Star Rail Tier List (2026 Meta): Who Actually Feels “S+” When You’re Pushing MoC, PF, and Apocalyptic Shadow
If you’ve played Honkai: Star Rail for more than, like, two patches, you already know the painful truth: a “star rail tier list” is never just one list. The same character can feel like a god in Memory of Chaos, kinda mid in Pure Fiction, and then randomly become either MVP or dead weight in Apocalyptic Shadow depending on how that boss’s break windows and gimmicks work.
So this guide is written the way I’d explain it to a friend in Discord: what’s strong right now, why it’s strong, what it needs to work, and what you should build if you’re not a whale. I’m also going to keep it real: tier lists are guidelines, not laws. Even Prydwen-style rankings move around when the community’s data shifts, new supports land, and endgame rotations change.
I. How I’m Ranking This “Star Rail Tier List”
The tiers (in human language)
SS / S+ (Meta-defining): You can slap them into a lot of teams and they still perform. They either enable a whole archetype (Break/FuA/Freeze/DoT), or they brute-force content.
S (Strong): Great units, but you’ll usually want the “right” support, relic breakpoint, or rotation knowledge to see the hype.
A (Good but conditional): They shine in certain modes/bosses/maps, but feel replaceable elsewhere.
B (Niche / high-investment): Can work, but you’re either building around them hard, or you’re forcing a style that the current rotation doesn’t reward.
C (Outdated / mostly early-game): You can still clear with them if you’re cracked and geared… but you’ll feel the effort.
What matters more than the letter grade
Endgame rotation (buffs, enemy lineups, break windows, wave count).
Team skeleton (do you have the correct enablers?).
Build breakpoint (SPD, Crit ratio, Break Effect thresholds, energy loops).
Eidolons (some units spike massively at E1/E2; some are fine at E0).
And yes, tier lists do shift—recent community snapshots around Version 4.0 show noticeable movement depending on mode, especially as new archetypes get “shilled” (buffed indirectly by new supports and mechanics).
II. SS / S+ Tier DPS Characters (The “I Can Carry This Rotation” Group)
I’m going to group these by what they’re best at, because “best DPS” isn’t one thing.
1) Break monsters (they eat Toughness bars for breakfast)
Firefly – If your account is built around Super Break-style play, Firefly is still the kind of unit that makes fights feel unfair—in a good way. She scales extremely well when your team can:
break quickly,
keep breaks frequent,
and convert that into consistent damage windows.
Boothill – Physical Break specialist vibes. He’s the “if you know, you know” unit: the ceiling is nuts, but he asks for execution and proper support tempo. If you enjoy clean rotations and playing around break timing, he rewards you.
Why Break DPS stay SS/S+:
Break teams scale with enemy design. The more endgame rewards fast breaks or punishes long fights, the better they feel.
2) Ultimate-burst and debuff hypercarries
Acheron – The poster child for “press ult, delete problems,” but she’s not a brain-off unit. She wants a team that feeds her ultimate condition smoothly. When she’s supported correctly, her burst can trivialize waves and some bosses.
3) Follow-up Attack (FuA) carries
Feixiao – If you’ve got FuA infrastructure (especially premium buffers), Feixiao’s damage profile feels stupidly smooth: pressure between turns + big spikes when everything lines up. She’s also “comfort DPS” because she doesn’t feel helpless between ult windows.
4) Freeze / control-based carries (rotation dependent)
Phainon (as you outlined) – Freeze-focused cores rise and fall depending on how break/freeze interacts with the current boss design and whether the mode rewards wave control vs. pure single-target. When Freeze is favored, this style feels incredible; when it’s not, it can feel like you’re playing into resistances and wasted utility.
5) “Classic” premium DPS that still works
Dan Heng • Imbibitor Lunae – He’s still a real DPS. Not always the “best use of resources” in every rotation anymore, but when you build around him correctly (SP economy, turn manipulation, proper buffs), he still clears.
III. SS / S+ Sustain Characters (The Teams Don’t Die Category)
Sustain isn’t sexy until you hit Floor 12 and realize you’re getting one-tapped through your dreams.
Fu Xuan
The classic “my team refuses to die” pick for Memory of Chaos-style pressure. She smooths out incoming damage so your DPS can do their job without you resetting every time RNG looks at you funny.
Aventurine
If you like shields, crit synergy, and generally not panicking, Aventurine is that “premium comfort” sustain who also contributes value beyond just healing.
Huohuo
Sustain + energy utility is always good, because it makes rotations tighter and ults more frequent. In teams that live and die by ultimate uptime, she feels like a cheat code.
Luocha
Auto-heal comfort. He’s the “I don’t want to think about healing” sustain. Still valuable for teams that don’t want to spend actions babysitting HP bars.
IV. SS / S+ Supports (The Real Reason Your DPS Looks Broken)
If you’re newer: your biggest account leap usually comes from getting one or two universal supports, not your 5th DPS.
Ruan Mei
Break enabling, teamwide value, and that “everything just feels smoother” effect. She’s one of those units where you put her on the team and suddenly your clear time drops without you understanding why.
Robin
Premium FuA buffer identity. If you’re running follow-up carries, she’s the kind of support that makes the whole archetype feel like it got upgraded.
Sparkle
Skill Point economy + turns. She turns SP-hungry carries into consistent machines. If you’ve ever thought “my DPS is strong but I can’t actually play them,” Sparkle is the fix.
Bronya
Still the queen of “take another turn and do it harder.” Depending on the rotation and team, her value can shift, but turn manipulation is forever.
V. S Tier DPS (Strong, but Not Always Plug-and-Play)
These are the characters you love when you have the right pieces, and feel “eh” when you don’t.
Jade
Strong AoE + solid single-target presence depending on how you build around her. She tends to feel better when the content rewards consistent pressure rather than pure one-shot bursts.
Yunli
Counter-style units can be amazing, but some boss designs punish counter archetypes (for example, if damage windows only matter during break states and the boss stops acting while broken). That kind of mode interaction is exactly why a unit’s tier can swing hard by content type.
Dr. Ratio
When you feed him debuffs and keep the rotation clean, he’s extremely respectable. He’s one of those “this unit is better than people think” picks—until you forget to maintain the conditions and the damage falls off.
VI. S Tier “Budget Staples” (These Units Save Accounts)
Pela
Universal debuffing utility, easy to build, always relevant. If you’re F2P or low spender, Pela is the kind of character you build and never regret.
Gallagher
Break-sustain style that can slot into certain archetypes really nicely, especially if you’re leaning Break-heavy and want sustain that doesn’t slow the team down too much.
Harmony Trailblazer
If you’re playing Break/Super Break-style teams, this free core can be a huge value piece depending on the patch environment and your roster.
VII. Mode-Specific Tier Priorities (Because MoC ≠ PF ≠ Apocalyptic Shadow)
A) Memory of Chaos (Floor 12 mindset)
MoC is usually about:
surviving sustained pressure,
beating mixed waves + elites,
and not bricking your rotation.
High value here:
universal sustains (Fu Xuan / Aventurine / Huohuo / Luocha),
turn economy supports (Sparkle / Bronya),
consistent DPS who don’t fall apart if the fight lasts longer than planned.
B) Pure Fiction (wave clear is king)
PF rewards:
fast AoE cycles,
momentum,
and team comps that “auto-clear” trash waves without wasting turns.
That’s why AoE-centric DPS and supports that accelerate turns/ults tend to climb here.
C) Apocalyptic Shadow (boss rules everything)
AS is basically:
single-target focus,
break window optimization,
and “can you unload damage during the vulnerability phase?”
This is also where certain archetypes can get hard-countered by the mode’s structure (again: counter teams sometimes suffer if the boss isn’t acting during the exact window where damage matters).
VIII. Light Cones, Relics, and Eidolons: The Tier List “Hidden Patch Notes”
Light Cones
Signature cones can push a unit up a tier because they:
fix rotation gaps (energy),
patch stat needs (crit, speed),
or unlock consistency that F2P cones can’t replicate.
But don’t panic: many top units still function at E0 with good F2P cones—they just may not feel “SS-tier comfy.”
Relics and SPD tuning
If you’ve never SPD-tuned a team, here’s the simplest version:
Your DPS needs buffs before their big damage turns.
Your support needs to act often enough to keep uptime.
Your sustain needs to not steal too many turns unless they add value (energy, cleanse, damage, etc.).
A “lower-tier” character with perfect tuning often outperforms a “higher-tier” one with scuffed relics.
Eidolons
Some characters are designed to be great at E0. Others are:
“fine” at E0
“wow” at E1
“okay this is illegal” at E2
So when you read any tier list online, always check whether it’s assuming E0 baseline or invested copies.
IX. Team Templates That Actually Work (Use These as Building Blocks)
1) Hypercarry core
1 Main DPS
2 supports (buffer + buffer/debuffer)
1 sustain
This is the most common “I just want consistent clears” structure.
2) Break-focused team
Break DPS
Break enabler
utility support/debuffer
sustain that doesn’t slow the tempo too much
3) Follow-up Attack team
FuA DPS
FuA buffer
flex support
sustain
4) Freeze/control core
Freeze DPS
control/debuffer
buffer
sustain
These cores shift in value based on rotation—but if you build one well, it stays relevant.
X. F2P / Beginner Priorities (What I’d Tell a New Player)
If you’re early/mid-game and you want the least regret:
Build one sustain you can rely on
Dying wastes more time than low DPS.Build one universal support
The right support makes “okay” DPS become great.Build one main DPS you actually enjoy playing
You will spend months with this unit.Only then expand into niche archetypes (DoT, FuA, Freeze variants, etc.)
Also: don’t let tier lists bully you out of comfort picks. A mastered A-tier can outperform a half-built SS-tier every day.
XI. Frequently Asked Questions
“Who’s the best character in the star rail tier list right now?”
There isn’t a single answer because the “best” depends on mode. Generally, universal supports and universal sustains stay valuable the longest, and the top DPS shifts more often with rotations.
“Should I prioritize DPS or sustain?”
If you’re failing because you time out: build DPS/support.
If you’re failing because you die: build sustain.
Most players hit the “I’m dying” wall before the “I’m timing out” wall.
“Can I clear endgame with 4-stars?”
Yes—especially with strong supports like Pela and smart team building. It’s just more relic/tuning dependent.
“How often does the meta change?”
In practice: every patch cycle and every endgame rotation. Community tier snapshots and endgame data updates can also cause re-ranking after new characters and supports land.
A “star rail tier list” is useful, but only if you treat it like a map—not a religion.
SS/S+ units usually either enable an archetype (Break/FuA/Freeze/DoT) or provide universal value (top supports/sustains).
S-tier units are extremely strong but may demand better teams, better tuning, or a friendlier rotation.
Mode matters: MoC wants consistency + survival, PF wants wave clear speed, Apocalyptic Shadow wants boss-window damage.
Your real power comes from synergy + relic breakpoints + rotation discipline, not just owning “the top DPS.”
If you want the most “future-proof” roster path: start with supports and sustains, then choose a DPS archetype you actually like, and build outward from there.
If you want, I can also rewrite this into a cleaner “table-style” tier list format (SS/S/A/B/C by role + by mode) for easier publishing on your site—same content, just more scannable.