8 Worst Trainees In Umamusume Pretty Derby Ranked (March 2026)

Not every horse girl in Umamusume Pretty Derby is destined for the winner’s circle. While some trainees like Oguri Cap and Symboli Rudolf practically train themselves to victory, others turn every training session into a tactical nightmare where one wrong decision spirals into complete failure. I’ve spent hundreds of hours since the global launch in March 2026 training these challenging characters, and I’m here to share which trainees will test your patience, drain your resources, and leave you questioning your life choices.

The Worst Trainees in Umamusume Pretty Derby

Rank	Trainee	Main Issues	Difficulty Rating
1	Rice Shower	Constant mood drops, extreme training difficulty	★★★★★
2	Haru Urara	Exceptionally low base stats, built to lose	★★★★★
3	Mejiro Ryan	Weak stats, niche weather conditions	★★★★☆
4	Mihono Bourbon	Sky-high stat requirements, inconsistent skills	★★★★☆
5	Matikanefukukitaru	RNG-dependent skills, inflexible strategy	★★★★☆
6	Nice Nature	Counterintuitive unique skill, low base stats	★★★☆☆
7	King Halo	Mood swings, confusing career path	★★★☆☆
8	Winning Ticket	Limited to medium-distance, early-game ceiling	★★★☆☆

Understanding What Makes a Trainee “Worst” in Umamusume

Before I dive into my rankings, let me clarify what I mean by “worst” trainees. These aren’t necessarily characters you should avoid forever – in fact, some of them can become incredibly powerful with the right approach. Instead, these are the horse girls that demand exceptional skill, perfect RNG, and saint-like patience to reach their potential.

I’ve evaluated each trainee based on several critical factors:

• Base stat distribution and growth rates
• Unique skill reliability and activation conditions
• Career goal difficulty and race requirements
• Mood stability during training
• Flexibility across different race types and strategies
• Resource investment versus reward ratio

Now, let’s examine each of these challenging trainees in detail, starting from the somewhat manageable to the absolutely infuriating.

8. Winning Ticket – The Early Game Trap

Base Stats:

• Speed: 87
• Stamina: 68
• Power: 90
• Guts: 70
• Wit: 85

Winning Ticket initially seems like a godsend for new trainers. She’s reliable, straightforward, and can secure some early victories without too much fuss. But here’s where the trap springs – she hits a performance ceiling faster than you can say “URA Finals.”

Her primary weakness lies in her hyper-specialized skill set that’s laser-focused on medium-distance races. While specialization isn’t inherently bad, Winning Ticket takes it to an extreme that becomes problematic as you progress. Her unique skill, “Ticket to Victory,” only activates under very specific medium-distance conditions, making her virtually useless for sprint or long-distance events.

What really frustrates me about training Winning Ticket is the false sense of security she provides. You’ll cruise through early career goals, thinking you’ve found a hidden gem, only to watch her get absolutely demolished in high-level competitions. It’s like bringing a knife to a gunfight – sure, it’s a weapon, but you’re severely outmatched.

For trainers looking to build a versatile stable, Winning Ticket represents wasted investment. The resources you pour into her would yield far better returns with more adaptable characters like those covered in the complete training guide.

7. King Halo – The Mood Swing Simulator

Base Stats:

• Speed: 87
• Stamina: 60
• Power: 85
• Guts: 92
• Wit: 76

Training King Halo feels like riding an emotional rollercoaster while blindfolded. One moment she’s performing brilliantly, the next she’s having a complete meltdown that tanks your entire training run. Her mood crashes are legendary among veteran trainers, and I’ve personally experienced runs where she went from perfect condition to absolute disaster in just three turns.

But mood swings are just the beginning of King Halo’s problems. Her career path is an absolute mess, bouncing between short sprints, mile races, medium distances, and even the occasional long-distance event. This schizophrenic race schedule makes it nearly impossible to optimize her stats effectively. Do you focus on speed for sprints? Stamina for longer races? Power for versatility? The answer is you’ll always be wrong because her next race will demand something completely different.

Her unique skill, “Halo’s Majesty,” provides a late-race acceleration boost, but it’s locked behind activation conditions so specific that you’ll see it trigger about as often as a solar eclipse. When it does work, it’s impressive, but banking on unreliable skills is a recipe for disappointment in competitive races.

6. Nice Nature – The Third Place Specialist

Base Stats:

• Speed: 86
• Stamina: 72
• Power: 80
• Guts: 86
• Wit: 76

Nice Nature’s design philosophy baffles me to this day. Her entire kit revolves around being in third place, which is fundamentally at odds with the goal of, you know, winning races. Her unique skill, “Third Time’s the Charm,” only activates when she’s in third place during the final stretch. Let that sink in – her most powerful ability requires her to be losing.

This creates an impossible tactical dilemma. Do you intentionally hold her back to trigger the skill? Do you push for the lead and ignore her unique ability entirely? Either way, you’re fighting against her design rather than working with it. It’s like trying to drive a car where the accelerator only works when you’re going backwards.

Her base stats compound these problems. With below-average speed and power, Nice Nature starts every race at a disadvantage. Even when her skills activate perfectly, she often lacks the raw stats to capitalize on the boost. I’ve watched countless replays where Nice Nature gets her skill activation, surges forward dramatically, and still finishes in… third place. The irony would be funny if it weren’t so frustrating.

For trainers interested in building effective teams, I strongly recommend checking out the character tier list for better alternatives.

5. Matikanefukukitaru – RNG Hell Personified

Base Stats:

• Speed: 77
• Stamina: 81
• Power: 83
• Guts: 87
• Wit: 72

If you enjoy gambling, Matikanefukukitaru might be your girl. Her entire strategy revolves around random chance, with her unique skill “Luck Be with Me!” being about as reliable as its name suggests. I’ve trained her dozens of times, and the variance in results is staggering. One run she’ll activate every skill at the perfect moment and cruise to victory. The next identical build will see her skills fail repeatedly, leaving her in dead last.

What makes Matikanefukukitaru particularly frustrating is that her kit has potential. She’s packed with abilities that could theoretically save any race – if they activate. But relying on RNG in a game that already has plenty of random elements is asking for heartbreak. It’s like playing Russian roulette with five bullets instead of one.

She’s also remarkably inflexible, with terrible sprint aptitude and only one viable strategy. This lack of adaptability means you’re locked into a single approach that may or may not work depending on how the dice roll. For trainers who value consistency and strategic planning, Matikanefukukitaru represents everything wrong with RNG-dependent gameplay.

4. Mihono Bourbon – The Stat Check Nightmare

Base Stats:

• Speed: 100
• Stamina: 68
• Power: 85
• Guts: 75
• Wit: 72

On paper, Mihono Bourbon looks incredible. That 100 base speed! The front runner potential! Then you start training her and realize she’s basically a stat check in horse girl form. To make Mihono Bourbon competitive, you need to hit astronomical stat thresholds: 1200+ Speed, 800+ Power, and enough Stamina to not collapse halfway through the race.

But here’s the real kicker – even when you hit these numbers, her performance is wildly inconsistent. Her unique skill, “Bourbon’s Blitz,” only triggers if she maintains an “unfaltering” lead in the final straight. One bad start, one poorly-timed debuff, or one stronger front runner, and your entire strategy crumbles. I’ve had perfectly trained Mihono Bourbons lose to inferior builds simply because her skill refused to activate at crucial moments.

The resource investment required to make her work is staggering. You’ll need top-tier support cards, perfect legacy choices, and favorable RNG throughout training. Even then, success isn’t guaranteed. For the same investment, you could train two or three more reliable characters to similar performance levels.

3. Mejiro Ryan – Mediocrity Incarnate

Base Stats:

• Speed: 87
• Stamina: 66
• Power: 80
• Guts: 85
• Wit: 82

Mejiro Ryan holds a special place in my heart as the character who taught me that some horse girls simply aren’t worth the effort. Her stat growth is abysmal across the board, turning every training session into an uphill battle against mediocrity. Even with perfect support cards and optimal training routes, she struggles to reach the baseline stats that other characters achieve effortlessly.

But poor stats are just the beginning. Mejiro Ryan is only effective in detrimental weather conditions, and even then, only for medium-distance races. This hyperspecific niche means she’s useless 90% of the time. It’s like having a umbrella that only works during light drizzle – technically functional, but practically worthless.

Random mood drops plague her training runs with frustrating regularity. I’ve had runs where she was in perfect condition, only to have three consecutive mood crashes that destroyed any chance of success. When combined with her weak base stats and limited utility, these mood issues make Mejiro Ryan one of the most frustrating characters to train seriously.

The stats priority guide won’t help much here – even perfect stat distribution can’t save a fundamentally flawed character.

2. Haru Urara – The Lovable Loser

Base Stats:

• Speed: 83
• Stamina: 58
• Power: 77
• Guts: 91
• Wit: 91

My heart breaks ranking Haru Urara so low because she’s absolutely adorable and her real-life story of 113 consecutive losses makes her incredibly endearing. But sentiment doesn’t win races, and Haru Urara seems designed to continue her losing streak in the game.

Those base stats are painful to look at. 58 Stamina means she’ll gas out in anything longer than a sprint. 83 Speed ensures she’ll be playing catch-up from the start. Her 77 Power means acceleration is more of a gentle suggestion than an actual ability. Even her high Guts can’t compensate for such fundamental weaknesses.

What makes training Haru Urara especially challenging is that you’re fighting against her nature every step of the way. While other low-tier characters might have one or two strengths to build around, Haru Urara requires massive investment just to reach baseline competency. I’ve successfully trained her to win (check out the Haru Urara build guide for tips), but the effort required compared to training literally any other character is astronomical.

Still, there’s something special about finally getting that first win with Haru Urara. It’s like teaching a fish to climb a tree – theoretically possible, emotionally satisfying, but you can’t help wondering why you didn’t just get a monkey instead.

1. Rice Shower – The Ultimate Test of Patience

Base Stats:

• Speed: 76
• Stamina: 121
• Power: 72
• Guts: 105
• Wit: 76

Rice Shower claims the crown as the absolute worst trainee to work with, and it’s not even close. Despite having the potential to become an S-tier long-distance monster (as noted in many tier lists), the journey to unlock that potential is a psychological torture session that will test every ounce of your patience.

The core issue with Rice Shower is her catastrophic mood management. She suffers from constant, severe mood drops that can spiral a promising run into complete failure within a few turns. I’m not exaggerating when I say that training Rice Shower requires you to be in a state of hypervigilance, constantly monitoring and managing her emotional state like you’re defusing a bomb.

These mood swings aren’t just minor inconveniences – they directly sabotage your training efficiency and race performance. A bad mood means reduced training gains, higher injury risk, and poor race results. With Rice Shower, you’ll spend more time managing her psychological state than actually training her stats.

But wait, it gets worse! Her stat requirements for competitive performance are extremely demanding. You need high Speed (unusual for a long-distance runner), massive Power to compete, and perfect skill selection. One suboptimal choice or unlucky event chain can doom an entire run. I’ve had Rice Shower runs fail on turn 65 out of 72 because of cascading mood failures.

The cruel irony is that a perfectly trained Rice Shower is genuinely incredible. Her unique skills and stat distribution make her a long-distance powerhouse capable of dominating the hardest races. But the path to get there is so fraught with failure that most trainers will give up long before seeing her potential. The Rice Shower build guide exists for the truly determined, but I recommend starting with easier characters first.

Tips for Training Difficult Characters

After suffering through countless failed runs with these challenging trainees, I’ve learned some universal strategies that can help:

1. Master the Basics First

Before attempting these difficult characters, ensure you understand fundamental mechanics. Train easier characters like Sakura Bakushin O or Silence Suzuka to learn the game’s systems without additional frustration.

2. Maximize Support Card Quality

Difficult characters demand the best support cards. If you’re committed to training them, consider rerolling for top-tier SSR cards like Super Creek or Fine Motion.

3. Understand Mood Management

For mood-sensitive characters like Rice Shower and King Halo:

• Always prioritize mood-improving events
• Keep energy above 70% to reduce negative events
• Use recreation strategically during summer training camp
• Consider mood-boosting support cards

4. Accept Failure as Part of the Process

You will fail. A lot. These characters have lower success rates by design, so don’t get discouraged by failed runs. Each attempt teaches you something about managing their unique challenges.

5. Use Strong Legacy Characters

Powerful legacy choices can compensate for weak base stats. Aim for legacy characters with complementary skills and high-tier sparks to give your difficult trainee the best possible start.

When Should You Train These Characters?

Despite their difficulties, there are valid reasons to train these challenging horse girls:

For the Challenge: Once you’ve mastered the game’s easier characters, these difficult trainees provide a new level of complexity to keep the game interesting.

For Love: If Haru Urara is your favorite character, no tier list should stop you from training her. The emotional satisfaction of succeeding with your favorite character outweighs optimization.

For Completion: Serious players will want to train every character eventually. Understanding why these characters are difficult makes you a better trainer overall.

For Unique Strategies: Some team compositions benefit from niche specialists. Mejiro Ryan’s weather specialization, while generally weak, can be valuable in specific scenarios.

The Hidden Value of “Bad” Characters

I want to emphasize something important: no character in Umamusume Pretty Derby is truly worthless. Even the worst trainees on this list can achieve success with proper investment and strategy. The question isn’t whether they can win – it’s whether the effort required justifies the outcome.

Training difficult characters taught me more about the game’s mechanics than any guide could. Wrestling with Rice Shower’s mood swings forced me to master mood management. Optimizing Haru Urara’s pitiful stats taught me the importance of every single training choice. These lessons made me a better trainer overall.

Conclusion: Embrace the Challenge (Or Don’t)

After spending hundreds of hours with these challenging trainees, I can confidently say that while they’re frustrating, they’re also some of the most rewarding characters to master. The feeling of finally nailing a perfect Rice Shower run or watching Haru Urara cross the finish line first is unmatched.

But let’s be realistic – if you’re new to Umamusume Pretty Derby, start elsewhere. Build your skills with friendlier characters, accumulate strong support cards, and develop your understanding of the game’s systems. These worst trainees will still be there when you’re ready for the ultimate challenge.

Remember, Umamusume Pretty Derby is ultimately about the journey, not just the destination. Whether you’re training the mighty Gold Ship or struggling with Rice Shower, every run tells a story. Some stories are triumphant victories, others are learning experiences, but they’re all part of what makes this game special.

The worst trainees in Umamusume Pretty Derby aren’t bad characters – they’re puzzle boxes waiting to be solved. Whether you choose to tackle that puzzle is entirely up to you. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you about Rice Shower’s mood swings!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is Rice Shower really that bad to train?

A: Rice Shower is simultaneously one of the worst characters to train and one of the best when fully optimized. Her difficulty comes from extreme mood instability during training, not her final potential. If you can manage her mood swings, she becomes an S-tier long-distance runner.

Q: Can Haru Urara actually win races?

A: Absolutely! Despite her terrible stats, Haru Urara can be trained to win, especially on dirt tracks where she excels. It requires significant investment and optimal training strategies, but it’s definitely possible and incredibly satisfying.

Q: Should beginners avoid all characters on this list?

A: Not necessarily. Winning Ticket, despite being ranked 8th, is actually decent for beginners due to her straightforward gameplay. The key is understanding each character’s limitations and not expecting top-tier performance without matching investment.

Q: Are these characters worth training for collection purposes?

A: Yes! Every character in Umamusume Pretty Derby has unique stories, events, and interactions. Even if they’re difficult to train competitively, experiencing their storylines and character development is worthwhile for completionists and fans.

Q: Do support cards matter more for difficult characters?

A: Absolutely. While strong support cards benefit every character, they’re essential for difficult trainees. High-quality SSR support cards can compensate for weak base stats and provide crucial skills that make challenging characters viable.

Q: Will these characters ever get buffed?

A: Based on the Japanese version’s history, Cygames occasionally adjusts character balance. However, the fundamental design philosophy of each character (like Nice Nature’s third-place focus) typically remains unchanged.

Q: Which difficult character should I try first?

A: If you’re determined to train a challenging character, start with King Halo or Winning Ticket. They’re frustrating but not soul-crushing like Rice Shower or Haru Urara. They’ll teach you valuable lessons about managing difficult characters without completely destroying your will to continue.