The safest NIKKE picks right now are Crown, Anis: Star, Rapi: Red Hood, Snow White: Heavy Arms and Cinderella: Crystal Wave: they sit in the top tier for both story and bosses on NIKKE.gg (big revision on October 29, 2026) and on Pocket Tactics (updated October 24, 2026). For PvP the list changes completely, led by Anis: Star, Snow White: Heavy Arms, Laplace: Ultimate Hero, Vesti: Tactical Upgrade and Blanc. This NIKKE tier list puts those community rankings side by side, shows where they disagree, and explains each pick from the official skill text.
NIKKE’s 4th Anniversary update (MARIA-n) went live worldwide on October 29 with three new SSRs. None of the lists below has ranked them yet, so they get their own section with the official kits. Checked October 31, 2026, 12:00 UTC.
Table of Contents
Quick answer
- Best overall (story + bosses): Crown, Anis: Star, Rapi: Red Hood, Snow White: Heavy Arms, Cinderella: Crystal Wave (top tier on both lists).
- Best for bosses only: add Liberalio, Neon: Vision Eye, Little Mermaid (Siren), Mast: Romantic Maid, Cinderella, Scarlet: Black Shadow and Flora (Treasure).
- Best for PvP (Arena): Anis: Star, Snow White: Heavy Arms, Laplace: Ultimate Hero, Vesti: Tactical Upgrade, Blanc, Centi (Treasure), Biscuit, Trina, Jackal, Noah and Emilia.
- Biggest disagreement: Liter. Pocket Gamer still puts her at the very top; NIKKE.gg has her at S (story) and SS (bosses), and Pocket Tactics at A and S.
- New in the 4th Anniversary: Marian: Queen (banner now), Scarlet: Goddeath (banner from November 4, 20:00 UTC) and the free Rapunzel: Sanctuary. NIKKE.gg’s early analysis gives Marian: Queen 5/5 for campaign and bosses.
- Free pick: in the Pilgrim Selective Recruitment, Nayuta and Cinderella both rate far above Grave.
The October 29 4th Anniversary update (MARIA-n) added Marian: Queen, Scarlet: Goddeath and the free Rapunzel: Sanctuary. Image: Proxima Beta / SHIFT UP
NIKKE tier list sources compared
A tier list is opinion, so this page doesn’t invent its own grades. It lines up three established English rankings and shows each one’s grade:
| Source | Last update | What it rates | Scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| NIKKE.gg (DotGG) | Oct 29, 2026 (October 2026 Tier List Changes) | Story, Boss, PvP, plus Combined (60% boss, 40% story) | SSS to F |
| Pocket Tactics | Oct 24, 2026 | Story, Bossing, PvP | SS to F |
| Pocket Gamer | Oct 5, 2026 (version 152.8) | One overall PvE list | S+ to D |
NIKKE.gg’s October update is the big one: the site says it moved close to 95% of the roster and raised its “high deficit” campaign line from 35% to 40% CP deficit. That change favours True Damage units, which ignore enemy DEF, and hurts units that need lots of outside buffs. Its grades below come from the character pages, which already show the new ratings. Ratings for Treasure (favourite item) versions only appear in the October article, so a dash means NIKKE.gg didn’t give a readable grade.
NIKKE story (campaign) tier list
| Nikke | NIKKE.gg Story | Pocket Tactics Story | Pocket Gamer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crown | SSS | SS | S+ |
| Anis: Star | SSS | SS | S+ |
| Rapi: Red Hood | SSS | SS | S+ |
| Snow White: Heavy Arms | SSS | SS | S+ |
| Cinderella: Crystal Wave | SSS | SS | S+ |
| Ada Wong | SSS | S | A |
| Vesti: Tactical Upgrade | SSS | S | S+ |
| Privaty (Treasure) | – | SS | S+ |
| Little Mermaid (Siren) | SS | S | S+ |
| Moran (Treasure) | SS | S | S+ |
| Nayuta, Liberalio, Neon: Vision Eye | SS | S | S+ / S / – |
| Liter | S | A | S+ |
Why these units: NIKKE teams need a Burst I, Burst II and Burst III unit, and the best campaign teams cycle Burst as fast as possible. NIKKE.gg names five units that give the full 7.48-second cooldown reduction with no ramp-up: Anis: Star, Little Mermaid, Moran (Treasure), Rapi: Red Hood and Soline: Frost Ticket. It calls Anis: Star “basically Crown for the B1 slot”: the same cooldown cut as Little Mermaid and Moran (Treasure), plus more damage against groups and a bigger buff, which matters more at the new 40% deficit line. That is the only reason Little Mermaid and Moran (Treasure) slipped from SSS to SS.
Ada Wong is the clearest NIKKE.gg riser (Story S to SSS). Her kit spams area True Damage, and when a Burst III ally uses Burst she gives that unit +60% caster ATK (plus +50% True Damage if it deals True Damage), and her kit heals for 10% of damage dealt. She came from the Resident Evil collab, so most players can’t get her right now.
NIKKE bossing tier list (Solo Raid, Union Raid, Interception)
| Nikke | NIKKE.gg Boss | Pocket Tactics Bossing |
|---|---|---|
| Crown | SSS | SS |
| Anis: Star | SSS | SS |
| Rapi: Red Hood | SSS | SS |
| Snow White: Heavy Arms | SSS | SS |
| Cinderella: Crystal Wave | SSS | SS |
| Cinderella | SSS | SS |
| Liberalio | SSS | SS |
| Neon: Vision Eye | SSS | SS |
| Little Mermaid (Siren) | SSS | SS |
| Mast: Romantic Maid | SSS | SS |
| Scarlet: Black Shadow | SSS | SS |
| Flora (Treasure) | SSS | SS |
| Nayuta, Mint, Prika | SS | SS |
| Liter | SS | S |
Why: NIKKE.gg raised Flora (Treasure) to SSS for bosses because she gives adjacent allies the biggest caster ATK buff in the game and also shields and heals. The site says Solo Raid bosses now deal more damage over a fight, so supports without healing or shields are harder to justify. Scarlet: Black Shadow went up to SSS: she got a direct buff a few months ago worth about 10% more damage, and newer Charge Speed and Projectile Explosion Damage buffers now boost her normal attacks. Liter dropped from SSS to SS because her cooldown has to ramp up, which NIKKE.gg says costs one Burst rotation per fight compared with the five instant 7.48-second units.
Two duo supports also stand out on both lists. “Maids” means Mast: Romantic Maid with Anchor: Innocent Maid, and “Idols” means Mint with Prika. NIKKE.gg calls Mint and Prika together “some of the strongest total buff power in the game”, though Mint’s offensive buffs take two Full Burst cycles to switch on.
Scarlet: Goddeath's official skill card: a Burst III Fire Attacker with Pierce, on rate-up from November 4, 20:00 UTC. Image: Proxima Beta / SHIFT UP
NIKKE PvP tier list (Arena, SP Arena, Champion Arena)
| Nikke | NIKKE.gg PvP | Pocket Tactics PvP |
|---|---|---|
| Anis: Star | SSS | SS |
| Snow White: Heavy Arms | SSS | SS |
| Laplace: Ultimate Hero | SSS | SS |
| Vesti: Tactical Upgrade | SSS | SS |
| Blanc | SSS | SS |
| Centi (Treasure) | SSS | SS |
| Biscuit, Trina, Jackal, Noah, Emilia | SSS | SS |
| Nayuta, Liberalio, Neon: Vision Eye, Cinderella | SS | SS |
| Crown | C | C |
| Liter | D | C |
Why: NIKKE.gg says most Arena matches now end during the first Full Burst. That favours instant-hit Bursts and units that survive the opening burst of damage. Blanc rose to SSS because her Burst gives a damage dealer Indomitability to live through that opening, and her long cooldown doesn’t matter when fights are that short. Centi (Treasure) rose to SSS because her favourite item heals the whole team whenever any ally drops below full HP during the first 5 seconds, which the site calls a hard counter to fast-Burst teams. Crown is the warning: she’s the best PvE support, but both lists rate her C for PvP.
Where the tier lists disagree
- Liter: Pocket Gamer puts her at the top of S+ next to Scarlet and calls her a “must-have” for end-game teams. NIKKE.gg and Pocket Tactics both moved her down. NIKKE.gg still praises her +88% ATK when fully stacked, but it only lasts 5 seconds and her cooldown has to ramp up.
- Scarlet (original): Pocket Gamer S+ for PvE; NIKKE.gg A for story and B for bosses; Pocket Tactics B for both. All three agree she’s strong in PvP (NIKKE.gg SS, Pocket Tactics SS).
- Chime: S+ on Pocket Gamer, but E for story and B for bosses on NIKKE.gg, and F and B on Pocket Tactics.
- Vesti: Tactical Upgrade in bosses: SSS for story and PvP on NIKKE.gg, but only B for bosses on both NIKKE.gg and Pocket Tactics.
Pocket Gamer ranks everything on one PvE list, so units that shine in only one mode can land high there. When a unit matters for a specific mode, trust the mode-by-mode lists.
New 4th Anniversary units: Marian: Queen, Scarlet: Goddeath, Rapunzel: Sanctuary
The update notice from @NIKKE_en and Level Infinite’s October 24 press release confirm three new SSRs. All three are Fire-code Pilgrims. The banner times below are converted from the official UTC+9 times.
| Unit | Role (official) | How to get | Window (UTC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marian: Queen | Attacker, Burst III, Machine Gun | Pilgrim Pick Up Recruitment | Live now (since Oct 28, ~22:00) to Nov 18, 19:59 |
| Scarlet: Goddeath | Attacker, Burst III, Assault Rifle | Pilgrim Pick Up Recruitment | Nov 4, 20:00 to Nov 25, 19:59 |
| Rapunzel: Sanctuary | Supporter, Burst II, Rocket Launcher | Free from anniversary events (up to 4 copies) | Event to Nov 18, 19:59 |
Marian: Queen (official skill card): from the start of battle she throws 7 Dark Matter spears at random enemies every 4 seconds (125.51% of final ATK each). Every hit applies Open Wounds, +5.05% damage taken, which can’t be removed. Her Burst (40-second cooldown) deals 1,346.4% of final ATK to all enemies and gives her +78.4% ATK and +78.14% Attack Damage for 10 seconds. For those 10 seconds she also hits all wounded enemies’ cores and throws spears twice as often. NIKKE.gg’s early analysis scores her 5/5 for campaign, 5/5 for bossing and 2.5/5 for PvP (tests pending), and says early tests suggest she “might be the highest DPS unit ever released”. She isn’t on any of the three tier lists yet.
Scarlet: Goddeath (official skill card): her normal attacks gain Pierce and +35% Critical Rate, and each one adds an “Iai” hit of 109% of final ATK on the enemy nearest the crosshair. Her Burst (40-second cooldown) changes her weapon for 10 seconds, adds +120% ATK, +116% Attack Damage and +50% Critical Rate, and deals 3,000% of final ATK as extra damage to one target. No ratings exist yet because she isn’t out. Expect a heavy single-target Fire carry on paper.
Rapunzel: Sanctuary (official skill card): a healer and buffer. Full Charge shots heal all allies for 3.9% of her max HP. When she holds a charge for 1 second she shields the team and raises their DEF. On Full Burst she buffs Attack Damage and ATK for allies in the “Into the Fray” state. Her Burst gives allies an ATK buff, and once per battle it revives them if three or more are down. She’s free, so pull for the others and claim her copies.
The anniversary Pilgrim Selective Recruitment offers Nayuta, Cinderella or Grave until November 18, 19:59 UTC. Image: Proxima Beta / SHIFT UP
Who to pick in the Pilgrim Selective Recruitment
The anniversary’s Pilgrim Selective Recruitment (to November 18, 19:59 UTC) offers Nayuta, Cinderella or Grave.
| Nikke | NIKKE.gg Story / Boss / PvP | Pocket Tactics Story / Boss / PvP |
|---|---|---|
| Nayuta | SS / SS / SS | S / SS / SS |
| Cinderella | A / SSS / SS | A / SS / SS |
| Grave | A / S / B | A / S / B |
Both lists put Nayuta as the safest all-round pick. NIKKE.gg calls her “one of the best general/flex units in the game” for her heal redistribution and broad buffs. Cinderella is the pick if you mainly push raids: NIKKE.gg says her bossing “remains as phenomenal as always” thanks to some of the biggest front-loaded damage in the game. Grave is a fine buffer but ranks below both on every list.
Which unit to take from the 4th Anniversary Selection Box
According to the press release, each 4th Anniversary Nikke Selection Box lets you choose Rapunzel: Sanctuary, Chime, Rapunzel: Pure Grace or Snow White: Innocent Days. Of the three older units, Snow White: Innocent Days rates highest on NIKKE.gg (Story B, Boss A). Chime gets B for bosses, and Rapunzel: Pure Grace is D or lower everywhere. Rapunzel: Sanctuary is the new unit, so she has no grade yet, and extra copies of a unit go toward its limit break. Level Infinite says the anniversary hands out up to 259 free recruitment attempts. Grab the current redeem codes on our NIKKE codes page before they expire.
FAQ
Who is the best unit in NIKKE right now?
For PvE, Crown, Anis: Star, Rapi: Red Hood, Snow White: Heavy Arms and Cinderella: Crystal Wave are top tier for both story and bosses on NIKKE.gg and Pocket Tactics. Only Anis: Star and Snow White: Heavy Arms are also top tier for PvP on both lists.
Is Marian: Queen worth pulling?
Early signs say yes for PvE: NIKKE.gg’s early analysis rates her 5/5 for campaign and bosses but 2.5/5 for PvP. Her banner ends November 18 at 19:59 UTC. Scarlet: Goddeath’s banner opens November 4 at 20:00 UTC, so the two overlap for two weeks. Save enough if you want both.
Is Liter still good in NIKKE?
Yes, but she’s no longer the automatic pick. NIKKE.gg rates her S for story and SS for bosses, and Pocket Tactics A and S. Faster cooldown units like Anis: Star and Rapi: Red Hood have overtaken her. Only Pocket Gamer still places her at the very top.
For other gacha meta guides, see our Limbus Company tier list and BLEACH Mirrors High reroll guide and tier list. Zenless Zone Zero players can check the latest Zenless Zone Zero codes.
Sources: NIKKE.gg tier list and character pages (read Oct 31, 2026), NIKKE.gg October 2026 Tier List Changes (Oct 29), NIKKE.gg Marian: Queen early analysis, Pocket Tactics (Oct 24), Pocket Gamer (Oct 5), @NIKKE_en update notice and skill cards (Oct 28), @NIKKE_en maintenance end, Level Infinite press release (Oct 24).
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