Honkai: Star Rail Tier List 2026: Current HSR Character Rankings

If you are searching for an HSR tier list, the useful answer is a dated reference plus the conditions behind it. A character can be excellent in one endgame mode and awkward in another, while a lower-rarity support can be the missing piece in an account that already owns a carry.

This is a dated third-party endgame reference, not an official HoYoverse ranking. Same-tier order is not an exact score, and placements can change with teams, modes, investment, and new patches.

What this HSR tier list measures

This page is a readable snapshot of the linked HSR Tier List 4.5 reference, updated August 29, 2026. It covers 91 characters across Memory of Chaos, Pure Fiction, Apocalyptic Shadow, and Anomaly Arbitration. The source states an E0 comparison with farmable relics and no signature Light Cone required. Those assumptions make the list easier to compare, but they do not turn a tier label into a pull command.

HoYoverse's official Version 4.5 update details set the update window from August 26 to September 28, 2026, UTC+8. That date is why this article keeps the version and source date visible: an HSR tier list can age as soon as a new kit, balance change, or endgame cycle changes the teams people build.

Why the key placements are useful

A full roster tells you where the source put each character. The notes below tell you what to check in a real team: damage loop, role, mode coverage, partner access, and the constraint that can make a high-ranked character awkward for your account.

A real Rankly export example

This board was exported from the Rankly HSR editor using the supplied character image library. It is a personal example, not a second meta source: the placements demonstrate how to compare an Elation carry, a follow-up support, a break DPS, a sustain option, and a flexible debuffer inside one readable board.

How to choose a character for your account

Start with the job your second team cannot currently do. A high-ranked damage dealer is not automatically better than a support who completes an existing archetype, and a sustain unit can be the difference between a theoretical rotation and a clear. Use the source as a shortlist, then test each candidate against the account you actually have.

1. Name the mode: decide whether the list is for Memory of Chaos, Pure Fiction, Apocalyptic Shadow, Anomaly Arbitration, or broad endgame coverage.
2. Name the job: carry, breaker, follow-up enabler, debuffer, buffer, summon support, or sustain.
3. Check the partners: ask whether the support, speed, debuff, break, or action pattern that makes the character good is available to you.
4. Check the cost: compare relic quality, light cone access, skill point pressure, and whether the rotation still works at E0.

Accessible options deserve their own question

The reference places Trailblazer (Elation) in S+, Gallagher, Tingyun, Pela, and March 7th (Imaginary) in S, and Trailblazer (Imaginary) in S. That does not mean every free or four-star option is universally stronger than a five-star. It does mean an account can build a useful team around accessible roles instead of reading the top of the list as the only path to progress.

How the four endgame modes change the answer

Do not compare a wave-clear specialist and a single-target specialist as if they were solving the same fight. Pure Fiction can reward a different damage loop from a boss-focused stage; Memory of Chaos and Apocalyptic Shadow can ask different questions of speed, break, sustain, or target priority; Anomaly Arbitration adds another context to the source's broad endgame view. The correct personal list can therefore use columns or separate boards rather than one forced order.

When a new cycle starts, record the date and the source cycle beside your placements. If only one mode changes, update that mode's notes instead of rewriting every character as if their kit changed overnight.

Why your own HSR list may differ

A tier list compresses several decisions into a letter. Your result can differ because your account lacks a partner, because you value low-investment clears, because you care about one mode, or because you rank ease of play instead of maximum ceiling. Those are not errors when the rule is explicit.

• Separate “best in this source snapshot” from “best for my account.”
• Keep alternate forms and distinct source entries separate when the kit or role differs.
• Use left-to-right order inside a tier for preference, but do not pretend it is a precise score.
• Record the patch, source date, Eidolon assumption, and Light Cone assumption with the board.

How to make an HSR tier list with Rankly

Use the Honkai: Star Rail tier list maker to turn your rule into a board. The editor starts with the supplied HSR character images and lets you search by name, filter by element or rarity, move cards into tiers, rename rows, and download a PNG.

1. Write the rule in the title, such as “My E0 Pure Fiction ranking — September 2026.”
2. Place clear anchors first: the characters you would build around, the sustain you trust, and the support your account can actually pair.
3. Move uncertain entries only after comparing them with an anchor in the same role.
4. Export the board, then keep the source date in the caption or post that accompanies it.

For a personal board, S/A/B/C/D is fine when you define each tier. For a source reproduction, keep SS/S+/S/A/B/C so readers can distinguish your opinion from the reference.

Ranking source: HSR Tier List 4.5, updated August 29, 2026. Official version context: HoYoLAB Version 4.5 Update Details. Rankly is not affiliated with HoYoverse or the third-party source.