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Character Tier List
Our comprehensive ranking of all Wuthering Waves characters based on their overall performance, utility, and value in the current meta.
How to Use This Tier List
This tier list ranks characters based on their performance across different roles. Characters in higher tiers generally offer more value and versatility, but remember that team synergy and personal playstyle can make any character viable.
We've categorized characters by their most effective roles: Overall performance, Main DPS, Sub DPS, and Support. Some characters may excel in multiple roles, while others are specialists in a particular area.
Tier Explanations
- SS Meta-defining characters that excel in almost all content and team compositions
- S Exceptional characters that provide outstanding value in most situations
- A Excellent characters that perform very well in most situations
- B Solid characters that are viable but may have some limitations
- C Characters that are usable but generally outclassed by higher tiers
Overall Tier List
This ranking evaluates characters based on their overall performance across all content types, considering their versatility, ease of use, and value in the current meta.
SS
SS Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
 | No explanation available | ||
 | No explanation available | ||
 | No explanation available | ||
| | No explanation available | ||
| | No explanation available | ||
 | No explanation available | ||
| | No explanation available | ||
| | No explanation available |
S
S Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Calcharo stands out as a formidable Electro Main-DPS unit, capable of unleashing a substantial amount of Electro damage through both his Skill and Liberation. The introduction of Yinlin has further elevated his potential, making him an even more compelling choice for players seeking a powerful Sub-DPS to complement their team. | ||
 | Encore is a top-tier Fusion DPS character, renowned for her extraordinary damage output. When she enters the Cosmos Rave state, her damage capabilities become truly exceptional, making her a valuable asset to any team. However, her vulnerability during this state necessitates careful management to avoid taking excessive damage. | ||
| | Verina is a versatile character who provides comprehensive support to her team, offering both healing and buffs to all party members. Her coordinated attacks also deal significant Spectro damage while restoring health to the active character. Although she lacks Crit Rate and Crit Damage buffs, her overall utility makes her a valuable addition to any team. | ||
 | Jiyan is an exceptional DPS unit, exceling at both single-target and AoE damage. His Ultimate ability allows for effective crowd control, grouping smaller enemies and making them more manageable. While he may not match the burst damage of top-tier DPS units like Jinhsi, Jiyan's consistent damage output and crowd control capabilities make him a reliable choice for players. | ||
| | Rover (Havoc) is a high-damage dealer with a unique interaction with the Dreamless, significantly enhancing their burst damage potential. To maximize their damage output, players must develop their dodging skills to optimize Basic Attack damage during the Dark Surge state. With proper management, Havoc Rover can efficiently clear both single and multiple enemies in a short time. | ||
| | Changli is a premier Main-DPS unit, capable of dealing massive amounts of Fusion damage with her fully-stacked Forte Circuit. She can also self-buff her ATK after using her Ultimate, further increasing her damage output. While she can adapt to a Sub-DPS role, her exceptional damage capabilities make her best suited as a Main-DPS, where she can take full advantage of her abilities. | ||
| | Roccia is an outstanding Havoc Sub-DPS unit, providing increases to both Basic Attack and Havoc DMG. Her grouping utility allows for easy decimation of enemy hordes, and her personal damage output is substantial. However, her limited team composition and reliance on Havoc teams may restrict her versatility in certain situations. | ||
| | Brant is a valuable Fusion character who offers team-wide buffs and sustain without compromising his personal damage output. He can convert ER to Attack, making him an excellent choice for teams focusing on Basic Attacks and Resonance Skills. His Outro Skill and Forte Circuit enable him to support his allies while dealing significant damage. | ||
| | Cantarella is a premium character for Mono Havoc Teams, providing a range of benefits, including healing, sustain, and Resonance and Havoc DMG amplification. Her coordinated attacks deal additional damage, boosting overall team damage potential. Her flexibility in buffing various DPS units makes her a highly sought-after character for players seeking to optimize their team's performance. | ||
| | Mortefi is a unique character with a mechanic that allows coordinated Fusion attacks to follow his actions, even when he is off-field. This significantly increases his value in fights, especially when combined with Heavy Attacks. As a 4-star unit, Mortefi is relatively accessible, making him an attractive choice for players seeking a reliable Sub-DPS. | ||
| | Sanhua is one of the best Sub-DPS units in the game, providing Basic Attack DMG Deepen for 14s to the next character who takes the field. She deals decent damage and can detonate ice structures using her Heavy Attacks, but her effectiveness relies on proper timing and positioning. | ||
| | Danjin is an exceptional DPS unit for free-to-play players, capable of dealing massive damage as long as her HP-drain mechanic is properly managed. This requires careful player skill, especially when facing tougher enemies, to ensure Danjin's survival and optimal performance. |
A
A Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Jianxin is a solid, versatile character who can excel as both a Main and Sub-DPS. She provides grouping and AoE damage against multiple enemies, and her Outro Skill buffs Resonance Liberation DMG, making her a valuable asset to any team. However, her jack-of-all-trades nature may cause her to fall behind characters with more defined roles in the meta. | ||
| | Rover (Spectro) is a versatile character who can adapt to various roles, providing great Sub-DPS capabilities and executing time stops with her Outro Skill. She also shows promise as a Main-DPS, dealing high-damage Resonance Liberation. However, her lack of a defined role may cause her to fall behind characters with more specialized abilities. | ||
| | Aalto is a reliable Sub-DPS unit who can buff Aero DMG while dealing decent damage. Although he may be outclassed by other Sub-DPS units like Mortefi, Aalto's ability to provide Aero DMG amplification makes him a valuable addition to teams seeking to optimize their Aero damage output. | ||
| | Yuanwu is a Sub-DPS unit who can deal coordinated Electro DMG even when off-field, following up with attacks that reduce the enemy's Vibration Strength. However, this effect only applies if the enemy is within the circle of effect, which may be easily avoided by mobile enemies. | ||
| | Baizhi is a pure healer who can provide burst healing and continuous healing and buffing to the next character who takes the field. Although her buffs only apply to the next character, rather than the entire party, Baizhi's ability to provide ATK boosts and healing makes her a valuable support character, especially for players without access to Verina or the Shorekeeper. | ||
| | Youhu is a healer-support hybrid who can provide multiple buffs and effects in battle, from healing to vibration strength depletion efficiency. However, her kit-based RNG system can be inconsistent, and her effects may sometimes interfere with team rotations. Her Outro Skill only buffs the incoming resonator's Coordinated Attack, which may limit her versatility in certain situations. | ||
| | Lumi is a Sub-DPS unit who can provide Resonance Skill DMG amplification via her Outro Skill. Her kit is straightforward, with good multipliers for her Forte Circuit and Resonance Liberation. Although her damage may fall off when using Basic Attacks with her two Light Modes, Lumi can deal decent damage when her Forte Circuit is full, making her a reliable choice for teams seeking a 4-star Resonance Skill Amplification unit. |
B
B Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Lingyang is currently outclassed by his standard 5-star peers, particularly those with exceptional AoE damage capabilities. His damage output has been subpar compared to other Main-DPS units, and he lacks a dedicated Glacio support. As a result, Lingyang may struggle to find a place in the current meta. | ||
| | Rover (Aero) is a support character with sub-par damage dealing capabilities, currently suffering from a limited character pool that can fully utilize her kit. However, her ability to apply negative effects to enemies makes her a valuable asset to teams, and her value is likely to increase as more characters and mechanics are added to the game. | ||
| | Yangyang is the first free 4-star character that all players will receive, providing decent damage and utility with her Aero grouping. Although she falls behind better Sub-DPS units that offer DMG buffs, Yangyang's accessibility and ease of use make her a good starting point for new players. | ||
| | Chixia is a DPS unit who excels against hordes of enemies due to her mobility and ease of use. She can take on single-target bosses with ease, as long as players can reposition and evade properly. However, her effectiveness may decrease when facing multiple enemies, as she can be easily mobbed if not managed carefully. | ||
| | Taoqi has found a new Sub-DPS role in her team, providing Resonance Skill amplification while dealing quick-switch damage with her Resonance Liberation. Although she still struggles with split scaling issues, Taoqi's ability to support her allies and deal significant damage makes her a valuable addition to teams, particularly those with Jinhsi. |
Main DPS Tier List
This ranking focuses on a character's ability to deal consistent damage as the primary damage dealer in a team, considering factors like damage output, field time requirements, and self-sufficiency.
SS
SS Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| | No explanation available | ||
| | No explanation available | ||
| | No explanation available | ||
| | No explanation available | ||
| | No explanation available |
S
S Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Calcharo stands out as a formidable Electro Main-DPS unit, capable of unleashing a substantial amount of Electro damage through both his Skill and Liberation. The introduction of Yinlin has further elevated his potential, making him an even more compelling choice for players seeking a powerful Sub-DPS to complement their team. | ||
| | Encore is a top-tier Fusion DPS character, renowned for her extraordinary damage output. When she enters the Cosmos Rave state, her damage capabilities become truly exceptional, making her a valuable asset to any team. However, her vulnerability during this state necessitates careful management to avoid taking excessive damage. | ||
| | Jiyan is an exceptional DPS unit, exceling at both single-target and AoE damage. His Ultimate ability allows for effective crowd control, grouping smaller enemies and making them more manageable. While he may not match the burst damage of top-tier DPS units like Jinhsi, Jiyan's consistent damage output and crowd control capabilities make him a reliable choice for players. | ||
| | Rover (Havoc) is a high-damage dealer with a unique interaction with the Dreamless, significantly enhancing their burst damage potential. To maximize their damage output, players must develop their dodging skills to optimize Basic Attack damage during the Dark Surge state. With proper management, Havoc Rover can efficiently clear both single and multiple enemies in a short time. | ||
| | Changli is a premier Main-DPS unit, capable of dealing massive amounts of Fusion damage with her fully-stacked Forte Circuit. She can also self-buff her ATK after using her Ultimate, further increasing her damage output. While she can adapt to a Sub-DPS role, her exceptional damage capabilities make her best suited as a Main-DPS, where she can take full advantage of her abilities. | ||
| | Brant is a valuable Fusion character who offers team-wide buffs and sustain without compromising his personal damage output. He can convert ER to Attack, making him an excellent choice for teams focusing on Basic Attacks and Resonance Skills. His Outro Skill and Forte Circuit enable him to support his allies while dealing significant damage. | ||
| | Danjin is an exceptional DPS unit for free-to-play players, capable of dealing massive damage as long as her HP-drain mechanic is properly managed. This requires careful player skill, especially when facing tougher enemies, to ensure Danjin's survival and optimal performance. |
A
A Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Jianxin is a solid, versatile character who can excel as both a Main and Sub-DPS. She provides grouping and AoE damage against multiple enemies, and her Outro Skill buffs Resonance Liberation DMG, making her a valuable asset to any team. However, her jack-of-all-trades nature may cause her to fall behind characters with more defined roles in the meta. | ||
| | Rover (Spectro) is a versatile character who can adapt to various roles, providing great Sub-DPS capabilities and executing time stops with her Outro Skill. She also shows promise as a Main-DPS, dealing high-damage Resonance Liberation. However, her lack of a defined role may cause her to fall behind characters with more specialized abilities. |
B
B Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Lingyang is currently outclassed by his standard 5-star peers, particularly those with exceptional AoE damage capabilities. His damage output has been subpar compared to other Main-DPS units, and he lacks a dedicated Glacio support. As a result, Lingyang may struggle to find a place in the current meta. | ||
| | Aalto is a reliable Sub-DPS unit who can buff Aero DMG while dealing decent damage. Although he may be outclassed by other Sub-DPS units like Mortefi, Aalto's ability to provide Aero DMG amplification makes him a valuable addition to teams seeking to optimize their Aero damage output. | ||
| | Chixia is a DPS unit who excels against hordes of enemies due to her mobility and ease of use. She can take on single-target bosses with ease, as long as players can reposition and evade properly. However, her effectiveness may decrease when facing multiple enemies, as she can be easily mobbed if not managed carefully. |
C
C Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|
Sub DPS Tier List
This ranking evaluates characters based on their ability to deal significant off-field damage or provide damage during short windows, complementing the main DPS.
SS
SS Tier Characters
S
S Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Roccia is an outstanding Havoc Sub-DPS unit, providing increases to both Basic Attack and Havoc DMG. Her grouping utility allows for easy decimation of enemy hordes, and her personal damage output is substantial. However, her limited team composition and reliance on Havoc teams may restrict her versatility in certain situations. | ||
| | Brant is a valuable Fusion character who offers team-wide buffs and sustain without compromising his personal damage output. He can convert ER to Attack, making him an excellent choice for teams focusing on Basic Attacks and Resonance Skills. His Outro Skill and Forte Circuit enable him to support his allies while dealing significant damage. | ||
| | Cantarella is a premium character for Mono Havoc Teams, providing a range of benefits, including healing, sustain, and Resonance and Havoc DMG amplification. Her coordinated attacks deal additional damage, boosting overall team damage potential. Her flexibility in buffing various DPS units makes her a highly sought-after character for players seeking to optimize their team's performance. | ||
| | Mortefi is a unique character with a mechanic that allows coordinated Fusion attacks to follow his actions, even when he is off-field. This significantly increases his value in fights, especially when combined with Heavy Attacks. As a 4-star unit, Mortefi is relatively accessible, making him an attractive choice for players seeking a reliable Sub-DPS. | ||
| | Sanhua is one of the best Sub-DPS units in the game, providing Basic Attack DMG Deepen for 14s to the next character who takes the field. She deals decent damage and can detonate ice structures using her Heavy Attacks, but her effectiveness relies on proper timing and positioning. |
A
A Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Jianxin is a solid, versatile character who can excel as both a Main and Sub-DPS. She provides grouping and AoE damage against multiple enemies, and her Outro Skill buffs Resonance Liberation DMG, making her a valuable asset to any team. However, her jack-of-all-trades nature may cause her to fall behind characters with more defined roles in the meta. | ||
| | Rover (Spectro) is a versatile character who can adapt to various roles, providing great Sub-DPS capabilities and executing time stops with her Outro Skill. She also shows promise as a Main-DPS, dealing high-damage Resonance Liberation. However, her lack of a defined role may cause her to fall behind characters with more specialized abilities. | ||
| | No explanation available | ||
| | Aalto is a reliable Sub-DPS unit who can buff Aero DMG while dealing decent damage. Although he may be outclassed by other Sub-DPS units like Mortefi, Aalto's ability to provide Aero DMG amplification makes him a valuable addition to teams seeking to optimize their Aero damage output. | ||
| | Yangyang is the first free 4-star character that all players will receive, providing decent damage and utility with her Aero grouping. Although she falls behind better Sub-DPS units that offer DMG buffs, Yangyang's accessibility and ease of use make her a good starting point for new players. | ||
| | Yuanwu is a Sub-DPS unit who can deal coordinated Electro DMG even when off-field, following up with attacks that reduce the enemy's Vibration Strength. However, this effect only applies if the enemy is within the circle of effect, which may be easily avoided by mobile enemies. | ||
| | Lumi is a Sub-DPS unit who can provide Resonance Skill DMG amplification via her Outro Skill. Her kit is straightforward, with good multipliers for her Forte Circuit and Resonance Liberation. Although her damage may fall off when using Basic Attacks with her two Light Modes, Lumi can deal decent damage when her Forte Circuit is full, making her a reliable choice for teams seeking a 4-star Resonance Skill Amplification unit. |
B
B Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Rover (Aero) is a support character with sub-par damage dealing capabilities, currently suffering from a limited character pool that can fully utilize her kit. However, her ability to apply negative effects to enemies makes her a valuable asset to teams, and her value is likely to increase as more characters and mechanics are added to the game. | ||
| | Chixia is a DPS unit who excels against hordes of enemies due to her mobility and ease of use. She can take on single-target bosses with ease, as long as players can reposition and evade properly. However, her effectiveness may decrease when facing multiple enemies, as she can be easily mobbed if not managed carefully. | ||
| | Taoqi has found a new Sub-DPS role in her team, providing Resonance Skill amplification while dealing quick-switch damage with her Resonance Liberation. Although she still struggles with split scaling issues, Taoqi's ability to support her allies and deal significant damage makes her a valuable addition to teams, particularly those with Jinhsi. | ||
| | Youhu is a healer-support hybrid who can provide multiple buffs and effects in battle, from healing to vibration strength depletion efficiency. However, her kit-based RNG system can be inconsistent, and her effects may sometimes interfere with team rotations. Her Outro Skill only buffs the incoming resonator's Coordinated Attack, which may limit her versatility in certain situations. |
Support Tier List
This ranking focuses on a character's ability to enhance team performance through buffs, debuffs, healing, shielding, or utility effects.
SS
SS Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| | No explanation available |
S
S Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Verina is a versatile character who provides comprehensive support to her team, offering both healing and buffs to all party members. Her coordinated attacks also deal significant Spectro damage while restoring health to the active character. Although she lacks Crit Rate and Crit Damage buffs, her overall utility makes her a valuable addition to any team. |
A
A Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Baizhi is a pure healer who can provide burst healing and continuous healing and buffing to the next character who takes the field. Although her buffs only apply to the next character, rather than the entire party, Baizhi's ability to provide ATK boosts and healing makes her a valuable support character, especially for players without access to Verina or the Shorekeeper. | ||
| | Youhu is a healer-support hybrid who can provide multiple buffs and effects in battle, from healing to vibration strength depletion efficiency. However, her kit-based RNG system can be inconsistent, and her effects may sometimes interfere with team rotations. Her Outro Skill only buffs the incoming resonator's Coordinated Attack, which may limit her versatility in certain situations. |
B
B Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Rover (Aero) is a support character with sub-par damage dealing capabilities, currently suffering from a limited character pool that can fully utilize her kit. However, her ability to apply negative effects to enemies makes her a valuable asset to teams, and her value is likely to increase as more characters and mechanics are added to the game. |
Current Meta Analysis
The current Wuthering Waves meta favors characters with strong AoE damage capabilities, consistent elemental application, and versatile team synergies. Here's our analysis of the current state of the game:
Meta Trends
- Elemental reactions are crucial for maximizing damage output, with Havoc and Fusion reactions being particularly valuable
- Characters with off-field damage capabilities are highly valued for enabling reaction-heavy team compositions
- Strong AoE damage is important for efficiently clearing most content
- Energy generation and management is a key factor in team building
- Versatility across different content types gives characters higher overall ratings
Investment Considerations
When deciding which characters to invest in, consider:
- How much investment (ascension, skills, echoes) is needed for the character to reach their full potential
- Whether the character performs well with accessible weapons and echoes
- How the character synergizes with your existing roster
- Whether the character fills a specific role you need for your teams
Tier List Methodology
This tier list is based on the current meta and is updated regularly to reflect changes in the game. Our rankings consider:
- Performance in various content types (story missions, dungeons, boss fights)
- Damage output or support capabilities
- Utility and versatility in different team compositions
- Resource investment required to reach full potential
- Unique mechanics or abilities that set them apart
Remember that while this tier list provides a general guideline, your personal playstyle and team composition can make any character viable. Focus on characters you enjoy playing and that complement your existing roster.