Sword Master Story Tier List (October 2025) – Best Heroes Ranked by a Veteran Player
If you’ve been grinding through Sword Master Story lately, you already know one truth — not all heroes are created equal. Some carry you through boss raids like legends, while others… well, let’s just say they look better sitting on the bench. That’s where this Sword Master Story tier list comes in — a complete breakdown of which heroes shine brightest in the current 2025 meta and which ones might need a little love (or a buff).
I. Introduction to Sword Master Story Tier List
A. Tier List System and Features
Tier lists in this game help players prioritize resource investment. Whether you’re summoning from gacha, deciding who to awaken, or debating which team to run in PvP, these rankings give structure to your grind.
B. Purpose and Methodology
This ranking combines my personal testing, guild experiences, and community feedback — focusing on PvE efficiency, PvP performance, and raid consistency.
C. Character Evaluation Criteria
Skill synergy
Damage potential
Survivability and utility
Compatibility with current meta teams
Ease of awakening or gear dependency
D. Version & Meta Context
As of the October 2025 update, the “Heaven’s Trial” patch reshuffled the top meta with new synergy buffs and balance tweaks, especially for light/dark element heroes.
E. Player Community Overview
The player base is still thriving, especially on Reddit and Discord. The community keeps testing new builds and sharing fresh data weekly — and honestly, that’s the best part of Sword Master Story: the creativity never stops.
II. Tier List Structure and Ranking System
A. Tier List Overview
The current ranking follows this general structure:
SS Tier – God-tier heroes, meta-defining.
S Tier – Top performers across all content.
A Tier – Strong heroes with niche utility.
B Tier – Decent, balanced options.
C/D Tier – Outclassed or outdated characters.
B. Ranking Explanation
Power isn’t just raw stats; synergy and flexibility matter more. A “weaker” hero can climb the ladder when paired correctly.
C. Tier Category Definitions
SS Tier: Must-haves. Core of meta teams.
S Tier: Flexible and powerful.
A Tier: Great for mid-to-endgame, but situational.
B Tier: Average, better with buffs.
C/D Tier: Use early on, replace later.
D. Placement Criteria
Each hero’s spot is based on their PvE/PvP split score, skill set, element advantage, and how much investment they need.
E. Ranking Methodology
All rankings come from live game performance — not theorycrafting. Tested in high-end content like Heaven Raid, PvP Arena, and Tower of Infinity.
III. S Tier and Top Characters
A. S Tier Overview
Let’s talk about the elites — heroes that dominate any content you throw them into.
B. SS Tier Characters (Top 5 for October 2025)
Yui – The queen of DPS. Her crit scaling and Light-element advantage make her a boss destroyer.
Lugrant – Reliable tank with outstanding sustain and team-wide defense buffs.
Cain – High burst damage and insane PvP clutch potential.
Ymir – Crowd control beast; excels in both raids and Arena.
Aria – Healer-slash-buffer who can keep entire squads alive through chaos.
C. Why They’re Top Tier
These heroes offer damage, control, and survivability all in one package. In the latest patch, they synergize perfectly with artifact sets like “Celestial Wrath” and “Eternal Flame.”
D. Strongest Heroes Guide
If you’re limited on upgrade materials, invest in Yui, Aria, or Lugrant first — they provide the most return per resource spent.
E. Best Selection Advice
SS-tier heroes scale incredibly well with gear. Prioritize awakening and weapon transcendence once you secure them.
IV. A Tier Characters
A. Overview
The A-tier pool houses reliable workhorses — not meta-breaking, but definitely capable.
B. Notable A-Tier Heroes
Lilith – Burst magic DPS; slightly gear-dependent but deadly when built.
Maya – Versatile support with cleanse and speed buffs.
Loki – Balanced damage dealer; thrives in hybrid comps.
Athena – Tanky frontliner with shield skills; easier to build than Lugrant.
C. Role Explanation
These units often anchor PvE story progression and auto-farming setups.
D. Strengths
Great in dungeons and boss fights
Useful elemental counters
Lower gear ceiling for decent results
E. Ranking Notes
Some A-tier heroes can slip into S-tier when paired with proper synergy (e.g., Maya + Aria combo).
V. B Tier Characters
A. Overview
B-tier characters are solid filler options — not bad, just overshadowed by stronger kits.
B. Mid-Tier Heroes
Siegfried – Classic warrior; dependable but lacks burst.
Eve – Decent healer, overshadowed by Aria.
Morgana – Great early magic damage, falls off late.
C. Balanced Characters
These heroes have fair stats but limited utility in late raids or Arena.
D. Assessment
Good for story mode, not ideal for high-level PvP.
E. Viability
Still viable if you’re F2P or building elemental teams for specific stages.
VI. C and Lower Tier Characters
A. Overview
C and D tiers consist of outdated or niche heroes — often early releases who never received proper reworks.
B. D-Tier Examples
Draco – Fun concept, but low scaling.
Sophia – Cute healer, weak output.
Leon – Early-game only, lacks multipliers.
C. Viability
They might still be fun for collectors or nostalgia runs, but don’t waste upgrade mats here.
D. Underperforming Analysis
Their biggest issue is power creep — newer heroes simply do more, faster.
VII. Overall Tier List Rankings
| Tier | Heroes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SS | Yui, Lugrant, Cain, Ymir, Aria | Meta-defining, top performers |
| S | Lilith, Maya, Athena, Loki | Reliable across all modes |
| A | Siegfried, Eve, Morgana, Hera | Balanced, solid picks |
| B | Leon, Draco, Felix, Luna | Decent but niche |
| C/D | Early release heroes | For collectors only |
VIII. PvE Tier List and Rankings
A. PvE Overview
For story mode, dungeons, and raids, focus on burst and sustain.
B. Dungeon Ranking
Yui – Best burst DPS
Lugrant – Reliable frontline tank
Aria – Sustain queen
Maya – Support synergy
Lilith – Elemental AoE nuker
C. Story Mode MVPs
Auto-grind efficiency goes to Cain, Athena, and Loki due to low downtime and easy skills.
IX. Dungeon and Raid Performance
A. Raid Ranking
Top raid heroes: Yui, Lugrant, and Aria. Their synergy clears boss phases faster than any other setup.
B. Boss Meta
Heaven’s Trial Bosses: Prioritize Light/Dark heroes.
Elemental Dungeon: Rotate teams for bonus damage.
C. Challenge Analysis
Sustain + damage = win. Combining Aria’s healing with Ymir’s crowd control is still top strategy.
X. PvP Tier List and Rankings
A. Overview
PvP demands survivability, burst, and control.
B. Arena Top Tiers
Ymir – Lockdown king.
Cain – Burst finisher.
Lugrant – Indestructible wall.
Aria – Keeps team alive through nukes.
C. Competitive Ranking
PvP S-Tier = Ymir, Cain, Lugrant, Aria, Lilith.
XI. Arena and Competitive Tiers
A. Arena Focus
Positioning matters — protect your DPS behind a tank and healer core.
B. Duel Rankings
Cain and Ymir dominate 1v1 battles. Lugrant is borderline unkillable with defense gear.
C. Tournament Meta
Teams usually run 1 tank + 1 healer + 3 DPS, mixing elements for balance.
XII. Character-Specific Tier Rankings
A. Hero Overview
Let’s look closer at the standout individuals.
Yui: Still unmatched for DPS. Her awakening skill scales absurdly high.
Aria: Best healer with built-in buffs.
Lugrant: The go-to tank for endgame.
Cain: PvP menace, high burst window.
Lilith: Amazing in AoE-heavy stages.
B. Assessment
The synergy between Yui + Aria + Lugrant defines most top-tier teams.
XIII. Notable S Tier Characters
A. Yui
Her Light-element attacks melt everything.
Strengths: Burst, crit damage, fast animations.
B. Lugrant
Every team’s backbone.
Strengths: Damage reduction, taunt, shields.
C. Ymir
Control-focused, disrupts PvP teams beautifully.
D. Mia
Support-DPS hybrid. Great for mixed comps.
XIV. Popular Meta Characters
A. Cain
Dominates PvP with high burst. Perfect finisher.
B. Maya
Versatile support who pairs well with any comp.
C. Aria
Still irreplaceable for sustain.
D. Lilith
Top-tier for elemental AoE and quick clears.
E. Meta Summary
The 2025 meta rewards balanced teams with sustain, burst, and control — no single hero wins alone anymore.
So, there you have it — the ultimate Sword Master Story tier list for October 2025, crafted from a player’s firsthand experience and long nights of testing lineups.
If you’re new, focus on SS/S heroes like Yui, Aria, and Lugrant — they’ll carry you everywhere. For veterans, experiment with Lilith, Cain, or Maya to adapt to shifting metas. Remember: this game’s fun isn’t just about stats — it’s about team creativity.