TL;DR
- NTE launched with 16 playable characters — a mix of S-rank and A-rank Espers.
- 6 characters are completely free: Zero, Mint, Adler, Haniel, Aurelia, and Chiz.
- After 50 pulls on the Standard Board, you get a free S-rank selector to pick any standard character.
- Standard S-rank pool includes: Baicang, Daffodil, Fadia, Hathor, Jiuyuan, and Sakiri.
- Nanally was the first limited banner character (now off rotation). Hotori is the current limited banner character, available until June 3, 2026.
- NTE has no 50/50 system — you are guaranteed the featured character at 90 pulls and pity carries over between banners.
- Chiz is unlocked by reaching Level 18 in the City Tycoon system, not through gacha.
- Characters like Lacrimosa appear in the story but are not yet playable.
One of the best things about Neverness to Everness is how generous it is with its roster from the start. You can build a strong team without spending a single cent, and the gacha system is more player-friendly than most games in the genre. This guide covers every currently playable character in NTE, how to unlock each one, and what you need to know about the banner system before spending your pulls.
How the Character Unlock System Works in NTE
Characters in NTE — called Espers — can be unlocked in four main ways:
- Story progression — some characters join your team automatically as you play through the main episodes.
- Login rewards and pre-registration milestones — a few characters were distributed for free at launch.
- City Tycoon system — one character, Chiz, is unlocked by progressing this gameplay system.
- Scarborough Fair gacha — most S-rank characters are pulled on the Standard or Limited boards.
NTE uses a board game gacha called the Scarborough Fair Board instead of a traditional pull screen. You roll dice, move around the board, and land on spaces that reward characters, Arcs, currency, and items. There are two boards: the Standard Board (permanent roster, uses Fabricated Dice) and the Limited Board (time-limited banner character, uses Solid Dice).
The pity system guarantees an S-rank at 75 to 90 pulls, and unlike most gacha games, there is no 50/50 coin flip — you always get the featured banner character when pity triggers. Your pity progress also carries over to the next banner, so you never start from zero on a new one. For a full breakdown of how this works, read the NTE pity gacha system explained guide and the Scarborough Fair gacha system guide.
All Free Characters in NTE – No Pulls Required
NTE gives every player six free characters just by playing the game normally. Here is each one and how to get them.
Esper Zero (S-rank | Cosmos | DPS)
How to unlock: Automatically unlocked when you start the game. You choose between a male or female version at character creation. Both versions share the same abilities and stats.
Zero is your main protagonist — an amnesiac Esper who accidentally defeats an anomaly and gets recruited by the Bureau of Anomaly Control. As a Cosmos-type DPS, Zero is one of the most well-rounded fighters in the roster. If you want to change the version you picked at the start, you can do so after completing a specific side quest. See the guide on how to switch your Appraiser in NTE for how to do this.
Mint (A-rank | Anima | DPS)
How to unlock: Free through main story progression, within the first 90 minutes of play.
Mint is the mascot of Neverness to Everness — a high-energy cat girl who guides you through combat basics and introduces you to most of the other characters. As a Liquid-type DPS, she hits hard and her Ultimate gets significantly stronger through awakening. She’s an excellent early-game carry. Check out the Mint build guide to get the most out of her.
Adler (A-rank | Incantation | Shielder/Support)
How to unlock: Free through main story progression. You meet him early as you progress toward the Eibon Antique Shop.
Adler looks calm and composed, but his fighting style is anything but — he wields his cane as a weapon that fires gunshots. He’s a durable tank thanks to solid shielding abilities, making him a strong addition to any early roster. See the Adler build guide for how to build him properly.
Haniel (A-rank | Psyche | Buffer/Support)
How to unlock: Claimed for free via the global pre-registration milestone rewards. She was delivered automatically to every player’s in-game inbox at launch since the 30 million pre-registration milestone was already hit before the game went live. Check your inbox if you haven’t claimed her yet.
Haniel provides attack buffs to your team through her skill and ultimate, making her a valuable support for boosting damage output. She has a gaming aesthetic, with her owl-like android companion Hootie adding flashy visual effects to combat. The Haniel build guide covers her best set-up.
Aurelia (A-rank | Free via Login Event)
How to unlock: Free through the 14-day launch login reward event. Log in on separate days during the event window to collect daily prizes — Aurelia is one of those prizes.
Aurelia is one of the easiest free characters to get and requires nothing beyond regular logins. Check the Aurelia build guide for how to use her effectively.
Chiz (S-rank | Cosmos | DPS)
How to unlock: Reach Level 18 in the City Tycoon system. This is not a gacha unlock — it is earned purely through gameplay progression.
The City Tycoon system unlocks automatically during the main storyline, shortly after completing the first Eibon mission at the photo studio. From there, you complete special City Tycoon quests to earn Fons and raise your City Tycoon level. Reaching Level 18 is a significant grind, but it rewards you with a free S-rank character — which is exceptional value for a free-to-play player.
Chiz has one of the most unique kits in the game, built around a Grain Market mechanic that works like an in-game stock market. Her damage output fluctuates based on market conditions, so timing your attacks for peak values is key. Read the Chiz build guide to learn how to master her. For the City Tycoon system itself, check out the NTE City Tycoon guide.
Free S-Rank Selector – Your 7th Character for Free
After completing 50 pulls on the Standard Board, you receive a one-time free S-rank selector. This lets you pick any S-rank character from the standard pool — completely free, no strings attached.
The Standard Board also gives new players a 20% discount on the first 50 pulls, meaning 10-pull multis only cost 8 Fabricated Dice instead of 10. The selector is permanent and doesn’t expire, so you can wait until you’ve seen which characters you naturally pull before deciding who to pick.
Standard S-rank characters you can choose from:
- Baicang
- Daffodil
- Fadia
- Hathor
- Jiuyuan
- Sakiri
For help deciding, check the guide on which free S-class standard character to pick in NTE.
Standard Banner S-Rank Characters
These six S-rank Espers are permanently available on the Standard Board. You can pull them at any time using Fabricated Dice.
Baicang (S-rank | DPS)
Captain of ETD-4 with a calm demeanor and distinctive side braids. Currently one of the most popular male characters in NTE. See the Baicang build guide.
Daffodil (S-rank | DPS)
Elegant presence with black hair accented with distinctive blue highlights. Wields a pair of gladius-like swords and is considered one of the strongest damage-dealers in the starting roster. Read the Daffodil build guide.
Fadia (S-rank | DPS/Support)
A versatile Esper with strong potential in the right team. For how to build her optimally, check the Fadia build guide.
Hathor (S-rank | DPS)
Works in delivery as an operative of Sterry Express. Has a striking celestial-like aesthetic — angel wings, fingerless gloves, tattoos, tendrils, and a gold amulet. Her combat style blends martial arts with aerial maneuvers and she’s reliable for both direct and Break damage. Read the Hathor build guide.
Jiuyuan (S-rank | Gunner/DPS)
Mature, poised, and fights with dual revolvers. Combines melee and pistol combat in a style that feels like a smoother, grounded Bayonetta. She’s one of the stronger standard roster characters and works well as a team’s main character. Check the Jiuyuan build guide.
Sakiri (S-rank)
One of the six permanent standard S-ranks. See the Sakiri build guide for full details on her kit and best build.
Standard Banner A-Rank Characters
A-rank characters are easier to obtain and upgrade. Several are also available for free through story progression or events.
Edgar (A-rank | Support)
The youngest in the starting roster, Edgar is a diligent student who attacks using skills learned at the academy — and occasionally, his heavy backpack. He serves as a support character, though he’s generally outshined by other supports at this stage of the game.
Skia (A-rank | DPS/Bruiser)
A tall, anthropomorphic half-wolf, half-human character with a stoic demeanor. He serves as lieutenant within the Bureau of Anomaly Control. His free-hand combat system utilizes shadows — including the ability to sink into his own shadow for brief flexible movement and brief invulnerability. A solid DPS option thanks to high HP and strong attack. Available on the Standard Board and was also featured on the Misty Tipsy Limited Board alongside Hotori. Read the Skia build guide.
Limited Banner Characters
Limited characters are only available during a specific banner window. When a banner ends, the character leaves rotation and cannot be pulled until a future rerun. These are the highest-priority pulls in the game.
Nanally (S-rank | Anima | DPS) – Limited Banner Phase 1
Banner: Ichi-daime (April 29 – May 13, 2026) — now ended.
Nanally stands out with bright red hair and a nerdy, clumsy personality that sharply contrasts with her fist-heavy melee combat. She is widely regarded as the strongest damage dealer in NTE at launch and has the broadest cosmetic selection of any character. Her banner has ended, so she is not currently obtainable until a future rerun. Keep an eye on upcoming banners for her return. Check the Nanally build guide if you managed to pull her.
Hotori (S-rank | Cosmos | Sub DPS) – Limited Banner Phase 2
Banner: Misty Tipsy Style (May 13 – June 3, 2026, 05:59 AM UTC+8) — currently active.
How to unlock the banner: Complete the Episode Quest “Prologue: A New Destination – Head to Eibon Antique Shop.”
Hotori is the enigmatic owner of the Eibon Antique Shop and a major story character in NTE before she became playable. Her most distinctive gameplay feature is a time-stop ability that pauses everything in the city. She wields a beautifully decorated umbrella in her normal state, but can draw a katana from the handle to change attack modes entirely. She’s an excellent Sub DPS and pairs extremely well with Nanally and Jiuyuan for one of the strongest team compositions currently available. If you want to pull for her, you have until June 3, 2026. For more on using her, visit the build guide hub and review best team compositions in NTE to see where she fits.
Characters Not Yet Playable
Some characters appear in the story but cannot currently be pulled or unlocked:
- Lacrimosa — Appears in early cutscenes with a contrasting monochrome hairstyle and an oversized red jacket. She has an unusual obsession with tomatoes. She is playable at certain story moments but is not yet available as a permanent playable character.
Several more characters have been teased by the developers for future version updates: Akane, Alphard, Black Bird, Chaos, Elyms, Exe, Irai, Lingka, and Shinku. No release dates have been confirmed for these yet.
Tips for Unlocking Characters Efficiently
- Unlock all six free characters first before spending any pull currency. Zero, Mint, Adler, Haniel, Aurelia, and Chiz give you a solid roster at no cost.
- Start the City Tycoon grind early. Chiz is a free S-rank but requires significant time investment. The sooner you start, the sooner you get her. Use the City Tycoon guide to progress efficiently.
- Do your first 50 Standard Board pulls for the free S-rank selector. The 20% early discount makes this even more efficient. Pick your selector character only after seeing who you’ve naturally pulled.
- Prioritize limited banners if you want a specific character. Limited characters leave when their window ends and have no confirmed return date.
- Don’t split pity between banners unnecessarily. Since pity carries over, it’s better to stay on one banner and build toward a guarantee than to spread rolls across two and get nothing.
- Reroll if you’re starting fresh and want a head start. Read the how to reroll in NTE guide for the most efficient method.
- Claim redeem codes regularly for bonus Annulith and Fons. The NTE redeem codes list is updated as new codes drop.
- Check the tier list before spending pulls. The NTE character tier list will help you prioritize which S-ranks are worth going for.
Character Customization
Once you’ve unlocked characters, you can personalize their appearance through outfits and glider skins. These are purely cosmetic and don’t affect gameplay. For a full guide on how to get and change outfits for each character, check out how to get and change outfits in NTE.
Related Guides
- Best Team Compositions in NTE
- Esper Cycle Reaction Guide – NTE
- Awakening System Guide – NTE
- How to Play Character Trials in NTE
- How to Increase Hunter Level Fast in NTE
- How to Get Annulith Fast in NTE
- NTE Daily and Weekly Routine Guide
- How to Get All Free S-Class Arcs in NTE
Download NTE
Neverness to Everness is free to play on PC, Android, and PlayStation:
Ending With
Neverness to Everness is one of the most free-to-play-friendly gacha games at launch. Six characters are completely free, a seventh S-rank can be claimed after 50 pulls, and the no-50/50 pity system means your investment in a banner always pays off. Focus on the free roster first, push City Tycoon for Chiz, then use your premium currency wisely on limited banners for characters like Hotori.
Keep this page bookmarked — as new characters are added to NTE in future updates, the roster will keep growing and this guide will reflect those changes.
