Anime Vanguards Tier List (Update 13.5 June 2026): Every Unit Ranked with Best Traits

Rankings reflect the Update 13.5 meta, cross-referenced against wiki.vanguards.gg, the official Anime Vanguards community Discord tier suggestions channel, and testing across Infinite Mode, Boss Rush, and Story Mode. Developer: Kitawari.

Gems in Anime Vanguards are finite, and the wrong call on a banner costs you weeks of grinding. But even pulling the right unit is half the problem.

The wrong trait on a God-tier unit is resource left on the table, and nobody’s Anime Vanguards tier list has ever told you what trait to actually put on the units they rank. This one does. Every SS and S-tier unit in this guide has a recommended best trait alongside its placement, because a well-traited A-tier unit will beat a neglected God-tier unit in practical content every time.

Quick Meta: Update 13.5 Eternal Adversaries: In the Update 13.5 Eternal Adversaries meta, the core of every top team is Demon Leader (Control), providing economy and damage buffs, paired with Alocard (Vampire King) for immediate AoE impact, and at least one of: God (Above Heaven), Ice Queen (Release), or Gujo (Infinity) for high-tier DPS. The Monarch trait is the top priority for any DPS unit.

You can also check the Tier lists of other games here, including Warframe Incarnon, Tap Simulator, WoW Midnight Healer, Marvel Rivals Tier List, Watcher of Realms, and Clash of Clans Hero Equipment.

How This Tier List Is Built (Methodology)

This Anime Vanguards tier list ranks units on four criteria evaluated across all major game modes in Update 13.5 Eternal Adversaries.

• Raw damage output: sustained DPS and burst ceiling against high-HP enemies in Infinite Mode and Boss Rush
• Utility and support value: buffs, debuffs, crowd control, and passive effects that elevate the performance of every other unit on the field
• Placement efficiency: cost versus output ratio, particularly important for early waves where Gold is limited
• Scaling potential: how much a unit improves with traits, evolution, and Familiars invested

Tier labels run God, SS, S, A, B, C, and D. God-tier units define the entire meta around their mechanics. D-tier units should not receive Gems, Memoria Shards, or Trait Rerolls. The Best Trait column in the global tier table shows the highest-priority trait for each SS and S-tier unit, based on community testing at the Mandra NPC. For the full Traits breakdown by role, see the companion guide below.

Quick Tip: Always reroll traits on SS and S-tier units before investing Memoria Shards or evolution materials. A poorly traited SS unit underperforms a well-traited S unit. Get the trait right first.

Global Tier List: All Units Ranked (God to D Tier) with Best Trait

Trait Note: Traits are random stat modifiers attached to your units. Always reroll traits on SS and S-tier units at the Mandra NPC before investing evolution materials. The Monarch trait is the highest priority for DPS units. A well-traited A-tier unit will often outperform a poorly-traited SS-tier unit.

The table below ranks every available unit through Update 13.5. Units marked with (L) are limited and may no longer be obtainable. Evolved forms are ranked separately because the power gap between base and evolved versions is often enormous in Anime Vanguards.

Tier	Unit	Role	Rarity	Key Strength	Best Trait	Limited?
God	Demon Leader (Control)	Support	Secret	Chains of Control passive reduces placement cost 10% per chained unit; 30% damage buff to all chained Demon Hunter allies; irreplaceable economy and scaling enabler	Radiant	No
God	God (Above Heaven)	DPS	Vanguard	Time-stopping and reality-altering mechanics; ultimate AoE nuke; locks down the map; unmatched late-game safety	Monarch	No
God	Gujo (Infinity)	DPS	Vanguard	Domain-level AoE damage; crowd control specialist; meta-defining for Infinite Mode floor pushing	Monarch	No
SS	Ice Queen (Release)	DPS/Utility	Secret	Freeze and stun mechanics applied across wide AoE; excellent crowd control tier; synergizes as a Wanted applier for specific compositions	Monarch	No
SS	Alocard (Vampire King)	Support/DPS	Vanguard	Bleed plus Wounded plus Slow active from placement at 0 upgrades; Vanguard Familiar boosts Wounded damage bonus to 35%; immediate full AoE impact before upgrades	Arcane	No
SS	Rogita (Super 4)	DPS	Secret	High-ceiling burst damage with stacking passive; strong Infinite Mode presence; pairs with Demon Leader for peak output	Monarch	No
SS	Lich King (Ruler)	DPS/Utility	Vanguard	Sustained damage with death-proc effects; scales extremely well into late Infinite Mode floors	Monarch	No
SS	Song Jinwu and Igros	DPS/Utility	Secret	Shadow extraction passive summons self-replenishing army onto the field; frontline and backline pressure simultaneously; the duo form is far stronger than Solo Song Jinwu	Monarch	Yes (duo form)
SS	Shinobi Sage (Friendship)	DPS	Secret	9 Tailed Rampage active delivers 30 seconds of insane burst DPS; Shadow Clone from Ninjutsu units spawns a copy that instantly enters Rampage; Ninjutsu uptime is the key skill expression point	Monarch	Yes
SS	Savior (Moonless)	DPS	Vanguard	Counts as Every Group for future group buffers; 10% stacking passive scales damage the longer it targets the same enemy; 3000% damage nuke on third stock; transforms into Savior (Rebirth) after all stocks consumed	Monarch	No
S	Demon Hybrid (Chainsaw)	DPS	Secret	Perpetual Motion mechanic doubles damage when meter is full; Rookie Demon Hunter passive detonates bleed stacks for burst; strictly requires Demon Leader to reach 130% peak via One True Love synergy	Monarch	No
S	Choy Jong En	DPS	Legendary	Best damage-over-time dealer below God tier; potent AoE and single-target DoT; consistent output without specific synergy requirements	Monarch	No
S	Yomomata (Captain)	Utility	Secret	Converts defeated enemies into summons; overwhelms waves through sheer numbers; unique mechanic with no direct competitor in the current roster	Enduring	No
S	Smith (John)	Support/DPS	Legendary	Scales damage buff based on how much more HP the enemy has than John’s current damage output; exceptional against high-HP bosses; the math rewards patience	Arcane	No
S	Diablo (Renacimiento)	DPS	Vanguard	Strong sustained DPS from Underworld Dungeon; Bleach-inspired kit from Update 11.5; holds up in most modes without requiring specific synergy partners	Monarch	No
S	Sprint Wagon	Economy/Farm	Epic	The only Epic rarity unit in the top three tiers; best ROI of any summonable unit in the game; every team benefits from at least one Sprint Wagon regardless of account age	Steady	No
A	Teacher (Final Stand)	DPS	Secret	Worldlines-chased unit; high burst potential; currently more accessible after Worldlines reset; strong in Pirate Dynasty	Monarch	No
A	Elastic Captain (Cog 5th)	DPS	Vanguard	Update 13 addition via Evolution Quest; One Piece-inspired kit; Pirate Dynasty and Rift specialist	Monarch	No
A	Bounty Hunter (King of Hell)	Utility	Secret	Update 13 addition via Evolution Quest; Boss Rush specialist; strong debuff suite against single-target bosses	Arcane	No
A	Beast Pirate (Half-Dragon)	DPS	Vanguard	Update 13 addition from Rift gameplay; consistent sustained damage; available without banner spending for Rift players	Monarch	No
A	Haruka Rin (Dancer)	DPS	Secret	Strong and consistent damage; brings freeze or control skills alongside DPS output	Monarch	No
A	Goku (Roku)	DPS	Legendary	Best starter character; accessible from early banners; evolves into a viable mid-game carry	Monarch	No
A	Ichigo (Ichiga)	DPS	Legendary	Second-best starter character; reliable for Story Mode and early Boss Rush stages	Monarch	No
B	Solo Song Jinwu	DPS	Rare	Base stats without Igros are disappointing; upgrades offer limited value; the duo form is multiple tiers higher	Steady	No
B	Nobaba	DPS	Legendary	New unit from pocketgamer.com’s Update 12 coverage; fails to meet expectations for Legendary rarity	Steady	No
B	Sasuke (Hebi)	DPS	Mythic	Worst Mythic character at current investment levels; Hebi form provides minimal value over alternatives	Steady	No
C	Noruto (Six Tales)	DPS	Secret	Base stats and upgrades both underwhelm for the rarity level; wait for a potential evolution that may unlock real power	Steady	No
C	Luffo	DPS	Common	Original starter unit; outclassed by everything above Common rarity; keep only for very early Story stages	Steady	No
D	Inosake	DPS	Epic	One-dimensional playstyle with no scaling potential; no synergy options; replace at first opportunity	Steady	No

DMCA Model Removals — What Happened and How to Recover

DMCA Unit Fix: Several Anime Vanguards units currently show as blank grey squares due to DMCA copyright removals in Update 13. Your units still work normally with full stats and traits. To recover your cosmetic and progress investment: go to the Gold Shop in the lobby, find the DMCA Voucher item, and use it to transfer that unit’s traits and stats to another unit of the same rarity.

When Kitawari released Update 13 (Godly Ascension), anime license holders filed copyright complaints against several unit models whose visual designs were directly based on copyrighted character art. Roblox’s DMCA takedown process required Kitawari to remove those unit models from the game. The units themselves were not deleted from your account — they still have all their stats, traits, upgrade levels, and functionality. The only change is that the model now displays as a blank grey square instead of the original character design.

If you have an affected unit and want to recover your investment, follow these steps:

1. Open Anime Vanguards and go to the lobby.
2. Open the Gold Shop from the main lobby menu.
3. Find the DMCA Voucher item in the Gold Shop.
4. Purchase or claim the DMCA Voucher using Gold.
5. Use the Voucher to transfer that unit’s traits and stats to another unit of the same rarity in your collection.

The transferred traits and stats carry over exactly as they were on the original unit. You do not lose the investment — you redirect it. If you pulled a Secret-rarity unit that is now a blank square, the Voucher lets you move its trait and stat package to any other Secret-rarity unit you own.

Quick Tip: Before using the DMCA Voucher, decide which Secret or Vanguard-rarity unit you want to transfer into. If you have a well-traited blank-square unit, the transfer is an opportunity to redirect that investment toward a unit that is currently in meta.

Mode-Specific Quick Reference Tables

The global Anime Vanguards tier list above shows overall power. These tables show which units are specifically best for each game mode, because Infinite Mode, Boss Rush, Elemental Towers, and the Update 13 additions reward very different archetypes.

Best Units for Infinite Mode

Infinite Mode is the primary endgame progression format in Anime Vanguards. It rewards sustained DPS over time, scaling passives, and strong wave control across unlimited waves.

Unit	Role	Why They Excel in Infinite Mode
Demon Leader (Control)	Support	Economy reduction compounds over many waves; damage buff accumulates as the team chain count grows; more waves mean more value extracted from her passive
Gujo (Infinity)	DPS	Domain-level AoE handles dense wave clusters; crowd control prevents leaks on later floors; the highest sustained presence per slot in Infinite Mode
God (Above Heaven)	DPS	Time-stop mechanics become more effective as wave difficulty scales; AoE nuke clears entire screen of high-HP enemies
Savior (Moonless)	DPS	10% stacking passive rewards attacking the same enemy for extended time, which Infinite Mode naturally provides; 3000% nuke resets the floor
Alocard (Vampire King)	Support/DPS	Bleed and Wounded status effects on all enemies from placement; Slow passive reduces enemy movement speed on every wave; scales with wave count
Ice Queen (Release)	DPS/Utility	Freeze mechanics prevent leaks on late floors; Wanted applier synergy activates with specific team setups
Sprint Wagon	Economy	Gold generation supports constant upgrades on long Infinite Mode sessions; remove only if the wave count demands pure DPS capacity

Best Units for Boss Rush

Boss Rush requires burst damage output against single high-HP targets, strong debuffs that amplify total team damage, and survivability mechanics that prevent the boss from wiping the field before the damage cycle completes.

Unit	Role	Why They Excel in Boss Rush
Shinobi Sage (Friendship)	DPS	9 Tailed Rampage 30-second burst window is perfectly suited to Boss Rush’s single-target damage race; Shadow Clone from Ninjutsu doubles the burst window
Demon Hybrid (Chainsaw)	DPS	Perpetual Motion meter fills reliably against a single boss target; Rookie Demon Hunter bleed stack detonation delivers the highest burst ceiling with Demon Leader active
Smith (John)	Support/DPS	Damage scaling based on enemy HP means the higher the boss HP, the stronger Smith becomes; ideal against the hardest Boss Rush stages
Bounty Hunter (King of Hell)	Utility	Update 13 Boss Rush specialist; debuff suite reduces boss armor and amplifies team damage output throughout the encounter
God (Above Heaven)	DPS	Reality-altering mechanics provide a full-map AoE nuke that removes adds and resets boss room pressure simultaneously
Lich King (Ruler)	DPS	Death-proc effects compound on bosses; sustained damage maintains DPS even during boss invulnerability phases

Best Units for Elemental Towers

Elemental Towers requires mono-element or restricted teams, meaning unit selection is constrained by the element requirement of each floor. Prioritize units that deliver strong output within a single element rather than all-rounder units that work outside element compositions.

Unit	Role	Why They Excel in Elemental Towers
Ice Queen (Release)	DPS/Utility	Floor-specific advantage when Ice or Water elements are required; freeze mechanics prevent enemy stacking on narrow tower paths
Demon Leader (Control)	Support	Her economy reduction and damage buff apply regardless of element requirement; brings team-wide value to any restricted lineup
Gujo (Infinity)	DPS	High AoE output clears narrow Elemental Tower paths; domain mechanic does not depend on specific element matchup
Haruka Rin (Dancer)	DPS	Freeze or control skills help manage the faster enemy movement on Elemental Tower floors; reliable element-flexible damage
Sprint Wagon	Economy	Gold generation keeps upgrade cycles running on Elemental Tower stages with economy restrictions; holds value even under element restrictions

Best Units for Pirate Dynasty and Rift (New in Update 13)

Pirate Dynasty and the expanded Rift mode arrived with Update 13 Godly Ascension. Both modes reward units with strong single-target burst and mobility, since enemy patterns in these modes involve faster, harder-hitting individual enemies rather than dense waves.

Unit	Role	Why They Excel in Pirate Dynasty and Rift
Elastic Captain (Cog 5th)	DPS	Update 13 addition obtained via Evolution Quest; designed specifically around the Pirate Dynasty content where One Piece-inspired units have passive bonuses
Beast Pirate (Half-Dragon)	DPS	Obtainable directly from Rift gameplay; kit synergizes with Rift’s enemy spawning patterns; does not require banner spending
Teacher (Final Stand)	DPS	High burst potential after Worldlines reset; Pirate Dynasty single-target encounters suit Teacher’s damage concentration
Demon Leader (Control)	Support	Economy reduction applies across both modes; team-wide damage buff carries through Rift’s multi-segment encounters
Savior (Moonless) into Savior (Rebirth)	DPS/Utility	The Rebirth transformation stuns enemies and teleports them to itself; this mechanic is especially effective in Rift where grouping enemies creates high-value AoE windows

You can check out: Anime Vabguards Tier List v10

Key Synergies Explained — How the Top Units Actually Work Together

Most Anime Vanguards tier lists rank units without explaining how they work together. These three synergies define the current meta compositions and are worth understanding before you decide which units to build.

Synergy Name	Units Involved	Mechanic	Damage Boost
One True Love	Demon Hybrid (Chainsaw) plus Demon Leader (Control)	Demon Leader’s Chains of Control passive reduces placement cost per chained unit while providing a 40% damage buff specifically targeting Demon Hybrid; Demon Hybrid’s One True Love passive synergy passive then activates, reaching 130% of peak potential only when Demon Leader is on the field; without Demon Leader, Demon Hybrid performs at roughly S-tier; with Demon Leader, Demon Hybrid becomes one of the strongest DPS units in the game	130% of peak potential for Demon Hybrid; 40% damage buff from Demon Leader targeted specifically at Demon Hybrid
Shadow Clone Protocol	Shinobi Sage (Friendship) plus any Ninjutsu unit (Agony Shinobi Force or Fastest Shinobi Flash)	Shinobi Sage’s 9 Tailed Rampage active lasts 30 seconds; when a Ninjutsu unit is on the field, Shinobi Sage’s second passive Shadow Clone activates, spawning a clone that instantly enters 9 Tailed Rampage for 20 seconds; with proper Ninjutsu uptime management, Shinobi Sage can maintain continuous Rampage state through rolling Clone and active timing	Continuous 9 Tailed Rampage uptime versus 30-second burst windows without Ninjutsu; roughly 2x effective DPS across the full encounter
Bloody Shower Amplification	Alocard (Vampire King) plus any Bleed applier	Alocard’s Vanguard Familiar (Vampire’s Seal) boosts the damage bonus from Wounded status to 35%; the Vanguard Familiar also applies Slow at 50% whenever it hits a Bleeding enemy; any unit that can apply Bleed status to enemies before Alocard attacks them dramatically amplifies Alocard’s effective DPS through the Wounded interaction	35% damage amplification from Wounded on any Bleeding enemy; 50% Slow stacking on top creates extreme crowd control on affected targets

The Savior (Moonless) transformation into Savior (Rebirth) deserves its own explanation because the mechanic works differently from any other unit in the roster. When Savior (Moonless) expends all three of its damage stocks, it transforms into Savior (Rebirth). At the moment of transformation, Savior (Rebirth) makes itself completely free of placement cost, teleports all enemies on the map directly to its position, and stuns them while bypassing lockout immunities. This mechanic creates an instant grouping window where every other AoE unit on your team can deal full output against a clustered group. It is a round-winning active rather than sustained DPS — build your team composition to include AoE units that can capitalize on the transformation window.

Quick Tip: The timing of Savior (Rebirth)’s transformation is controllable. Hold the third stock until you want the teleport stun to trigger. Do not waste the window on a low-density wave.

Evolution Priority Guide — Which Units to Evolve First

Evolution in Anime Vanguards transforms a base unit into a dramatically stronger evolved form using Memoria Shards and update-specific materials. Not every unit is worth evolving, and the materials are too scarce to waste on low-tier evolutions. The table below shows which evolutions are highest priority and what the tier change looks like before and after.

Base Unit	Evolved Form	Priority	Materials Needed	Tier Change
Demon Hybrid (base)	Demon Hybrid (Chainsaw)	Critical: Evolve immediately	Chainsaw Man-themed Evolution Quest materials (drops from specific Boss Rush stages)	B-tier to S-tier; the base form is substantially weaker; do not invest Trait Rerolls until evolved
Elastic Captain (base)	Elastic Captain (Cog 5th)	High: Evolve when materials available	Update 13 Evolution Quest; requires Pirate Dynasty stage clears and specific drop items	A-tier to A-tier (significantly strengthened within the same tier bracket; worth evolving before other A-tier units)
Bounty Hunter (base)	Bounty Hunter (King of Hell)	High: Evolve when materials available	Update 13 Evolution Quest; requires Boss Rush stage clears and Rift drop items	A-tier to A-tier (Boss Rush viability greatly increases post-evolution)
Savior (base)	Savior (Moonless)	Very High: Priority for Vanguard holders	Memoria Shards plus Essence Stones from Odyssey Adventure; the base Savior is playable but Moonless is a fundamentally different unit	A-tier base to SS-tier Moonless; the 10% stacking passive and 3000% nuke are Moonless-exclusive
Goku (Roku) base	Goku (Roku) evolved	Medium: Evolve after SS units are stable	Standard Evolution materials available from Story Mode clears	C-tier base to A-tier evolved; the best starter evolution path; do this before spending materials on B-tier units
Ichigo (Ichiga) base	Ichigo (Ichiga) evolved	Medium: Evolve after Goku	Standard Evolution materials from Story Mode	C-tier base to A-tier evolved; same priority bracket as Goku; both starters are worth evolving early

The most common evolution mistake in Anime Vanguards is investing Trait Rerolls on the base form of a unit that has an evolution available. Always evolve first, then reroll traits on the evolved form. Trait Rerolls applied to a base unit do not carry over to the evolved form.

Quick Tip: Check the Evolution Quest requirements before farming materials. Some evolutions require specific game mode completions that a new player has not unlocked yet. Know the unlock path before targeting the materials.

Also on Axeetech: Anime Vanguards Trading Tier List

F2P Advisory: You do not need Secret or Vanguard-rarity units to clear most content.A well-built A-tier team with good traits clears Story Mode, most Boss Rush stages, and early Elemental Towers floors. Sprint Wagon (Epic rarity) remains one of the best economy units at any account age despite its lower rarity.

F2P Viability Track: Best Units Without Heavy Gem Spending

Unit	Rarity	Obtainable Without Paid Gems?	F2P Tier	Notes
Sprint Wagon	Epic	Yes, from standard banner	S (F2P)	The best economy unit in the game regardless of account age; every team should run at least one; pull priority even if you have Secret units
Goku (Roku) evolved	Legendary	Yes, early story banner	A (F2P)	Best F2P starter; accessible from the tutorial banner; evolve this first before farming harder banners
Ichigo (Ichiga) evolved	Legendary	Yes, early story banner	A (F2P)	Second-best starter; run alongside Goku evolved for a strong early game F2P core
Demon Leader (base form)	Secret	Possible with gem farming; pity available	A-S (F2P)	Priority F2P pull target; even the base form provides economy reduction and team buffing; worth spending saved gems on standard banner
Alocard (Vampire King)	Vanguard	Hard without spending; Rift event may help	A (F2P if obtained)	If obtainable through event or pity, Alocard is the best F2P investment; immediate AoE value from placement with no upgrade cost
Haruka Rin (Dancer)	Secret	Possible with gem saving	A (F2P)	Accessible Secret unit; reliable DPS without synergy requirements; good stopping point before chasing God-tier units
Elastic Captain (Cog 5th)	Vanguard	Obtainable via Evolution Quest (no banner)	A (F2P)	Update 13 addition that does not require banner pulls at all; do the Pirate Dynasty Evolution Quest to obtain it
Beast Pirate (Half-Dragon)	Vanguard	Obtainable via Rift gameplay (no banner)	A (F2P)	Second Update 13 unit obtainable without spending Gems; Rift drops are farmable with consistent play

The cleanest free-to-play progression in Anime Vanguards follows this sequence: evolve Goku Roku and Ichigo Ichiga as your first priority using Story Mode materials, keep Sprint Wagon in every lineup, save all Gems for a Demon Leader banner when it appears, and farm Elastic Captain and Beast Pirate from the Update 13 quests since neither requires spending. With this core, you can clear Story Mode, reach mid-range Infinite Mode floors, and compete in most Boss Rush stages without spending a single Robux.

Best Team Compositions for Each Game Mode

Comp Name	Core Units	Mode	Why It Works
Demon Chain Control	Demon Leader (Control), Demon Hybrid (Chainsaw), Alocard (Vampire King), Sprint Wagon	Story Mode and Boss Rush	Demon Leader’s economy reduction and 40% Demon Hybrid buff via One True Love activates Perpetual Motion at full meter; Alocard handles wave control with Bleed and Wounded; Sprint Wagon generates Gold to keep upgrades flowing
Infinite Endurance Core	Gujo (Infinity), God (Above Heaven), Demon Leader (Control), Alocard (Vampire King)	Infinite Mode	God’s time-stop and Gujo’s domain control handle late-floor wave density; Demon Leader reduces deployment cost enabling faster elite placement; Alocard’s stacking Slow creates bottlenecks on narrow Infinite Mode paths
Shinobi Burst Team	Shinobi Sage (Friendship), Agony Shinobi (Force), Fastest Shinobi (Flash), Demon Leader (Control)	Boss Rush and Pirate Dynasty	Shadow Clone Protocol maintains continuous 9 Tailed Rampage via proper Ninjutsu management; Demon Leader adds flat damage buff on top of Rampage state; strongest single-encounter burst team in the current meta
F2P Starter Core	Goku (Roku evolved), Ichigo (Ichiga evolved), Sprint Wagon, Demon Leader (if available)	Story Mode and early Boss Rush	Both starter evolutions at A-tier provide reliable carry power through all Story Mode acts; Sprint Wagon funds upgrades; Demon Leader upgrades this from an average team to a competitive one as soon as she is pulled
Rebirth Control	Savior (Moonless) into Savior (Rebirth), Ice Queen (Release), Gujo (Infinity), Demon Leader (Control)	Rift and Pirate Dynasty	Savior (Rebirth) teleports and stuns all enemies at transformation; Ice Queen and Gujo AoE nukes detonate into the clustered, stunned group; Demon Leader’s economy reduction allows faster slot filling in the Rift’s multi-segment structure

Do Checkout: Anime Vanguards Codes

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the best unit in Anime Vanguards?

Demon Leader (Control) is the best unit in Anime Vanguards by the standard of how much she elevates every other unit on your team. Her Chains of Control passive reduces placement cost per chained unit while her 30% damage buff to all chained Demon Hunter allies scales the entire team’s output simultaneously. For raw DPS, God (Above Heaven) and Gujo (Infinity) lead the God tier, but neither operates at their ceiling without Demon Leader’s team foundation underneath them.

Is Demon Hybrid good in Anime Vanguards?

Demon Hybrid (Chainsaw) is an S-tier unit in Anime Vanguards but only when Demon Leader (Control) is on the same team. Without her, Demon Hybrid performs below his listed potential because his One True Love synergy passive activates only when Demon Leader is present, and Perpetual Motion’s 130% peak is locked behind that activation. With Demon Leader, Demon Hybrid becomes one of the highest-ceiling single-target DPS units in the game through his Rookie Demon Hunter bleed stack detonation mechanic.

Why do some of my Anime Vanguards units show as blank squares?

Several units in Anime Vanguards had their models removed in Update 13 due to DMCA copyright complaints filed by anime license holders against visually similar character designs. The units themselves still work fully with all stats, traits, and upgrade levels intact. To recover your investment, go to the Gold Shop in the lobby, find the DMCA Voucher item, and use it to transfer that unit’s traits and stats to another unit of the same rarity.

What is the best trait for DPS units in Anime Vanguards?

The Monarch trait is the top priority for all DPS units in the current Anime Vanguards meta. Reroll at the Mandra NPC in the lobby until you roll Monarch on your core DPS units before investing Memoria Shards or evolution materials. A well-traited A-tier unit regularly outperforms a poorly-traited SS-tier unit in practical content, which is why trait rerolling should come before evolution on your priority list.

Is Sprint Wagon worth using in Anime Vanguards?

Yes, at every account stage. Sprint Wagon is the only Epic-rarity unit in the top three tiers of the current Anime Vanguards tier list because its economy and Gold generation ROI is the highest of any summonable unit in the game. Keep at least one Sprint Wagon in every team regardless of how many Secret or Vanguard units you have, because Gold generation directly funds the upgrade cycles that keep your elite units effective through long wave runs.

What are the best units for Infinite Mode in Anime Vanguards?

The best Anime Vanguards units for Infinite Mode are Gujo (Infinity) for domain-level AoE wave control, God (Above Heaven) for late-floor nuke capacity, Demon Leader (Control) for economy and compounding team buffs, Savior (Moonless) for its stacking passive that rewards long engagements against the same enemy, and Alocard (Vampire King) for sustained Bleed, Wounded, and Slow stacking across all waves.

Is Anime Vanguards pay to win?

Anime Vanguards has a meaningful free-to-play path. The game provides Gems through Story Mode completion, Daily Missions, and codes from developer Kitawari, and the pity system guarantees higher-rarity pulls after a set number. Free-to-play players can obtain Demon Leader (Control) through targeted gem saving, farm Elastic Captain (Cog 5th) and Beast Pirate (Half-Dragon) without any banner spending via Update 13 quests, and clear most content with a well-traited A-tier team. Top-tier Secret and Vanguard units are significantly easier to access for spending players, but the F2P track is genuine, not just theoretical.

What units should I evolve first in Anime Vanguards?

Evolve Demon Hybrid (Chainsaw) first if you own the base Demon Hybrid, because the evolution moves him from B-tier to S-tier and unlocks Perpetual Motion and One True Love. After that, evolve Savior (Moonless) from the base Savior form if you have Odyssey Adventure materials ready, then prioritize your starter evolutions (Goku Roku and Ichigo Ichiga) using Story Mode materials. Never invest Trait Rerolls on a base unit that has an evolution available — traits do not carry over to evolved forms.

Is God Above Heaven worth getting in Anime Vanguards?

Yes. God (Above Heaven) is a God-tier unit and one of the highest-ceiling DPS options in Anime Vanguards. His time-stopping and reality-altering mechanics lock down the entire map for AoE nuke applications that no other unit replicates. He is particularly dominant in late Infinite Mode floors where wave density requires full-screen clearing. Pair with the Monarch trait and run alongside Demon Leader for his peak performance.

What is the Demon Leader and Demon Hybrid synergy in Anime Vanguards?

Demon Leader (Control) and Demon Hybrid (Chainsaw) share a named synergy through Demon Hybrid’s One True Love passive. When Demon Leader is on the field, Demon Leader’s Chains of Control passive targets Demon Hybrid with a 40% damage buff specifically, and Demon Hybrid’s own Perpetual Motion mechanic reaches 130% of its stated peak potential through this activation. Demon Hybrid without Demon Leader is a strong S-tier unit. Demon Hybrid with Demon Leader is arguably the highest burst DPS combination below the God-tier units.

What are the best free to play units in Anime Vanguards?

The best free-to-play units in Anime Vanguards are Sprint Wagon (Epic, accessible from standard banner), Goku (Roku) and Ichigo (Ichiga) evolved (both Legendary, from early story banners), Elastic Captain (Cog 5th) and Beast Pirate (Half-Dragon) both obtained without any banner spending through Update 13 quest and Rift gameplay. Among Secret rarity units, Demon Leader (Control) is the most valuable F2P pull target and worth prioritizing all saved Gems toward.

Did the Anime Vanguards meta change in Update 13.5?

Update 13.5 Eternal Adversaries (June 21, 2026) is a summer content update adding Summer Portals, a returning zombie-survival mode, and six new units that are being ranked as community testing matures. The core meta from Update 13 Godly Ascension remained stable in 13.5, with Demon Leader, God (Above Heaven), Gujo, Alocard, and Ice Queen holding their top positions. The six new 13.5 units will be integrated into this tier list as testing data becomes available from the official Anime Vanguards Discord community.

Four Points That Define Smart Anime Vanguards Investment

This Anime Vanguards tier list covers every unit through Update 13.5. Here is the short version of what matters most.

6. Build Demon Leader first. Her economy reduction and team-wide damage buffs compound with every other unit you add to the roster. The entire God-tier team structure works better with her than without her.
7. Add Alocard for immediate AoE impact. Unlike most S-tier units that need upgrades to perform, Alocard (Vampire King) delivers full AoE damage and status effects from the moment you place him with zero upgrades required.
8. Roll Monarch trait on your core DPS units. Reroll at the Mandra NPC until Monarch appears on every SS and S-tier DPS unit before you spend Memoria Shards or evolution materials on any of them.
9. Check the DMCA Voucher if any units show as blank squares. The Gold Shop carries the DMCA Voucher that transfers traits and stats from affected units to any other unit of the same rarity. Do not abandon blank-square units before using the Voucher.