Anime Expeditions Tier List — Best Units

Release-meta unit rankings for Anime Expeditions — S+ through D tiers, DPS and support splits, and how traits, evolution, and mode goals move a unit up or down.

By Bloxron Editorial Team · Last updated August 12, 2026

42 Ranked

6 Tiers

Role-fit meta

Update 1 meta favors evolved, well-traited carries — including Prodigy, Dragon Mythics, and owned Villain limited units. Rankings assume role fit — forcing a DPS into a support slot will skew results.

How units are ranked

Damage consistency from story into harder endgame content.
Boss pressure, crowd control, or economy value beyond raw rarity.
How much a unit depends on rare traits or strict support partners.
Whether the unit still pulls weight once stronger boxes start forming.

What each tier band means

Band	Assumes	Typical use
S+ / S	Evolved, traited, and map-geared	Still strong in raids and long boss waves.
A	Strong kit but narrower fit	Often need the right partner or mode to match higher tiers.
B	Mid-story bridges	Fine until a Mythic or Secret covers the same role.
C / D	Roster fillers	Level if needed, but skip evolution mats and rare traits.

S+ Tier

9 picks

Account-defining carries — worth traits, evolution, and exclusive gear.

Prodigy (Rage)
Crow (Black Fire)
Dark Mage (Sovereign)
Shadow (Divine)
8th Sword (Berserk)
Puppet (Telekinetic)
Cursed Student (True Love)
Elf Mage (Unleashed)
Bioinsect (Final Form)

S Tier

12 picks

Strong specialists that anchor finished teams in story, raids, Tower, or economy.

Carrot (Unleashed)
Vegetable (Prince)
The Drink (Juicebox)
Cubert
Razor Jaw (Hunter)
Crimson (Brother)
Salmon Sorcerer (Grade 1)
Lady Giant (Envy)
String Demon (Awakened)
Reaper (Released)
Toy Maker
Ramen Guy

A Tier

6 picks

Reliable picks that clear well but usually need support or fall off later.

Flame Emperor (Reincarnate)
Hollow (Blaze)
Forbidden Teacher
The Hero
Cursed Immortal (Black Sun)
True Saint (Holy)

B Tier

4 picks

Fine for mid-story — replace once Mythic or Secret options show up.

Greed
Ice Queen
Water Princess
Scissor

C Tier

6 picks

Early roster fillers. Do not sink evolution mats or rare traits here.

Stone Alchemist
Ice Mage
Bounty Hunter
Corps Captain
Demon Cyborg
Nen Hunter

D Tier

5 picks

Tutorial-tier units — swap out as soon as anything better drops.

Curly Brow
Kid Assassin
Reishi Archer
Thunder Shinobi
Rubber Boy

DPS rankings

Tier	Units	Notes
Meta DPS	Prodigy, Crow, Dark Mage, Shadow, 8th Sword, Puppet, Cursed Student, Elf Mage, Bioinsect, Toy Maker	Long fights, boss waves, and evolved passives online. Crow / Dark Mage needed Villain Banner while 0.5 was live; Prodigy and Dragon Mythics are Update 1 paths.
Solid DPS	Carrot (Unleashed), Vegetable (Prince), The Drink (Juicebox), Cubert, Razor Jaw, Flame Emperor, Lady Giant, String Demon, Reaper, Hollow, Crimson, Cursed Immortal	Good damage with the right team setup or mode.
Skip for DPS	True Saint, Bounty Hunter, Corps Captain, Demon Cyborg, Nen Hunter, Curly Brow, Kid Assassin, Reishi Archer, Thunder Shinobi, Rubber Boy	Placeholders unless you have nothing else.

Support rankings

Tier	Units	Notes
Meta support	Salmon Sorcerer, Puppet, Shadow, String Demon, Forbidden Teacher, The Hero	Slow, marks, team buffs, or magical aura value.
Useful support	Razor Jaw, True Saint, Toy Maker, Ice Queen, Water Princess, Ice Mage, Ramen Guy, Stone Alchemist	Situational control, shields, or economy.
Skip for support	Greed, Scissor, Bounty Hunter, Corps Captain, Demon Cyborg, Nen Hunter, Curly Brow, Kid Assassin, Reishi Archer, Thunder Shinobi, Rubber Boy	No meaningful team-wide value.

Tank / frontline rankings

Tier	Units	Notes
Meta tank / frontline	Puppet (Telekinetic), Lady Giant (Envy), Cursed Immortal (Black Sun)	Highest value when waves hit hard and boss lanes need a durable anchor with real damage uptime.
Bridge tank options	True Saint (Holy), Water Princess, Greed	Usable during story progression, but usually replaced once evolved Mythic/Secret frontlines are online.
Low tank value	Scissor, Bounty Hunter, Corps Captain, Demon Cyborg, Nen Hunter, Curly Brow, Kid Assassin, Reishi Archer, Thunder Shinobi, Rubber Boy	Can body-block early, but lacks consistent mitigation or scaling for harder modes.

Farm / economy rankings

Tier	Units	Notes
Meta farm	Ramen Guy	Best long-run economy unit once your carry can secure kills consistently.
Bridge farm	Stone Alchemist	Good early income bridge while your account is missing Ramen Guy.
No farm value	Most DPS-only units	Use these for clears, but do not treat them as economy slots.

Using the list without wasting mats

Pick investments, not instant deletes — lower tiers still clear early story.
Keep economy and control slots, not just damage names.
Check traits and evolution before writing a unit off on base form alone.
One-mode teams can rank units differently than a general list.

How tier value shifts by mode

Mode goal	What to prioritize	Typical shift
Story push	Stable wave clear	Bridge units can stay longer if maps keep moving.
Raids	Boss pressure + control	Pure story fillers fall off in long fights.
Tower	Resist coverage + evolved Mythics	Random resists punish one-trick teams — see Tower.
Villain Invasion (archive)	Limited banner carries (when 0.5 was live)	Crow and Dark Mage jumped; permanent roster still clears if you skipped the banner.
Long-wave farming	Scaling carries + economy	Ramp units rise; burst-only picks slide.

Where to spend resources first

Early account

One carry + one support

Do not spread upgrades across five units. Keep one slot flexible so you can swap a weak piece without resetting.

Mid account

Traits and evolution on proven cores

Once story is stable, spend crystals and sprites on units that still matter in raids and Tower. Leftover Villain Coins only matter if a limited banner is still open.

Late account

Mode swaps and gear polish

Rankings matter less than build context. A small swap can beat a full rebuild.

Keep building vs stop spending

Signal	When you see it	Action
Keep building	Unit still solves a role your team cannot replace	Traits, gear, and evolution stay on the table.
Pause spending	A new pull covers the same job with less investment	Finish story with the placeholder, then swap.
Stop investing	Unit needs heavy mats just to stay average	Save sprites and crystals for the next candidate.

FAQ

Is this tier list for evolved units?

Mostly yes. Placements assume sensible upgrades, evolved forms where relevant, and traits that match the unit's job. Limited 0.5 units also assume their Villain exclusive gear when available. Update 1 Prodigy / Dragon Mythics / Cubert ranks can shift after you see live kits — check the unit card before heavy spends.

Should I pull the Villain Banner instead of Gem banners?

Only if the limited Villain Banner is still open and you want Crow, Dark Mage, Razor Jaw, or Cursed Immortal. Those units use Villain Coins. Keep Gem pulls for the permanent roster if you are still missing a story carry.

Can a lower-tier unit still help me?

Absolutely. Lower-tier units can still be good bridge pieces for story if they solve a role your box is missing right now.

What moves a unit up or down?

Traits, evolution, exclusive gear, and the mode you are farming are the main reasons a unit can outperform or underperform its base reputation.