This Wuthering Waves tier list is the one I needed when I logged in to the 3.3 anniversary patch and realized half my account was stuck on outdated meta info. Hiyuki just dropped, Denia is around the corner, and the meta has shifted enough that some old “must-pulls” are honestly just sidegrades now.
Here’s what I’m covering:
- Every 5-star ranked SS through C for 2026 patch 3.3
- Separate breakdowns for Main DPS, Sub-DPS, and Supports
- The teams I’m actually clearing Tower of Adversity and Whimpering Wastes with
- Whether Hiyuki or Denia is the smarter pull this anniversary
- The 4-stars worth your Astrite if you’re F2P
I learned the hard way that pulling for hype characters without checking what they actually need around them is the fastest way to end up with a sad, isolated S0 nuker who can’t clear floor 3. So I’m going to flag every dependency I see.
Table of Contents
How I Sorted These Resonators
Quick context on the rankings before the tables. Everything below is rated at C0/S0 baseline — no Resonance Chains, no signature weapons, no whaling assumed. Most of us aren’t pulling 160 times for an RC6 character.
I’m weighing three things equally:
- Tower of Adversity performance — single-target burst, the boss-focused mode
- Whimpering Wastes performance — sustained AoE, the wave-clear mode
- Team flexibility — does the character work in three teams or only one
The patch 3.3 ToA modifier matters too. Floors 3 and 4 apply a 15% DMG reduction unless your team runs Tune, Strain, or Fusion elements. That single rule is why pure Havoc and Spectro teams feel weird this rotation, and it’s reflected in some placements you might not expect.
I’ll call out which characters move tiers based on which mode you’re prioritizing. Let’s get into it.
WuWa SS-Tier: The Main DPS Carries Topping the Leaderboards
These are the resonators driving the highest-scoring clears in 3.3. If you have any of them, build them. If you’re saving for one, you’re saving correctly.
| Resonator | Tier | Element | Role | Why They’re Here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hiyuki | SS | Glacio | Main DPS | First premium Glacio carry since Carlotta, monstrous Liberation ceiling |
| Sigrika | SS | Aero | Main DPS | Echo Skill DMG specialist, ToA’s 3.2 modifier still helps her |
| Aemeath | SS | Fusion | Main DPS | Tune Rupture wave clearer, dominates Whimpering Wastes |
| Cartethyia | SS | Aero | Main DPS | Best AoE DPS in the game, scales with Ciaccona |
| Augusta | SS | Electro | Main DPS | Time-stop mechanic, works in ToA, doesn’t need supports |
Hiyuki is the new headliner and she earns the spot. Her kit is built around Glacio Chafe and Glacio Bite stacks that she cycles into a Snowforged Blade nuke through her Resonance Liberation. She’s the iaido swordswoman you’ve seen in every clip — and the damage is not for show. She’s bursty and front-loaded, which makes her a ToA monster.
The catch I want to flag immediately: she’s not plug-and-play. Without Chisa, reaching 10 Chafe stacks takes a longer on-field rotation, which directly caps her DPS ceiling. She’s pull-able as a standalone Glacio carry, but her real ceiling needs Chisa — and her ultimate ceiling needs Lucilla, who is rumored for 3.4+.
Sigrika is still here despite Hiyuki dropping because her Echo Skill DMG niche hasn’t been replaced. She’s Aero, she’s a gauntlet user, and her Heavy Attack pull-or-stagnation choice means she handles boss fights and waves equally well. The Qiuyuan dependency is real though — without him, she drops noticeably.
Aemeath got pushed to SS during 3.2 and she didn’t move. The 3.2 Tune Rupture modifier was made for her, and even now in 3.3 she’s the strongest WhiWa pick I have access to. If Denia is your priority pull this anniversary, Aemeath is the reason.
Cartethyia and Augusta are the holdovers from earlier patches who never lost their crown. Cartethyia’s Aero erosion is borderline broken in AoE. Augusta’s time-stop legitimately works in Tower of Adversity — yes, you can stop the clock during a timed mode. Wild.
WuWa S-Tier Main DPS Resonators Still Worth Building
These aren’t topping leaderboards anymore but they clear endgame comfortably. If you have any of them at C0 with a decent Echo set, they’ll still SSS-clear ToA.
| Resonator | Tier | Element | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlotta | S+ | Glacio | Main DPS | Pre-Hiyuki Glacio queen, still scales hard |
| Jinhsi | S+ | Spectro | Main DPS | Quick-swap Spectro hypercarry, RC2+ helps |
| Camellya | S | Havoc | Main DPS | SSS clears at C0 with Sanhua + Verina |
| Phoebe | S | Spectro | Main DPS | 3.1 Tune Rupture darling, still strong |
| Changli | S | Fusion | Main DPS | Quick-swap Fusion, gets overshadowed by Aemeath |
| Xiangli Yao | S | Electro | Main DPS | Big Liberation damage, easier to play than people think |
| Calcharo | A+ | Electro | Main DPS | Aged out of meta, but his Liberation still hits |
| Encore | A | Fusion | Main DPS | Forte buff system holds up better than expected |
Carlotta is in this awkward spot where she’s still a great Glacio DPS but Hiyuki straight-up replaces her if you have both. The good news for old Carlotta mains: you don’t need Hiyuki to keep clearing.
Camellya is where I see the most disappointment from veteran players. She’s not “bad” — she clears SSS in ToA at C0. She’s just not the easy-mode pick she was at release. Her Havoc team needs heavily-built Echoes and a clean rotation now where it didn’t used to.
Jinhsi at C2 actually competes closer to C0 Sigrika than the tier gap suggests. If you’ve already invested into her chains, don’t sleep on her — community testing has her tracking with way newer carries.
The Sub-DPS Roster That Actually Matters in 3.3
Sub-DPS is where I see the most bad pulls happen. People skip these characters because they don’t carry — and then they wonder why their teams scale poorly. Here’s the current pecking order.
| Resonator | Tier | Element | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cantarella | T0 | Havoc | Off-field damage, healing, role compression |
| Mornye | T0 | Spectro | Premier off-field support for burst teams |
| Lynae | T0 | Aero | 15% All DMG amp on Outro, Hiyuki’s best option |
| Brant | T0 | Fusion | Sustained buff structure, WhiWa specialist |
| Chisa | T0 | Havoc | DEF ignore + healing, the Hiyuki glue |
| Zani | T0.5 | Spectro | 3.1 Tune Rupture star, still strong |
| Yinlin | T1 | Electro | Pre-Cantarella sub-DPS queen, Xiangli Yao’s partner |
| Mortefi | T1 | Fusion | Free 4-star, the Jiyan and Encore enabler |
| Yuanwu | T2 | Electro | Free, niche Electro support |
Cantarella is the gold standard for sub-DPS in this game. Her kit compresses three roles into one slot — off-field damage, Havoc/Resonance Skill DMG buffs, and team healing through Mirage mode Shiver stacks. She frees up your support slot for someone more specialized.
Mornye is the one I’d say is the most universally useful pull right now. She slots into burst teams across multiple elements, and her Mornye outfit “Plush Dream” launching this patch (1980 Lunites with the discount, 2480 after 3.3 ends) is the cleanest skin Kuro has put out in a while.
Chisa is suddenly relevant because Hiyuki needs her. If you’re pulling Hiyuki and you don’t have Chisa, you should consider whether you need her too — or whether Phase 2’s Chisa rerun is worth holding pulls for. The Hiyuki + Lynae + Chisa team is what most leaderboard clears are running.
WuWa Healers and Pure Supports Ranked (May 2026)
You can’t clear endgame without at least one of these. The good news is the top picks have been stable for over a year, so this slot is the easiest to plan around.
| Resonator | Tier | Element | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Shorekeeper | T0 | Spectro | Universal damage amp + healing, still the GOAT |
| Verina | T0 | Spectro | Free with story progression, never falls off |
| Sanhua | T0 | Glacio | 4-star, Camellya enabler, ages like wine |
| Qiuyuan | T0 | Aero | Sigrika-specific, but his synergy is unmatched |
| Denia | T0 | Fusion | First dedicated off-field Fusion Burst support |
| Iuno | T1 | Spectro | Niche Spectro support, situational |
| Baizhi | T1 | Glacio | 4-star healer, decent F2P pick |
| Yangyang | T2 | Aero | Free, Aero support, gets replaced fast |
The Shorekeeper is the prime example of power-creep resistance. Her universal damage amplification and healing make her irreplaceable two years into the game’s life. Veteran players are even slotting her on their weaker teams now to push older comps over the 5,000-point threshold in Whimpering Wastes.
Verina is the character every new account already has. Don’t skip building her because she’s “the free one.” She’s still T0 in 2026, full stop. I have her Echo set fully optimized and she carries my 4th team in ToA every rotation.
Denia is the new kid here. She’s a Fusion Rectifier who alternates between Stagecraft Form and Breakdown Form to fuel team Fusion damage and Resonance Liberation amp. She’s the missing piece Aemeath teams have been waiting for since 3.0. If you have Aemeath and you skip Denia, you’re choosing to leave damage on the table.
The 5-Stars and 4-Stars in the Lower Tiers
These resonators were strong at release and haven’t kept up with the power creep. They still work in their dedicated comps if you’ve already invested.
| Resonator | Tier | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jiyan | A | Main DPS | Aero classic, Mortefi/Verina team still clears |
| Lingyang | B+ | Main DPS | Recently bumped from T4 to T3 with new tech |
| Calcharo | B | Main DPS | Outclassed by every newer Electro option |
| Rover (Spectro) | B | Main DPS | Story freebie, fine as a placeholder |
| Rover (Havoc) | B | Main DPS | Better than Spectro Rover, still mid |
| Taoqi | C | Sub-DPS | Old DEF shred, replaced by better options |
| Aalto | C | Sub-DPS | Aero off-field, niche use |
| Danjin | C | Main DPS | 4-star Havoc, fun but capped |
| Chixia | D | Main DPS | Free starter, replace ASAP |
| Yuanwu | D | Support | Worth keeping for Electro filler only |
Lingyang is the interesting case here. He just got bumped from T4 to T3 thanks to new tech that came out alongside the Lynae and Mornye releases — players figured out additional techniques that boost his Skill and Diligent Practice damage. Still not great, but no longer hopeless.
The Spectro and Havoc Rover variants are story-locked freebies that fill the gap until you pull a real DPS. Build them enough to clear story content and then pivot resources to whoever you actually want to main.
The Teams I’m Running Through ToA and Whimpering Wastes
Tier lists don’t matter without working comps. Here are the squads I’m actually clearing endgame with in 3.3.
- Hiyuki + Lynae + Chisa is the new top team. Lynae’s 15% All DMG amp Outro and 25% Liberation DMG amp synergize directly with Hiyuki’s Liberation-heavy kit. Chisa brings Havoc Bane, DEF ignore via Thread of Bane, and healing. This is what the leaderboard clears are running.
- Hiyuki + Shorekeeper + Chisa is the comfort version if you don’t have Lynae. Shorekeeper’s two-Intro requirement gets satisfied naturally by the rotation, and her fully upgraded Stellarealm gives Hiyuki a permanent damage zone to attack inside.
- Sigrika + Qiuyuan + Shorekeeper still holds the ceiling spot for Echo Skill DMG comps in 3.2’s Tune-friendly modifiers. If you pulled Sigrika, this is your team.
- Aemeath + Denia + Mornye is the post-Phase-2 dream. Denia plugs the Fusion off-field gap that has existed since release, and Mornye’s heal+interruption resistance package keeps Aemeath’s rotations clean. If you’re holding pulls for Phase 2, this is why.
- Cartethyia + Ciaccona + Verina is my AoE specialist team for Whimpering Wastes. Cartethyia’s Aero erosion clears trash mobs almost on its own, and Ciaccona scales the Aero damage further. Verina sits there being Verina.
- Camellya + Sanhua + Verina is the legacy comp that still SSS-clears. If you pulled during 1.x and skipped the newer banners, this is your fallback.
Hiyuki vs Denia: Who Should You Actually Pull This Patch
This is the question I’ve been asked nine times since the patch dropped. The honest answer depends on your roster, but here’s the framework I use.
- Pull Hiyuki if: you don’t have a premium Glacio Main DPS already, you like flashy iaido combat, you’re willing to commit S0 + Frostburn (her signature) for the full ceiling, and you have Chisa or you’re pulling for her in Phase 2.
- Pull Denia if: you already own Aemeath, you want to use Tune Break teams, or you’re tired of Fusion teams feeling rotation-clunky. She’s also a more flexible standalone pull because she doesn’t lock you into one main DPS.
- Pull both if: you have 25,000+ Astrite saved AND you’ve claimed all 60 free anniversary pulls (40 from login + events, plus more from event quests).
I’ll be straight with you — for limited budgets, Denia is honestly the more universal pickup. Hiyuki is flashier, hits harder ceiling-wise, but she demands more of your roster around her. Denia slots into multiple existing teams and improves all of them.
The 4-Stars I Tell New Players to Build First
If you’re new or F2P, your account is going to lean on 4-stars hard until you start hitting pity. Here’s the priority list.
- Mortefi is the must-build. He enables Jiyan, Encore, and any Fusion DPS. His Resonance Liberation extends Coordinated Attacks for serious off-field damage. Free with consistent banner appearances.
- Sanhua is the second priority. Glacio support with off-field damage. She’s the engine of Camellya teams and works in basically any Glacio lineup.
- Yuanwu is niche but worth a level if you’re running Electro. Free, decent enabler.
- Baizhi is the F2P healer if you can’t get Verina built fast enough — though Verina is technically a 5-star you’ll get for free, so this is a temporary slot.
- Yangyang is the starter Aero support. She’ll get replaced eventually, but she’s serviceable in early ToA floors.
Skip Chixia, Taoqi, and Aalto for resource investment unless you genuinely have nothing else.
FAQs
Is Hiyuki better than Carlotta?
Yes, Hiyuki has a higher ceiling and her burst damage is more front-loaded. That said, Carlotta still SSS-clears endgame at C0, so if you already have her and a built Glacio team, you don’t need to pull Hiyuki. The upgrade is real but not mandatory.
Can I clear Tower of Adversity without meta characters?
Yes. Jiyan + Mortefi + Verina clears full-star at C0 with no Resonance Chains. The meta teams are faster, not the only option. Community confirms F2P clears are realistic in 3.3.
Why are some teams underperforming on Floors 3-4 of ToA?
The 3.3 ToA modifier applies a 15% DMG reduction unless your team includes a Tune, Strain, or Fusion element resonator. If you’re running pure Havoc or pure Spectro and you’re 15% short of clearing — that’s why. Slot in a Mortefi or Aemeath and watch the numbers jump.
How many free pulls do I actually get from the 2nd anniversary?
40 confirmed free pulls from Kuro Games — 20 Radiant Tides (limited banner), 10 Forging Tides (weapon), 10 Lustrous Tides (standard). Distributed across April 30 and May 23 login windows plus anniversary event exchanges. Add another 20 or so from event quests and login bonuses, bringing the total to roughly 60.
Is the Hiyuki signature weapon worth pulling?
Frostburn (her signature) is the cleanest weapon for her. It provides Glacio DMG bonus, Frostbite Effect bonus, and Resonance Liberation DEF ignore. Her S0 + Frostburn baseline is significantly stronger than S0 with a 4-star alternative. If you can secure both, do.
Does this Wuthering Waves tier list change at higher Resonance Chains?
Yes, but mostly for hypercarries. RC6 on Sigrika and Aemeath delivers community-tested 20-40% DPS gains. C2 Sigrika’s RES shred becomes more consistent. Most other characters see smaller jumps. Don’t whale unless you’re already at endgame and want to push leaderboards.
Is the Camellya team still viable two years in?
Yes. Camellya + Sanhua + Verina clears SSS in ToA at C0 in 3.3. Her ceiling has dropped relative to newer carries, but she’s far from obsolete. Build the team properly and you’ll be fine.
Wrapping Up
That’s my Wuthering Waves tier list for 2026 patch 3.3. Hiyuki, Sigrika, Aemeath, Cartethyia, and Augusta are your SS-tier main DPS picks, Shorekeeper and Cantarella remain irreplaceable, and Denia is the smarter pull for most accounts in Phase 2 even though Hiyuki is flashier.
The anniversary patch is the most generous Wuthering Waves has ever been with free pulls — 60+ if you grind events. Use them wisely. If you only pull for one character, pick the one your roster needs, not the one your timeline is hyping.
Tier lists shift with every patch, and 3.4 is already in beta — Lucilla rumors for Hiyuki’s true ceiling team are loud. I’ll re-rank this once we know more. For now, log in, claim your anniversary rewards, and clear ToA before the Hazard Zone resets.
See you in Solaris-3.