Anime Expeditions Tier List 2026

Anime Expeditions Tier List (July 2026): Best Units Ranked S to D

Key Takeaway: Anime Expeditions is still in its first week live, and the meta is already forming around a small group of Secret and Mythic units. Shadow (Divine) is the clear top pick right now, with 8th Sword (Berserk), Cursed Student (True Love), and Puppet (Telekinetic) rounding out the strongest early carries. Below is the full breakdown by tier, plus which units are actually worth spending Trait Crystals and Equipment Locks on.

If you've already redeemed the launch codes, the natural next question is: which units are worth building around, and which should you sell for Gold the moment something better drops? Here's the release-meta breakdown.

S Tier — Build Around These First

These units carry nearly every game mode and are worth prioritizing above everything else in your roster.

• Shadow (Divine) — The strongest unit in the current meta. Its passive buffs Magical-type units while continuously summoning spirits for extra sustained damage, making it both a DPS unit and a team-wide support piece at the same time.
• 8th Sword (Berserk) — A top-tier Physical carry with permanent damage and critical buffs that scale the longer a stage runs. It performs best with multiple placements and crit-focused gear.
• Cursed Student (True Love) — One of the most versatile Secret units in the roster, holding up across Story, Expeditions, and Raid content without needing a specific team comp to function.
• Puppet (Telekinetic) — A strong utility-DPS hybrid that remains relevant into the endgame rather than getting replaced once you unlock higher-rarity alternatives.

A Tier — Excellent Support and Secondary Carries

A-tier units carry progression well even before you've pulled the S-tier picks, and several double as flexible support pieces.

• Flame Emperor — Strong Fire-element DPS that pairs directly with Hollow (Blaze), turning burn damage into one of the more reliable damage-over-time combos in the current meta.
• Toy Maker — Obtained through the Release Event tournament and strong enough to justify prioritizing that event over general summoning early on.
• Salmon Sorcerer (Grade 1) — The best crowd-control unit currently available, useful in nearly every team comp regardless of your main damage dealer.
• Forbidden Teacher — Buffs Magical units within range and combos naturally alongside Shadow for a Magical-focused team.
• The Hero — Applies a scaling Physical damage buff, making it the go-to support pick for a Physical-heavy lineup built around 8th Sword.
• String Demon (Awakened) — has lower raw damage than other Mythics, but its stun-based crowd control from Cocoon abilities makes it worth keeping for tough stages.

B Tier — Solid While You're Still Building

• Reaper / Soul Reaper (Released) — Permanent damage and critical buffs that grow over time, but it wants multiple placements and dedicated crit gear to really pay off. Better suited to a Forsaken-focused build than a general one.
• Hollow (Blaze) — Only strong when paired with a Burn source like Flame Emperor. Without that synergy, its damage falls off noticeably.
• Lady Giant (Envy) and Elf Mage (Unleashed) — Reliable Mythic-tier alternatives if you haven't pulled the S-tier Secrets yet, but expect to replace them once you do.

C/D Tier — Early-Game Placeholders

Ramen Guy is the clear exception here — it's not a combat unit, but its Yen (in-game currency) bonus makes it one of the best farming picks in the game, and it's worth keeping in your roster purely for economy even once your combat units outclass it.

Everything else below B tier lacks a passive ability that scales into the late game. Treat these as temporary slot-fillers: use them to clear early Story stages, then replace them as soon as you pull anything from A tier or higher.

Warning: This ranking reflects the July 2026 release meta specifically. Anime Expeditions is one week old, and balance patches, new unit additions, and Trait Crystal rotations can move a unit up or down a full tier within days. Don't sink your entire Trait Crystal supply into optimizing a B-tier unit assuming it'll stay B-tier — check back before making that investment.

Quick Win: The Fastest Path to a Strong Early Team

Quick Win: If you're just starting out, don't try to build a five-unit team around every S-tier pick at once. Prioritize one Magical carry (Shadow if you have it, Forbidden Teacher as a stand-in if not), one Physical carry (8th Sword or The Hero), one crowd-control unit (Salmon Sorcerer or String Demon), and Ramen Guy for economy. That four-unit core clears most early content, and you can slot in whatever Secret unit you pull next rather than chasing a specific "perfect" five.

How Tier Placement Connects Back to Your Codes

The Trait Crystals and reroll items from the current Anime Expeditions codes are exactly what separate an S-tier unit from a mediocre roll on that same unit — Equipment Locks and Stat Locks only matter once you've actually pulled something from A-tier or higher, so redeem those codes before you start optimizing rather than after.

If code-hunting and tier-list research feel familiar from other free-to-play communities you follow, the same "get the most for free before spending" instinct applies to reward platforms outside the game too — our breakdown of the highest-paying GPT sites covers legitimate platforms that pay out for tasks the same way code-hunting pays out in-game.

And if the anime tower-defense genre is starting to feel crowded, it's worth checking what else is actually holding player attention right now — our running list of the most played games right now tracks concurrent player counts across Roblox, PC, and mobile so you know whether a game is worth the time investment before you commit to a full roster build.

FAQ-Anime Expeditions Tier List (July 2026)

Q1. What is the single best unit in Anime Expeditions right now? 

Shadow (Divine) is the clear top pick in the release meta, thanks to its Magical damage buff and continuous spirit summons, which make it both a top damage dealer and a team-wide support piece.

Q2. Are Legendary-rarity units still worth using? 

Yes, several remain useful even in the late game. Ramen Guy is one of the best farming picks thanks to its Yen bonus, and Forbidden Teacher and The Hero both provide strong team-wide buffs for Magical and Physical comps, respectively.

Q3. Should I reroll a low-tier unit's stats, or wait for a better unit? 

Wait, in most cases. Trait Crystals and rerolls are limited early on, and spending them on a unit outside A-tier or higher is one of the most common regrets new players report in the first week.

Q4. Will this tier list change soon? 

Almost certainly. This is a release-meta snapshot, and Anime Expeditions is still in its first week live. Balance patches and new unit drops typically follow within the first two to four weeks of a Roblox tower-defense launch.

Pro Tip: Don't evolve a unit until you've confirmed a good Stat Roll on it first. Evolution materials are limited early on, and evolving a poorly rolled unit locks in those weak stats permanently rather than letting you reroll them later.