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Master Umamusume: Pretty Derby with the definitive skills tier list. Learn which SS, S, A, and B tier skills win races and how to maximize them.
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Umamusume: Pretty Derby has a deceptively deep skill system that separates casual trainers from true race winners. Picking the right skills for your Umamusume can be the difference between a photo finish and a dominant victory, but with hundreds of options available, knowing where to focus your resources is anything but obvious. This guide breaks down every tier, explains what makes each skill type valuable, and tells you exactly how to get the most out of your roster.
SS tier skills are the ones you build around. They activate consistently, deliver meaningful effects (velocity boosts, acceleration bursts, or stamina recovery), and hold their value whether you're grinding Career Mode or competing in Champions Meeting PvP. Here's what currently sits at the top.
Unique skills are character-specific and among the most powerful tools in the game. The following are currently rated SS tier:
These are the non-unique skills that consistently deliver at the highest level:
S tier skills are strong, reliable options that slot into most builds without hesitation. They won't always carry a race on their own, but they fill gaps and support your SS tier picks effectively.
| Skill Name | Character | Effect Summary |
|---|---|---|
| The Duty of Dignity Calls | Mejiro McQueen (Frontline Elegance) | Velocity boost when positioned toward the front on the final corner |
| Sky-High Teio Step | Tokai Teio (Peak Joy) | Greatly increases velocity when closing the gap on the final straight |
| Certain Victory | Tokai Teio (Beyond the Horizon) | Greatly increases velocity on the final straight after trailing a front runner late-race |
| Shadow Break | Narita Brian (Maverick) | Velocity boost on outside pass at final corner; greatly increased if challenged mid-race |
| Nemesis | Narita Taishin (Nevertheless) | Velocity boost when moving up from midpack on the final corner or later |
| Lights of Vaudeville | Fuji Kiseki (Shooting Star Revue) | Greatly increases velocity when breaking out of the pack toward the front on the final straight |
| Chasing After You | Manhattan Cafe (Creeping Shadow) | Steady velocity increase in midpack second half, plus minor intimidation of runners ahead |
| Superior Heal | Grass Wonder (Saintly Jade Cleric) | Greatly recovers stamina when overtaken toward the back mid-race |
| Guten Appetit | Eishin Flash (Precise Chocolatier) | Continuous velocity boost on final straight after passing 3 runners on the final corner or later |
| Operation Cacao | Mihono Bourbon (CODE: ICING) | Slight recovery and velocity boost when detecting a runner coming from behind mid-race |
Several general skills earned their S tier placement through the November 2025 balance adjustments and subsequent updates:
Understanding skill color categories helps you build smarter rather than just stacking the highest-tier names you can find.
Yellow skills directly affect velocity, acceleration, and positioning during the race. They're the most impactful category because they translate immediately into raw race performance on top of your existing Speed and Power stats. Your SS and S tier yellow skills should always be prioritized first when building a character.
Blue skills manage your Umamusume's stamina drain and recovery. Without sufficient stamina, even a fast character will fade in the final stretch. Recovery skills like Swinging Maestro (which activates on corners, making it very consistent) and Breath of Fresh Air are particularly valuable. Blue skills also help you pass stamina checks in Career Mode.
Green skills are race passives that add value to your existing stats. The stat they affect is usually identifiable from the skill icon. Green skills shine in Career Mode and in Team Trials when your character is short on a particular stat. They're less urgent to acquire early but become meaningful additions toward the end of each Career run.
Red skills affect opponents rather than your own Umamusume. They work by interfering with rival runners' positioning or stamina. Red skills require high Wit to proc reliably, and their value is most pronounced in PvP-focused modes like Room Matches and Team Trials where debuffing a key rival can help your ace or a teammate push through.
Skill color type overview
A tier skills are situational but competitive. Many are strong in specific race types, running styles, or track conditions. Some notable A tier picks include:
Your trainee's Unique Skill can be leveled up during their Career by meeting fan count and Director friendship requirements at specific seasonal events in the Senior Year.
| Event | Turf Fan Requirement | Dirt Fan Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Valentine's Day (Senior Year Early Feb) | 60,000 fans | 40,000 fans |
| Fan Appreciation Event (Senior Year Early Apr) | 70,000 fans | 60,000 fans (+ Director Akikawa green friendship) |
| Christmas (Senior Year Late Dec) | 120,000 fans | 80,000 fans |
Characters whose primary track aptitude is Dirt (such as Haru Urara) use the lower fan thresholds. Characters with equal aptitude in both surfaces (such as Agnes Digital) follow the Turf requirements. In the Unity Cup scenario, the Director friendship requirement is removed, so only the fan count matters.
The Trackblazer scenario uses a different structure. Unique Skill upgrades happen at the end of every year rather than at specific seasonal events:
| Year | Director Friendship Required | Fan Count Required |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Year (Late December) | 15% | 5,000+ |
| Classic Year (Late December) | 30% | 60,000+ |
| Senior Year (Late December) | 50% | 120,000+ |
Training with Director Akikawa gives the highest friendship boost (+7 per session), while winning Rival Races contributes +5 per win. The Cat Food item also raises friendship but is not recommended due to its high cost relative to the benefit.
Raising a character's Star level through the Enhance Menu upgrades the strength of their Unique Skill. A character needs to reach 3 Stars before their base Unique Skill upgrades to its stronger version. From 3 Stars onward, each additional star increases the skill's level by 1.
| Star Level | Star Pieces Required | Cumulative Total |
|---|---|---|
| ★★ | 50 | 50 |
| ★★★ | 100 | 150 |
| ★★★★ | 200 | 350 |
| ★★★★★ | 300 | 650 |
Star Pieces come from scouting duplicates, exchanging Goddess Statues, Friend Points, Club Points, Event Point Rewards, and the Prize Derby.
Star level upgrade screen
Unique Skills can be converted into Sparks of Inspiration through the Legacy system. When a character with at least 3 Stars is used as a Legacy, their Unique Skill has a chance to become a Spark that a trainee can inherit if their Affinity matches. Inherited Unique Skills function as Normal Skills and cannot be leveled up further through Career events.
B tier skills are situational or niche picks. They can be viable in specific scenarios but generally won't compete with higher-tier options in serious PvP content.
Notable B tier unique skills include Dancing in the Leaves (Gold City, Autumn Cosmos), A Princess Must Seize Victory! (Kawakami Princess), and several stamina-focused skills like Super-Duper Climax (Haru Urara).
On the rare/normal side, Serenity (the rare upgrade of Levelheaded) requires End Closer style and being jammed to activate, which makes it inconsistent. Burning Spirit WIT and Shatterproof are also B tier picks with limited but occasionally useful applications.
For most players, B tier skills are fine fillers in Career Mode when better options aren't available, but you should replace them with A tier or higher picks before entering competitive modes.
Even the best skills won't help you if the fundamentals aren't in place:
