Nikke Tier List - Best Picks For Campaign, Bossing, PvP

Find the best characters in this Nikke Tier List for Campaign, raids, and Arena, with practical rankings, role notes, and build priorities.

Apr 17, 2026

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Nikke Tier List: Best Units By Role, Mode, And Value

A NIKKE tier listonly earns its keep when it tells you three things clearly: whya character is strong, whereshe is strong, and how muchshe is worth investing in. That matters even more right now because live-service games shift at the edges before the average player notices. The official NIKKE Global Popularity Poll IVran in2026, and recent official update notes also added new Favorite Items for Helm, Miranda, Drake, and Milk, with the system unlocked after Campaign Stage 6-4.

The goal here is simple: help you decide who to build now, who to build later, and who is only worth touching once your account already has the fundamentals covered.

Answer Box: The Fast Version

Best overall investments:Crown, Rapi: Red Hood, Red Hood, Liter, and Naga.
Best Campaign logic:prioritize units that survive CP deficit, smooth burst cycles, and keep wave clear reliable.
Best Bossing logic:prioritize single-target damage, damage amplification, and clean burst uptime.
Best PvP logic:prioritize burst generation, speed, disruption, and survivability over raw PvE damage.
Favorite Item matters:some characters are fine at base, but much easier to recommend once Favorite Item is active.

Best Overall Picks For Most Accounts

If you want the shortest possible shortlist, start with Crown, Rapi: Red Hood, Red Hood, Liter, and Naga. They cover the jobs that carry real accounts: support compression, burst stability, survivability, and damage that still matters when content gets ugly.

That is the broad-value spine. Once you have that spine, the rest of the tier list becomes easier to use.

Best Campaign / Story Picks

Campaign is where fake “best unit” claims usually fall apart. Story progression rewards teams that still function under pressure, do not brick on auto, and can clear dangerous waves without needing perfect manual play.

That is why Crown, Liter, Naga, Red Hood, and Rapi: Red Hoodstay near the top. They do not just look powerful. They make difficult content feel more stable.

Best Bossing / Raid Picks

Bossing narrows the question. Here I care more about single-target output, amplification, part damage, and whether the team can squeeze maximum value out of every full burst.

That pushes Red Hood, Alice, Scarlet: Black Shadow, Maxwell, and the strongest buffers higher than they might appear in a general Story-first list.

Best PvP / Arena Picks

Arena uses a different rulebook. Burst speed, disruption, taunt value, and stall tools often beat prettier PvE kits, which is why characters like Noiseand Sakuracan matter more in PvP than in a broad Story ranking.

If you treat PvP as just “Story, but against other people,” you will waste materials fast.

Best Healers And Sustain Units

The best healer is rarely the one with the biggest raw heal. The best healer is the one who keeps your run alive withoutturning your team into dead weight.

Naga, Rapunzel, Pepper, and Marcianaall fit different sustain profiles, but Naga remains the cleanest long-term answer for most rosters because she helps your team win faster, not just survive longer.

Biggest Favorite Item Movers

Favorite Item has to be handled separately. Some characters deserve a base rankand a Favorite Item rank, not one blended answer. Official update notes made that especially relevant this month by adding new Favorite Items for Helm, Miranda, Drake, and Milk.

That is why this article treats Treasure-sensitive units with more caution than flat tier screenshots usually do.

What This Nikke Tier List Measures

A tier list is only as useful as the method behind it. Without methodology, rankings are just decoration.

The mistake I see most often is assuming every “top tier” character is top tier for the same reason. In GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE, that is almost never true.

Why One “Best Character” Answer Is Misleading

Campaign, Bossing, and PvP ask for different things. A unit can be elite in one environment and merely good in another. That is not a contradiction. It is what a healthy meta looks like.

So when one character lands lower here than on another list, that usually means her value is more conditional, not that she is weak.

How Mode Weighting Works

Mode	What matters most
Campaign / Story	CP deficit stability, wave clear, burst flow, auto consistency
Bossing / Raid	Single-target damage, amplification, part/core damage, sustained uptime
PvP / Arena	Burst generation, speed, disruption, stall value, defense pressure

A combined list is fine only if it is honest about what it hides.

How CP Deficit Changes Rankings

CP deficit is one of the biggest reasons Story rankings diverge from casual overall rankings. Some units keep working when your team is underpowered. Others fall off quickly as soon as a stage stops forgiving weak openings.

If you are stuck in Campaign, do not solve that problem with a raid-only mindset.

Why Favorite Item Gets Its Own Flag

Favorite Item is not a cosmetic side grade. It can materially change a unit’s value, which is why Helm and other Treasure-sensitive characters need a conditional note instead of a flat rank. Official update notes this month reinforced that by expanding the system again and confirming the unlock condition remains Campaign Stage 6-4.

Full Nikke Tier List (SS To D)

Before the character-by-character breakdown, use this quick filter:

If your account needs...	Start here
Story progression	SS and S+ first
Raid / boss damage	SS, S+, and the boss-focused S picks
PvP improvement	SS for universal value, then the PvP-specific B and A tools
Safe early investment	SS first, then selective S+
Treasure optimization	A and B units with Favorite Item upside

The short checklist is even simpler:

Identify your bottleneck.
Check whether the character needs Favorite Item to justify the rank.
Prefer broad-value units over niche monsters if your roster is still thin.
Treat PvP as a separate ecosystem.
Do not overinvest in a character who only looks great in a perfect account.

SS Tier Nikkes

SS is reserved for the characters who keep solving problems long after banner hype fades.

Tier list image labeled "SS" showing five anime-style female characters from the game Goddess of Victory: Nikke.

Crown

Burst:II
Role:Defender
Weapon:Minigun
Key Strength:Premium offensive support with shielding, taunt, and invulnerability windows
Best used in:Campaign, Bossing, and any roster that wants a top-end Burst II anchor
Investment:Very high priority.One copy can materially improve an account; deeper investment is a luxury, not a requirement.

Crown earns SS because she compresses too many important jobs into one slot. She boosts team output, stabilizes ugly stages, and remains worth fielding in both progression and boss content.

Rapi: Red Hood

Burst:I / III
Role:Attacker
Weapon:Minigun
Key Strength:Flexible burst-stage utility with strong personal damage and cooldown support
Best used in:Bossing, high-end Campaign teams, and accounts that want a premium flexible carry
Investment:Very high priority.One copy is already a major gain; skill investment is worth it if she is a core piece of your box.

Rapi: Red Hood stays in SS because she is both a damage dealer and a roster fixer. A character who can smooth rotations and still hit like a carry is the kind of unit that ages well.

Red Hood

Burst:All stages
Role:Attacker
Weapon:Sniper Rifle
Key Strength:Top-end carry damage with rare flexibility across burst stages
Best used in:Campaign, Bossing, and advanced mixed-content teams
Investment:Very high priority.One copy has core-account value; heavy skill and gear investment pays off.

Red Hood remains one of the easiest premium units to justify. She does not just post numbers. She changes what a roster can get away with.

Liter

Burst:I
Role:Supporter
Weapon:SMG
Key Strength:Burst cooldown reduction and universal support value
Best used in:Campaign, Bossing, and any roster that still needs a clean Burst I solution
Investment:Very high priority.One copy matters; skill books are well spent here.

Liter is still one of the safest Burst I supports for most players because she makes everything smoother. You notice her most when you replace her and your team suddenly feels worse.

Naga

Burst:II
Role:Supporter
Weapon:Shotgun
Key Strength:Sustain plus core-damage support without sacrificing offensive tempo
Best used in:Campaign, Bossing, and rosters that need survivability without losing momentum
Investment:Very high priority.One copy is enough to justify strong investment.

Naga is the kind of sustain unit that strong accounts actually keep using. She heals, buffs, and supports damage at the same time, which is why she stays SS.

S+ Tier Nikkes

S+ is where units are either nearly universal or clearly elite within a narrower window.

Tier list labeled "S+" featuring five anime-style female characters from the game Goddess of Victory: Nikke.

Scarlet: Black Shadow

Burst:III
Role:Attacker
Weapon:Rocket Launcher
Key Strength:Brutal offensive scaling with strong mobbing and boss damage
Best used in:Campaign wave pressure and serious raid damage setups
Investment:High priority.Worth serious skill and gear investment if she is one of your core carries.

Scarlet: Black Shadow is one of the cleanest “high ceiling, real payoff” carries in the game. She sits just outside SS only because the very top units are easier to justify across more accounts.

Alice

Burst:III
Role:Attacker
Weapon:Sniper Rifle
Key Strength:Massive boss damage with premium scaling when invested correctly
Best used in:Bossing, raid teams, and charge-speed-focused setups
Investment:High priority, but skill-sensitive.Great payoff if you can support her properly.

Alice is the classic high-ceiling specialist. When the build is right, she can feel SS. When the account is undercooked, she feels merely good. That difference is why she lands in S+.

Modernia

Burst:III
Role:Attacker
Weapon:Minigun
Key Strength:Consistent sustained damage with strong general PvE value
Best used in:Campaign, multi-target pressure, and comfortable long-form PvE
Investment:High priority.Easy to justify if you need a premium generalist DPS.

Modernia still makes content feel easier in a way raw ranking screenshots often fail to explain. She remains one of the better “play this almost anywhere” damage options.

Grave

Burst:II
Role:Supporter
Weapon:Assault Rifle
Key Strength:Pierce-oriented support with real offensive contribution and burst-gauge help
Best used in:Pierce teams, Bossing, and offensive PvE setups
Investment:High priorityif your account already supports pierce-focused damage dealers.

Grave looks even better the more purpose your roster has. She is not as universal as Crown, but in the right teams she is excellent.

Nayuta

Burst:II
Role:Supporter
Weapon:SMG
Key Strength:Attack buffs, healing, and support pressure in one package
Best used in:PvE teams that want a modern support with real upside
Investment:High priorityif you need support depth; less urgent if you already own the SS spine.

Nayuta deserves a high placement because her kit combines healing and offensive support cleanly. I still stop short of SS because the top five are more proven as universal anchors.

S Tier Nikkes

S-tier units are strong enough to build, but they need a bit more context than the top two brackets.

Tier list labeled "S" featuring six anime-style female characters from the game Goddess of Victory: Nikke.

Blanc

Burst:II
Role:Defender
Weapon:Assault Rifle
Key Strength:Shields, healing, and durable utility
Best used in:Campaign teams, bunny setups, and rosters that need more safety
Investment:High priorityif she completes a bunny core for your account.

Blanc remains one of the best examples of survivability that actually matters. She is not as automatic as Crown, but she still carries real value.

Noir

Burst:III
Role:Attacker
Weapon:Shotgun
Key Strength:Team ATK support, ammo utility, and respectable damage
Best used in:Bunny cores, shotgun-friendly teams, and stable PvE lineups
Investment:Medium to high priorityif her pairings are already relevant to your account.

Noir is still easy to use and easy to keep using. She lands in S because she is strong, but not as universally urgent as the very best carries and supports.

Cinderella

Burst:III
Role:Defender
Weapon:Rocket Launcher
Key Strength:Durable damage with strong charge-speed interaction
Best used in:PvE teams that want a tankier Burst III presence
Investment:Medium to high priorityonce your support core is already stable.

Cinderella is powerful enough to matter, but she asks for slightly more context than the top S+ names. That makes S the right home for her.

Rapunzel

Burst:I
Role:Supporter
Weapon:Rocket Launcher
Key Strength:Healing, revive utility, and niche PvP disruption
Best used in:Sustain-heavy teams and certain PvP or recovery-focused situations
Investment:Medium priority.Worth building if you need her tools, but not a first resource sink.

Rapunzel still does things few other units can do. The issue is not uniqueness. The issue is that many modern teams want sustain that comes with stronger offensive value.

D: Killer Wife

Burst:I
Role:Supporter
Weapon:Sniper Rifle
Key Strength:Cooldown reduction plus sniper-friendly support
Best used in:PvE teams, especially raid or sniper-oriented setups
Investment:High priorityif your account needs another real cooldown-reduction option.

D: Killer Wife is one of those supports that becomes more impressive once your roster can exploit her. She is not as universal as Liter, but she is absolutely worth respecting.

Takina Inoue

Burst:II
Role:Supporter
Weapon:Sniper Rifle
Key Strength:True-damage support, control, and enemy damage-taken pressure
Best used in:Support-driven PvE teams and accounts that want more utility from a collab pick
Investment:Medium to high priorityif you own her and need her support profile.

Takina looks like one of the better collaboration utilities because she brings debuffing and team support instead of pure novelty. That gives her a longer shelf life than many limited units get.

A Tier Nikkes

A-tier units are good, but they are more account-specific or mode-specific than the tiers above.

Tier list labeled "A" featuring five anime-style female characters from the game Goddess of Victory: Nikke.

Chisato Nishikigi

Burst:III
Role:Attacker
Weapon:SMG
Key Strength:Self-buffing offensive pressure with survivability baked into her kit
Best used in:Limited-banner accounts that need another usable Burst III attacker
Investment:Medium priority.Worth building if she fills a real gap, not just because she is limited.

Chisato is a respectable collab attacker, but I do not see a strong enough case to force her above broader long-term staples.

Maxwell

Burst:III
Role:Attacker
Weapon:Sniper Rifle
Key Strength:Boss-focused damage and charge-speed synergy
Best used in:Raid teams and sniper-based boss shells
Investment:Medium to high priorityif your account already supports boss-centric sniper play.

Maxwell still hits hard in the content that wants her. She stays in A because she is a specialist first, not a universal answer.

Helm

Burst:III
Role:Attacker
Weapon:Sniper Rifle
Key Strength:Hybrid offense with stronger upside once Favorite Item enters the picture
Best used in:Favorite Item-sensitive builds and certain bossing teams
Investment:Medium priority at base; higher if Favorite Item is active.

Helm is exactly why I separate base ranks from Favorite Item ranks. Base Helm is fine. Favorite Item Helm is much easier to recommend.

Privaty

Burst:III
Role:Attacker
Weapon:Assault Rifle
Key Strength:Team ATK and reload support with practical utility
Best used in:Midgame PvE rosters and utility-heavy teams
Investment:Medium priority.Good value if she fills a real need; not a premium chase for most accounts.

Privaty remains useful because she still does something concrete for real rosters. She just faces stiffer competition now.

Rouge

Burst:I
Role:Supporter
Weapon:Sniper Rifle
Key Strength:Burst cooldown reduction with side utility
Best used in:PvE teams that need another workable Burst I support
Investment:Medium priority.More attractive if your Burst I options are thin.

Rouge is valuable precisely because good Burst I supports are always in demand. I keep her in A because she solves a useful job without quite becoming a universal staple.

B Tier Nikkes

B-tier characters are playable, but they need purpose. Most accounts should not default here when resources are scarce.

Tier list labeled "B" featuring five anime-style female characters from the game Goddess of Victory: Nikke.

Pepper

Burst:I
Role:Supporter
Weapon:Shotgun
Key Strength:Reliable healing with accessible utility
Best used in:Early and midgame sustain needs
Investment:Medium priority early, low priority late.

Pepper still works. The problem is not that she is bad. The problem is that stronger sustain options usually age better.

Marciana

Burst:II
Role:Supporter
Weapon:Shotgun
Key Strength:Lifesteal-based sustain and Storage durability support
Best used in:Beginner and midgame teams that need a Burst II healer
Investment:Medium priorityonly if you genuinely need her healing slot.

Marciana is useful for accounts that are short on sustain, especially early on. Once your Burst II competition improves, she becomes much harder to justify.

Noise

Burst:I
Role:Supporter
Weapon:Rocket Launcher
Key Strength:Taunt, max-HP support, and PvP stall value
Best used in:PvP and niche stall-based defensive teams
Investment:Low to medium priorityunless Arena is a major focus.

Noise is the perfect example of a unit whose PvP identity is stronger than her broad PvE ranking. She can still be annoying in exactly the right ways.

Sakura

Burst:I
Role:Supporter
Weapon:Sniper Rifle
Key Strength:Cooldown support and niche utility
Best used in:PvP and specific utility-driven lineups
Investment:Low to medium priority.Build with a plan, not from hype.

Sakura is usable, but she is not the kind of unit I would recommend blind. She is better when you know why she is on the team.

Soda

Burst:I
Role:Supporter
Weapon:Minigun
Key Strength:Healing, buff-stack utility, and some PvP relevance
Best used in:Niche PvP use and early support coverage
Investment:Low priorityunless you specifically want her niche value.

Soda is playable, but most accounts have cleaner things to build first. She is better as a situational tool than as a core plan.

C Tier Nikkes

C-tier is the fringe. These units can still function, but the burden of proof is now on the roster, not on the character.

Tier list labeled "C" featuring five anime-style female characters from the game Goddess of Victory: Nikke.

Viper

Burst:II
Role:Attacker
Weapon:Shotgun
Key Strength:Early offensive buffs and some debuff value
Best used in:Very specific stopgap or preference-based builds
Investment:Low priority.Build only with a clear reason.

Viper can still do a few things, but the opportunity cost is difficult to defend in a modern account.

Eunhwa

Burst:II
Role:Attacker
Weapon:Sniper Rifle
Key Strength:DEF shred and charge-speed support for herself
Best used in:Narrow, experimental Elysion-oriented setups
Investment:Low priority.Not a smart use of scarce materials for most players.

Eunhwa is not unplayable. She is just very easy to replace.

Signal

Burst:II
Role:Attacker
Weapon:SMG
Key Strength:Basic debuffing and self-heal on full burst
Best used in:Early placeholder teams only
Investment:Very low priority.

Signal is a classic filler character: usable in a pinch, rarely the best answer to anything once your roster develops.

D Tier Nikkes

D-tier is where serious investment usually stops.

Product 08

Burst:I
Role:Supporter
Weapon:Sniper Rifle
Key Strength:Minimal team ATK support
Best used in:Early placeholder duty only
Investment:Do not invest beyond the bare minimum.

Product 08 exists to hold a slot, not to define a team.

Soldier FA

Burst:II
Role:Defender
Weapon:Shotgun
Key Strength:Basic self-survival
Best used in:Emergency early filler only
Investment:Do not invest.

Soldier FA is not a real progression destination. She is a temporary body, nothing more.

Best Nikkes By Burst Role And Team Job

Tier liststell you how strong a character is. Burst planning tells you whether your team actually works.

Best Burst I Units

Literis still the safest Burst I choice for most players, with D: Killer Wifeand Rougeacting as more conditional alternatives depending on comp needs.

Best Burst II Units

Crownand Nagaremain the standout names because they create both safety and damage momentum. Graveenters the conversation once your team is built to exploit pierce interactions.

Best Burst III Units

Rapi: Red Hood, Red Hood, Scarlet: Black Shadow, Alice, and Moderniaare the main names to build around if your account wants serious damage without fake value.

Best Universal Supports

The most universal supports are the ones that compress jobs. Crown, Liter, and Nagaare still the best examples of that principle.

Best Carries For Weak Rosters

Weak rosters want simple answers, not clever edge cases. Rapi: Red Hood, Red Hood, Scarlet: Black Shadow, and Moderniaare the easiest premium damage names to justify.

Favorite Item And Collection Priority

Favorite Item changes recommendations because it changes efficiency. Official update notes make that very clear this month by expanding the system and tying the relevant materials to Dispatch, Solo Raid, and the Mileage Shop for the newest wave.

Which Characters Rise The Most With Favorite Item

Helm is one of the clearest examples. She is respectable at base, but much easier to prioritize once Favorite Item enters the equation.

Which Favorite Item Upgrades Are Best Value

The best-value upgrades are the ones that either:

revive a unit you already own and like,
solve a real roster bottleneck,
or create a useful option without demanding a complete team rebuild.

That is usually a better investment than chasing Treasure just because it is new.

Which Units Are Good Even Without Favorite Item

Crown, Liter, Naga, Red Hood, Rapi: Red Hood, Scarlet: Black Shadow, and Alicedo not need Treasure scaffolding to justify themselves. That is why they should usually come first.

New, Limited, And Collab Units That Change The Meta

Limited units create pressure because scarcity always tries to masquerade as power. The right question is not “Will this banner disappear?” The right question is “Will this unit solve a problem my current roster cannot solve nearly as well?”

Nayuta

Nayuta is the best of the three as a broad support investment because her kit combines healing and offensive support. She is the one I would trust most to keep value over time if your account still needs support depth.

Takina Inoue

Takina is the more utility-forward collab pickup. Support tools age better than gimmicks, which is why I rate her above most limited units that only bring style.

Chisato

Chisato is solid, but her pull logic is more situational. Limited availability helps her case, but it does not automatically beat broader premium priorities.

When Limited Availability Changes The Recommendation

Limited status matters most when:

the unit is hard to replace,
your roster directly needs her job,
and the banner is unlikely to return on a friendly schedule.

If those conditions are missing, scarcity alone should not drive the pull.

If you missed a premium support, rebuild around Liter, Crown, Naga, or D: Killer Wifebefore you chase a weaker imitation. If you missed a flashy collab attacker, reinvest in Red Hood, Rapi: Red Hood, Scarlet: Black Shadow, Alice, or Moderniainstead.

Build Now, Build Next, Or Niche Only

Most players do not need more rankings. They need cleaner priorities.

Decision bucket	Characters
Build now	Crown, Rapi: Red Hood, Red Hood, Liter, Naga
Build next	Scarlet: Black Shadow, Alice, Modernia, Grave, D: Killer Wife
Niche only	Noise, Sakura, Viper, Signal, Product 08, Soldier FA

Want more character ranking guides in the same style? Read our Genshin Impact Tier List.

Best Investments For Beginners

Beginners should favor the characters who are good in more than one mode and easy to place into imperfect teams. That means starting with the SS tier and then filling around it with the safest S+ names.

Best Investments For Returning Players

Returning accounts are usually uneven, not weak. Fix the Burst I and Burst II spine first, then rebuild your damage around one or two carries instead of trying to modernize every old favorite at once.

Endgame-Only Or Account-Specific Picks

The best examples here are specialist raid pieces and Favorite Item-sensitive characters. They can be excellent, but only after your account already has the basics covered.

Common Traps That Look Stronger Than They Are

The biggest traps are:

building boss specialists for a Story-stuck account,
overvaluing heal-only comfort,
and assuming Favorite Item value exists before you have actually unlocked it.

How To Use This Nikke Tier List For Your Account

A tier list should end in action.

If Your Problem Is Campaign Progression

Start with Crown, Liter, Naga, and one premium carry. Solve burst flow, wave control, and survivability first.

If Your Problem Is Boss Damage

Push toward Red Hood, Alice, Scarlet: Black Shadow, and the supports that let them stay online. Bossing rewards a tighter shell than Story.

If Your Problem Is PvP Burst Speed

Focus on burst generation, stall value, and disruption before you obsess over raw damage. That is where units like Noiseand Sakuracan suddenly become relevant.

If Your Roster Lacks Healing Or Sustain

Use sustain that still contributes to the clear. Nagais the cleanest all-around example; Rapunzel, Pepper, and Marcianaare more conditional answers.

If You Are Deciding Whether To Pull

Ask three questions:

Does this unit solve a real hole in my roster?
Is there a close replacement already built or easy to build?
Will skipping this banner hurt more than saving for a stronger future need?

If you cannot answer at least one of those clearly, patience usually wins.

Looking for more gacha rankings? See our Blue Archive Tier List.

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Nikke Tier List - Best Picks For Campaign, Bossing, PvP

.rtbgdx-1mysgrz{display:-webkit-box;-webkit-line-clamp:1;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:2;}Nikke Tier List: Best Units By Role, Mode, And Value

Best Overall Picks For Most Accounts

Best Campaign / Story Picks

Best Bossing / Raid Picks

Best PvP / Arena Picks

Best Healers And Sustain Units

Biggest Favorite Item Movers

What This Nikke Tier List Measures

Full Nikke Tier List (SS To D)

SS Tier Nikkes

S+ Tier Nikkes

S Tier Nikkes

A Tier Nikkes

B Tier Nikkes

C Tier Nikkes

D Tier Nikkes

Best Nikkes By Burst Role And Team Job

Favorite Item And Collection Priority

New, Limited, And Collab Units That Change The Meta

Build Now, Build Next, Or Niche Only

How To Use This Nikke Tier List For Your Account

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Nikke Tier List: Best Units By Role, Mode, And Value