Update 21 shook up the meta hard. The God Shield mechanic made basic attack units relevant again, and the Re:Zero collab added some genuinely broken units. Reinhard is insane.
I’ve been playing Anime Guardians since May 2025. Around 180 hours now. I’ve tested every unit in Story Mode, Infinite Mode, and the new Worldlines. This tier list is based on actual gameplay, not theorycrafting.
Quick note: traits matter more than rarity. A Secret with Damage++ beats a Guardian with no traits. Use those free rerolls from codes before investing resources.
Quick Reference
| Tier | Units |
|---|---|
| S+ | Sung (Shadow Monarch), Saitama, Reinhard, Void (God Hand), Tio (Over Heaven) |
| S | Lofy (Gear 5), Gojo (Infinity), Anos, Ichongo (True Bankai), Satella (Witch of Jealousy), Alon (Demon Lord) |
| A | Kafla (Overpower), Gohan (Ultra Beast), Guts (Berserk), Denji, Griffith (Sacrifice), Rukia (Bankai) |
| B | Yugi (Dark), Homuro (Devil), Itachi (Uchiha), Fleeren (Full Power), Matsuri (Love Pillar) |
| C | Aozort (Hollow Form), Monica (Silent Witch), Miwalk (Dracule), Lancor (Bolg) |
| D | Bolm, Osto, Emilian, Subaro (base), Natshi, Kilu |
S+ Tier (Meta Defining)
These units break the game. Build your teams around them.
Sung Jin Woo (Shadow Monarch)
The best unit in Anime Guardians. Period.
I pulled base Sung around hour 40 and my Infinite Mode progress jumped from Wave 60 to Wave 150+. His shadow summons scale infinitely. The more enemies die, the stronger his army gets.
Why he’s broken:
- Shadows inherit his damage bonuses
- Can’t be stunned (huge for late waves)
- AoE attacks hit entire screen
- Damage increases by 2.5% per shadow kill (caps at 25%)
Best traits: Damage++, Range+, Attack Speed+
How to get: Summon base Sung from banners, then evolve using Monarch Tokens from raids.
Saitama
Still doesn’t have an evolution. Still the strongest raw damage dealer.
Saitama’s kit is simple: punch everything, deal massive damage. His AoE covers the whole screen and each hit does ridiculous numbers. I’ve seen him one-shot Wave 100 bosses with good traits.
Why he’s S+:
- Full AoE coverage
- Multi-hit attacks
- Highest base damage in the game
- Works in every team comp
Best traits: Damage++, AoE+, Attack Speed+
How to get: 0.0045% summon rate. Yeah. Good luck.
Reinhard (NEW - Update 21)
The Re:Zero collab brought a monster. Reinhard is the best limited unit they’ve ever released.
I got him after about 150 pulls (used all my saved Gems). His Divine Protection passive makes him immune to the first hit of every wave. Combined with his damage scaling, he’s unkillable.
Why he’s S+:
- Divine Protection blocks first hit per wave
- Damage increases with each enemy killed
- Basic attacks shred God Shields
- Limited time only (grab him now)
Best traits: Damage++, Attack Speed+, Range+
How to get: Re:Zero Part 2 banner (limited time).
Void (God Hand)
Summons demons based on enemies in range. The more enemies, the more demons, the more damage.
Void is weird to use at first. You need to position him where paths converge so maximum enemies enter his range. Once you figure out placement, he’s disgusting.
Why he’s S+:
- Demon summons scale with enemy count
- Each demon deals independent damage
- Works as both DPS and crowd control
- Synergizes with stall strategies
Best traits: Range+, Summon Damage+, Cooldown-
Tio (Over Heaven)
Time manipulation is broken. Tio freezes enemies and deals bonus damage to frozen targets.
Why he’s S+:
- Time stop affects entire screen
- Damage increases by 1.5x per attack
- Frozen enemies take bonus damage
- Can’t be stunned
Best traits: Damage++, Freeze Duration+, Cooldown-
S Tier (Excellent)
Not quite meta-defining but close. These units carry teams.
Lofy (Gear 5)
Luffy’s Gear 5 form. Can’t be stunned and attack range increases with each hit.
Strengths:
- Stun immunity
- Range scaling makes him hit everything eventually
- Solid AoE damage
- Fun to watch
Weaknesses:
- Needs ramp-up time
- Not as strong early wave
Best traits: Damage++, Range+, Attack Speed+
Gojo (Infinity)
Infinity passive blocks incoming damage. Domain Expansion hits the whole screen.
Strengths:
- Damage immunity from Infinity
- Massive AoE with Domain
- Long range
- Works in every team
Weaknesses:
- Long cooldowns
- Falls off in very late Infinite waves
Best traits: Cooldown-, Domain Duration+, Damage++
Anos
Once fully upgraded, Anos gets 2.5x damage, increased range, and reduced cooldown. He’s a stat stick that just works.
Strengths:
- Simple but effective
- High base stats
- Good AoE coverage
- Easy to build
Weaknesses:
- Boring kit
- No unique mechanics
Best traits: Damage++, Range+, Cooldown-
Ichongo (True Bankai)
Higher DPS than Vasto Lorde form. Hits multiple enemies with each attack.
Strengths:
- Multi-target attacks
- High sustained DPS
- Good for boss waves
- Looks cool
Weaknesses:
- Needs evolution materials
- Outclassed by S+ tier
Best traits: Damage++, Attack Speed+, Range+
Satella (Witch of Jealousy)
The farmable Re:Zero unit. Low cooldown AoE that clears hordes fast.
Strengths:
- Farmable (no gacha needed)
- Low cooldown abilities
- Good AoE coverage
- Evolution is strong
Weaknesses:
- Needs event grinding
- Not as strong as Reinhard
Best traits: Cooldown-, Damage++, AoE+
Alon (Demon Lord)
Low range but hits like a truck. Each attack damages multiple enemies with high damage per hit.
Strengths:
- Massive damage per hit
- Multi-target
- Low SPA (attacks fast)
Weaknesses:
- Short range
- Needs careful positioning
Best traits: Range+, Damage++, Attack Speed+
A Tier (Great)
Solid units that work in most content. Not meta but definitely usable.
Kafla (Overpower)
AoE attack covers the whole arena. Good for clearing trash mobs.
Best traits: Damage++, AoE+, Cooldown-
Gohan (Ultra Beast)
Strong transformation. Good burst damage.
Best traits: Damage++, Transformation Duration+, Attack Speed+
Guts (Berserk)
Bleed damage steals health. Berserk mode boosts damage significantly.
Best traits: Bleed Duration+, Damage++, Lifesteal+
Denji
The Chainsaw Man himself. Basic attacks shred God Shields fast. Became meta again with Update 21.
Best traits: Attack Speed+, Damage++, Range+
Griffith (Sacrifice)
Choose between Light or Darkness forms at 100% power. Both are strong.
Best traits: Damage++, Power Gain+, Range+
Rukia (Bankai)
Applies status effects while attacking. Good for debuff teams.
Best traits: Status Duration+, Damage++, Range+
B Tier (Decent)
Usable but outclassed. Good for early-mid game or specific situations.
- Yugi (Dark) - Exodia skill can hit 300% damage, 50% range boost
- Homuro (Devil) - Damage increases with skill use, 50% cooldown reduction chance
- Itachi (Uchiha) - Clone summon, can freeze all enemies
- Fleeren (Full Power) - Hits flying units
- Matsuri (Love Pillar) - Flower status reduces enemy max HP
C Tier (Situational)
Only use if you have nothing better.
- Aozort (Hollow Form) - Decent AoE but outclassed
- Monica (Silent Witch) - Increases stun/bleed duration
- Miwalk (Dracule) - Burning effect, nothing special
- Lancor (Bolg) - Filler unit
D Tier (Skip)
Starter units. Replace them as soon as possible.
- Bolm - Only good for early cash farming
- Osto - Same as Bolm
- Emilian - Slows enemies, useless later
- Subaro (base) - Average damage, no utility
- Natshi - Hits flying enemies, that’s it
- Kilu - Same as Natshi
God Shield Team Building
Update 21’s shield mechanic requires basic attack units. Here’s my recommended comp:
Shield Breaking Team:
- Denji (basic attacks, fast)
- Reinhard (basic attacks + damage)
- Sung (Shadow Monarch) - shadows break shields
- Gojo (Infinity) - cleanup after shields drop
Position Denji and Reinhard at the front to break shields. Sung and Gojo handle everything after.
Trait Priority Guide
DPS Units
- Damage++ (always)
- Attack Speed+ (more hits)
- Range+ (quality of life)
- AoE+ (for AoE units)
Support Units
- Buff Range+ (affects more allies)
- Cooldown- (more ability uptime)
- Cost- (deploy faster)
Shield Breakers
- Attack Speed+ (break shields faster)
- Damage++ (still need damage)
- Range+ (hit more enemies)
Common Mistakes
Chasing rarity over traits. A Secret with Damage++ beats a Guardian with nothing. Use your rerolls.
Ignoring basic attack units. God Shields made them mandatory. Build at least 2.
Spreading resources. Focus on 6 units. Perfect those before touching others.
Skipping Chainsaw Man event. Denji is free and S tier for shield breaking.
Bad positioning. AoE at intersections, single-target on boss lanes, supports in back.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Saitama worth chasing at 0.0045% rate?
Honestly? No, unless you’re a whale. The rate is brutal. You could spend 100k+ Gems and not get him. Build around Sung or farmable units instead. If Saitama drops, great. Don’t bankrupt yourself chasing him.
What’s better, Guardian rarity or perfect traits?
Perfect traits on a Secret beats a Guardian with no traits. I’ve tested this. My Damage++ Gojo outdamages my traitless Guardian unit in Infinite Mode. Rarity matters but traits matter more.
Should I pull on standard banner or wait for rate-ups?
Wait. Always wait. Standard banner has no pity and the rates are spread across every unit. Rate-up banners focus your odds on specific units. Limited banners are even better because the units are often meta.
Why is Denji ranked so high after Update 21?
God Shields. The new shield mechanic blocks ability damage until you break the shield with basic attacks. Denji has fast basic attacks. He went from “decent” to “mandatory” overnight.
How do I know if a unit is worth investing in?
Check if it has an evolution path. Units with evolutions get massive power spikes. Also check if it has AoE. Single-target units are niche. AoE units work everywhere.
What traits should I prioritize?
Damage++ on DPS, always. Then Attack Speed+ or Range+ depending on the unit. For supports, Cooldown- and Buff Range+. Don’t waste rerolls on C or D tier units.
Related Content
- Anime Guardians Codes - Free Trait Rerolls and Gems
- Anime Guardians Guide - Full progression guide
- Anime Guardians Evolution Guide - How to evolve units
- Anime Guardians Artifacts Guide - Best artifacts
- Anime Vanguards Tier List - Similar TD game
