Tier Lists

Arknights tier list - All of the Operators ranked

Arknights tier list - All of the Operators ranked

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Updated on March 16th, 2024 - Version: 21.1.01 - Added: Almond, Coldshot, Jessica the Liberated

There are quite a lot of characters in the game, and if you've been wondering what an essential Arknights tier list of all the best characters in the game would look like, then you're in the right place. We've compiled a complete tier list of all the Operators currently available.

To kick things off, you're probably familiar with the game and how it plays by now - so we'll skip straight onto the important things.

What exactly makes a character strong in Arknights, and how would it land in the S tier? 

In order for a character to be top tier, it should be able to clear out enemies on the battlefield fast enough or have potent single-target damage in order to kill upcoming bosses. That, along with a good synergy within the team, makes for a top-tier character.

Of course, since Arknights is such an amazing mobile gacha, there's also the aspect of which characters you like. So taking the stunning artwork and immersive gameplay into consideration, we've got ourselves a winner. As for the gameplay, if you're not exactly familiar with it, all the characters (Operators) you use can be placed on a board, sort of like a tower defense game, and the goal is to clear waves of enemies and escape the lab. 

Arknights Operator types

At the moment, there are several types of characters, each one specializing in a specific field. Our Arknights tier list is divided by Operator types to accommodate each of these characters and rank them according to their strength. Here is a specific list of Operators, click on the big blue button below to read about each type. 

Caster  |  Guard  |  Defender  |  Medic

Specialists  |  Sniper  |  Supporter  |  Vanguard


Click Here To View The List »

1
Caster Tier List

Arknights Amiya character

Casters are characters that specialise in Magic Damage. They are usually ranged, and they are the equivalent of Mages in other similar games. When it comes to the best Casters, you can look at operators with great amounts of damage that can obliterate opponents in a matter of seconds (ideally speaking). Casters completely ignore Armor, so in order to counter them, you should build Magic Resist. In this part of the Arknights tier list, we have ranked the casters by their strength and usefulness.

TierOperator
S Ebenholz, Carnelian, Lin, Dusk, Ceobe, Eyjafjalla, Ifrit, Mostima, Goldenglow, Rockrock
A Kjera, Amiya, Absinthe, Lava the Purgatory, Beeswax, Click, Gitano, Iris, Leonhardt, Mint, Passenger, Skyfire
B Harmonie, Qanipalaat, Corroserum, Greyy, Haze, Leizi
C 12F, Tomimi, Durin, Lava, Steward, Nightmare

2
Guard Tier List

Dobermann character holding a whip

Contrary to what their name implies, Guard Operators are not the first line of defense. Instead, they are powerful melee damage dealers who specialise in Physical Attacks - their defense is slightly higher than the defense of Casters, but they're nowhere as tanky as Defenders.

TierOperator
S Executor the Ex Foedere, Mlynar, Gavial the Invincible, Irene, Nearl the Radiant Knight, La Pluma, Blaze, Ch’en, Hellagur, Lappland, Mountain, SilverAsh, Skadi, Specter, Surtr, Thorns, Qiubai, Rathalos S Noir
A Highmore, Dagda, Luo Xiaohei, Tequila, Pallas, Akafuyu, Amiya (Guard), Astesia, Ayerscarpe, `k, Broca, Cutter, Flamebringer, Flint, Franka, Indra, Savage, Tachanka, Chongyue Utage, Whislash, Wind Chimes
B Bryophyta, Arene, Beehunter, Conviction, Estelle, Jackie, Matoimaru, Melantha, Mousse, Sideroca
C Quartz, Castle-3, Dobermann, Frostleaf, Midnight, Popukar, Swire

3
Defender Tier List

Arknights tier list Liskarm operator holding a riot shield

Defenders are the typical tank characters that will be able to stand on the front line (or in this case, on the last line?) and soak up most of the damage coming their way. They are great for acting as the last line of defense when characters come rushing in, and if you pair them up with some top-tier healers, they'll be outstanding.

TierOperator
S Penance, Horn, Blemishine, Eunectes, Hoshiguma, Liskarm, Mudrock, Nian, Saria
A Czerny, Shalem, Ashlock, Asbestos, Bison, Blitz, Croissant. Cuora, Heavyrain, Nearl, Kazemaru, Firewhistle
B Aurora, Bubble, Dur-Nar, Gummy, Mattherhorn, Hung, Vulcan
C Beagle, Cardigan, Spot, Noir Corne

4
Medic Tier List

Shining operator

As the name suggests, Medics are Operators able to heal - in other words, Medics are the equivalent of Healers in pretty much any other game. They are ideally placed on a safe tile, away from the incoming Operators, since they mostly lack defensive or offensive skills. This part of the tier list for Arknights will sort the Medics, and best ones will be sorted in the S tier.

TierOperator
S Reed the Flame Shadow, Hibiscus the Purifier, Kal'tsit, Nightingale, Ptilopsis, Shining, Warfarin, Lumen, Paprika
A Mulberry, Breeze, Perfumer, Silence, Whisperain, Tuye
B Folinic, Ceylon, Gavial, Myrrh, Sussurro, Purestream, Chestnut
C Ansel, Hibiscus, Lancet-2

5
Specialists Tier List

Phantom specialist Arknights character

Special Operators, oftentimes called Specialists, are the ones that can perform very specific tasks, such as setting traps, pushing, pulling, draining SP, and so on. They can be great in certain levels, but they shine most in PvP and as CC utilities. They don't have nearly as much damage as Operators dedicated to damage dealing, so you'll need a few damage dealers if you plan on deploying Special Operators.

TierOperator
S Texas the Omertosa, Dorothy, Specter the Unchained, Aak, Phantom, Projekt Red, Weedy, Gladiia, Lee
A Almond, Spuria, Mizuki, Cliffheart, Ethan, FEater, Gravel, Jaye, Manticore, Mr. Nothing, Kafka, Robin, Frost, Enforcer
B Kirara, Rope, Snowsant, Shaw, Waai Fu
C THRM-EX

6
Sniper Tier List

Jessica - best sniper operators

Snipers are the equivalent of Archers or any other long-ranged Operator with the ability to deal massive amounts of burst damage in a relatively short time. They typically have high attack speed, and they can be either single-target focused or AoE.

TierOperator
S Pozemka, Ch'en the Holungday, Fiammetta, Archetto, Ash, Exusiai, Poca (Rosa), Rosmontis, Schwarz, W
A Insider, Totter, Andreana, Blue Poison, Firewatch, GreyThroat, Platinum, Provence, Meteorite, Toddifons, Pinecone, Kirin R Yato
B Lunacub, Fartooth, Aciddrop, Aosta, April, Executor, May, Sesa, Shirayuki, Vermeil
C Ambriel, Catapult, Jessica, Kroos, Meteor, Adnachiel, Rangers, Greyy the Lightningbear

7
Supporter Tier List

Deepcolor operator support

Supporters are, just like the name suggests, characters that can aid their team. They can either provide buffs for their allies, or debuff enemy Operators, and that's extremely useful in PvP together with the Special ones. However, there are also Supporters who can summon minions, which are ideal when you're trying to add more Operators to your team.

TierOperator
S Stainless, Ling, Valarqvin,Gnosis, Angelina, Magallan, Scene, Coldshot, Shamare, Suzuran, Skadi the Corrupting Heeart
A Proviso, Windflit, Quercus, Roberta, Glaucus, Istina, Mayer, Pramanix, Sora, Heidi
B Deepcolor, Podenco
C Earthspirit, Orchid, Tsukinogi, Nine-Colored Deer

8
Vanguard Tier List

Arknights tier list -Vanguard operator Fang

At the very end of the Arknights tier list, we have ranked the Vanguard characters, and as usual, the most powerful ones are in the S tier. Vanguards are similar to Defenders, in the sense that they are tanky characters with DP recovery which can act as your first line of defence since they have a relatively low cost and the DP recovery will generate it constantly.

TierOperator
S Jessica the Liberated, Cantabile, Saileach, Bagpipe, Elysium, Myrtle, Poncirus, Siege, Saga
A Puzzle, Flametail, Reed, Texas, Vigna, Zima, Blacknight
B Beanstalk, Chiave, Courier, Grani, Scavenger
C Fang, Plume, Vanilla, Yato

9
How did we create the list?

We have to take into account a number of factors to rank all of the Arknight Operators correctly. First of all, we have to compare all of the characters in the game and try to make our own conclusions. Of course, that's just one part of it. Another part is listening to the community, so we are constantly checking out feedback on the official Reddit for Arknights, and we are members of their Discord group as well. This is giving us constant insights into the current meta, and all of the upcoming updates, so we can act upon them accordingly.

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Mihail Katsoris
Mihail Katsoris
I enjoy playing games ever since I was a kid (which was a long long time ago at this point). Everything started with an Atari 65XE. Then came an Amiga 500+, a Sega Genesis, a 386, a Playstation, a Playstation 2 and so on. Anyway, you get the idea. I consider myself lucky to be able to experience the gaming evolution throughout the years. This is my passion, and what I will continue to do for as long as I can.