While it has a very diverse cast, most of the characters in Honkai Star Rail can pack a big punch. Many players will be looking to pull that shiny 5 Star through warps, but the fact of the matter is that most of the in-game content can be completed with well-built free units. That said, there are some behemoths in the five-star pool that make the game much easier.
All Characters in Honkai Star Rail, ranked
While every character in Honkai Star Rail is usable, players will get better results with the higher-tiered characters. Remember that players are only really guaranteed one five-star, which means that their lineups will have to be filled with some free-to-play units. I got use of characters like Dang Heng and Asta all throughout Jarilo VI.
| Tier | Characters |
|---|---|
| S | Tingyun, Fire Trailblazer, Seele |
| A | Bailu, Bronya, Welt, Serval, Clara |
| A- | Pela, Sushang, Sampo, Hook, Himeko |
| B | Yanqing, Dan Heng, March 7th, Herta, Asta, Gepard |
| C | Arlan |
| D | Qingque |
Note: Even though Five-Star Characters and S Tier characters are the best, it doesn't mean you can solo with them. For example, Seele is a pretty good Hunt character, but she'll do terribly against a boss who isn't weak in the Quantum element.
In Honkai: Star Rail, battles can be won more easily by focusing on matching elements and weakness breaks.
HSR Destruction Characters Tier List
| Tier | Characters |
|---|---|
| A | Clara |
| A- | Hook |
| B | Trailblazer |
| C | Arvan |
Clara stands at the top of the tier list for Destruction characters, thanks to Mr. Svarog being an excellent source of follow-up attacks. If Clara gets targeted often, Mr. Svarog will often counter, dealing more damage and shredding toughness bars if the enemies are weak to physical damage.
HSR Preservation Characters Tier List
| Tier | Character |
|---|---|
| S | Fire Trailblazer |
| B | March 7th, Gepard |
Once the Trailblazer gets their Fire typing, they also get a whole new kit. Aside from being a massive tank, the Fire Trailblazer can attract damage their way with increased Taunt. This can synergize with things like March 7th's shield to reduce damage taken severely.
HSR Hunt Characters Tier List
| Tier | Character |
|---|---|
| S | Seele |
| A- | Sushang |
| B | Yanqing, Dan Heng |
What really separates Seele from the other Hunt characters is how well she does in battles with multiple enemies. Although characters from The Hunt are supposed to excel at one-on-one combat, Seele can get a buff and an extra turn with her Talent.
HSR Harmony Characters Tier List
| Tier | Character |
|---|---|
| S | Tingyun |
| A | Bronya |
| B | Asta |
Of the several Harmony characters in Honkai Star Rail, Tingyun is the only one that can buff energy. Who doesn't want to use their ultimates more? Tingyun offers more damage output than any other support character in the game.
HSR Erudition Characters Tier List
| Tier | Character |
|---|---|
| A | Serval |
| A- | Himeko |
| B | Herta |
| D | Qingque |
Serval is a great Erudition character because she can deal extra shock damage with her Talent. Her skill can also cause splash damage, which can seriously deplete toughness bars against Lightning-weak enemies.
HSR Abundance Characters Tier List
| Tier | Character |
|---|---|
| A | Bailu |
| A- | Natasha |
Any healer in this game is good, but Bailu gets a lot of extra utility for healing allies past their max HP. This means she can even turn glass cannons like Seele or Dan Heng into tanks by giving them loads of extra HP that they wouldn't usually have.
HSR Nihility Characters Tier List
| Tier | Characters |
|---|---|
| A | Welt |
| A- | Pela, Sampo |
While every character down this path can provide decent utility, Welt is the only one that affects turn order. Many of his skills, including his Ultimate attack, slow the enemies. The rest of Welt's kit gets more powerful the more slowed the enemies are. He is also one of the very few characters with Imaginary damage.
Want more Honkai Star Rail guides? Pro Game Guides has you covered with Honkai Star Rail—Best builds for March 7th, Light Cones, Relics, and More!
Shane Foley is both a huge gamer and a Contributing Writer at Pro Game Guides. He's been gaming ever since the Nintendo 64 came out, and he knows everything there is to know about Pokémon, Fire Emblem, Zelda, and several other Nintendo franchises.