaknesses.
• B: Still strong in the right hands, but with some real setbacks that put them down a tier.

S Tier

Vox Reaper

Vox was one of the most popular characters in both Betas for CotW, and it’s no surprise why. He has pretty much every tool you’d ever want outside of long-range pokes. Great normals, high combo damage with moves that are relatively easy to execute. He also boasts some grappler mechanics without having to be big, slow, and bulky.

As a character, Vox is the complete package. The only real downside is that he severely lacks range, but CotW’s defense mechanics combined with his very strong moves make this a non-issue in the hands of a player who knows how to utilize all the defensive mechanics at their disposal.

Pros	Cons
Extremely high damage with relatively easy combo routes	Relatively close range
Can start high damage combos with just a light attack, making him very scary to block against	Struggles a bit against zoners, lacks evasive moves to dodge projectiles
Very high pressure with strong tools if he can get close enough	Most of his combo routes start up close, his long range pokes are slow and low reward

Kain D. Heinlein

Kain is the quintessential zoner in CotW. If you want to be a complete nuisance to your opponent and never give them a chance to get up close, he’s your man. You essentially force the opponent to play your game.

Surviving the hail of projectiles from Kain and getting close enough to him to actually deal damage is a challenge. However, due to the fact that he has to use EX moves to get full screen coverage with his pokes, pressuring him into Overheat is an option.

Pros	Cons
The most oppressive poke damage in the game with high coverage and slow projectile speed (good thing)	Requires knowledge to get the most out of him, very much a setplay zoner who wants to checkmate his opponent
Doesn’t lack damage up close despite strong range	Vulnerable to overheating
Nightmare Oki, getting off the ground against Kain is really tough	Doesn’t have many tools to cover ground fast, struggles to get out of corners

Hokutomaru

Hokutomaru is great for one simple reason: Speed. This character is exceptionally fast with high coverage moves, both with his normals and specials. He has the ability to get in fast and mix you up immediately, and the long range on his specials gives him great whiff punish.

While his projectiles are lackluster and his damage isn’t quite as high as the rest of the cast, Hokutomaru has more than enough strength to make up for those shortcomings. If playing CotW feels stiff for you and you’re looking for a bit more speed, Hokutomaru is your best bet.

Pros	Cons
Incredibly fast with special moves that cover a lot of ground	Fast normals, but they’re low coverage. Really has to get in close to start combos
The only character with a natural double jump, making his aerial mix very unpredictable	Needs EX specials to get plus frames in a lot of cases, very vulnerable to burnout
A ton of tools, can play at any range	Projectiles are meant more for zoning than winning on their own, has to eventually get in close

Gato

Gato is the absolute best character you can play if you’re looking to be aggressive and force your opponent into a bad spot. He has a ton of moves with plus frames, punishing the enemy for trying to hit back against you. His normals have a ton of forward motion, letting him whiff punish from afar and snipe hits most characters can’t.

He also has some of the highest combo damage in CotW, with him being able to carry someone from one of the stage to the other if he’s able to land max hits. Gato is an absolute menace with much less counterplay than other characters and is a very strong choice.

Pros	Cons
God-tier normals that lead into very high-damage combos	Doesn’t have great tools for dealing with zoners
Stance that forces a rock/paper/scissors situation for the opponent between getting hit, getting grabbed, and getting parried	A lot of his specials are whiff-punishable, meaning Gato can get countered by good spacing
Most of his options are low risk and have high reward	Learning how to implement his stance is difficult, and he moves much slower while in it

Salvatore Ganacci

Arguably the strangest fighting game guest character of all time (and I say that with Ronaldo in this game), Salvatore Ganacci is an absolute triumph. He looks like a joke character, but he has the frame data to back it up.

Extremely high coverage normals with really good frame data, great air control, the ability to convert light attacks into strong combos, great mix-up potential, several stances, and the ability to fly all make Salvatore both unique and powerful. He’s not easy, but he’s so much fun to play and look at that he’s worth sticking with and learning.

Pros	Cons
Obscenely good normals with high coverage and strong frame data	Converting normal hits into full combos isn’t exactly easy, and most of his specials aren’t good for getting in
Has multiple stances with a number of offense options, giving him a ton of flexibility	Somewhat situational super moves, properly using his physical counter super requires a good read
Great air control with offense that’s incredibly difficult to predict	Doesn’t have much in the way of defense options, can be overwhelmed if he gets put in the corner

Billy Kane

If the idea of poke sounds nice to you but you’re not into tossing projectiles, Billy has the benefit of the longest range normals in CotW. He can hit you from across the screen with very little windup, leading into some pretty decent combo damage. Plus, unlike other games he’s been in Billy’s got combos this time around.

He has the ability to pull enemies closer to him with a frame advantage depending on how you use his poke moves, giving him the ability to immediately force a mix up. Additionally, he can block projectiles with his spin move, making him the essentially the anti-zoner zoner. Billy isn’t perfect, but he’s very oppressive and is arguably the strongest he’s ever been.

Pros	Cons
Incredibly long range normals that deal significantly more poke damage than a typical fireball	His cane becomes part of his hitbox when he uses it, making him surprisingly easy to whiff punish if you know what you’re doing
Does well into zoner characters while being a zoner himself, counters projectiles with ease	Doesn’t do a ton of damage with individual combos, has to win more interactions than most characters to take a round
Very good space control, can keep the opponent at a distance or close the gap if he wants to	Lacks strong defensive options or an invincible DP, requires meter for his best panic buttons

A Tier

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo has been ripped right off the field and put into Fatal Fury, but he’s still bringing his unique skill set all the way to the top of the tier list. If you’re good at Ronaldo, he has some nasty setplay that’s really hard to do anything against. If he gets you into the corner, the game is basically done.

Ronaldo revolves entirely around controlling his ball. And, though his normals seem lackluster on the surface, he still has fast kicks up close and excels at that mid range. It was a bit of a strange decision to make a guest character so difficult and unorthodox, but Ronaldo has the sauce if you’re willing to learn him.

Pros	Cons
Incredibly strong setplay, can loop you into offense that’s almost impossible to block if you get cornered	Requires momentum and good spacing to succeed, it can be hard to get control of the match back if you lose it
Great rushdown and strong frame data on normals for someone who does so much zoning, it’s hard to know how Ronaldo’s going to hit you	Really, really hard to play, requires good timing and game knowledge to do remotely well
Getting off the ground against Ronaldo is an absolute nightmare	The fact that he has to set up a ball can make his poke predictable even if it is strong

Rock Howard

Rock Howard has fighting game main character energy in the best ways. Simple to use, effective, but not in any way fantastic. He’s one of the better characters you can choose if you’re looking to learn the game.

Fairly easy to start combos, strong whiff punish, a command grab, a parry, decent pokes: Rock Howard teaches you the basics of how to play every playstyle in the game, and it makes him a great character to learn on if you’re having trouble. He’ll teach you what kind of playstyle you want to make your own.

Pros	Cons
Easy to play and relatively straightforward	Every tool he has needs a specific use case, so playing him well requires learning every special move and when to use them
Can easily turn normals into full combos that are easy to execute	Somewhat situational supers, you can’t just input a super move and expect it to hit
Has literally everything but excels at nothing. A jack of all trades in every sense.	Has literally everything but excels at nothing. A jack of all trades in every sense.

Hotaru Futaba

If you’re looking for someone with fast strikes and great movement, Hotaru may be for you. While she has relatively low range normal hits, she has some pretty easy to execute combos and a ton of tools that allow her to get into someone’s face and out of sticky situations.

On top of having the ability to reflect projectiles, she can also launch some slow fireballs of her own. This is actually a huge strength, as she can run up with her fireball and turn it into a mix. Pair this with some really great anti-air and Hotaru is incredibly good if you don’t mind getting up close and personal.

Pros	Cons
Super strong in the air and has great anti-air tools as well, she controls the opponent very well	Very, very limited range on her normals
Has a ton of tools to deal with poke and pressure if you know how to use them	Poke is relatively low damage, more for opening people up than 100-0ing them
Strong frame data, has a ton of plus on block specials that punish the opponent for trying to fight back	All or nothing character, she’s all about finding a window to get in and taking it

Preecha

Neutral is more relevant in CotW than most other modern fighting games, but Preecha is one of the few characters who has great tools for skipping it. She can force 50/50 situations with her stance, crush lows with rushdown moves (many of which can cross up), and has super solid plus frames on certain moves.

It’s not like you can just mash with her and win, but she’s great for playing in the opponent’s face and making them really feel the pressure. Not to mention her 2 bar super is a true full-screen check even through projectiles, allowing her to punish even a small projectile throw by taking about a third of your health. Preecha is always scary.

Pros	Cons
Very rushdown focused with strong neutral skip mechanics	Slow and very predictable projectiles
Has built in backsway and cross ups, rewarding her for reading her opponent with relatively low risk	Isn’t as mash-friendly as rushdown characters from other games, most of her strings are very punishable
One of the best 2 bar supers in the game	Doesn’t do great against long range normals, most of her neutral skip has wind up

Terry Bogard

Terry plays about how you’d expect him to if you’ve played any game he’s been in for the past 20 years. Super solid meaty normals with heavy attacks, most of which are special cancellable, and he can snipe decent combos with very little effort.

He’s got a special that sends him flying halfway across the screen. And, while you lose your turn, it isn’t outright punishable on block in the vast majority of cases. Most of his bread and butter specials also incorporate right into his combos, making his combos feel very natural with little game knowledge.

Pros	Cons
Very easy and freeform combo style, throw out special moves and you’ll probably get some extra hits	Normals that are just ok with supers that are fairly telegraphed, Terry can get spaced out by people who know how to play against him
Most of his special moves are safe on block, allowing you to just throw them out and fish for hits	His poke hits very low to the ground, can be jumped over with very little effort
Can skip neutral if you don’t feel like learning it, just throw out moves and have fun	Has a big windup on most specials, making him struggle a bit against rushdown

Tizoc

Tizoc is the grappler. There’s something magical about fighting game grappler characters who dress like wresters and wear animal masks, they just have a certain aura about them. And Tizoc is arguably the biggest aura farmer of them all, CotW really nailed the grappler archetype here.

He’s got relatively fast and long range normals, the ability to dash across the screen rapidly with some of his grabs, and just deals a ton of damage. If you don’t like long combos and just want big grabs with big damage, Tizoc is your man. Just be careful against zoners.

Pros	Cons
Big grabs that deal a ton of damage	Is big and slow with very few tools to deal with zoners, also doesn’t have great anti-air tools
Much more mobile than most other grappler archetypes in fighting games. Still generally slow but has a few tools to get in quick	Requires lighting fast motion inputs if you want to get those command grabs out before you get hit
Relatively fast and threatening normals that can open up your opponent and let you get in for that grab	Very easily punished for whiffing grabs, requires good spacing and reads

Marco Rodrigues

If you’re the kind of person who plays Ryu in Street Fighter, Marco is the man for you. He’s about as Shoto as Shoto gets, complete with a fireball, DP uppercut, a flurry of kicks, and precise moves that hit hard.

He’s got a kit that seems simple on its surface, but requires some real game knowledge to use well. His uppercut only works if you’re using it at just the right time to anti-air, his projectiles only mean something if you create space with them and open someone up for a bigger combo. Requires generally good fighting game knowledge to utilize well, but he’s got a great toolset.

Pros	Cons
The quintessential Shoto with strong poke and supers custom-built to counter certain mechanics	Not great in the hands of a masher, meant for a more methodical playstyle
Has a tool for every situation and can fight well at any range	Midscreen combos are very underwhelming, needs to force his opponent into the corner to cash in on big damage
Can cover a lot of ground with his specials, he’s a lot faster than most typical Shotos	You’ll need to be very on point with motion inputs to nail the timings on his DP and other specials

Mai Shiranui

If you love the neutral game and playing footsies to whiff punish small mistakes your opponent makes, Mai is a great choice. Decent projectiles with high-coverage special moves give her the ability to bait and switch. You’ll want to try and force the other player to attack and then swoop in for an immediate punish.

You won’t want to just spam moves with her, she’s all about forcing the opponent to make mistakes and controlling the stage. She even has counterhit launchers that give her a full combo conversion specifically for hitting someone at just the right timing.

Pros	Cons
Very strong whiff punish, has multiple counterhit moves that can convert into full combos	Her normals are just ok and don’t have many plus frames, spamming with Mai won’t work
Oppressive poke and high chip damage on certain moves	Normal hits don’t convert into combos quite as easily as most of the cast
Very strong air movement, has tools to keep her from getting rushed down and can get out of corners	Most of her best specials are very telegraphed, she should be using them to counter what the enemy is doing rather than being used in neutral

B. Jenet

If you’re looking to play neutral well and keep your opponent in check by forcing them into uncomfortable positions where there is no correct option, B. Jenet is your best bet. Sure, her parry mechanic is great if you can manage to read your opponent, but she has a lot more going on than that.

B. Jenet’s greatest strength is how well she can cancel specials. She can get in with the first part of a few different special moves and use that gap close, forcing heavy offense that’s very hard to get away from. Both her normals and specials cover a ton of ground vertically, making her hard to avoid and a constant threat

Pros	Cons
Can cover a lot of ground very fast, making her a constant issue that has to be dealt with	Her poke is mediocre at best
Her normals have a lot more range than you’d think, allowing her to compete with footsies characters	Relatively weak defense, can physical counter but doesn’t have strong answers to most offense. She’s better when she’s attacking first most times
Very strong air control that rewards strong reads, and can even use backdash to cancel into aerial specials	Requires you to learn the difference between hops and jumps, the timing on using her jumping attacks fast is very difficult to get the hang of

B Tier

Kevin Rian

If you’re looking for a big bruiser and Vox isn’t your style, Kevin is a decent pick. He does an unbelievable amount of damage if he can land a full combo into his 2 bar super, and he’s got some great mix ups that can catch the enemy off guard if they aren’t prepared to block it.

However, he has no projectiles and very few ways to skip neutral. Kevin isn’t bad, he’s just hard. Instead of having the ability to use a move that dashes in and does damage, he has to roll through a projectile at just the right time and then toss the right move out. There are bound to be some very good Kevin players, and he feels great when you’re able to actually get close and land hits. But he’s not easy.

Pros	Cons
Some of the highest damage combos in CotW	Can roll through projectiles, but it takes really good timing
Great normal hits and strong neutral if he’s able to get up close and stay there	Getting in against an opponent who knows how to keep you out takes a lot of effort
Great aerial moves that can strike from above and punish people for blocking low or spamming projectiles	Requires a lot of precision to use his aerial moves, they have a relatively small hitbox

Kim Dong Hwan

Dong Hwan is a Tae Kwon Do fighter with a bit of extra flair: He’s lighting fast, literally. Though he doesn’t have ranged poke with his lighting, it does make him a whole lot faster than most characters and amps his attacks. Though he’s got strong mix, Dong Hwan can cancel many of his specials in a way that gives him incredible mix-up potential and allows him to punish opponents who are stand blocking.

If you can find your opening, this character can confuse the opponent with his barrage of kicks and meet their offense with even better offense. You know what they say about the best defense.

Pros	Cons
Excellent normals that fire fast and have a ton of hitstop, giving you more time than most characters to convert	Very special cancel and EX reliant, making him burn out fast
Special cancelling his moves is very effective, can even special cancel in the air to get a double jump	No projectiles and very few tools to do well against zoners
Very strong air control and a ton of special options from the air	Has an aerial super that’s really hard to land, with his other super only being good in combos. Big lack of panic buttons for a rushdown character