TL;DR
- S+ Tier (Best): Nanally, Sakiri, Chiz, Jiuyuan — these are the top priority characters to build.
- S Tier: Baicang, Haniel — excellent investments, especially for boss content and buffing.
- A Tier: Daffodil, Adler, Esper Zero, Hathor, Fadia, Mint — strong options with more specific roles.
- B Tier: Skia, Edgar — usable but outclassed by higher-tier alternatives.
- Nanally is the strongest DPS at launch. Sakiri is the best support. Chiz is the best free character.
- Team synergy and Esper Cycles matter more than individual rankings.
- This tier list is based on Version 1.0 and will be updated as the meta develops.
Choosing who to build in Neverness to Everness (NTE) is one of the most important decisions you will make. Resources are limited. Character Pixels, the game’s stamina system, create a real bottleneck, and new characters arrive every few weeks. If you invest in the wrong characters early, catching up becomes much harder.
This tier list ranks every launch character based on raw damage output, team utility, ease of use, boss performance, mob clearing ability, and overall meta impact in Version 1.0. Rankings consider both Beyond the Rails and High Risk Commission endgame content, which are the hardest tests in the current patch.
One important note before we dive in: team synergy and Esper Cycles matter more than individual tier placement. A well-built A-Tier character in the right team can outperform a poorly-supported S-Tier character. Use this list as a starting point, not a hard rule.
NTE Tier List — Version 1.0 (May 2026)
- S+ Tier: Nanally, Sakiri, Chiz, Jiuyuan
- S Tier: Baicang, Haniel
- A Tier: Daffodil, Adler, Esper Zero, Hathor, Fadia, Mint
- B Tier: Skia, Edgar
- TBD: Aurelia, Lacrimosa, Hotori
Tiers within each rank are not in a strict order. Characters are evaluated across multiple criteria, and placement may shift slightly depending on your team and playstyle. The list will be updated as the global meta develops and new patches arrive.
S+ Tier Characters — Best in NTE Right Now
These are the strongest characters at launch. They provide the highest damage output, best utility, or best account-wide value. Building any of these characters is always a sound investment.
Nanally — Best DPS in the Game
Role: Damage | Esper: Anima | Arc: Solid | Class: S-Class (Limited)
Nanally is widely considered the strongest damage dealer at launch, with a clear margin over every other character. Her kit revolves around summoning an Underboss that delivers coordinated follow-up attacks alongside her own strikes. Every hit you land triggers additional damage instances from the Underboss, creating a multiplication effect that becomes overwhelming when paired with attack buffs from characters like Sakiri.
While the Underboss is on the field, Nanally’s attacks also pull enemies slightly inward, making it easier to maintain pressure on mobile targets. She performs exceptionally well in both single-target boss fights and AoE mob clearing, which makes her one of the most versatile characters in the game. She is also the only character with a wall-running exploration ability, adding further out-of-combat value.
Nanally pairs best with Sakiri for the attack buff and Esper Zero or Edgar to trigger the Blossom Esper Cycle. If you have access to her banner, she is the strongest pull you can make in Version 1.0. Check out the full Nanally build guide for NTE to get the most out of her kit.
Sakiri — Best Support and Buffer
Role: Support / Crowd Control | Esper: Incantation | Arc: Solid | Class: S-Class
Sakiri is the best support character in NTE at launch, and arguably the most universally useful character in any team composition. Her passive grants the entire team an attack buff equal to 30% of her base ATK for 20 seconds after casting her Ultimate. Because this scales with her base attack stat, the buff grows stronger as you invest in her gear — meaning she provides more value the further you progress.
Her crowd control is equally strong. Tapping her skill (Devour Whole) pulls enemies together and knocks them down. Holding the skill levitates them in a confined space, making AoE damage from your main DPS far more effective. This makes mob clearing significantly easier across all content types.
The standard Sakiri rotation is simple: swap to Sakiri, use her skill to group enemies, cast her Ultimate for the attack buff, then swap back to your main DPS to deal amplified damage. She fits into virtually every team and scales with investment, giving her strong long-term account value even as new DPS characters are released. See the full Sakiri build guide for NTE for the best setup.
Chiz — Best Free Character
Role: Damage | Esper: Cosmos | Arc: Liquid | Class: S-Class (Free)
Chiz is the best free character in the game by a significant margin. You earn her completely free with all awakening copies just by progressing through the main story’s Tycoon game system. No gacha pulls needed. With all copies unlocked, she is a genuinely strong DPS that can carry your account in the early game and remain useful well into mid-game content.
Her mechanic is unique. Basic attacks and skills generate Grain, which increases her damage output. Her Ultimate enters the Grain Market state, where timing your skills at peak Grain prices deals maximum damage. This rewards skilled play and gives her one of the highest ceilings among free characters.
The main caveat is that piloting Chiz correctly requires more attention than most characters. The Grain mechanic has some RNG involved, and inconsistent Grain recovery during her Ultimate can lower her effective output. She is a fantastic early-game asset, but her long-term competitive ranking depends on how future patches and new characters affect the meta. Check the Chiz build guide for NTE to learn how to pilot her properly.
Jiuyuan — Best Standard Banner DPS
Role: Damage / Sub-DPS | Esper: Anima | Arc: Solid | Class: S-Class
Jiuyuan is the strongest standard banner DPS in NTE and the best character you can select with the free S-Class selector if you do not have Nanally. She is a burst damage dealer with very quick rotations, exceptional crowd control that pulls enemies into one spot, and strong synergy with two of the best DPS characters in the game — Nanally and Baicang.
Her kit is refreshingly straightforward. Use her Skill and Ultimate when available, hold down basic attack when the gun symbols at the bottom of the screen are filled, and you have mastered her rotation. She works best in Blossom teams paired with a Chaos character like Daffodil, but she also activates Hexed with Incantation characters and contributes Charge when paired with a Lakshana unit through the Cosmos and Lakshana pairing.
With one copy (A1), Jiuyuan gains the ability to heal the party, which adds significant account value for players who need a more self-sufficient team. She excels as a low field-time sub-DPS in endgame content and has the best mob grouping ability in the game for AoE. For the full setup, read the Jiuyuan build guide for NTE.
S Tier Characters — Excellent Investments
These characters are not quite at the peak of S+, but they are still strong picks that provide excellent value across most content. Both are highly recommended.
Baicang — Top-Tier Boss Damage Dealer
Role: Damage (DoT) | Esper: Incantation | Arc: Liquid | Class: S-Class
Baicang is a damage-over-time specialist with one of the highest damage ceilings in the game. He is the best DoT character at launch and excels in boss fights, where his continuous damage ticks keep dealing to high-movement bosses even when they jump away or become temporarily untargetable.
His catch is the risk-reward mechanic: using his Power Words (his core damage skill) costs him HP. Managing his health carefully while maximizing his DoT output is essential for experienced players. In skilled hands, Baicang can rival S+ characters in boss fights. He is considered harder to pilot than most launch characters, but the payoff is real.
He is also an ideal partner for the Discord Esper Cycle team, where pairing Incantation (Baicang) with Chaos (Daffodil) triggers Scorch, and Daffodil’s Chaos combined with Fadia’s Psyche triggers Nova — and when both Scorch and Nova are active on the same target, Discord activates and begins draining the break bar at an exceptional rate. See the full Baicang build guide for NTE for the optimal setup.
Haniel — Best A-Class Support
Role: Support / Buffer | Esper: Incantation | Arc: Solid | Class: A-Class
Haniel is arguably the best A-Class character in NTE and the second-best support behind Sakiri. She provides team-wide ATK buffs with her Skill and Ultimate, making her effective in almost any team composition. She is extremely accessible as an A-Class character, easy to build, and provides value comparable to an S-Class support.
She is especially valuable in Nova teams and provides Stain access for Lakshana DPS characters. Her synergy with Daffodil is notable — she buffs attack further when Nova activates, making her one of the best partners for Daffodil-focused Discord teams. The main limitation is that her buffs can be interrupted during animations in chaotic fights, which can feel frustrating in harder content.
For F2P players, Haniel is one of the safest investments in the game. She provides consistent value now and will continue to be relevant as a secondary buffer even when stronger supports arrive. Check the Haniel build guide for NTE to optimize her kit.
A Tier Characters — Strong but More Situational
A-Tier characters are genuinely effective but typically require specific teams, playstyles, or content types to reach their full potential. None of them are bad investments, and several of them are must-haves for specific team compositions.
Daffodil — Best Break DPS and Discord Key
Role: Damage (Break / Sub-DPS) | Esper: Chaos | Arc: Liquid | Class: S-Class
Daffodil is the only Chaos character at launch, which makes her essential for activating any team that uses Psyche, Incantation, or Discord Esper Cycles. She specializes in Break damage, which destroys the white stagger bar on enemies. Once the bar breaks, the enemy is stunned and your entire team can deal massive free damage.
Her passive reduces the enemy break cap by 10%, allowing her to shatter stances faster than other characters. She also has a strong plunge mechanic — the higher you fall before landing a hit, the more damage she deals, making her one of the most fun characters to play in open-world combat. She is a crucial second-team character for endgame content where two full parties are required. Read the Daffodil build guide for NTE for the best team and gear setup.
Adler — Best Defensive Utility Character
Role: Support / Survival | Esper: Incantation | Arc: Solid | Class: A-Class
Adler is one of the most universally useful characters in NTE for players who struggle with survival. His kit provides team-wide shields and Incantation damage-over-time effects, giving both defensive and offensive value with minimal setup. He is often described as the easiest value character in the game — use his skills, gain shields, and the team keeps dealing DoT passively.
His Incantation DoT also synergizes well with Baicang in Scorch compositions, making him a dual-purpose pick that contributes to both survivability and reaction damage. He is a particularly great option for newer players who are still learning the timing of dodges and parries. Find the best build in the Adler build guide for NTE.
Esper Zero — Flexible Sub-DPS and Enabler
Role: Hybrid (Sub-DPS / Enabler) | Esper: Cosmos | Class: A-Class (Free — Protagonist)
Esper Zero is the protagonist character and is given to every player for free. He is a strong sub-DPS who makes rotations smoother by providing instant Esper Cycle procs through his Skill, letting you chain Blossom swaps back to back without waiting for the meter to fill naturally. This makes combat feel significantly more fluid for any team he joins.
He pairs especially well with Nanally in Blossom teams, and also works alongside Jiuyuan and Haniel as a flexible enabler. He is not the highest-damage sub-DPS in the game, but his ease of access, free availability, and team utility make him a reliable filler in most compositions. See the Esper Zero build guide for NTE for build tips.
Hathor — Burst DPS and Resource Generator
Role: Damage / Sub-DPS | Esper: Lakshana | Arc: Plasma | Class: S-Class
Hathor is a burst DPS who works best in Remora teams. She excels in shorter burst windows and does not need heavy field time in most team compositions. Against AoE content, she can use her Charged Skill much more freely to deal big numbers. She also has strong plunge mechanics, similar to Daffodil.
Her Life Skill is a notable bonus for account progression — it grants extra Cartridges per day and bonuses in other game modes, making her genuinely useful even on days you are not running content. However, her raw damage was slightly reduced in patches leading up to launch, which is why she sits in A Tier rather than S. The Hathor build guide for NTE covers her best team and playstyle.
Fadia — Best Survivability Option
Role: Survival / Support | Esper: Psyche | Arc: Solid | Class: S-Class
Fadia is NTE’s primary dedicated survival unit. Her unique mechanic allows her to absorb and redirect incoming damage from other team members to herself, and then convert it into healing or manageable chip damage. This makes her essential for high-difficulty content where surviving big boss hits is the main challenge.
Her Psyche Esper also makes her a key piece of Nova and Discord team compositions alongside Daffodil and Baicang. She is not a DPS pick, but her survivability contribution is irreplaceable in specific endgame scenarios. The full Fadia build guide for NTE has everything you need to build her correctly.
Mint — Decent but Outclassed
Role: Damage | Esper: Cosmos | Arc: Solid | Class: S-Class
Mint is the face character of NTE’s marketing, but her combat value at launch does not match her prominence in the game’s branding. She is a usable DPS, but she lacks the strong utility, synergy, or standout damage that would push her into S-Tier. She feels like a weaker version of other DPS units without offering much team synergy that other characters cannot provide more efficiently.
She is still playable and can clear all content with the right support. But if you are deciding where to spend pulls, there are better options available. The Mint build guide for NTE can help you get the best out of her if you have already invested in her.
B Tier Characters — Playable with Limitations
B-Tier characters are not bad, but they have clear limitations that reduce their impact compared to higher-tier options. They can still work in the right team setup, but they require more investment to reach competitive output.
Skia — Cool Concept, Average Output
Role: Damage | Esper: Lakshana | Arc: Solid | Class: A-Class
Skia is a visually impressive character who uses shadows as a weapon. His playstyle is reliable and consistent for steady on-field damage output. However, his kit is held back by the game’s enemy design. His Ultimate deals damage in a small AoE centered on his own position — which is fine against stationary enemies, but most boss enemies in NTE are highly mobile and unpredictable. This makes his damage windows feel punishing when bosses move out of range mid-animation.
He works better in mob content than boss encounters. In simpler Stain reaction teams with Esper Zero and Haniel, he provides a steady output without requiring tight timing. The Skia build guide for NTE covers where he works best.
Edgar — Reliable Healer, Limited Damage
Role: Hybrid (Healer / Sub-DPS) | Esper: Anima | Arc: Solid | Class: A-Class
Edgar is a free A-Class character who serves as NTE’s most accessible healer. He provides healing and Anima sub-damage, making him a useful filler in Blossom and Charge Esper Cycle teams. His healing output keeps the team alive in content where Adler’s shields alone are not enough.
His damage contribution is limited, and he does not provide the offensive utility of better supports like Sakiri or Haniel. But because he is free and works as a healer in many compositions, he has reliable early-game value for players who need sustain. Read the Edgar build guide for NTE to understand where he fits best.
TBD — Characters Not Yet Fully Ranked
These characters are either newly available, arrive later in Version 1.0, or do not have enough endgame data for a definitive ranking yet.
- Aurelia — A high-damage Nova DPS with strong AoE potential, but she struggles against aggressive boss movement. Considered the best A-Class damage dealer in the game on paper, with a very high ceiling. See the Aurelia build guide for NTE.
- Hotori — A limited S-Class burst DPS who joins the game when Nanally’s banner ends. She is a Cosmos Esper that also boosts team damage. Ranked TBD until more global testing is completed.
- Lacrimosa — A Chaos Esper DPS expected in Version 1.1. Not available at launch. She was a strong performer in beta, but her launch stats may differ from beta data.
Who Should You Pull First?
If you are a new player deciding where to spend your first pulls, here is a clear priority order based on Version 1.0.
- Pull Nanally if her banner is active. She is the strongest character at launch and a limited-time banner. You cannot get her from the standard banner after her run ends.
- Use your free S-Class selector on Jiuyuan if you do not have a strong Anima DPS yet. She is the best all-around pick from the standard roster for most players.
- Unlock Chiz fully by progressing through the Tycoon system. She is entirely free and strong enough to carry your early game. Do not spend pulls trying to get her.
- Build Haniel and Edgar from A-Class pulls or the selector early on. Both are safe, accessible support options that will remain useful throughout the early and mid game.
For a deeper look at how to build the best teams using these characters, check out the full best team compositions guide for NTE.
How the Esper Cycle Affects Character Rankings
NTE’s combat is built around the Esper Cycle system. Your team fills a shared meter through attacks, Skills, and parries. When the meter fills, one teammate glows — that is your signal to swap in and deal a big hit. The elemental type of that teammate determines which reaction triggers.
Teams with a clean elemental lane — two or more characters whose types chain together — feel dramatically smoother than random lineups. This is why characters like Sakiri (Incantation) pair so naturally with Nanally (Anima) to trigger Hex, or why Daffodil (Chaos) + Fadia (Psyche) triggers Nova, and Daffodil (Chaos) + Baicang (Incantation) triggers Scorch.
When building your team, always ask: which Esper Cycles can I activate with these characters? The answer will determine how effectively you use even the best characters in the game. This system is explained in full in the Scarborough Fair gacha and system guide for NTE.
Best Character Builds in NTE
Once you know who to pull and build, the next step is building them correctly. Here are individual build guides for every current character in NTE.
- Nanally Build Guide
- Sakiri Build Guide
- Chiz Build Guide
- Jiuyuan Build Guide
- Baicang Build Guide
- Haniel Build Guide
- Daffodil Build Guide
- Adler Build Guide
- Esper Zero Build Guide
- Hathor Build Guide
- Fadia Build Guide
- Mint Build Guide
- Skia Build Guide
- Edgar Build Guide
- Aurelia Build Guide
More Helpful NTE Guides
- Every Playable Character and How to Unlock Them in NTE
- Neverness to Everness Redeem Codes
- How to Get the Free S-Class Arc in NTE
- How to Get Cartridges and Modules in NTE
- How to Get Fons Fast in NTE
- Anomaly Zones Guide for NTE
- Let’s Go See a Movie Commission Guide NTE — Free S-Rank Arc Reality Refuge
- Deep Blue Sorrow Commission Guide NTE — Free S-Rank Arc Song of the Whale
- Call of the Lost Commission Guide NTE
- Best PC Settings for NTE
NTE is available on Android via Google Play and on PlayStation via the PS Store.
Final Thoughts
The NTE Version 1.0 meta is clear: Nanally is the best DPS, Sakiri is the best support, Chiz is the best free pick, and Jiuyuan is the safest standard banner investment. If you build those four characters around the right Esper Cycles and invest in the correct Arcs and Cartridges, you will have no trouble clearing any content the game throws at you.
That said, tier lists shift. New patches, new characters, and community testing will change these rankings. We will keep this list updated as the global meta evolves. In the meantime, focus on the characters you enjoy playing, learn the Esper Cycle system, and use the build guides linked above to get the most out of your roster.
