Welcome to the most comprehensive Honkai: Star Rail tier list for May 2026! As a dedicated player who has spent countless hours analyzing the meta and testing team compositions, I’m excited to share my expert insights on character rankings across all game modes. Whether you’re tackling Memory of Chaos, Pure Fiction, or Apocalyptic Shadow, this guide will help you build the perfect team and dominate endgame content.
| Tier | DPS Characters | Support Characters | Sustain Characters |
|---|---|---|---|
| S+ | Castorice, Phainon, Evernight | Sunday, Robin, Tribbie | Hyacine, Dan Heng • Permansor Terrae |
| S | Feixiao, Anaxa, Cyrene, The Herta | Cipher, Bronya, Ruan Mei | Aventurine, Huohuo, Lingsha |
| A | Firefly, Yunli, Saber, Acheron | Sparkle, Cerydra, Silver Wolf | Gallagher, Fu Xuan |
| B | Jingliu, Boothill, Jing Yuan | Tingyun, Pela, Asta | Luocha, Lynx |
| C | Seele, Argenti, Dr. Ratio | Hanya, Guinaifen | Gepard, Bailu |
After analyzing data from multiple authoritative sources including Prydwen.gg, Game8, and cross-referencing with official Version 3.7 updates, I’ve compiled the most accurate and up-to-date character rankings available.
Before diving into the rankings, let me explain how this tier list works:
Castorice – The undisputed queen of the current meta, Castorice dominates as a Remembrance DPS who deals devastating damage in both single-target and AoE scenarios. Her HP-scaling mechanics synergize perfectly with the current meta, and her memosprite provides additional utility through healing and damage amplification. What makes her truly special is her flexibility – she can function as a hybrid DPS/support, making her invaluable in team compositions.
Phainon – A hypercarry DPS who operates in a league of his own, Phainon’s Territory mechanic isolates him from teammates while dealing unprecedented damage levels. His kit is designed around buff stacking, and when properly supported, he can achieve damage numbers that leave other DPS characters in the dust. The investment requirement is high, but the payoff is absolutely worth it for players looking to maximize their damage output.
Evernight – The newest addition to the S+ tier, Evernight brings a unique blend of Ice damage and team support capabilities. Her ability to boost allies’ Crit DMG while applying Vulnerability debuffs makes her incredibly versatile. In Remembrance-focused teams, especially alongside Castorice, her buffs and memosprite synergy reach their full potential, making her a must-pull for players focusing on team utility.
Feixiao – Maintains the single-target damage ceiling with her Toughness-ignoring ultimate and follow-up attack mechanics. What sets Feixiao apart is her ultimate recharge system – instead of traditional energy, it recharges based on ally attacks, making her incredibly potent in follow-up attack focused teams. Her consistency across different game modes makes her a reliable choice for any roster.
Anaxa – A versatile Wind Erudition unit who excels at applying multiple Weakness types to enemies while boosting team-wide damage. His synergy with The Herta and other debuff-focused allies makes him a cornerstone for optimized Weakness-centric team compositions. Whether you need single-target burst or AoE clearing, Anaxa delivers exceptional performance.
Cyrene – As an Ice Remembrance character, Cyrene connects all Amphoreus units and provides unique buffs to teammates from this region. While she requires specific team composition to reach her full potential, her support capabilities and damage output make her a valuable addition, especially for players who already have Castorice.
The Herta – Returning in Version 3.6, The Herta stands out as a powerful Ice Erudition DPS who excels at stacking debuffs and unleashing devastating AoE attacks. Her “Interpretation” mechanic scales with enemy count, making her the ultimate wave-clear specialist. When paired with allies who can accelerate her actions or help stack debuffs quickly, she becomes an unstoppable force.
Firefly – Still the best Break DPS for vertical investment, Firefly can deal 300k+ damage per enemy after Toughness breaks. While heavily dependent on Harmony Trailblazer or Fugue and Ruan Mei, proper investment rewards players with devastating results. Her effectiveness has decreased slightly in the current meta, but she remains a top choice for Break-focused teams.
Yunli – A Destruction character whose damage becomes insane when enemies attack her frequently. This makes her amazing against both single-target and AoE enemies, though she requires careful timing on her Ultimate. Her self-sustaining nature and high damage potential make her a solid choice for players who enjoy high-risk, high-reward gameplay.
Saber – A solid DPS character who works in every endgame content due to her Ultimate mechanics. Her consistency across different game modes and enemy types makes her a reliable choice for players who need a versatile DPS that can handle any situation.
Acheron – A powerful Lightning Nihility DPS who excels at both single-target and AoE scenarios. What makes Acheron particularly strong in the current meta is her scaling with additional Nihility units – as more characters in this category are released, her effectiveness continues to grow.
Sunday – Perhaps the strongest support in the current meta, Sunday provides CRIT DMG, nearly neutral SP management, and Energy generation based on the target’s Max Energy. His Skill increases damage further if the target has a Summon, making him incredibly versatile in different team compositions. The recent buffs with Dan Heng • Permansor Terrae have only increased his value.
Robin – Remains one of the strongest supports with teamwide Action Advance and damage amplification, especially for follow-up attack team compositions. Her only downside is the need to have her Ultimate ready after her Concerto state ends, but proper team management easily mitigates this weakness.
Tribbie – The current top support who provides RES PEN, Vulnerability, Additional DMG, and frequent Follow-up Attacks. Her Ultimate uptime can reach 100% when played correctly, making her incredibly consistent. Her versatility across different team compositions makes her an essential pick for competitive play.
Cipher – A strong generalist support who provides damage amplification through Vulnerability and Recorded DMG that bypasses any damage reduction. His consistency and reliability make him a solid choice for players who need a support that works in virtually any team composition.
Bronya – A veteran support who remains strong due to her similarity to Sunday’s kit. Her Eidolons make SP management and SPD tuning easier, and her overall utility keeps her relevant in the current meta despite the power creep.
Ruan Mei – A generalist support who works mostly with Break teams by providing Weakness Break Efficiency, RES PEN, SPD, and Break delay. However, she also works well with other team compositions as she provides DMG% buffs, making her more versatile than specialized Break supports.
Cerydra – Currently stands as the best-in-slot option for Skill-based DPS like Phainon, Anaxa, and Archer in certain situations. Her specialized nature makes her less versatile than other S-tier supports, but in the right teams, she’s absolutely invaluable.
Sparkle – Has become a good support option for Archer as she’s the only support character who provides Max SP. She also generates SP through her Ultimate, making her valuable for SP-hungry team compositions.
Silver Wolf – After recent buff changes, Silver Wolf has become a viable option due to her Ultimate being AoE and her Weakness Implant now being based on the first character in the lineup. While not top-tier anymore, she still has her uses in specific team compositions.
Tingyun – Remains a solid 4-star support option as she generates Energy and provides good damage amplification. For free-to-play players or those looking to optimize their 4-star roster, Tingyun is an excellent choice.
Hyacine – The current top sustain who works exceptionally well with many team compositions, especially HP-scaling Remembrance teams. She provides Max HP, frequent AoE healing, debuff cleanse, and high frequent damage. Her versatility and effectiveness make her the best sustain choice in the current meta.
Dan Heng • Permansor Terrae – One of the strongest sustain characters released recently, he provides Shields based on his summon’s action, which is affected by how often the Bondmate attacks. He also provides a nice ATK buff and Follow-up ATK based on the Bondmate’s stats, making him valuable beyond just sustain.
Aventurine – Remains a strong sustain option with shields that scale based on how frequently enemies attack. He also provides CRIT DMG through his Ultimate and Follow-up Attacks after a certain number of enemy hits, making him more than just a defensive option.
Huohuo – A strong healing sustain who provides frequent debuff cleanse, solid healing from team Ultimate usage, and ATK buffs. Her consistency and additional utility make her a reliable choice for players who need a well-rounded sustain character.
Lingsha – Provides solid healing when used correctly and deals frequent AoE damage through her summon. This dual nature makes her valuable for teams that need both sustain and additional damage output.
Memory of Chaos favors characters who excel at single-target damage while maintaining decent AoE capabilities. Blast damage dealers are particularly valuable here, as they can handle both single bosses and adds effectively.
Top MoC Characters:
Pure Fiction is all about AoE damage – the more enemies you can hit at once, the better. Single-target damage dealers struggle here, while Erudition and Destruction characters excel.
Top PF Characters:
Apocalyptic Shadow heavily favors single-target damage and Break potential. Characters who can ignore Toughness or apply consistent Break effects perform exceptionally well here.
Top AS Characters:
Based on the current tier list and meta analysis, here are the most effective team compositions you should be building:
Composition: Castorice + Sunday + Hyacine + Flex slot Strengths: Unmatched damage output, excellent sustain, versatile Weaknesses: High investment requirement, limited flexibility
Composition: Feixiao + Robin + Tribbie + Dan Heng • Permansor Terrae Strengths: Consistent damage output, excellent action economy, good sustain Weaknesses: Requires specific character investments
Composition: Firefly + Ruan Mei + Harmony Trailblazer + Fu Xuan Strengths: Devastating Break damage, good team synergy Weaknesses: Struggles against non-Breakable enemies
Composition: Cyrene + Castorice + Evernight + Hyacine Strengths: Incredible team synergy, high damage output, excellent sustain Weaknesses: Requires multiple limited 5-star characters
For players looking to optimize their resource allocation, here’s my recommended investment priority:
Many players focus solely on individual character strength without considering how they work together. Even S+ tier characters can underperform if not paired with appropriate teammates.
Each character excels in specific roles – trying to make a DPS function as a support or vice versa will lead to suboptimal performance.
Some characters require significant investment (specific Light Cones, Eidolons, or supports) to reach their potential. Be realistic about what you can achieve with your resources.
While the meta provides good guidance, playstyle preference and existing roster should influence your decisions more than tier rankings alone.
Based on current trends and developer patterns, here’s what I expect to see in future updates:
Keep an eye on these characters who may see significant changes or new synergies:
S+ tier characters excel in virtually all game modes and team compositions. They typically have versatile kits, high damage output, and provide additional utility beyond their primary role. Characters like Castorice and Phainon define the current meta because they can be slotted into almost any team and perform exceptionally well.
The meta typically shifts with major version updates (every 6 weeks) and when new characters are released. However, fundamental changes usually occur with larger updates like Version 3.0 or 3.7. Minor balance patches can also affect character rankings, but the core meta remains relatively stable between major updates.
While tier lists provide valuable guidance, you should also consider your existing roster, preferred playstyle, and resource availability. A well-built A-tier character in a synergistic team will outperform an S+ tier character in a poorly constructed team. Additionally, personal enjoyment of a character’s playstyle should factor into your decisions.
DPS characters focus on dealing damage and are typically the primary damage dealers in a team. Support characters provide buffs, debuffs, or utility that enhance the team’s overall performance. Sustain characters focus on keeping the team alive through healing, shielding, or damage mitigation. Each role is essential for a well-balanced team composition.
Eidolons and Light Cones can significantly impact character performance, but their importance varies by character type. Supports generally benefit more from Eidolons, while DPS characters see bigger improvements from signature Light Cones. However, most characters can perform well at E0 with good team composition and proper investment.
The three main endgame modes are Memory of Chaos (MoC), Pure Fiction (PF), and Apocalyptic Shadow (AS). Each mode favors different character types and team compositions. MoC focuses on single-target damage, PF emphasizes AoE clearing, and AS prioritizes Break potential and single-target damage. A well-rounded roster should be able to handle all three modes.
Effective team compositions typically include one DPS, one support, one sustain, and one flex character. The key is to ensure that your characters’ abilities synergize well together. Consider elements, paths, and specific mechanics that complement each other. For example, follow-up attack teams work best with characters who can trigger multiple follow-up attacks.
Prioritize character levels, Trace upgrades, and Light Cone superimposition first. Then focus on getting good relic sets with optimal main stats. Finally, work on sub-stat optimization through relic farming. Remember that a well-built 4-star character often outperforms a poorly built 5-star character.
Follow official Honkai Star Rail social media channels, join community Discord servers, and regularly check tier list updates from reputable sources like Prydwen.gg and Game8. Additionally, watching high-level gameplay and tournament matches can provide insights into optimal team compositions and strategies.
Yes, many 4-star characters are perfectly viable in endgame content when properly built and placed in synergistic teams. Characters like Tingyun, Pela, and Asta can be invaluable additions to many team compositions. Don’t underestimate the power of well-built 4-star characters, especially for free-to-play players.
This comprehensive Honkai Star Rail tier list for May 2026 provides you with everything you need to understand the current meta and build effective team compositions. Remember that while tier lists offer valuable guidance, your personal playstyle, existing roster, and enjoyment of the game should ultimately guide your decisions.
The meta is constantly evolving with new character releases and balance changes, so be sure to bookmark this page and check back regularly for updates. Whether you’re a free-to-play player looking to optimize your resources or a whale aiming for the perfect team composition, this guide will help you make informed decisions and dominate endgame content.
For more gaming guides and tier lists, be sure to check out our other articles like the Genshin Impact Tier List, Wuthering Waves Tier List, and Diablo 4 Builds Tier List.
Happy trailblazing, and may your pulls be blessed with the best characters in Honkai Star Rail!
This guide was last updated on [current date] to reflect Version 3.7 “As Tomorrow Became Yesterday” changes and meta shifts.
