Quick Answer: The best characters in Arknights Endfield 1.2 are Tangtang, Laevatain, Yvonne, Zhuang Fangyi, Gilberta, and Rossi (SS-tier). Zhuang Fangyi is the strongest new addition as a flexible Electric hypercarry, while Tangtang remains the most versatile operator in the game thanks to her ability to function as DPS, sub-DPS, or support across nearly every Arts team.
Choosing the wrong characters in Arknights Endfield wastes pulls, Originium, and weeks of farming. With 26 playable operators across five elements (Heat, Electric, Cryo, Nature, Physical) and three roles (Damage, Enabler, Buffer), the meta moves fast — and the wrong pick today is the bench warmer tomorrow.
This Arknights Endfield tier list ranks every operator from SS to C tier based on Umbral Monument performance, team flexibility, and impact in Patch 1.2. Use it to plan banner pulls, build optimal teams, and avoid investing in falling operators.
Climbing Umbral Monument’s hardest stages takes weeks of farming, perfect rotations, and the right operator pulls. If you’d rather skip the grind and play with the strongest team possible, the ImmortalBoost Arknights Endfield services can fast-track your progress:
Arknights Endfield Tier List at a Glance (Patch 1.2)
| Tier | Operators |
|---|---|
| SS-Tier | Tangtang, Laevatain, Yvonne, Zhuang Fangyi, Gilberta, Rossi |
| S-Tier | Ardelia, Perlica, Chen Qianyu, Xaihi, Pogranichnik, Last Rite, Endministrator, Avywenna, Lifeng |
| A-Tier | Akekuri, Arclight, Antal, Wulfgard, Da Pan, Alesh, Ember |
| B-Tier | Fluorite, Snowshine, Estella |
| C-Tier | Catcher |
Bottom line: Pull for Zhuang Fangyi or Tangtang if you want flexibility. Pull for Yvonne or Laevatain if you want a hypercarry. Skip C-tier units — Catcher’s kit is outclassed by free alternatives.
How We Ranked Arknights Endfield Operators
Every ranking on this list reflects performance under these standardized conditions:
- Operator Level: 90 with all combat talents fully levelled
- Skills: Maxed rank
- Potentials: P0 for 6★ and 5★ (except Endministrator at P2), P5 for 4★
- Weapons: Best-in-slot 6★ at P0, or P5 5★/4★/3★
- Gear: Optimal sets with maxed essences
- Combat Mode: Performance evaluated in Umbral Monument endgame stages
- Starting Resources: 0 Ultimate Energy, no pre-casting, no consumables
Tier rankings reflect relative strength in endgame content. Every operator can clear the main story comfortably — these tiers matter most for Umbral Monument, RE-Crisis speedruns, and trimmed medal hunts.
Understanding the Three Operator Roles
Unlike Game8’s character-only ratings, modern Endfield meta groups operators by their functional role in a team. Most top teams need one of each:
- Damage (Hypercarry) — Operators whose primary purpose is dealing the bulk of team damage. Examples: Laevatain, Yvonne, Rossi, Zhuang Fangyi.
- Enabler — Operators that supply Inflictions, SP generation, stagger build, or Ultimate energy. Examples: Tangtang, Chen Qianyu, Pogranichnik.
- Buffer — Operators that multiply team damage through buffs and debuffs. Examples: Gilberta, Ardelia, Perlica, Xaihi.
A balanced Umbral Monument team typically runs 1 Damage + 1 Enabler + 1 Buffer + 1 flex slot (sustain or secondary enabler).
SS-Tier Characters in Arknights Endfield
SS-tier operators are meta-defining — they raise their team’s ceiling regardless of account state and remain top picks across multiple team archetypes.
1. Tangtang — Best Overall Operator (Cryo / Caster / Enabler)
Tangtang is the most flexible operator in Endfield 1.2. She can fill the role of DPS, sub-DPS, or support, fits in nearly every Arts team, and provides potent crowd control with Arts Susceptibility application.
- Strengths: Universal team fit, strong CC, low Infliction cost, scales as DPS or support
- Weaknesses: Jack of all trades, master of none — outscaled by element specialists in single-element teams
- Verdict: Pull for Tangtang if you missed Laevatain, Yvonne, or want a Cryo team backbone.
2. Laevatain — Best AoE DPS (Heat / Striker / Damage)
Laevatain remains the uncontested AoE damage king thanks to innate Heat RES Ignore that brute-forces almost any encounter.
- Strengths: Highest AoE damage, accessible team (4★ supports work fine), single-target damage stays competitive
- Weaknesses: Team-dependent — needs heavy Heat Infliction and Combustion/Corrosion enablers
- Verdict: Best DPS for players new to building a top-tier team.
3. Yvonne — Best Single-Target Boss Killer (Cryo / Striker / Damage)
Yvonne is the premier RE-Crisis speedrunner, capable of one-shotting bosses in a single Ultimate rotation.
- Strengths: Massive single-target burst, self-amplifies damage on Cryo/Solidified targets, top RE-Crisis pick
- Weaknesses: Struggles vs scattered mobs, SP issues without a dedicated Vanguard
- Verdict: Mandatory for trimmed medals on boss-focused stages.
4. Zhuang Fangyi — New Premier Electric Hypercarry (Electric / Damage)
The newest SS-tier addition, Zhuang Fangyi is an Electric hypercarry with self-buffing kit and an unusually long Ultimate uptime.
- Strengths: Top-tier damage in all content, flexible team options, supplies own buffs, accessible 4★/5★ teams
- Weaknesses: Mandatory team Electric Infliction, SP-hungry, slow Ultimate charge
- Verdict: Best limited banner pull of Patch 1.2 — currently watchlisted to potentially redefine the T0 meta.
5. Gilberta — Best Buffer in the Game (Nature / Supporter / Buffer)
Gilberta is the enabler that unlocks Hybrid teams. She combines crowd control, healing, Arts Susceptibility, and Ultimate-gain buffs in one kit.
- Strengths: Best-in-slot Arts Susceptibility, native Corrosion access, AoE grouping, unconditional Nature Infliction
- Weaknesses: Loses healing in single-target fights, wants Vulnerable to maximize debuff value
- Verdict: Core enabler for Yvonne, Rossi, and most Hybrid comps.
6. Rossi — Best Sub-DPS (Physical / Guard / Damage)
Rossi anchors the dominant Hybrid Physical/Heat archetype with her Razor Clawmark debuff that boosts both damage types.
- Strengths: Massive Vulnerable application, flexible burst or sustained damage, future-proof across Arts/Physical/Hybrid teams
- Weaknesses: Heavily reliant on Gilberta to reach full potential
- Verdict: Pull as a power upgrade if you already own Gilberta.
S-Tier Characters in Arknights Endfield
S-tier operators are core to their respective archetypes. They’re not meta-defining alone but become irreplaceable in their best teams.
7. Ardelia — Free Universal Healer (Nature / Supporter / Buffer)
Ardelia is the best free sustain unit in the game, applying both Arts and Physical Susceptibility plus forced Corrosion. Slightly outscaled by Gilberta in top teams but remains an easy slot-in for any non-optimized comp.
8. Perlica — Core Electric Buffer (Electric / Caster / Buffer)
Perlica enables Electric teams through forced Electrification and triggers Combo Skills for nearly any Arts carry. Short Electrification uptime is her main flaw.
9. Chen Qianyu — Vulnerable King of Physical (Physical / Guard / Enabler)
Chen is the best Vulnerable applicator in the game, juggling enemies mid-air with constant Lifts. Core to every Physical team running Crush or Breach.
10. Xaihi — Irreplaceable Cryo Support (Cryo / Supporter / Buffer)
Xaihi is the only operator who can buffer, debuffer, and heal Cryo teams simultaneously. Mandatory for Yvonne and Last Rite teams.
11. Pogranichnik — Physical Team Backbone (Physical / Vanguard / Buffer)
Pogranichnik provides SP generation, team buffs via Frontiers set, Breach application, and off-field Ultimate damage. Premier Vanguard for Physical comps.
12. Last Rite — Cryo Speedrun Specialist (Cryo / Striker / Damage)
Last Rite delivers monster burst damage in RE-Crisis speedruns, but her strict 3+ Cryo Infliction requirement limits team flexibility. Often outpaced by Yvonne in current Umbral Monument.
13. Endministrator — Free Physical DPS (Physical / Guard / Damage)
The protagonist (Endmin) is a strong free Physical DPS with self-buffs, Crush application, and Physical DMG taken debuff. Limited only by needing team-applied Vulnerable stacks.
14. Avywenna — Backloaded Electric Carry (Electric / Striker / Damage) [Expert]
Avywenna deals exceptional burst damage when piloted correctly but requires precise positioning around Thunderlances. Significantly outclassed by Zhuang Fangyi unless played at high Potential.
15. Lifeng — Hybrid Physical Sub-DPS (Physical / Guard / Enabler)
Lifeng applies Physical Susceptibility, Link, and Knock Down while contributing personal damage. Strong in sustainless Physical teams.
A-Tier Characters in Arknights Endfield
A-tier operators are strong, versatile picks but typically end up as flex slots or substitutes in the highest-performing teams.
16. Akekuri — Universal SP Generator (Heat / Vanguard / Buffer)
Flexible SP generator that fits almost any team via the Frontiers set. Outshone by Pogranichnik or Arclight in element-specific teams.
17. Arclight — Electric Vanguard (Electric / Vanguard / Enabler) [Expert]
High-APM Vanguard with strong Frontiers buffs and Wildland Trekker talent. Steep skill ceiling due to Electrification consumption decisions.
18. Antal — Single-Target Heat/Electric Buffer (Electric / Supporter / Buffer)
Boasts strong Susceptibility and Amp buffs for Heat and Electric teams. Single-target focus limits Umbral Monument viability.
19. Wulfgard — Heat Infliction Specialist (Heat / Caster / Enabler)
The only operator capable of applying two Heat Inflictions in a single rotation. Indispensable for Laevatain teams despite weak personal DPS.
20. Da Pan — Crush AoE DPS (Physical / Striker / Damage)
Strong AoE Physical Crush DPS with self-Vulnerable application. Outclassed by Endministrator due to Da Pan’s 4-stack Vulnerable requirement.
21. Alesh — Shatter Vanguard (Cryo / Vanguard / Enabler)
Strong SP generator for Solidification/Originium Crystal teams. Held back by RNG damage and the weak Shatter archetype.
22. Ember — Physical Team Sustain (Heat / Defender / Enabler)
Provides healing and shielding with Vulnerable stacks. Clunky in practice — healing requires landing hits, shield restricts Combo Skill.
B-Tier Characters in Arknights Endfield
B-tier operators have niche use cases that don’t translate well to current endgame content.
23. Fluorite (Nature / Caster)
Adds Cryo or Nature Inflictions to the team — useful in Cryo comps lacking dedicated infliction sources, but high cooldowns limit her uptime.
24. Snowshine (Cryo / Defender)
Healer with forced Solidification on Ultimate. Conditional healing and unreliable Cryo Infliction lock her out of optimal Cryo teams.
25. Estella (Cryo / Guard)
Core Shatter team unit, but the Shatter archetype itself is underdeveloped, leaving Estella without a competitive home.
C-Tier Characters in Arknights Endfield
26. Catcher (Physical / Defender)
Catcher’s shield only triggers below 40% HP, his Vulnerable application depends on enemy behavior, and free alternatives like Ember outperform him in every metric.
Best Team Compositions in Arknights Endfield 1.2
| Team Archetype | Damage | Enabler | Buffer | Flex |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat AoE | Laevatain | Wulfgard | Akekuri / Antal | Ardelia |
| Cryo Single-Target | Yvonne | Tangtang | Gilberta | Xaihi |
| Electric Hypercarry | Zhuang Fangyi | Arclight | Perlica | Gilberta |
| Hybrid Physical/Heat | Rossi | Chen Qianyu | Gilberta | Pogranichnik |
| Sustainless Physical | Endministrator | Chen Qianyu | Pogranichnik | Lifeng |
Pro Tip: Always include at least one Vanguard (Pogranichnik, Akekuri, Arclight, Alesh) for SP economy in Umbral Monument. Damage-only teams stall hard at 0 Ultimate Energy starts.
Tier List Updates (Patch History)
| Date | Changes |
|---|---|
| 04/24/2026 | Zhuang Fangyi lowered within SS, Laevatain raised within SS, Ardelia lowered to S, Avywenna raised to S |
| 04/17/2026 | Zhuang Fangyi added at SS, Tangtang to top of SS, Yvonne raised SS, Rossi to top of S |
| 03/29/2026 | Rossi added at S, Avywenna raised to SS, Antal lowered to A |
| 03/12/2026 | Tangtang added at SS, Gilberta raised to SS |
| 02/23/2026 | Yvonne adjusted, Endministrator raised to S, Chen Qianyu raised to S |
| 01/22/2026 | Initial 1.0 launch tier list |
Conclusion: Where to Spend Your Originium
If you have limited pulls, prioritize in this order:
- Zhuang Fangyi (current banner) — strongest new hypercarry
- Tangtang — most flexible operator in the game
- Gilberta — best buffer, enables multiple top teams
- Laevatain — best AoE damage with the easiest team to build
- Yvonne — best single-target boss killer
Skip B-tier and C-tier banners entirely. Save Originium for future limited operators that will likely shake up the meta in Patch 1.3.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the best character in Arknights Endfield right now?
The strongest character in Arknights Endfield 1.2 is Tangtang, thanks to her unmatched flexibility as a DPS, sub-DPS, or support. Zhuang Fangyi rivals her as the strongest Electric hypercarry, while Laevatain remains the best AoE damage dealer.
Should I pull for Zhuang Fangyi?
Yes, if you don’t already own a top-tier hypercarry. Zhuang Fangyi delivers SS-tier damage, accessible team options (works with 4-5★ supports), and long Ultimate uptime. Skip if you already own Laevatain or Yvonne and prefer their playstyles.
Is the Endministrator (free protagonist) viable?
Absolutely. The Endministrator sits in S-tier and is a strong free Physical DPS with self-buffs, Crush application, and team support via Realspace Stasis. They carry hard through the early and mid-game.
What is the best Cryo team in Arknights Endfield?
The best Cryo team is Yvonne + Tangtang + Gilberta + Xaihi. This composition handles both Umbral Monument and RE-Crisis speedruns, with Tangtang providing crowd control, Gilberta enabling Arts reactions, and Xaihi supplying Cryo amplification.