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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 |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Jiyan stands out as a top-tier DPS unit, capable of unleashing devastating single-target and AoE damage that can take down even the toughest enemies. One of the key features of Jiyan's kit is his Ultimate, which can group smaller enemies together, providing a valuable means of crowd control. With the introduction of Whimpering Wastes, Jiyan has found a new niche that has significantly increased his value, making him a versatile unit to have in your team. | ||
 | Yinlin is an exceptional sub-DPS unit who not only provides bonuses to Liberation DMG and Electro DMG but also unleashes Electro coordinated attacks, dealing extra damage even when she's off-field. This unique ability makes Yinlin an invaluable asset to any team, as she can significantly increase the overall damage output. | ||
 | Changli is a formidable main-DPS unit who can deal massive amounts of Fusion damage with her fully-stacked Forte Circuit. What sets her apart is her ability to self-buff her ATK after using her Ultimate, allowing her to deal even more damage. While Changli can also take on a sub-DPS role thanks to her Outro Skill, it's generally not recommended, as she can deal insane amounts of damage as a main DPS and tends to hog on-field time. | ||
| | Xiangli Yao is a highly skilled Main DPS unit who excels at slowing down enemy movement and dealing massive damage to enemies. To get the most out of Xiangli Yao, it's essential to understand how to use him effectively, as he relies heavily on Resonance Liberation DMG. Any character, weapon, or Echoes that buff this ability will work exceptionally well with Xiangli Yao. | ||
| | Roccia is an outstanding Havoc sub-DPS unit who provides significant increases to both Basic Attack and Havoc DMG. She also has access to a valuable grouping utility that makes it easy for your DPS to decimate hordes of enemies. While Roccia's personal damage is not negligible, her team composition is somewhat limited, as she can only truly thrive in a Havoc team. | ||
| | Brant is a versatile Fusion character who can provide team-wide buffs and sustain without sacrificing his personal damage. He can convert ER to Attack, making him an excellent addition to any team. Brant is particularly effective when paired with Changli, but he can also work well with F2P teams that focus on Basic Attacks and Resonance Skills. | ||
| | Ciaccona is an Aero character who offers exceptional buffing and debuffing capabilities to team members and enemies, respectively. She can apply multiple instances of Aero Erosion and Spectro Frazzle throughout her kit, making her a valuable asset to any team. However, Ciaccona's true potential has yet to be realized, as she lacks Aero DPS units that can maximize her Erosion stacks. | ||
| | Sanhua is one of the best sub-DPS units in the game, providing Basic Attack DMG Deepen for 14 seconds to the next character who takes the field. She also deals decent damage, but her effectiveness relies heavily on her ability to detonate ice structures using her Heavy Attacks. |
A
A Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Calcharo is an Electro Main-DPS unit who can deal massive amounts of Electro damage with both his Skill and Liberation. With the introduction of Yinlin, Calcharo has found a new sub-DPS that takes his damage to new heights, making him an even more formidable opponent. | ||
| | Encore is a top-tier Fusion DPS unit who excels at dealing pure damage without any concerns. When she enters her Cosmos Rave state, Encore unleashes an insane amount of Fusion DMG. However, her Cosmos Rave state lacks crowd control, making her vulnerable to enemy attacks, and her squishy nature can be a problem if she's hit repeatedly. | ||
| | Rover (Spectro) is a jack-of-all-trades unit who provides excellent sub-DPS capabilities and can execute time stops with her Outro Skill. She also shows glimpses of main-DPS capabilities with her high-damage Resonance Liberation. However, this versatility has resulted in Rover (Spectro) falling behind other characters with more defined roles. | ||
| | Rover (Havoc) is a highly skilled damage dealer who allows for easy activation of her Dark Surge state. She has high burst damage capability thanks to her Resonance Liberation and excels at Basic Attacks. To get the most out of Rover (Havoc), it's essential to hone your dodging skills to maximize Basic Attack damage during Dark Surge. | ||
| | Cantarella is a Havoc character who provides a lot of value to different teams, particularly Mono Havoc Teams. She opens up options to run a second sub-DPS instead of a support character, as her kit provides some healing and sustain. Cantarella also deals extra damage with her off-field Coordinated attacks, boosting overall team damage potential. | ||
| | Mortefi is a valuable unit who can deal damage even when off-field, thanks to his coordinated Fusion attacks. This mechanic ensures that Mortefi deals damage even when not actively fighting, exponentially increasing his value in fights. As a 4-star unit, Mortefi is relatively easy to obtain, and his value increases even more when the on-field DPS uses Heavy Attacks. | ||
| | Danjin is an excellent DPS unit for free-to-play players, capable of dealing massive amounts of damage as long as her HP-drain mechanic is properly managed. This can be challenging when facing tougher enemies, so player skill plays a significant role in ensuring Danjin's survival. |
B
B Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Jianxin is a solid middle ground between being a main and sub-DPS unit. She can hold her own as a main-DPS, providing grouping and AoE damage against multiple enemies. Jianxin's Outro Skill also buffs Resonance Liberation DMG, making her a great sub-DPS. However, her versatility has caused her to fall behind other characters with more defined roles. | ||
| | Rover (Aero) currently suffers from having no other available characters that fully utilize her kit. While she is a great applicator of negative effects on enemies, there is a limited character pool that has negative effects built into their kit. As of Version 2.2, Aero Rover's primary role is that of a support with sub-par damage dealing capabilities, but she is likely to increase in value when more characters and mechanics are added to the game. | ||
| | Aalto can be seen as a good sub-DPS unit who can buff Aero DMG while dealing decent damage. However, he is being outclassed by other sub-DPS units like Mortefi, who can deal damage even when off-field. | ||
| | Yuanwu is a sub-DPS unit who, similar to Mortefi, follows up with coordinated Electro DMG even when he's off-field. He can also reduce the enemy's Vibration Strength, but this only applies if the enemy is inside the circle of effect, making it easily avoidable by mobile enemies. | ||
| | Baizhi is a pure healer who can be used when you don't have access to Shorekeeper and Verina. She can burst-heal using her Resonance Skill and Liberation, as well as continuously heal and buff the next character that takes the field for 36 seconds. However, Baizhi's buffs only apply to the next character that swaps in, limiting the flow of switching when using her. | ||
| | Youhu is a healer-support hybrid who can provide multiple buffs and effects in battle, from healing to vibration strength depletion efficiency. However, the buffs are obtained through a kit-based RNG system, which can be extremely inconsistent and sometimes disrupt team rotations. Youhu's value decreases even more due to her Outro Skill only buffing the incoming resonator's Coordinated Attack, which is a niche ability. | ||
| | 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. However, her damage tends to fall off when doing Basic Attacks with her two Light Modes, but she can deal decent damage when her Forte Circuit is full. |
C
C Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|
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
S
S Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Jiyan stands out as a top-tier DPS unit, capable of unleashing devastating single-target and AoE damage that can take down even the toughest enemies. One of the key features of Jiyan's kit is his Ultimate, which can group smaller enemies together, providing a valuable means of crowd control. With the introduction of Whimpering Wastes, Jiyan has found a new niche that has significantly increased his value, making him a versatile unit to have in your team. | ||
| | Changli is a formidable main-DPS unit who can deal massive amounts of Fusion damage with her fully-stacked Forte Circuit. What sets her apart is her ability to self-buff her ATK after using her Ultimate, allowing her to deal even more damage. While Changli can also take on a sub-DPS role thanks to her Outro Skill, it's generally not recommended, as she can deal insane amounts of damage as a main DPS and tends to hog on-field time. | ||
| | No explanation available | ||
| | Xiangli Yao is a highly skilled Main DPS unit who excels at slowing down enemy movement and dealing massive damage to enemies. To get the most out of Xiangli Yao, it's essential to understand how to use him effectively, as he relies heavily on Resonance Liberation DMG. Any character, weapon, or Echoes that buff this ability will work exceptionally well with Xiangli Yao. | ||
| | Brant is a versatile Fusion character who can provide team-wide buffs and sustain without sacrificing his personal damage. He can convert ER to Attack, making him an excellent addition to any team. Brant is particularly effective when paired with Changli, but he can also work well with F2P teams that focus on Basic Attacks and Resonance Skills. |
A
A Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Calcharo is an Electro Main-DPS unit who can deal massive amounts of Electro damage with both his Skill and Liberation. With the introduction of Yinlin, Calcharo has found a new sub-DPS that takes his damage to new heights, making him an even more formidable opponent. | ||
| | Encore is a top-tier Fusion DPS unit who excels at dealing pure damage without any concerns. When she enters her Cosmos Rave state, Encore unleashes an insane amount of Fusion DMG. However, her Cosmos Rave state lacks crowd control, making her vulnerable to enemy attacks, and her squishy nature can be a problem if she's hit repeatedly. | ||
| | Rover (Spectro) is a jack-of-all-trades unit who provides excellent sub-DPS capabilities and can execute time stops with her Outro Skill. She also shows glimpses of main-DPS capabilities with her high-damage Resonance Liberation. However, this versatility has resulted in Rover (Spectro) falling behind other characters with more defined roles. | ||
| | Rover (Havoc) is a highly skilled damage dealer who allows for easy activation of her Dark Surge state. She has high burst damage capability thanks to her Resonance Liberation and excels at Basic Attacks. To get the most out of Rover (Havoc), it's essential to hone your dodging skills to maximize Basic Attack damage during Dark Surge. | ||
| | Danjin is an excellent DPS unit for free-to-play players, capable of dealing massive amounts of damage as long as her HP-drain mechanic is properly managed. This can be challenging when facing tougher enemies, so player skill plays a significant role in ensuring Danjin's survival. |
B
B Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Jianxin is a solid middle ground between being a main and sub-DPS unit. She can hold her own as a main-DPS, providing grouping and AoE damage against multiple enemies. Jianxin's Outro Skill also buffs Resonance Liberation DMG, making her a great sub-DPS. However, her versatility has caused her to fall behind other characters with more defined roles. | ||
| | Aalto can be seen as a good sub-DPS unit who can buff Aero DMG while dealing decent damage. However, he is being outclassed by other sub-DPS units like Mortefi, who can deal damage even when off-field. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Yinlin is an exceptional sub-DPS unit who not only provides bonuses to Liberation DMG and Electro DMG but also unleashes Electro coordinated attacks, dealing extra damage even when she's off-field. This unique ability makes Yinlin an invaluable asset to any team, as she can significantly increase the overall damage output. | ||
| | Roccia is an outstanding Havoc sub-DPS unit who provides significant increases to both Basic Attack and Havoc DMG. She also has access to a valuable grouping utility that makes it easy for your DPS to decimate hordes of enemies. While Roccia's personal damage is not negligible, her team composition is somewhat limited, as she can only truly thrive in a Havoc team. | ||
| | Ciaccona is an Aero character who offers exceptional buffing and debuffing capabilities to team members and enemies, respectively. She can apply multiple instances of Aero Erosion and Spectro Frazzle throughout her kit, making her a valuable asset to any team. However, Ciaccona's true potential has yet to be realized, as she lacks Aero DPS units that can maximize her Erosion stacks. | ||
| | Sanhua is one of the best sub-DPS units in the game, providing Basic Attack DMG Deepen for 14 seconds to the next character who takes the field. She also deals decent damage, but her effectiveness relies heavily on her ability to detonate ice structures using her Heavy Attacks. |
A
A Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Rover (Spectro) is a jack-of-all-trades unit who provides excellent sub-DPS capabilities and can execute time stops with her Outro Skill. She also shows glimpses of main-DPS capabilities with her high-damage Resonance Liberation. However, this versatility has resulted in Rover (Spectro) falling behind other characters with more defined roles. | ||
| | Cantarella is a Havoc character who provides a lot of value to different teams, particularly Mono Havoc Teams. She opens up options to run a second sub-DPS instead of a support character, as her kit provides some healing and sustain. Cantarella also deals extra damage with her off-field Coordinated attacks, boosting overall team damage potential. | ||
| | Aalto can be seen as a good sub-DPS unit who can buff Aero DMG while dealing decent damage. However, he is being outclassed by other sub-DPS units like Mortefi, who can deal damage even when off-field. | ||
| | Mortefi is a valuable unit who can deal damage even when off-field, thanks to his coordinated Fusion attacks. This mechanic ensures that Mortefi deals damage even when not actively fighting, exponentially increasing his value in fights. As a 4-star unit, Mortefi is relatively easy to obtain, and his value increases even more when the on-field DPS uses Heavy Attacks. | ||
| | Danjin is an excellent DPS unit for free-to-play players, capable of dealing massive amounts of damage as long as her HP-drain mechanic is properly managed. This can be challenging when facing tougher enemies, so player skill plays a significant role in ensuring Danjin's survival. |
B
B Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Jianxin is a solid middle ground between being a main and sub-DPS unit. She can hold her own as a main-DPS, providing grouping and AoE damage against multiple enemies. Jianxin's Outro Skill also buffs Resonance Liberation DMG, making her a great sub-DPS. However, her versatility has caused her to fall behind other characters with more defined roles. | ||
| | Rover (Aero) currently suffers from having no other available characters that fully utilize her kit. While she is a great applicator of negative effects on enemies, there is a limited character pool that has negative effects built into their kit. As of Version 2.2, Aero Rover's primary role is that of a support with sub-par damage dealing capabilities, but she is likely to increase in value when more characters and mechanics are added to the game. | ||
| | Yuanwu is a sub-DPS unit who, similar to Mortefi, follows up with coordinated Electro DMG even when he's off-field. He can also reduce the enemy's Vibration Strength, but this only applies if the enemy is inside the circle of effect, making it easily avoidable by mobile enemies. | ||
| | Youhu is a healer-support hybrid who can provide multiple buffs and effects in battle, from healing to vibration strength depletion efficiency. However, the buffs are obtained through a kit-based RNG system, which can be extremely inconsistent and sometimes disrupt team rotations. Youhu's value decreases even more due to her Outro Skill only buffing the incoming resonator's Coordinated Attack, which is a niche ability. | ||
| | 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. However, her damage tends to fall off when doing Basic Attacks with her two Light Modes, but she can deal decent damage when her Forte Circuit is full. |
C
C Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|
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 | ||
| | No explanation available |
S
S Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Brant is a versatile Fusion character who can provide team-wide buffs and sustain without sacrificing his personal damage. He can convert ER to Attack, making him an excellent addition to any team. Brant is particularly effective when paired with Changli, but he can also work well with F2P teams that focus on Basic Attacks and Resonance Skills. |
B
B Tier Characters
Character Explanations
| Character | Element | Weapon | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Rover (Aero) currently suffers from having no other available characters that fully utilize her kit. While she is a great applicator of negative effects on enemies, there is a limited character pool that has negative effects built into their kit. As of Version 2.2, Aero Rover's primary role is that of a support with sub-par damage dealing capabilities, but she is likely to increase in value when more characters and mechanics are added to the game. | ||
| | Baizhi is a pure healer who can be used when you don't have access to Shorekeeper and Verina. She can burst-heal using her Resonance Skill and Liberation, as well as continuously heal and buff the next character that takes the field for 36 seconds. However, Baizhi's buffs only apply to the next character that swaps in, limiting the flow of switching when using her. | ||
| | Youhu is a healer-support hybrid who can provide multiple buffs and effects in battle, from healing to vibration strength depletion efficiency. However, the buffs are obtained through a kit-based RNG system, which can be extremely inconsistent and sometimes disrupt team rotations. Youhu's value decreases even more due to her Outro Skill only buffing the incoming resonator's Coordinated Attack, which is a niche ability. |
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.