Check out our launch tier list for the top characters in Arknights: Endfield!

Creating a tier list for Arknights: Endfield is easier than you might expect. While we won’t know the top performers for endgame content until after launch, much like in Zenless Zone Zero, a character’s effectiveness largely hinges on their synergy within a team. A character can shine due to their versatility and accessibility for free-to-play players, or because they dominate as the current meta DPS or support for a specific element.

Arknights: Endfield incorporates elemental arts and combo skills that activate under certain conditions, such as reactions, making team composition crucial. Right now, the standout teams are cryo and heat, although the latter has fewer characters available. Unfortunately, both require six-star operators to truly excel. Conversely, electric and cryo/physical hybrid teams are more accessible for free-to-play players, as they primarily feature four and five-star characters.

I’ll evaluate each character based on their value within their optimal team composition or their overall strength and versatility, like Gilberta, Ardelia, and Akekuri. Additionally, I’ll explain how their abilities work and which characters complement them best. This should help you determine who to invest in and what team composition to aim for based on your pulls.

It’s important to note that while you might have a chance to pull both Yvonne and Gilberta on Laevatain’s banner at launch, they will each have their own dedicated banners in February.

Tier	Characters
S-tier	Laevatain, Yvonne, Gilberta, Last Rite, Ardelia
A-tier	Avywenna, Xaihi, Akekuri, Pogranichnik, Antal, Wulfgard, Perlica, Ember, Lifeng
B-tier	Endministrator, Arclight, Alesh, Chen Qianyu, Estella, Fluorite, Snowshine
C-tier	Da Pan, Catcher

Laevatain

Rarity: Six-star
Class: Heat Striker

Laevatain is a top-tier heat damage dealer and a key pick for fire teams. Her ultimate, Twilight, transforms her basic attacks into sweeping fiery slashes, making her particularly effective against groups of enemies due to her AoE damage.

To maximize her potential, pair her with characters who can easily apply Heat Infliction, like Wulfgard, as she absorbs it through her Scorching Heart talent and converts it into Melting Flame, a resource for triggering Combustion on enemies with her battle skill. Combustion also activates her combo skill, both of which generate ultimate energy.

Yvonne

Rarity: Six-star
Class: Cryo Striker

Yvonne is a premier choice for cryo teams and one of the strongest single-target DPS characters available. Her ultimate significantly boosts her crit rate and damage, especially against enemies affected by Cryo Infliction or Solidification (freezing) once she unlocks her Freezing Point talent.

Her strategy revolves around applying Solidification through her battle skill by consuming stacks of either Cryo or Nature Infliction, which also grants her ultimate energy. Additionally, her combo skill triggers on final strikes against frozen foes, further enhanced by her Barrage of Technology talent, which makes the next attack after applying Solidification a final strike.

Yvonne pairs best with characters that apply Cryo Infliction, but ideally, she should apply Solidification herself to charge her ultimate. During her ultimate, she effectively becomes a turret, so including a Cryo Defender like Snowshine can be beneficial.

Gilberta

Rarity: Six-star
Class: Nature Supporter

Despite being a nature character, Gilberta stands out as the best support for all arts teams, whether they focus on cryo, heat, or electric. Her AoE ultimate applies Arts Susceptibility, increasing arts damage, while her battle skill grants the team access to Corrosion through the Nature Infliction she applies. Corrosion reduces enemy resistances, making it invaluable in challenging encounters. The Arts Susceptibility she provides is further enhanced by vulnerability stacks, which she can inflict with her combo skill via the Lift physical status.

Once you unlock her Late Reply talent, she can also heal if she hits multiple enemies with her skill or combo. Essentially, she fits seamlessly into any team except a physical one.

Last Rite

Rarity: Six-star
Class: Cryo Striker

Last Rite is another powerful cryo DPS character, focusing on enhanced final strikes. Her battle skill summons mirages that attack the enemy and apply Cryo Infliction when the controlled operator performs a final strike. Similar to Da Pan, her combo skill triggers when an enemy has at least three Cryo Infliction stacks, granting additional damage and ultimate energy for each. Once her Hypothermia talent is unlocked, she applies Cryo Susceptibility for each stack, and her Cryogenic Embrittlement talent enhances this effect when she uses her ultimate.

Since Last Rite doesn’t freeze enemies, she can work alongside Yvonne, although they may compete for Cryo Infliction. In general, Last Rite benefits from characters that apply Cryo Infliction, allowing her to consume it with her combo skill and recharge her powerful ultimate.

Ardelia

Rarity: Six-star
Class: Nature Supporter

Ardelia is the best healer in the game, offering versatile support. She can inflict Corrosion with her combo skill, lowering enemy resistances, and consume that Corrosion with her battle skill to apply Physical and Arts Susceptibility.

Her healing primarily comes from her ultimate, which generates sheep that can be collected for HP. Once her Friendly Presence talent is unlocked, her skill will also spawn sheep for healing. As a healer, she fits well into nearly any team but excels in those that can easily apply Corrosion.

Avywenna

Rarity: Five-star
Class: Electric Striker

Avywenna is the strongest electric damage dealer at launch, with a straightforward playstyle that involves deploying Thunderlances with her combo skill and ultimate, then using her battle skill to retrieve them, creating arcs of electricity that damage enemies. Once she unlocks her Expedited Delivery talent, she can regain ultimate energy when a Thunderlance hits an enemy or apply Electric Susceptibility with her ultimate after acquiring her Tactful Approach talent.

Her combo triggers on final strikes against targets with Electric Infliction or Electrification, so pairing her with electric characters who can apply either, like Perlica and Arclight, is ideal.

Xaihi

Rarity: Five-star
Class: Cryo Supporter

Xaihi serves as both a strong healer and amplifier for cryo teams. Her skill summons a two-charge crystal that heals the active operator on final strikes, synergizing well with Yvonne and especially Last Rite and her mirage attacks. If the operator’s HP is full, they gain a stack of Arts Amp, boosting damage. Her ultimate applies either Cryo Amp or Nature Amp to the entire team, further enhancing damage.

While her Auxiliary Crystal can be a bit tricky to manage, Xaihi is undoubtedly the best dedicated cryo support character in a game where cryo is currently a dominant team composition.

Akekuri

Rarity: Four-star
Class: Heat Vanguard

Akekuri is one of the most valuable free-to-play operators, serving as a straightforward yet versatile skill point recovery character for nearly any team. Her ultimate provides reliable SP regeneration, and her combo skill also recovers SP. Since this triggers on Stagger against a specific arts-based condition, her teammates’ roles are flexible. While her skill applies Heat Infliction, she’s best utilized in a heat team with Laevatain, but she can be a useful battery in various setups.

Pogranichnik

Rarity: Six-star
Class: Physical Vanguard

Pogranichnik is arguably the strongest character for pure physical teams, being the only operator capable of applying the Breach status with his skill, which increases physical damage taken by the target. He gains SP based on how many vulnerability stacks this consumes. His combo skill triggers when Breach or Crush consumes vulnerability stacks, granting bonus SP and attacks based on the number consumed. His ultimate is also incredibly fun, summoning Shieldguards that attack whenever you inflict a physical status or use his combo skill, with five overall charges.

Pogranichnik is best paired with characters that apply vulnerability through physical statuses and consume them with Crush, such as Chen and Lifeng for the former, or Endmin and Da Pan for the latter.

Antal

Rarity: Four-star
Class: Electric Supporter

Antal is a valuable four-star support character who excels in electric teams. His battle skill applies Focus to an enemy, granting them Heat and Electricity Susceptibility, while his ultimate applies Electric Amp and Heat Amp to the entire team, enhancing damage for both arts.

His combo activates when an enemy with Focus receives a physical status or any arts infliction, adding another stack, making him useful across various team compositions. Ideally, he should be used in an electric party alongside Avywenna, Perlica, and Arclight.

Wulfgard

Rarity: Five-star
Class: Heat Caster

Wulfgard is a key support and sub-DPS character in a heat-based team with Laevatain. He excels at applying Heat Infliction with his skill, which can also consume Combustion for extra damage, a reaction Laevatain is adept at triggering. His combo skill occurs upon any arts infliction, applying Heat Infliction to nearby enemies with a grenade, while his ultimate forcibly applies Combustion, which also triggers Laevatain’s combo skill. Given the limited number of heat characters, Wulfgard is invaluable in fire-based teams but less effective outside of them.

Perlica

Rarity: Five-star
Class: Electric Caster

Perlica is one of the most valuable free characters available, excelling in electric teams due to her ability to easily apply Electric Infliction and Electrification to enemies with her skill and combo, which activates on any final strike.

This makes her a great partner for Avywenna, but especially Arclight, whose combo occurs on Electrification and regenerates SP. You can create an effective 1-2-1-1 combo where Arclight final strikes, Perlica electrifies, Arclight combos to gain SP, and then uses her skill to consume that Electrification for more SP and damage.

Ember

Rarity: Six-star
Class: Heat Shielder

Ember is the best Defender in Endfield, boasting a powerful combo skill that activates when the controlled operator is hit. She jumps at the enemy, inflicting Knock Down and healing the team. Her ultimate provides shields for the entire team based on her max HP, making her the top shielder in the game.

Ember’s survivability is often overkill, especially since she occupies a team slot that could be filled by a support character, but if you want to ensure your team’s longevity, she’s incredibly valuable.

Lifeng

Rarity: Six-star
Class: Physical Guard

Lifeng is another strong character and enabler for physical teams, thanks to his ability to apply Physical Susceptibility if his skill hits an enemy without vulnerability stacks. His combo skill triggers on final strikes against enemies with Breach or Physical Susceptibility, granting Link to the party, which buffs the next ultimate or battle skill cast. His ultimate also deals two stacks of Knock Down and can consume the Link for massive damage.

While not quite as valuable as Pogranichnik, Lifeng is still a solid dedicated physical support character and sub-DPS, though he may be less effective outside of a physical team.

Endministrator

Rarity: Six-star
Class: Physical Guard

Typically, protagonists in gacha games aren’t the strongest, but Endmin is a decent physical damage dealer. They can activate the Crush physical status with their skill, consuming vulnerability stacks for significant damage. They also combo after any other operator uses theirs, applying Originium Crystals that immobilize enemies, which can be consumed by physical statuses or their ultimate for additional damage.

If you’re interested in a physical team, Endmin is a decent choice, but pure physical setups aren’t very free-to-play friendly, requiring Pogranichnik or Lifeng for optimal performance.

However, Endmin can fit into a cryo/physical team alongside Estella or Alesh, using physical statuses to Shatter enemies affected by Solidification. Chen is also a great free character for applying vulnerability, enhancing Endmin’s early-game performance.

Arclight

Rarity: Five-star
Class: Electric Vanguard

As mentioned in Perlica’s entry, Arclight is the ideal battery for electric teams, providing SP recovery through her battle skill and combo. She pairs exceptionally well with Perlica, as her ability to apply Electrification triggers Arclight’s combo, allowing her to consume it with her skill for extra damage and SP. Ideally, you should use her alongside Avywenna, Perlica, and Antal for one of the most free-to-play friendly yet powerful team compositions in the game. Outside of electric teams, though, Akekuri is a better option.

Alesh

Rarity: Five-star
Class: Cryo Vanguard

Alesh excels in hybrid physical/cryo teams, as he can consume Cryo Infliction with his skill to apply Solidification to enemies, recovering SP based on the stacks. His combo skill activates when either an arts reaction or Originium Crystals are consumed, recovering SP, making him a good partner for Endministrator. He freezes enemies, allowing Endmin to Shatter them with Crush; a straightforward yet effective combo.

While he’s a cryo battery, his ability to consume Cryo Infliction (which both Last Rite and Yvonne desire) and apply Solidification (which Yvonne ideally does for ultimate energy) makes him less than ideal in many cryo team compositions. Still, he’s an effective SP recovery character and free-to-play friendly if you’re running a cryo/physical team with Endmin early on.

Chen Qianyu

Rarity: Five-star
Class: Physical Guard

Chen is a solid early-game character due to her ability to inflict vulnerability through Lift with her skill, and she combos whenever an enemy becomes vulnerable, supporting Endmin’s skill-based Crush, which consumes vulnerability for extra damage. She’s also useful in a physical/cryo hybrid team, where physical statuses applied to enemies with Solidification can Shatter them for additional damage. Her ultimate deals decent damage, but if you plan to move away from a physical team, her utility may diminish.

Estella

Rarity: Four-star
Class: Cryo Guard

Estella, while a cryo character, is somewhat similar to Chen but more specialized as a sub-DPS in a physical/cryo team. She pairs well with Alesh, as she can apply Cryo Infliction with her battle skill, and her combo occurs when a target receives Solidification, applying Lift for added vulnerability and inflicting Physical Susceptibility if they happen to be frozen.

Her ultimate also gains a bonus against targets with Physical Susceptibility, applying Lift to them as well. Once she unlocks her Commiseration talent, she refunds SP on her next battle skill use after Shattering an enemy, making her focused on cryo/physical Shatter teams and providing limited utility outside of them.

Fluorite

Rarity: Four-star
Class: Nature Caster

As the only non-six-star Nature character currently available, Fluorite has her uses, such as applying Slow and Nature Infliction with her skill, allowing you to trigger Corrosion to reduce enemy resistances. She also has a versatile combo skill and ultimate, both of which apply an additional stack of Cryo or Nature Infliction if the enemy already has two of either.

Interestingly, this makes her a fun pairing for Last Rite. Fluorite’s combo activates when an enemy has two stacks of Cryo Infliction, adding another stack, which in turn activates Last Rite’s combo skill. However, this has a 40-second cooldown, so you might not want to build around it, but it opens up some fun possibilities.

Snowshine

Rarity: Five-star
Class: Cryo Defender

Snowshine is a cryo tank, not as effective as Ember but still solid since she provides healing. Similar to Ember, when an operator is hit and drops below 60% HP, she deploys an AoE that heals all characters within it for a short duration. Her ultimate can also create a cryo AoE that applies Solidification to enemies.

While Xaihi is a better overall healer/support hybrid for cryo teams, Snowshine can use her skill to grant Protection, which is useful for Yvonne when she’s in turret mode during her ultimate. You could also use Snowshine in a cryo/physical team, freezing enemies with her ultimate for Shatter or stacking Cryo Infliction with her skill’s parry, allowing someone like Alesh to consume it for more freezes.

Da Pan

Rarity: Five-star
Class: Physical Striker

Da Pan is currently the only Physical Striker in the game, but he can feel less effective than Endmin. He can access the same physical status, Crush, but only through his combo, which requires four stacks of vulnerability to trigger and has a 20-second cooldown. This can be more cumbersome than simply activating Crush on demand with Endmin’s battle skill.

He still has a skill and ultimate that inflict Lift, with the latter also applying Lift and then Knock Down, so he can still provide plenty of vulnerability and be decent in a physical team. His combo skill deals significant damage, but the requirement for four stacks and a cooldown can be frustrating compared to Endmin’s more flexible Crush activation.

Catcher

Rarity: Four-star
Class: Physical Defender

Catcher is a jack of all trades, master of none. He can provide protection for himself and nearby operators, but he’s a weaker shielder than Ember and lacks healing like Snowshine. He can deal decent damage and is the only character who can apply Weaken with his ultimate, reducing enemy damage, but his combo feels underwhelming for a Defender. It only triggers when the controlled operator drops to 40% HP or when an enemy starts charging a skill, and even then, it only applies a shield to him and one other teammate—less impressive compared to Ember and Snowshine’s healing.

You can enhance his shield strength by stacking defense, and thanks to his Resilient Defense talent, every 10 Willpower translates to 1 Defense. However, by the time you need a shielder, you’ll likely have Snowshine, who is a much better option, even in physical teams due to her ability to apply Solidification for Shatter.