This is so hard. I avoided this thread for some time now to try and think this through. 2 or 3 months after the game was released, I believed this to be the most balanced fighter I ever played. After seeing the EVO top 8 (and unfortunately having to sit through the Tekken top 8 in person) I believed it even more. Now, after trying to go through this "Bottom 5" mental exercise, I absolutely believe this is the most balanced fighter out there.
So with that said (and it pains me to do this) -
1 - Jade (put Jade in the hands of Easy Fresh though... watch out, he is a beast with her!)
2 - Nightwolf (never lost to him in a tournament before, but as far as online goes... LGuille, beastly with him!)
3 - Stryker (again, a character I've never lost to in a tournament, but I just want to say... If you think Stryker doesn't have what it takes, play a few matches against OnlineTony.)
4 - Sindel (I don't think she is nearly as bad as people make her out to be, but as a Mileena player, I recognize that she has some really lop-sided matches.)
5 - Sub Zero (this really pains me. If it weren't for a few players in specific - Tom, Denzel, Shory - he would have been lower in my list. I feel awful that I'm even naming him in this list. He has what it takes to make it to Top 8 major after major... but I'm basing my list on my tournament experience, and I have had no problem with Sub Zero so far. That said, I recognize that in the hands of the right player, in particular the aforementioned people, he can be devastating.)
In all honesty, I feel that Jade sits at the bottom, while everyone from #2 and upward has what it takes to win. I've never felt so bad about making a post on TYM.