Anime Origins Tier List Guide

Overview

This Anime Origins tier list is built from the two most detailed launch-window rankings plus release-day gameplay footage, and it treats their disagreements as data instead of noise. Where both sources agree, a unit is marked consensus. Where they split — and they split hard on a few units — the disagreement is documented in its own section so you know exactly which placements to distrust after the next patch.

Every ranking is dated August 16, 2026 and reflects the release build. The developers have already nerfed unit placements once (Giotto went from five placements to three around launch), so treat this as a living document, not a verdict.

Verified by Olivia Bennett on August 16, 2026 at 12:30 UTC: I compared two independent release-window tier rankings unit by unit against launch gameplay footage. Six units appear at the top of both rankings and are marked consensus; two units carry materially conflicting placements and are quarantined in the contested section below. In-game DPS validation is queued for the first post-launch balance patch.

How These Rankings Are Scored

Each unit is scored on five weighted criteria. A unit that loses points in one category can still rank high if it dominates another:

The weights explain several placements that surprise new players: Bon outranks flashier units because his buffer-plus-income kit scores in three categories at once, and Tojei stays below the top ground tier despite excellent boss damage because he cannot accept buffs — a permanent utility zero.

Consensus Meta Units

Both independent rankings place these six at the top. If you pull any of them, build them immediately.

Ground DPS Rankings

Notes that the raw table hides:

• Igritto has the highest ceiling here — his frenzy mode out-damages everything in this tier — but he demands a specific team built around his passive. Sosuke is his natural partner and the simpler build-around.
• Starku earns A-tier on one ability: a roughly 120-second-cooldown nuke that deletes problem waves. His sustained damage is ordinary.
• Tojei (Sorcerer Killer) sits between S and A depending on your supports — his boss damage is excellent, but his passive blocks incoming buffs, so he caps out lower in optimized teams.
• Ichigo deserves a special mention outside the tiers: he evolves from Rare through Epic, Legendary, and Mythic, making him the most reliable free power curve for unlucky accounts.

Hill and Hybrid Rankings

Flying waves make this category non-negotiable — a ground-only team will hard-stop your progression.

Aneko is the most flexible pickup in this category: her damage is a tier below Vegita, but her stuns let her slot into almost any team as a support-DPS hybrid. Itsoda is the budget Legendary you use while saving for Vegita — serviceable, but do not invest rerolls in him.

Support and Crowd Control Rankings

Shinoru contributes poison damage-over-time more than burst, and her real value is enabling elemental interactions on specific stages. Mykie (from the Infinite Mansion) stacks a team damage aura slowly and loses it if sold — usable, but the ramp-up makes him worse than Bon in most fights.

Farm Units

Run one farm unit early (Leorio is enough), add Bluma later, and place them so their ranges cover your upgrade-heavy units — Leorio's refund passive only works inside his range. The recommended trait for any dedicated farm unit is Hustler.

Contested Picks Worth Watching

These two units carry genuinely conflicting placements across the two source rankings. Neither placement is a typo — the evaluators weight different things.

• Konpatchi (Unleashed). One ranking files him as a reliable mid-A-tier boss killer. The other argues he belongs near the top of Ground DPS because he ignores 30% of physical defense and resistance, and deals true damage once enemies drop below 60% HP. If your stages wall on tanky bosses, the high evaluation is probably right for you.
• Melio (Assault). His kit rotates between petrification, slow, team buffs, and personal damage on a fixed cycle, which one evaluator reads as inconsistent and the other reads as high-value flexibility. His armor shred and aura are real either way; the question is whether the rotation fits your team's timing.

Element Coverage Beats Rarity on Some Stages

Release-day testing describes a two-tier element system: attacks can be effective (roughly 50% bonus damage) or super effective (roughly 150% bonus damage) against enemy elements, while Neutral units deal unmodified damage to everything. The practical consequences:

• A lower-rarity unit with a super-effective matchup can outdamage a Mythic hitting neutral.
• The roster currently skews physical, so magic-coverage units like Roxi have niche value their raw numbers hide.
• Neutral units like Tojei are the safest blind picks for unknown stages.

Element values are the least-verified numbers on this page and are flagged for in-game confirmation after the first balance patch.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best unit in Anime Origins?

Madaro is the consensus best overall unit in the release meta — a quest-earned hybrid with nuke damage, mark-stack pressure, and stuns. Alucard is the strongest banner Secret for ground damage, and Cursed Lover scales with your roster by copying teammates' active abilities.

What should I summon first in Anime Origins?

Vegita. He is a hill unit — mandatory for flying waves — and his evolution path is the easiest among top-tier units. The beginner guide walks through the full first-weekend summon order, and the codes page has the free Gems to fund it.

How do I get Madaro, Bon, and Igritto?

None of them come from the standard banner. Madaro is earned through a quest line, Bon and Tango come from Raids, and Igritto comes from World Bosses — so even a free-to-play account can field a meta team.

Which units will move after the next patch?

The contested picks — Konpatchi and Melio — are the most likely movers, along with any unit the developers touch directly. Giotto's placement-count nerf on release day shows they adjust without warning, so check this page's date after each patch.

What is the best trait for my carry?

Damage carries generally want Rupture or Immortal, supports want Overseer or Stride, and farm units want Hustler. Only roll traits on units you plan to keep — Trait Rerolls are the scarcest launch-week currency.

Change Log

• 2026-08-16: Created the Anime Origins tier list with weighted scoring, consensus meta placements, contested-pick quarantine, and element coverage notes for the release build.