Honkai Star Rail Tier List: Version 4.0 Meta Rankings

Version 4.0 represents a seismic shift in the Honkai: Star Rail meta. With the introduction of the Chrysos Heir archetype and the emergence of characters following the Remembrance and Elation paths, the power ceiling has reached unprecedented levels. This tier list evaluates characters based on their performance in the current endgame environment, accounting for the significant HP bloat and the strategic demands of Memory of Chaos (MoC), Pure Fiction (PF), and Apocalyptic Shadow (AS).

The State of the 4.0 Meta: Mechanics and Power Creep

The current landscape is defined by two major factors: toughness bar manipulation and summon synergy. While the early 3.x patches focused heavily on Break Efficiency and Super Break damage, 4.0 has transitioned toward specialized synergy between characters and their environmental mechanics. The HP pools of elite enemies have scaled significantly, making characters who offer raw damage without utility increasingly obsolete. Success in the current endgame requires a blend of high-frequency actions, weakness ignore capabilities, and massive defensive utility to survive aggressive enemy turn cycles.

SS Tier: The Apex Predators

These characters are the current gold standard. They either define an entire team archetype or provide such immense universal value that they can be slotted into almost any composition to guarantee a clear.

Spar Xie (Elation)

Spar Xie has redefined the Elation path. Unlike previous follow-up attackers who relied on RNG or slow stacks, Spar Xie triggers high-frequency, high-multiplier attacks that scale with the team’s overall action count. In the 4.0 meta, Spar Xie serves as the primary solution for the current HP bloat, providing both single-target execution and meaningful splash damage. Their synergy with existing follow-up supports makes them the most sought-after DPS for both MoC and AS.

Dan Heng • Permansor Terrae (Preservation)

Despite being a Preservation unit, Permansor Terrae functions as a hybrid sustain-DPS that challenges the traditional roles of team building. By converting defensive stats into massive AoE Imaginary damage, he allows players to run "solo sustain" teams that don't sacrifice offensive pressure. His ability to grant the entire team a permanent shield that reflects damage based on the enemy’s toughness bar is essential for clearing the higher floors of the current Apocalyptic Shadow.

Cyrene (Remembrance)

Cyrene is the cornerstone of the Remembrance meta. She introduces a unique mechanic that delays enemy actions while applying "Frostbite" stacks, which ignore a portion of the enemy's DEF. In teams built around the Chrysos Heir archetype, Cyrene’s value is unparalleled, turning aggressive bosses into stationary targets. While she requires specific teammates to reach her full potential, her peak performance is arguably the highest in the game.

Sunday (Harmony)

Sunday remains the premier support for any character with a summon or independent entity (like Jing Yuan’s Lightning-Lord or Topaz’s Numby). His ability to advance the action of these summons—effectively bypassing the speed limitations of the entities themselves—has brought older characters back into the SS tier. Sunday’s energy regeneration and massive Crit DMG buffs make him a mandatory pull for players looking to optimize their turn economy.

S+ Tier: High-Versatility Powerhouses

S+ characters are elite performers who may lack the absolute dominance of SS units but offer incredible flexibility or carry specific modes with ease.

Archer (Hunt)

As a 5-star Hunt character, Archer addresses the long-standing issue of Hunt units struggling in AoE scenarios. Her talent allows her to "Chain Execute" targets; if an enemy is defeated by her skill or ultimate, she gains an immediate extra turn with increased damage. This makes her a monster in MoC, where picking off elites quickly is key. Her single-target burst is currently the highest recorded in the 4.0 version.

Ruan Mei (Harmony)

Even as the game progresses into 4.0, Ruan Mei’s kit remains a masterpiece of utility. Weakness Break Efficiency is still a critical stat, especially for Break-centric teams featuring Firefly or Boothill. Ruan Mei’s ability to extend the duration of a broken state and provide team-wide RES PEN ensures her longevity in the meta. She is the literal glue that holds many off-meta compositions together.

Acheron (Nihility)

Acheron continues to be a top-tier DPS choice because she ignores the elemental weakness system. In a meta where enemies frequently cycle through different resistances, Acheron’s ability to brute-force through any toughness bar is invaluable. While she requires Nihility teammates to build her ultimate stacks, the release of Cipher and other 4.0 Nihility units has only made her more consistent.

Firefly (Destruction)

Firefly’s dominance in the Break meta hasn't waned. Her transformation state provides her with such immense speed and toughness-reduction capabilities that she can often clear MoC stages before the enemy can act twice. While she is somewhat reliant on HMC (Harmony Main Character) and Ruan Mei, her floor is incredibly high, making her a favorite for F2P players.

S Tier: The Specialist Meta

Characters in the S tier are exceptionally strong within their niche. They may not be as universal as the tiers above, but in the right team, they are indistinguishable from the best.

Jing Yuan (Erudition)

Jing Yuan has seen a massive resurgence in 4.0. Historically criticized for his slow Lightning-Lord, the addition of Sunday has fixed his primary weakness. With Sunday advancing the Lightning-Lord’s actions, Jing Yuan’s AoE damage output has skyrocketed, making him an S-tier contender for both Pure Fiction and MoC. It is a rare case of a 1.x character reclaiming their spot at the top through new synergies.

Lingsha (Abundance)

Lingsha is the current gold standard for aggressive sustain. She provides consistent healing through her summons while contributing significant Fire Break damage. In the 4.0 environment, where enemies often have high speed, Lingsha’s ability to cleanse and heal reactively through her follow-up attacks is much more reliable than traditional healers who must wait for their turn.

Kafka & Black Swan (Nihility)

The DoT (Damage over Time) duo remains the most consistent team for players who want to ignore Crit RNG. With the introduction of the Nihility unit Cipher, the DoT team has gained a third member who can accelerate DoT ticks and reduce enemy EHR (Effect Hit Rate) resistance. This trio can dismantle high-HP bosses with ease, providing a very high floor for performance.

Mode-Specific Rankings

In Honkai: Star Rail 4.0, a character’s value can shift dramatically depending on the game mode. A "general use" tier list only tells half the story.

Memory of Chaos (MoC)

• Top Performers: Archer, Spar Xie, Permansor Terrae, Acheron.
• Focus: Single-target burst and elite neutralization. The current MoC stages feature bosses with multiple phases and high HP, favoring units that can deliver concentrated damage.

Pure Fiction (PF)

• Top Performers: Herta (5-star variant), Anaxas, Jade, Jing Yuan, Argenti.
• Focus: Rapid AoE clearing. Characters with follow-up attacks or resets excel here. Herta’s new 5-star form, added in early 2026, has completely dominated this mode with her infinite scaling ice damage.

Apocalyptic Shadow (AS)

• Top Performers: Boothill, Firefly, Permansor Terrae, Castorice.
• Focus: Weakness Break and toughness bar depletion. AS bosses are designed to be invincible or highly resistant until their toughness is broken. Characters with high Break Efficiency and the ability to "delay" the enemy's recovery are essential.

The New Archetypes of 4.0

The Remembrance / Chrysos Heir Strategy

This archetype, featuring Cyrene, Hyacine, and the Remembrance Trailblazer, focuses on the "Freeze" and "Frostbite" mechanics. Unlike early-game Freeze which was easily resisted, the 4.0 Remembrance path features "Resistance Shred," allowing you to freeze even Ice-resistant bosses. This team is defensive by nature—if the enemy never takes a turn, you don't need a traditional healer. This high-skill-cap strategy is currently producing the fastest clear times in global leaderboards.

The Summoner Meta

With characters like Sunday, Lingsha, and Jing Yuan, the meta has moved toward "independent entities" on the action bar. The benefit of this meta is action economy. By having a summon that acts independently, you effectively have 5 or 6 units on your team. Sunday’s presence is the catalyst for this, as he allows these entities to be buffed and advanced just like regular characters.

Tier List: Quick Reference Table (Version 4.0)

Analysis of A-Tier and Below

It is important to note that "A-tier" in 4.0 does not mean a character is bad; it simply means they require more investment or have more specific drawbacks.

• Seele and Blade: While their raw numbers are still decent, they struggle with the current HP bloat. Seele requires kills to trigger "Resurgence," which is difficult when even minor mobs have 200k+ HP. Blade requires high HP investment but can be easily overwhelmed by the 4.0 bosses' heavy debuffs if not paired with a top-tier cleanser.
• Silver Wolf: Her value has slightly decreased because most new DPS units (Acheron, Firefly, Archer) have some form of innate weakness ignore. However, she remains the best single-target debuffer for players who haven't pulled the latest premium supports.
• Himeko: While she remains a queen in Pure Fiction, her utility in MoC and AS is limited compared to the new 4.0 Erudition and Destruction units. However, when paired with Topaz or Spar Xie in a follow-up team, she can still contribute significantly.

Investment Advice for the 4.0 Era

For players looking to maximize their Stellar Jade value, the priority has shifted toward Vertical Investment. Instead of pulling every new character, it is often more beneficial to pull the signature Light Cones (S1) or key Eidolons (E1/E2) for characters like Spar Xie or Sunday. The power gap between an E0S0 character and an E2S1 character in 4.0 is wider than it was in previous versions due to how the new mechanics scale.

If you are a new player starting in 2026, focus on building one strong Break Team (Firefly/HMC/Ruan Mei) and one Follow-up/Summon Team (Sunday/Jing Yuan or Spar Xie). These two archetypes cover almost all elemental weaknesses and endgame requirements.

Conclusion

The Honkai: Star Rail 4.0 tier list is a reflection of a game that has matured. Raw damage is no longer enough; synergy, action bar manipulation, and niche optimization are the keys to success. While power creep is a reality, the revitalization of older units like Jing Yuan through new supports shows that Hoyoverse is committed to keeping the roster viable. As we move further into the 4.0 patches, keep an eye on the Remembrance path, as it likely holds the key to the next evolution of the turn-based meta.