Wuthering Waves
Character Tier List
Every Resonator ranked by damage output, team utility, and ease of use — Version 3.1 meta.
Aemeath NEW
Meta-defining DPS who excels in both Tune Rupture and Fusion Burst comps. One of the highest damage ceilings in the game with massive flexibility.
Augusta
Top-tier Electro DPS with a unique time-stop Liberation that even pauses Tower of Adversity timers. F2P-friendly build with Mortefi as core support.
Cartethyia
Best Aero DPS in the game. Applies Aero Erosion independently and deals insane AoE damage. Scales off HP for enormous damage ceiling. Best paired with Ciaccona.
Galbrena
Pistol-wielding Fusion DPS with acrobatic combat style. Requires signature weapon to unlock full potential. Excels in mono-Fusion team compositions.
Iuno
Exceptional Aero Sub-DPS who amplifies Heavy Attack DMG, heals, and regenerates stamina. Best-in-slot for Augusta teams and one of the most flexible units in the game.
Lynae
Strong Sub-DPS who provides All DMG Bonus and Amplification via Liberation and Outro. Roller skates grant faster exploration. Pairs well with virtually any DPS.
Mornye
New 5-star healer from 3.0 who rivals Shorekeeper. Provides All DMG amplification, enhances Off-Tune Buildup Rate, and introduces Tune Break synergy with Lynae.
Phrolova
Havoc DPS scaling off Echo Skill and Resonance Skill DMG. Requires heavy investment and signature weapon but delivers exceptional multi-wave performance with Cantarella.
Qiuyuan
Premier Echo Skill DMG buffer with a fast rotation. Provides multiple Echo Skill DMG buffs, amplification, and extra Crit DMG via Forte and Outro. Essential for Phrolova and Galbrena teams.
Shorekeeper
Wuthering Waves’ most valuable Support. Provides Crit Rate & Crit DMG buffs, continuous healing, damage amplification, knockdown recovery, and K.O. prevention. Fits into any team.
S Tier — Excellent Picks
Outstanding characters that are only slightly below SS. Strong in endgame content and highly recommended.
Brant
Fusion DPS who converts ER to ATK and provides team-wide buffs and sustain. Best paired with Changli; also great in F2P Basic Attack teams via his Forte Circuit.
Camellya
AoE Havoc DPS with far-reaching combos. Easy to build with a free Sub-DPS teammate. Still very strong but newer Havoc units like Phrolova now surpass her ceiling.
Cantarella
Havoc Sub-DPS with healing utility. Provides Resonance & Havoc DMG amplification plus off-field Coordinated attacks. Essential for Phrolova Echo Skill DMG teams.
Carlotta
Premier Glacio DPS with consistent burst damage scaling off Resonance Skill. Best paired with Zhezhi. Slightly fallen off in recent patches due to limited new Glacio support units.
Changli
High-burst Fusion Main DPS with self-ATK buff after Ultimate. Can flex into Sub-DPS via Outro but her on-field damage potential makes Main DPS the better role.
Chisa
Universal Negative Status Support who increases max stack count for all status effects. Best for Aero Erosion and Spectro Frazzle teams; value will grow with future Negative Status comps.
Ciaccona
Top-tier Aero Sub-DPS applying Aero Erosion and Spectro Frazzle across multiple teams. Reaches peak value alongside Cartethyia in the Aero Erosion composition.
Jinhsi
Spectro Main DPS with insanely high multipliers on Skill and Liberation. Still a great pick but newer units are beginning to show her age in the current meta.
Lupa
Premier Fusion DMG enabler completing the mono-Fusion team puzzle. Brings massive value in all-Fusion compositions but is extremely limited outside of them.
Phoebe
Hybrid Spectro DPS who also excels as Spectro Frazzle Sub-DPS. Can amplify allies’ DMG and reduce Spectro DMG RES, giving her strong flexibility in team compositions.
Rover (Aero)
Best-in-slot Support for the Aero Erosion team. Applies negative effects on enemies but is limited to Aero-synergy teams. An essential free character for Cartethyia compositions.
Verina
Healer and buffer with very short on-field time, making her ideal for DPS-heavy rotations. Provides party-wide healing and buffs, plus periodic Spectro coordinated attacks.
Zhezhi
Best Sub-DPS for Jinhsi and Carlotta. Amplifies Resonance Skill and Glacio DMG simultaneously, making her the most versatile Sub-DPS for Glacio and Spectro teams.
Zani
Best Spectro DPS in the game using Spectro Frazzle to maximise damage. Was a premier DPS for most patches, but the shift toward Tune Break mechanics has slightly reduced her lead.
A Tier — Strong Choices
Good Resonators that perform well in most content. Not fully optimised meta picks, but completely viable.
Buling
4-star support healer who applies Electro Flare and provides Resonance Skill DMG amplification with decent grouping. Good F2P alternative to premium supports.
Calcharo
Electro Main DPS with strong Skill and Liberation damage. Best paired with Yinlin to push his damage ceiling. Completely overshadowed now by Augusta in the Electro role.
Encore
Pure Fusion DPS who goes all-out damage with no utility. Her Cosmos Rave state deals massive Fusion DMG but leaves her vulnerable without crowd control.
Jiyan
Veteran Aero DPS with great single-target and AoE damage. His Ultimate groups smaller enemies. Found new value in Whimpering Wastes, making him more versatile than before.
Mortefi
4-star Sub-DPS who triggers coordinated Fusion attacks whenever the on-field DPS attacks. Deals off-field damage passively and is a core F2P support for Augusta teams.
Rover (Havoc)
Free Havoc Main DPS with high burst damage in Dark Surge state. Unique interaction with Dreamless Echo boosts burst potential. Requires good dodge skill to maximise Basic Attacks.
Sanhua
One of the best 4-star Sub-DPS characters. Provides 14s Basic Attack DMG Deepen for the next DPS. Must detonate ice structures via Heavy Attacks to maximise output.
Xiangli Yao
Electro Main DPS relying on Liberation DMG buffs and enemy movement slowdown. Overshadowed by Augusta but still delivers strong damage for players who enjoy his kit.
Rover (Spectro)
Jack-of-all-trades with Sub-DPS and Main DPS capability. Time-stop Outro is unique but lack of a clear role causes it to fall behind specialised units.
Danjin
Great F2P DPS who dishes out huge damage via an HP-drain mechanic. Requires strong player skill to keep alive against tough enemies, but rewards mastery generously.
Roccia
Havoc Sub-DPS with Basic Attack and Havoc DMG buffs and useful grouping utility. Strong within Havoc teams but limited team-building flexibility outside mono-Havoc compositions.
B Tier — Situational
Generally used as substitutes for higher-tier units or fill extreme niches. Think before fully investing.
Baizhi
Pure healer and F2P fallback when Shorekeeper/Verina aren’t available. Burst heals and ATK buffs are useful, but her buffs only apply to the next swapped-in character rather than the whole party.
Jianxin
Jack-of-all-trades with grouping, AoE damage, and Liberation DMG buffs via Outro. Suffers the same issue as Spectro Rover: no clear role hurts performance vs. specialists.
Yinlin
Electro Sub-DPS with off-field coordinated attacks and Liberation/Electro DMG buffs. Value has dropped in multi-wave content due to inconsistent mark application.
Lingyang
Standard 5-star Glacio DPS getting outclassed by his peers. Lacks a dedicated Glacio support and struggles in AoE scenarios against more modern units.
C Tier — Below Meta
Completely eclipsed by higher-tier characters. Hold off on heavy investment unless you enjoy their playstyle.
Aalto
Decent Aero Sub-DPS who buffs Aero DMG but is completely outclassed by Mortefi and other Sub-DPS who provide off-field damage more efficiently.
Chixia
Mobile Fusion DPS who excels against single targets. Easy to mob by multiple enemies if not careful. Good early game but quickly replaced by better Fusion units.
Lumi
Sub-DPS with Resonance Skill DMG Amplification via Outro. Decent multipliers on Forte Circuit and Liberation but Basic Attack damage falls off, limiting her overall output.
Taoqi
Havoc Sub-DPS providing Resonance Skill Amplification. Has a niche in Jinhsi teams but split scaling between Forte and Shields hurts her consistency as a Sub-DPS/Support hybrid.
Yangyang
First free 4-star character. Decent Aero grouping utility but falls off immediately once better Sub-DPS characters with DMG buffs become available.
Youhu
Healer-support hybrid with healing and vibration depletion utility. An RNG-based kit makes her extremely inconsistent, which can disrupt rotations at critical moments.
Yuanwu
Off-field Electro Sub-DPS similar to Mortefi, but weaker. Toughness bar reduction effect only works inside a circle, making it unreliable against mobile enemies.
Explore Every Resonator
Click any character card above to read full builds, echo sets, weapon recommendations, and team compositions.