Tier List (Assist)

Tier list is an approximate representation of perceived character strength in competitive play. This tier list is about assist characters in Dissidia 012 and is intended to serve as an educational piece for players unfamiliar with viable assists in the game.

For tier lists on playable characters, please refer to Tier List (Dissidia 012).

Disclaimer

The following list is written by Muggshotter and does not necessarily represent complete community consensus. It may be updated in response to player feedback to serve the goal of educating uninformed people. The exact placements for assist characters may vary depending on the player, but certain assists are known to perform well either way. While the balance of character strength may not matter at beginner levels, assist characters in Dissidia 012 can heavily impact any character's performance in competitive matches.

That being said, please exercise critical thinking when consulting tier lists; The integrity of this tier list may be determined by the reader, their trust in the creator of the list and how the presented arguments are interpreted.

Ranking

Top Tier
Kuja, Aerith, Jecht
High Tier
Sephiroth, Tidus, Yuna, Onion Knight
Mid Tier
Zidane, Gilgamesh, Terra, Vaan, The Emperor, Cecil, Kain, Exdeath, Golbez
Low Tier
Ultimecia, Warrior of Light, Garland, Firion, Cloud of Darkness, Bartz, Kefka, Cloud, Tifa, Laguna,Squall, Prishe, Gabranth, Lightning
Bottom Tier
Shantotto

Feral Chaos is not available as an assist character and therefore cannot be ranked in a tier list.

Top Tier

A good assist is able to provide consistent HP damage opportunities when used for their bravery attacks at the cost of one (1) assist gauge. These assists provide the most value to majority of the roster in terms of damage, combo potential and utility. Some assists that are ranked lower may provide better utility, but they are character dependent. Top tier assists provide a more universal, competitively viable experience.

Kuja

"Let me help!"

Kuja has consistently worked as one of the best assists ever since the game was first released. Both of his air braveries have great combo potential for filler hits and enders alike. Because these braveries lead to Assist Chase, players can follow up with HP attacks pretty much anywhere in a stage. That alone creates a lot of consistency for Kuja's performance as an assist. The air bravery assist Strike Energy especially is notoriously effective in many aerial situations that can happen in the game. Whether you are hit confirming with Lightning's Thunder, following up with Cloud's wall rushes or whiff punishing long winded attacks such as Zidane's Shift Break out in the open, Kuja is reliable in all of these situations. The nature of Assist Chase means the player character can be far from their opponent and still get close enough to finish their combo.

Kuja assist's braveries also have good base damage which results in good EX gauge depletion on hit. And if a Ranged priority HP attack is required to safely bypass LV2 Assist Change, Kuja has that covered too in Flare Star (ground) and Force Symphony (midair). The latter is also one of the best HP assists at forcing disengagement in a scramble situation, even if it doesn't checkmate reliably.

Despite being one of the best assists, he still has weaknesses. Like many assists, Kuja's braveries are melee priority, which means a LV2 Assist Change can stagger Kuja and lock the player's assist gauge for roughly 20 seconds. He may hit hard, but he also stays out on the field for a while, which leaves him vulnerable to Assist Lock attempts if the opponent escapes when Kuja is attacking. This is especially true of his ground BRV Snatch Blow, which also has much slower startup frames. That makes it harder to use reactively for ground level wall rush extensions or as a whiff punisher. And lastly, the upward knockback on air BRV can work against you in stages with Banish Traps' at the ceiling. This is not a huge downside, considering these only exist in Ultimecia's Castle, Orphan's Cradle and the omega variants.

It is difficult to understate the effectiveness of Kuja as an assist. Even though different assists have character-specific synergy, Kuja can at least work as a serviceable replacement as a general purpose assist for basically any character. Garland, Firion, Cloud, Ultimecia and Jecht are some of the characters who utilize him to great effect, whereas characters such as The Emperor, Warrior of Light and Tidus do not benefit from him as much.

If you are just getting started with competitive play, using Kuja as your only assist character is far from the worst choice you could make. He is that good.

Aerith

"I'm here!"

Aerith is one of the most powerful assists in the game, but for very different reasons compared to Kuja. Her bravery attacks are not direct strikes with quick startup that lead to easy combos for a lot of damage. Rather, all of Aerith's assist attacks are spells with vastly different utility. She is the only assist who can generate bravery for the player character without hitting the opponent (Cure, ground BRV). She can provide one-of-a-kind invincibility that ignores any damage dealt to the player, rather than outright avoiding it (Planet Protector, ground HP). Aerith can even cast Holy (air HP) that hits the opponent wherever they are after a lengthy casting period.

The big cherry on top however, would be her air bravery - Seal Evil. This is a Ranged Low attack with relatively slow startup that freezes the opponent in place once it hits. It does not inflict bravery damage or EX gauge depletion, but the utility from this is uniquely powerful. Characters who can initiate Chase can set up inescapable combos where the player absorbs all floating EX Force on the field and then follow up with an attack of their choice. It does not require a wall, which is beneficial for chase inducing attacks such as Kuja's Strike Energy, Cloud's Double Cut and Tifa's Moonsault Kick. This also has the added benefit of larger window for reacting appropriately; It is much easier to react to an attack that the player could finish themselves than it is to react quickly to an attack partway through the initial hits.

Since Seal Evil is Ranged priority and Chase cannot be escaped from with Assist Change, this allows offensive players to safely start assist combos without risking their assist gauge getting locked. This is a boon for situations where both players are sitting with 2 full assist bars.

The nature of Seal Evil as a relatively long lasting attack also means it can be used to devastating effect in combos. Sometimes referred to as a "double Aerith combo", by calling Aerith against just before an HP attack connects, Seal Evil can trap the opponent again for a second time . This is not a concept every character can take advantage of effectively, but Zidane is infamous for synergizing with Aerith in this way; He can land up to four HP attacks in a single combo and deal a huge amount of damage with high base bravery builds.

These are all fantastic strengths for Aerith assist to have and she has earned her reputation as one of the best assists in the game. However, this still comes at a cost; The lack of EX depletion on hit requires more investment in builds and combo structure to cause similiar setbacks as with other assists. Aerith does not work effectively as a whiff punisher, which can be detrimental when looking for openings. And because of how Cure works on the ground, she is unavailable for an attack when the player character is on the ground.

Aerith is the kind of assist that lets characters create unique openings on hit that they normally wouldn't get, but this assumes that the character can hit the opponent in the first place. She can brute force an interaction if the player is willing to spend both assist bars, though this can be challenging to capitalize on.

Similiar to Kuja, Aerith can power up most characters on the roster even when she is not the strongest choice. Attacks that initiate Chase are common and her most used BRV assist bypasses LV2 Assist Change. Being safe, reliable and effective at enabling a lot of damage are traits many assists sorely lack. Some may argue Aerith is strong enough to warrant a ban in competition, but she has remained a top class assist for years.

Jecht

"You want the ace for relief?"

Jecht might not always be in the conversation for the single best assist in the game, but he is a powerful assist all the same. Fast startup for both braveries is rare in this game, which is great for combo and punishment purposes. His long combos provide amazing holding potential for setups, which is fantastic for characters like Lightning, Vaan and Golbez. The aerial Jecht Stream BRV assist in particular is powerful here; It is useful for filler hits, providing enough time for simple HP combo enders and Starfall loops with The Emperor.

Jecht assist's weak points are perhaps a bit more pronounced compared to Kuja and Aerith, though they are pretty straightforward. No Ranged priority attacks means Jecht is always vulnerable to getting staggered by LV2 Assist Change and the long combo animations make him easy pickings for an Assist Lock hit, especially midair. Jecht does not normally induce Assist Chase, which ultimately hurts conversions in larger, open-ended stages. And when wall rush is not available, players often have to finish their combo early at the cost of some bravery damage. Interim hits for ground BRV Jecht Rush assist are also often impractical if not impossible, so he's not an ideal assist for someone like Garland who thrives with Bardiche fillers.

Despite this, Jecht assist works reliably for a lot of characters. At a basic level, the timing for landing an HP attack is very generous. If there is floor below Jecht, he can guarantee a wall rush at most heights. Characters who can fight close to the ground are in a good position to take advantage of Jecht's best aspects without much compromise and the EX depletion on hit is still good. Jecht Blade HP on the ground is good for occasionally occupying more space, but the aerial Triumphant Grasp HP's diagonal downward angle leaves something to be desired. Whether or not he deserves to be ranked next to Kuja and Aerith depends on what a player values, but even as more niche assists have found their place in the meta, Jecht still very much has strengths that are unique to him.

High Tier

High tier assists are competent assists, typically possessing a good air bravery for combos in addition to utility that's differently executed from top tier assists. What makes these assists a bit weaker by comparison is that they don't have the same level of efficiency and consistency as top tier assists, which they don't always make up for. This is where character specific synergies begin to show up more, which have allowed high tier assists to flourish in competition. Not perfect assists or universally applicable, but good.

Sephiroth

"It's just a whim."

Sephiroth assist is often overshadowed by Kuja for their similiar combo structure and damage output, but without the Ranged priority HPs to make up the difference in safety against LV2 Assist Change. Both Kuja and Sephiroth have hard hitting multi-hit braveries which lead to Assist Chase. What Sephiroth assist does differently is that his braveries send the opponent flying with aggressive pushback at a diagonal angle, instead of directly upwards. This means some characters can struggle to connect their HP attacks after teleporting with Assist Chase, because of inadequate tracking and speed. HP linkers such as Warrior of Light and Onion Knight don't have a problem with this, so it should be no surprise that Sephiroth assist is often seen with those characters. The multi-hits also help a lot with knockback cancels, it's just good synergy all around for this subsection of characters.

But even when the knockback issue can be offset by using an HP attack during the assist instead of at the end, it raises another question; What does Sephiroth assist do differently in a way that matters?

Let's start with his ground bravery, Reaper. Kuja's ground bravery is slow on startup (35 frames), but Sephiroth's Reaper is notably faster (21 frames), while still providing great potential for filler attacks. Then there is Sudden Cruelty; While it shares the same startup speed with Kuja's Strike Energy (17 frames), the tip of its range becomes active with no additional travel time. This, combined with the disjointed hitbox and lengthy active frames can make it easier to use Sephiroth assist in dodge punish situations. And finally, the Hell's Gate HP functions as a high-power scramble breaking tool similiar to Kuja's Force Symphony. Sephiroth targets the opponent much faster, gives a more flexible combo conversion, hits in a wider area when he stops and he recovers much faster.

In some ways, Sephiroth can be seen as a "budget Kuja assist". But all these aspects contribute to Sephiroth's staying power. The better frame data and high cost scramble breaking ability help him, but they are not always prioritized in competitive play. A consistent, strong assist all around.

Tidus

"I'll help!"

Tidus assist is fairly well rounded, albeit somewhat asymmetrical. His air bravery assist Hop Step is amazing for whiff punishes and hitting The Emperor out of his Dreary Cell HP safely. That already is a rare trait in an assist, but it's also among the safest assists on hit against LV1 Assist Change. The HP attacks have a fair bit of tracking which helps in the rare instances they are needed. To top this off, Sonic Buster is one of the two assist ground braveries in the game that can end with a grounded wall rush. The startup on it rivals that of Kuja's Snatch Blow and filler hits are borderline impossible, but the combo potential afterwards is through the roof. Slice & Dice HP is also one of the best checkmate assists in the game with good tracking, long duration and Assist Chase on hit.

Tidus has slight shortcomings in many areas when compared to other other competitive assists specifically. His own damage output and EX depletion is lower than that of Sephiroth, Kuja or Jecht. Although Hop Step assist is good for punishes and combos (it has Assist Chase!), the hit stun is short. That's bad news for characters with long base bravery recovery and no BRV > HP links or players looking to capitalize on trades.

With top tier assists already making a strong case for themselves, Tidus needs something to distinguish himself. He doesn't work universally as effectively as Kuja or Jecht, nor does he enable outlandish damage output for everyone. Hop Step may be difficult to LV2 Assist Change against when the opponent has a lot of pressure put on them, but it, just like other Tidus' attacks are still melee priority. Tidus is not immune to LV2 Change stagger, Instead, his strength lies in the braveries' utility for punishment and ground combos. Coincidentally, Jecht benefits from both of these things and a wall-less Jecht Beam combo route. Other characters such as Cloud, Squall and Zidane may find success with diminishing returns.

The Tidus assist overview has a more in-depth look at his toolkit, but overall, Tidus doesn't usually outclass other top assists or break even with them in a single area. What he has is quite good, but Hop Step's relative safety may not always warrant picking him.

Yuna

"I'll try!"

If relying on air bravery is not a problem, Yuna has a unique advantage to support the player; Heavenly Strike air bravery is Ranged Low priority, which means she won't get staggered by LV2 Assist Change. This is great for encouraging meter usage from the opponent and the downward knockback lends well to grounded followups. Her air HP Diamond Dust also retains its fast startup, which makes it one of the better HP assists for whiff punish purposes, complete with Assist Chase on hit.

Squall is known to have exceptionally strong meter depletion with Yuna assist thanks to using Aerial Circle and third hit of Heavenly Strike in tandem for multiple HP hits. Laguna's grounded gameplan also benefits greatly from this one assist attack with Ricochet Shot conversions and aerial wall rushes. This is a more laser focused specialty compared to other assists shown so far, but it is effective with the right characters. Exdeath has better whiff punishment with Yuna and Warrior of Light has functional combo game with her.

The nature of Heavenly Strike as a short 3-hit combo with no Assist Chase means Yuna has mediocre holding potential that relies on ground wall rush for maximum potential. The hit stun and knockback on it are also low and some characters can struggle to land an HP at the end or compromise on damage to do it. Ranged Low priority is great for safety on hit, but bad for punishing attacks that can automatically block them on startup, such as Squall's Heel Crush. Yuna also spawns a bit too far out of Heavenly Strike's reach, which can complicate or limit conversions with her.

And unfortunately for Yuna, opponents who LV1 Assist Change right after the second hit can comfortably Assist Lock her if given room to do so.

Similiarly her ground bravery Meteor Strike has even worse combo potential, relying on a wall rush to enable followups. The Hellfire HP is good when used by Yuna as the primary character, but the space it occupies can be harder to justify when it's locked behind two full assist bars.

Much of Yuna's success hinges on how well her air bravery is utilized, but even that has conditions for many characters. If they can meet them, she can work really well. But otherwise, different assists can provide a lot more on average.

Onion Knight

"I'll help."

Onion Knight assist is similiar to Tidus in that he has different utility for both braveries and a serviceable air HP for a bit of space control in a pinch (Chase). The ground bravery Blizzard is a Ranged Low priority combo move with upward Assist Chase ender, which is very good for bypassing LV2 Assist Change and tacking on damage. Conversely, Turbo-Hit is a lightning fast melee priority attack that aggressively pursues the opponent on hit and wall rushes at the end. This is not easily converted to HP damage without good prior positioning or knockback cancel timing, but it provides some of the longest time out of any air assist for filler hits at ceilings and corners.

Kain and Jecht have good wall carry and filler hits to take advantage of Onion Knight assist. Cloud may have to use chase to get the most out of this assist, but really, any character with good ground wall rush potential and decent dash speed could stand to benefit here. Onion Knight's air whiff punishes are awkward due to his far spawn position and the distance he travels on hit. But on the plus side, he can also hit opponents escaping with LV1 Assist Change before they can defend again. It won't always steal matches, but it is arguably preferable to being easily locked after Assist Change every time. The tracking on Blizzard bravery is nothing to write home about, but Onion Knight does spawn a bit further away from the opponent, which can be used to interrupt grounded opponents more safely. Blade Torrent HP can also be used to catch dodges, though conversions are not that reliable.

Overall then, Onion Knight assist is a rather unique mix of ground and aerial traits that are not seen with other competitive assists that often. He won't necessarily do more damage than Kuja or create consistent openings through whiff punishes like Jecht, but he occupies a spot somewhere in between. Ranged Low priority for one assist bar is great to have, even if this one is limited to grounded opponents. And Comet is not a bad HP checkmates either. If your character cannot take advantage of it, Onion Knight does not have much to make up for it.

Mid Tier

This is where assist viability begins to gradually fall off. Assists in this category still possess unique strengths, but they also have more shortcomings overall. The amount of viable synergies fluctuates a lot, with most of them having average performance in many scenarios. That's not to say they are unusable; Mid tier assists can still whiff punish, enable combos and bypass LV2 Assist Change, but their effectiveness is more situational or simply weaker compared to previously listed top 7 assists.

Zidane

"Just leave it to me!"

Zidane assist is a good example of having a functional moveset that's frequently outclassed. His ground bravery Rumble Rush has good holding potential and leads to Assist Chase, but the startup is slow, the animation is long and the damage is only average. Vortex has a distinct upward trajectory from startup all the way to the wall rush finisher, and his relatively low spawn position can help him go under attacks. But much like Onion Knight, the distance travelled on hit and reliance on wall rush make it less effective as a raw whiff punisher or a combo extender, especially in large stages. His HPs are not top class either, but Free Energy is one of the faster single hit HP attacks in the game that also provides Assist Chase. The hit stun on it is short though, which can limit conversions.

Thanks to his ground bravery, Zidane assist can synergize well with a bunch of characters for combo purposes. His air bravery isn't the worst for someone like Jecht either. But luckily for Final Fantasy IX fans, Zidane works rather well with Kuja's air combos because his combos send the opponent straight up. With Chase and Free Air Dash, Kuja can still capitalize on a number of wall rushes Zidane assist gets this way.

Gilgamesh

"Let me give you a hand!"

Gilgamesh can be likened to Yuna assist in that his combo structure is very similiar. Aerial bravery Tsubamegaeshi is a brief multi-hit combo that sends the opponent towards the ground. Ground bravery Cross Slash holds the opponent a bit longer than Meteor Strike before sending them away. The big differences boil down to better lateral range, lack of Ranged priority on Gilgamesh's moves and his unique gimmick on drawing random weapons; Gilgamesh has a 50 % chance to draw either all Excalibur or Excalipoor. This means Gilgamesh will either do double damage and EX depletion, or do 1 damage per hit and fill EX gauge for the opponent.

Without the safety against LV2 Assist Change, bolstered meter depletion or otherwise notable strengths for combos and punishment, Gilgamesh is a functional assist that can do more bravery damage than Yuna, but without her special utility. Death Claw HP has good lateral tracking and Hurricane is fast as an HP, but using two assist bars for assist is very expensive and often better used on LV2 Assist Change.

Terra

"I'll fight too!"

Terra assist is all Ranged and Unblockable priority, which means she is practically immune to LV2 Assist Change. The downside is that her assists aren't very easy to combo into (Graviga) or follow up on (Blizzara). But characters such as Squall or Jecht can still benefit from her. Graviga can be used effectively in ground combos and chase sequences close to floors, but Terra needs protection while she is casting it. The maximum vertical reach is also somewhat short, covering roughly half of Order's Sanctuary or slightly less. The damage potential is noteworthy if you are willing to spend another assist bar, as Terra can be called again before comboing off of the first Graviga. This is how Aerith's double Seal Evil combos work as well, the difference is that the player must call Terra when they are on the ground instead. Being tied to the ground in this is way is detrimental in the long run, but it does work.

Blizzara on the other hand is a quick low priority wall rush attack that is fired from a distance. The hit stun isn't very long and wall rush is required for most practical combos, but the damage is serviceable when it works. Using Terra's Blizzara to trade with HP attacks can be difficult to stop once she gets going, though it is worth noting it doesn't have much tracking.

Meltdown HP stays out for a few seconds when used, which is good for pressuring the opponent in small stages. But overall Terra assist doesn't provide many strong benefits for giving up practical conversions. If the top 7 assists are out of the picture, she can have more presence in the competition.

The Emperor

"This will be costly."

The Emperor assist relies on player's positioning (ground or midair) to lay down his infamous Thunder Crest trap or aerial Mines for respectable burst damage. Just like Terra assist, The Emperor has no melee priority attacks and thus is practically immune to LV2 Assist Change. In fact, using it after getting hit by Thunder Crest will cause Assist Lock for the opponent trying to escape from it. The Emperor also despawns quickly, making him one of the safest assists in this aspect.

Comboing into Thunder Crest requires adequate holding potential for the primary character. Mines are also slow on startup and require near perfect timing to combo off of wall rushes. This makes The Emperor rather difficult to work with as a conventional combo extender, but Squall and Firion can both capitalize on his traps with their (mid)ranged tools and grounded combo starters. The end result is a mix of distinct area denial and stagger-free assist combos that can deal a lot of damage when optimized. And because The Emperor's projectiles stay out even when he is gone, he can be called again for extending combos when another assist gauge is available. This is usually reserved for grounded combos though.

Players looking for more unconventional combo game and area denial will find something to work with, assuming they operate close to the ground. The Emperor is not an assist who can create openings for the player, at least not in the way the most powerful assists can.

Cecil

"You alright?"

Cecil's most prominent strength is as an aerial combo extender. Radiant Wings bravery has long travel distance, good damage output and holds the opponent for a long time, so any character who benefits from grounded setups such as Cloud, Squall and The Emperor can make good use of it. The startup on Radiant Wings is on the slower side and the tracking isn't best in class, so he's not the most reliable assist for converting off of stray hits. The knockback issues that Gilgamesh and Yuna assists have are also present, but Cecil is somewhere between the two.

Other moves don't offer nearly as much value and in the case of HPs, are often too expensive. Shadow Lance is serviceable for Cecil, but not when it is used as an assist. It sends the opponent away in quick fashion, with wall rush being the primary avenue for followups. Soul Eater HP has little tracking or combo potential to justify the meter usage, while Saint's Fall travels in a fixed trajectory.

With other assists providing more utility both on the ground and in the air, Cecil assist is often outclassed even in the one aspect he excels at.

Vaan

"Someone called?"

Vaan assist has one thing going for him - His air bravery on-hand Staff is a reliable wall rush combo extender and an occasional whiff punish tool. It causes Assist Chase, just like Tidus' Hop Step. Unfortunately it is slower on startup compared to Hop Step, the base damage of Staff is similiarly low and the hit stun is not very long either. Vaan also tends to spawn further away from the opponent than what he travels with Staff, which makes midscreen conversions with pokes like Warrior of Light's Dayflash or Prishe's Raging Fists impractical, if not impossible.

The ground bravery assist on-hand Greatsword has very little combo potential. It can wall rush, so it functions something like Yuna's Meteor Strike in practice, with the exception that Vaan actively moves forward during the attack. Vaan's HPs are a bit lackluster even as assists, though Cataclysm is not terrible as a ground wall rush extender if you can call him early.

In a sense, Vaan assist is something of a one-trick pony. And that one trick isn't even best in class. A stark contrast to how he operates as a proper playable character.

Exdeath

"Shall I assist?"

Exdeath assist is a bit too slow to be practical with most common combo starters and non-ceiling wall rushes, but if your character can hold the opponent in place long enough, the Hurricane air bravery is a damaging multi-hit with Assist Chase. It has long duration, good hit stun and picks up ceiling wall rushes well. The last hit causes less momentum from Assist Chase than Sephiroth too. Shantotto works well with this assist and Cloud of Darkness is known to do a lot of bravery damage with a strong single-hit filler.

The ground bravery Sword Dance is mid priority, which can at the very least force characters without high priority command block to move. It's not that user friendly in combos or punishment though, and invincibility provided by Evasion Boost and Precision Evasion abilities make it less practical for opening up opponents consistently.

Delta Attack still retains its guard properties, which can be useful as an interception tool. HP assists are typically too expensive for the reward they yield, but at the very least Exdeath has some utility to go with his. Grand Cross is still unblockable, but takes a while to connect.

Overall, Exdeath assist's downsides are too severe to make up for his strengths in most cases.

Kain

"Leave it to me."

Kain functions as a serviceable combo extender off of wall rushes, with ceiling wall rushes being the one exception to the rule. The aerial BRV Crashing Dive travels at a diagonal angle which makes him miss opponents at the ceiling, but it has about the same level of holding potential as Gilgamesh and Yuna air braveries. Kain's ground BRV Lance Burst has good range and speed with adequate hit stun via Assist Chase at the end, which works well off of any ground wall rush.

Both braveries can be leveraged effectively when used near the ground, either with the ground wall rush or calling just before it occurs. In this sense, Kain has more flexibility in combos compared to Gilgamesh assist whose braveries aren't as evenly spread in utility. Crashing Dive doesn't provide reliable aerial-only combos in large stages, which ultimately hurts his viability overall. If the situation calls for a single hit HP finish, Kain assist has this covered as well, though it's not best in class due to its startup speed.

Golbez

"Let's roll!"

Golbez assist has some of the more complex braveries out of the bunch that usually work off of wall rushes, not unlike Kain. His braveries provide Assist Chase on the initial physical hit and then additional effects based on the attack he uses. This is good news for anyone proficient with ground wall rushes and aerial BRV > HP links, though Golbez's damage output may not get to shine in these instances. His HPs can function as cover for the primary character and both spawn based on whether or not player is grounded or airborne. Nightglow attempts to spawn between the player and the opponent, while Genesis Rock HP can take up a lot of space around himself for a period of time.

While Kain assist struggles to convert off of ceilings, Golbez has a different problem with wall rushes; His air bravery Attack System has short lateral reach for the initial physical hit, which limits conversion opportunities. Ceiling wall rushes are more consistent for him than conventional, horizontally aligned wall rushes. Manipulating his spawn position with camera and stage positioning can help, but generally provide diminishing returns for the effort required. Despite having Assist Chase, Attack System has low hit stun that doesn't last until the followup projectiles hit. This highlights the importance of viable ceiling wall rush combo starters, along with attacks that have fast startup. Warrior of Light, Kain and Cloud all have something to work with here, so even though Golbez assist has clear shortcomings as a combo tool, his synergy is not limited to one character.

Low Tier

This category is reserved for assists with very disjointed strengths that are pretty much never an optimal choice for most characters. These assists can still do something, but they either sacrifice a lot for it. For example, Firion assist can enable extensive ground combos , but underperform in other areas. A common theme with low tier assists is that their aerial bravery is lackluster or downright unviable. If the best assists in the game are good for combos, whiff punishment and damage output, low tier assists usually don't compete in more than one category. These are assists that do not outclass the strongest assists and they may only synergize effectively with a single character.

Depending on how you view assists ranked in mid tier, low tier assists may cause contention and vice versa. The line between mid tier and low tier assists can be more difficult to define, but ultimately, their viability in competitive play is known to be inconsistent and suboptimal.

Ultimecia

"Shall I lend a hand?"

Ultimecia assist is another mage with no physical attacks for LV2 Assist Change to stagger, but she is not suited for consistent wall rush extensions, whiff punishes or converting off of pokes halfway through. Even though grounded Knight's Axe causes Assist Chase, it is far too slow for hitting opponents after a wall rush.

Instead, Ultimecia's strength lies in the aerial charged Knight's Axe bravery. The use cases for it are far and few in between, but it is possible to use Knight's Axe as part of an inescapable Chase combo. In addition, Jecht is able to loop his Jecht Rush dodge cancel combo up to three times in total because the assist gauge is not grayed out by the time axe hits. These are powerful techniques in their own right and charged Knight's Axe high base damage (40) scales very well with Assist Critical Boost ability if it activates. But they also require a character who is able to set up these situations near a wall. And when charged Knight's Axe does wall rush, the character will need a fast enough attack to follow up on it in time. It's a lot to ask for what is essentially a niche upgrade to combos.

Outside of that one bravery attack, Ultimecia assist provides little in terms of utility. Even though charged Knight's Axe is a high priority projectile with long active duration, it is easy to avoid outside of combos. The HP attacks are also usable in tandem with Chase with wide area of effect and Assist Chase, but they are also situational and expensive to use.

Kefka

Kefka's braveries are on the slower side, but they are also Ranged priority attacks with Assist Chase on hit. Being Ranged Low priority, they're not very effective at denying space or preventing opponents from dashing through them. Comboing into them requires ample hit stun and a fast HP attack is necessary to reliably convert these hits into HP damage. Much like The Emperor, Terra and Aerith, Kefka's attacks change depending on where the player is instead of where the opponent is. That puts the onus of starting combos squarely on the player character's own combo ability.

One notable synergy is with Kuja ; His ability to hold the opponent and extend hit stun with Chase allows Kefka's Extra-Crispy Firaga (ECF) to connect reliably for bravery and HP followups. In practice, Kuja gets to ignore LV2 Assist Change with his typical combo routes while still keeping a bit of bravery damage and EX depletion in the mix. Aerith assist cannot output bravery damage, so in this sense, Kefka assist would actually be better than her, who is widely considered to be one of the best assists overall. But the difficulty of applying these braveries and their effectiveness can be overshadowed by other assists overall. Kefka doesn't whiff punish quickly, the hit stun on ECF is low and his damage output is below average; Because of the far spawn position, ECF's multiple projectiles are more likely to miss and the base damage for each is low individually (15). With the assist storage glitch, he can become much more efficient all around, but the price for it is rather steep; Players will want more mileage out of their assist outside of edge cases long before they even happen.

Squall

So close, yet so far. Squall's ground bravery Solid Barrel is good with faster-than-average startup, multi-hits, Assist Chase and short recovery if the opponent escapes before the final hits. Blasting Zone can interrupt or even call out dodges with its tracking and Aerial Circle can combo during Chase with some characters, such as Jecht.

The problem lies in his air bravery - Heel Crush. This is a slow, melee mid priority attack with downward knockback on hit. But much like Exdeath's Sword Dance assist, its utility in neutral isn't very strong due to small hitbox and the abundance of invincibility available with dodges. It can work against Shantotto and Yuna who rely on Ranged Low attacks that don't recover quickly, but Heel Crush is difficult to follow up even when it hits. Conditioning opponents to block it is also challenging. Aerial assists are the most commonly used attacks, which is why Vaan assist can be seen as more powerful than Squall is, despite him having arguably a stronger set of attacks in other areas.

Cloud

Cloud is a very straightforward assist, he hits the opponent and wall rushes them. The iconic Slashing Blow and Sonic Break are in full swing here with above average base damage. Unfortunately, he doesn't enable consistent combos without wall rush and he has no moves with Assist Chase either. His HPs can be situationally good for tracking opponents, Braver especially during Chase. But the reward on hit isn't that noteworthy. In small stages such as Edge of Madness, Cloud has more potential to support the player, but generally speaking his toolkit is underwhelming when it comes to capitalizing on his hits.

Tifa, Bartz, Gabranth, Prishe, Laguna

These assists have a couple things in common. Their ground braveries are serviceable in wall rush combos, but their aerial braveries are far less practical in situations assists are often used in.

Tifa's air bravery Falcon's Dive has relatively short hit stun and unfavorable spawn positions relative to the angle they're attacking from, which makes it harder to hit opponents and extend combos.

Gabranth's Aero is simply too slow with short reach to be viable for punishment and combos, while the low priority ensures it does not threaten space. It can be more flexible in combos if it does hit, which is an improvement over Squall assist.

Prishe's Backhand Blow being Melee High priority with tracking is great to have as a 1-bar checkmate against someone like Jecht, but the 29-frame startup, short combo time and reliance on wall rush make it less practical overall.

Then you have Laguna and his Shotgun bravery, where its charge time and narrow hitboxes work against everything that good assists should strive for. Laguna's Machine Gun bravery also keeps the abysmally low hit stun on the bullets and no Assist Chase or wall rush. It can be very easy to drop combos with him without precise timing on the followup.

Bartz is middle of the road with Blade Crash and Slide Shooter. Blade Crash has good startup with a low hit stun finisher, high knockback and Assist Chase. Slide Shooter causes ceiling wall rush. Spawn position and startup speed are among Slide Shooter's biggest problems, not to mention the knockback angle for followups.

In a game where aerial attacks can help more than anything else, these assists all struggle to compete with high tier assists, let alone be viable.

Lightning

Functionally similiar to Cloud, Lightning has arguably better HP attacks and ground bravery for utility with interruptions, combos and avoiding LV2 Assist Change stagger. Her air bravery Smite is difficult to convert off of if the player is not near a wall or floor, but she has one of the better combinations of tracking and speed to go along with it. Unfortunately none of these things stand out much when compared to higher tier assists. Lightning assist's common conversions rely on ground, which limits her potential overall.

Garland

Garland is also similiar to Cloud, but in a way that both rely on wall rushes for conversions. Round Edge is comparable to Cloud's Sonic Break in performance and the single hit Bardiche BRV does not lend well to conventional combos due to its relatively fast speed and short time spent holding the opponent in place.

His HPs aren't terrible, but still expensive to use. Cyclone HP can partially deny space and Tsunami HP has strong lateral tracking against grounded opponents with functional followups thanks to Assist Chase.

Firion

Firion offers unique, damaging combos with his air bravery Magic Arts: Flame when confirming a stagger / combo near the ceiling or floor. Unfortunately he gives up way too much in every other area, so he is not picked often in competitive play.

Cloud of Darkness

Cloud of Darkness has an awkward combo game with braveries. Setting up the air BRV is easier than following up on it afterwards due to its low hit stun. Ground BRV is a high knockback wall rush attack that relies on getting the wall rush for consistent combos. The ground HP Anti-Air Particle Beam works well with ground wall rushes and is safe against LV2 Assist Change, but the air HP Fusillade is too slow with limited reach to occupy space or break scramble situatinos.

Bottom Tier

Shantotto

Shantotto assist feels like an inverse of a good assist. She has slow startup on her braveries and HPs alike, which makes it very difficult to capitalize on her outside of wall rushes with HP assists. That already is not cost-efficient use of assist meter, but it holds back her potential so much. Elaborate solo combos such as ones seen with Squall can help with Bio, but this is heavily character dependent. Though the bravery depletion from Bio discourages HP usage, its benefits aren't usually enough to compete with straight up damage, strong combo extensions and punish opportunities other assists provide. Shantotto assist's braveries have little to no screen presence, questionable damage output and practically no utility.

And even if the player lands Bind for example, the reward is simply actionable immobilization. Aerith puts the opponent in a damaged state despite dealing no damage herself and other assists opt to deal more damage while keeping the opponent in check.

Characters who might have synergy with her already have better synergy with different assists. In practice, Shantotto is one of the weakest assists in the game for general use.

References

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