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HOW TO DO Y-SORTING IN GODOT 4.4

1. Basic Node Structure

Make sure your scene follows this structure:

YSort

└── Character (e.g., Node2D or CharacterBody2D)

    └── Sprite2D

    └── CollisionShape2D

IMPORTANT: The node that moves (the character) must be a direct child of the YSort node — not a grandchild.

2. Enable Y-sorting

• Select the YSort node.

• In the Inspector, ensure the property sort_enabled is true (enabled by default).

• Godot will automatically sort all children of the YSort node based on their Y position.

3. Keep the Sprite Centered

Make sure your Sprite2D is centered inside the character node, because Y-sorting works based on the parent node’s global position, not the sprite’s offset.

4. Beware of Z-index Conflicts

Godot 4.4 still uses Z-index (under CanvasItem), and it can override Y-sort behavior if not set correctly.

On your Sprite2D:

• Set Z-index to 0 or leave it empty.

• Uncheck Z as Relative.

This ensures the YSort logic takes priority.

What if you have multiple characters?

Easy — just make all of them children of the same YSort node:

YSort

├── Player

├── Tree

├── Enemy

💡 BONUS: Instancing at Runtime

If you spawn characters or enemies at runtime, as long as they are children of the YSort node, they'll be sorted properly without any extra setup.

🔧 SMALL CODE TIP (Only if you want to force the order manually)

Normally not needed with YSort, but you can still manually change z_index:

$Sprite2D.z_index = 1  # Force to render on top (not recommended with YSort)