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In Japan, the CHADS₂ score has long been recommended as a Class I indication for risk stratification in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. However, the recent Japanese Circulation Society guidelines have proposed the HELT-E₂S₂ score as a Class IIa recommendation, which is a novel risk stratification system developed using the pooled data from five registries in Japan. In Europe, the CHA₂DS₂-VASc score has been adopted as a Class I recommendation over the past decade. However, the 2024 European Society of Cardiology guidelines have newly recommended the CHA₂DS₂-VA score as a Class I indication, excluding the sex category from the original CHA₂DS₂-VASc score. This review will first present the background and rationale for the development of the HELT-E₂S₂ score, followed by a summary of the current status of its clinical validation and the remaining challenges that need to be addressed. In addition, a focused discussion will be provided on the comparison between the recently highlighted CHA₂DS₂-VA score and the widely used CHA₂DS₂-VASc score, emphasizing their similarities, differences, and potential implications for risk stratification.