With an incredible number of unique heroes in AFK Arena, it’s no easy task to build a team of just five heroes.
Most heroes are useful in some respect or at some point in the game, but there are some heroes that simply are better than others at the role they fill.
Because of this, we’ve created this tier list to give you guidance when choosing what heroes to use on your team and invest your resources into.
When creating your main team later on in the game, you should, however, also keep other factors in mind than just the individual strength of each hero.
Some of the very best heroes overall in the end game in AFK Arena include Elijah & Lailah, Rowan, Talene, Daimon, Ferael, Tasi, and Eironn.
If you summon any of these heroes, you can easily use them for the long term.
Note that these are just some of the top-tier heroes for the late and end game.
There are several others that are just as good as these and some that are better in specific game modes.
Heroes that do really well early on in the game, making them suitable as carries for progress, include Saveas, Lucius, Elijah & Lailah, Brutus, Shemira, and Talene.
Again, there are several other heroes that are just as powerful if not better in some game modes as these in the early game.
Find more details on all these and many more heroes below, as well as their tier in each game more and stage in the game.
Table of contents
AFK Arena tier list
To give you a better overview of each hero’s potential, we’ve made tier lists for four stages of the game, early-game, mid-game, late-game, and end-game.
Use the links below to quickly go to the specific part of this tier list you’re looking for.
This tier list has been updated as of the 1st of March 2022 to add Fane.
This tier list is up to date with the 1.83 Patch.
Tier list table of contents
- Explanation of tier list
- End game tier list
- Early/mid game tier list
Explanation of tier list
In the following two tier lists, we rank every single hero in AFK Arena based on their performance in the four main areas of the game in both the early/mid-game and in the late/end-game.
All listed heroes in the following tier lists are ranked in tiers from D to S, which represents how strong the hero is currently in terms of power, utility, or support.
We’ve gathered information from several sources to create these tier lists, including top-players, the AFK Arena subreddit, and well-established sources.
This tier list will be of great help to you if you aren’t sure which heroes to bring onto your team and spend your resources to upgrade.
Even though a tier list like this one is excellent guidance when creating a team, you should keep other factors in mind as well when creating your end-game team.
Learn more about how to optimally build your team in our AFK Arena team building guide.
All heroes in our tier list are assigned one of five ranks, S, A, B, C, or D, in five different categories, Overall, PvE, PvP, Boss, and Labyrinth. Here is a quick rundown of what each tier represents.
S Tier – Heroes in the S tier are the best in the game. These heroes perform exceptionally well and should be used if you pull any.
A Tier – Heroes in the A tier perform well above the average hero. These heroes are very strong and will help you significantly throughout your journey.
B Tier – Heroes in the B tier perform as you’d expect. They aren’t particularly strong but aren’t weak by any means either. B-tier heroes can be a great addition to your team if you need a specific set of abilities, etc.
C Tier – Heroes in the C tier perform below average with little potential for late game. As you want to replace these heroes sooner rather than later, you shouldn’t upgrade them too much.
D Tier – Heroes in the D tier are the weakest and least useful in the game. We don’t recommend spending resources on these heroes as you want to replace them as soon as you get something better.
A + or – means the hero is better or worse than their assigned tier. Thus, an S+ hero is even better than an S-tier hero.
End game tier list
The following tier list ranks all AFK Arena heroes based on their performance in the end game both Overall, in PvE, PvP, the Labyrinth, and against guild bosses.
When you reach this point in the game, you have probably already started building several team setups for different game modes. If you haven’t, you should start doing so to progress at a faster rate.
Especially between PvE, PvP, and Bosses, there can be a major difference between the performance of the same hero, so be sure to check out each hero’s rank in each category.
At this point in the game, several of the heroes that were strong in the early and mid-game, like Saveas and Vedan, reach their maximum level and cannot be upgraded further.
Therefore, they quickly fall behind all heroes of ascended rarity, as they are stuck at level 160.
Because of this, all legendary heroes are ranked F- in this tier list, as they quickly become very weak compared to all other heroes of ascended rarity.
With the top-ranked heroes on this list, you can build a strong team for the end game.
Early/mid game tier list
The following tier list ranks heroes based on their performance in the early and mid-game.
During this period, many heroes become much stronger with new skills unlocked while others lack the power progression other heroes have.
All the top-ranked heroes in this tier list will ensure you can progress through early quickly and without any hassle.
Some heroes that do well in this period fall off later in the game as others get more powerful skills and scale better.
Having top-ranked heroes from this tier list during the early and mid-game of AFK Arena will make it a lot easier to progress through this period of the game.
Best attacker heroes
Any great team in AFK Arena needs to have strong damage dealers.
The primary purpose of attacker heroes is to deal as much damage as possible.
Because of this focus, many attacker heroes fall short in terms of HP and defense, and control and buffing. But nonetheless, you need them on your team.
Here are some of the best attacker heroes in AFK Arena in the late/end game.
Ainz Ooal Gown
Already from mid-game and all throughout end-game, Ainz Ooal Gown is a force to be reckoned with.
Ainz Ooal Gown is a mage of the dimensional faction and was introduced to AFK Arena when they had a collaboration event with the anime Overlord.
Because of his incredible skills, Ainz Ooal Gown is one of the very best attacker heroes in AFK Arena in both PvE, PvP, and in the Labyrinth.
There are, however, other heroes that do better than him against bosses.
The reason why Ainz Ooal Gown is so powerful in the three categories mentioned above is that his skills deal an insane amount of damage.
His active skill, Fallen Down, hits all enemies at once while some of his other skills damage more than one.
Having Ainz Ooal Gown on your team throughout the game will be of great help to your team.
We’ve also observed that many players have a difficult time in PvP if they face Ainz Oaal Gown and don’t have him themselves.
If you managed to get this hero while the event was live, consider bringing him on your team, and if you didn’t, be sure to get him if AFK Arena launches an event where you can get him again.
Eironn
Eironn is another extremely powerful attacker hero in AFK Arena.
He is of the Wilders faction and is a ranger.
Being a wilder, you can obtain him in the game through summoning, shards, etc.
Besides being very strong in PvE and PvP, Eironn is one of the best heroes to have against bosses.
If you’re looking for a powerful, well-rounded attacker hero, Eironn is definitely a hero you should look into.
His active skill is Elemental Surge, which causes Eironn to swing both his blade to summon a roaring tornado that deals damage to all enemies in its range for five seconds.
Throughout battle, Eironn will also pull enemies towards him, which can create a setup for other heroes on your team with AoE attacks.
While pulling enemies to him is a very useful skill for your team, it can also leave him vulnerable, which is why most players bring a healer or other type of support to sustain him.
All in all, Eironn is a fantastic attacker in both PvE, PvP, and against bosses that you can’t go wrong with.
Saurus
You can’t talk about the best attacker heroes in AFK Arena without mentioning Saurus.
Saurus is a powerful hero in most aspects of the game, but where he really shines is against bosses.
He is one of the absolute best heroes against most bosses in the game, including both guild bosses.
If you don’t have a strong team for guild boss farming yet, aim to get a Saurus, and you’ll likely see your total damage against both guild bosses increase immensely.
Saurus is a warrior hero of the Wilder faction.
Through a fight, Saurus, upon being level 61 or higher, will get stacks whenever he or a clone of his use either his War Strike or Burst Strikes abilities.
A stack increases both his attack stat and defense, and he can gain up to five stacks at a time.
This stacking ability, combined with the fact that Burst Strikes deals a percent of the target’s current health, is what enables Saurus and his clones to dish out so much damage.
His active ability, Phase Form, creates a clone of himself that lasts for 9 seconds, dealing 85% of the damage the original Saurus does.
When you unlock Warrior’s Valor for Saurus, he will start regenerating health both passively when he has reached five stacks, and he will start healing his allies when he uses War Strike or Burst Strikes without being interrupted.
All in all, Saurus is one of the absolute best attacker heroes for bossing and is also powerful for other aspects of the game.
Best tank heroes
A team with only damage dealers and support heroes can not always keep their ground against powerful foes.
This is where tank heroes come in.
By having one or more strong tanks on your team, you ensure that your team has someone to rely on when the enemy dishes out powerful attacks.
Here are some of the best tanks in the late/end game of AFK Arena.
Daimon
Daimon is a hero you will repeatedly find when battling or watching top AFK Arena players.
Being a tank from the Graveborn faction, Daimon is an obvious choice if you are looking for a powerful tank for your team.
Daimon not only is a great tank but also packs a serious punch and will deal a lot of damage in battles.
His active skill is Soul Feast, which deals damage to all enemies and gives Daimon a shield equal to 26% of the three enemies with the highest health’s maximum health at maximum level.
This happens because Daimon’s Soul Feast activates his Blood Shield ability.
But that’s not all. Daimon also has both a stun and can heal him equal to the damage he deals with his skill Inanimate Companion.
Because of all these skills, Daimon is amazing at sustaining himself throughout battles.
As you can tell, it’s no surprise Daimon is considered one of the absolute best heroes in AFK Arena, so be sure to give him a try if you pull him.
Mezoth
Mezoth, a tank of the Hypegean faction, is also an amazing tank in the late and end game of AFK Arena.
Mezoth’s skillset primarily revolves around crowd control, but he does also have self-healing and, of course, damage.
When Mezoth uses his active skill, Devour, the enemy will be imprisoned until Mezoth is out of energy, which he will lose gradually while holding an enemy imprisoned.
The enemy takes damage every second and cannot use any attacks themselves while being imprisoned, making this a powerful skill.
Other useful skills that Mezoth possess include Abyssal Butchery, which both knocks down the enemy, deals damage, and heals Mezoth, and Demonic Hunger, which both deals damage to enemies, gives Mezoth a shield and reduces the enemy’s haste.
Lastly, Mezoth’s cannot be controlled by the enemy while his health is above 50% and debuffs are reduced by 50%.
Furthermore, Mezoth starts battles with a significant health and defense boost, which slowly diminishes throughout the first 50 seconds of battles till he reaches his normal health and defense.
All in all, Mezoth is a powerful crowd control-focused tank in AFK Arena that is worth your considering when you need a tank on your team.
Best support heroes
Some players overlook the importance of support heroes in AFK Arena as they sometimes lack both defenses and damage.
But, even though a support hero might not have an amazing damage output themselves, their contribution to the team can make your team much more powerful overall than had you simply added another attacker or tank.
Furthermore, some support heroes are so good at keeping your team alive for longer that your damage output will also increase overall, and you will be able to sustain enemies you wouldn’t be able to without them.
Here are some of the best support heroes in the late/end game of AFK Arena.
Elijah & Lailah
Known as one of the very best heroes in all of AFK Arena late/end game, Elijah & Lailah is obviously also one of the best support heroes in the game.
Elijah & Lailah are two twins from the Celestial faction that acts as one hero in AFK Arena.
Like many supports in the game, Elijah & Lailah’s strength lies in their incredible buffs and healing skills.
Their active skill is Hope, which increases the haste of all allies and removes all negative effects from them, as well as makes them immune to controls for a short period of time.
The twins can sustain themselves throughout battle because of their shielding and healing skills, but also their allies.
Elijah & Lailah’s Grace skill both heals an ally and restores an ally’s energy, making your team not only survive longer but also deal more damage because of faster energy regeneration.
If you manage to pull Elijah & Lailah in AFK Arena, you should definitely consider bringing them on your team, as they are one of the absolute best support heroes and just heroes in general.
Rowan
Rowan is another favorite among the best players in AFK Arena that are looking to add a support hero to their team.
He is from the Lightbearer faction, is a support, and possesses some interesting skills.
When Rowan uses his active skill, Dazzle, he throws golden coins onto the battlefield.
If an enemy picks up one of these coins, they will be stunned.
However, if an ally picks up one of Rowan’s gold coins, they recover 70 energy points, and their attack rating is increased by 30% for 8 seconds.
This skill is extremely useful as it can quickly top up an allies’ energy so they can dish out more active skills at greater damage.
The result is a higher total damage output for your team than had you brought another attacker.
Besides being able to stun enemies with his Dazzle skill, Rowan can also crowd control with his skill Avian Assault.
Avian Assault sends out Rowan’s duck to attack an enemy causing the target’s accuracy to drop. At the same time, Rowan steals energy from the target.
On top of being able to regen his own energy through Avian Assault so he can regen the energy of his allies through Dazzle, Rowan also passively heals his allies throughout battles with his skill, Healthy Supplies.
Healthy Supplies makes Rowan set up a stand of potions at the start of battles.
When an ally drops below 50% health, they will go and drink a potion from the stand, which heals them for 40% of their maximum health.
There are a total of three potions on the stand, and a hero cannot drink from it within 5 seconds after drinking a potion.
As you can tell, Rowan is also an extremely useful support hero in AFK Arena, who will not only keep your team alive for longer but will also increase your entire team’s damage output.
Best carry heroes early and mid game
What heroes are the best to use changes quite drastically throughout the game.
That is the reason why you’ll find that our AFK Arena tier list above is divided into four sections of the game – early, mid, late, and end game.
Even though there are changes between each section, the biggest changes occur from early/mid to late/end game.
Unlike in the late/end game, where you want to create a diversified team of strong heroes, in the early/mid game, most players focus almost entirely on a single carry.
Therefore, you can here find some of the best carry heroes in the early/mid game of AFK Arena.
Shemira
When it comes to heroes in AFK Arena capable of carrying your team through early/mid game, Shemira is one of the best options.
Shemira is a mage from the Graveborn faction who possesses a skill set built for solo carrying through the game.
Her active skill is Tortured Souls, which upon use, shrouds the entire battlefield in souls that deal continuous damage to all enemies.
On top of the incredible damage this skill deals to all enemies, Shemira heals 90% of the continuous damage Tortured Soul deals and 50% of all damage dealt by the skill on top of that at the end of its duration.
But that’s not all. Shemira also has a skill called Soul Siphon, which drains the life of an enemy and gives it to Shemira.
Lastly, to add to Shemira’s synergy with life regeneration, she deals extra damage the more health she possesses, and the debuff her skill Silence applies to enemies, also has a longer duration the more health Shemira has.
All in all, Shemira is an incredible carry who deals a ton of damage, has enormous continuous AoE, and can sustain herself through massive self-healing.
Saveas
Saveas is often the first hero that pops into players’ head when they think of an early/mid game carry.
He is from the Mauler faction, is of the Continous Damage role, and has a unique health-sacrifice system that makes him one of the best carries in AFK Arena.
Saveas’ active skill is Burning Acrimony, which makes Saveas sacrifice 8% of his current health and, in return, gain a significant attack speed boost.
Later on, as this skill is upgraded, he regenerates 20% of his maximum health, and the timer will be reset if Saveas gets a kill or assist.
What gives Saveas his incredible damage output is his other skill, Bloodied Spear, which is a passive that makes Saveas sacrifice 8% of his health every time he attacks an enemy.
In return, his attacks deal up to 2 times the value of the health Saveas has lost, which is an enormous damage boost.
To help Saveas sustain through battle, his skill Sacrificial Sustenance makes Saveas sacrifice 8% of his current health in return for self-healing, equal to 4% of his maximum health over 10 seconds, as well as a reduction in damage received.
His combination of dealing more damage, the less health he has, and more self-healing relative to health sacrifice the less health he has, is what makes Saveas so incredible at turning a battle completely around, even if it looks like there is no hope for him.
Altogether, Saveas is an amazing carry hero for early and mid game in AFK Arena.
That’s our take on a tier list of the best heroes in AFK Arena as well as the best attacker, tank, support, and carry heroes in the game.
If you have any input or suggestions for this tier list, let us know in the comment section below.