Honkai Star Rail Characters Tier List – Best Character for each path

While it has a very diverse cast, most of the characters in Honkai Star Rail can pack a big punch. Many players will be looking to pull that shiny 5 star through warps, but the fact of the matter is that most of the in-game content can be completed with well-built free units. That being said, there are some behemoths in the five-star pool that make the game much easier.

Which are the best characters in Honkai Star Rail?

S Tier

• Tingyun: Of the several Harmony characters in Honkai Star Rail, Tingyun is the only one that can buff energy. Who doesn’t want to use their ultimates more? Tingyun offers more damage output than any other support character in the game.
• Fire Trailblazer: Aside from being a massive tank, the Fire Trailblazer can attract damage his or her way with increased Taunt. This can synergize with things like March 7th’s shieild to severely reduce damage taken.
• Seele: Every time this character gets a kill, they can act again. With good Light Cones and support, Seele can become a one woman army.

A Tier

• Bailu: Due to the ability to heal allies past their max HP value, Bailu makes everyone a tank. She also gets a revive, making her the best healer in the game
• Bronya: Bronya has a lot more to her kit than just support. She can also cleanse debuffs on allies as well as deal plenty of crits to the enemy.
• Welt: As one of very few available characters with the Imaginary element, Welt has automatic value. His Ultimate also lowers enemy Speed and makes them take more damage.
• Serval: Serval is great for mowing down hoards of enemies thanks to her Skill which applies splash damage. She also applies more damage against shocked enemies, which synergies with the rest of her kit perfectly.
• Clara: While Svarog may be a controversial character in the story, boy does Clara appreciate the mark he applies, which guarantees an automatic follow up attack.

A- Tier

• Pela: Her debuffs are a step below Welt’s, but she can still make enemies take more damage, which is always welcome.
• Sushang: Sushang can just get lots of hits in thanks to her skill. Once the Trailblazer becomes Fire-type, there also is a shortage on Physical units, a role that Sushang can step right into
• Sampo: Wind characters are a little scarce in Honkai Star Rail. Sampo can provide excellent Wind damage, though, along with boosing damage over time (DoT).
• Hook: Fire damage becomes a lot less desirable once Fire Trailblazer comes online. That being said, Hook still offers great Fire DPS for a secondary team.
• Himeko: She may be another Fire character which eventually gets outclassed by the Trailblazer, but her follow up attack can hit every enemy on the field.

Related: Is Honkai Star Rail Steam Deck compatible?

B Tier

• Yanqing: This character deals some of the highest damage in the game. The issue is that he needs to be full health to hold on to his Empathic Sword.
• Dan Heng: Dan Heng deals solid single target DPS that also lowers the target’s speed. He is best paired with a strong support that can help him deal maximum damage.
• March 7th: Although it is said to be weary of the Ides of March, it looks like March 7th is another date to fear. When she shields an ally that gets hit, she automatically uses a follow up attack.
• Herta: This know-it-all is a great source of Aoe damage, like the follow up attack she uses when an enemy goes below half health. Her damage won’t look as impressive against bosses, though.
• Asta: This character is only as good as how many Fire-weak enemies she goes up against. She really wants a full five stacks on her Attack boost to give the team maximum power.
• Gepard: Unfortunately, Gepard doesn’t have a damaging Ultimate like March 7th. He still takes hits like a champ, though.

Related: Who is Seele in Honkai: Star Rail?

C Tier

• Arlan: While he can deal tons of Lightning DPS, Arlan sacrifices a bit of his health to use his skill. Therefore, it’s hard to find a reason to use him, especially since Serval deals almost as much damage without sacrificing her health.

D Tier

• Qingque: Meet the RNG character. The only way to get full value out of Qingque is for her to have good jade tile pulls, making other characters much more consistent.

Want more Honkai Star Rail guides? Pro Game Guides has you covered with Honkai Star Rail—Best builds for March 7th, Light Cones, Relics, and More!