This is a tier list of the best characters and a guide for the best party members in Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition. See our explanation of why characters are placed in their respective tiers and the best team compositions at different parts of the game.

Best Characters Tier List

Best Xenoblade Chronicles X Characters

S Tier
A Tier
B Tier
C TIer
D TIer

Aside from the main protagonist that you create, the best characters to use are H.B., for being the best TP provider, Irina for being the best support, Nagi for being the best damage dealer, and Mia for being the best all-around character.

List of All Characters

Tier List Explanations

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S Tier - Best Class

Character	Explanation
Cross	・Highly customizable due to being the main player character.
H.B.	・The best TP provider which is crucial to any battle. ・Has Trash Talk in addition to being very good at absorbing damage making him a very good tank. ▶ H.B. Best Build
Irina	・Best support in the game due to heals with Repair , buffs with Smooth Recovery , and TP provision with Energy Source and Last Stand ・Deals decent damage for a support character. ▶ Irina Best Builds
Mia	・Best all-around character ・Can deal damage, has support skills, can debuff, can topple, etc., making her capable in almost all aspects of combat.
Nagi	・Has Blossom Dance , an art that can one-hit opponents if built correctly.
Ga Jiarg	・Great all-around character together with Mia, and can be built like her. ・Can inflict and spread debuffs, and Ga Jiarg deals more damage to enemies the more debuffs they have.
Al	・Has an exclusive Skell for free, as well as unlimited Skell Insurance. ・Great arts to equip. Has the power to revive incapacitate downed characters.

A Tier

Character	Explanation
Alexa	・Best Skell pilot to have due to which boosts every stat of a Skell. ・Can substitute for Nagi in dealing damage when you have Yelv as they also have Synchrony. ▶ Alexa Best Build
Celica	・Deals a lot of damage when using Overdrive ・Has lots of buffs but only for herself.
Elma	・Great party member to have because of Ghost Factory . ・Inconsistent damage but makes up for it with Ghostwalker . ・Mainly relies on positioning for damage boosts which can be tricky ▶ Elma Best Build
Lin	・Great Tank ・The best Toppler having the skill Dirty Fighter to increase her damage output. ▶ Lin Best Build
Liesel	・Has a free Skell upon recruirtment, as well as unlimited Skell Insurance. ・Has access to the arts: Ghostwalker and Hair Trigger , which gives Liesel abilities to increase her damage potential and her survival capabilities through Decoy..

B Tier

Character	Explanation
Boze	・Great range damage but heavily relies on landing Shock debuffs limiting his damage potential ▶ Boze Best Build
Frye	・Good at crowd control ・Can help boost damage of any thermal arts from party members ・Mediocre damage
L	・Tankiest character in the game ・No other standout capabilities ▶ L Best Build
Murderess	・Similar to Elma overall except she doesn't have arts that deploy decoys to help the party. ・Mainly relies on positioning for damage boosts which can be tricky ▶ Murderess Best Build
Yelv	・Can substitute for your skell party if you don't have Alexa due to having Synchrony as well. ・No other standout capabilities ▶ Yelv Best Build
Neilnail	・Can be built the same as Murderess, but Neilnail is a more decent support than her. ・Arts can be quite difficult to use, since it requires proper positioning to maximize the effects.

C Tier

Character		Better Alternative
Doug	▶	Alexa
Gwin	▶	Elma
Hope Hope Best Build	▶	Irina
Phog	▶	Elma

These characters are in this tier due to being weaker reskins of other characters. Their roles can be and should be supplanted by their superior alternatives.

D Tier

Class	Explanation
Lao	・Not playable post-game. ▶ Lao Best Builds

Best Party and Team Composition

Best Party in Early Game

-	Damage	Heal and TP Battery Support	Tank
Cross	Elma	Irina	Lin

During the early parts of the game, you won't need to worry much about what Cross' role will be as you should focus on leveling and ranking them up to unlock other classes, arts, skills, and weapons. This means their kit will constantly change, so they won't necessarily fit a specific role.

Best Party in Mid Game

-	Damage	All-Around	Tank and TP Battery
Cross	Alexa	Mia	H.B.

This team composition focuses on progressing through the game. In other words, these are the best characters you have when you reach the midpoint of the story as they are generally well-rounded characters, decent in all aspects of combat.

Similar to the early game, you can choose to build Cross however you want as you'd still be focused on ranking up or unlocking classes.

Best Classes Tier List

Best Party in Late Game

Tank	Damage	Heal and TP Battery Support	Damage
Cross	Nagi	Irina	Celica

This team composition focuses primarily on dealing the most damage. Despite being an A-tier character, Celica fits this party due to her tendency to deal a lot of damage by spamming Overdrive, and her Ghostwalker ability which summons a decoy to distract enemies.

Alternate Best Parties

	Team Comp	Explanation
Skell Party		You can use this party if you want a team that specializes in skells.

If you don't necessarily intend to find the best party that will do well in combat and are open to trying fun team compositions, you can try this party that specializes in Skell use.

Share your fun and unusual team comps in the Comments!

Who is the Best Character?

Best Characters Poll

Share Your Picks and Explanations in the Comments!

Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition Related Guides

Recommended Guides

List of Guides
List of All Achievements	Soul Voices Guide
Best Division to Join	Online Multiplayer Guide
Private Squad Message Board	Best Arts
List of Buffs, Debuffs, and Statuses	-
Tier List Guides
Best Classes Tier List	Best Characters Tier List and Party Members
Best Skells Tier List	-