The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth Tier List — Current Rankings

This The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth tier list ranks every major option by overall effectiveness. Rankings factor in damage output, survivability, versatility, gear requirements, and how well each option scales.

Tier definitions: S = best in class, always a strong pick. A = strong and competitive, minor weaknesses. B = solid but clearly outperformed in most situations. C = viable only for players who enjoy the playstyle.

Builds Rankings

Detailed Builds Analysis

Isaac (A-Tier)

Isaac is the default character with balanced stats and the D6 active item — the most important item in the game. The D6 rerolls pedestal items, letting you cycle bad items into good ones. Isaac's flexibility comes from being able to shape his run through strategic rerolling. He has no weaknesses but no starting advantages either.

Best with: D6 (starting item), any strong tear modifier, health upgrades Stat focus: Tears (fire rate), damage, range

Azazel (S-Tier)

Azazel starts with a short-range Brimstone beam and flight — two of the strongest abilities in the game, for free. His Brimstone clears rooms instantly in the early floors. The only downside is the short beam range. Azazel is the best character for unlocking completion marks and learning the game.

Best with: Starting Brimstone, any range up, any damage up Stat focus: Range (extends Brimstone), damage, speed

Judas (S-Tier)

Judas starts with the highest damage multiplier (1.35x) and the Book of Belial (+2 damage when activated, also increases Devil Room chance). He has only 1 red heart, making him a glass cannon. With Book of Belial active, Judas outdamages every other character. Devil deals are easy to access due to Book of Belial's bonus.

Best with: Book of Belial, devil deal items, damage multipliers Stat focus: Damage (already high), soul hearts for survivability, speed

The Lost (B-Tier)

The Lost has no HP — any damage kills instantly (unless you have Holy Mantle, which blocks one hit per room). The tradeoff is access to all Devil Deal items for free and flight from the start. The Lost is the ultimate high-risk character — incredible power potential but zero margin for error. Unlocking all Lost completion marks is a badge of honor.

Best with: Holy Mantle (unlocked through Greed Mode), free devil deal items, flight Stat focus: Holy Mantle (mandatory), damage, tears

Tainted Characters (varies-Tier)

Repentance adds 17 Tainted variants of each character with radically different mechanics. Tainted Isaac has limited item slots. Tainted Cain crafts items from pickups. Tainted Lazarus alternates between two forms each room. Tainted Lost has Holy Mantle but can only get 'better' quality items. These are the endgame challenge characters.

Best with: Varies dramatically per tainted character Stat focus: Varies per character

Equipment Rankings

Equipment Analysis

Brimstone: A charged beam that pierces all enemies and deals massive damage. Available in Devil Rooms for 2 red hearts. Brimstone is consistently rated the best item in the game. It synergizes with almost everything — homing makes it seek targets, Spoon Bender creates a heat-seeking death laser.

Mom's Knife: Replaces tears with a thrown knife that deals 2x your damage on contact and 6x on point-blank throw. Extremely powerful but changes your attack pattern entirely. Synergizes with damage ups and speed. Found in item rooms, boss rooms, or Devil Deals.

Sacred Heart: An Angel Room item that grants +1 damage, homing tears, and a 2.3x damage multiplier. Widely considered the strongest single item in the game due to the massive damage multiplication and homing effect. Finding Sacred Heart usually guarantees a winning run.

Godhead: An Angel Room item exclusive to The Lost's completion marks. Grants homing tears surrounded by a damaging aura — the aura hits enemies continuously as the tear passes near them. With slow tears, the aura has more time to deal damage, making shot speed downs beneficial.

Tech X: Replaces tears with a chargeable ring of energy that scales in size with charge time. The ring pierces all enemies and deals damage based on ring size. Synergizes with nearly every tear modifier. Found in treasure rooms. One of the most consistently powerful items alongside Brimstone.

Meta Analysis

The current meta in The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth centers on item synergies and character unlocks. Builds that leverage both systems outperform those that focus on only one.

What's strong right now:

• Isaac with Brimstone is the benchmark. Everything else is measured against it.
• room clearing builds are gaining ground as players find new synergies.
• Judas remains essential for learning hard content.

What's underrated:

• Azazel is consistently overlooked despite being the most flexible option.
• Sacred Heart offers excellent performance for its investment level.

What's overhyped:

• Pure Tainted Characters builds. High ceiling but the consistency isn't there for most players.

Quick Picks by Situation

For full build guides, see The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth builds. For progression help, check the walkthrough.