If you’re overwhelmed by the amount of characters, this guide will help!
Contents
Qiuck Guide to Characters
Сrеdit gоеs to OrchidAlloy!
Introduction
This guide will show a quick summary of each character in the game.
Let me break it to you, all the characters are good. It’s true. The game is very well balanced! It’s all about finding the right playstyle for you, or if you’re a fan, playing with characters you liked beforehand.
However, I understand why people want a tier list. I made something similar to a tier list: I grouped them by their gameplay style and will show them in an order I personally believe you might enjoy trying.
I describe each character with their starting weapon and all 3 skills maxed. Remember to check the bottom left corner during a run to see unique buffs and effects.
By the way, if you’re new to vtubers, most of these names are backwards (as in Japanese). For example, Ceres Fauna is actually called Fauna. It’s not entirely consistent.
With that out of the way, here’s a quick table:
Balanced Characters
These should offer good damage both up close and over the screen, as well as a good amount of defense/healing/mobility. If you’re new, you may like these.
Kobo Kanaeru (H3ro)
Her starting weapon is both melee and shoots out projectiles at max level. Her skills will provide support, and she will benefit from frequent heals for her “praise” meter which increases damage. Finally, her special is a screen wipe with both player buffs and enemy debuffs. You can’t go wrong with Kobo, imo.
Kureiji Ollie (Holoro)
Offers a dynamic playstyle of picking up “merch” frequently to boost herself, as well as charging up a variety of unique attacks while moving. Charge fully for a screen wipe. She can revive several times if you die, with a cooldown. Finally, her special is a fun boss killer.
Irys (Council)
Her attack is simple but very effective at max level. She will heal herself by dealing crits and buff herself by healing. Her special deals damage over the screen. She can farm a lot of gold with the skull stamp!
Ninomae Ina’nis (Myth)
Her starting weapon has a huge area of effect at max level. A passive skill will protect her up close, as well as her special, which is also a decent boss killer. The main mechanic is to passively convert enemies, turning them into heals. You can stack them up for a huge heal and knockback effect when needed.
Gawr Gura (Myth)
Her main weapon is melee, but her multiple whirlpools help her control the battle scene. She dodges occasionally. She will stack a defense debuff on enemies which may also heal her. One of the easiest characters to use.
Takanashi Kiara (Myth)
A well-rounded character which leaves fire on the floor and blocks damage. Her special is a last resort which knocks back enemies and offers a conditional revive. One of the easiest characters to use.
Anya Melfissa (Holoro)
A balanced character that is harder to build, but is very effective. She’s primarily melee, and will spawn additional swords under nearby enemies at max level. Her most prominent feature is to stay still to rest, which regenerates health while slowing down everything to a halt.
Melee Characters
These characters primarily focus on their closeup main weapon, with additional effects to support it.
Ouro Kronii (Council)
Her gimmick is to freeze enemies. She’s really fun to play and effective late-game. Benefits from staying at full health.
Hoshimachi Suisei (Gen0)
She deals guaranteed critical hits with her main weapon, dealing devastating damage. Crits will buff her and spawn falling blocks that squish (freeze) enemies. Her special spawns giant versions of these blocks all over the screen.
Kaela Kovalskia (H3ro)
Her gameplay revolves around destroying minerals to permanently increase her damage multiplicatively. She will deal a wave of damage every few seconds, emphasizing melee. She will occasionally spawn anvils. Her special damages the whole screen and greatly buffs he via hitting a huge mineral.
Ookami Mio (Gamers)
Deals more damage up-close and heals from nearby enemies. Occasionally deals splash damage. Her special is a massive series of punches, anime-style.
Nakiri Ayame (Gen2)
Her kit revolves around hitting enemies up close for extra stats and experience. Her special is a big buff that ends with a screen wipe. Large focus on the main weapon.
Mori Calliope (Myth)
Large melee attack with a chance to instakill at max level, and deal additional splash damage. Deals additional damage up close. Her special is a huge buff. One of the easiest characters to use.
Inugami Korone (Gamers)
Spams punches up close. She will collect “yubis” from enemies to buff herself. She will reduce damage taken and spawn food to regenerate. Her special deals large area damage all over the screen.
Healer Characters
These focus on healing as much as possible, and dealing damage each time you heal.
Ceres Fauna (Council)
The trademark healer of the game. Her main attack can’t be aimed, but shoots around her. She can also become invulnerable easily. Fun and easy to play, specially with certain builds.
Tokino Sora (Gen0)
Her main weapon explodes at max level for great area damage. Her bear provides support and her special deals constant horizontal damage. And of course, she heals while doing all that.
Yozora Mel (Gen1)
Her main attack is melee and lifesteals. When lifestealing she spawns bats that fly over the screen. She also spawns food that attract enemies or buff her when eaten. Her special freezes all enemies and deletes nearby enemies.
Nekomata Okayu (Gamers)
Spawns food constantly, which also buffs her stats. She can also eat enemies occasionally and with her special.
Yuzuki Choco (Gen2)
She is able to receive critical heals. She will spawn food, and heal on crit. She will charm enemies to her side. She also inflicts many debuffs on enemies.
Dodger Characters
These have the ability to avoid the next damage every few seconds. This is such a defining feature that I put them in their own category.
Shirakami Fubuki (Gamers)
Her damage scales with speed, and she focuses on using her dodge to run into crowds of enemies to deal massive splash damage while invulnerable. Her special is a screen wipe that also makes her invulnerable, to abuse this same effect.
Oozora Subaru (Gen2)
She deals large single target damage with her weapon and special, which increases up close. When dodging she will delete nearby enemies. She carries a revive.
Murasaki Shion (Gen2)
Her main weapon is a standard multishot, and her skills deal damage over a large area. She can teleport via portals, but it’s not very useful. She gains damage when dodging, and her special makes her invulnerable for a few seconds.
Natsuiro Matsuri (Gen1)
A melee character with a dodge that greatly increases her damage for a few seconds. She will occasionally smite enemies when hit. Her special has a tiny rhythm element that deals damage to the whole screen.
Vestia Zeta (H3ro)
Her kit focuses on becoming invisible, which also increases her damage area. Normally she shoots tiny bullets. She will also drop extra experience from non-melee attacks.
Spammer Characters
These will easily fill the screen with projectiles, one way or another.
Ayunda Risu (Area15)
She will shoot constant nuts. When collecting coins she will spawn up to 3 clones that also shoot constant nuts. Her nuts spawn nuts when defeating enemies. Her special is a screen wipe. Nuts.
Nanashi Mumei (Council)
Her pet will orbit you and shoot up to 3 of your own weapons. Her damage scales with the amount of enemies on screen. She will heal occasionally. Her special erases almost everything on screen, including beneficial objects.
Minato Aqua (Gen2)
All weapons will gain 1 more projectile. Her special covers the screen with a moving cat. Her skills provide various stat increases.
Azki (Gen0)
When her main weapon hits, there’s a chance to spawn 2 more projectiles. She will also increase her own shooting speed. She also has area melee damage in both a passive skill and her special.
Area Characters
These will deal damage over a large area with few attacks.
Moona Hoshinova (Area15)
She attacks in an arc which will deal additional splash damage at max level. Her skills provide explosions and a large damaging area similar to Gura’s whirlpools. Her special will turn her into “goddess form”, which converts her main weapon into a slash that covers half the screen.
Tsukumo Sana (Council)
Her main weapon can’t aim, but rather deals damage around her. Her damage scales with attack area. She also deals waves of damage around her. She will gain a random buff every 15 seconds. Her special makes her enormous and invulnerable.
Airani Iofifteen (Area15)
Her unique special lets you deal damage with your cursor. She also has a unique mechanic of switching “languages” to gain several buffs and deal damage around her. Her main attack leaves damaging creep on the ground.
Sakura Miko (Gen0)
Main weapon has a large melee area and attacks twice. Occasionally deals splash damage. Her special is a massive lava bucket effect around her. She’s kind of a healer as well.
Other Characters
All of these characters have unique mechanics to them that don’t fit neatly into any archetype, or don’t have any other outstanding features.
Roboco-san (Gen0)
Focused on leveling up as much as possible. Her stats will increase and she will spawn electricity around her. Her weapon is a huge energy bolt at max level.
Hakos Baelz (Council)
Deals double-crits for massive damage. Her special spams every weapon she has for a few seconds. It’s quite entertaining!
Akai Haato (Gen1)
Switches between 2 forms, each with various buffs, and a special double form. Very interesting.
Pavolia Reine (Holoro)
Punches coins out of enemies with her special! You should space them out and use them on large crowds.
Aki Rosenthal (Gen1)
Focuses heavily on applying debuffs to enemies. She will charge while moving to release massive damage. Her weapon is quite unique.
Amelia Watson (Myth)
Shoots a gun and her special slows down enemies. Her skills increase her stats and she has a pet dog. It’s the first character in-game! Not that interesting, but still good.
I like Kaela because there is no downtime on her ult. it can simply be used as soon as it’s full, you can stack them, and they stay on the whole game until needed. I do think multishot weapons are better than melee, but she gets so many anvils that she doesn’t even need blacksmith gear.
Bae’s other category could be described as the “Deletes bosses with her Special” category.
Also you could pat Bubba if play as Watson)))
Amelia can be described as the easiest to play and the simplest to build for. Her skills are very straight forward by just buffing all weapon damage and crit chance with instakill chance at level 3.
Bubba is also a really great AoE support and he also picks up items for you, using the same pickup radius you have.
I hope this doesn’t sound pedantic, but
-IRyS isn’t Council, she’s Hope
-Mumei doesn’t have a pet, Friend is her… you know, friend
-Mumei’s Special was changed for 0.6, quoth the patch notes: “True Horror no longer deletes drops, and gains a new effect which grants a Haste buff to Mumei.”, so the “including beneficial objects.” part is thankfully no longer true
I’d also argue that Baelz fits the spammer category because she benefits greatly from high volume of fire, which her Special enables her to do easily.
Lastly, it might be nice to add to Aki’s entry that her weapon is auto-aim and benefits A LOT from the Haste and Projectile Up stamps.
Hakos is pretty much a spammer due to her special and crit-focus
I feel like Kaela has a unique enough gameplay that she should get either her own category or be with the “other characters”. As its like you’re playing a game inside another game when playing as her, since you’ll be chasing veins to mine ore all the time.