Honestly, every Brawl Stars tier list I’ve read in 2026 felt like it was written for someone else’s account, so I made my own. After grinding the January Buffies nonstop and watching Sirius get knocked off his throne, this is the ranking I actually trust.
Real talk: I dropped almost 400 trophies last month playing brawlers I thought were still S-tier. Lesson learned the hard way. Here’s what’s inside this one:
- Full S-to-D tier breakdown in clean tables
- What the January Buffies patch actually changed
- Mode-specific picks (Showdown vs. Gem Grab vs. Heist)
- Why Hypercharge availability shifts everything
- The 5 brawlers I’d unlock first on a fresh account
- A FAQ pulled straight from Reddit and YouTube comments
Table of Contents
What the January Buffies Patch Did to the Meta
If you skipped the patch notes, the short version is the January 2026 Buffies completely flipped the script. Forgotten veterans Bo, Crow, and Bibi clawed their way back from irrelevance, while multiple former S-tier staples got the nerf hammer and dropped hard.
The biggest shock for me? Sirius took a huge hit, dropping all the way from S-tier to B. Dude was the meta king for like two months and now I’m seeing him banned way less. Meanwhile, Najia’s recent rework shot her up to S-tier, and even though she does less damage now, basically everything else about her got better.
The vibe right now is aggro tanks plus assassin counters. Bibi is somehow even stronger, Bull climbed back up, and the whole lobby feels faster than it did three months ago.
S-Tier: The Brawlers I’m Locking In Every Draft
These are the picks where I’m either banning them first or locking them in second. The win rates are absurd, the pick rates are cooked, and they fit pretty much any 3v3 mode.
| Brawler | Tier | Role / Class | Why It’s Here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bibi | S | Tank / Aggro | Even stronger post-Buffies, hits like a truck |
| Bull | S | Tank | Climbed back up — hyper-aggro meta favors him |
| Mortis | S | Assassin | Movement speed buff on Super dash chain is filthy |
| Najia | S | Damage Dealer | Rework moved her up; she just feels solid now |
| Mandy | S | Marksman | Variable attack range = map control from anywhere |
| Cordelius | S | Assassin | Mushroom spawn rate buff, 1v1 Super deletes carries |
| Mina | S | Brawler | Still considered the best in the meta by mains |
| Juju | S | Damage Dealer | Top-ranked Brawler with a win rate of 70.99% |
The pattern here? Mobility, burst, and Super pressure. If you’re trophy pushing right now, just pick from this list. Juju, Lumi, and Lola all have win rates above 70%, and that’s not normal — usually 55% is considered great.
I want to flag Mortis specifically. He was good before, but the dash chain change made him an actual menace in Heist and Bounty. If you’ve never tried his Combo Spinner gadget with the Creepy Harvest star power, fix that this week.
A-Tier: Strong Picks That Win Me Most Games
A-tier is where you live if you don’t want to grind a whole new brawler. These won’t carry like S-tier, but they punch above their weight if you actually know the matchup.
| Brawler | Tier | Role / Class | Why It’s Here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sirius | A | Damage Dealer | Dropped from S, still scary on the right map |
| Crow | A | Assassin | Buffies revival — poison + lifesteal-block is huge |
| Bo | A | Damage Dealer | Mine zoning is cracked on wall-heavy maps |
| Frank | A | Tank | Frank + Buster comp is the sleeper of the season |
| Buster | A | Support / Tank | Shield Super protects whole team plays |
| Damian | A | Damage Dealer | Top of the most popular brawlers list right now |
| Edgar | A | Assassin | Diving carries from full HP is back on the menu |
| Kit | A | Support / Assassin | Stun jump is a free fight-winner |
| Emz | A | Brawler | Her area damage and creeping poison effect turn her into a nightmare zoner |
| Lumi | A | Damage Dealer | High win rate even outside the top 200 |
Sirius dropping to A is the move I disagree with most across other tier lists, but the data says he’s not the auto-ban he used to be. On open maps he’s a problem, on cluttered ones he’s just okay.
Bo specifically — the Buffies brought him back and a lot of casual players don’t realize it yet. Free elo if you main him before the rest of the lobby catches up.
B-Tier: Where Half the Roster Actually Lives
B-tier is the most stuffed section of any list. That is a clear sign the Brawl Stars roster is balanced as flat as it gets. These brawlers are fine. You’ll win games, you’ll lose games, and your skill matters more than your pick.
| Brawler | Tier | Role / Class | Why It’s Here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bea | B | Marksman | Charged shot still strong, just outclassed in S |
| Chester | B | Damage Dealer | RNG Super swings games — fun but inconsistent |
| Leon | B | Assassin | Buffies helped, but counters are everywhere |
| Colt | B | Damage Dealer | High damage if you can land every shot |
| Pierce | B | Damage Dealer | Niche, but melts in the right comp |
| Colette | B | Damage Dealer | % HP damage = the ultimate tank counter |
| Lola | B | Damage Dealer | Decoy mind games still work in solo queue |
| Larry & Lawrie | B | Damage Dealer | Solid in Heist and Hot Zone |
| Tara | B | Support | Black hole Super is map-dependent |
| Carl | B | Damage Dealer | Boomerang is a skill check, but rewards mains |
Honestly, if your favorite brawler is in B-tier, just play them. The skill ceiling difference between B and A is way smaller than between A and S. In the right hands these guys are a serious headache for the opponent.
C-Tier: Workable, but I Wouldn’t Trophy Push With Them
C-tier is the “you better know what you’re doing” zone. Some of these are situational picks that pop off on specific maps. Others just got powercrept hard.
| Brawler | Tier | Role / Class | Why It’s Here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenji | C | Assassin | Modest damage and a stubby attack range turn the gameplay into a chore |
| Shelly | C | Damage Dealer | Solo Showdown only — not a 3v3 pick anymore |
| Spike | C | Damage Dealer | Still niche; Super setup is too predictable |
| Surge | C | Damage Dealer | Has to scale up, often dies before he does |
| Rosa | C | Tank | Outclassed by Bibi and Bull straight up |
| Penny | C | Damage Dealer | Mortar good on like two maps total |
| 8-Bit | C | Damage Dealer | Damage station is too easy to dodge |
| Stu | C | Damage Dealer | Mobility is fun, output is meh |
| Mr. P | C | Damage Dealer | Niche control, falls apart against assassins |
| Lily | C | Assassin | Concept is cool, execution is rough |
Kenji especially is the trap I keep watching new players fall into. As of February 2026, C-tier is the most populated stratum in Brawl Stars. Looks flashy in highlight reels, plays like a wet noodle in ranked.
D-Tier: The Brawlers Doing Me Dirty This Patch
D-tier is where the win rates are below 45% and the pick rates round to zero. I learned this the hard way trying to push Clancy after his “rework.”
| Brawler | Tier | Role / Class | Why It’s Here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clancy | D | Damage Dealer | Pick rate in the top 200 was a measly 0.43%, win rate froze at 41% |
| Sandy | D | Damage Dealer | Sleep Super is a cool gimmick, that’s it |
| Tick | D | Damage Dealer | Mines too easy to dodge in this aggro meta |
| Nani | D | Marksman | Drone Super requires perfect setup |
| Jacky | D | Tank | Range is too short, gets kited forever |
| Doug | D | Support | Healing Super doesn’t save anyone fast enough |
| Ash | D | Tank | Rage mechanic doesn’t proc reliably |
Don’t get me wrong — if you’re a Clancy main with 30k trophies on him, ignore me. But casually picking him into ranked is a one-way ticket to trophy hell.
The Tier List Changes by Mode — Here’s How
A static brawl stars tier list is kind of a lie. The same brawler can be S in Heist and C in Showdown. Here’s how the picks actually shake out by mode.
Solo Showdown picks:
| Brawler | Tier in Mode | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Shelly | S | Bush ambush + Super clutch is unmatched |
| Kit | S | Solo Showdown favors Shelly/Kit |
| Edgar | A | Free regen + dive = lobby snowball |
| Bibi | A | Tank stat lines work fine in 1v1s |
| Crow | A | Anti-heal carries late game |
Gem Grab picks:
| Brawler | Tier in Mode | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cordelius | S | 3v3 loves Cordelius/Mina in Gem Grab |
| Mina | S | Constant pressure on the gem carrier |
| Tara | A | Black hole on a clustered fight is game-ending |
| Gene | A | Pull Super isolates the gem hoarder |
| Pam | A | Healing turret + sustain at the mine |
Heist picks:
| Brawler | Tier in Mode | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Frank | S | Hammer Super deletes the safe |
| Bull | S | Super charges fast, melts the safe |
| Colt | A | Long-range pressure plus burst |
| Sirius | A | Open maps still suit him |
| Mortis | A | Fast in, fast out |
The takeaway: don’t pick blindly. Check the mode first.
Why Hypercharges Wreck Any Static Tier List
This is the thing nobody tells new players. Hypercharge unlock availability may shift brawlers up half a tier in practice. A B-tier brawler with their Hypercharge unlocked beats an A-tier brawler without one most of the time.
I’ll give you a personal example. I had Bull at level 11 with no Hypercharge for months. Win rate was around 52%. The week I unlocked his Hypercharge, it jumped to 64% in like 30 games. Same brawler, same player, same maps. The Hypercharge changed everything.
The gap between a brawler with their Hypercharge active and one without it is enormous in Master League play — it’s essentially a decisive advantage if you’re not farming your upgrades efficiently.
So when you read this Brawl Stars tier list (or any other one), mentally adjust for which Hypercharges you actually own. That changes the math.
Who I’d Unlock First on a Fresh Account
If I lost my account tomorrow and started from scratch, here’s the unlock order I’d grind toward. These are picks that stay good across patches, not just this season.
- Shelly — You start with her, she’s S-tier in Showdown, and she teaches you positioning.
- Bull — Free from Trophy Road, S-tier this patch, dead simple to pilot.
- Bibi — Worth grinding Brawl Pass for. Sustain melee that doesn’t fall off.
- Colt — Long-range damage that scales with your aim. You’ll get better just from playing him.
- Mortis — Hard to learn, S-tier when you do. Long-term investment.
Skip the Legendaries early. They look cool, but most of them are gear-dependent and get stomped at low levels.
FAQ: The Stuff Reddit Asks Every Week
How many brawlers are in Brawl Stars right now?
There are around 101 brawlers in Brawl Stars as of 2026, including the newest additions Sirius, Kaze, and Ziggy. Supercell drops a fresh face every couple of months, so this number creeps up.
What are “Buffies” and why does everyone keep mentioning them? “
Buffies” is the community term for Supercell’s balance adjustment patches. The January 2026 Buffies were particularly significant — they buffed Bo, Crow, and Bibi back into competitive relevance, nerfed several previously dominant brawlers, and adjusted gadget cooldowns across the board. Basically, every Brawl Stars tier list got rewritten overnight when this dropped.
Is Sirius still the meta king?
Not really. He was, then the patch hit. He’s solid on open maps but the auto-ban status is gone. Mortis, Bibi, and Najia are the picks getting banned first now.
Is Kenji actually bad or am I just trash with him?
You’re probably not trash. Kenji is hanging on at C-tier, even though his mobility still impresses. The core issue is that modest damage and a stubby attack range turn the gameplay into a chore. He’s a high-skill, low-reward pick right now.
Should I unlock Hypercharges before more brawlers?
Yes, every time. A maxed brawler with a Hypercharge wins more games than three half-leveled new brawlers. Unlocking a Hypercharge for your main brawler should be your number-one Brawl Pass progression goal right now.
Who counters Mortis?
Emz, Crow, and Bo. Emz zones him out with poison, Crow blocks his lifesteal, and Bo’s mines punish his predictable dash paths. Don’t pick Shelly into him — you’ll get diced before your shotgun lands.
Does the brawl stars tier list change between the global meta and my local meta?
A hundred percent. Top 200 picks are way different from what your friends pick. Brawlers perform differently at various levels of play. If your trophy range loves one specific brawler, counter-pick them and ignore the global tier list for a session.
How often does the tier list actually change?
The top Brawlers can change as often as weekly or even daily. Not by huge margins, but enough that I’d resync your mains every patch.
Where I’m Landing on This Brawl Stars Tier List
If you take one thing away from this whole article, it’s that the Brawl Stars tier list is a starting point, not a religion. The Buffies broke the meta in a fun way, S-tier is genuinely contested for the first time in months, and Hypercharges will warp any ranking based on what you own.
Pick from S or A if you’re trophy pushing. Stick with what you main if you’re below B-tier and you actually love the playstyle. Watch the next Buffies drop and re-evaluate, because it’s coming.
I’ll re-rank everything after the next patch — assuming Supercell doesn’t release a new brawler that breaks half this list before then. See you in the lobby.