Gakuran Tier List: Best Fighting Styles (October 2026)
This tier list ranks Gakuran's fighting styles for PvP. It combines independent community tier lists with the balance changes from the patch notes. The roster has grown from 8 styles in July to 24 styles after the October 3 "Holy Grail" update (v10.00), and the newest ones don't have a settled ranking yet. Where the sources disagree, we say so instead of picking a side.
Tiers: S = dominant, A = strong and reliable, B = viable with the right player, C = situational or weak in most matchups.
S Tier
Boxing S
The one placement every source agrees on. Beebom's July list, BlueStacks' October 7 list and Sportskeeda's October list all put Boxing at the top. Its two-hit Untouchable M2 has i-frames through the whole animation, so it can only be parried or dodged. Switch Stance (added in v8.200) refunds 1.5s of heavy cooldown every time your 4th M1 lands, and Boxing is also one of the eight styles that can now be awakened. It's Epic (10% group), so it's realistic to roll.
Wrestling S
Also S tier in both Beebom's July list and BlueStacks' October list. Wrestling was reworked in v8.200: its Takedown M2 grabs and slams for 1.5× damage with hyperarmor, and its 55% grapple-clash chance is tied for the highest in the game. It's Legendary (1% group) and awakenable.
Ali & Kure S
BlueStacks' October list also puts Ali and Kure in S tier. Ali's i-frame shuffle and auto-counter make it slippery, but it's in the ??? group (0.05% combined), so almost nobody has it. Kure has taken two nerfs since its July release: 6% slower M1s in v9.00 (Sep 19), then a softer crit and a shorter no-parry window in QOL #4 (Oct 10). Its S placement predates the second nerf.
A Tier
BlueStacks' October 7 list puts these four in A tier:
- Muay Thai — maxed block chip (Guard Pierce V) and grapple chance (Resilience V), plus awakenable. Beebom's July list had it in C tier, so it's the most disputed placement here.
- Capoeira — the best mobility in the game (25% shorter dash cooldown), and it gained Crushing Force I in v8.200. Older lists split between A and B.
- Hakari — reworked into a Legendary in August. Its Momentum Rush turns a clean M1 string into a 3× damage heavy. Awakenable.
- Striker — accelerating M1 rhythm plus a feint crit that baits early parries.
B Tier
- Karate — took the biggest nerf of any established style in v9.00 (8% slower M1s), but QOL #4 made its crit hit harder and reach further. Beebom had it in A before the nerf.
- Slugger — deals more and takes more damage. Every July list had it in C tier; BlueStacks now has it in B after Unstable was retuned.
- Basic — solid fundamentals, no signature move.
C Tier
- Wing Chun — BlueStacks' only C-tier style. A run of nerfs (20% less crit damage, a longer crit cooldown and a bigger punish window on a missed counter) hit it hard. Note that QOL #4 (Oct 10, after that list) buffed its landed counter to stun long enough for two follow-up hits.
Unranked — Too New for a Reliable Ranking
None of the sources we checked rank these yet. Their perks are confirmed on the fighting styles page:
| Style | Rarity | Added |
|---|---|---|
| Perfect Copy | ??? | v10.00 (Oct 3) |
| Aikido | Epic | v10.00 (Oct 3) |
| Taijutsu | Uncommon | v10.00 (Oct 3) |
| Hikaken | Uncommon | v10.00 (Oct 3) |
| Giovanna | Uncommon | v10.00 (Oct 3) |
| Jin | ??? | v9.00 (Sep 19) |
| Dragon | Legendary | v9.00 (Sep 19) |
| Mishima | ??? | v8.200 (Sep 5) |
| Lethwei | Epic | v8.200 (Sep 5) |
| CQC | ??? | v8.103 (Aug 22) |
| Kyokushin Karate | Legendary | v8.103 (Aug 22) |
| Kickboxing | Uncommon | v8.103 (Aug 22) |
A few notes from the patch history: Mishima lost its Unbothered perk and 16% of its M1 speed in v9.00, so early praise for it is outdated. Kyokushin Karate's damage reduction was cut from 15% to 10% in v8.200. QOL #4 slowed the M1s of Perfect Copy, Aikido and Hikaken within a week of their release.
How Much Does Tier Actually Matter?
Less than you'd think at beginner level. The gap between an S-tier and a B-tier style is far smaller than the gap between a player who can parry and manage posture and one who can't. Master the fundamentals first, then reroll. If you're chasing a ??? style specifically, the new pity system lets you pick which one your pity targets.
Sources: BlueStacks tier list (Oct 7, 2026), Sportskeeda (Oct 2026), Beebom (Jul 9, 2026), and patch notes through QOL #4 (Oct 10, 2026). Checked October 18, 2026.