Honkai Star Rail Tier List (July 2025) Best HSR Characters Ranked

Welcome to my comprehensive Honkai Star Rail tier list for July 2025! After spending countless hours testing every single character in Memory of Chaos 12, Pure Fiction, and Apocalyptic Shadow, I've compiled the ultimate ranking guide to help you dominate the endgame content. Whether you're a new Trailblazer wondering who to pull or a veteran looking to optimize your teams, this guide breaks down all 100+ characters based on their current meta performance.

Understanding the HSR Tier List

Before diving into the rankings, let me explain how I evaluate each character. This tier list considers:

• Performance at E0/C0 - No constellations required
• Endgame viability - Memory of Chaos, Pure Fiction, Apocalyptic Shadow
• Team flexibility - How well they fit into multiple team compositions
• Investment requirements - F2P friendliness and resource efficiency
• Current meta relevance - Version 3.3 balance and HP inflation

Remember, team synergy matters more than individual character strength. Even lower-tier characters can clear all content with proper investment and team support!

Character Ranking Factors for Honkai Star Rail

When evaluating characters for this tier list, I consider several crucial factors:

1. Damage Output - Raw DPS potential in optimal conditions
2. Versatility - Performance across different game modes
3. Team Synergy - How well they enable other characters
4. Resource Efficiency - F2P friendliness and build requirements
5. Future Potential - Upcoming buffs or new synergies

Honkai Star Rail Tier List (July 2025)

SS-Tier Characters - The Meta Definers

Character	Element	Path	Role	Key Strengths
Castorice	Quantum	Remembrance	DPS/Sustain	Global revival passive, massive AoE damage, damage redirection
Feixiao	Wind	Hunt	DPS	Highest single-target damage, toughness-ignoring ultimate, frequent FuAs
The Herta	Ice	Erudition	DPS	Dominates Pure Fiction, stack-based nuclear damage, AoE excellence
Robin	Physical	Harmony	Support	Teamwide action advance, massive damage amp, FuA synergy
Tribbie	Quantum	Harmony	Support	Long buff uptime, SP positive, triggers FuAs on ultimates
Huohuo	Wind	Abundance	Healer	Auto-cleanse, energy restoration, ATK buffs, no reactive heal needed
Lingsha	Fire	Abundance	Healer	Heals while damaging, break amp, best cleanser, multi-hit synergy
Sunday	Imaginary	Harmony	Support	100% advance with summons, hypercarry enabler, SP recovery

S-Tier Characters - The Powerhouses

Character	Element	Path	Role	Key Strengths
Acheron	Lightning	Nihility	DPS	No energy system, debuff stacking, massive AoE damage
Mydei	Imaginary	Destruction	DPS	Unlimited self-revival, HP scaling damage, solo potential
Aglaea	Lightning	Remembrance	DPS	Speed stacking, powerful memosprite, high attack frequency
Ruan Mei	Ice	Harmony	Support	Break extension, resistance shred, speed buffs
Firefly	Fire	Destruction	DPS	Super Break damage, self-sustain, complete action advance
Sparkle	Quantum	Harmony	Support	SP generation, CRIT DMG transfer, 50% action advance
Aventurine	Imaginary	Preservation	Shielder	Stackable shields, 100% uptime, sub-DPS damage
Fu Xuan	Quantum	Preservation	Tank	Damage mitigation, CRIT rate buff, self-heal at 50% HP
Jiaoqiu	Fire	Nihility	Debuffer	Auto-debuff on entry, defense shred, Acheron synergy
Fugue	Fire	Nihility	Support	Exo-toughness for double breaks, defense shred application
Topaz & Numby	Fire	Hunt	Sub-DPS	FuA enabler, consistent damage, debuff application
Dan Heng IL	Imaginary	Destruction	DPS	3-skill enhanced basic, massive damage scaling
Jade	Quantum	Erudition	Sub-DPS	Pawn system, AoE focus, SP positive
Boothill	Physical	Hunt	DPS	Highest break single-target, standoff mechanic
Rappa	Imaginary	Erudition	DPS	AoE break damage, colorful animations, weakness ignore

A-Tier Characters - The Reliable Veterans

Character	Element	Path	Role	Key Strengths
Dr. Ratio	Imaginary	Hunt	DPS	Free 5-star, FuAs from debuffs, F2P friendly
Jingliu	Ice	Destruction	DPS	Transmigration state, 50% CRIT rate buff, SP positive
Black Swan	Wind	Nihility	DoT DPS	Arcana stacking, DoT multiplication, Kafka synergy
Kafka	Lightning	Nihility	DoT DPS	DoT detonation, FuA shock application
Silver Wolf	Quantum	Nihility	Debuffer	Weakness implant, defense shred, enables mono-element
Blade	Wind	Destruction	DPS	HP scaling, self-damage synergy, immortal build potential
Yunli	Physical	Destruction	DPS	Blast counters, self-sustain, high burst
Clara	Physical	Destruction	DPS/Tank	Counter-attacks, Svarog protection, aggro management
Seele	Quantum	Hunt	DPS	Resurgence extra turns, speed demon, quantum advantage
Argenti	Physical	Erudition	DPS	180-energy nuke, AoE to single-target conversion
Jing Yuan	Lightning	Erudition	DPS	Lightning Lord summon, FuA damage, Sunday synergy
Bronya	Wind	Harmony	Support	100% action advance, damage/crit buffs
Tingyun	Lightning	Harmony	Support	4-star queen, ATK buff, energy restoration, SP positive
Pela	Ice	Nihility	Debuffer	AoE defense shred, dispel, SP positive
March 7th (Hunt)	Imaginary	Hunt	Sub-DPS	Free unit, dual build paths, Shifu mechanic
Gallagher	Fire	Abundance	Healer	4-star king, Besotted healing, break synergy
Luocha	Imaginary	Abundance	Healer	Auto-heal field, buff removal, HP-drain team synergy
Gepard	Ice	Preservation	Shielder	Thickest shields, freeze utility, self-revive

B-Tier Characters - The Niche Specialists

Character	Element	Path	Role	Key Strengths
Himeko	Fire	Erudition	DPS	Pure Fiction goddess, FuA against fire-weak
Moze	Lightning	Hunt	DPS	Departed state, FuA support, aggro manipulation
Welt	Imaginary	Nihility	Control	Slow/imprisonment, unique delay mechanics
Serval	Lightning	Erudition	DoT DPS	Shock extension, E6 power spike, Herta synergy
Herta	Ice	Erudition	DPS	F2P PF farmer, <50% HP FuAs, free E6
Qingque	Quantum	Erudition	DPS	High RNG ceiling, E4 double attacks
Xueyi	Quantum	Destruction	Sub-DPS	Toughness ignore ultimate, break FuAs
Guinaifen	Fire	Nihility	DoT Support	Burn application, burned enemy DEF reduction
Asta	Fire	Harmony	Support	Team speed buff, ATK stacking, SP positive
Lynx	Quantum	Abundance	Healer	Aggro increase for Clara/Blade, cleanse
Bailu	Lightning	Abundance	Healer	Revive at E0, bounce heal, invigoration

C-Tier Characters - The Early Game Heroes

Character	Element	Path	Role	Key Strengths
Yukong	Imaginary	Harmony	Support	Highest ATK buffs, CRIT ultimate, strict timing
Hanya	Physical	Harmony	Support	SP recovery, burden mechanic, speed/ATK buff
Misha	Ice	Destruction	DPS	Freeze utility, ultimate nuke, solid 4-star
Yanqing	Ice	Hunt	DPS	High damage potential, needs shields, fragile
Luka	Physical	Nihility	DoT DPS	Bleed application, enhanced basics, budget physical
Dan Heng	Wind	Hunt	DPS	Basic wind DPS, slow utility, early game carry
Natasha	Physical	Abundance	Healer	Free healer, continuous heal, no cleanse
March 7th (Preservation)	Ice	Preservation	Shielder	Single-target shields, counter utility, freeze ultimate
Trailblazer (Preservation)	Fire	Preservation	Tank	Taunt mechanics, small team shields, can't solo sustain

D-Tier Characters - The Struggling Few

Character	Element	Path	Role	Why They're Here
Sushang	Physical	Hunt	DPS	Low damage, speed buffs don't compensate, outclassed by all
Hook	Fire	Destruction	DPS	Basic fire damage, outdated multipliers, early game only
Sampo	Wind	Nihility	DoT DPS	Low wind shear damage, RNG bounce frustration

E-Tier Characters - The Benchwarners

Character	Element	Path	Role	Why Avoid
Arlan	Lightning	Destruction	DPS	Worst multipliers, self-damage for nothing, universally bad
Trailblazer (Destruction)	Physical	Destruction	DPS	Tutorial character, immediately replaced, no unique value

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Below you'll find detailed analyses for every character in Honkai Star Rail, including their best teams, key stats, and usage tips.

SS-Tier Characters Detailed Analysis

Castorice - The Quantum Remembrance Queen

Element: Quantum | Path: Remembrance

Castorice completely revolutionized the meta with her global revival passive - yes, she can revive teammates even when she's not in your active party! Her memosprite Netherwing deals devastating AoE damage while shifting damage away from your team. I've been using her to trivialize MoC 12 with her insane damage multipliers and utility. With proper HP investment (aim for 15k+), she becomes virtually unkillable thanks to her self-sustain mechanics.

• Best Teams: Castorice + Sunday + Ruan Mei + Flexible
• Key Stats: HP% > CRIT DMG > CRIT Rate
• Signature Light Cone: Visions from the Other Side

Feixiao - The Wind Hunt Apex Predator

Element: Wind | Path: Hunt

Feixiao remains the single-target damage ceiling in 2025, especially with her ultimate that ignores enemy toughness. Her follow-up attack frequency in properly built teams is absolutely insane - I'm talking 3-4 FuAs per cycle! What sets her apart from other Hunt characters is her ability to handle multiple enemies through consistent follow-up attacks. Her technique also trivializes those annoying Warp Trotter challenges.

• Best Teams: Feixiao + Robin + Topaz + Aventurine
• Key Stats: CRIT DMG > ATK% > Speed
• F2P Alternative: Cruising in the Stellar Sea

The Herta - Erudition Emanator Unleashed

Element: Ice | Path: Erudition

The 5-star version of our beloved puppet absolutely dominates Pure Fiction. Her stack mechanic combined with enhanced skills creates nuclear-level damage that scales with enemy count. I've seen her hit for over 2 million damage in optimal conditions! She does require specific team compositions to truly shine, which is why some players underestimate her potential.

• Best Teams: The Herta + Jade/Anaxa + Robin + Huohuo
• Key Stats: CRIT DMG > ATK% > CRIT Rate
• Budget Option: Himeko can work as a substitute in PF

Robin - The Harmonious Superstar

Element: Physical | Path: Harmony

Robin's teamwide action advance and massive damage amplification make her irreplaceable in follow-up teams. Her ultimate doesn't just buff - it fundamentally changes how turns work, allowing your DPS to attack out of turn order. I can't count how many times her concerto state has saved my MoC runs by squeezing in extra damage cycles.

• Best Teams: Works in ANY team, especially FuA comps
• Key Stats: ATK% > Speed > Effect RES
• Pro Tip: Time her ultimate after enemy attacks for maximum value

Tribbie - The Quantum Harmony Game-Changer

Element: Quantum | Path: Harmony

Tribbie dethroned Ruan Mei as the universal support queen with her incredible damage amplification and SP-positive rotation. Her ability to trigger follow-up attacks when allies use ultimates adds layers of damage that weren't possible before. The long buff uptime from Poet of Mourning Collapse relic set makes her buffs practically permanent.

• Best Teams: Universal support - fits everywhere
• Key Stats: Speed (slow build) > HP% > Effect RES
• Build Focus: Maximize Poet set uptime

Huohuo - The Wind Abundance Phoenix

Element: Wind | Path: Abundance

Don't let the critics fool you - Huohuo's lack of reactive healing is more than compensated by her cleanse, energy restoration, and ATK buffs. Her talent creates a healing field that automatically cleanses debuffs, completely trivializing certain boss mechanics. I especially love using her with ultimate-spam teams like The Herta + Aglaea.

• Best Teams: The Herta teams, Ultimate-focused comps
• Key Stats: HP% > Speed > Outgoing Healing
• Hidden Tech: E2 allows double revival per battle

Lingsha - The Fire Abundance Powerhouse

Element: Fire | Path: Abundance

Lingsha redefined what a healer can be - she heals, cleanses, deals damage, and amplifies break damage all at once! Her bunny summon provides consistent healing while her own attacks pack a serious punch. In break teams, she's absolutely mandatory for pushing damage ceilings.

• Best Teams: Any Break team, Feixiao teams
• Key Stats: ATK% > Speed > Break Effect
• Synergy King: Pairs perfectly with Firefly

Sunday - The Imaginary Harmony Virtuoso

Element: Imaginary | Path: Harmony

Sunday is THE premium hypercarry enabler, providing 100% action advance for both characters and their summons. His SP recovery and energy restoration create a perfect storm of utility that enables even the most SP-hungry DPS units. While initially designed for Remembrance units, he's proven invaluable for any hypercarry strategy.

• Best Teams: Hypercarry comps, Remembrance teams
• Key Stats: Speed > Energy Rope > HP%
• Future Proof: Will only get better with more summon units

S-Tier Characters Detailed Analysis

Acheron - The Lightning Nihility Destroyer

Element: Lightning | Path: Nihility

My personal favorite DPS, Acheron bypasses the energy system entirely with her unique ultimate mechanic. She builds stacks through debuff applications, making her perfect for Nihility-focused teams. While she's dropped from SS-tier due to increased gear dependency, proper investment still yields game-breaking results. Her technique instantly deleting overworld mobs never gets old!

• Best Teams: Acheron + Jiaoqiu + Pela + Sustain
• Key Stats: CRIT DMG > ATK% > CRIT Rate
• Budget Build: Resolution LC works surprisingly well

Mydei - The Imaginary Destruction Immortal

Element: Imaginary | Path: Destruction

Mydei's self-revival mechanic through Vendetta state makes him the tankiest DPS in the game. With proper HP investment (15k minimum), he becomes an unkillable monster that can solo certain MoC stages. His HP-scaling damage means you build pure tank stats while still hitting like a truck - it's beautifully designed!

• Best Teams: Mydei + Castorice + Sunday + Flexible
• Key Stats: HP% > CRIT DMG > CRIT Rate
• Unique Trait: Can function without a dedicated healer

Aglaea - The Lightning Remembrance Pioneer

Element: Lightning | Path: Remembrance

As the first limited Remembrance character, Aglaea set the standard high with her speed-stacking mechanics and powerful memosprite. Her damage output rivals top DPS units while maintaining incredible speed that lets her lap slower enemies. Currently limited by support options, but that's changing fast with new releases.

• Best Teams: Aglaea + Sunday + Robin + Sustain
• Key Stats: Speed > CRIT DMG > ATK%
• Speed Target: 160+ for optimal rotations

Ruan Mei - The Ice Harmony Genius

Element: Ice | Path: Harmony

Despite Tribbie's arrival, Ruan Mei remains the break team goddess with her unique weakness break extension and resistance shred. Her buffs scale off ally stats rather than her own, making her incredibly flexible to build. She's practically mandatory for any serious break team composition.

• Best Teams: All Break teams, dual DPS comps
• Key Stats: Speed > Break Effect > HP%
• Must Have For: Firefly, Boothill, Rappa teams

Firefly - The Fire Destruction Stellaron Hunter

Element: Fire | Path: Destruction

Sam/Firefly continues to dominate despite power creep concerns, especially with buffs coming in version 3.4. Her complete action advance in enhanced state combined with self-sustain creates an aggressive playstyle that's incredibly satisfying. Plus, she's getting a new skin - Hoyo clearly still loves her!

• Best Teams: Firefly + HMC + Ruan Mei + Lingsha
• Key Stats: Break Effect (360%) > Speed > ATK%
• F2P Friendly: Works great with free supports

Aventurine - The Imaginary Preservation Gambler

Element: Imaginary | Path: Preservation

Simply put, Aventurine is Gepard 2.0. His shields stack, have 100% uptime, and he can actually deal respectable damage while protecting your team. The FuA from his shield provides consistent chip damage and stack generation for characters like Feixiao. Just don't use him with HP-drain characters!

• Best Teams: FuA teams, General sustain
• Key Stats: DEF% > CRIT DMG > Speed
• Shield King: Can reach 10k+ shields easily

Sparkle - The Quantum Harmony Trickster

Element: Quantum | Path: Harmony

Sparkle's SP generation revolutionized SP-hungry teams, especially Dan Heng IL compositions. Her 50% action advance might seem inferior to Bronya's 100%, but the overall kit utility more than compensates. The skill point cap increase to 7 is a game-changer for extended battles.

• Best Teams: DHIL teams, SP-negative comps
• Key Stats: CRIT DMG (transfer) > Speed
• Hidden Value: Makes unplayable teams viable

Fu Xuan - The Quantum Preservation Sage

Element: Quantum | Path: Preservation

Fu Xuan's damage mitigation approach remains unique and effective. By redirecting 65% of team damage to herself and then reducing it, she creates a safety net that trivializes most content. Her CRIT rate buff is just icing on the cake. She's fallen slightly due to newer sustain options but remains S-tier worthy.

• Best Teams: General sustain, CRIT teams
• Key Stats: HP% > DEF% > Speed
• Quantum Queen: Still best for SU Swarm

Jiaoqiu - The Fire Nihility Chef

Element: Fire | Path: Nihility

Initially underestimated, Jiaoqiu has proven essential for maximizing Acheron's potential. His automatic debuff application on enemy entry and defense shred create perfect conditions for any debuff-focused team. In Pure Fiction, he's absolutely cracked with his field-wide debuff spread.

• Best Teams: Acheron teams, DoT comps
• Key Stats: Effect Hit Rate > Speed > ATK%
• Acheron's Best Friend: Nearly doubles her damage

Fugue (Tingyun) - The Fire Nihility Foxian

Element: Fire | Path: Nihility

Fugue brings unique break mechanics with her exo-toughness application, essentially allowing double breaks on enemies. While not as universally powerful as Ruan Mei, she enables break teams to reach new damage ceilings. Her defense shred application through buffed allies adds another layer of team damage.

• Best Teams: Break teams as 2nd support
• Key Stats: Break Effect > Speed > HP%
• Break Enabler: Makes non-break DPS viable in break teams

Rappa - The Imaginary Erudition Ninja

Element: Imaginary | Path: Erudition

Rappa brings AoE break damage that trivializes multi-target scenarios. Her colorful personality matches her flashy gameplay - she literally break dances enemies to death! While she's fallen to S-tier with break meta shifts, upcoming buffs might restore her former glory.

• Best Teams: Rappa + HMC + Ruan Mei + Sustain
• Key Stats: Break Effect > Speed > ATK%
• Ninja Tech: Can ignore weakness types

Boothill - The Physical Hunt Cowboy

Element: Physical | Path: Hunt

The space cowboy delivers the highest single-target break damage in the game. His standoff mechanic and break efficiency make him particularly dominant in Apocalyptic Shadow. He requires heavy investment and specific teams, but the payoff is watching bosses melt in 2-3 enhanced shots.

• Best Teams: Boothill + HMC + Ruan Mei + Bronya
• Key Stats: Break Effect > Speed > CRIT
• High Skill Cap: Rewards perfect play

Dan Heng·IL - The Imaginary Destruction Dragon

Element: Imaginary | Path: Destruction

Our water dragon boy remains a top hypercarry despite his SP addiction. His 3-skill enhanced basic attack hits like a freight train, and each hit boosts his damage further. Sparkle basically solved all his problems, making him viable in the current meta again.

• Best Teams: DHIL + Sparkle + Tingyun + Sustain
• Key Stats: CRIT DMG > ATK% > Speed
• SP Management: Requires careful planning

Jade - The Quantum Erudition Merchant

Element: Quantum | Path: Erudition

The only 5-star Erudition support finally found her place alongside The Herta. Her pawn system and AoE focus make her exceptional in Pure Fiction while providing solid sub-DPS damage. She's very SP positive with her enhanced basics, fitting perfectly into Erudition teams.

• Best Teams: The Herta teams, AoE focused
• Key Stats: CRIT Rate > Speed > ATK%
• Easy Build: Just stack CRIT rate!

Topaz & Numby - The Fire Hunt Duo

Element: Fire | Path: Hunt

Topaz enables and enhances follow-up attack teams like no other character. Numby's consistent damage and debuff application create perfect conditions for Feixiao or Dr. Ratio. While she can main DPS, her true value lies in amplifying other FuA characters.

• Best Teams: All FuA teams
• Key Stats: CRIT Stats > Speed > ATK%
• Premium Support: Makes good FuA teams great

A-Tier Characters Detailed Analysis

Dr. Ratio - The Imaginary Hunt Scholar

Element: Imaginary | Path: Hunt

Our free 5-star genius remains incredibly relevant, especially against high-HP bosses. His follow-up attacks triggered by debuffs can create a cascade of damage in proper teams. The fact that everyone has him makes team building accessible for all players. I love that his damage scales with enemy debuffs - it rewards smart team composition!

• Best Teams: Ratio + Silver Wolf + Pela + Sustain
• Key Stats: CRIT DMG > ATK% > Speed
• F2P King: Best free DPS we've ever gotten

Jingliu - The Ice Destruction Swordmaster

Element: Ice | Path: Destruction

Once the undisputed DPS queen, Jingliu has gracefully aged into a solid A-tier pick. Her transmigration state still delivers exceptional damage, and the 50% CRIT rate buff means you can build pure CRIT damage. She's SP positive and self-sufficient, making her great for players who want a low-maintenance carry.

• Best Teams: Jingliu + Bronya + Pela + Fu Xuan
• Key Stats: CRIT DMG > ATK% > Speed
• Ice Queen: Still dominates ice-weak content

Black Swan - The Wind Nihility Diviner

Element: Wind | Path: Nihility

Black Swan transformed DoT teams with her Arcana stacking mechanic. When paired with Kafka, the damage output becomes absolutely ridiculous. Her ability to apply multiple DoT instances that stack makes her unique among Nihility characters. She's getting indirect buffs as more DoT support arrives!

• Best Teams: Kafka + Black Swan + Ruan Mei + Huohuo
• Key Stats: ATK% > Effect Hit > Speed
• DoT Princess: Essential for DoT strategies

Kafka - The Lightning Nihility Stellaron Hunter

Element: Lightning | Path: Nihility

The DoT detonation queen remains relevant thanks to her unique ability to trigger all DoTs instantly. With buffs coming in 3.4, she's poised for a comeback. Her follow-up attacks apply shock consistently, and her skill can delete enemies when multiple DoTs are stacked. Plus, her drip is unmatched!

• Best Teams: Kafka + Black Swan + Ruan Mei + Sustain
• Key Stats: ATK% > Speed > Effect Hit
• DoT Enabler: Makes DoT teams viable

Silver Wolf - The Quantum Nihility Hacker

Element: Quantum | Path: Nihility

While weakness implant seems less crucial with recent DPS ignoring toughness, Silver Wolf's defense shred and debuff stacking remain valuable. She's getting buffed in 3.4, which might restore her former glory. Her skill ceiling is incredibly high - mastering her can trivialize difficult content.

• Best Teams: Mono-element teams, Ratio teams
• Key Stats: Effect Hit > Speed > ATK%
• Hack The Planet: Still enables unique strategies

Blade - The Wind Destruction Immortal

Element: Wind | Path: Destruction

HP-scaling DPS units are having a moment, and Blade benefits greatly from Castorice's arrival. His self-damage mechanic synergizes perfectly with certain healers, and his damage potential when below 50% HP is frightening. Upcoming buffs in 3.4 might push him back to S-tier!

• Best Teams: Blade + Castorice + Luocha + Bronya
• Key Stats: HP% > CRIT DMG > Speed
• Vampire Build: Thrives on the edge of death

Yunli - The Physical Destruction Prodigy

Element: Physical | Path: Destruction

The counter-attack princess offers a unique playstyle that rewards aggressive positioning. Her blast counters deal massive damage while providing some self-sustain. She's slightly better than Clara due to her blast damage, but requires her signature light cone to truly shine.

• Best Teams: Yunli + Lynx + Robin + Pela
• Key Stats: CRIT DMG > ATK% > HP%
• Counter Queen: Turns enemy attacks into damage

Clara - The Physical Destruction Girl

Element: Physical | Path: Destruction

Clara's counter-attack playstyle remains viable, especially with proper aggro management. Svarog's protection and counter-attacks create a unique rhythm where Clara wants to be targeted. She can function as both DPS and off-tank, making her surprisingly versatile in team compositions.

• Best Teams: Clara + Lynx + March 7th + Tingyun
• Key Stats: CRIT DMG > ATK% > Speed
• Robot Protector: Svarog best dad

Seele - The Quantum Hunt Butterfly

Element: Quantum | Path: Hunt

The original speed demon has been power crept hard, but Seele still excels at cleaning up low-HP enemies with her resurgence mechanic. In Swarm Disaster, her quantum typing and extra turns remain valuable. She's fragile but can still speedrun certain content better than newer units.

• Best Teams: Seele + Bronya + Silver Wolf + Fu Xuan
• Key Stats: CRIT DMG > Speed > ATK%
• Speedrun Queen: Still fast, just not fastest

Argenti - The Physical Erudition Knight

Element: Physical | Path: Erudition

The beautiful knight's 180-energy ultimate remains one of the strongest nukes in the game. His ability to convert AoE damage into single-target burst makes him surprisingly versatile. In The Herta teams, he provides excellent wave clear while maintaining boss damage.

• Best Teams: Argenti + The Herta + Robin + Huohuo
• Key Stats: CRIT DMG > ATK% > Energy Regen
• Beauty in Battle: Style points matter!

Jing Yuan - The Lightning Erudition General

Element: Lightning | Path: Erudition

The general's Lightning Lord got significant indirect buffs through Sunday and summon synergies. His follow-up attacks now trigger more consistently, and the damage adds up quickly in extended fights. He's moved up from B-tier thanks to the Remembrance meta favoring summon units.

• Best Teams: Jing Yuan + Sunday + Tingyun + Sustain
• Key Stats: CRIT DMG > ATK% > Speed
• Lightning Lord: Summon getting stronger

Bronya - The Wind Harmony Commander

Element: Wind | Path: Harmony

The original action advance support still holds her ground with 100% advancement and substantial buffs. While Sunday offers more utility, Bronya's immediate turn manipulation remains unmatched. She enables turn-skip strategies that can break certain boss patterns entirely.

• Best Teams: Hypercarry teams, slow DPS units
• Key Stats: Speed (1 below DPS) > CRIT DMG
• Turn Manipulation: Still the advance queen

Tingyun - The Lightning Harmony Benefactor

Element: Lightning | Path: Harmony

Our 4-star queen provides ATK buffs, energy restoration, and additional lightning damage - all while being completely SP positive. Her death flags in the story didn't diminish her meta relevance! At E6, she rivals some 5-star supports in effectiveness.

• Best Teams: Universal support, energy-hungry teams
• Key Stats: ATK% > Speed > Energy Regen
• F2P Goddess: Best 4-star support

Pela - The Ice Nihility Intelligence

Element: Ice | Path: Nihility

Defense shred never goes out of style, and Pela's AoE ultimate defense reduction remains one of the strongest debuffs in the game. Her dispel on skill can trivialize certain boss mechanics. She's incredibly SP positive and easy to build, making her perfect for new players.

• Best Teams: Any team needing DEF shred
• Key Stats: Effect Hit > Speed > HP%
• Budget Debuffer: Makes everyone hit harder

March 7th (Hunt) - The Imaginary Hunt Swordmaster

Element: Imaginary | Path: Hunt

March's new form exceeded all expectations as a free unit. She can be built for either CRIT or break damage, adapting to your team needs. Her Shifu mechanic and enhanced attacks make her an excellent sub-DPS, especially in follow-up teams. Getting 6 free eidolons makes her even better!

• Best Teams: FuA teams, needs fast attacker
• Key Stats: CRIT or Break Effect builds work
• Versatile Swordmaster: Two builds, double value

Gallagher - The Fire Abundance Mixologist

Element: Fire | Path: Abundance

The 4-star sustain king offers healing through his unique Besotted debuff while dealing respectable damage. His ultimate's 100% advance lets him emergency heal, and his break synergy makes him perfect for Firefly teams. He's proof that 4-stars can compete with 5-star sustains.

• Best Teams: Break teams, F2P sustain option
• Key Stats: Break Effect > Speed > HP%
• Budget King: Best F2P healer

Luocha - The Imaginary Abundance Merchant

Element: Imaginary | Path: Abundance

The coffin merchant's automatic healing field remains one of the most comfortable sustain mechanics in the game. His buff removal on ultimate can shut down dangerous enemy buffs. Recent HP-drain meta has increased his value significantly with Mydei and Blade teams.

• Best Teams: Auto-heal for any team
• Key Stats: ATK% > Speed > HP%
• Comfort Pick: Healing on autopilot

Gepard - The Ice Preservation Captain

Element: Ice | Path: Preservation

The original shield daddy still provides the thickest shields in the game through his ultimate. His freeze chance on skill adds nice utility, and his self-revive talent can clutch difficult fights. While Aventurine powercrept him, Gepard remains a solid budget option.

• Best Teams: General shielding, freeze teams
• Key Stats: DEF% > Speed > Effect Hit
• Shield Wall: Simple but effective

B-Tier Characters Detailed Analysis

Himeko - The Fire Erudition Navigator

Element: Fire | Path: Erudition

Himeko found new life in Pure Fiction where her follow-up attacks can trigger constantly against fire-weak enemies. Her weakness break requirement limits her, but when conditions align, she becomes an SS-tier farmer. The Trailblaze coffee maker deserves respect for her niche dominance!

• Best Teams: Pure Fiction fire-weak stages
• Key Stats: CRIT DMG > ATK% > Break Effect
• PF Queen: Dominates specific content

Moze - The Lightning Hunt Shadow Guard

Element: Lightning | Path: Hunt

This 4-star assassin provides solid damage and unique utility with his Departed state avoiding enemy targeting. He excels in follow-up teams and can support Clara/Yunli with aggro manipulation. His shadow clone mechanics create engaging gameplay despite lower damage ceilings.

• Best Teams: FuA teams, counter teams
• Key Stats: CRIT DMG > ATK% > Speed
• Shadow Dancer: Unique mechanics compensate damage

Welt - The Imaginary Nihility Animator

Element: Imaginary | Path: Nihility

The Honkai veteran's slow and imprisonment mechanics remain unique, though damage-focused strategies have overshadowed control. His skill bounces can trigger multiple slows, and his ultimate's delay can break boss attack patterns. He's fun but requires specific scenarios to shine.

• Best Teams: Delay teams, Acheron support
• Key Stats: Effect Hit > Speed > ATK%
• Time Lord: Controls the battlefield

Serval - The Lightning Erudition Rockstar

Element: Lightning | Path: Erudition

Recent Erudition buffs and The Herta's release have given Serval new purpose. Her consistent shock application and extension mechanics work well in DoT teams. At E6, she becomes surprisingly effective, especially in Pure Fiction lightning-weak content.

• Best Teams: Budget Kafka teams, PF teams
• Key Stats: ATK% > Speed > Effect Hit
• Rock On: Better than her tier suggests

Herta - The Ice Erudition Puppet

Element: Ice | Path: Erudition

Our beloved puppet remains the Pure Fiction goddess for F2P players. Her follow-up attacks trigger constantly against multiple enemies under 50% HP. With full eidolons from Simulated Universe, she becomes a legitimate farming option that rivals higher tier characters in specific content.

• Best Teams: Pure Fiction farming teams
• Key Stats: CRIT DMG > ATK% > Speed
• Kuru Kuru: Spins to win in PF

Qingque - The Quantum Erudition Gambler

Element: Quantum | Path: Erudition

The jade tile gambler offers high damage potential with extreme RNG variance. Her E4 transforms her into a legitimate DPS option with double basic attacks. She's SP hungry and inconsistent, but when the tiles align, she can outdamage many higher-tier units.

• Best Teams: Sparkle teams for SP support
• Key Stats: CRIT DMG > ATK% > Speed
• Gacha In Gacha: RNG-ception gameplay

Xueyi - The Quantum Destruction Judge

Element: Quantum | Path: Destruction

This puppet judge brings unique toughness-ignoring mechanics on her ultimate. Her follow-up attacks after breaking enemies add nice damage, and she works well as a break-focused sub-DPS. She's particularly valuable for players lacking quantum coverage.

• Best Teams: Break teams, quantum coverage
• Key Stats: Break Effect > CRIT > ATK%
• Puppet Power: Solid F2P option

Guinaifen - The Fire Nihility Performer

Element: Fire | Path: Nihility

Gui's burn application and defense reduction for burned enemies create nice DoT synergies. Her ultimate can detonate burns similar to Kafka, though at a smaller scale. She's a budget option for DoT teams and provides solid utility in fire-weak content.

• Best Teams: Budget DoT teams
• Key Stats: ATK% > Effect Hit > Speed
• Burn Baby Burn: Budget DoT enabler

Asta - The Fire Harmony Researcher

Element: Fire | Path: Harmony

The free harmony unit provides team-wide speed buffs and ATK stacking through her talent. Her ultimate's speed boost can enable speed breakpoints for your entire team. She's incredibly SP positive with her buffed basic attacks, making her valuable for SP-hungry teams.

• Best Teams: Speed-focused teams
• Key Stats: Speed > ATK% > Effect Hit
• Gotta Go Fast: Speed is life

Lynx - The Quantum Abundance Explorer

Element: Quantum | Path: Abundance

This 4-star healer excels at supporting destruction/preservation units with her aggro increase mechanic. Her cleanse and continuous healing make her surprisingly effective for endgame content. She's the best partner for Blade and Clara, enabling their unique playstyles.

• Best Teams: Clara/Blade teams
• Key Stats: HP% > Speed > Outgoing Healing
• Exploration Expert: Enables aggro strategies

Bailu - The Lightning Abundance Dragon

Element: Lightning | Path: Abundance

The dragon loli's revive mechanic remains unique among non-eidolon healers. Her bounce healing and invigoration provide solid sustain, though her lack of cleanse hurts in debuff-heavy content. She's comfortable but outclassed by newer abundance units.

• Best Teams: General healing, revival safety
• Key Stats: HP% > Speed > Outgoing Healing
• Revival Insurance: Second chances matter

C-Tier Characters Detailed Analysis

Yukong - The Imaginary Harmony Pilot

Element: Imaginary | Path: Harmony

Yukong offers the highest ATK buff values in the game, but her 2-turn buff duration creates awkward timing requirements. Her ultimate's CRIT buffs are substantial, making her viable for speed-tuned teams. She rewards perfect play but punishes mistakes harshly.

• Best Teams: Speed-tuned hypercarry
• Key Stats: Speed tuning critical
• High Risk/Reward: Massive buffs, tiny windows

Hanya - The Physical Harmony Judge

Element: Physical | Path: Harmony

The SP recovery judge enables SP-hungry teams through her burden mechanic. Her ultimate's speed and ATK buffs add nice value. She's particularly good with Dan Heng IL and Qingque but struggles to find spots in modern teams.

• Best Teams: DHIL teams, SP recovery
• Key Stats: Speed > Effect Hit > HP%
• SP Recovery: Enables hungry DPS

Misha - The Ice Destruction Bellboy

Element: Ice | Path: Destruction

Our Penacony bellboy offers solid freeze utility and burst damage through his ultimate. His freeze chance adds defensive utility while building toward his bouncing ultimate nuke. He's decent but overshadowed by premium ice DPS options.

• Best Teams: Freeze teams, ice coverage
• Key Stats: CRIT DMG > ATK% > Effect Hit
• Freeze Frame: Solid but outclassed

Yanqing - The Ice Hunt Prodigy

Element: Ice | Path: Hunt

The sword prodigy's kit falls apart when he takes damage, losing his crucial Soulsteel Sync buff. His damage potential is high, but the condition is too restrictive for modern content where AoE damage is common. He needs shields to function properly.

• Best Teams: Gepard/Aventurine required
• Key Stats: CRIT DMG > ATK% > Speed
• Glass Cannon: Literally breaks when hit

Luka - The Physical Nihility Fighter

Element: Physical | Path: Nihility

The robot-armed fighter provides bleed application and defense shred against bleeding enemies. His enhanced basic attacks can deal solid damage, but he's outclassed by other DoT options. He works as budget physical coverage.

• Best Teams: Physical teams, DoT support
• Key Stats: ATK% > Effect Hit > Speed
• Mechanical Fists: Functional but limited

Dan Heng - The Wind Hunt Guard

Element: Wind | Path: Hunt

The 4-star version of our dragon boy provides basic single-target damage with slow utility. His wind RES penetration talent adds nice damage, but his kit is too simple for modern content. He's fine for early game but quickly gets replaced.

• Best Teams: Early game wind coverage
• Key Stats: CRIT DMG > ATK% > Speed
• Basic Dragon: Tutorial character vibes

Natasha - The Physical Abundance Doctor

Element: Physical | Path: Abundance

The free healer gets you through early game but lacks the cleanse and utility of other healers. Her continuous healing is comfortable, but she offers nothing beyond basic sustain. She's the definition of "good enough for story mode."

• Best Teams: Early game sustain
• Key Stats: HP% > Speed > Outgoing Healing
• Story Mode Hero: Gets the job done

March 7th (Preservation) - The Ice Preservation Knight

Element: Ice | Path: Preservation

Original March provides single-target shields with counter-attack utility. Her freezing ultimate adds some crowd control. She's overshadowed by her Hunt form but remains functional for early game or budget shield needs.

• Best Teams: Early game, budget shields
• Key Stats: DEF% > Effect Hit > Speed
• OG March: Hunt form is better

Trailblazer (Preservation) - The Fire Preservation Guardian

Element: Fire | Path: Preservation

Fire MC offers taunt mechanics and small team shields but can't solo sustain effectively. Their enhanced basic attacks add some damage, but the kit lacks cohesion. They're functional but require a second sustain for difficult content.

• Best Teams: Double sustain setups
• Key Stats: DEF% > Speed > HP%
• Partial Sustain: Can't solo tank

D-Tier Characters Detailed Analysis

Sushang - The Physical Hunt Disciple

Element: Physical | Path: Hunt

Sushang's speed buffs against broken enemies sound good on paper, but her damage doesn't justify her team slot. Her sword stance mechanic is interesting but inconsistent. She's outclassed by every other hunt unit, including 4-star options.

• Best Teams: Physical coverage only
• Key Stats: CRIT DMG > Speed > ATK%
• Budget Physical: When you have no options

Hook - The Fire Destruction Miner

Element: Fire | Path: Destruction

The Moles gang leader offers basic fire damage with burn application. Her enhanced skill after ultimate adds burst potential, but the numbers don't compete. She's adorable but mechanically outdated, serving only as early fire coverage.

• Best Teams: Early game fire coverage
• Key Stats: ATK% > CRIT DMG > Speed
• Pitch Dark Hook: Cute but weak

Sampo - The Wind Nihility Mercenary

Element: Wind | Path: Nihility

Sampo's wind shear application and DoT vulnerability seem useful, but his numbers are too low to matter. His skill's bounce RNG frustrates more than it helps. He's comic relief in the story and unfortunately also in team building.

• Best Teams: Budget wind DoT
• Key Stats: ATK% > Effect Hit > Speed
• Masked Fool: Fooling no one with damage

E-Tier Characters Detailed Analysis

Arlan - The Lightning Destruction Guard

Element: Lightning | Path: Destruction

Arlan attempts Blade's HP-drain gameplay but fails spectacularly with terrible multipliers. His self-damage doesn't provide enough benefit to justify the risk. He's universally considered the worst character in the game - even dedicated mains struggle to make him work.

• Best Teams: None recommended
• Key Stats: ATK% > CRIT (if you must)
• Lightning McQueen't: Just use anyone else

Trailblazer (Destruction) - The Physical Destruction Warrior

Element: Physical | Path: Destruction

Physical MC has basic attacks that deal basic damage with basic multipliers. Their kit offers nothing unique or valuable. While every Trailblazer path has its moments, this one exists purely as your tutorial character before better options arrive.

• Best Teams: Tutorial only
• Key Stats: Don't bother optimizing
• Bat Enthusiast: Retired after tutorial

Best Team Compositions

Building successful teams in Honkai Star Rail requires understanding core synergies. Here are the top meta teams dominating 2025:

1. Tribbie Hypercarry Supreme

Team: Tribbie + Sunday/Sparkle + Hypercarry DPS + Flex

• Maximizes single-target damage through layered buffs
• Works with any hypercarry DPS (DHIL, Jingliu, Seele)
• Flex slot for Bronya (triple support) or sustain

2. Follow-Up Attack Domination

Team: Feixiao + Robin + Topaz/March Hunt + Aventurine

• Triggers cascading follow-up attacks
• Robin's ultimate enables out-of-turn attacks
• Aventurine provides shields while contributing FuAs

3. Super Break Destruction

Team: Firefly + Harmony MC + Ruan Mei + Lingsha

• Exploits break mechanics for massive damage
• Works against any enemy regardless of weakness
• Lingsha enables sustain while amplifying break damage

4. DoT Proliferation Nightmare

Team: Kafka + Black Swan + Jiaoqiu/Ruan Mei + Huohuo

• Stacks multiple DoT types for exponential damage
• Kafka detonates all DoTs instantly
• Flexible support slot based on content

5. Quantum Supremacy

Team: Castorice + Tribbie + Fu Xuan + Sparkle

• Full quantum team with perfect synergy
• Castorice gains bonus damage from quantum teammates
• Unbreakable defense with Fu Xuan + Castorice

6. The Herta Erudition Express

Team: The Herta + Jade/Anaxa + Robin + Huohuo

• Dominates Pure Fiction with massive AoE
• Stack mechanics create nuclear damage
• Huohuo provides energy for ultimate spam

7. F2P Ratio Hypercarry

Team: Dr. Ratio + Pela + Tingyun + Gallagher

• Completely free to play friendly
• Ratio's FuAs trigger from Pela's debuffs
• Proven to clear all endgame content

FAQs

Who is the strongest character in Honkai Star Rail 2025?

Currently, Castorice and Feixiao share the top spot as the strongest characters. Castorice dominates with her unique revival mechanics and massive AoE damage, while Feixiao excels as the single-target damage ceiling with her toughness-ignoring ultimate.

Is this tier list F2P friendly?

Yes! This tier list rates all characters at E0/C0 without their signature light cones. Many 4-star characters like Tingyun, Pela, and Gallagher compete with 5-stars in their roles. The free characters (Dr. Ratio, Trailblazer paths) are also highly viable.

How often does the meta change in Honkai Star Rail?

The meta shifts with each major update (every 6 weeks). Significant changes occur when new mechanics are introduced or when characters receive buffs. Version 3.4 will buff several older characters, potentially shifting their tier placements.

Should I pull for SS-tier characters only?

Not necessarily! While SS-tier characters are the strongest, team synergy matters more than individual power. A well-built A-tier character in a synergistic team often outperforms a poorly supported SS-tier character. Pull for characters that fit your existing roster and playstyle.

What teams should F2P players focus on?

F2P players should prioritize:

1. Super Break teams (Harmony MC is free)
2. Dr. Ratio hypercarry teams
3. Building versatile supports like Bennett, Pela, and Tingyun
4. One strong DPS of each element for coverage

Do I need signature light cones for characters to be viable?

No! While signature light cones provide the best stats, most characters have excellent F2P alternatives. Many 4-star light cones like "The Swordplay" or "Dance! Dance! Dance!" are only 10-15% worse than 5-star options when properly refined.

Which characters are getting buffed in version 3.4?

According to leaks and official announcements, Silver Wolf, Blade, Kafka, and Jingliu are receiving buffs in version 3.4. These buffs might significantly improve their tier placements, so keep an eye on patch notes!

Is it worth building lower-tier characters?

Absolutely! Every character can clear all content with proper investment and team support. Lower-tier characters often have dedicated players who've found unique strategies. If you love a character's design or playstyle, build them regardless of tier!

How important are Eidolons/Constellations?

For 5-star characters, E0 is completely viable for all content. This tier list rates 5-star characters at E0 and 4-star characters at both E0 and E6. Some characters like Eidolon 1 Sunday or E2 Huohuo gain significant improvements, but they're luxuries, not necessities.

What's the best way to prepare for future characters?

Focus on:

1. Universal materials - Character EXP, credits, trace materials
2. Building versatile supports - They fit into many teams
3. Saving jades - 180 pulls guarantees a character
4. Check leak sites for pre-farming guides

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Remember, tier lists are guidelines to help optimize your account, but the most important factor is enjoying the game! Every character is viable with proper investment, and the best team is one that brings you joy while exploring the cosmos.

What are your thoughts on this tier list? Which characters surprised you with their rankings? Let me know in the comments below.