Umamusume Pretty Derby Tier List — A Player’s Deep Dive (2025 Edition)

Hey fellow Trainer! If you’ve landed here, you’re probably as hooked on Umamusume: Pretty Derby (UMP-D) as I am — that crazy, charming mix of horse-girl idol vibes, stat-grinding, and nail-biting races. Over the years I’ve raced, trained, and tinkered around with dozens of Uma musume (UMA = horse-girls), and I’ve learned that which UMA you pick, train and invest can make or break your progress — whether you’re aiming for top-tier PvP (Champions Meeting), chasing URA Finale glory, or just maxing out fun.

So I decided to build a full rundown: a tier list, yes, but also a guide on how to think about tiers: when “top” matters, when “budget” works, and how your play-style, training and support cards impact luck. Sounds good? Let’s ride. 

I. Introduction to Umamusume Pretty Derby and Character Tiers

A. Game Overview: Horse-Racing RPG

At its surface, Umamusume is a horse-racing / training sim — but with waifu-style anime horse-girls. You pick a UMA, train them (stats like Speed, Stamina, Power, Wit, Guts), pick support cards, and send them into races with varying distance, surface type, and race style. Success isn’t just about raw stats — you need the right build, synergy, timing, and RNG on race day.

B. Cygames’ Popular Mobile Title

Built by the talented folks at Cygames, it mixes strong aesthetics, frequent updates, and competitive mechanics. The community is huge: JP players have had it longer, but the global server (English) keeps growing, and the devs keep balancing, releasing new UMA, banners, and support cards.

C. Character Collection and Training Focus

Unlike simpler gacha games where you just pull for “power,” here training, support cards, aptitudes, race planning matter heavily. Which UMA you pick is just step one — how you build them defines success. That’s why tier lists are as much about “potential + ease” as they are about “top raw stats.”

D. Tier List Purpose and Methodology

This tier list uses a mix of stat growth potential, race-type versatility, training difficulty, PvP & career performance, and community / meta consensus (as of late 2025). I also factor in how easy an UMA is to get strong — because a perfect unicorn-tier character that’s a pain to train might not be ideal for a casual or F2P player.

E. Version 2025 Meta Update (December)

As of late 2025, meta has shifted. New banners, support-card rebalances, and evolving race strategies have changed who stands out. Some old favourites remain strong, some dropped a bit, and a few surprises rose up. This guide reflects that.

II. Tier Classification System Explained

Here’s how I divide the tiers — and what each means (from my perspective):

A. S-Tier: Best Characters (Top Performers)

• Consistent across modes (Career, URA, PvP Champions Meeting).

• Good to great growth stats (Speed / Stamina / Power / Wit).

• Versatile: can handle multiple race types or adapt with training.

• High ceiling: with decent support, they stay competitive for long.

B. A-Tier: Strong Viable Characters

• Need more investment or favorable conditions (distance, support cards).

• Can shine in specialized race types or formats.

• Slightly lower consistency, but decent returns when leveraged properly.

C-Tier (and below): Situational / Niche / Budget-Friendly

• Either outdated, heavily specialized, or require heavy investment for mediocre returns.

• Good enough for early / mid-game, or for fun / flavor picks.

• Less reliability in high-end PvP or top-tier races — unless heavily optimized.

III. Top-Tier S-Rank Characters

Here are the UMAs I consider the top dogs right now — my go-to picks if I had to start fresh and go for meta.

Kitasan Black — The Balanced Queen

• Known as a “meta-defining” medium-to-long-distance front-runner. She boasts balanced stat growth (Speed, Stamina, Wit) that lets her take early lead and hold through to finish.

• Because of that balance, she’s reliable no matter the race — great for Career mode and PvP.

• If you want a “starter go-to” who won’t betray you when races get tough — she’s a rock.

Oguri Cap — The Mile Specialist & All-Terrain Beast

• Her speed + power growth is top-tier, giving her flashy bursts and versatility between turf/dirt and multiple distances.

• For a beginner or even seasoned player, Oguri Cap is a “safe bet” — flexible, forgiving, and strong even without perfect support cards.

Maruzensky — The Speed Master / Meta-Shaker

• Known for explosive acceleration and top-tier Speed & Wit when built right. “Front-runner or burst-finisher” setups often lean on her.

• Her versatility and updated status (as of 2025) make her meta-relevant — especially for PvP and mid-range races.

Taiki Shuttle — Sprint Monster & Short-Distance King

• If you like fast, aggressive, win-quick races — Taiki dominates sprints and mile races.

• Great for early/mid-game when speed wins races, and fantastic with minimal investment for results.

Symboli Rudolf — Balanced Performer & Consistent Contender

• Strong across medium to longer distances, reliable stamina and good finishing — makes him a great “go-anywhere” UMA.

• Not flashy, not overly specialized — but often wins through consistency.

Rice Shower — Long-Distance Endurance Queen

• If you play long races or endurance events, Rice Shower is a beast. Her stamina-focused build and grit let her outlast rivals in grueling tracks.

• Great for players who prefer strategic pacing over all-out speed.

IV. A-Tier and Secondary Characters — Strong but Require Context

These are solid picks, maybe not “meta-dominant,” but still worth investing if you know what you’re doing.

• Silence Suzuka — Strong front-runner for medium races; needs proper support and setup, but payoff is good.

• Special Week — Versatile, adaptable, and can surprise in medium/long races if built with care.

• Tokai Teio — Good all-arounder with decent stats; works well in assorted race types but needs training finesse.

• Mejiro McQueen — More specialized — shines at long-distance turf races; good if you target endurance events.

• Daiwa Scarlet — Medium-race specialist; front-runner type; decent early-mid-game pick if you accept limitations.

• El Condor Pasa — Versatile, balanced: good for turf and dirt, useful when built for niche setups.

• Mayano Top Gun — Budget-friendly pick with acceptable stats; nice for newer players or limited resources.

These characters often require better support cards, more training investment, or specialization toward certain race types to truly shine. But with the right build — they can hold their own.

V. Race Types, Distance & Specialization — Why It Matters

Here’s where nuance kicks in. Not all races are the same, and different UMAs really shine or flop depending on distance, surface, race style, and support card synergy.

• Sprint / Short Distance — Lean heavily on Speed & burst. Sprint-specialist UMAs like Taiki Shuttle or Maruzensky perform best here.

• Mile / Medium Distance — Balance between speed, stamina, and finishing — good for all-arounder UMAs like Oguri Cap, Symboli Rudolf, Special Week.

• Long Distance / Endurance Races — Stamina and Guts matter most. UMAs like Rice Shower, Mejiro McQueen, or those built for stamina excel.

• Turf vs Dirt — Some UMAs have aptitudes or build flexibility that make them better on dirt; others perform best on turf — this affects who you pick.

• Front-Runner vs Come-from-behind vs Late Surge — Style matters: front-runners need early acceleration; finishers need strong stamina & burst; all-arounders need balance.

Bottom line: there’s no “one-size-fits-all” UMA. Even S-tier picks may flounder if you take them to the wrong race type — but with the right build and race planning, they’re monsters.

VI. Support Card System & Training Strategy — The True Game Behind the Scenes

One thing a lot of players overlook: support cards + training strategy + aptitudes often matter more than raw star-rating or rarity.

• A great support card can unlock a UMA’s potential; a bad one can bottleneck even a top-tier girl. Some community analyses even say support cards matter more than which UMA you pick.

• Training: focusing on right stats (Speed, Stamina, etc.) according to the distance & race-style you aim for makes or breaks a build.

• Aptitude: track type (turf/dirt), distance aptitude, and running style affect results heavily — mismatches can undercut even “tier-top” UMAs.

In other words: UMA + support + training + race plan = success — not just pulling a top-tier UMA and hoping.

VII. Career Mode, PvP & Meta — Where Tiers Actually Apply

Why do tiers matter? Because they impact not just casual races, but:

• Career Mode / URA / long-term progression — races get harder, distances vary, opponents scale up. Having a solid, flexible UMA pays off.

• PvP / Champions Meeting — you face other players: RNG, build variance, and meta counters. Versatile or specialized UMAs with good support shine here.

• Meta changes over time — with each update / new UMA / support card release, the “top tier” can shift. That’s why this 2025-version tier list matters.

VIII. My Personal Take — What I Pick, What to Avoid, and What I’d Do

From my time playing:

• If I were starting fresh — I’d aim for Oguri Cap or Kitasan Black, then save resources for support cards rather than chasing more UMA.

• If I like heavy-speed / burst-style races — Maruzensky or Taiki Shuttle are my go-tos.

• If I prefer consistency, endurance races, long-term build — Rice Shower or Symboli Rudolf are reliable choices.

• For budget / F2P or newer players — Daiwa Scarlet, El Condor Pasa, Mayano Top Gun, or even an A-tier UMA with good support can give huge value.

• Always pay attention to race type and event: even a “C-tier” UMA sometimes wins if matched properly (distance, surface, support).

IX. Why Tier Lists Are Helpful — And Why They’re Not the Whole Story

Tier lists give you a starting point: who’s generally good, who’s risky, who needs more build. But they don’t guarantee success — because UMP-D demands strategy, planning, and sometimes RNG luck.

Your experience will boil down to:

• How well you train your UMA

• Which support cards you get / pick

• What races you enter (distance / surface / conditions)

• How much you invest (time, resources, patience)

That’s why I treat tier lists as guides, not gospel: pick what you like — but build smart.

Conclusion & My Final Recommendations

What I Recommend

• Top-Tier Picks (Meta-Safe Choices): Oguri Cap, Kitasan Black, Maruzensky, Taiki Shuttle, Symboli Rudolf, Rice Shower — if I were you, these are the first ones I aim for.

• Strong Alternatives / Budget-Friendly: Silence Suzuka, Special Week, Tokai Teio, Daiwa Scarlet, El Condor Pasa, Mayano Top Gun — good value for resource-limited players.

• When to Use Which:

• Sprint/Mile: Maruzensky, Taiki, Oguri

• Medium/All-Round: Kitasan, Symboli Rudolf, Special Week

• Long/Endurance: Rice Shower, Mejiro McQueen (if built), stamina-focused builds

I build based on what I want (speed, endurance, fun), then check tier list for viability, then train + support card my UMA accordingly. That gives me the most consistent results without chasing meta purely.