Top-Ranked Five-Star Characters in Honkai: Star Rail

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You might have various motivations for diving into Honkai: Star Rail, and one of the biggest draws is undoubtedly the diverse cast of characters. Hoyoverse is well-regarded for creating stunning character designs within anime games, and this title uniquely incorporates characters from Honkai Impact 3rd, adding an extra layer of intrigue.

The game features a selection of four-star and five-star characters, categorized by their distinct paths and combat styles. Each character’s role within a team is defined by their path, yet they can also be evaluated on their overall effectiveness and contribution to the gameplay.

Revised as of October 27, 2024: Break-based damage is currently a focal point for Hoyoverse in Honkai: Star Rail. New characters are frequently introduced to bolster this playstyle, with Feixiao, Lingsha, and the latest addition, Rappa, coming to the forefront. Rappa has proven to be an exceptional character for endgame scenarios.

Overview of This Tier List

In Honkai: Star Rail, the performance of each character hinges on several components. When you acquire a character through summoning, progressing in the game, or participating in a limited-time event, they will come equipped with a set of five Traces (abilities):

Basic Attack: Each character’s basic attack is essential for initiating battles and inflicting damage. The damage output from this attack is a percentage of their total ATK, which remains consistent across characters at a specific level. For instance, a level one character’s basic attack deals 50% of their ATK in damage.
Skill: Characters possess a unique skill aligned with their path. Activating a skill requires one skill point, which you can gain through basic attacks. The available skill points accumulate during fights and are displayed alongside your abilities.
Ultimate: You accumulate Energy via basic attacks, skills, or by receiving damage from foes. Once you gather sufficient Energy, you may unleash the character’s ultimate ability, which can significantly sway the battle’s outcome.
Technique: This ability supplants the skill button when exploring the open world. You can use it before a battle to gain advantages specific to the character.
Talent: Talents act as primary passive abilities that tie together all of a character’s skills. Each character can acquire up to three additional passive abilities after reaching certain ascension stages.

In addition to the character level, damage output is influenced by the Light Cone level, the type of Relics equipped, and their respective levels. There’s a wide array of Light Cones and Relics available, allowing for a high degree of customization.

Important Consideration

When selecting a Light Cone, it’s crucial to note that a Light Cone’s ability only activates if it matches the character’s path.

With this diverse array of options, this tier list assesses character effectiveness based on their Traces. Keep in mind that the rankings are subjective, and you may not agree with all placements. Ultimately, you should choose characters that you find enjoyable to play.

S+ Tier: Top Five-Star Characters

This tier showcases the premier five-star characters, poised to excel in any scenario. These characters often surpass others, helping players tackle endgame content such as the Memory of Chaos or Swarm Disaster. The abundance of characters in this tier is a testament to the viable options available in Honkai: Star Rail under the right circumstances.

Lingsha: A standout in break-based teams alongside Firefly and Boothill, Lingsha excels in reducing Toughness damage and offers remarkable healing capabilities. Her follow-up actions and automatic healing for low-health characters every two turns make her an excellent support choice.
Firefly: Known for her Weakness Break-based DPS, Firefly requires players to prioritize breaking Toughness quickly to truly unleash her potential, resulting in impressive damage figures.
Imaginary/Harmony Trailblazer: This character offers a significant advantage to free-to-play players. While their basic attacks may not shine, the Ultimate provides extraordinary benefits for allies attacking Weakness Broken enemies.
Robin: Exceptional as a Harmony path character, Robin enhances the entire team’s damage output and can even grant instant turns to allies during her Ultimate.
Aventurine: As a sustain-focused character, Aventurine provides crucial shields and increases damage potential with follow-up attacks.
Acheron: With a unique kit and Ultimate mechanics, Acheron distinguishes herself as a strong choice in various scenarios.
Sparkle: If acquired, Sparkle lays the groundwork for success in challenging game content with skills that enhance allies’ turns and critical damage.
Black Swan: An effective character in the Nihility path, Black Swan can deal impressive damage while punishing enemies for being proactive.
Ruan Mei, Huohuo, Jingliu, Dan Heng: Imbibitor Lunae, Fu Xuan, and Kafka also secure their places in this elite tier due to their versatility and powerful mechanics.

S Tier: Additional Top-Tier Characters

This tier features five-star characters who boast strong skill sets and fit well in many team compositions. While they may not always excel in every situation, they provide significant value to any player:

Rappa, Feixiao, Yunli, Jade, Dr. Ratio, Argenti, Fire/Preservation Trailblazer, Silver Wolf, Luocha, Blade, Gepard, and Bronya complete this list, each bringing their unique strengths to the battlefield.

A Tier: Solid Choices

This tier includes characters that offer great utility but may not reach the top-tier level due to various limitations. Characters like Jiaoqiu, Boothill, Topaz & Numby, Seele, Bailu, Physical/Destruction Trailblazer, Yanqing, Welt, Clara, and Jing Yuan provide valuable experiences and capabilities that are notable, yet less impactful than their higher-tier counterparts.

B Tier: The Unfortunate Standout

The only B-tier character is Himeko. Despite her impressive ability set and ult animations, other characters tend to overshadow her performance in practice. Her skills deal area damage, but not to a satisfying degree, particularly when compared to the free character Asta, making her less competitive in the overall game landscape.

Feel free to explore and enjoy Honkai: Star Rail with your favorite characters while discovering your personal playstyle!