Wuthering Waves features a diverse roster of characters with unique abilities and roles in team compositions. Our comprehensive tier list ranks all Resonators based on their performance in endgame content including Tower of Adversity and Whimpering Wastes, updated for October 2025. This guide analyzes character viability across different game modes and provides detailed insights into the current meta.
| Character | Role | Tier | Best For | Key Strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shorekeeper | Support | SS | All Content | Crit buffs + healing |
| Cartethyia | Main DPS | SS | Tower of Adversity | Aero Erosion damage |
| Carlotta | Main DPS | SS | Single Target | Glacio burst damage |
| Camellya | Main DPS | SS | AoE Content | Havoc AoE damage |
| Phrolova | Main DPS | SS | Whimpering Wastes | Wave clear potential |
| Augusta | Main DPS | SS | Team Synergy | Heavy Attack DMG buff |
| Jinhsi | Main DPS | S | Burst Damage | Spectro skill damage |
| Jiyan | Main DPS | S | AoE Content | Electro AoE damage |
| Verina | Support | S | All Content | Healing + buffs |
Our tier list evaluation is based on comprehensive analysis from multiple authoritative sources, considering several key factors:
Contents
These characters represent the pinnacle of performance in Wuthering Waves and are essential for top-tier team compositions.
Score: 36/36
Shorekeeper stands as the premier support unit in Wuthering Waves, offering unparalleled utility through Crit buffs, consistent healing, and damage amplification. Her Resonance Liberation creates a field that grants Crit buffs to allies while continuously healing them, making her the go-to support for virtually all team compositions. Unlike other supports, Shorekeeper provides additional utility including knockdown recovery and K.O. prevention, making her invaluable in high-stakes endgame content.
Score: 35/36
Cartethyia dominates as an Aero DPS specialist, excelling in the Aero Erosion meta. Her ability to seamlessly switch between normal and Fleurdelys forms provides incredible versatility, allowing her to adapt to various combat scenarios. Cartethyia performs exceptionally well in Tower of Adversity, where her single-target damage shines against Boss encounters. When paired with Ciaccona for Aero Erosion enablement, Cartethyia reaches her full potential and becomes one of the most consistent damage dealers in the game.
Score: 36/36
Phrolova excels particularly in Whimpering Wastes, where her wave-clear capabilities are unmatched. Her kit is designed for handling multiple enemies simultaneously, making her the premier choice for content that favors AoE damage. Phrolova's consistent performance across both game modes, combined with her relatively straightforward playstyle, makes her an excellent investment for players looking to excel in all endgame content.
Score: 34/36
Augusta brings exceptional Heavy Attack DMG buff capabilities to the table, making her an excellent partner for meta DPS units. Her ability to deal high personal damage while providing offensive buffs makes her incredibly versatile. Augusta can work effectively in multiple team compositions, particularly excelling when paired with characters like Jiyan. Additionally, her capacity to heal while dealing damage adds valuable sustain to teams, reducing the need for dedicated healers in certain compositions.
Score: 33/36
Camellya represents the pinnacle of Havoc DPS characters, offering exceptional AoE damage capabilities that make her particularly effective against hordes of enemies. While she may not have the flashy one-shot potential of characters like Jinhsi, Camellya's damage accumulates consistently over time, often resulting in higher total damage output in extended encounters. Her kit includes a built-in Sub-DPS component, making team building more accessible and reducing dependency on specific support characters.
Score: Varies by Source Carlotta stands as the premier Glacio DPS character in Wuthering Waves, capable of delivering consistent burst damage that scales off her Resonance Skill. Her effectiveness dramatically increases when paired with Zhezhi, who amplifies both Resonance Skill and Glacio DMG. This perfect synergy elevates Carlotta to compete with the best DPS characters in the game. Carlotta's ranged combat style allows her to maintain safety while dealing damage, though her primarily single-target focus can be a limitation in AoE-heavy scenarios.
These characters are highly effective and form the backbone of many successful team compositions, though they may have specific requirements or slight limitations compared to SS-tier units.
Score: 28/36
Jinhsi remains one of the best Spectro Main DPS characters, dealing insane amounts of damage primarily through her Resonance Skill and burst damage from her Resonance Liberation. Her multipliers are exceptionally high, allowing her to decimate most enemies quickly. Jinhsi pairs exceptionally well with characters that provide coordinated attacks, such as Zhezhi, Verina, and Yinlin. However, her effectiveness can be somewhat situational depending on enemy types and team composition.
Score: 29/36
Jiyan excels as an Electro DPS specialist with strong AoE capabilities, making him particularly valuable in content with multiple enemies. His straightforward playstyle and consistent performance make him accessible to players of all skill levels. Jiyan's effectiveness increases significantly in scenarios where group damage is prioritized, though he may be outperformed by specialized single-target DPS units in Boss-focused content.
Score: 26/36
Verina serves as an excellent healer and buffer, providing both healing and buffs for the entire party through her kit. Her ability to perform coordinated attacks that deal Spectro DMG while healing the active character adds valuable utility. Verina's short on-field time makes her particularly valuable in teams with DPS characters that require extensive field time. While she may be outperformed by Shorekeeper in raw utility, Verina remains a top-tier support option, especially for players who haven't acquired Shorekeeper.
Score: 28/36
Zani emerges as a powerful Spectro DPS whose effectiveness heavily relies on the Spectro Frazzle debuff. Without a dedicated Spectro Frazzle enabler, Zani's performance drops significantly. However, when paired with Phoebe, who can provide this essential debuff, Zani reaches her full potential and becomes one of the strongest DPS characters in the game. Her high damage output and relatively simple playstyle make her an excellent choice for players who can provide the necessary team support.
These characters are competent and can perform well in the right team compositions, though they may be outperformed by higher-tier units or have more specific requirements.
Score: 22/36
Despite being a free 5-star character, Xiangli Yao proves himself to be a solid DPS option capable of competing with many limited characters. His performance is consistent across various content types, though he may lack the specialized power of higher-tier DPS units. Xiangli Yao's accessibility makes him an excellent choice for free-to-play players or those looking to build a strong team without significant investment.
Score: 23/36
Changli offers versatility as both a DPS and support character, providing buffs to her teammates' Resonance Liberation and Fusion DMG. She excels in quick-swap team compositions and pairs well with characters like Encore who benefit from her specific buffs. However, Changli's demanding rotation timing can make her challenging to play optimally, requiring precise execution to maximize her effectiveness.
Score: 25/36
Brant provides valuable team-wide buffs and sustain as a Fusion character, capable of converting Energy Recharge to Attack without sacrificing personal damage. While he works best with Changli, Brant can function effectively in various team compositions. His demanding build requirements and lack of a perfect specialized partnership prevent him from reaching higher tiers, but he remains a solid choice for players seeking versatile support options.
These characters have specific use cases or are outperformed by other units but can still be viable in certain situations.
Score: 17/36
Calcharo, while dangerous as an Electro mercenary, finds himself outperformed by many newer DPS units. His reliance on Basic and Heavy Attacks, combined with his relatively straightforward kit, makes him accessible but less competitive in the current meta. Calcharo can still perform adequately in casual content but struggles to keep up with the demands of high-level endgame challenges.
Score: 13/36
Yinlin offers follow-up damage capabilities similar to Mortefi but with less overall effectiveness in the current meta. Her performance has declined with the introduction of newer, more specialized characters, though she can still find use in specific team compositions that require her particular utility.
The October 2025 meta in Wuthering Waves is characterized by several key trends:
This composition maximizes Aero Erosion damage and provides excellent sustain through Shorekeeper's healing and buffs.
Focused on maximizing burst damage through coordinated attacks and Spectro DMG amplification.
Optimized for Carlotta's Resonance Skill scaling, providing consistent high damage output.
Main DPS characters form the core damage dealers in Wuthering Waves, typically requiring the most investment and team support to reach their full potential.
Key Considerations for Main DPS:
Top Main DPS Recommendations:
Hybrid characters provide both damage output and utility, making them incredibly versatile team members.
Key Considerations for Hybrid Characters:
Top Hybrid Recommendations:
Support characters provide essential utility including healing, buffs, and energy generation.
Key Considerations for Support Characters:
Top Support Recommendations:
SS Tier Priority (Must Pull):
S Tier Priority (High Value):
A Tier Priority (Situational):
Weapon Investment:
Echo Investment:
Material Priority:
Mobile Considerations:
PC Advantages:
Controller Benefits:
Touch Control Advantages:
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Shorekeeper is currently considered the best overall character due to her unparalleled utility as a support, providing Crit buffs, healing, and damage amplification that benefits virtually all team compositions. For DPS roles, Cartethyia and Carlotta are among the top performers depending on the content type.
This tier list is updated monthly to reflect new character releases, balance changes, and meta shifts. Major updates typically occur alongside new version releases, which happen every 6-8 weeks.
Characters excelling in Tower of Adversity include Cartethyia, Carlotta, and Jinhsi for their strong single-target damage against Bosses. Shorekeeper and Verina are essential supports for their healing and buff capabilities.
Free-to-play players should prioritize Xiangli Yao (free 5-star), Shorekeeper (if available), and Verina. Building a strong foundation with these characters allows for effective progression through most content without significant monetary investment.
Character constellations can significantly impact performance, with some characters gaining substantial power boosts at specific constellation levels. However, most characters perform well at base constellation (S0 for 5-stars, S2 for 4-stars) with proper team support and investment.
Tower of Adversity focuses on single-target damage with 4 teams of 3 characters, while Whimpering Wastes emphasizes AoE wave-clearing with 2 teams of 3. Different characters excel in each mode, with some being more versatile across both.
Effective teams typically include one Main DPS, one Hybrid/Sub-DPS, and one Support. Focus on elemental synergy, energy management, and role complementarity. Popular compositions include Aero Erosion teams (Cartethyia + Ciaccona + Shorekeeper) and Spectro burst teams (Jinhsi + Zhezhi + Verina).
The Wuthering Waves meta continues to evolve with each new version, bringing fresh characters and balance adjustments that shake up the tier list. As of October 2025, the game features a healthy diversity of viable characters across all rarity levels, with both free-to-play and premium options capable of clearing endgame content.
Key Takeaways:
Looking ahead, players should expect continued balance adjustments and new character releases that will further diversify the meta. Staying informed through official channels and community resources will be crucial for maintaining competitive team compositions.
Call to Action: Bookmark this tier list and check back monthly for the latest updates! Join the official Discord community for real-time discussions and team-building advice with fellow Rovers.