Chaos Zero Nightmare Tier List (September 2026): Best Characters Ranked

Feeling lucky after securing summons? You must be itching to know which are the best characters to pull for. We get that feeling; it’s quite inherent for every gacha player. Our Chaos Zero Nightmare tier list is built specifically to answer this common question for readers. We have meticulously tracked each character’s performance and listed them in the different tiers according to their performance. You can use this as a reference to see which are the best characters to pull for right now!

Chaos Zero Nightmare Tier List: All Characters Ranked

Not wanting to wait for the individual character breakdown? See the complete CZN tier list right now to get a rough idea of the best characters:

S+ Tier Characters

Check out all the characters in this tier:

Heidemarie

Heidemarie creates Effulgent Blade cards that fire a free Extra Attack whenever you discard them. Effulgent Release then exhausts every spent blade for one massive finishing hit. Few carries match her single-target damage, and strong draw efficiency keeps the combo rolling.

Selena

Selena is a 4-star passive damage dealer who works from the sidelines. High-Power Scope stacks Mark on targets, feeding a steady barrage of Extra Attacks. Drone Bombing hits every enemy and applies Passion Weakness. She also slots into Sereniel teams as a Ravage support.

Cassius

Cassius is one of the strongest card cyclers in the game. Shuffle swaps your whole hand for fresh draws, and Joker pulls any card from your Draw Pile. His Quest system rewards card combos with damage, healing, and Morale. Death Trick strips Morale from every enemy.

Nia

Nia turns every discard into value. G Chord builds Decibel and activates the top card of your Draw Pile. Adagio and Mute Accent fuel discard teams, while Soul Rip and Elasticity keep the squad healed. Few supports at any rarity cycle a deck this fast.

S Tier Characters

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Diana

Diana is a Passion Hunter built around Quietus, which triggers cards the moment you discard them. With All My Heart! creates Heart Breaker bullets that fire Extra Attacks on discard. Her Ego Skill, Radiant Smile, adds Cupid Shot, which scales with every Bullet card in hand.

Haru

Haru is a Justice Striker who deals heavy burst damage through Anchor Shot. The card hits hardest when she fires it several times in one turn. Teams that feed her extra cards unlock her ceiling. She is also the highest-ranked Justice carry on this list.

Hilde

Hilde mixes AoE and single-target pressure through Homing Arrow Extra Attacks and Fracture damage over time. Quiver Reload seeds arrows into your Draw Pile, and each arrow draws a card. Vortex Arrow scales with every Attack Card drawn that turn. She doubles as a strong draw support.

Hugo

Hugo is a passive damage dealer whose Commence the Hunt follow-ups fire alongside Targeting Attack Cards. He excels at single-target damage and pairs well with Sereniel or Hilde. AoE teams that skip targeted attacks leave him with little to do.

Sereniel

Sereniel is an Instinct Hunter who fires multi-hit lasers through Ravage and card-movement effects. She spends very little AP, which leaves room for AP supports like Mika. Morale stackers and on-hit triggers such as Hugo's Commence the Hunt multiply her output.

Tenebria

Tenebria's Music, Start! exhausts your Basic Attacks and gives every ally two of their own Rhythm cards. Rhythm comes in six variants that shift with her build. Her Ego Skill, Everyone's Idol, powers up the next seven Rhythm cards. Her single-target damage ranks among the best available.

Narja

Narja is an Instinct Controller who heals, buffs damage, and generates AP. Her Voracity and Predation mechanics reward a team built around her. Meal Time comes as a default card, which speeds up Save Data building. She lacks built-in draw, so pair her with a cycler.

Veronica

Veronica summons Ballista turrets that deal free damage every turn. She can also draw other combatants' cards, which keeps a whole team's rotation flowing. That blend of chip damage and draw power earns her a place in most teams.

A Tier Characters

Check out all the characters in this tier:

Arabella

Arabella is an Instinct Striker who spreads Fracture damage over time across whole enemy groups. Scream For Me coats every enemy in Fracture, and Hollow Verdict detonates it. Observer's Pleasure adds Fracture Amplification for extra punch. She shines in fights with respawning enemies around one central target.

Fei

Fei is a Void Ranger who floods her deck with Inferno Rhapsody cards through Exorcist's Formation. Each Rhapsody stacks Flame Arts for Extra Attacks, while each draw builds Descent toward Heavensfall finishers. Her Ego Skill, Heavenscleaver, kickstarts that engine. Strong draw lets her double as a support.

Luke

Luke is an Order Hunter who deals single-target damage through a Bullet playstyle. His kit leans on randomness, so he needs heavy Critical Chance investment to stay consistent. With optimised Memory Fragments and the right Epiphanies, he can compete with the top DPS units.

Mei Lin

Mei Lin is a Passion Striker built for single-target damage in Passion teams. She applies Passion Weakness reliably and deals Tenacity damage to earn extra AP. Newer carries have nudged her down from the very top. She still anchors a Passion core beside Selena.

Olga

Olga is an Instinct Psionic built around damage over time. Rift of Severance and Dispersed Desire stack and detonate Fracture and Agony. End of the Line flips into Reckoning for a heavy follow-up hit. She can carry or buff ally DoT beside Hugo or Hilde.

Renoa

Renoa is a Void Hunter who loads her deck with Dirge Bullets for follow-up Extra Damage. Those bullets clog your hand fast, so she wants a discard or draw partner like Nia. Her own card draw also lets her fill a support slot.

Rin

Rin is a selfish Void Striker who wants every damage buff on the team. Her 0-cost attacks and multi-hit Epiphanies turn Morale into huge single-target numbers. She stays roughly AP neutral but loses tempo whenever an ally plays an Attack Card.

Adelheid

Adelheid is a Void Vanguard who shields the team through the Blessing tag. Once Upon A Time blesses cards in your Draw Pile and draws one. Friends from Fairy Tales creates Doggie attacks or Teddy shields. Truth Behind A Story raises a target's damage taken by 100% for one turn.

Beryl

Beryl is a 4-star Justice Ranger who Retains her best attacks for bigger hits or cheaper costs. Her Opening Found build ramps into serious burst once enough copies cycle. Right now she earns more value as a draw support with lasting team buffs.

Rei

Rei is a free 4-star Void Controller and one of the easiest buffers to slot anywhere. She thins your deck, cycles cards, and hands out big Morale stacks. Multi-hit carries like Rin and Sereniel convert that Morale into far more damage. She chips in with healing too.

Tiphera

Tiphera is an Order Controller who creates Archetype cards through Quantum Seed. The circle Archetype grants AP, the triangle buffs an attack's first hit, and the square draws more Archetypes. Event Horizon adds AP and draw on top. Many of her cards heal as well.

B Tier Characters

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Kayron

Kayron is a Void Psionic built around the Exhaust mechanic. His cards grow stronger the longer a fight lasts, which suits drawn-out endgame battles. He deals solid AoE damage and works as a main or sub DPS. Quick fights often end before his ramp pays off.

Nine

Nine is an Order Vanguard whose damage runs through Hew. Each time Hew burns out, Incinerate creates a stronger version for the next cast. Epiphanies reshape Hew into variants such as Ironclad, Flash and Massacre. Reflection: Zero exhausts your two priciest cards for a big AoE hit.

Yuki

Yuki is an Order Striker who deals steady AoE damage, especially once her Inspiration cards activate. She leans heavily on card draw, so Nia or another cycler makes a big difference. Built well, she stays AP efficient, but the wrong team leaves her stranded.

Mika

Mika is a free 4-star Justice Controller focused on healing and AP generation. She fits almost any team and pairs nicely with AP-efficient carries like Sereniel. Newer supports offer more utility, which pushed her down. She remains a safe early pick for new accounts.

Orlea

Orlea is an Instinct Controller who blends damage buffs, shields, and passive healing. Her 0-cost Retain cards stay in hand, so she rewards careful hand management. She ramps slowly and pays off most in long fights. Faster supports outperform her in short battles.

C Tier Characters

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Amir

Amir is a free 4-star Order Vanguard whose damage scales with Defense through Metallization. Narja can prop her up as a Vanguard carry. She still trails dedicated DPS options, and her Defense runs low for a tank. Most accounts replace her early.

Rita

Rita is a Justice Psionic who runs her own AP pool called Chronal Ascension. Chrono Archon builds Chronicle from every card's cost, and Time Paradox converts it into Ascension. She spends that AP on heavy cards like Time Acceleration. Her overall damage and AoE still lag behind other carries.

Khalipe

Khalipe is an Instinct Vanguard who shields the team and hits every enemy through Silver Veil. She can also deal Tenacity damage to break foes. Current endgame content rarely suits her AoE style, so she now fills a shield support slot.

Magna

Magna is a Justice Vanguard who retaliates with Counterattack damage that scales from her Defense. She keeps enemies under Vulnerable, which helps big hitters. Her shields keep her useful as a tank, but stronger carries and supports have pushed her down.

Owen

Owen is a free 4-star Passion Striker who is easy to set up but light on damage. The right Epiphanies let him grant multi-hits to ally cards. His Wind Charge helps Veronica's Ballista trigger several times. He now fills a shield support slot more often than a carry role.

D Tier Characters

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Chizuru

Chizuru is a Void Psionic who uses Inhibit to cut the team's card costs at the price of AP gain. Will-o-Wisp stacks feed her extra multi-hits. She supports both card-spam and one-shot builds. Still, that AP restriction makes her awkward in most endgame teams.

Maribell

Maribell is a 4-star Passion Vanguard built around Counterattack. She gains shields from the damage she deals, then converts shield value back into damage. The loop works on paper, yet current endgame modes rarely reward this defensive style.

Tressa

Tressa is a free 4-star Void Psionic who stacks Agony damage over time. Her 0-cost Shadow Daggers once powered plenty of combo decks. Newer DoT carries like Olga and Arabella now do her job better. She still works as filler for fresh accounts.

Lucas

Lucas is a 4-star Passion Hunter who fires Bullet cards for AoE damage. He applies Mark and Passion Weakness, which suits Passion teams. His bullets cost a lot of AP, and his damage falls short. These days he mostly fills a draw support slot.

Strong Pairings for the Best CZN Characters

Rankings tell you who is strong. Pairings tell you how to use them. Each duo below relies on a direct synergy between the two kits.

Fund Your Next Rescue With Google Play Gift Cards From StanShop

Once this Chaos Zero Nightmare tier list shows you who to chase, the next hurdle is currency. Limited banners rotate on a schedule, so a top carry can leave before you save enough.

Android players can top up with a Google Play gift card. The code adds balance to your Google account, which then covers in-game purchases without a saved bank card.

Buy it on StanShop and the code lands in your email and Orders page within seconds of payment. You can pay with UPI, cards or net banking.

Playing more than CZN? Browse the full range of gaming gift cards on StanShop for your other games.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who is the best character in Chaos Zero Nightmare right now?

Heidemarie is the strongest carry for single-target damage. Among supports, Cassius and Nia lead thanks to elite card cycling, buffs and healing. Selena rounds out S+ as the best passive damage dealer.

2. Are 4-star characters worth building in CZN?

Yes. Selena, Cassius and Nia all rank in S+, while Beryl and Rei hold A tier spots. Their rankings assume full Manifest Ego, so keep collecting duplicates before you judge them.

3. What does Save Data mean in Chaos Zero Nightmare?

Save Data is the deck a character keeps after a Chaos run. Several endgame modes use those saved decks, and this tier list judges every character on that content.

4. Why did Tressa fall so far down the CZN tier list?

Tressa once ranked near the top for her 0-cost Shadow Daggers and Agony stacking. Newer damage-over-time carries like Olga and Arabella now outperform her in endgame content.

5. Do duplicates change these rankings?

They can. We rate 5-stars without duplicates, yet some gain a lot from early copies. Heidemarie's second Manifest Ego adds Crimson Blade Extra Attacks every turn, which is a major damage jump.

6. How often does the Chaos Zero Nightmare tier list change?

Rankings move whenever new combatants launch or balance patches land. Bookmark this page, since we revise the list each time the meta shifts.