DragonSword: Awakening Hero Tier List — Best Heroes Ranked

In this guide, we will put together a hero tier list for DragonSword: Awakening, explain who you should upgrade first, and list the best DPS heroes, supports, and tanks. We will also break down the most effective three-character teams for different playstyles.

There are no useless characters in DragonSword: Awakening. A hero's strength depends not only on their personal damage, but also on the Status Ailments they apply, the Signal Skills they can trigger, and how well they work with teammates. Because of that, a lower-tier character in the right trio can be more useful than a stronger fighter with no team synergy. When ranking the heroes, we considered damage, versatility, survivability, ease of use, and value in team combinations.

In short, the ranking looks like this:

Reina specializes in aerial attacks. She quickly applies Airborne, maintains long combos, and deals damage while the enemy cannot fight back. Her main drawback is that controlling her in the air is difficult.

Theresia is considered one of the strongest heroes in the current version. She switches between two modes, applies Bleed or Stun, quickly closes the distance to the target, and deals high burst damage. The character takes practice, but fits almost any combat style.

Lute is the best choice for beginners. He stuns and knocks down enemies, deals area damage, and heals the party, covering the roles of fighter, initiator, and support at the same time.

Ornette combines high damage with Shock. Her active abilities apply the corresponding effect, while Holy Circle increases critical damage. Because of that, she is especially strong during long, safe combos.

Kalsion is a powerful melee fighter with high area damage. He releases fiery energy, increases his own attack, and quickly destroys groups of enemies.

Castella is easy to learn and controls crowds well. She knocks enemies down and pushes them back, while also supporting long aerial combos.

Charlotte is one of the best DPS characters for experienced players. She becomes invisible, leaves behind an exploding clone, applies Poison, and easily transitions into aerial combos. Her damage is enormous, but mistakes in melee are punished quickly.

Roxy performs very well against high-health targets. She applies Bleed quickly, hits multiple enemies, and maintains high mobility.

Aria attacks from range using bombs and other projectiles. She can safely deal high area damage and works well for world exploration, but requires precise timing for explosions.

Dana is a tank-support hybrid. Chako the golem deals damage, builds up Frost, knocks enemies down, and protects allies with a shield.

Kalien shines in teams built around fire and damage over time. Her fox attacks need to be aimed correctly, so it is easy to lose part of the character's potential.

Johnny acts as a secondary DPS and continues combos. He makes good use of Knockdown and forms a strong trio with Charlotte and Reina.

Othello is especially useful in safe ranged compositions. He absorbs pressure after ranged attacks and helps the team regain a comfortable position.

Alex is a reliable but overly defensive hero. He knocks enemies down, interrupts their attacks, and uses a defensive stance, but in the late game he is often replaced by a stronger fighter.

Tarte combines electric attacks with minor healing. To deal high damage, she needs to create holy spheres and spend them with her next ability, which makes her situational.

Cerese controls enemies with Frost attacks, applies Frost and Airborne, but only fits a limited number of teams. In a composition with Othello and Dana, she can perform at an A-tier level.

Sion is a ranged hero who uses relics. He can deal steady damage from a safe distance, but he heavily depends on proper positioning and falls behind more mobile characters.

Astria fights with a heavy crossbow and performs best when she can stay in one place and attack continuously. The need to hold a static position makes her vulnerable against fast enemies and reduces her versatility.

Eileen is a simple melee fighter with a halberd who can launch enemies and maintain aerial combos. She is convenient for beginners, but falls behind the tier list leaders in damage and utility.

For most players, Lute will be the best first hero. He forgives mistakes, heals the team, applies Status Ailments on his own, and does not require a complicated lineup. Raise his level, upgrade his main skills and weapon, but do not spend all your awakening points before choosing your permanent trio.

Next, do not upgrade a random DPS character. Upgrade a hero who can continue the combo. Renia or Castella work well with Lute: the former sets up Freeze for Break the Ice, while the latter continues the chain through Airborne.

Players aiming for maximum damage should choose Theresia or Charlotte. Theresia is more universal, while Charlotte depends more on player skill and properly chosen teammates, but has huge burst potential.

Do not upgrade your entire roster at the same time. First, develop your main DPS, then improve their weapon and important abilities, and only after that move on to the hero who applies Status Ailments and to your support.

Best all-around DPS: Theresia. She combines direct damage, Bleed, Stun, and high mobility.

Best burst DPS: Charlotte. Her clone explosion, Poison, and aerial attacks quickly cut down a boss's health, but require precise switching.

Best aerial DPS: Reina. She keeps the target in the air and continues attacking while the enemy cannot respond.

Best DPS against high-health targets: Roxy. Bleed is especially effective in long fights.

Best simple DPS: Kalsion. He is strong without complicated setup and quickly destroys groups of enemies with area attacks.

Best all-around support: Lute. Healing Circle restores health, while Stun and Knockdown create openings for Signal Skills. Lute can be added to an already built pair if it lacks survivability.

Dana is the best defensive support. Chako controls enemies, applies Frost effects, and protects the team with a shield. She performs especially well in ranged compositions.

Tarte offers healing and electric attacks, but depends on created spheres. Cerese is useful for Frost control, while Aria combines ranged damage with crowd control.

There are not many classic tanks in the starting roster. The best standard option is Alex. His defensive stance helps him withstand pressure, while Knockdown interrupts dangerous attacks. He is convenient when learning bosses, although he lowers the team's overall damage.

Dana acts as a hybrid tank thanks to Chako's shield and Frost-based control. She is best suited for ranged compositions.

Othello can be used as a frontline fighter and a connecting link between combo stages, but he needs suitable teammates. The developers have also announced a dedicated tank, Logan, who will appear in one of the future free updates.

In DragonSword: Awakening, a team is not built only around the personal damage of its heroes. It is important that one character applies a Status Ailment, the second activates a Signal Skill, and the third continues the combo, heals the party, or helps the team survive enemy pressure.

Charlotte, Johnny, and Reina are the best active team. Charlotte deals the main damage, Johnny continues ground combos, and Reina shifts the pressure into the air. The composition is very fast, but requires frequent switching and precise dodges.

Cerese, Othello, and Dana are the best safe team. Ranged attacks and control let you keep a clear view of the arena, while Othello connects the rotation stages. This team is more stable than the aggressive composition, although it is slower at clearing content.

Renia, Lute, and Castella are a convenient team built around Freeze. Renia applies Freeze, Lute activates Break the Ice, and Castella launches the target and extends the combo.

Castella, Alex, and Roxy are a group built around breaking poise, launching enemies, and applying Bleed. Alex breaks the enemy's stance, Castella moves them into an aerial combo, and Roxy deals both direct and damage-over-time damage.

Do not build a trio only from tier list leaders. A team needs a hero who applies a Status Ailment, a character who activates a Signal Skill, and a member who continues the combo or provides healing and protection. A properly built group is almost always stronger than three independent DPS characters.

Below, we have collected answers to common questions about DragonSword: Awakening heroes: who is considered the best character, who to upgrade first, which roles matter in a team, and why the tier list is not always more important than synergy.

There is no single best hero for every situation. Theresia, Lute, Reina, Ornette, and Kalsion are S-tier, but final effectiveness depends on the team, Status Ailments, and Signal Skills.

For most players, Lute will be the best first hero. He heals the team, stuns and knocks down enemies, forgives mistakes, and is suitable for beginners.

The best DPS heroes include Theresia, Charlotte, Reina, Roxy, and Kalsion. They differ in playstyle: some are stronger in the air, while others perform better against bosses or groups of enemies.

The safest option is Cerese, Othello, and Dana. This trio lets you play around range, control, and protection without requiring constant risky switching.

Yes. In DragonSword: Awakening, a weak hero in the right team can be more useful than a strong character with no synergy. What matters is not only personal damage, but also Status Ailments, Signal Skills, and the hero's role in the rotation.