Arknights: Endfield expands the Arknights universe with action-oriented combat and squad-based progression across the hostile surface of Talos-II. Success depends heavily on which characters players invest in, especially since upgrade materials and currencies are limited. Some operators offer strong performance straight out of the gate, while others only become useful after significant resource commitment.
This Arknights: Endfield article ranks all current characters by overall effectiveness, flexibility, and synergy. Whether obtained through story progression or gacha banners, each unit serves a different role, and understanding their value early can save players from wasting precious resources.
Understanding Squad Value on Talos-II
Team building in Arknights: Endfield revolves around combining damage, survivability, and debuff synergy. Characters specialize in Physical, Heat, Cryo, Electric, and Nature interactions, and many abilities scale based on how well status effects are layered. Because Talos-II restricts how quickly players can upgrade units, characters that perform well without heavy setup tend to define the meta.
Top-tier units generally deliver strong damage while also enabling teammates through debuffs, shields, or healing. Lower-ranked characters can still function, but they usually require more preparation, stricter team composition, or suffer from weaker output compared to alternatives.
Meta-Defining Characters Worth Prioritizing
At the top of the Arknights: Endfield tier list are characters that perform well in nearly any scenario. Laevatain leads the pack as a Heat Striker who delivers consistent area damage, with an Ultimate that clears groups efficiently when managed properly. Her kit scales smoothly and fits into most offensive compositions.
Last Rite anchors Cryo teams and remains the strongest Cryo option available. Her gameplay focuses on stacking Cryo effects to amplify damage, and because many units interact with Cryo, she becomes the centerpiece of any freeze-oriented squad. Without her, Cryo teams struggle to match the output of other elements.
Pogranichnik dominates Physical damage roles. Beyond raw output, he applies a powerful debuff that increases enemy vulnerability to Physical attacks. This effect stacks with other Physical modifiers, making him both a damage dealer and a force multiplier for the entire team.
Ardelia fills the support role better than any other character. She offers consistent healing while also applying Corrosion and converting it into Physical Susceptibility. This combination allows teams to stay alive while increasing overall damage, giving her a place in nearly every composition.
Antal stands out as the only non–six-star character in the top tier. Because players obtain duplicates easily, his Potential grows naturally over time. His Focus ability layers multiple debuffs and enhances existing status effects, effectively generating extra damage without demanding heavy investment.
Strong Performers That Shape Reliable Teams
Just below the top tier are characters that perform well but lack the universal impact of elite units. The Endministrator, the player-controlled protagonist, offers a solid Physical kit with dependable damage through Crush, though the moveset remains straightforward compared to specialists like Pogranichnik.
Yvonne provides consistent Cryo damage but does not scale as aggressively as Last Rite. She fits comfortably into Cryo squads without defining them. Lifeng and Gilberta operate more as enablers, applying Physical and Arts Susceptibility respectively. Their value comes from boosting others rather than carrying fights themselves.
Avywenna is one of the strongest DPS characters outside the top tier, but her Thunderlance mechanic demands careful positioning and setup. When paired with Perlica, who can apply Electrification instantly, her damage becomes easier to access, though Perlica alone lacks the impact needed for higher placement.
Catcher specializes in shielding allies and supplementing with Physical damage. Defensive utility keeps her relevant, but pure healers often provide safer long-term value. Ember adds flexibility as a Heat unit capable of healing, shielding, and dealing damage independently, while Wulfgard serves as a reliable early-game Heat option obtained through the story, albeit with lower damage than premium units.
Situational Picks and Niche Utility
Mid-tier characters in Arknights: Endfield tend to perform well only in specific setups. Chen Qianyu, acquired during the tutorial, works smoothly with the Endministrator and applies Lift often, but her overall kit lacks broader impact. Akekuri plays as a simple Heat attacker with limited depth.
Snowshine focuses on protection and healing, with most of her offensive value tied to her Cryo Ultimate. She performs better in Cryo compositions, but outside those teams her contribution is modest. Xaihi follows a similar pattern, relying heavily on her Ultimate to apply Cryo and Nature Amp while offering little consistent pressure otherwise.
Estella and Alesh sit in the same space. Both support Cryo interactions but fail to provide standout debuffs or stability. Estella benefits from Solidification setups, while Alesh’s fishing-based mechanics introduce randomness that hurts reliability. Without Last Rite leading the composition, Cryo teams built around these characters struggle to compete with Physical or Heat setups.
Characters That Struggle to Keep Up
At the bottom of the tier list are characters whose kits are either too situational or too weak for consistent play. Fluorite can apply Cryo and Nature stacks repeatedly, but her damage remains low and her explosive setup requires effort with limited payoff.
Arclight depends heavily on teammates to apply Electrification before her Combo effects can trigger. Outside of her Ultimate, she struggles to function independently, making her difficult to justify over more flexible Electric options.
Da Pan combines Crush and Lift mechanics similar to the Endministrator and Chen Qianyu, but his damage output falls short. While visually distinct, he lacks the numbers needed to anchor a squad through tougher encounters.
Building Efficient Teams in Arknights: Endfield
Progression in Arknights: Endfield rewards players who invest early in flexible, high-impact characters. Physical and Heat teams tend to perform consistently without heavy setup, while Cryo teams depend almost entirely on having Last Rite available. Support units like Ardelia and Antal amplify nearly any composition and provide strong returns on investment.
Because Talos-II limits upgrade resources, prioritizing characters that offer both damage and utility is more efficient than spreading upgrades across niche units. Even lower-tier characters can clear content, but higher-tier picks reduce the need for excessive grinding and adjustment.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the best character in Arknights: Endfield?
Laevatain currently ranks as the strongest overall character due to her Heat damage, strong area control, and low setup requirements.
Is Last Rite necessary for Cryo teams?
Yes. Cryo compositions rely heavily on Last Rite’s stacking mechanics. Without her, Cryo teams generally fall behind Physical and Heat setups.
Who is the best support in Arknights: Endfield?
Ardelia is the top support choice because she provides healing while also applying debuffs that increase team damage.
Are free characters viable in Arknights: Endfield?
Yes. The Endministrator and Wulfgard are both viable early-game options, though their damage does not scale as well as premium six-star units.
What team type is best for beginners?
Physical and Heat teams are the easiest to build early. They require less setup than Cryo or Electric teams and perform well with fewer dependencies.
Is Arknights: Endfield free to play?
Yes. Arknights: Endfield is available as a free-to-play title on the Epic Games Store.
