As of the latest update (Version 4.6, live since September 28, 2026), the top of the current Honkai Star Rail tier list is Pearl, Robin • Summeretto, Evanescia, Mortenax Blade, Yao Guang, Hyacine, Aventurine • Waveflair, and Himeko • Nova. Castorice, Evernight, Tribbie, and Silver Wolf LV.999 sit just below them on most lists. Lists disagree a lot beyond the top few, so use this ranking to find the role your team is missing, not to chase every top-tier name.
How This Tier List Was Built
Tier lists are community opinion, not official HoYoverse data. This one is based on the two most recent Version 4.6 lists I could find, from GamsGo (September 28) and Game8 (October), and I flag the places where they disagree. GamsGo also sells top-up services, so treat any list from a seller with the same caution you’d give any list.
The rankings assume a well-built character on a fitting team. They don’t tell you how a character performs on your account, and different endgame modes reward different strengths.
The Honkai Star Rail Tier List for 4.6
| Tier | Characters |
|---|---|
| S+ | Pearl, Robin • Summeretto, Evanescia, Mortenax Blade, Yao Guang, Hyacine, Aventurine • Waveflair, Himeko • Nova |
| S | Silver Wolf LV.999, Castorice, Evernight, Tribbie, Cyrene, Sparxie, Firefly, The Dahlia, Ashveil, Hysilens, Rin Tohsaka, Trailblazer: Remembrance |
| A | Phainon, Archer, Anaxa, Cerydra, Mydei, Dan Heng • Permansor Terrae, Black Swan, Gilgamesh, Sparkle, Huohuo, Kafka, The Herta, Trailblazer: Elation |
| B | Saber, Aglaea, Seele, Acheron, Feixiao, Jiaoqiu, Boothill, Robin, Jingliu, Cipher, Silver Wolf, Fugue, Welt, Ruan Mei, Trailblazer: Harmony |
| C | Moze, March 7th: The Hunt, Yunli, Jing Yuan, Blade, Lingsha, Tingyun, Bronya, Herta, Aventurine, Rappa, Fu Xuan, Gallagher, Jade |
| D | Older 4-stars and early 5-stars, including Misha, Xueyi, Dr. Ratio, Pela, Gepard, Serval, Asta, Himeko, Luocha, Argenti, Dan Heng • Imbibitor Lunae, Qingque, Sampo, Lynx, and the starter Trailblazer paths |
Disputed: Sunday is the clearest split. GamsGo puts him in its third tier, while Game8’s 4.6 list places him in its top tier. Treat him as a strong pick if you already have the team for him.
What the 4.6 Meta Looks Like
The top of the list is full of new-era characters. The common thread is Elation, the newest path, plus Remembrance units that arrived earlier in the 4.x cycle.
- Elation. Pearl (an Ice Elation sustain), Evanescia (Physical Elation damage), Aventurine • Waveflair (Quantum Elation damage), Yao Guang, Silver Wolf LV.999, and Sparxie all appear near the top. Pearl is the only new 5-star in 4.6 and gives Elation teams shields and healing.
- Remembrance. Castorice, Evernight, and Cyrene rank high, and GamsGo notes that Evernight and Cyrene stay useful when the team can answer the current stage mechanics.
- Nihility. Mortenax Blade (Fire) sits in the top tier. His field applies DEF reduction and makes enemies take more damage, which helps a Nihility-focused team.
Rankings also change by mode. GamsGo’s list covers Memory of Chaos, Pure Fiction, Apocalyptic Shadow, Anomaly Arbitration, and Currency Wars. Castorice is a good example: she sits in its second tier overall and in its third tier in Currency Wars. Check the mode you actually play before you pull.
The Same-Name Trap: Old and New Versions Are Different Characters
This is the most common mistake on tier lists, and many competitor pages gloss over it. Several characters share a name with a newer, much stronger version. Here’s how GamsGo’s 4.6 list ranks them:
| Older version | Tier | Newer version | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aventurine | Third (C) | Aventurine • Waveflair | Top (S+) |
| Robin | Second (B) | Robin • Summeretto | Top (S+) |
| Himeko | Lowest (D) | Himeko • Nova | Top (S+) |
| Silver Wolf | Second (B) | Silver Wolf LV.999 | Second (S) |
| Herta | Third (C) | The Herta | Fourth (A) |
If a guide just says “Robin” or “Himeko,” check which one it means before you spend pulls.
What to Pull Before Banners End
Banner timing matters more than a one-point tier difference. Here’s the 4.6 schedule:
| Banner | Dates |
|---|---|
| Pearl | Sept 28 to about Nov 10, for the whole version |
| Evanescia (rerun) | Sept 28 to Oct 21 |
| Mortenax Blade (rerun) | Oct 21 to about Nov 10 |
Pearl stays up through both phases, so Evanescia is the one on a short clock. Her rerun ends on October 21, and her signature Light Cone leaves with her.
Banner end times in guides are written in server time, and sources differ by about a day. The North America server runs on UTC-5, according to current guides, but the in-game countdown is the final word.
How to Use This Tier List
- List your teams. Write down the DPS, support, and sustain slots you already fill well.
- Find the gap. The best pull is the character who fills your weakest role, not the highest name on the list.
- Match the mode. If you mostly play Pure Fiction, weigh the Pure Fiction ranking over the overall one.
- Check the team, not just the character. Pearl needs an Elation team to be worth it. A great sustain doesn’t help a lineup built around another path.
- Check the end date. If a banner leaves soon and another stays, plan around the one that’s leaving.
If you’re short on Stellar Jade, GamsGo’s advice is sensible: fill the role your account lacks instead of pulling on every banner.
Mistakes That Waste Pulls
Chasing every top-tier name. A roster of eight S+ characters who don’t fit one team is weaker than a smaller roster that does.
Ignoring the team. Pearl is a sustain for Elation teams. If you have no Elation DPS, her value is much lower on your account.
Reading an old list. Some pages still carry 3.x or 4.2 rankings. Check that the page names Version 4.6 and a recent date.
Assuming one tier fits every mode. Overall tier and mode tier often differ, as the Castorice example shows.
Mixing up the same-name characters. See the table above.
Conclusion
Version 4.6’s top tier is led by Pearl, Robin • Summeretto, Evanescia, Mortenax Blade, Yao Guang, Hyacine, Aventurine • Waveflair, and Himeko • Nova. Rankings shift with every version and differ between sources, so pick the character your team is missing instead of the one with the highest label. Evanescia’s rerun is the first banner that leaves, on October 21.
FAQs
Who is the best character in Honkai Star Rail right now?
There’s no single answer. In Version 4.6, the top tier on GamsGo’s list is Pearl, Robin • Summeretto, Evanescia, Mortenax Blade, Yao Guang, Hyacine, Aventurine • Waveflair, and Himeko • Nova.
Is Pearl worth pulling in 4.6?
She’s rated in the top tier as an Elation sustain, but she works best with an Elation team. Her banner runs the whole version, so you don’t have to decide in Phase 1.
What version is Honkai Star Rail on?
As of the latest update, Version 4.6, which went live on September 28, 2026.
When does Evanescia’s rerun end?
October 21, 2026, at the end of Phase 1. Check the in-game timer for the exact time on your server.
Is the tier list the same for every game mode?
No. A character’s overall tier can differ from their tier in Pure Fiction, Memory of Chaos, Apocalyptic Shadow, Anomaly Arbitration, or Currency Wars.
Why do tier lists disagree?
They use different criteria, such as investment level, team assumptions, and which modes they weigh. Sunday is a current example: one list ranks him in the top tier and another ranks him in the third.
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