Soul Knight 8.7.0 Character Tier List: Best Heroes for Badass Clears

To clear high-difficulty Badass runs in Soul Knight version 8.7.0, prioritize heroes equipped with active invulnerability frames (I-frames) or dedicated damage-absorption barriers over characters reliant on raw base stats or passive healing. Enemy projectiles in Badass mode hit for 4 to 6 damage each, meaning characters without built-in defensive resets can lose their entire shield pool and health bar to a single mistake.

If you are learning Badass mode, start with Paladin or Costume Prince for maximum survivability. Once you master dodging rhythms, switch to Rogue or Assassin to maximize clear speeds.

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8.7.0 Hero Tier Rankings

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S-Tier: Top Defensive and Reset Tools

S-tier characters consistently survive late-stage bullet density because their abilities completely negate incoming hits.

• Paladin: Energy Shield absorbs all incoming projectile damage for several seconds and converts absorbed hits into energy, eliminating both survival pressure and energy management. Combined with 9 native base armor, Paladin offers the safest margin for error in the game.
• Rogue: Dodge (1st skill) grants invulnerability frames on a cooldown under two seconds. Successfully rolling through projectile waves guarantees a critical strike boost on your next shot, turning defensive maneuvers directly into offensive burst.
• Assassin: Dark Blade provides total invulnerability, increased movement speed, and an automatic dash slash. Defeating an enemy while the skill is active instantly resets the cooldown up to four consecutive times, letting you chain immunity across entire enemy waves.
• Costume Prince: The Magic Slime transformation provides an independent health pool alongside automated minion support. This extra barrier lets you withstand aggressive third-biome bosses while dealing steady area-of-effect damage.

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A-Tier: High-Damage Specialists

A-tier heroes eliminate rooms quickly through raw damage output, but they require cautious positioning or defensive buffs to survive between skill casts.

• Alchemist: Gas Grenades stack heavy poison damage that melts boss health pools and slows advancing mobs. Because he lacks an active escape mechanic, you must hide behind perimeter cover when dense bullet patterns appear.
• Vampire: Immortal converts enemy hits into health and energy recovery while granting a brief window of invincibility. If caught in the open after the skill expires, his low base health pool makes recovery difficult.
• Knight: Dual Wield and Chaotic Strike output tremendous single-target and area DPS, allowing you to delete threats before they attack. However, Knight drains energy rapidly and relies heavily on the "No extra damage when shield breaks" (Blue Shield) buff to survive floor 3-5 rooms.
• Taoist: Sword Fly and Bagua provide localized projectile reflection and burst damage, but vulnerable gaps between skill uptimes require careful maneuvering.

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B-Tier: Cooldown-Dependent Picks

B-tier heroes can clear Badass mode, but their consistency drops in wide rooms or extended enemy spawn waves.

• Engineer: Gun Mount and Turret deploy autonomous firepower and temporary mech defenses. Long skill recharges leave Engineer exposed during prolonged battles.
• Miner: Tunneling offers subterranean invulnerability and leaves transport shortcuts behind. However, mistiming your exit can launch you directly into explosive environmental hazards or dense shotgun spreads.
• Berserker: Rage provides extreme attack speed that excels with melee weapons, but the forward momentum often leads to accidental contact damage if enemies are not stunned or frozen immediately.

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C- and D-Tier: Low Survivability in Bullet Hell

These characters lack the defensive safety nets necessary to survive high-density projectile rooms without dedicated forge-table gear.

• Officer: Gun Spin requires sequential manual stacks that slow your combat cadence without providing defensive utility or crowd control, leaving you exposed during boss enrage phases.
• Priest: Pray and Regeneration Pact restore health and armor over time. In Badass mode, rapid multi-projectile hits break shields and kill heroes before healing effects can recover lost health.
• Robot: Electric Overload clears weak targets with chained lightning, but the active skill slows Robot's movement speed. Without native I-frames or passive deflection, Robot frequently takes lethal hits from homing missiles.

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Next Steps for Lower-Tier Clears

When running characters outside the S-tier, compensate for their lack of built-in invulnerability with your loadout:

1. Equip a Melee Secondary: Carry a wide-swing melee weapon such as Meat or a Laser Sword in your secondary slot to destroy projectile walls while waiting for offensive skill cooldowns.
2. Prioritize Defensive Buffs: Select the Blue Shield buff ("No extra damage when shield breaks") and maximum health enhancements at stage pedestals to avoid one-shot deaths.
3. Control Engagement Distance: Clear elite enemies from behind indestructible room cover rather than pushing into the center of third-biome chambers.