Best 5 DPS Units in Honkai: Star Rail 2026
Ranked by damage ceiling first, then by how demanding each unit is to pilot. A unit that only hits 100% with a perfect Bronya + Fu Xuan core is ranked below one that deals 90% of the damage with a third of the setup.
How We Rank These
“Best DPS” depends on your element coverage and team. This list ranks on-field carries by three things: peak damage in a properly built team, how much setup the unit needs before it feels good, and how punishing it is to pilot. If two are close in damage, the easier one ranks higher.
Jingliu
The strongest Ice Destruction hypercarry. Her HP-draining buffed state front-loads massive Ice damage and scales hard with CRIT DMG and Speed.
Watch out: Wants Bronya + Fu Xuan (or another sustain) to manage the HP cost; expensive to build to max.
Seele
Top single-target Quantum Hunt burst. Her Resurgence extra turn after a kill snowballs through waves and is amazing in pure fiction-style content.
Watch out: Falls off slightly vs bosses with no adds to kill; needs CRIT investment.
Kafka
The anchor of DoT teams. Not a raw single-target carry, but in a DoT core she enables the highest sustained damage in the game.
Watch out: Collapses without a DoT team (other DoT units + a detonator); her value is team-dependent.
Trailblazer
The free Physical Destruction starter. Flexible across Paths and a solid backbone for new accounts before limited units arrive.
Watch out: A-tier ceiling; eventually replaced by a limited Destruction carry for top content.
Dan Heng
Accessible free Wind Hunt with reliable single-target damage and a Skill follow-up. Good early carry.
Watch out: B-tier ceiling; outscaled by limited Hunt units like Seele.
Verdict
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I pull Jingliu or Seele first?
Jingliu is the higher ceiling Ice hypercarry but needs Bronya + Fu Xuan to shine. Seele is cheaper to enable and excellent single-target. For a new account, Seele + Bronya is the more self-contained burst core.
Is the free Trailblazer worth building?
Yes — build them early as your starter carry. Replace with a limited Destruction unit later, but they clear story content comfortably.