Darkest AFK is a turn-based RPG that features a variety of heroes, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and roles in battle. As you progress through the game’s story and challenges, you’ll need to build a strong team of heroes to face tougher enemies and complete harder stages. However, not all heroes are created equal, and some will perform far better than others in various aspects of the game.

For players looking to maximize their efficiency and make the most of their resources, a solid understanding of the game’s hero roster is crucial. That’s where our tier list comes in. For both beginners to Darkest AFK as well as veterans, we’ve broken down the best and worst characters to help you build a powerful team and avoid wasting time and resources on underperforming heroes.

Let’s begin!

The Best Darkest AFK Tier List

In games like Darkest AFK, where there are many heroes to choose from, it can be difficult to know which ones will give you the best results. Tier lists are essential for quickly identifying the strongest characters and focusing on recruiting and upgrading them. With so many characters available, knowing which ones to prioritize can save you from investing in weaker heroes that might hold back your progress.

Below, we’ve prepared a tier list that ranks the heroes in Darkest AFK from the best to the worst, so you can get a clear idea of which characters will help you dominate the game and which ones are better left on the sidelines.

S		Name	Faction	Role
		Zi’uk	Goblin	Damager
		Marylee	Ancient	Support
		Ridael	Elf	Damager
		Rabba	Ogre	Tank

A		Name	Faction	Role
		Chas	Human	Damager
		Harumi	Human	Support
		Avalon	Ancient	Damager
		Condrat	Ancient	Tank

B		Name	Faction	Role
		Tiara	Elf	Damager
		Ghorm	Dwarf	Tank
		Brina	Dwarf	Support
		Ja Van	Elf	Support

C		Name	Faction	Role
		Gabriella	Human	Tank
		Drogo	Halfling	Support
		Larion	Human	Tank
		Sir Joseph	Human	Damager

These are the best and worst characters in Darkest AFK. While aiming for the top-tier characters will give you a significant edge, it’s important to understand why they rank so highly. As new heroes are added and the meta shifts, knowing the strengths of top-tier heroes will help you adapt and optimize your team for any future changes.

In the next sections, we’ll break down each tier and explore what makes these heroes stand out, giving you a better understanding of why they’ve earned their respective spots on the list.

S Tier Heroes

These heroes are the cream of the crop in Darkest AFK. These characters can carry entire teams on their own and excel in nearly every situation. They’re highly versatile, offer tremendous value, and are must-haves for any serious player.

Zi’uk

Zi’uk is a top tier hero in Darkest AFK due to his powerful damage output. His ultimate ability allows him to turn invisible for a duration, removing himself from enemy focus while gaining a significant boost to both attack power and attack speed. This makes him incredibly dangerous, especially during critical moments of a fight. What sets Zi’uk apart from other damage dealers is his ability to target weakened enemies below 30% health, ignoring taunt effects. This ensures that he finishes off low-health enemies quickly, which can drastically turn the tide of battle. Adding to his strength, his basic attacks have a chance to apply a potent poison, making him deadly over time as well.

Zi’uk excels at cleaning up battles by eliminating the weakest enemies with precision, and his poison ability keeps his damage consistent throughout longer fights. His ability to focus on low-health enemies and bypass taunt mechanics makes him a key asset in battles where quick eliminations are vital. With increased damage against vulnerable enemies and the ability to become invisible, he can deal massive damage while staying out of harm’s way.

Marylee

Marylee is the queen of crowd control and attack speed manipulation in Darkest AFK. Her ultimate dramatically increases the attack speed of all allies, while simultaneously slowing down the enemies’ attack speeds, giving her team a huge advantage in any fight. This combination of buffs and debuffs can completely tilt a battle in your favor, especially when paired with strong DPS characters like Zi’uk. Moreover, her basic attacks have a chance to slow down enemy attack speed, with every 10th attack guaranteed to land this debuff, making her an excellent support hero in prolonged fights.

What makes Marylee even more impressive is her survivability. When her HP drops to 20%, she encases herself in an ice shell, becoming immune to both magical and physical attacks for up to three instances of damage. During this time, she regenerates HP, making her incredibly hard to finish off. This ice shell gives her a second chance in battle, ensuring she can continue to support her team by debuffing enemies and speeding up allies when it matters most.

Ridael

Ridael is a burst-damage monster, capable of dishing out a flurry of hits with his ultimate, which randomly targets enemies for 10 powerful attacks. What makes Ridael even more formidable is his ability to focus all those hits on a single tough enemy, such as a boss, when they’re the only one left standing. This makes him invaluable for both clearing waves of enemies and dealing significant damage to tough bosses. His basic attacks can also trigger an ice burst that not only deals heavy damage but also slows down enemy attack speed, making him a reliable damage dealer with some crowd control capabilities.

Ridael becomes more dangerous the lower his HP gets, gaining additional damage for every 20% of HP he loses. This mechanic rewards an aggressive playstyle, where he can be kept in the fight even at low health to deal massive damage. His ability to inflict consistent ice damage and his scaling power make him a versatile character for any team.

Rabba

Rabba stands as one of the best tanks in Darkest AFK, providing both defensive and offensive utility. His ultimate allows him to shield the ally with the lowest HP, granting them a protective barrier that scales off his max HP. Not only does this shield absorb damage, but when it breaks, it deals damage and stuns the attacker, giving Rabba and his team a crucial window to turn the tide. His basic attacks also come with a chance to deal bonus damage and stun enemies, adding more disruption to his kit.

Rabba’s standout feature is his ability to protect low-health allies by taking all incoming damage directed at them when they drop below 15% HP. During this time, Rabba also gains a massive boost to his defense, allowing him to absorb incredible amounts of damage. His combination of shielding, damage absorption, and crowd control makes him the go-to tank for any team, providing unmatched protection and utility.

A Tier Heroes

Characters in this tier are very powerful but may require specific team compositions, upgrades, or strategies to unlock their full potential. With the right support, they can perform at near-S-Tier levels and should not be overlooked.

Chas

With a bit more refinement, Chas could easily rise higher in the ranks. His ultimate delivers a powerful hit that not only deals significant damage but also stuns the enemy and marks them for extra damage. During this marked state, Chas fixates on the target, dealing increased damage. His passive ability to trigger a damaging holy water effect with each basic attack weakens the enemy by lowering their attack and defense. Additionally, if the enemy was marked by his ult, they take even more damage. The longer Chas stays in the fight and loses HP, the higher his crit rate climbs, making him deadlier as the battle wears on.

What holds Chas back from reaching the S-tier is his relatively low uptime, especially if he doesn’t get enough healing or protection from his teammates. Without proper support, he can struggle to keep up the pressure in longer fights. However, with the right team composition, Chas can be a devastating force, weakening enemies with his debuffs and delivering high burst damage, making him a valuable asset in tough battles.

Harumi

After a balancing update, Harumi has become a much more well-rounded hero, excelling as both a damage dealer and support. Her ultimate dramatically increases her attack power while healing the ally with the lowest HP based on 100% of the damage she deals. This allows her to turn the tide of battle by both dishing out damage and keeping a key ally alive. Beyond her ult, Harumi’s basic attacks can randomly buff the attack and defense of her teammates, and she has a passive ability that heals allies who drop below 20% HP once per battle. This mix of offense and support makes her a valuable member of any team.

Avalon

Avalon’s ability to deal both damage and provide support through defense buffs makes him a solid A-tier hero. His ultimate summons three eagles that attack random enemies with heavy damage or focus all attacks on a single target when used solo. Each eagle also inspires an ally by boosting their defense before attacking, adding an extra layer of support. On top of his regular damage, Avalon’s basic attacks can trigger fireballs that deal burning damage and reduce the enemy’s attack. What truly sets Avalon apart is his potential to revive once per battle, returning with low HP but full energy and boosted attack and defense. This makes him a wildcard who can turn around a losing battle.

Avalon’s ability to come back from the brink of death can be a game-changer, especially in tough boss fights or when a battle seems lost. His resurrection skill, combined with his strong damage output and team support, allows him to remain relevant in the fight even when the odds are stacked against him. However, his reliance on reviving for full impact does mean he needs careful management to unleash his true potential, as a premature death can limit his effectiveness.

Condrat

Survivability is where Condrat excels. He can enter a state where attacks that would damage him instead heal him for a short period, allowing him to stay in the fight longer. His basic attacks have the chance to trigger a bleed effect that hits multiple enemies, reducing their evasion and accuracy in the process. When Condrat’s HP falls below a certain point, he can also become immune to all damage once per battle, making him incredibly hard to kill. This blend of self-sustain and debuffing capabilities makes Condrat a reliable frontline hero, especially in extended battles where staying power is key.

B Tier Heroes

These characters are average units that can still get the job done but lack the power and flexibility of higher-tier heroes. These are typically characters you’ll use early on but will want to replace as soon as better options become available.

Tiara

Starting from the very beginning of the game, Tiara offers decent multi-target damage with her ultimate, which can hit up to three enemies or focus on a single target for more concentrated damage. The ability to mark the enemy with the highest defense, making them vulnerable to increased damage, adds some strategic depth to her role as a damage dealer. Additionally, she has a chance to apply poison with every attack, dealing extra damage and lowering the target’s defense. If Tiara manages to land a kill, she gains a temporary attack boost, which helps maintain her damage output during longer battles.

Despite these solid early-game abilities, Tiara begins to lose her effectiveness in the later stages. Her damage output doesn’t scale as well as other heroes, and the utility she provides becomes less impactful. Eventually, she will be replaced by stronger damage dealers with better synergies and more powerful abilities.

Ghorm

As a tank available from the start, Ghorm can absorb a lot of damage and disrupt enemies with his taunt mechanic. His ultimate not only makes him invulnerable during the attack animation but also taunts the entire enemy team, forcing them to attack him while boosting his defense. His attacks have a chance to inflict freezing damage, slowing down enemies’ attack speed, adding crowd control to his kit. When his HP drops below 20%, Ghorm gains additional damage reduction, making him even harder to kill in clutch moments.

While Ghorm does a good job of protecting the team early on, his role diminishes as more specialized tanks with better sustain and control abilities enter the mix. His utility is solid but lacks the versatility needed for tougher content later in the game.

Brina

Providing valuable support from the beginning, Brina shields her entire team with her ultimate, granting barriers that scale off her max HP. Her role as a support is further solidified by her passive ability to boost the defense of the ally with the lowest HP. However, what makes Brina especially useful in the early game is her passive energy-boosting ability, which grants 20 energy to the ally with the lowest energy at the start of each wave. This allows key units to access their ultimates more quickly, which can make a big difference in battle.

Despite her usefulness early on, Brina’s impact diminishes as more powerful support units become available. While her energy-boosting ability is nice, it’s not enough to justify keeping her on the team long-term, especially when other support characters offer more consistent healing or stronger buffs.

Ja Van

Bringing a mix of debuffs and buffs, Ja Van offers solid utility for an early-game hero. His ultimate reduces the attack of the enemy with the highest attack and the defense of the enemy with the highest defense, and then applies those stolen stats to his entire team, making him a valuable asset in the right situations. His attacks also have a chance to apply a weakening effect, reducing the enemy’s attack speed and making them take additional damage. Additionally, Ja Van’s passive defense buff for the ally with the lowest HP at the start of each wave adds a layer of survivability to his team.

Though his debuffing and buffing abilities are useful, Ja Van’s overall impact tends to be limited in comparison to more specialized supports or debuffers later in the game. While he’s a great early-game option, he will eventually be outclassed by more powerful characters as you progress.

C Tier Heroes

C Tier characters are generally underwhelming and should be avoided if possible. These heroes offer little value and can often become a resource sink without delivering much in return. It’s best to avoid investing heavily in these units unless absolutely necessary.

Gabriella

Though her ability to ignore all damage and healing for a time might sound useful, the delayed nature of Gabriella’s skill ultimately makes her unreliable in battle. After the effect ends, she experiences all accumulated damage and healing at once, with increased healing and reduced damage thanks to a defense boost. However, the lack of immediate damage mitigation or team protection limits her role as a tank. While she can weaken enemies by lowering their attack and defense, her passive HP regeneration every 5th basic attack is practically irrelevant due to her slow attack speed. Additionally, Gabriella is missing any form of taunt, making her ineffective in drawing aggro and protecting her team.

Drogo

Offering a buff that increases the size of all allies and grants a chance to block damage sounds promising, but Drogo’s ultimate relies too much on randomness. The effect only triggers when allies take damage, meaning it doesn’t guarantee consistent protection. While his basic attacks can poison enemies and lower their defense, his overall kit is hindered by the need for him to take damage or even die for his abilities to benefit his team. His death effect, which boosts the attack and defense of all allies, is situational and not reliable enough to build strategies around. Drogo’s potential is unfortunately wasted by the need for too many unfavorable conditions.

Larion

Transforming into a bear and gaining access to different skills adds an interesting dynamic to Larion’s playstyle, but the time he takes to reach his full potential is his biggest drawback. Each transformation brings buffs—attack in bear form and defense in human form—that can stack up to four times throughout a battle. However, the slow build-up means that Larion often struggles to survive long enough to make an impact. While his bleed effects can be strong, with high single-target damage as a human and moderate area damage as a bear, there are other heroes who can achieve similar results much faster and more efficiently, making Larion a slow starter in a game that rewards quick, decisive action.

Sir Joseph

Easily the worst character in the game, Sir Joseph’s kit is underwhelming at best and outright impractical at worst. His ultimate deals minor damage with a burning effect and reduces the target’s attack, but the output is so minimal that it fails to impact most battles. His bleeding effect, which reduces enemy evasion and accuracy, adds some utility, but it’s overshadowed by other heroes who can do this better. The most problematic part of his kit is his passive, which only activates when he’s the last hero standing. At this point, he gains some HP and a temporary attack and crit boost, but given that it requires the entire team to be defeated for it to trigger, it’s far too situational and doesn’t offer enough to turn the tide of battle. Sir Joseph is best avoided entirely.

Building a strong team in Darkest AFK is all about understanding which heroes will give you the best return on investment. While focusing on S and A Tier characters will give you the highest chance of success, knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each hero in the game is just as important. As new characters are introduced and the meta evolves, keep this list in mind to stay ahead of the curve and continually improve your team composition.

For an even better gaming experience, remember that playing Darkest AFK: role-playing game on PC with BlueStacks offers enhanced performance, better controls, and smoother gameplay to help you dominate the battlefield!