Rank S

Rank S refers to the rank of an Elite Mark in FFXIV.

It's the highest of all hunt ranks, with the others being (in order of strongest to weakest) Rank A, Rank B, Level 3, Level 2 and Level 1.

At the intended item level, an alliance (24 players) is the ideal minimum to take it down in a reasonable timeframe.

Origin

Rank S originates from the Japanese education system, where the university grades are usually Rank S, Rank A, Rank B, Rank C, Rank D and Rank F. The japanese word for Rank S is shū (秀) meaning "exemplary, excellent". It's rarely given when there is a score of 90–100%.

In other countries, a grade of A+ is usually used instead of an S-grade.