Why the characters are not actually identical
During a normal playthrough, the playable roster feels almost interchangeable. At high level, however, the four main character archetypes behave differently because of attack hitboxes, animation shapes and the way those animations interact with level geometry.
These differences are not presented as conventional stats such as “+5% speed” or “higher jump.” They emerge from the physical details of each character and can change which routes, attacks and challenge strategies are fastest or safest.
Rayman: the baseline
Rayman is the most predictable all-purpose choice and works well as the control group for comparing the other archetypes.
- Large roll hitbox: his ground roll can catch enemies from slightly farther away, which is useful in tight setups where avoiding an extra attack input saves time.
- Standard ground pound: Rayman rises before slamming downward. That extra lift can be useful in some movement situations, but it can also kill him in very low rooms with ceiling hazards.
- Best fit: general routing and many tower-style challenges where consistent, standard behaviour is useful.
Barbara and the Princesses: specialized speed
The Princess archetype has some of the strongest situational advantages, especially when a route rewards attack reach or low vertical movement.
- Wide spin attack: Barbara can hit walls and obstacles while preserving a cleaner line through slopes and corners.
- Low-profile ground pound: she barely rises before descending, allowing ground pounds in spaces where Rayman can collide with an overhead hazard.
- Tower drawback: the reduced upward lift can hurt techniques that rely on the extra height from Rayman's ground pound.
- Pit-distance problem: in some pit challenges, the catching hands can fail to grab the Princess archetype correctly, causing a death that other characters avoid.
Teensy: the climbing specialist
Teensies are particularly strong when a route involves ropes, vertical traversal or awkward ledges.
- Faster climbing: Teensy climbs more quickly than the other main archetypes.
- Lower ledge grabs: Teensy can catch and mantle certain ledges from a lower vertical position than Rayman.
- Best fit: routes dominated by climbing, wall interactions and difficult ledge geometry.
Globox: the hitbox exploit
Globox's oversized model produces some of the most extreme competitive advantages in the game.
- Very long attack reach: his punches extend far enough to hit enemies through some solid walls.
- Unusual ledge snaps: Globox can catch certain ledges from unusually low positions, bypassing intended platforming in specific routes.
- Co-op utility: his body and collision behaviour enable unusual co-op interactions, including co-op zips.
- Dojo dominance: the ability to clear enemies through barriers makes Globox the strongest choice for Dojo challenges.
So which character is best?
There is no universal best character. Rayman is consistent, Barbara excels in routes that reward wide attacks and low ground pounds, Teensy is strongest around climbing and ledges, and Globox can abuse his reach in combat-heavy layouts.
At competitive level, the best pick is simply the archetype whose quirks interact most favorably with the geometry of the route in front of you.
More character-routing context: why optimized Any% switches to Globox.