Destiny Rising Characters Tier List

Destiny Rising is a mobile gacha game in the Destiny universe created by NetEase in collaboration with Bungie. It features the trademark FPS shooter gameplay but brings its own host of new features, one of which is the roster of unique, named Guardians, each of which has its own set of weapons and abilities. At launch, the game features 13 characters, some of which can only be unlocked through the gacha system, where you get a banner with a particular character, and with a certain degree of luck, you unlock it.

In this Destiny Rising characters tier list, we’ll rank all currently available Lightbearers because, as it usually happens, some characters are going to be super niche, while others will make the meta. We’ll highlight every Lightbearer in the game and go over what makes them worth your while and which ones can be ignored.

By the way, when you pick your character roster, the next thing you're going to want to do is level them up. You can buy Destiny Rising Level Boost at SkyCoach to level up your chosen Lighbearers fast and easy with the help from professional gamers working with SkyCoach to help gamers around the world. Check out the specifics and options this service offers by following the link.

Read our other Destiny Rising guides:

• How to Play on PC
• Gauntlet: Onslaught Raid Guide
• Leveling Guide
• Weapons Tier List
• Beginner's Guide
• Gacha System Guide

 

 

How Our Tier List Works

To get all Destiny Rising characters ranked properly, we’re focusing on five key factors: damage output, speed, utility, survivability, and consistency. Damage and speed carry the most weight since most content is timer-based and rewards fast clears. Utility like team buffs or debuffs is also highly valued, while raw tankiness or healing alone matters less unless paired with strong offensive tools. Consistency — the uptime of buffs and cooldowns — is the final piece that separates average picks from meta-defining ones. Although things like cooldowns will change, so expect a lot of changes to this tier list in the future.

With only 13 Lightbearers at launch, we’re using a four-tier system to keep the rankings simple but meaningful:

• S-Tier – Characters with top-tier damage, excellent speed, or unique teamwide buffs. They’re consistent in nearly all modes and often define the meta.
• A-Tier – Strong, versatile heroes who perform well across most content. They may lack either raw damage or unique utility, but they remain reliable picks.
• B-Tier – Situational characters with clear strengths, such as niche AoE or support roles, but also major weaknesses like poor scaling or long cooldowns.
• C-Tier – Underwhelming heroes with low damage or weak utility. They may shine in PvP or specific encounters, but generally fall behind stronger options.

With the tiers of this Destiny Rising tier list officially established, we can proceed to ranking each Lightbearer.

Destiny Rising Characters Tier List

Despite the relatively small number of playable characters at launch, all of them offer something unique in terms of playstyle. Some heroes are more tanky, others focus on single-target DPS, and some are better at add clearing with good AoE. There are, of course, supports and healers as well. Not all of them perform equally well across the game’s PvE missions, boss fights, and PvP encounters, which is why Destiny Rising characters ranking helps separate the meta-defining picks from the more situational ones.

The following table shows what we believe is the current Destiny Rising meta and how each hero ranks based on their overall power, speed, utility, survivability, and consistency. S-Tier heroes set the pace of the game and define team compositions, while those in lower tiers often require more setup or struggle to compete with stronger alternatives.

These rankings reflect the launch meta and may shift as new strategies, balance updates, and future characters are introduced. Right now, S-Tier heroes stand out because they combine raw damage with valuable utility, making them essential for fast clears and difficult encounters. A-Tier picks remain strong and reliable, but lack that extra edge that defines the best of the best. B-Tier characters can still work well in the right situations but often feel niche, while C-Tier options are the least efficient choices and are generally overshadowed by others filling the same role. BLOG20

S-Tier Characters

S-Tier heroes define the Destiny Rising launch meta. They combine top-tier damage, strong utility, or unique team buffs that make them nearly essential. These are the Lightbearers you’ll want to prioritize first.

Wolf

Wolf is easily one of Destiny Rising best characters. His infinite uptime on debuffs, access to explosive weapons like the Eliksni Smart Bomb Launcher, and team speed support make him unmatched in both damage and utility. He brings overshields for survivability and is one of the fastest heroes in the game, making him an all-around monster for both PvE and PvP.

Tan-2

Tan-2 is the single-target king. His Blessing of Light functions like a Well of Radiance, granting massive weapon damage buffs for the entire team. Even though he lacks AoE tools, his raw DPS output is unrivaled during boss encounters. Any serious PvE setup benefits from having him in the lineup.

Umeko

Umeko is a hybrid support and DPS hero who surprised many during the beta as one of the Destiny Rising best heroes. She has a 40% weapon buff similar to Tan-2 but combines it with strong AoE potential and reliable debuffs. Her invisibility adds survivability and even positional mobility, making her a flexible pick that adapts to multiple situations.

Jolder

Jolder is a tank that doesn’t sacrifice damage, which easily takes her to the top of the Destiny Rising best characters for beginners. By building Rage, she gains up to a 90% multiplicative weapon damage buff, allowing her to keep pace with pure DPS heroes. Her bubble creates safe damage phases for the team, and her shield-based kit increases uptime in difficult encounters. She’s a defensive powerhouse who can also shred enemies when needed.

Estela

Estela earned her spot in the highest tier of the Destiny Rising hero tier list because she shines through her illusions and the Misfortune debuff, which turn her into one of the strongest PvE characters. Her summons overwhelm enemies while Misfortune spreads damage across groups, giving her exceptional boss and add-clear potential. She doesn’t bring team buffs, but her damage scaling makes her indispensable for content that requires fast clears.

Maru

Maru delivers consistent artillery-style damage through her Resonance system. She fires explosive volleys that scale in both damage and protection, giving her a mix of offense and defense few others can match. With overshields, tracking projectiles, and strong Super uptime, she is a reliable DPS pick for endgame PvE.

Together, these six heroes set the standard for the game at launch. They combine damage, buffs, and reliability in ways that no other characters can match, making them the backbone of the early meta.

A-Tier Characters

A-Tier heroes are strong and reliable choices in Destiny Rising. They perform well across most content and bring solid damage or utility, but they lack either the overwhelming power or unique team value that pushes S-Tier picks above the rest.

Gwynn

Gwynn specializes in Void damage and excels at burst encounters. Her ability to generate and consume Void Spirits gives her strong self-healing and powerful single-target bursts, especially against elite enemies. While her shotgun-focused kit limits range, she makes up for it with consistency and sustained pressure in close combat. So Gwynn can still be called one of the Destiny Rising best characters for PvE. Besides, she’s one of the best add clear specialists, though not quite as versatile as S-Tier damage dealers.

Xuan Wei

Xuan Wei is one of Destiny Rising best DPS heroes. Being a close-range powerhouse with strong crowd control, his kit revolves around fast, high-impact shotgun damage and powerful ability uptime, letting him burst down enemies quickly in the right conditions. With access to high multiplicative buffs, he’s deadly at short range but lacks flexibility in encounters that demand distance. If you can manage his positioning, he’s one of the best aggressive picks in the game.

Finnala

Finnala is a frontline brawler with good survivability and area control. Her barriers reduce ranged damage and apply Scorch, making her an effective disruptor. She can hold ground well and sustain herself with Ember stacks, but her damage lags behind higher-tier picks. She’s a serviceable tanky option for players who like durable heroes, though she’s clearly overshadowed by Jolder in raw impact.

A-Tier heroes may not dominate every encounter, but there are still Destiny Rising best characters for PvP and PvE. They offer consistent performance and remain safe investments. They’re particularly effective in content where survivability or steady damage is more valuable than sheer burst.

B-Tier Characters

B-Tier heroes are functional but flawed. They can contribute in the right situations, but their weaknesses keep them from excelling in the current meta. These Lightbearers often feel niche or inconsistent compared to stronger options.

Ning Fei

Ning Fei is not exactly among the Destiny Rising most OP heroes. He is built around clones and Arc chain lightning, giving him flashy AoE and strong mobility. He’s also the fastest hero in the game, which can be valuable in timer-based content. The problem is his overall damage output — despite multiplicative buffs, his weapons and ability scaling simply don’t match what higher-tier heroes bring. Fun to play and stylish, but more of a mobility pick than a meta-defining powerhouse.

Ikora

Ikora delivers a massive burst with Nova Bomb and Void satellites, but her biggest drawback is cooldowns. Her super takes longer to recharge than any other hero in the game, and her abilities don’t have the uptime needed for consistent pressure. She can shine in short encounters where burst matters, but across long missions, she struggles to keep pace with other Void characters. Still a fan favorite thanks to her iconic status, but mechanically underwhelming at launch.

B-Tier heroes have their moments, but they require either specific team setups or favorable encounters to stand out. For most players, they’ll feel like side investments rather than core picks.

C-Tier Characters

C-Tier heroes are the weakest options in Destiny Rising’s launch roster. They may have niche uses or shine in PvP, but in most PvE content they’re heavily outclassed by other Lightbearers. Their damage scaling, utility, or consistency just doesn’t match the current meta.

Attal

Attal is one of the Destiny Rising best support characters, which there aren’t that many of in the game to begin with. She functions as a healer and support hero, commanding her Arc peregrine Mint to restore health to allies. While this is unique, pure healing isn’t valued highly in Destiny Rising, where preventing damage or clearing enemies faster is more effective. Her personal DPS is low, and her utility doesn’t offset the lack of impact. She can be fun in PvP, but in endgame PvE, Attal falls flat compared to more aggressive or versatile picks. BLOG20

Kabr

Kabr uses his Arc shield to create barriers and enhance allied gunfire, but his kit struggles with poor synergy and limited uptime. His defensive tools don’t last long, and his weapon mastery doesn’t mesh well with the weapons he’s given. While his blinding effects have situational value, most teams prefer stronger tanks like Jolder or damage-focused supports like Umeko. As a result, Kabr feels outclassed across the board.

These Lightbearers may see adjustments in future patches, but at launch, they are the least efficient investments for players looking to push into harder content.

Conclusion

With only 13 characters at launch, there are enough of them to fill the classic roles of Tank, DPS, and healer for the endgame. It’s also pretty clear that this roster will be expanded in the future. With that said, you now have a pretty solid understanding of where each of the Guardians stands in terms of their usefulness and effectiveness.

We’ll keep updating this tier list with new heroes and any balancing changes that occur after the game’s launch that changes to how characters perform will also be reflected here. So stay in touch and we’ll see you in the next one!

F.A.Q.