Wuthering Waves tier list: The best resonators for your party

With so many resonators to work with it can get overwhelming deciding who to main, but this Wuthering Waves tier list might just make that choice easier.

Wuthering Waves adds new faces every patch and each one has its own unique flair and gimmick. Some units shine by taking down bosses in a hit or two, while others are all about boosting their teammates’ damage in battle. With all this uniqueness, not every character can be on the same level. Some will inevitably be superior, leaving others in the dust. 

Given the game’s tough gacha system and the hefty amount of materials needed to fully build a character, it’s only smart to pull and build up the best. Here’s the Wuthering Waves tier list showcasing the best characters in WuWa, and those who are struggling to get their way on top. 

Full Wuthering Waves resonator tier list 

The best characters in Wuthering Waves right now are Jinhsi, Yinlin, Zhezhi, Verina, Xiangli Yao, and Jiyan.

S Tier- Jinhsi takes Jiyan’s spot as Wuthering Waves’ best DPS

S Tier- Jinhsi

This tier list kicks off by crowning the best DPS in Wuthering Waves so far. Jinhsi made quite the entrance in version 1.1, cleanly taking the crown off Jiyan as the best DPS.

The magistrate of Jinzhou became even stronger with the release of Zhezhi who is now her prime buffer. Jinhsi is a hypercarry DPS that can hit extremely high damage numbers, even at low levels by doing simple combos through a mix of various mid-air combos. What made her even a must-pull resonator is that, she has synergies even with low-tier characters, making her a good unit for free-to-play players.

S Tier- Yinlin

Yinlin is more than just a pretty face, as she is among the most sought-after sub-DPS to this day. The red-haired waifu doesn’t need to spend much time on-field. Her quick energy and concerto regeneration, and resonance liberation allow her to deal damage off-field. She also doubles as a buffer, especially for resonators that rely heavily on their ultimates and electro damage. Any current or future Electro DPS will definitely want her on their team.

S Tier- Zhezhi

Zhezhi shares a similar role to Yinlin as an off-field sub-DPS and buffer. She deals coordinated attacks through her resonance liberation, while the main DPS of the team is active. She also cranks up the damage of Glacio attacks and resonance skill.

S Tier- Verina

Verina has been a staple since the game first dropped and honestly, it’s a struggle to get through most of the game without her, especially the Tower of Adversity. Her kit is loaded as she can deal damage off-field, boost ATK, and provide healing. With no other resonator quite like her, or at least a five-star character with healing as strong as hers, there’s pretty much no competition at all. Since most DPS characters right now scale with ATK, she also won’t have any issues fitting into several team comps. Being a support unit that brings plenty of buffs and utility, she is expected to be future-proof.

S Tier- Jiyan

Jiyan is the first resonator to be released in the limited banner and he remains relevant up to now. While she cannot rival Jinhsi’s DPS potential, all he needs is a mix of heavy attacks to deliver a decent amount of damage over time. He also clears waves of enemies pretty easily as he can round them up together with his ultimate. Being an easy resonator to play with plenty of free-to-play synergies, he is one of the best DPS to main for beginners. 

A tier- Xiangli Yao and Rover defy gacha tradition as high-tier free character

A Tier- Xiangli Yao

Despite Xiangli Yao being a free resonator, KuroGames gave him a powerful kit that earns him a high spot on this Wuthering Waves tier list. He is a combo-focused carry with lots of damage potential, especially when played with the electro support, Yinlin. He also comes with a time slow that’s useful in combat. The big problem is that, unlike Jinhsi, there aren’t many free-to-play teammates available to pair with him right now.

A Tier- Changli

Changli may not be able to deliver damage on the same level as other strong DPSs in the game, but she is a versatile unit that can cozy up with different team compositions smoothly. Depending on the team composition, she can be a main DPS or a sub-DPS. On top of that, Changli is a mobile unit with a useful gap-closer.

A Tier- Encore

Encore can serve as a main DPS or a secondary damage dealer, giving her great flexibility in team compositions. She also presents a fun playstyle that lets her alternate between ranged and melee attacks. However, her attack mechanics might feel a bit awkward for players unfamiliar with cancel animations and quick swapping.

A Tier- Havoc Rover

Much like Encore, Havoc Rover can serve as a main carry and quick-swap DPS. Even though newer damage dealers have outshined them, switching to Havoc Rover still feels like a win since players don’t need to spend any astrites to acquire them.

A Tier- Mortefi

Mortefi is a cheaper alternative perfect for those who are looking for a hybrid sub-dps support in Wuthering Waves. Majority of his damage output coming from his resonance liberation, which casts damage off-field. He also has quick concerto and resonance energy regeneration, and buffs heavy attack damage. His power though is hampered by his status as a four-star character.  

A Tier- Sanhua

Sanhua is also given as a free character around the start of the game, and she can be worth building too. Her outro skill provides basic attack damage amplification, perfect for characters that revolve around this attack. She has a greater affinity for quickswap teams as well, thanks to her low field time, quick concerto generation, and low energy requirements. Mastering the timing and the basics of her forte skill, though, has quite a steep learning curve and may overwhelm new players.

A Tier- Danjin

Danjin could be considered the strongest four-star DPS currently available, making her an excellent option for newbies looking for a reliable carry in the early game. However, she operates on a high-risk, high-reward playstyle since her kit drains her HP as she attacks. That said, a bunch of her playstyle includes spamming attacks, all while making sure her HP does not drop too low, either by dodging or utilizing her forte circuit.

B Tier- Calcharo slides down further with Xiangli Yao’s debut

B Tier- Calcharo

When Wuwa first came out, Calcharo was one of the top main DPS characters around. He’s an electro main DPS whose damage comes from melee attacks during his resonance liberation. With Yinlin arriving in 1.0, Calcharo was at his peak. But then Xiangli Yao completely stole the spotlight and pushed him down the Wuthering Waves tier list. 

On top of that, Calcharo is a high-skill ceiling unit requiring perfectly executed combos and rotations to be effective. With his unwieldy play style and multiple stronger alternatives, Calcharo continues to slip.

B Tier- Baizhi

Baizhi is like a budget version of Verina. She takes the slot of a healer, who also offers damage amplification. Despite having such clunky attacks, it’s not a bad idea to invest in Baizhi’s kit, especially since there’s not much any healers around.

B Tier- Yuanwu

Yuanwu seems to be a great sub-DPS at first glance. He could deal damage off-field during his resonance skill, which also has a very low cooldown. However, he is in a very bad spot right now due to many reasons. Being a four-star character means he lacks some power to compete with high-tier sub-DPSs, and no good weapon could cater to a DEF-scaling gauntlet user like him. He also couldnt keep up with other sub-dps units in terms of DPS as his off-field damage is pretty mediocre. Besides, he does not offer any additional buff. 

Yuanwu’s value increases dramatically if a player teams him up with Jinhsi, whose damage grows stronger with more coordinated attacks present.

B Tier- Jianxin

Jianxin has some unique tools that keep her relatively high on the Wuthering Waves tier list. She has one of the most intuitive counters in the game and the ability to forcibly group enemies together. This makes her a great option for new players and gives her tools for experienced players to work with. The trouble is that those tools just don’t do enough to make up for Jianxin’s limited damage potential on-field or off-field.

B Tier- Spectro Rover

Being the main character, Spectro Rover is a free unlock right from the get-go, and their resonance chain can be accessed along the way. Spectro rover is the ultimate jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none character, as she could be a main-DPS, sub-DPS, utility support, healer. However, their performance in these roles is rather mediocre, and other resonators could fulfill these roles better than them. 

C Tier- Yangyang, Lingyang, and Aalto bring up the rear

C Tier- Yangyang

At the bottom of Wuthering Waves’ tier list are Yangyang, Lingyang, Chixia, Taoqi.

Yangyang is one of the few units that can provide crowd-control utility. Plus, her outro skill, which regenerates energy, can be really helpful in various comps for smoother rotations. However, she doesn’t provide any damage buffs and doesn’t significantly contribute to the team’s overall damage output.

C Tier- Lingyang

Lingyang could very well be the worst 5-star to lose a 50/50 to, and Kuro games has yet to introduce a character that can replace him. While Lingyang’s playstyle and aerial attacks can be entertaining, he just can’t keep pace with other DPS in the game. And, since there’s no solid support to help him shine, players will have to invest heavily in his builds to actually make him work.

C Tier- Chixia

Chixia is a ranged unit that’s pretty easy to pick up, and surprisingly, she delivers higher single-target damage than one might expect from a four-star character. However, the downside is her high energy requirements for casting her resonance liberation, and her lack of interruption resistance really limits her damage potential. To top it off, as a gun unit, she can’t parry attacks.

C Tier- Taoqi

While “the best offense is a good defense” is thrown around in the sports world, it’s rarely true. And when it is, it’s just kind of boring to watch. Taoqi demonstrates that in Wuthering Waves.

Taoqi is supposed to flip the script by using her defense stat and shields to pressure enemies and support allies. She does this a little bit, but her overall kit just doesn’t make enough of an impact to justify her presence on a team. The sports world phrase to describe her would be “bench warmer.”

C Tier- Aalto

Aalto is effectively an overworld specialist and while he has his place in Wuthering Waves based on that, this tier list focuses on combat. That lands him squarely at the bottom. It’s not all bad for Aalto as he has the potential for dealing above-average damage in one-on-one situations, but he isn’t strong enough in that regard to make up for being subpar everywhere else.