Honkai Star Rail tier list - Archer added
After each big update, characters get added, and the developers balance the rest. So, our Honkai Star Rail tier list is updated to reflect the latest meta.
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Updated on July 17th, 2025 - Version 3.4.0 - Added: Phainon, Archer
We've ranked each character based on its strength alongside its element, rarity, and path (or role, if you may) so you can find exactly the type that you need!
This miHoYo game shines over the horizon with visuals that appear as though they've been pulled straight out of a sci-fi fairytale, and turn-based action reminiscent of older RPGs. Coming from the same developers, Honkai Star Rail is an adventure set on the Astral Express and the planets it travels to. If you thought that sounds fun, wait until you play the actual game.
How did we rank the characters?
Honkai Star Rail features a gacha system (called 'Warp') where you can try your luck at summoning new characters or Light Cones. Some of the top-tier characters usually boast extremely versatile skills - they can either hit very strongly, affect several enemies or provide useful buffs to their allies. A team is made up of multiple heroes (depending on the content, the number can vary), and they will each take turns attacking the enemy or performing another action (such as casting a buff or heal).There are also different elements and star ratings for each character, and each of these elements plays a role in a hero's ranking. In our Honkai Star Rail tier list, we added the rank, element, and role (or faction) for each character, so you will have an easier time assembling a team with all your favourites!
1
S+ Tier
At the moment, these are the absolute best characters and belong at the very top of our tier list for Honkai Star Rail. They provide great DPS and good buffs, and their stats are well above average. They should be the ones you should aim to get from the gacha because their overall kit and usefulness cannot be matched.
| S+ Tier | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Icon | Name | Rarity | Element | Path |
 |
Cipher | 5* |  |
Nihility |
 |
Archer | 5* | |
Hunt |
 |
Hyacine | 5* |  |
Remembrance |
 |
Anaxas | 5* | |
Erudition |
 |
Phainon | 5* |  |
Destruction |
 |
Mydei | 5* |  |
Destruction |
 |
Castorice | 5* | |
Remembrance |
 |
Tribbie | 5* | |
Harmony |
 |
Aglaea (Trailblazer) | 5* |  |
Remembrance |
 |
Lingsha | 5* |  |
The Abundance |
 |
Feixiao | 5* | |
The Hunt |
 |
Herta | 5* |  |
The Erudition |
 |
Rappa | 5* | |
The Erudition |
 |
Acheron | 5* | |
The Nihility |
 |
Firefly | 5* | |
Destruction |
 |
Aventurine | 5* | |
The Preservation |
 |
Luocha | 5* | |
The Abundance |
 |
Sunday | 5* | |
Harmony |
 |
Sparkle | 5* | |
The Abudance |
 |
Gepard | 5* | |
The Preservation |
 |
Ruan Mei | 5* | |
Harmony |
 |
Himeko | 5* | |
The Erudition |
 |
Jing Yuan | 5* | |
The Erudition |
 |
Seele | 5* | |
The Hunt |
 |
Den Heng - Imbibitor Lunae | 5* | |
Destruction |
 |
Fugue (Tingyun) | 5* | |
The Nihility |
 |
Argenti | 5* | |
The Erudition |
 |
Silver Wolf | 5* | |
The Nihility |
2
S Tier
The characters featured in the S tier are almost as good as the ones at the top of this Honkai Star Rail tier list - they can be useful in most situations, so you should also try to complete your collection by acquiring them whenever given the opportunity. You can usually make them work in any team composition.
| S Tier | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Icon | Name | Rarity | Element | Path |
 |
Robin | 5* |
| The Harmony |
 |
Boothill | 5* |
| The Hunt |
 |
Asta | 4* | |
The Harmony |
 |
Jiaoqiu | 5* | |
The Nihility |
 |
Black Swan | 5* | |
The Nihility |
 |
Trailblazer (Male / Female) | 5* | |
The Destruction |
 |
Bronya | 5* | |
The Harmony |
 |
Fu Xuan | 5* | |
Preservation |
 |
Rappa | 5* | |
Erudition |
 |
Welt | 5* | |
The Nihility |
 |
Jingliu | 5* | |
The Destruction |
 |
Topaz and Numby | 5* | |
The Hunt |
 |
Qingque | 4* |
|
The Erudition |
 |
Blade | 5* | |
The Destruction |
 |
Huohuo | 5* | |
Abundance |
 |
Hanya | 4* | |
Harmony |
 |
Dr.Ratio | 5* | |
The Hunt |
3
A Tier
In the A tier, we have characters that are pretty good and can work well until you acquire some better ones. They are mostly 4* characters, which are obtained via the story mode or so, but they are viable at most stages of the game if you invest a lot of resources.
| A Tier | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Icon | Name | Rarity | Element | Path |
 |
Yukong | 4* | |
The Harmony |
 |
Moze | 4* | |
The Hunt |
 |
Lynx | 4* | |
Abundance |
 |
Guinaifen | 4* | |
The Nihility |
 |
Yunli | 5* | |
The Destruction |
 |
Gallagher | 4* | |
Abudance |
 |
Natasha | 4* | |
The Harmony |
 |
March 7th | 4* | |
The Preservation |
 |
Sampo | 4* | |
The Nihility |
 |
Serval | 4* | |
The Erudition |
 |
Clara | 5* | |
The Destruction |
 |
Bailu | 5* | |
The Abundance |
 |
Tingyun | 4* | |
The Harmony |
 |
Yanqing | 5* | |
The Hunt |
 |
Luka | 4* | |
The Nihility |
4
B Tier
In the B tier, we have a bunch of characters that you'll probably play with until you acquire some better ones. They are really nothing too great, but can get the job done until you get a better alternative, especially Dan Heng, a character that is unlocked from the beginning.
| B Tier | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Icon | Name | Rarity | Element | Path |
 |
Arlan | 4* | |
The Destruction |
 |
Dan Heng | 4* | |
The Hunt |
 |
Pela | 4* | |
The Nihility |
|
Trailblazer (Male / Female) | 5* | |
The Destruction |
 |
Jade | 5* | |
The Erudition |
 |
Xueyi | 4* | |
The Destruction |
5
C Tier
In the C tier, we have characters that are okay for a while, but not ideal in the long run. We don't really recommend investing a lot of resources or equipping them with your best Light Cones, because they still won't be that great. It's best to avoid the characters at the bottom of our Honkai Star Rail tier list unless you're a glutton for punishment.
| C Tier | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Icon | Name | Rarity | Element | Path |
 |
Sushang | 4* | |
The Hunt |
 |
Herta | 4* | |
The Erudition |
 |
Misha | 4* | |
The Destruction |
 |
Hook | 4* | |
The Destruction |
Mihail Katsoris
I've enjoyed playing games ever since I was a kid (which was a long long time ago at this point). It all started off with an Atari 65XE, then came an Amiga 500+, a Sega Genesis, a 386, and the rest was history. I consider myself lucky to have been able to experience the gaming evolution over the years - this is my passion, and what I will continue to do for as long as I can.