Anime Guardians throws a huge roster of recognizable fighters at you, and the gap between a Meta unit and a starter unit is enormous. If you want to clear hard content quickly, you build around the top tiers and treat everything else as filler until you summon something better. Here is where every unit currently lands, plus the artifacts that squeeze the most damage out of them.
Quick answer: Prioritize Meta and SSS units such as Sukuna (Heian), Makima (Control Devil), Hajun (God of Universe), TIO (Over Heaven), and Igris (Shadow Monarch), then equip the Infernal Spineblade for percent-HP damage on almost any non-curse-book unit.
Anime Guardians unit tier list (Update 29)
Tiers run from Meta at the top down to D at the bottom, with Support and Farm units sitting outside the main damage ranking. Meta units are effectively overpowered and handle most of the game’s content on their own, while D-tier picks are early-game stand-ins you replace as soon as possible.
| Tier | Units |
|---|---|
| Meta | Sukuna (Heian), Hu Tao (Ghostly March), Death (The Scary Wolfman), Boros (Final Form), Featherine (Aurora), Makima (Control Devil), Darkness Devil (Fear of Dark), Sonic (Speed Sound), Genos (Dragon Form), Hajun (God of Universe), Rudo (Shueburekku), Shinra (Banshoman), Broly (Super Saiyan), Jin Mori (Sun Wukong), Rimosu (Demon Lord), Emeya (Archer) |
| SSS | Metal Bat, Aki (Gun Devil), Power (Blood Devil), Kafka (HSR), Ellen Joe (ZZZ), Miyabi (ZZZ), Beerus (Destroyer), Vegeta (Ultra Ego), Goku (Ultra Instinct), TIO (Over Heaven), Gojo (Final), Regna (Silver Saint), Itachi (Uchiha), Kenshin (Battosai), Griffith (Sacrifice), Satella (Witch Of Envy), Alucard (Vampire King), Igris (Shadow Monarch), Sumo Girl |
| SS | Guts (Berserk), Castorice (HSR), Reze (Bomb Devil), Lofy (Gear 5), Kiro, Gohan (Ultra Beast), Shigeru (Gachi Fighter), Miwalk, Zid (Atomic), Susuna (Curse King), Gintoki (Sekata), Subaru (Lust), Subaru (Sloth), Mini Cookies |
| S | Rukia (Bankai), Vivian (ZZZ), Elizabeth, Velda, Void (God Hand), Milim (Lord), bolm, Subaru (Envy), Echidna (Witch Of Greed) |
| A | Cha, Shalltear, Rom (Powerful), Fleeren (Full Power), Yuei (Dark), Saber (Alter), Ichango (Veste Lorde), Sai, Gogo (Infinity), Hamura (Devil), Ichango (True Bankai) |
| B | Rudy (Element), Beauty (Dilema), Mish (Muscle), Lancor (Bolg), Goblin Slayer |
| C | Ichango (Bankai), Emilian, Senko |
| D | Natshi, Kilu, Subaro, Osto, Enki (God) |
| Support | Robin (HSR), Tatsumaki (Psychic), Kiri (Aura), Enki (God), Matsuri (Love Pillar), Rudo (Shuaburekku), Aozort (Lord Arc), Ai (Idols) |
What each tier means
The rankings reflect raw strength, utility, and how reliably a unit performs across the game’s content. Higher tiers clear waves faster and scale into late-game fights, while the lower tiers fall off once enemies gain more health.
- Meta and SSS: The best of the roster. These carry late-game stages, world bosses, and tough waves. Most come from Guardian, Heavenly, Limited, or Secret rarities, so expect a lot of grinding to land them.
- SS and S: Strong, dependable damage. Easier to obtain than the top tiers and still capable of clearing the hardest fights.
- A and B: Solid early and mid-game picks. Good while you wait for an upgrade.
- C and D: Starter units. Use them to grind opening stages, then replace them.
- Support and Farm: Built around buffs or currency generation rather than direct damage. Bolm and Osto, for example, are strong money farmers.
New units in Update 29 and 28.5
Update 29 added an evolved version of an existing unit, Valentine (Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap), alongside Diego Brando and his Alt form, Diego Brando (Alt – The World). The prior Update 28.5 added Gyro Zeppeli with his Gyro Zeppeli (Ball Breaker) evolution, plus Johny Joestar and Johny Joestar (Golden Spins).
Best artifacts and what they do
Artifacts equip onto your units and change how they deal damage. The Infernal Spineblade is the default choice on almost every unit because it adds high percent-HP damage, the main exception being curse book users. From there, pick artifacts that match a unit’s status effects, such as bleed, poison, or burn.
| Artifact | Effect |
|---|---|
| Infernal Spineblade | Best general pick; grants high percent-HP damage to any unit (not curse book users) |
| Greenbone Greatsword | +150% damage to bosses and reduces active skill cooldown by 25% |
| Curse Book | Doubles your damage, but halves active skill damage and cuts its cooldown by 2x |
| Hellmaw Shield | +300% unit HP and a 65% damage boost after placement |
| Crimson Hellblade | +111% damage to bosses and +50% bleed damage |
| Abyssbone Scythe | 2x damage to enemies under any status condition |
| Toxic Greatsword | 12.5% chance per strike to inflict Toxic (poison) four times |
| Toxic Harvest Scythe | Builds up to +45% damage and poisons every 3 hits for 10% of main damage per tick |
| Nightmare Hook | +150% damage to enemies that are already cursed |
| Netherbane Flail | +150% burn damage, only on enemies already burning |
| Dark Greatsword | +0.12% damage per hit with no cap |
| Crimson Dreadscythe | +100% bleeding damage |
| Antique Earring | +100% active skill damage |
| Sanctus Aegis | +40% active skill damage |
| Celestial Tear Pendant | -20% active skill cooldown |
| Emerald Whisper | +20% damage and -20% cooldown after placing the unit |
| Emerald Necklace | +2% damage per attack, up to 50% |
| Bloody Blade | +20% damage to bleeding enemies |
| True Katana | Builds up to +10% damage per hit; sold by the Rukia NPC for 10k gems |
| Dual Blade | +20% critical chance; sold by the Rukia NPC for 10k gems |
| Magic Books | +20% skill damage when hitting enemies |
Note: match the artifact to the unit’s mechanic. Bleed-focused fighters want Crimson Hellblade, Crimson Dreadscythe, or Bloody Blade, while poison units pair well with the Toxic Greatsword or Toxic Harvest Scythe. The Abyssbone Scythe is a strong universal option whenever you can keep a status effect active on enemies.
How to get more characters
Summoning is straightforward. When you load in, you start in the lobby, where you can head to the summon area and talk to the NPC to pull on the available banners.
There are usually three banners running at once. One features new characters, one is a rerun, and one is the standard pool. Each banner uses a different currency, and every pull guarantees a character. Rarities, from highest to lowest, are Guardian, Heavenly, Limited, Secret, Exclusive, Mythic, Legendary, Epic, and Rare, so the Meta and SSS units you want almost always sit at the top of that scale.
The roster shifts every few weeks as new units and evolutions arrive, so a fighter sitting in SS today can climb or drop after the next balance pass. Build around the Meta and SSS picks you already own, slot the right artifact for their status effects, and keep an open team slot for whatever the next banner delivers.
