Unit Tier List (Sep 2025) — S-D Rankings for All Modes
S-D rankings for Story, Infinite, Raids, PvP. Update 15 meta. Mythic, Legendary, Epic units with trait recs.
Quick Answer: What Are the Best Units Right Now?
S-Tier (Meta Defining): Sukuna, Gojo, Natsu, Killua, Ichigo (Vasto Lorde) — these 5 units trivialize all content. A-Tier (Excellent): Arthur, Levi, Todoroki, Rengoku, Zenitsu, Escanor, Elizabeth — strong in specific roles. Everything else is situational or outclassed.
Tier List Methodology
| Tier | Meaning |
|---|---|
| S | Meta-defining — best in slot for 2+ modes, carries teams |
| A | Excellent — top pick for 1 mode, viable everywhere |
| B | Good — solid filler, outperformed by S/A |
| C | Niche — specific counter/role only |
| D | Outclassed — don’t invest resources |
Ranking factors: Damage ceiling, utility, trait dependency, investment cost, mode versatility.
Last updated: September 9, 2025 (Update 15 meta)
S-Tier — The Meta Definers
| Unit | Rarity | Element | Best Modes | Best Traits | Why S-Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sukuna (King of Curses) | Mythic | Dark/Fire | All | Requiem, Almighty, Divine | Highest single-target DPS, cleaves, self-sustain, carries solo |
| Gojo (Limitless) | Mythic | Light/Void | All | Almighty, Divine, Altruistic | Best support + DPS hybrid, Domain blocks mechanics, infinite range |
| Natsu (Dragneel) | Mythic | Fire | Infinite, Raids | Requiem, Divine, Wealthy | Insane burn DoE, farms fastest, melt raid bosses |
| Killua (Godspeed) | Mythic | Lightning | Raids, Challenge | Requiem, Swift, Alacrity | Only unit that pops 6 bubbles in 3s, Sea King essential |
| Ichigo (Vasto Lorde) | Mythic | Dark/Light | Story, Raids | Requiem, Almighty, Celestial | Highest burst window, dual element, self-heal |
A-Tier — Excellent Picks
| Unit | Rarity | Element | Best Modes | Best Traits | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur (Excalibur) | Mythic | Light/Holy | Raids, Story | Almighty, Divine, Blessing | Light DPS, Excalibur clears feathers instantly |
| Levi (Captain) | Legendary | Wind/Physical | Infinite, Story | Divine, Celestial, Swift | Best ground AoE, cheap upgrades, feather destroyer |
| Todoroki (Shoto) | Legendary | Fire/Ice | All | Divine, Celestial, Almighty | Dual element, freezes Geysers, versatile |
| Rengoku (Flame Hashira) | Legendary | Fire | Infinite, Story | Requiem, Divine, Wealthy | Strong burn, great range, budget friendly |
| Zenitsu (Thunder Breathing) | Legendary | Lightning | Raids | Swift, Alacrity, Requiem | Flash = instant bubble clear, high burst |
| Escanor (The One) | Mythic | Fire/Light | Raids, Tank | Indomitable, Adamant, Blessing | Best tank, Indomitable = 80% gravity/water resist |
| Elizabeth (Liones) | Legendary | Holy | All Support | Altruistic, Miraculous, Blessing | Best healer, group cleanse, revive, shields |
B-Tier — Solid Fillers
| Unit | Rarity | Element | Best Modes | Best Traits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gray (Ice Devil) | Legendary | Ice | Raids (Sea King) | Divine, Celestial | Ice wall blocks Tsunami, freezes Geysers |
| Esdeath | Legendary | Ice | Raids, Infinite | Divine, Wealthy | Strong AoE freeze, good farmer |
| Laxus (Lightning) | Legendary | Lightning | Raids | Swift, Divine | Backup bubble popper |
| Merlin | Legendary | Holy/Arcane | All Support | Altruistic, Miraculous | Shield bot, cleanse, buff |
| Albedo | Legendary | Geo/Holy | All Support | Altruistic, Blessing | Cleanse + shield + geo constructs |
| Charlotte | Legendary | Light/Holy | Raids Tank | Adamant, Indomitable | Secondary tank, good resist |
| Ainz (Overlord) | Mythic | Dark/Arcane | Raids, Burst | Almighty, Divine | Burst window king, long cooldowns |
| Gilgamesh | Mythic | Light/Arcane | Raids, Story | Almighty, Divine | Gate of Babylon spam, expensive |
C-Tier — Niche / Situational
| Unit | Rarity | Element | Niche Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Megumin | Legendary | Fire | One-shot burst | 1 nuke per match, dead weight after |
| Aokiji | Legendary | Ice | Sea King Geyser freeze | Single-map specialist |
| Zhongli | Legendary | Geo | Shield bot | Judgment Day shield, niche |
| Orihime | Legendary | Holy | Backup healer | Outclassed by Elizabeth |
| All Might | Legendary | Physical | Budget tank | Outclassed by Escanor/Charlotte |
| Saitama | Legendary | Physical | Meme/One-punch | Fun, not meta |
| Naruto (Sage) | Legendary | Wind | Clone spam | Outclassed by Levi |
| Luffy (Gear 5) | Mythic | Physical | Toon force | Physical = resisted everywhere |
D-Tier — Don’t Invest
| Unit | Reason |
|---|---|
| Most Epic/Rare units | Outclassed by Legendaries |
| Physical-only units | Resisted by all raid bosses |
| Single-element non-meta | Fire/Water/Dark without meta traits |
| Units without evolution | Capped at lower stats |
Best Units by Game Mode
Story Mode (Acts 1-6)
- Sukuna / Gojo / Natsu — trivializes everything
- Arthur / Levi / Rengoku — budget-friendly clears
- Any S/A DPS + Elizabeth — never die
Infinite Mode (Gold/XP/Trait Farm)
- Natsu (Wealthy) — fastest wave clear, most gold
- Sukuna (Wealthy/Requiem) — close second
- Levi / Rengoku — budget infinite farmers
- Farmer unit (Wealthy trait) — dedicated gold unit
Raids (King Cursed, Fallen King, Sea King)
| Raid | Best DPS | Best Support | Best Tank |
|---|---|---|---|
| King Cursed Mk1 | Natsu / Sukuna | Gojo / Elizabeth | Escanor |
| Fallen King | Gojo / Arthur | Merlin / Elizabeth | Escanor (Indomitable) |
| Sea King | Killua / Zenitsu | Elizabeth / Merlin | Escanor (Abyssal) |
Challenge Maps / Leaderboards
- Killua (Godspeed) — mechanic breaking
- Gojo (Domain) — mechanic immunity
- Sukuna (Requiem) — raw damage ceiling
- Arthur (Excalibur) — feather/prison clear
Investment Priority — Where to Spend Resources
Priority 1: Main DPS (Get to Level 5000 + Mythic Trait)
- Sukuna or Gojo or Natsu — pick ONE, max it completely
- Cost: ~50M gold, 100+ Mythic trait crystals, 500k XP
Priority 2: Primary Support (Level 4500 + Legendary Trait)
- Elizabeth (healer) or Gojo (if not main) or Merlin
- Cost: ~20M gold, 50 Legendary trait crystals
Priority 3: Raid Tank (Level 4000 + Indomitable/Abyssal)
- Escanor with Indomitable (King Cursed/Fallen) + Abyssal (Sea King)
- Cost: ~15M gold, 30 Mythic trait crystals (for dual trait sets)
Priority 4: Specialized Raid Units
- Killua (Sea King) — only if doing Sea King weekly
- Arthur (Fallen King) — only if doing Fallen King weekly
- Todoroki — flexible flex pick
Priority 5: Farmer Unit
- Any unit with Wealthy/Golden trait — dedicated Infinite gold farmer
- Doesn’t need high level — just trait + range
Trait Priority by Unit Role
| Role | Mythic Trait | Legendary Trait | Epic Trait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main DPS | Requiem > Almighty > Divine | Divine > Celestial > Blessing | Holy > Vampiric |
| Sub DPS | Divine > Celestial > Requiem | Celestial > Divine > Blessing | Holy > Vampiric |
| Support | Altruistic > Blessing > Miraculous | Blessing > Miraculous > Holy | Holy > Miraculous |
| Tank | Indomitable (Gravity) / Abyssal (Water) | Adamant / Hydrophobic | Sturdy / Dry |
| Farmer | Wealthy > Golden > Rich | Golden > Rich > Fortunate | Rich > Fortunate |
F2P Friendly Picks (No Mythic Required)
| Unit | Rarity | Why Good | Accessibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Levi | Legendary | Best ground AoE, cheap, farms well | Legendary Banner (1%) |
| Rengoku | Legendary | Strong burn, good range | Legendary Banner (1%) |
| Todoroki | Legendary | Dual element, versatile | Legendary Banner (1%) |
| Zenitsu | Legendary | Lightning burst, raid utility | Legendary Banner (1%) |
| Elizabeth | Legendary | Best healer, essential for raids | Legendary Banner (1%) |
| Gray | Legendary | Ice specialist, Sea King | Legendary Banner (1%) |
| Merlin | Legendary | Shield/cleanse bot | Legendary Banner (1%) |
F2P Strategy: Save all gems for Legendary Banner only. Mythic Banner (0.5%) is a trap. Target the 7 units above — they cover 90% of content.
Upcoming Meta Shifts (Speculation)
Based on Update 15 datamine & dev hints:
- New Mythic:
Madara (Ten-Tails)— Dark/Fire, likely S-Tier - Balance: Physical resistance nerf on bosses (maybe)
- New Raid:
Demon King— Holy/Light weakness predicted - Trait Update: New
Transcendenttier above Mythic (rumored)
Speculation only — not confirmed. Check #announcements in Discord for official info.
FAQ
Q: Should I evolve my Legendary to Mythic? A: Only for your main DPS (Sukuna/Gojo/Natsu/Arthur). Supports/tanks work fine at Legendary with good traits.
Q: How many Mythic units do I need? A: One main DPS maxed. Everything else is luxury. F2P accounts clear all content with 1 Mythic + Legendary supports.
Q: Are limited/banner units better? A: Sometimes (Killua for Sea King), but standard S-Tiers (Sukuna/Gojo/Natsu) are always available and better overall.
Q: What’s the best unit for a beginner? A: Levi or Rengoku — easy to get, cheap to upgrade, carry Story + Infinite. Save gems for Legendary Banner.
Q: How often does the tier list change? A: Major updates (monthly) shift meta slightly. This list updated for Update 15. Next major shift = Update 16 or new Mythic release.
Q: Where do I see live rankings? A: Discord #tier-list channel, YouTube “Anime Defenders tier list Update 15”, this page (updated monthly).
Related Pages
- Best Units for Beginners — Budget-friendly starter picks
- King Cursed Mk1 Guide — Raid team compositions
- Fallen King Guide — Raid team compositions
- Sea King Guide — Raid team compositions
- Trait Guide — Best traits for each unit
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