The tier list slideshow: ranking S to C, one swipe at a time

A tier list slideshow ranks one category from S tier (the best) down to C or D tier, one tier per slide. It opens on a hook, climbs from worst to best, and ends on the full board and a question.

It is one of the few formats that asks viewers to disagree with you. That is the point.

What is a tier list slideshow?

It is a ranking told one reveal at a time. Slide 1 names the category and the judge, and the middle slides reveal each tier from the bottom up. The last slides show the whole board and ask where viewers would put something you left out.

The tier list started in video game culture, where players ranked characters by how strong they were in competition (Wikipedia). It has since spread to films, food, logos and nearly everything else. YouTube says videos with “tier list” in the title passed 1 billion views there in the first half of 2025 (YouTube Official Blog).

As a TikTok photo post or Instagram carousel, the format works because every swipe is a reveal. Slideshow idea guides file it under interactive formats, where viewers argue the rankings in the comments (OpenClip).

What does S tier mean?

S tier is the top tier, above A. Wikipedia notes the S may stand for “special,” “super,” or the Japanese word for “exemplary,” borrowed from the S grade used in Japanese grading. You never need to explain it on a slide, because viewers already read S, A, B, C as best to worst.

When to use a tier list

Use it when your audience already knows the items and has opinions about them. Nobody argues about a ranking of things they have never heard of.

Good fits:

• You sell or use many products in one category and can judge them honestly.
• Your niche has a long-running debate, like the best coffee method or the best beginner camera.
• You want comments. A ranking invites disagreement, and comments are among the interactions TikTok says it uses to recommend videos (TikTok Newsroom).

Skip it when you only have two or three options. A myth vs fact post or a mistakes listicle fits better there.

Second worked example: a personal trainer ranks home gym gear

The example slides on this page rank coffee methods for a coffee gear shop. Here is the same structure for a personal trainer whose clients keep asking what to buy.

1. Hook: “I ranked the home gym gear my clients bought. Some of it is a coat rack now.”
2. Criteria: “Judged on 3 things: do they still use it, how much space it takes, and cost.”
3. C tier: “Ab gadgets. Bought in January, under the bed by March.”
4. B tier: “Yoga mat and foam roller. Cheap and useful. Not enough on their own.”
5. A tier: “Resistance bands. Fit in a drawer, travel well, cover most beginner moves.”
6. S tier: “Adjustable dumbbells. The one thing nearly every client still uses a year later.”
7. Full board: One grid with all four tiers and a photo of each item.
8. CTA: “What’s collecting dust in your house? Comment it and I’ll give it a tier.”

The criteria slide gives commenters something specific to push back on. S tier sits near the end, so the strongest moment is also the last one. Psychologists call this the peak-end rule: people judge an experience largely by its most intense moment and its ending (Wikipedia).

Tier list variations

Bottom-up reveal

The default. Start at C or D and climb to S. Each swipe answers “is mine still in?”, which keeps people going.

Board-first

Show the full board on slide 1, then use one slide to defend each surprising pick. Use it when the board itself is the shock, such as a famous favorite sitting in C tier.

Custom tiers

YouTube notes that many creators rename the tiers. For buyers, try “Buy it / Try it / Skip it” or “Full price / Wait for a sale / Never.”

One item per slide

For 5 to 8 items with strong photos, give each item its own slide with a big tier letter on it. More swipes, more suspense and less text per slide.

Comment-built part 2

Rank the items people said you forgot. The first post’s comments become the second post’s hook.

How to make a tier list slideshow with your own photos

1. Pick 4 to 10 items you have actually used. Real experience is the reason anyone reads your ranking.
2. Shoot every item the same way. Same background, light and angle, so tiers are easy to compare at a glance.
3. Write the criteria before you rank. Two or three criteria keep you honest and make each placement easy to defend.
4. Make the tier letter the biggest thing on each slide. Item name second, a one-line reason third.
5. Build the board slide last. Tier letters down the left, your photos in rows. Nothing fancier is needed.
6. End on a missing item. “Where would you put X?” gives people something to answer. “Follow for more” does not.

If you have found a tier list post that fits your niche, TokCloner can rebuild it for your business. Paste the link and it keeps the structure, from hook to criteria, tiers, board and CTA. It rewrites the text for your business profile and can use photos from your own media library instead of generated images.

Slides export as 1080×1920 PNGs that you post yourself. TokCloner works with image posts only and has no free plan. If you already know your ranking, building it by hand works fine.

For more first-slide lines, browse the hook library or start from a TikTok slideshow template.