Top 7 DPS characters in Honkai Star Rail's current meta

Ever since the Amphoreus arc in version 3.0, Honkai Star Rail has experienced a noticeable power creep in its character roster. DPS units introduced before this arc are now struggling to keep up during endgame content like Memory of Chaos, Apocalyptic Shadow, or Pure Fiction.

HSR's endgame design often introduces enemies tailored to new characters, leaving veteran players who haven't invested in them at a disadvantage. This article lists the top seven DPS units in the game's current meta, including those from before Honkai Star Rail's version 3.0 that still remain viable options.

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7 DPS characters that are currently in Honkai Star Rail's meta as per version 3.5

1) Castorice

Casotrice's ultimate ending in Honkai Star Rail (Image via HoYoverse)

Castorice has quickly become one of the strongest Quantum DPS units in the game, changing the meta with her arrival. Her HP damage scaling is quite high for a Quantum DPS, and she only requires one or two supports to shine, making her useful for early- to mid-game players.

Her global passive also acts as an extra relief by helping revive fallen characters at least once during the endgame or open-world combat. Castorice also has dedicated supports, like Hyacine and Tribbie, who synergize well with her rotations.

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2) Phainon

Meeting Phainon for the first time in-game (Image via HoYoverse)

Since his release, Phainon has established himself as one of the strongest DPS units in HSR's meta, often carrying teams that lack sustain units. His entire kit revolves around his burst mode (Khaslana form), where he gains eight turns to dish out damage through his skills.

In this state, he becomes the sole active character on the field, with boosted HP and resistance to enemy attacks. He's also suitable against enemies that deal a lot of damage, especially Hoolay, and performs well across all endgame modes in Honkai Star Rail.

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3) The Herta

The Herta's ultimate stance in-game (Image via HoYoverse)

The Herta from the Genius Society has maintained her spot in meta thanks to her damage scaling and team synergy. She remains the top Erudition DPS unit, capable of dealing heavy AoE damage even with accessible F2P supports like the 4-star Herta or the Remembrance Trailblazer.

At the same time, she’s flexible enough to pair with other Erudition units like Anaxa and Jade, benefiting from the buffs in her passive, "Message From Beyond The Veil." Her Interpretation stacks significantly boost her overall numbers, and she doesn’t need complicated setups to thrive across all endgame modes either.

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4) Anaxa

Anaxa in Honkai Star Rail (Image via HoYoverse)

Anaxa is steadily rising in the meta as a versatile character for both main DPS and sub-DPS roles. His Elemental Skill implants weakness on enemies constantly, which synergizes with both his burst and his team rotations.

Whenever Anaxa implants weaknesses, his enemies are marked under a "Qualitative Disclosure" state, which increases his damage output and triggers an auto skill after every attack other than ultimate. This makes him especially reliable in longer endgame fights, where constant weakness application keeps his damage consistent throughout.

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5) Acheron

Acheron during Trailblaze Missions in Honkai Star Rail (Image via HoYoverse)

Acheron has been a fan-favorite since her release in terms of lore and combat. She continues to hold a strong meta position thanks to her scaling and ability to switch between AoE-focused and single-target damage. On the other hand, Nihility characters like Jiaoqiu and Cipher help Acheron charge her ultimate and even apply further buffs for Acheron to use.

She may not hit as hard as the newest Amphoreus units in the current meta, but with proper support team investment, Acheron still performs exceptionally well across all three endgame modes.

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6) Aglaea

Aglaea in-game activating her ultimate (Image via HoYoverse)

As the first Remembrance DPS unit, Aglaea offers a different playstyle that at first glance feels quite similar to Jingliu’s. She pairs especially well with her dedicated support, Sunday, forming a duo capable of clearing nearly any content in the game. While her raw damage falls a bit short compared to Casotrice, she can still clear endgame modes with careful SPD tuning and proper investment into her teams and crit ratios.

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7) Firefly

Firefly skin in-game (Image via HoYoverse)

Firefly introduced the Super Break DPS style to Honkai Star Rail and remains one of the most unique damage dealers in the game. Her kit scales with Break Effect, and she has access to a wide range of dedicated supports such as Harmony Trailblazer, Ruan Mei, Fugue, and even Lingsha for sustain.

She is still strong in the current meta, but newer enemies have received buffs over time, and mechanics like immunity to weakness breaks have reduced her damage potential. Even so, with enough investment, she’s still a reliable option for clearing most content outside of these newer enemy types.

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Honkai Star Rail’s meta is always evolving, but as of version 3.5, these DPS characters stand out for their high damage and flexibility across all modes. With Evernight teased for version 3.6, the meta may shift again, but for now, these seven remain the best picks for clearing endgame modes.