Why Everyone Is Making Tier Lists (And Why You Should Too)

Tier lists are everywhere. Movies, anime, games, food, vacation spots—if it exists, someone has ranked it from S-tier to F-tier. But beyond the meme format, tier lists are actually a powerful tool for understanding your own taste.

The Psychology of Ranking

Ranking things forces you to make decisions. When you put a movie in A-tier instead of B-tier, you’re not just sorting—you’re defining what you value. The act of ranking reveals your priorities in a way that casual consumption doesn’t.

I didn’t realize I valued character development over plot twists until I made a tier list of mystery movies. Every “twist ending” film went to B-tier, while the slow-burn character studies landed in S-tier. That’s useful information about myself that I wouldn’t have figured out any other way.

Why S-F Works Better Than 1-10

Numerical ratings are precise but meaningless. What’s the difference between a 7 and an 8? Nobody knows. And nobody can agree.

Tier rankings work because they’re relative. You’re not saying “this movie is a 7.5 out of 10.” You’re saying “this movie is in the same tier as these other movies I love.” It’s comparison, not measurement. And comparison is how human brains actually work.

The S tier is also emotionally resonant in a way that “10/10” isn’t. S tier means “this is special.” It carries weight.

How Tier Lists Help You Recommend

Here’s the practical use: when someone asks “what should I watch?”, I don’t send them a list of 5 things. I send them my S-tier list. They can see what I consider the absolute best, and they can scan for things that appeal to them.

It’s faster than reading reviews, more visual than a text list, and more personal than a recommendation algorithm. It says “these are the things I care about most” without needing a paragraph of explanation.

Making Your First Tier List

You don’t need a fancy tool to make a tier list. A piece of paper and a pen works. But if you want to make it shareable, Fanakin has a free tier list maker that lets you rank any media type and export it as an image.

Pick something you’ve consumed enough of to rank. Movies you’ve seen, books you’ve read, games you’ve played. Put the best in S-tier, the worst in F-tier, and fill in the middle. You’ll learn something about your taste in the process.

The Unexpected Discovery

The most interesting part of making tier lists isn’t the final product. It’s the process of deciding where things go. The arguments you have with yourself about whether something belongs in A-tier or B-tier. The realizations about what you actually value.

Try it. You might be surprised what you learn about yourself.