Neverness to Everness opened globally on April 29, 2026, and the Version 1.0 roster locks in a clear pecking order across damage, buff, and survival roles. Nanally and Sakiri sit at the top of the meta, Daffodil and Chiz are the strongest free or standard picks for boss content, and a handful of A-class units fill specific support gaps. Everything below is calibrated to the live 1.0 launch roster on the Ichi-daime and Misty Tipsy Style banners.
Quick answer: If you can only invest in a few units right now, prioritize Nanally on the limited banner, take Sakiri from the free S-class selector after 50 standard pulls, and round the team out with Chiz (free at City Tycoon Rank 18) plus Haniel (free first gacha pull) for buffs.
Tier list overview (Version 1.0)
Tiers are based on launch performance at zero copies, with role context. S-tier units carry teams or define support; A-tier units are strong situational picks; B-tier covers usable fillers; C-tier units are heavily outclassed at 1.0.
| Tier | Damage | Buff / Sub-DPS | Survival |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Nanally, Daffodil, Chiz | Sakiri | — |
| A | Baicang, Jiuyuan, Hathor, Zero | Daffodil, Haniel | Fadia |
| B | Mint, Aurelia | — | Adler |
| C | Skia | — | Edgar |
Daffodil appears in two columns because her kit is a swap-based burst DPS that functions as a sub-DPS bridge in many lineups. Zero (the protagonist, male or female) scales with team coordination through faster Esper Cycles and self-heal, which keeps the unit relevant across the run.
S-tier characters and why they rank here
The top tier is built around units that either define a role outright or carry the strongest single-target and AoE profiles available at launch.
| Character | Class | Esper | Arc | Role | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nanally | S | Anima | Plasma | Main DPS, follow-up | Ichi-daime limited |
| Sakiri | S | Incantation | Gas | Buff, crowd control | Standard / S-selector |
| Daffodil | S | Chaos | Liquid | Burst DPS, break | Standard / S-selector |
| Chiz | S | Cosmos | Gas | Main DPS | Free at City Tycoon Rank 18 |
Nanally has the strongest sustained single-target damage in 1.0 thanks to her follow-up attack uptime and easy-to-use rotation, which is why she is the headline reroll target. Sakiri groups mobs for AoE setups and stacks team-wide damage buffs, making her the most flexible support option from the free S-class selector. Daffodil specializes in white-bar damage on bosses and uses parry swaps and a long-range mid-combo dodge to stay alive in fast fights. Chiz hits well above her cost as a free unit, but her rhythm-based attack timing has a steeper learning curve than the other top picks.
A-tier characters: strong but role-specific
A-tier units are competitive choices when their element or team niche fits, but they are not first-pick targets at launch.
| Character | Class | Esper | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baicang | S | Incantation | Damage / DoT | Multi-mode kit, no peak ceiling |
| Jiuyuan | S | Anima | Burst DPS, control | Pulls enemies, ranged mode |
| Hathor | S | Lakshana | Burst DPS | Best in Remora teams; charge windows are punishable |
| Zero | S | Cosmos | Sub-DPS / utility | Faster Esper Cycle, passive self-heal |
| Haniel | A | Psyche | Buff | Free first gacha pull; pure damage booster |
| Fadia | S | Psyche | Survival | Damage-share passive, damage reflect |
Fadia is the strongest dedicated tank-style unit in the launch pool because her passive shares damage across the team, preventing single-character wipes during boss telegraphs. Haniel is worth keeping built because she costs nothing and remains the most accessible team-wide damage buffer until later patches add new options.
B and C-tier characters
These units are usable in early progression but should not receive ascension materials when better options are available from the standard banner or events.
| Character | Class | Role | Why this tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mint | A | Damage | Solid parry uptime, outclassed once S-class DPS is built |
| Aurelia | A | Ranged AoE DPS | Free Day 3 login; low mobility, low ceiling |
| Adler | A | Survival, shield | Strong one-button team shield; weak damage |
| Skia | A | Damage | Light-element synergy with Chiz; otherwise low DPS |
| Edgar | A | Survival, healer | Stationary heal zone struggles vs. mobile bosses |
Adler is the exception worth a small investment: a single-button team shield with DEF scaling makes him a low-effort survival pick when you have not yet pulled Fadia. Edgar's healing is potent, but the placed zone falls behind Adler's shield in actual fight uptime against most 1.0 bosses.
Reroll and pull priorities
Rerolling in NTE is generally not necessary because the limited banner has no 50/50 split. Every limited S-class pull is the featured character, and hard pity at 90 (with soft pity around 70) guarantees them. That said, the path to the strongest opening account follows a fixed order.
Step 1: Spend the discounted first 50 pulls on the standard Fabricated Dice banner to unlock the free S-class selector.
Step 2: Pick Sakiri from the selector for buff and crowd control coverage, or Daffodil if you already have Haniel built and want a boss-breaker instead.
Step 3: Move remaining pulls to The Ichi-daime limited banner for Nanally before it ends on May 13, 2026 (UTC+8). Pity carries to the next limited banner if you do not hit her.
Step 4: Reach City Tycoon Rank 18 to claim Chiz for free, and collect Aurelia from the Day 3 launch login reward to round out the early roster.
Upcoming Version 1.0 banner
The second half of Version 1.0 features Hotori, a Cosmos / Solid S-class with a time-stop kit that works both in combat and during open-world exploration. Her banner, Misty Tipsy Style, runs from May 13 to June 3, 2026. She functions as a burst DPS with temporal control, strongest in boss windows and weakest in continuous AoE farming. Pity from the Ichi-daime banner transfers to her banner, so unspent pulls are not wasted.
How to verify your team is on track
You will know your account is in a healthy 1.0 state when three things are true. The S-class selector has been used (the unlock prompt appears after 50 standard pulls). Your active team includes at least one S-class damage dealer plus either Sakiri or Haniel for buffs. Your survival slot is filled by Adler or Fadia rather than Edgar, since their uptime is more consistent in the current endgame content.
Tier positions in NTE move with each major patch as new characters arrive and existing kits are tuned. The 1.0 ranking above reflects the launch meta through the end of Version 1.0 on June 3, 2026, after which Lacrimosa and Chaos are expected to shift the damage and sub-DPS conversation in Version 1.1.