Tier list Last checked October 2, 2026 33 picks ranked

Summoners War Monster Tier List (October 2026)

By the Claude Gaming team

This Summoners War monster tier list ranks the natural 5 star monsters that still decide fights in late 2026, from the light and dark grails everyone chases down to old favourites that no longer earn a slot.

We cross-checked three current rankings and kept the view the majority agreed on. Where one site put a monster far above the others, we leaned on the most recent list rather than the loudest one.

The 2026 collaboration units sit at the very top right now. We list them because the sources do, but they cannot be pulled outside their event windows, so plan your rune resources around the permanent monsters first.

S
Nephthys Nephthys
Lora Lora
Qitian Dasheng Qitian Dasheng
Frieren
Fern
Ubel
A
Vanessa Vanessa
Jeogun Jeogun
Gandalf (Water) Gandalf (Water)
Shi Hou Shi Hou
Leo Leo
Seara Seara
Tian Lang Tian Lang
Yeonhong Yeonhong
Giana Giana
B
Velajuel Velajuel
Daimon Daimon
Camilla Camilla
Ethna Ethna
Sonia Sonia
Veronica Veronica
Woosa Woosa
C
Okeanos Okeanos
Juno Juno
Praha Praha
Feng Yan Feng Yan
Poseidon Poseidon
Ganymede Ganymede
D
Rakan Rakan
Perna Perna
Daphnis Daphnis
Ariel Ariel
Pungbaek Pungbaek
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Monster icons from the Summoners War community wiki

How we rank

We rank for the content most players actually grind: Arena and Guild Siege defense, Real Time Arena and the standard PvE towers. S holds the monsters every recent list puts in its top band. A is the proven core you build teams around. B monsters are still strong but need a specific team or a specific job. C is situational and D covers monsters that current lists openly tell you not to rune. Natural 3 and 4 star monsters are left out on purpose, and the ranking says nothing about how fun a monster is to play.

Tier by tier

S Tier, the meta

  • Nephthys: Dark Desert Queen, silence and debuff pressure, RTA staple
  • Lora: Light Occult Girl, HP scaled damage plus buff removal
  • Qitian Dasheng: Dark Monkey King, bruiser with strip and stun in one kit
  • Frieren: Light collab mage, top band of every September 2026 list
  • Fern: Light collab unit, ranked alongside Frieren at the top
  • Ubel: Dark collab attacker, top band damage dealer

A Tier, excellent

  • Vanessa: Fire nuker with a conditional self revive, still meta
  • Jeogun: Fire support, strips buffs and boosts ally attack
  • Gandalf (Water): Water collab support: heal, cleanse and damage reduction
  • Shi Hou: Water Monkey King, stun and provoke bruiser
  • Leo: Wind Dragon Knight, caps enemy attack speed
  • Seara: Wind Oracle, bombs still clear arena offense
  • Tian Lang: Light Panda Warrior, cuts enemy attack bar gains
  • Yeonhong: Light Sky Dancer, heals and refills attack bars
  • Giana: Dark Oracle, buff removal plus stuns on offense

B Tier, solid

  • Velajuel: Fire Archangel, three turns of team immunity
  • Daimon: Fire HP type, blocks beneficial effects on targets
  • Camilla: Water Valkyrja, crit damage down and healing
  • Ethna: Wind nuker, heavy burst when she gets a turn
  • Sonia: Wind support, oblivion and control for RTA
  • Veronica: Light support, regular in RTA and Siege lists
  • Woosa: Dark Pioneer, team immunity support that still holds

C Tier, situational

  • Okeanos: Water Sea Emperor, fine but easy to play around
  • Juno: Fire Oracle, cleanse and support, outclassed now
  • Praha: Water Oracle, heals and cleanses, slower meta fit
  • Feng Yan: Wind Panda Warrior, provoke tank for specific comps
  • Poseidon: Wind Sea Emperor, attack bar control, niche today
  • Ganymede: Wind Fairy King, skill reset trick, A tier at best

D Tier, skip

  • Rakan: No meaningful buff in years, lists say skip
  • Perna: Fire Phoenix, self revive is not enough anymore
  • Daphnis: Fire Fairy King, bottom of the 2026 lists
  • Ariel: Light Archangel, healer outclassed on every front
  • Pungbaek: Wind Pioneer, rarely picked in any mode

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Summoners War tier list FAQ

Who is the best monster in Summoners War right now?

Nephthys, the dark Desert Queen, tops the most recent lists for PvP thanks to her silence and debuff pressure. Lora and Qitian Dasheng sit next to her, and the 2026 collaboration units Frieren, Fern and Ubel share that top band while their events run.

Why are the collaboration monsters ranked so high?

The September 2026 rankings put the Frieren collaboration units in their highest band on raw strength. They are only summonable during the event, so we flag them but recommend building the permanent S and A tier monsters first.

Does this tier list cover PvE too?

Mostly PvP: Arena, Guild Siege and Real Time Arena, because that is where natural 5 star monsters matter most. Classic PvE farmers like Veromos or Sigmarus are not ranked here because the sources disagree too much on them between modes.

How often does the Summoners War meta change?

Balance patches land roughly every two to three months and each one shuffles a handful of monsters. We re-check the list after every patch and after each new collaboration.