Black Forest Labs' distilled 9 billion parameter image generation model with sub-second inference and multi-reference support
Settled by community votes across 4 shared challenges, with an AI judge weighing in on each.
FLUX.2 [klein] 9B
21.3
arena score
#7 of 23 in Image Editing
Skill signature
Not enough comparable category data
The chart appears once both models have ratings across at least three shared arena categories.
Nano Banana
24.0
arena score
#20 of 44 in Text-to-Image
Vote tally
Where the votes landed
FLUX.2 [klein] 9B
100.0%
win rate
Ties
0.0%
Nano Banana
0.0%
win rate
100.0%
0.0% ties
0.0%
Shared challenges
4
Challenge by challenge
The strongest take from each model on every shared challenge, with the AI judge's read.
Magic Burger Explosion: Fiery Photorealism Challenge
Text-to-Image“Ad for 'Magic Burger'. Dynamic, exploded burger with all components (bun, patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato, sauce) suspended in mid-air. Emphasize photorealistic detail and a sense of motion. Dark, fiery background with glowing embers. Integrate text: 'MAGIC BURGER' as a prominent title, 'LIMITED TIME ONLY' as a secondary message, and '€6.99' in a starburst, all rendered with a fiery, glowing effect.”
FLUX.2 [klein] 9B
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.2 [klein] 9B
- + Excellent typography with a professional graphic design feel.
- + High-quality textures on the burger bun and patty.
- + Dynamic use of embers and light trails to create motion.
- − The 'exploded' effect is less pronounced, as the ingredients are still mostly stacked.
- − The secondary text lacks the fiery/glowing effect requested.
Nano Banana
- + Perfect interpretation of the 'exploded' burger with clearly suspended, separate components.
- + Consistent fiery/glowing effect across all text and the starburst element.
- + Great use of environmental storytelling with the cracked lava floor.
- − The 'LIMITED TIME ONLY' text is slightly thin and harder to read compared to the other text.
- − Some sauce droplets look a bit plastic rather than liquid.
Verdict: Nano Banana followed the prompt's layout instructions more closely, delivering a truly 'exploded' burger where every component is clearly suspended in air. FLUX.2 [klein] 9B produced a more polished, commercial-looking image with superior font rendering, but failed to separate the burger layers as requested.
Chalkboard Menu
Text-to-Image“Handwritten-style chalkboard menu in a cozy café, all text rendered in the exact same realistic chalk handwriting style with natural variations in letter size, slight slant, and chalk texture — no printed or digital fonts anywhere on the board. Title at the top in elegant cursive chalk handwriting: ‘TODAY’S SPECIALS – APRIL 30, 2026’. Below it, three menu items also in the same handwritten chalk style: ‘Truffle Mushroom Risotto – $24’, ‘Grilled Octopus with Lemon & Herbs – $28’, ‘Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies – $9’. At the very bottom, smaller text in the identical handwritten chalk style (slightly smaller but still clearly legible with the same handwriting characteristics): ‘All items made fresh daily • Ask about our gluten-free options’. Warm ambient café lighting, visible chalk dust and smudges, realistic handwriting imperfections, no clean printed text anywhere.”
FLUX.2 [klein] 9B
Nano Banana
100% wins
0% ties
0% wins
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.2 [klein] 9B
- + Natural chalk texture on the board surface
- + Accurate rendering of the date requested
- + Contains all requested text including the truncated item
- − Spelling error in 'Mushrropom'
- − The handwriting style is slightly repetitive for a handwritten request
Nano Banana
- + Excellent atmospheric background and composition
- + High quality font-to-chalk rendering
- + Correct spelling of menu items
- − The date '30' is slightly obscured and looks like '3Q'
- − The 'Brown Butter' item is truncated abruptly
Verdict: Both models performed exceptionally well on complex text rendering and surface texture. FLUX.2 [klein] 9B followed the full text prompt including the footer but had a minor spelling error, while Nano Banana created a more aesthetically pleasing café atmosphere with perfect spelling but slightly less clarity on the date.
Pose & Character Mashup
EditingEdit instruction
“Use Image 1 as the exact pose reference and Image 2 as the character reference. Recreate the person/character from Image 2 in the exact dynamic pose and body position from Image 1. Keep the exact face, hair, clothing style/details, and expression from Image 2. Match the lighting and environment of Image 1. The final image must show the character from Image 2 performing the precise action/pose from Image 1 with perfect anatomy and natural integration.”
Source
FLUX.2 [klein] 9B
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.2 [klein] 9B
- + Excellent character transfer, accurately moving the person from Image 2 into the scene.
- + Successfully adapted the clothing, scarf, and sunglasses onto the target pose.
- + Maintained the lighting and background from Image 1 perfectly.
- − The left hand is rendered as a clenched fist which deviates slightly from the open-hand pose in Image 1.
- − Some minor anatomical distortion where the legs cross.
Nano Banana
- + Successfully added the sunglasses and scarf to the subject.
- + Matched the clothing color from Image 2.
- − Failed the primary instruction to change the character; it kept the woman from Image 1 instead of the man from Image 2.
- − Merging of the scarf and hair creates a messy visual artifact.
Verdict: FLUX.2 [klein] 9B followed the complex editing instructions almost perfectly, successfully swapping the character from Image 2 into the pose of Image 1 while retaining facial identity and clothing. Nano Banana failed to swap the actual person, essentially just adding accessories to the original subject from Image 1.
Outfit Transfer Challenge
EditingEdit instruction
“Use Image 1 as the base person. Dress them in the exact elaborate outfit from Image 2 (including all layers, accessories, jewelry, and shoes). Carefully adapt the clothing to the body shape and pose in Image 1 while maintaining realistic fabric behavior, correct proportions, and perfect lighting/shadow matching. Keep the person’s exact face, hair, and background completely unchanged.”
Source
FLUX.2 [klein] 9B
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.2 [klein] 9B
- + Successfully replicates the layered outfit including the coat, plaid scarf, jeans, and added accessories like the gold chains to match the aesthetic.
- + Preserves the subject's unique facial features, hair, and vitiligo patterns with high fidelity.
- + Maintains the background and lighting/shadows of the original beach scene effectively.
- − The transition between the neck and the garment's collar appears slightly unblended.
- − Introduces extra jewelry not present in either source image, which deviates from the 'exact' outfit instruction.
Nano Banana
- + Accurately captures the specific coat and scarf pattern from Image 2.
- + Preserves the background and beach setting perfectly.
- − The head is poorly integrated with the body, appearing to float above the coat with no visible neck.
- − The scale of the body is disproportionately small compared to the head, creating an uncanny look.
- − Failed to include the jeans or lower half of the outfit correctly, cropping most of it out.
Verdict: FLUX.2 [klein] 9B is the clear winner as it successfully blends the person from Image 1 with the outfit from Image 2 while maintaining realistic proportions and anatomy. Nano Banana suffers from severe anatomical issues, where the head appears detached from the body and the scale of the torso is incorrectly handled.
Next steps
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