Anime Vanguards Tier List (August 2026) – Best Units Ranked

The Anime Vanguards meta has shifted dramatically with the arrival of Update 11.5 Moonless Sky. Three major updates have passed since the last tier list refresh, introducing game-changing units like Savior (Moonless) and Diablo (Renacimiento), alongside the Underworld Dungeon and a complete Worldlines reset system. Whether you are pushing Infinite Mode records, grinding Boss Rush for ascension materials, or competing in PvP ranked matches, knowing which units dominate the current meta is essential for efficient progression. This comprehensive tier list breaks down every viable unit across all game modes, incorporating the latest Bleach-inspired characters and the new tier classifications that separate truly elite units from merely excellent ones.

I have organized this guide using the expanded tier structure that the community and top competitors now follow. God Tier represents units that break the game balance entirely, while SS Tier houses the absolute best obtainable units that define competitive play. The familiar S through D tiers remain for standard rankings. You will find elemental categories for type-specific content, a dedicated PvP section with ban considerations, and team composition examples that work for both free-to-play players and those with extensive collections.

Anime Vanguards Tier List Update 11.5 (Moonless Sky)

This tier list evaluates units based on overall effectiveness across all game modes including Story progression, Infinite Mode farming, Boss Rush challenges, PvP competitive play, and the new Underworld Dungeon. Rankings consider base performance, evolution potential, optimal trait synergy, and familiar pairings. Units are tested with optimal setups including Solar, Deadeye, Monarch, Blitz, and Marksman traits alongside familiars like Birb, Vampire’s Seal, and The Doctor.

Tier	Units	Description
God	Lich King Ruler, DIO Over Heaven	Trade-only units that break game balance
SS	Savior (Moonless), Demon Hybrid (Chainsaw), Shiroe, Hollowseph	Best obtainable units, meta-defining across all modes
S	Yhwach (Almighty), Gojo (Infinity), Alocard (Vampire King)	Elite units that excel in multiple game modes
A	Choy Jong (En), Diablo (Renacimiento), Sukono, Igris	Strong units with specific role excellence
B	Red-Hot Flame, Ice Queen, Thunder God, Shadow Assassin	Good units that require proper team support
C	Wind Dancer, Earth Guardian, Water Mage, Fire Warrior	Situational picks with niche uses
D	Novice Fighter, Apprentice Mage, Trainee Archer, Rookie Healer	Base units to replace immediately

God Tier Units (Game-Breaking Power)

God Tier represents units that exist beyond normal balance considerations. These characters are typically trade-only or require extreme investment to obtain, but their power level justifies the effort. They dominate every game mode and can solo content that normally requires full team compositions.

Lich King Ruler

Lich King Ruler stands as the undisputed strongest unit in Anime Vanguards 2026. This unit combines percentage-based damage scaling with unmatched death mechanics that allow it to ignore conventional damage reduction. The self-cleanse ability removes debuffs automatically, making it immune to status effects that cripple other units.

What makes Lich King Ruler broken is the combination of follow-up attacks that trigger on every ability use and the wounded damage over time effect that bypasses armor. In Infinite Mode, it can clear waves solo into the thousands. In Boss Rush, the percentage damage means it scales against any health pool regardless of difficulty.

Optimal Setup: Solar trait, Vampire’s Seal familiar, Enthusiastic Walks memoria. This combination maximizes the percentage damage output and ensures the unit stays alive through lifesteal mechanics.

DIO Over Heaven

DIO Over Heaven brings time-stopping mechanics that freeze entire waves while delivering catastrophic damage. The Cosmic elemental typing means it deals bonus damage to most enemy types, and the blast radius on abilities covers massive portions of the map.

This unit is trade-only and requires Level 50+ to acquire through the trading system. The investment is worth it for competitive PvP where the time-stop can disable entire enemy teams, or for speedrunning Worldlines where every second matters. The only downside is the high deployment cost that requires economic support from farm units like Sprintwagon.

SS Tier Units (Meta Defining)

SS Tier houses the best obtainable units through normal summoning and evolution. These are the units you build your account around, the ones worth using all your rerolls and ascension materials on. They define the current meta and will carry you through every endgame challenge.

Savior (Moonless)

Introduced in Update 11.5 Moonless Sky, Savior (Moonless) immediately jumped to the top of obtainable units. This Bleach-inspired character combines Divine elemental damage with self-sustaining mechanics that make it nearly unkillable. The Almighty ability provides damage reduction ignore, meaning it cuts through enemies that give other units trouble.

In testing, Savior (Moonless) outperforms most God Tier units in sustained damage scenarios. The hybrid nature allows it to function as both primary DPS and emergency tank. For players pushing high-level Infinite Mode or attempting the new Underworld Dungeon, this unit is essential.

Demon Hybrid (Chainsaw)

Demon Hybrid represents the evolution of chainsaw-style units to perfection. The bleed damage over time stacks infinitely, meaning longer fights actually favor this unit. Against bosses with millions of health, the stacking bleed eventually outperforms burst damage units.

The Nature elemental typing gives it advantage against Water and Earth type enemies, which dominate the late-game Worldlines content. Combined with the Marksman trait, Demon Hybrid becomes a single-target monster that deletes bosses before they can use their dangerous abilities.

Shiroe

Shiroe brings unique support capabilities that justify its SS tier placement despite lower raw DPS numbers. The percentage damage buff it provides to adjacent units turns good DPS into great DPS. In team compositions, Shiroe enables strategies that would otherwise be impossible.

The Spark elemental typing and crowd control abilities make Shiroe essential for Odyssey and Legend stages where managing multiple enemy types simultaneously matters more than raw damage output. With the Blitz trait, Shiroe can apply buffs faster than any other support unit.

Hollowseph

Hollowseph rounds out the SS tier as the premier Curse elemental damage dealer. The burn status effect reduces enemy defense, indirectly boosting your entire team’s damage output. This debuffing utility combined with solid personal damage makes Hollowseph valuable in any content.

In PvP, Hollowseph’s defense reduction can turn tanky compositions into squishy targets. The self-cleanse prevents counter-debuffs from sticking, ensuring consistent performance. For players who can only invest in one SS tier unit, Hollowseph provides the most versatile return on investment.

S Tier Units (Elite Choices)

S Tier units are elite choices that excel in their primary roles. While they may not have the game-breaking mechanics of God Tier or the versatility of SS Tier, these units will form the backbone of most competitive teams. They are worth investing ascension materials, optimal traits, and familiars into.

Yhwach (Almighty)

Yhwach brings the Almighty ability that predicts and counters enemy attacks. This defensive utility combined with solid Holy elemental damage makes him perfect for content where survival matters as much as damage output. The self-cleanse activates automatically when health drops below certain thresholds, saving him from situations that kill other units.

In Boss Rush, Yhwach can solo tank mechanics that normally require full team coordination. The damage reduction ignore means he contributes meaningful DPS even while tanking. With the Monarch trait, his damage spikes significantly during burst windows.

Gojo (Infinity)

Gojo’s Infinity ability creates barriers that negate incoming damage entirely. This makes him the best pure tank in the game, capable of standing in positions that would kill other units instantly. The Unbound elemental typing means he has no elemental weaknesses, further enhancing his durability.

The trade-off is lower personal damage compared to dedicated DPS units. However, Gojo enables strategies where other units can focus entirely on offense while he handles all defensive responsibilities. In PvP, a properly built Gojo can stall entire enemy teams while your DPS builds resources.

AloCard (Vampire King)

AloCard combines lifesteal sustain with burst damage that makes him ideal for extended fights. The percentage healing based on damage dealt means he becomes harder to kill the longer he fights. This self-sufficiency makes him perfect for solo queue content where you cannot rely on support units.

In Infinite Mode, AloCard can hold a lane indefinitely without healer support. The only weakness is high-deployment cost that requires Sprintwagon or Hercool economic support to reach full potential. Once deployed, however, he requires minimal management and delivers consistent results.

A Tier Units (Strong Options)

A Tier units are strong options that perform well in specific roles or game modes. While they may not dominate every situation like higher-tier units, they provide excellent value and can carry you through most content with proper team support.

Choy Jong (En)

Choy Jong brings Blast elemental damage with area-of-effect coverage that excels in wave-clearing scenarios. The lower seconds-per-attack compared to other AOE units means he applies damage faster, preventing enemy stacking in Infinite Mode. The only limitation is single-target damage that falls off against bosses.

Diablo (Renacimiento)

Added in Update 11.5, Diablo (Renacimiento) is the evolved form that transforms an otherwise mediocre base unit into a legitimate damage threat. The evolution requires significant investment, but the return is a Fire elemental DPS with burn synergy that pairs perfectly with Hollowseph’s defense reduction.

Sukono

Sukono remains a solid A-tier choice despite newer units surpassing his damage output. The consistent performance and lower investment requirements make him perfect for newer players building their first serious team. With the Solar trait, Sukono can still compete in high-level content, though he will eventually be replaced as your roster expands.

Igris

Igris provides single-target burst that excels in Boss Rush scenarios where killing the boss quickly matters more than wave clear. The lower range requires careful positioning, but the damage output justifies the micro-management. Pair with range-boosting familiars to mitigate the positioning requirements.

B Tier Units (Situational Viable)

B Tier units are situationally viable choices that can perform well when circumstances align with their strengths. They require more specific team compositions or game modes to shine but remain usable options early in your account progression.

• Red-Hot Flame: Solid Fire elemental DPS with burn application, outclassed by Diablo (Renacimiento) in the same role
• Ice Queen: Excellent crowd control through freeze effects, situational utility that shines in specific Odyssey stages
• Thunder God: High burst Lightning damage that falls off in sustained fights, good for Boss Rush entry levels
• Shadow Assassin: Stealth mechanics provide survival but limit DPS uptime, niche PvP applications

C Tier Units (Niche Use)

C Tier units have niche uses that may be relevant for specific challenges or early-game progression. They are generally replaced as you summon better options but can fill gaps temporarily.

• Wind Dancer: High mobility but lacks the damage to justify deployment cost in most scenarios
• Earth Guardian: Tanky but slow attack speed limits threat generation and damage output
• Water Mage: Decent support abilities require precise positioning that is difficult to maintain
• Fire Warrior: Outclassed by literally every other Fire elemental option

D Tier Units (Avoid)

D Tier units are base forms that should be replaced immediately. Some have evolution potential that moves them to higher tiers, but their base forms are not worth using.

• Novice Fighter: Starting unit with no redeeming qualities, evolve or replace immediately
• Apprentice Mage: Low damage and no utility, only useful for the first few story stages
• Trainee Archer: Outranged by every other ranged option, no reason to use
• Rookie Healer: Insufficient healing output for actual challenges, upgrade to proper support units

Elemental Tier List Breakdown

Understanding elemental matchups is crucial for elemental-specific towers and Odyssey challenges. Each elemental type has advantages against specific other types, and organizing your roster by element helps you quickly assemble teams for restricted content.

Spark Elemental Units

Spark units excel at crowd control and AOE damage. They are the premium choice for Infinite Mode farming and any content where wave clear matters more than single-target burst.

• SS Tier: Shiroe
• S Tier: Thunder God (evolved)
• A Tier: Choy Jong (En)

Nature Elemental Units

Nature units provide sustained damage over time through poison and nature-themed debuffs. They excel in longer fights where their damage stacking can reach full potential.

• SS Tier: Demon Hybrid (Chainsaw)
• A Tier: Nature-themed support variants

Water Elemental Units

Water units typically provide defensive utility alongside moderate damage. They are excellent for beginner teams that need survivability more than optimization.

• S Tier: Water-based tank variants
• B Tier: Water Mage

Fire Elemental Units

Fire units specialize in burn damage and burst DPS. They pair well with Hollowseph’s defense reduction for maximum effectiveness.

• S Tier: Diablo (Renacimiento)
• A Tier: Red-Hot Flame, evolved Fire variants

Holy Elemental Units

Holy units counter Dark and Curse type enemies, which are common in late-game Worldlines and the Underworld Dungeon. Yhwach represents the pinnacle of this category.

• SS Tier: Savior (Moonless)
• S Tier: Yhwach (Almighty)

Curse Elemental Units

Curse units apply debilitating status effects that weaken enemies for your entire team. They are support-DPS hybrids that sacrifice personal damage for team utility.

• SS Tier: Hollowseph

Blast and Cosmic Elemental Units

Blast and Cosmic are premium element types typically reserved for evolved and secret rarity units. They provide unique mechanics that do not fit standard elemental categories.

• God Tier: DIO Over Heaven (Cosmic)
• S Tier: Choy Jong (En) (Blast)

PvP Tier List and Ban Considerations

PvP requires different evaluation criteria than PvE content. Units that excel in Infinite Mode may struggle in competitive play, and vice versa. The current PvP meta revolves around burst damage, crowd control immunity, and economic efficiency.

PvP God Tier (Banned in Ranked)

These units are so dominant in PvP that they are typically banned in ranked competitive play. They can be used in casual matches but competitive players should not rely on them.

• Lich King Ruler: Percentage damage ignores all defensive builds
• DIO Over Heaven: Time stop disables entire enemy teams

PvP S Tier (Competitive Meta)

These units define the competitive PvP meta and should form the core of your ranked team.

• Savior (Moonless): Self-cleanse and damage reduction ignore counters defensive metas
• Gojo (Infinity): Best tank for stalling while DPS builds resources
• Hollowseph: Defense reduction enables your entire team

PvP A Tier (Viable Options)

These units are viable in PvP but require more specific team compositions to succeed.

• Demon Hybrid (Chainsaw): Bleed stacking punishes teams without cleanse
• AloCard (Vampire King): Sustain outlasts burst compositions
• Yhwach (Almighty): Tanky with counter-attack potential

PvP Support and Flex Tier

Support units enable your primary DPS and provide utility that wins matches even without personal kills.

• Shiroe: Percentage damage buffs turn good DPS into game-ending threats
• Sprintwagon: Economic acceleration lets you deploy expensive units faster

Recommended Team Compositions

Building a team requires balancing DPS, support, economic acceleration, and elemental coverage. Here are proven compositions for different player investment levels and game modes.

God Tier Meta Team

For players with access to trade-only units, this composition dominates every game mode.

• Primary DPS: Lich King Ruler (God Tier)
• Secondary DPS: Savior (Moonless) (SS Tier)
• Support: Shiroe (SS Tier)
• Tank: Gojo (Infinity) (S Tier)
• Economy: Sprintwagon (Farm Unit)

F2P Infinite Mode Team

This composition uses only obtainable units that do not require trading or extreme luck.

• Primary DPS: Demon Hybrid (Chainsaw) (SS Tier)
• Secondary DPS: Diablo (Renacimiento) (A Tier)
• Support: Shiroe (SS Tier) or budget support
• Crowd Control: Choy Jong (En) (A Tier)
• Economy: Sprintwagon (essential farm unit)

Boss Rush Specialist Team

Boss Rush requires single-target burst and survival mechanics over wave clear.

• Primary DPS: Igris (A Tier) or evolved single-target variants
• Secondary DPS: Demon Hybrid (Chainsaw) (SS Tier) for bleed stacking
• Debuffer: Hollowseph (SS Tier) for defense reduction
• Tank: Gojo (Infinity) (S Tier) or Yhwach (S Tier)
• Healer: AloCard (Vampire King) (S Tier) for self-sustaining lanes

PvP Competitive Team

Ranked PvP requires burst damage, cleanse, and economic efficiency.

• Primary DPS: Savior (Moonless) (SS Tier) or AloCard (S Tier)
• Tank: Gojo (Infinity) (S Tier)
• Support: Shiroe (SS Tier) for damage buffs
• Flex: Hollowseph (SS Tier) for defense reduction
• Economy: Sprintwagon for fast deployment

Pro Tip: Always include Sprintwagon in your team composition, even if it means dropping a second DPS unit. The economic acceleration lets you deploy your primary damage dealers faster, which typically outperforms having more units deployed later.

Essential Farm Units

Farm units generate gold and resources that enable your combat units to deploy and upgrade. Without proper economic support, even God Tier units cannot reach their potential.

Sprintwagon

Sprintwagon is the essential farm unit that should be in every team composition. It generates gold passively while providing a deployment cost reduction aura to adjacent units. The earlier you deploy Sprintwagon, the faster your economy grows, allowing you to field expensive SS and God tier units before enemies become overwhelming.

In Infinite Mode, multiple Sprintwagons can create an economy that lets you fully upgrade units by wave 20. In Boss Rush, a single Sprintwagon provides enough gold to deploy your full team before the boss spawns. This unit is available through standard summoning and should be prioritized even over some combat units.

Hercool

Hercool is the secondary farm option that provides less gold generation but offers defensive utility through knockback and stun effects. Use Hercool when you need economic support but also require some crowd control, such as in early Infinite Mode waves before your main DPS is deployed.

Update 11.5 Moonless Sky Changes

Update 11.5 Moonless Sky introduced significant changes that reshaped the meta. Understanding these updates is essential for building competitive teams in the current environment.

New Units

The Moonless Sky update added several Bleach-inspired characters including Savior (Moonless), Yhwach (Almighty), and related units. These Holy and Divine elemental units counter the Dark-type enemies that dominated previous metas. Savior (Moonless) immediately jumped to SS tier upon release due to unprecedented damage output combined with defensive utility.

Underworld Dungeon

The Underworld Dungeon is new endgame content that requires specific team compositions to complete. It features multi-phase bosses with immunity periods, requiring sustained damage over burst DPS. Units with self-cleanse and damage reduction ignore are essential for surviving the dungeon’s debuff mechanics.

Worldlines Reset

The Worldlines system received a complete reset with new reward structures. Players must now clear modified Worldlines stages to earn ascension materials for evolving units to their maximum potential. The reset changed which elemental types are most effective in each Worldline.

Vanguard Pity System

A new pity system guarantees a Vanguard rarity unit after 20,000 summons on the same banner. This change makes obtaining SS tier units more accessible for free-to-play players who save their summons for specific banners. Plan your summoning accordingly to take advantage of this system.

How to Get More Units

Expanding your roster requires understanding the various acquisition methods available in Anime Vanguards. The trading system, codes, and summoning mechanics all contribute to building a competitive collection.

Trading System (Level 50+)

The trading system unlocks at Level 50 and allows players to exchange units with other players. This is the only way to obtain God Tier units like Lich King Ruler and DIO Over Heaven, which are not available through summoning. Trading requires both players to be Level 50+ and typically involves exchanging multiple high-value units or in-game currency for a single God tier unit.

When trading, verify the unit’s traits and ascension level before completing the transaction. A poorly-traited God tier unit may underperform compared to a perfectly-traited SS tier unit. The trading community values units with Solar, Deadeye, Monarch, Blitz, and Marksman traits at premium rates.

Active Codes

Redeem codes provide free summons, rerolls, and other resources. These codes expire periodically, so check community sources for current valid codes. As of Update 11.5, search for codes related to Moonless Sky and recent developer milestones.

Codes typically provide rerolls for traits, gold for upgrades, or summon tickets for new units. Enter codes through the Settings menu in-game. If a code fails, it has likely expired, which is common after major updates.

Summoning Strategy

The Vanguard pity system means saving summons for specific banners is more effective than spreading them across multiple banners. Focus on banners featuring SS tier units you need for your team composition. The pity counter carries over between featured banners, so you can build toward the guarantee over multiple banner rotations.

Never summon on standard banners when featured banners are available. Featured banners have increased rates for specific units and contribute to your pity counter. Standard banners waste resources on units you can obtain through other means.

Milestones and Events

Complete daily and weekly milestones for consistent rewards including summon tickets. Limited-time events often feature exclusive units that may not return for months. Prioritize event participation when new units are featured, as these units often define the next meta shift.

Traits, Familiars, and Memoria

Unit performance depends heavily on optimization through traits, familiars, and memoria. Understanding these systems separates good players from great ones.

Optimal Traits

Traits provide percentage bonuses to unit stats and abilities. The best traits vary by unit role:

• Solar: Best for sustained DPS units, increases damage output significantly
• Deadeye: Best for burst DPS and units with critical hit mechanics
• Monarch: Best for hybrid units that deal both ability and auto-attack damage
• Blitz: Best for support units that need to apply buffs quickly
• Marksman: Best for single-target specialists and boss killers

Reroll traits using trait reroll items obtained from codes and events. A unit with an optimal trait performs significantly better than the same unit with a mediocre trait. Prioritize rerolling your SS and God tier units first.

Familiar Selection

Familiars provide passive bonuses and active abilities that complement your units. Common optimal choices include:

• Birb: General purpose damage boost, good for most DPS units
• Vampire’s Seal: Lifesteal and sustain for units that need survivability
• The Doctor: Healing support for teams without dedicated healers

Memoria Optimization

Memoria are equippable items that provide additional bonuses. Common choices include Enthusiastic Walks for movement speed, Perpetual Motion for attack speed, and Shackled Sight for crowd control resistance. Match memoria to your unit’s role and the content you are attempting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

This Anime Vanguards tier list for Update 11.5 Moonless Sky reflects the current meta after significant changes including new Bleach-inspired units, the Underworld Dungeon, and the Worldlines reset. The expanded tier structure with God and SS tiers above traditional S tier helps distinguish between trade-only game-breakers and the best obtainable units.

Remember that tier lists provide guidance, not absolute rules. A well-built A-tier unit with optimal traits and familiar support can outperform a poorly-built SS-tier unit. Focus on building around the units you have while working toward the higher-tier options through the pity system and trading.

Always include Sprintwagon in your team compositions for economic support, prioritize obtaining SS-tier units through featured banners, and invest ascension materials only into units you plan to use long-term. The meta will continue evolving with future updates, so check back for the latest tier list revisions.

What is your current main DPS unit? Share your team composition in the comments, and let other players know which units have carried you through the new Underworld Dungeon content.

This Anime Vanguards tier list is regularly updated to reflect the current meta. Last updated for Update 11.5 Moonless Sky in April 2026.