Aru is the self-proclaimed boss of Problem Solver 68, and while her outlaw persona might not always be convincing, her damage definitely is. In Blue Archive, Aru stands out as an Explosive-type Sniper with strong area-of-effect and single-target potential. She’s especially effective in red raids like Kaiten, where her high crit scaling and burst-heavy EX Skill can shine.

Though Aru can be a bit inconsistent without the right gear, she’s a top-tier DPS when fully built. With a kit centered around critical damage and reliable bursts, she offers serious value in content where both AoE and targeted burst are needed, making her into one of the best character to unlock in this RPG. Her skills reward careful planning and good team setups, making her a strong pick for players focused on raid performance.

What Makes Aru Special?

Aru’s core strength lies in her EX Skill, Hard-Boiled Shot, which combines high single-target damage with a follow-up explosion that hits nearby enemies. This lets her deal with grouped enemies while still doing heavy damage to bosses. Her Basic Skill, Noir Attack, functions similarly but has a 50% chance to trigger the AoE component—something that can be made consistent once she’s equipped with her unique Bond Item.

Her Passive and Sub Skills support her burst potential by boosting Crit Damage and Crit Rate during her EX Skill. When these buffs line up with a properly timed Hard-Boiled Shot, Aru can melt even tanky Light-armored enemies. What makes her stand out is the way her kit scales—while she’s usable early, she becomes far more dangerous at high investment levels. This increase is enough to land her among the top tier characters in Blue Archive.

Skill Build Priority

Aru’s skills scale well with levels, but you’ll get the most value by focusing on her Enhanced Skill first. Here’s the recommended priority:

Enhanced > Basic > Sub

Her Enhanced Skill gives a flat boost to Crit Damage, which plays directly into her EX and Basic skill performance. The Basic Skill is next, especially once you unlock her unique wallet item, which guarantees the AoE trigger. The Sub Skill should be leveled last but is still valuable, especially in raid content where extra Crit Rate during EX skill usage can make a difference.

Once you reach Unique Equipment level 40, her Enhanced Skill improves even further by adding raw Crit DMG stats on top of the percentage bonus. That makes this skill even more of a damage cornerstone and should be prioritized as soon as you’re ready for serious raid optimization.

Team Building with Aru

Aru slots well into teams that focus on burst rotations. She doesn’t rely on being a hypercarry but definitely benefits from buffs and synergy. Consider running her with support students who can boost Crit stats or increase SP generation, allowing her to use Hard-Boiled Shot more often.

Suggested Team Core:

• DPS: Aru
• Healer: Fuuka
• Support: Hifumi (buff utility)
• Tank: Eimi (taunt and durability)

A taunt tank like Eimi or Tsubaki can help Aru land her AoE hits more reliably by clustering enemies together. This is especially helpful in raids, where enemy movement and spacing can otherwise waste her splash damage. Pairing her with students who boost SP recovery also helps maximize the uptime of her powerful EX Skill.

Gear and Equipment

Aru’s damage doesn’t come from auto-attacks, so focus her gear toward survivability and utility. Look for items that increase Crit DMG, Crit Rate, and Accuracy—especially once you start facing content with high evasion or Crit Resistance.

Useful gear to prioritize includes:

• Tier 1: Sports Gloves, Waterproof Digital Watch, Serval Metal Badge
• Tier 2: Leather Wristwatch, Manaslu Felt Badge, Scrunchie
• Tier 3+: Momo Hairpin, Wavecat Wristwatch, Antique Pocket Watch

Her unique gear, Aru’s Very Precious Wallet, is a must-have if you’re aiming for consistency. It ensures her Basic Skill always triggers its AoE, removing the randomness that holds her back in some fights. It also gives a slight accuracy boost, which helps against evasive enemies.

Using Aru in Combat

Aru performs best when you time her EX Skill with the right support and setup. Since her damage is frontloaded into Hard-Boiled Shot, make sure you have SP ready and your team buffs active before triggering it. Don’t waste her EX on solo enemies unless they’re bosses or tightly packed with others.

In raids like Kaiten (especially Phase 1), she’s excellent at deleting clusters of enemies and doing solid single-target damage. Just be aware that her effectiveness drops if you can’t cycle her EX skill often, so team comp and timing are everything.

Her Basic Skill adds damage passively every 25 seconds, but without her wallet, it’s inconsistent. That’s why higher investment really transforms her from “pretty good” to “serious threat.” If you’re looking for a reliable red DPS for both general and boss content, she’s a strong option.

How Much Should You Invest?

To get the best out of Aru, aim for Unique Equipment level 40. This lets her Enhanced Skill hit its peak, and her wallet adds consistency to her rotation. Affection Rank 25 is also recommended if you want the most out of her stats.

She’s part of the standard pool and is farmable from Hard 18-3, so there’s no rush to pull on her banner. If you’re patient, you can build her over time without spending too many resources. That said, she’s still worth raising if you need a red AoE specialist or just like her aesthetic.

Aru is a powerful Explosive-type sniper who scales well with investment and rewards careful play. Her EX Skill offers big burst potential with added AoE, and her kit is built around critical damage and rapid eliminations. She’s ideal for players who enjoy managing burst windows and planning rotations.

If you’re playing on PC, make the most of Aru’s potential with BlueStacks. You’ll get better precision, smoother controls, and easier management of skill activations during raids and PvE content. Whether you’re clearing waves or targeting bosses, Aru can handle it—just make sure you give her the team and gear she needs to shine.