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Honkai Star Rail: 22 playable characters listed from best to worst

Honkai Star Rail characters differ in powers and types. Here's a look

In Honkai Star Rail, Fire characters have a unique bond that enables them to work together seamlessly in a team. Fire characters follow different Paths, creating synergy within the team.

The characters provided for free in Honkai Star Rail are quite efficient in clearing story content. Nevertheless, having multiple characters and teams prepared for various combat scenarios is crucial, as even the best characters cannot overpower every challenge.

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Here's a ranked list of all 22 Honkai: Star Rail characters.

C-tier characters

1. Sampo

Sampo serves as an amusing comic relief, but he cannot be relied upon as a trustworthy teammate. While he deals Wind damage to multiple targets with a chance of slowing them down, he does not significantly alter the tempo of battle. Hence, it is advisable to build someone else with better utility instead of him.

2. Hook

While Hook can deal satisfactory damage as a fire character, it is challenging to endorse her over superior damage dealers and support characters such as Asta, who is available for free on Honkai Star Rail.

3. Qingque

Qingque is among the few Quantum characters available in the game, making her a valuable addition for players who do not have Seele. Regrettably, her power depends on random chance, meaning her damage output is not consistent, even if she hits the jackpot and becomes extremely strong.

4. Pela

Pela is currently the most exceptional four-star Nihility character available in the game. Her skills are particularly useful in eliminating enemy buffs, such as the irritating shield erected by certain robot enemies that can take considerable time to penetrate. With her ability, Pela can remove the buff and even freeze the enemies on some occasions in Honkai Star Rail.

5. Serval

Serval excels at exploiting Lightning weaknesses, but her usefulness pales in comparison to other characters like Tingyun, who can buff her teammates. Nevertheless, Serval's unmatched AoE Lightning damage makes her a force to be reckoned with.

6. Herta

Herta is among the initial free characters provided to players. Nevertheless, due to her Ice attribute, it is challenging to recommend her over March 7th in the early stages of the game. However, if there is ever a need for a character capable of applying Ice to multiple enemies, Herta is the go-to option. Her abilities are particularly beneficial in the Simulated Universe, where she can freeze enemies for buffs.

B-tier characters

7. Trailblazer (Physical)

The Trailblazer's physical abilities provide them with versatility, positioning them between a Hunt and Erudition character as they can either attack multiple targets or concentrate on a single one. However, their attacks are not as potent as Sushang's.

8. Arlan

Arlan's primary gimmick is dealing more damage as his HP decreases, but this is not what makes him exceptional. Instead, he uses HP instead of Skill Points, which is particularly crucial in a game where skill point management can make the difference between success and failure. However, if one opts to use Arlan, one must keep a healer on standby.

9. Asta

Asta becomes a member of the party early in the game, providing valuable assistance in breaking Fire weaknesses and boosting allies' attack and speed. However, if Tingyun becomes available, she might be a more suitable option due to the energy regeneration she provides, which surpasses that of the space station lead provided by Asta in Honkai Star Rail.

10. March 7th

March 7th will act as your initial line of defense until you acquire a superior shield character or a healer. Additionally, her ability to freeze enemies and follow-up attacks provides added utility to her kit beyond shielding.

11. Dan Heng

Even as a free four-star character, Dan Heng is among the game's most outstanding damage dealers. Moreover, he can decrease the speed of enemies whenever he lands a critical hit. However, other Hunt characters can still surpass him in terms of sheer damage output in Honkai Star Rail.

12. Sushang

Similar to the Physical Trailblazer, Sushang is a high-damage Physical character. However, she surpasses the former in the damage department, thanks to her Sword Stance ability. Each time she breaks a weakness, she performs an additional attack that deals more damage than it would have otherwise.

A-tier characters

13. Trailblazer (Fire)

The Trailblazer's attacks provide a minor shield to all team members and can also boost their defenses using their Skills. This is the only way to provide a shield that affects all allies at once, making it a valuable addition to the team if you don't have Gepard. While it's easy to activate, keep in mind that March 7th offers a stronger shield for individual units.

14. Natasha

Natasha's healing abilities make her a valuable addition to many F2P teams, as she is currently one of the only healers available. While Bailu is a more powerful option as a 5-star character, Natasha still performs her role effectively in Honkai Star Rail.

15. Tingyun

This female character doesn't deal significant damage, but she compensates for it with her buffing abilities. She not only boosts damage but also has the potential to refill Ultimate meters, allowing allies to use their Ultimate abilities earlier than usual.

16. Himeko

Himeko stands out as an exception among the currently underpowered Erudition characters. While these characters excel in dealing damage to multiple targets, they fall short compared to single-target DPS characters from the Hunt. However, Himeko strikes a balance between damage and utility by incorporating follow-up attacks in her kit.

17. Welt

Welt's strength lies in his multi-target damage and ability to slow down enemies, making him a valuable asset in battles. Additionally, he is currently the only Imaginary Element character in Honkai Star Rail, but this isn't what makes him stand out.

18. Clara

Clara and Svarog are a pair of characters that work together. Clara's ultimate ability is to reduce damage and taunt enemies into attacking her, which is especially useful in combination with Svarog's counterattack ability. Whenever anyone hurts Clara, Svarog attacks them.

S-tier characters

19. Gepard

Gepard is known as the top defensive character in the game due to his Ultimate that shields all allies, making him a better option than the starting character March 7th. However, some players may still prefer the flexibility March 7th provides.

20. Yanqing

Yanqing, as a Hunt character, deals heavy single-target damage and is currently the strongest Ice character in the game. His Sword Link ability makes him less likely to be targeted by enemies, allowing the rest of the team to focus on offense and healing. Additionally, like Sushang, Yanqing has a chance to perform a follow-up attack, making him even more deadly in battle in Honkai Star Rail.

21. Bailu

With her Invigoration ability, Bailu is capable of providing continuous healing to allies during battle. Furthermore, her Talent allows her to revive a single downed character once per battle.

22. Seele

Seele is currently considered the best damage dealer in the game due to her high attack stats and the ability to improve them further with her Traces. Her Talent allows her to take another turn whenever she defeats an enemy, potentially allowing her to attack up to four times consecutively. With proper build and equipment, she can deal significant damage to enemies.