Honkai Star Rail 1.1 Tank characters tier list

Artwork featured during Ultimate sequence for the playable character Clara in Honkai Star Rail
Defense is by far the best way to survive Honkai Star Rail's dangers, so let's take a look at each Tank character in the game (Image via HoYoverse)

Honkai Star Rail brings a unique kind of RPG experience for gamers. HoYoverse's latest free-to-play experience has become a massive hit across all platforms it has been released on. The primary highlight, of course, is the rich cast of varied and unique characters to meet. Many of these are obtained via natural story progression. Others require investment from the players into the game's elaborate gacha system.

Regardless, certain characters are fan favorites over others. This is often due to excellent design and viability for higher-difficulty challenges. Let us look at and rank the best Tank class characters in the game.


What are Tank characters in Honkai Star Rail? All characters ranked

A "Tank" is a standard video game term, often referring to characters or units specializing in soaking up enemy damage. Honkai Star Rail is a grand intergalactic adventure where players face countless unknown threats. A strong defense is essential for surviving its many encounters.

The game features a handful of characters who specialize in tanking damage. They are Trailblazer (Preservation), Gepard, and Clara. Let's rank each character into their respective tiers:


S rank: Gepard

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Gepard is a 5-star unit specializing in the Ice element. He belongs to the path of Preservation. Players first meet him on their visit to the blizzard-ravaged city of Belebog. After all, he is the captain of the Silvermane Guards who serve and protect the city. Also belonging to the royal Landau family, Gepard uses a guitar case to deal Ice damage to foes.

He boasts the highest Defense of any character when built right, without speaking of his Ultimate. Enduring Bulward grants a shield equivalent to 35% of his DEF stat. Not just one but all allies benefit from this boon. This makes him invaluable for soaking foe damage, especially during challenging Simulated Universe runs.


A rank: Clara, Trailblazer (Preservation)

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First is Clara, the adorable orphan girl living in Belebog's Underworld area with other settlement dwellers. She is often accompanied and cared for by a sentient robot called Svarog. After seeing and living the poor lifestyle of the Underworld denizens, she hopes for a better future for everybody and delights everyone with her helpful nature. This 5-star unit boasts the Physical element and is of the Destruction path.

While not apparent at first glance, she is also a Tank. Her kit is designed to not just tank damage but also counterattack, with Svarog dishing out damage to those who dare hurt her. Her Ultimate "Promise, Not Command" grants her an 18% damage reduction while making enemies unlikely to target her. Unfortunately, she gets no shields, so use Gepard or March 7th alongside her for the best effect.

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The Trailblazer, on the other hand, is Honkai Star Rail's main protagonist. Players need not jump through any hoops to get them. The Trailblazer will get a Fire variant during the finale of the Belebog arc. This form is that of Preservation and turns the offense-focused character into a tank.

Their Skill "Ever-Burning Amber" grants them a small shield, up to 55% damage reduction, and also Taunts all enemies. Furthermore, their Talent allows all allies to gain shields for two turns every time the protagonist uses a Basic Attack, Skill, or Ultimate.


B rank: March 7th

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March 7th is one of the first party members who join the Trailblazer on their journey aboard the Astral Express. As such, she is also the first Ice and defense-focused character obtained for free via the story in Honkai Star Rail. She is also a Preservation character and helps grant shields to allies or herself.

This makes her invaluable during early hours as her "The Power of Cuteness" Skill grants a shield that can absorb damage equal to 40$ of March 7th's DEF stat. Unfortunately, once players get their hands on other tanks, she becomes pretty much redundant. With his multi-ally shields, Gepard carries the whole team on his own, while March 7th's Skill is single-target.

That is all players need to know about Tank character rankings in Honkai Star Rail.


Honkai Star Rail is available on PC, Android, and iOS. The PlayStation versions are yet to receive an official release date.

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