Daigo Umehara Talks SF6 Tiers: Is Ken Actually Weak?
When Daigo Umehara speaks, the Fighting Game Community listens. However, his latest thoughts on the current state of Street Fighter 6 might have players checking their hearing. In a recent stream, the Japanese legend shared his personal tier list views, offering a perspective that challenges the common perception of the roster, while aligning with the data on our Character Stats page.
While the numbers often point to a stable meta, Daigo suggests that player skill, not character strength, is masking some glaring weaknesses in the roster's most popular fighters.
The "Ken is Weak" Theory
Perhaps the most controversial take from the video is Daigo's assessment of Ken. For the majority of SF6's lifespan, Ken has been a staple of Top 8 brackets and consistently ranks well in our CPV (Competitive Performance Viability) metrics. Yet, Daigo went as far as to suggest Ken could be considered "Bottom 5" or at least incredibly weak in the current meta.
"Is Ken really that strong?" Daigo mused, attributing the character's tournament success solely to the exceptional skill of specialists like AngryBird. He argues that without these outliers piloting him, Ken lacks the overwhelming tools that other top tiers possess. This creates an interesting divergence between the "feeling" of a pro player and the raw tournament results, where Ken remains a strong, reliable pick, even if he is not quite sitting in S Tier.
Akuma vs Ryu: The Battle for Shoto Supremacy
As an Akuma main, Daigo's thoughts on the "Master of the Fist" are equally illuminating. Despite Akuma leading the pack in pure popularity on our charts, Daigo believes the character struggles significantly in specific matchups, particularly against Marisa. He even noted that the general consensus among pros is shifting, with many now considering Ryu to be the stronger overall shoto.
Daigo jokingly (or perhaps half seriously) requested buffs for Akuma, specifically regarding his "OD Ashura Senku" (Akuma's signature phantom teleport). Daigo expressed a wish for this move to have armor or throw invincibility, allowing him to escape oppressive pressure more reliably.
Data vs Intuition
Daigo's insights highlight the eternal debate in fighting games: objective data versus subjective experience. While our Tier Lists are built on tournament results, consistency, and momentum, a player of Daigo's caliber sees the game through the lens of specific, high level interactions.
He explicitly labeled characters like Manon, E. Honda, and Luke as weak, a sentiment that mostly aligns with current statistical trends. Furthermore, his placement of Guile as merely "okay" actually mirrors our own findings. Our data currently places the American airman in B Tier (Mid Tier), validating Daigo's view that Guile is a solid, functional character, but perhaps not the oppressive wall he once was.
Is the Beast Predicting the Future?
Ultimately, Daigo's takes serve as a reminder that tier lists are never set in stone. While our data reflects the current reality of tournament results, "The Beast" often sees the meta from a vantage point that few others can reach. Will Ken's usage and win rates eventually plummet as Daigo predicts, or will the stats continue to prove that he is a powerhouse? Keep an eye on our Character Stats page to see if the global trends eventually align with the legend's instincts.
Source: Daigo the BeasTV