Is there an official best style?
No. Gokudo is still in beta, and the developers have not published a tier list or per-style damage and perk values. The "best style" image players share is staff or community guidance shown in the game, not a developer balance statement. That means a ranking presented as fact would be guessing. What you can rely on are the confirmed numbers: each style’s rarity pool, its Critical (M2) cooldown, and how your height changes the fight. This guide uses only those.
Compare Critical cooldowns first
The published Critical cooldowns run from 8.0 seconds on Basic to 11.2 seconds on Wrestling, with Boxing and Karate at 8.4, Aikido 8.5, Muay Thai and Taekwondo 9.0, Bakuto and Tekiya 9.2, Capoeira 9.5 and Sumo 10.5. A shorter cooldown means the heavy attack becomes available more often, which is useful while you are still learning its timing. It does not by itself mean the style is stronger — damage, hit confirmation and perks are not published — so treat cooldown as a practice-frequency number, not a power ranking.
Rarity is roll difficulty, not strength
Rarity tells you how hard a style is to obtain, not that it wins fights. Basic sits in the Common 60% pool, Karate, Muay Thai and Aikido share the Uncommon 30% pool, Boxing is the lone Epic at 10%, Capoeira, Taekwondo, Sumo and Wrestling share the Legendary 1% pool, and Bakuto and Tekiya share the Secret 0.075% pool. A pool rate is shared across every style inside it, so a 1% Legendary pool is not a 1% chance for one specific style. Before chasing a Secret, put the odds into the calculator so the reroll budget is a decision, not a hope.
Match the style to your height build
Height changes how any style plays. Tall characters get more health and damage but attack and move more slowly, have larger hitboxes and shorter dashes, which also makes their attacks easier to parry. Short characters trade health and damage for faster attacks, faster cooldowns, smaller hitboxes and longer dashes. Reach matters too: the September 15 update raised Taekwondo’s reported reach from 3.0 to about 5.5 studs. Pick a style whose pace suits your build rather than the rarest one you can roll.
Test a style before you commit rerolls
Open a style’s page and watch its full M1 combo and Critical demonstration before spending. Check whether you like the timing and whether its heavy attack has hyper-armor or a ragdoll effect — some styles do, and that changes how you trade. Then remember that fundamentals decide most beta fights: a clean parry gives Respect and a punish window, dodging spends no stamina, and winning a clash depends on your preceding M1 string. A style you can defend with beats a rarer one you cannot.