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Chaos Zero Nightmare Character Tier List (2025 Edition)
If you’ve been grinding Chaos Zero Nightmare and wondering which 5-star characters are actually worth your investment, this guide has you covered. This is a fully reworked tier list, written in a natural and personal tone to help you understand why each character sits where they do, not just where they rank.
I’ll go over each tier — from the top-tier S Rank monsters dominating the meta to the B Tier units who may still shine with the right setups.
Chaos Zero Nightmare Character Tier List
| Tier | Characters |
|---|---|
| S Rank | Khalipe, Mei Lin, Nia, Kayron, Cassius, Selena |
| A Rank | Magna, Rei, Tressa, Mika, Maribell, Renoa, Hugo, Beryl, Veronica |
| B Rank | Orlea, Lucas, Rin, Owen, Luke, Amir |
| TBD | Haru |
S Rank — Meta Defining Characters
These are the current core of the meta. They either bring irreplaceable utility, unmatched damage output, or both. If you pull any of these, build them immediately — they’ll stay relevant through future updates.
Khalipe
Khalipe stands at the very top of the meta for good reason. Her combination of high AoE damage, defensive scaling, and Tenacity-breaking power makes her one of the most well-rounded units in the game.
Her card rotation feels smooth, and her ability to shred both waves and bosses gives her incredible flexibility. The fact that she also helps generate AP through Tenacity damage pushes her over the edge.
If you want one unit that can solo carry both PvE and PvP, Khalipe is your best bet right now.
Mei Lin
Mei Lin is hands-down the heart of Passion-based teams. She not only amplifies Passion damage but can also apply Passion Weakness to enemies, setting up massive burst turns for your DPS characters.
Her kit revolves around buffing allies while generating Tenacity damage for faster AP gain — which means faster rotations and more consistent skill uptime.
She’s also quite future-proof, since team buffers like her almost always remain viable even when new DPS units enter the game.
Nia
Nia plays the perfect support-DPS hybrid, built around enhancing multi-hit skills. Her biggest strength is how easily she boosts Extra Attack Damage, which allows your main DPS to deal even more per combo.
On top of that, she provides solid healing and follow-up attacks, giving your team both survivability and consistency.
If you have a damage dealer that relies on chaining attacks, Nia is one of the best partners you can bring along.
Kayron
Kayron is that rare character who fits almost every team. His scaling AoE damage and Exhaust card mechanic give him a flexible playstyle — you can run him as a main DPS or slide him in as a sub-DPS depending on your comp.
What really makes him shine is how his card effects synergize late-game, allowing for some explosive turns when played strategically.
He’s reliable, powerful, and adaptable — everything you want from an S-tier DPS.
Cassius
Cassius is the ultimate card control unit. His ability to reshuffle and redraw specific cards gives you complete control over your hand, which is invaluable in longer battles.
His Ultimate Skill, which lets you pick a specific card, adds an extra layer of tactical depth — you can always ensure your combo pieces show up exactly when needed.
Cassius shines in technical playstyles and is one of the best supports for players who value consistency and control.
Selena
Selena rounds out the S-tier as a hybrid DPS and debuffer. Her Mark application helps set up critical burst windows, and she also contributes Tenacity breaking and Passion Weakness for extra synergy.
She fits beautifully into Passion-based teams but is strong enough to stand alone in mixed comps too.
Flexible, consistent, and meta-stable — she’s a DPS who will keep her place for a long while.
A Rank — Strong but Composition Dependent
These are your core secondary picks. They’re strong in the right teams or modes but may require specific partners or setups to truly shine. Many are free-to-play friendly and can carry you well into late game.
Magna
Magna is a defensive powerhouse and one of the few tanks who can counterattack for meaningful damage. Her counter-scaling with defense allows her to retaliate effectively while staying durable.
She’s easy to slot into almost any lineup and provides great balance between survivability and pressure.
Rei
Rei is your go-to beginner-friendly support. She’s free-to-play, versatile, and surprisingly effective for a base character.
Her ability to Exhaust cards for better draws adds more flow to your hand, and she performs exceptionally well in Void-themed teams.
While she’s not flashy, she’s dependable — perfect for players still building their roster.
Tressa
Tressa focuses on damage over time (DoT), spreading effects that continuously chip away at enemies.
Her Shadow Daggers can be spammed at 0 AP cost, which makes her extremely efficient for follow-up or attrition-based team comps.
While she lacks burst, she’s fantastic in drawn-out fights.
Mika
Mika is a pure healer — simple, effective, and focused. She excels at keeping your team alive while generating AP, making her a great early and mid-game support.
However, as the game progresses and newer characters gain healing plus additional effects, her value drops slightly. Still, she’s a reliable pick if you need sustain.
Maribell
Maribell acts as a hybrid Tank and Shield DPS. Her playstyle revolves around counterattacks and shield-based damage scaling.
She can protect allies while dishing out punishment — a great pick for players who prefer balanced defensive comps.
Renoa
Renoa is a single-target burst specialist with a unique Bullet mechanic that triggers powerful follow-ups.
The catch? Setting up her Requiem Bullet can be tricky, especially in faster-paced teams. If you can manage her tempo, she’s devastating in boss fights.
Hugo
Hugo thrives as a sub-DPS who supports characters that generate a lot of skill cards.
His Hunting Instinct mechanic allows him to mirror follow-up attacks from allies, effectively doubling your offensive turns.
He’s fantastic in combo-heavy compositions.
Beryl
Beryl is a burst-oriented attacker with the ability to retain cards to either increase damage or lower AP cost.
This gives her strong setup potential for one-shot combos, but it requires careful card timing.
Players who enjoy planning around high-damage turns will find her very rewarding.
Veronica
Veronica adds a summoning mechanic to your team through her Ballistas, offering consistent chip damage over time.
She also has card draw utility, helping you cycle through your deck faster.
While not a top DPS herself, she’s great for sustaining pressure and supporting allies.
B Rank — Niche or Early-Game Picks
These characters can still perform but require specific setups or fall short in higher-tier content. They’re great for early progression or experimentation, but you’ll eventually want to replace them with stronger options.
Orlea
Orlea is a “Jack of all trades” support with shields, damage, and healing rolled into one.
Her Retain mechanic can easily clog your hand if not managed carefully, which limits her effectiveness.
She’s useful in flexible comps but doesn’t excel in any one area.
Lucas
Lucas brings AoE Bullet-style damage and some Passion synergy.
He’s decent for clearing mobs and setting up Passion Weakness, but his numbers don’t compete with S-tier DPS options.
Solid filler for early Passion comps.
Rin
Rin is a stance-based DPS that relies on entering Dark Cloud Stance to unlock her full damage potential.
The issue is her stance is limited — only two cards activate it, and it resets if another character attacks.
She’s fun but inconsistent, requiring micromanagement to make work.
Owen
Owen is your classic beginner DPS.
He’s simple, easy to use, and a solid filler until you roll stronger damage dealers.
Unfortunately, his overall scaling just isn’t competitive against other five-stars in the long run.
Luke
Luke uses the Bullet mechanic like Renoa but with more RNG tied to critical hits.
If you don’t have high Crit Rate gear, his performance dips drastically.
Fun to play, but highly luck-dependent.
Amir
Amir is a tank with offensive scaling, but her defensive stats are unusually low compared to other tanks.
This makes her risky to use — she can deal solid damage, but keeping her alive in tougher content is a challenge.
Right now, the Chaos Zero Nightmare meta heavily favors characters with flexible synergy — those who can fit into multiple comps while providing reliable damage or utility.
If you’re unsure who to prioritize.
