Trying to figure out the best characters in Honkai: Star Rail right now? This 4.5 tier list ranks the entire roster for Version 4.5 (live August 25/26, 2026), whose banners are headlined by two new summer alt-forms — Robin • Summeretto and Aventurine • Waveflair — alongside Hyacine and Ashveil reruns and the ongoing Fate collab. Below you’ll find every character rated at Eidolon 0 with realistic builds, sorted by role and by the three rotating endgame modes, plus pull verdicts on the new units and a free-to-play priority guide. Tiers are a snapshot of the current meta, not a rulebook — good team-building beats raw rarity every time.
Quick answer: The best characters in HSR 4.5 are Evanescia, Himeko • Nova, Silver Wolf Lv.999, Castorice, and Mortenax Blade at the top of the DPS pile, with Yao Guang, Sparkle, Cyrene, and Sunday leading supports and Huohuo, Hyacine, and Dan Heng • Permansor Terrae anchoring sustains. Of the new 4.5 units, Robin • Summeretto (T0.5) is the stronger long-term pull; Aventurine • Waveflair (T1) needs a follow-up team to shine.
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Honkai Star Rail 4.5 Tier List (Overall)
These placements assume Eidolon 0 with sensible Light Cones and Relics — not whale builds. Characters lose value if they depend heavily on specific Eidolons, signature Light Cones, or a single limited support to function, and units that clear all three endgame modes rank above one-mode specialists. Because trackers weight things slightly differently, we group characters into tiers rather than splitting hairs over exact ordering.
| Tier | Characters |
|---|---|
| T0 (Best) | Evanescia, Himeko • Nova, Silver Wolf Lv.999, Castorice, Mortenax Blade, Rin Tohsaka |
| T0.5 | Phainon, Firefly, Robin • Summeretto, Yao Guang, Sparkle, Cyrene, Huohuo, Hyacine, Dan Heng • Permansor Terrae, Gilgamesh |
| T1 | Acheron, Kafka, Aventurine • Waveflair, Sunday, Tribbie, Fugue, Lingsha, Sparxie, Evernight, The Herta, Feixiao, Saber, Mydei, Anaxa, Cerydra |
| T2 | Jingliu, Black Swan, Ruan Mei, Robin, Aventurine, Jade, Ashveil, Boothill, Argenti, Dr. Ratio, Fu Xuan, Gepard, Aglaea, Hysilens, Cipher |
| T3 | Imbibitor Lunae, Jing Yuan, Seele, Blade, Welt, Bronya, Luocha, Bailu, Topaz, Yunli, Clara, Jiaoqiu |
| T4 (Niche) | Himeko, Herta, Seele, Yanqing, Sushang, Hook, Arlan, and most early 4-stars |
New-unit caveat: Robin • Summeretto and Aventurine • Waveflair only released with 4.5, so their placements reflect confirmed kits and early endgame data rather than a fully settled meta. Expect minor shifts as players optimize teams — we’ll update this list as the patch matures.
Best DPS Characters in 4.5
Your main carry defines your account, so this is where most players should invest first. The current apex damage dealers:
- Evanescia — the consensus best DPS in the game, with the most consistent Elation damage engine and strong performance across all three endgame modes.
- Himeko • Nova — a top-tier Erudition carry that shines in both single-target and AoE fights.
- Silver Wolf Lv.999 — a supercharged debuffer-carry variant that matches Evanescia in Elation teams and excels at low-target burst.
- Castorice — an HP-drain hypercarry team anchor that still clears everything.
- Mortenax Blade — the best generalist sub-DPS thanks to defense shred plus huge AoE damage.
- Rin Tohsaka & Gilgamesh — the Fate collab carries, with Rin running a strong dual-carry core alongside Archer.
Power-crept carries: Once-dominant DPS like Dan Heng • Imbibitor Lunae, Jing Yuan, Jingliu, Seele, and the original Blade have slipped as power creep marches on. They’re still usable with investment, but don’t build a new account around them.
Best Support Characters in 4.5
Supports are what turn a good carry into a broken one, and HSR’s best teams are defined by their buffers. The premier picks:
- Yao Guang — the top Elation support and a rotation accelerator that speeds up your whole team.
- Sparkle — still the gold-standard Skill-point-generating buffer for many hypercarry teams.
- Cyrene — a premium buffer, especially strong enabling Castorice.
- Sunday & Tribbie — elite Harmony supports; Sunday is a top summon/energy enabler and Tribbie adds team-wide Vulnerability.
- Robin • Summeretto — the new 4.5 Remembrance support; her Assist Skill lifts whole-team damage, landing her at T0.5 (her buffs scale with how often allies act).
- Trailblazer (Elation) — one of the best supports in the game, and completely free from the 4.2 main story.
Best Sustain Characters (Healers & Shielders) in 4.5
Every endgame team needs a sustain, and a few stand above the rest:
- Huohuo — percentage-based energy regen plus reliable healing makes her the premier all-purpose sustain.
- Hyacine — a top-tier healer who covers more ground than most and clears Apocalyptic Shadow comfortably.
- Dan Heng • Permansor Terrae (DHPT) — a hybrid sustain that also fills the Astral Express/support slot.
- Lingsha — excellent for Break teams, combining healing with damage and Toughness reduction.
- Aventurine (original) — still a strong shielder, though newer sustains have edged him out of the top spot.
Best Characters by Endgame Mode
HSR’s three rotating endgame modes reward different strengths, so the “best” character genuinely changes depending on what you’re clearing. Build with the mode in mind:
| Mode | What it rewards | Top picks |
|---|---|---|
| Memory of Chaos | Single-target/boss damage & fast cycles | Evanescia, Silver Wolf Lv.999, Castorice, Acheron |
| Pure Fiction | AoE & wave clear | Himeko • Nova, The Herta, Rin Tohsaka, Kafka |
| Apocalyptic Shadow | Toughness breaking | Firefly, Fugue, Mortenax Blade, Rappa, Lingsha |
This is why dedicated Break units like Firefly and Rappa rank well above their “overall” tier in Apocalyptic Shadow — the mode scores you on Toughness breaking, so specialists shine. The takeaway: aim to build two viable teams, since every endgame mode asks for a second squad.
Should You Pull? 4.5 Banner Verdicts
Version 4.5 runs two phases of banners, each pairing a new summer alt-form with a rerun:
| Phase | Characters | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 (Aug 26) | Robin • Summeretto (new), Hyacine (rerun) | Summeretto is the priority — a strong Remembrance support (T0.5). Hyacine is a great grab if you lack a top healer. |
| Phase 2 (Sep 12) | Aventurine • Waveflair (new), Ashveil (rerun) | Waveflair (T1) is for Elation/follow-up teams; pairs neatly with an Ashveil rerun to build one Elation core. |
Pull smart: Each pull costs 160 Stellar Jade, and a guaranteed featured 5-star can cost up to 180 pulls (28,800 Jade) in the worst case. Don’t chase every banner — fill the role your account lacks, claim your free Fate collab unit first (it costs nothing and fills a real gap), and build around the team you already run.
Best Free-to-Play & Beginner Picks
You don’t need to whale to clear endgame. The strongest free and low-investment options in 4.5:
- Trailblazer (Elation) — a genuinely top-tier free support from the 4.2 story; slot it into almost any team.
- Your free Fate collab unit — claim it during the collab for a strong, no-cost roster addition.
- Gallagher & March 7th (Hunt) — excellent 4-star sustain and sub-DPS that punch above their rarity.
- Standard-banner carries — if you’re picking a guaranteed standard 5-star, prioritize a versatile sustain or DPS you lack.
Conclusion
Honkai: Star Rail 4.5 keeps Evanescia, Himeko • Nova, and Silver Wolf Lv.999 at the top of the carry pile, while the new Robin • Summeretto reshapes Remembrance teams and Aventurine • Waveflair gives Elation follow-up squads a fresh option. But the real lesson of this tier list is that HSR rewards smart team-building over chasing every shiny new banner — claim your free units, fill your account’s actual gaps, and build around synergy. Use the mode-specific picks to plan your Stellar Jade, and re-check back here as 4.5 settles and 4.6 approaches. Safe travels, Trailblazer.
For more Honkai: Star Rail tier lists, character builds, and banner breakdowns, dive into our latest gaming guides and updates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the best character in Honkai Star Rail 4.5?
Evanescia is widely considered the best DPS in Version 4.5, thanks to the most consistent damage engine in the game and strong performance across all three endgame modes. Himeko • Nova, Silver Wolf Lv.999, Castorice, and Mortenax Blade round out the top carries.
When does Honkai Star Rail 4.5 release?
Version 4.5 goes live on August 25/26, 2026, following HoYoverse’s standard six-week cadence, and runs until Version 4.6 in early October. Phase 1 features Robin • Summeretto and a Hyacine rerun; Phase 2 (around September 12) adds Aventurine • Waveflair and an Ashveil rerun.
Should I pull Robin • Summeretto or Aventurine • Waveflair?
Robin • Summeretto (T0.5) is the stronger long-term pull — a Remembrance support whose Assist Skill boosts whole-team damage. Aventurine • Waveflair (T1) is excellent specifically in Elation and follow-up attack teams, so pull him if you run that archetype.
Is Robin • Summeretto better than the original Robin?
They fill different roles and don’t compete for the same slot. The original Robin is a Harmony unit that advances the whole team and buffs damage, while Summeretto is a Remembrance support. Many teams can even run considerations for both.
Who are the best free-to-play characters?
Trailblazer (Elation) is a top-tier support and completely free from the 4.2 story. Your free Fate collab unit, plus 4-stars like Gallagher and March 7th (Hunt), are also excellent low-investment picks that clear endgame content.
Which characters have been power-crept?
Once-dominant carries like Dan Heng • Imbibitor Lunae, Jing Yuan, Jingliu, Seele, and the original Blade have fallen off as newer units release. They still work with investment but aren’t ideal to build a new account around.
How is this tier list rated?
Every character is assessed at Eidolon 0 with realistic Light Cones and Relics, not whale builds. Units are judged on how consistently they clear the three endgame modes (Memory of Chaos, Pure Fiction, Apocalyptic Shadow), with deductions for heavy dependence on specific Eidolons, signature cones, or limited supports.
Will this tier list change during 4.5?
Yes. The two new characters only just released, so their placements will settle as players optimize teams, and 4.6 will bring further shifts. Treat tiers as a current-meta reference and re-check after each update.