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Tier list

Arknights Operator Tier List (September 2026)

Last checked August 28, 2026

By the Claude Gaming team

This Arknights operator tier list ranks the operators that actually decide runs in 2026, from the meta warping six stars down to the three star trainees you can safely retire.

We compared two full class by class rankings from this year, kept the majority view where they disagreed, and leaned on the more recent one for the newest alters.

Arknights is generous to good play, so read the lower tiers as priority guidance rather than a ban list: a well built A or B tier squad still clears everything in the story.

S
Wiš'adel
Logos Logos
Ascalon Ascalon
Ines Ines
Shu
Lappland the Decadenza Lappland the Decadenza
A
Degenbrecher Degenbrecher
Texas the Omertosa Texas the Omertosa
Młynar Młynar
Kal'tsit Kal'tsit
Typhon Typhon
Goldenglow Goldenglow
Muelsyse Muelsyse
Ela Ela
B
Eyjafjalla Eyjafjalla
Surtr Surtr
SilverAsh SilverAsh
Mountain Mountain
Saria Saria
Mudrock Mudrock
Bagpipe Bagpipe
Myrtle Myrtle
C
Exusiai Exusiai
Thorns Thorns
Ch'en Ch'en
W W
D
Steward Steward
Midnight Midnight
Frostleaf Frostleaf
Dobermann Dobermann
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Operator icons from the Arknights community wiki

How we rank

We ranked operators on all round endgame value: performance in Contingency Contract, Integrated Strategies and high difficulty stages, assuming full investment with masteries and modules. Alters are ranked as their own operators since they play differently from their base versions. The list compresses roughly 300 operators into 30 notable names, so we kept the ones people actually ask about, including a few famous older picks whose stock has fallen.

Tier by tier

S Tier, the meta

  • Wiš'adel: The strongest damage dealer in the game, period
  • Logos: Best caster, huge arts burst at range
  • Ascalon: Stealthy constant damage that never stops ticking
  • Ines: Best vanguard, prints DP while dealing damage
  • Shu: Top defender, protects and heals the lane
  • Lappland the Decadenza: New alter, instantly among the best DPS

A Tier, excellent

  • Degenbrecher: Absurd burst guard, deletes elites on demand
  • Texas the Omertosa: Premier fast redeploy, solves emergencies anywhere
  • Młynar: Wipes half the screen every skill cycle
  • Kal'tsit: Mon3tr tanks and deals true damage
  • Typhon: Anti heavy sniper, superb boss killer
  • Goldenglow: Drone caster with near map wide reach
  • Muelsyse: Vanguard alter with clones and flex utility
  • Ela: Trapper with stuns and genuine damage

B Tier, solid

  • Eyjafjalla: Classic caster queen, gently power crept
  • Surtr: Still melts bosses, needs healer babysitting
  • SilverAsh: The original meta guard, still respectable
  • Mountain: Self sufficient lane holder, zero effort
  • Saria: Tanks, heals and enables arts teams
  • Mudrock: Slow but nearly unkillable lane wall
  • Bagpipe: Best pure DP engine for rush starts
  • Myrtle: Cheap DP printer that fits any squad

C Tier, situational

  • Exusiai: Base form outpaced by newer snipers
  • Thorns: Was everywhere once, now merely fine
  • Ch'en: Base version fully power crept by her alter
  • W: Fun mines, better options exist now

D Tier, skip

  • Steward: Three star filler, retire him early
  • Midnight: No role once you have literally anyone else
  • Frostleaf: Weak kit even for the early game
  • Dobermann: A trainer, not a fighter, skip

Playing Arknights right now? Grab the freebies too: our Arknights codes page is checked daily, with every working code and what it pays out.

Arknights tier list FAQ

Who is the best operator in Arknights right now?

Wiš'adel remains the consensus number one in 2026. Her damage output trivializes content that used to demand careful planning, and every recent ranking we checked puts her at the top. Logos and Ascalon sit just behind her.

Are C and D tier operators unusable?

Not at all. Arknights story content is tuned so that any leveled squad with sensible roles clears it. The lower tiers matter mainly for Contingency Contract and high difficulty Integrated Strategies, where raw operator power actually gets tested.

Should I rank operators by their base version or their alter?

Treat alters as separate operators, because that is how the game treats them. Texas the Omertosa and plain Texas share a name and nothing else in power level, which is why one is A tier here and the other is not listed.

Is Arknights friendly to free to play players?

Yes, more than most gacha games. The pity system is reasonable, six stars are not required for any story content, and several of the best value picks in this list come from events or the shop rather than pure luck.