As we journey deep into 2025, the universe of Honkai: Star Rail continues to expand with new characters and challenges in versions 3.7 and 3.8. Keeping track of who reigns supreme can be tough, especially with the meta constantly shifting. For players looking to conquer the toughest endgame content, a reliable Honkai Star Rail honkai star rail tierlist is an invaluable tool. This guide is here to break down the current character power levels, helping you make informed decisions for your team-building adventures. ✨

Understanding the Tiers and Evaluation Criteria

Before we dive into the rankings, it's crucial to understand how characters are evaluated. Gone are the days of just looking at raw damage. Our 2025 analysis rates characters at Eidolon 0 (E0) but assumes they are equipped with their best-in-slot Light Cone (S1), reflecting the modern player's approach to vertical investment. A character's ranking can also shift dramatically depending on the game mode.

• Memory of Chaos (MoC): This mode favors strong single-target and Blast (3-target) damage dealers.

• Pure Fiction (PF): AoE is king here. Characters who can consistently hit all enemies on the field will excel.

• Apocalyptic Shadow (AS): A newer mode that heavily prioritizes single-target damage and high Break efficiency.

We also categorize characters into tiers that reflect their overall power and utility in the current meta.

Tier	Description
SS (Apex)	The absolute cream of the crop. These characters define the meta and make clearing content feel effortless.
S (Meta)	Extremely powerful units that are top-tier in most scenarios. They require a bit more setup than Apex characters but deliver fantastic results.
A (Off-Meta)	Solid and viable characters who can clear all content. They might need more specific team support or higher investment to truly shine.
B & Below	Niche characters who can work in specific situations or for players who truly love them, but are generally outclassed by higher-tier options.

The Apex Predators: SS-Tier

The SS-Tier is home to characters who possess overwhelming power, unique mechanics, or unparalleled support capabilities. As of late 2025, this elite group includes characters that fundamentally change how you play the game.

Acheron remains an absolute force of nature. Her ability to unleash her Ultimate without a traditional energy bar, relying instead on debuffs, makes her a unique and devastating DPS. Paired with debuff-heavy supports, she can obliterate entire waves of enemies before they even get a turn. She is a prime example of a character who excels in both MoC and PF.

Dan Heng • Permansor Terrae has cemented his place as a top-tier ATK-scaling sustain character. He not only keeps the team alive with immense survivability but also provides offensive buffs, making him an incredibly slot-efficient unit. His performance in Apocalyptic Shadow and Memory of Chaos is nothing short of spectacular, providing both safety and a damage boost.

Cyrene, though a controversial release, has proven her worth in the right teams. As a premier support for the Chrysos Heir archetype, her value skyrockets when paired with multiple characters from that path. While her performance can be questionable outside of these specific setups, within her niche, she enables some of the most powerful team compositions in the game.

The Powerhouses of the Meta: S-Tier

The S-Tier is packed with incredible characters who are often just a hair's breadth away from the top. These are the reliable workhorses you'll see clearing endgame content consistently. This is where the Honkai Star Rail tier list gets particularly interesting, with many characters shifting based on new synergies.

• Jing Yuan: Once considered to be falling off, Jing Yuan has had a massive resurgence thanks to the release of Sunday. Sunday's ability to advance the action of summons gives Lightning-Lord more opportunities to strike, fixing Jing Yuan's biggest weakness and making him a top-tier AoE contender once again.

• Silver Wolf: While still incredibly strong, Silver Wolf's role has shifted. With many new DPS units having built-in Weakness Ignore, her signature ability to implant weaknesses is slightly less essential. However, she remains an S-Tier debuffer, providing massive DEF shred that benefits any team.

• Kafka & Black Swan: This duo continues to dominate the Damage-over-Time (DoT) archetype. Kafka enables DoT effects to trigger instantly, while Black Swan stacks debilitating debuffs. Together, they create a vortex of continuous damage that few enemies can withstand. They are a perfect example of partner synergy being more important than individual rankings.

The Importance of Synergy and Roles

More than ever, Honkai: Star Rail is a game about team building, not just collecting individual S-tier characters. Understanding roles and how they synergize is the key to success. Are you building a hypercarry team around a single DPS, a follow-up attack squad, or a DoT-focused group?

Characters are often designed with specific partners in mind. The relationship between Kafka and Hysilens or Castorice and Blade shows that a character's true potential is often unlocked by another. This "Partner" system means that a character like Cyrene might be A-Tier on her own but enables an SS-Tier team. Always consider the whole team, not just the individual parts. 🤔

Building a balanced team with a DPS, an Amplifier (like Ruan Mei or Sparkle), and a Sustain unit (like Fu Xuan or Luocha) is your foundation. From there, you can specialize. This strategic depth is what makes the game so engaging long-term. So use this Honkai Star Rail tier list not as a strict set of rules, but as a guide to discovering your own powerful and fun team compositions. Good luck, Trailblazer! 🚀