Hero shards in Kingshot never come back once they are spent, so building the wrong hero can set your account back by months. This Kingshot tier list ranks all 37 heroes from Generation 1 to Generation 8 based on what each one actually does in rallies, garrisons, Bear Hunt, and Arena. You will also find role based rankings, a free to play build path, and the mistakes that quietly drain your shards.
Kingshot Tier List for All Heroes Across Every Generation
See the complete Kingshot tier list first before we rank them by generations:
| Tier | Heroes | What It Means |
| S | Amadeus, Luna, Ava, Wee & Woo | Meta defining heroes that stay valuable across several modes |
| A | Yang, Charles, Triton, Liz, Vivian, Margot, Chenko, Amane, Yeonwoo | Excellent at their job and worth heavy investment |
| B | Diego, Sophia, Thrud, Long Fei, Alcar, Petra, Helga, Hilde, Eric, Zoe, Gordon | Solid or situational picks, build them if they fit your account |
| C | Jaeger, Rosa, Marlin, Jabel, Fahd, Howard, Quinn | Strong in their own generation but outclassed today |
| D | Saul, Diana, Olive, Forrest, Seth, Edwin | Utility and gathering heroes, not combat investments |
S Tier Heroes
Check out all the Kingshot heroes in this tier:
Amadeus (Gen 1 Infantry)
Amadeus is the oldest hero in the S tier and the hardest one to replace. He is still the only infantry hero in the game with an offensive widget, so eight generations later he leads Bear Hunt rallies better than almost anyone. His first Expedition skill is a flat 25% Lethality buff that makes him a top joiner too, and his talent boosts Lethality and Health for every deployed soldier whether he leads or not. The only catch is access, since his shards mostly come through VIP packs and spending.
Core usage: Bear Hunt rally leader and top tier rally joiner
Luna (Gen 8 Archer)
Luna is the only Gen 8 hero built to attack. Her widget raises Rally Squad Attack when she starts a rally, and her first Expedition skill gives a flat 25% Squad Attack at max skill level. That makes her a premium joiner, especially next to Lethality joiners like Chenko, since the two buff types multiply. Just know that she needs 4 stars before the joiner buff reaches full strength, and at equal investment she is only a modest step up from Yang as a rally leader.
Core usage: Archer rally leader and Bear Hunt joiner
Ava (Gen 7 Cavalry)
Ava finally retired Petra from the cavalry rally slot. Her widget adds Rally Squad Lethality, and her Expedition kit stacks three offensive effects: lower enemy Defense, extra enemy damage taken, and higher Lethality for your troops. That combination is rare on a cavalry hero, and it should keep her relevant long after newer stats arrive. Because her first skill cuts enemy Defense by up to 25%, she also doubles as an excellent Bear Hunt joiner.
Core usage: Cavalry rally leader and Bear Hunt joiner
Wee & Woo (Gen 7 Archer)
Wee & Woo are the Gen 7 Hero Roulette pick, and every free to play account should build them. Their first Expedition skill raises both Attack and Lethality, which makes them one of the cleanest joiners in Kingshot. Their widget boosts Defender Squad Attack, so they also anchor 60/40 garrison setups. In Arena, their area damage basic attacks and team wide buffs tear formations apart, and they can even lead Bear Hunt in a pinch.
Core usage: Garrison leader, Bear Hunt joiner, and Arena carry
A-Tier Heroes
Check out all the Kingshot heroes in this tier:
Yang (Gen 6 Archer)
Yang is built for Bear Hunt. Her widget raises Rally Squad Lethality, her damage skills multiply instead of adding, and she launched with the highest base Attack of her generation. She delivered a big score jump over Rosa and still sits right behind Luna as an archer leader. Do not send her as a joiner, though, because her first Expedition skill is a periodic strike that does nothing for the rally.
Core usage: Archer Bear Hunt rally leader
Charles (Gen 7 Infantry)
Charles is a pure wall. His Expedition kit lowers enemy Lethality, cuts damage taken, and raises Health, while his widget boosts Defender Squad Health. He also heals himself once he drops below half Health. A couple of his skills cap at 20%, which made some experienced players cautious, but his Gen 7 stats cover most of that. Build him if your alliance relies on you for city defense, Castle Battle, or holding structures.
Core usage: Garrison leader for spenders
Triton (Gen 6 Infantry)
Triton launched with the highest base Health and Defense of his generation, which keeps him in top Arena lineups and on alliance garrisons. Watch out for one of his Expedition skills, which looks like a general damage boost but only affects active hero abilities. He is worth building if you defend for your alliance. If you already have Long Fei and rarely hold garrisons, he adds very little.
Core usage: Garrison tank and Arena frontline
Liz (Gen 8 Cavalry)
Liz has the best Arena burst in Gen 8, with a bubble that disables enemies and a potion that halves the Attack Speed of nearby foes. Most of that only works in Arena, though. Her widget raises Defender Squad Lethality, so outside Arena she is a wall holder rather than a rally leader. She is not an Ava replacement, no matter how new she is, and her chance based first skill makes her a weak joiner.
Core usage: Garrison leader and Arena damage dealer
Vivian (Gen 5 Archer)
Vivian’s first Expedition skill makes every attack increase enemy damage taken, which is why she remains one of the best Bear Hunt joiners. In Arena she skips enemy tanks and hits the backline directly, and in garrisons her kit changes the usual troop targeting order in your favor. She is a great long term pick if you want one hero that pulls weight in joining, defending, and PvP.
Core usage: Bear Hunt joiner and garrison specialist
Margot (Gen 4 Cavalry)
Margot is a defensive cavalry hero with a twist. Her Subterfuge skill gives a 20% chance to completely cancel incoming damage, which makes her a cornerstone of 60/40 garrisons. Her first Expedition skill is a flat 25% Squad Attack, so she is also a top Bear Hunt joiner. In Arena, her signature move is one of the hardest hitting area attacks in the game.
Core usage: Garrison leader and Bear Hunt joiner
Chenko (Epic Cavalry)
Chenko is the best proof that rarity is not everything. Her first Expedition skill is a flat 25% Lethality buff with no chance involved, and since joiners only use that first skill, her value never fades. Push her to 4 stars and she will earn her keep in Bear Hunt and offensive rallies for the entire life of your account.
Core usage: Bear Hunt and offensive rally joiner
Amane (Epic Archer)
Amane is another permanent joiner. Her first skill adds a flat 25% Squad Attack, which falls into a different stacking group from Chenko’s Lethality. Pairing the two multiplies your rally’s damage instead of simply adding to it, so having both built is worth more than doubling up on one.
Core usage: Bear Hunt and offensive rally joiner
Yeonwoo (Epic Archer)
Yeonwoo completes the classic joiner trio with a flat offensive buff that stacks with your alliance members. Like Chenko and Amane, her combat stats barely matter because a joiner’s gear and stats contribute nothing. Get her to 4 stars, set her as your joining hero, and she will keep paying off.
Core usage: Bear Hunt and offensive rally joiner
B-Tier Heroes
Check out all the Kingshot heroes in this tier:
Diego (Gen 8 Infantry)
Diego is the Gen 8 Hero Roulette hero, which makes him the realistic Gen 8 finish for non spenders. His standout skill gives 25% Squad Lethality, something no recent infantry hero offers, but it only works when he leads. His defensive buffs are thinner than what Charles or Triton bring, and his widget duplicates Triton’s. Never send him to Bear Hunt as a joiner, since his first skill is purely defensive.
Core usage: Free to play Gen 8 build and backup garrison leader
Sophia (Gen 6 Cavalry)
Sophia is the Gen 6 Roulette hero and the first defensive cavalry hero since Gen 1 that free players can realistically build. Her Arena kit applies confusion, which turns enemies against their own team and gets scarier the stronger they are. She does very little for Bear Hunt, so her value comes from Arena and multi team events like Mystic Trial and Swordland Showdown.
Core usage: Arena frontline and multi team events
Thrud (Gen 5 Cavalry)
Thrud lets your cavalry hit all three troop types at once in Expedition battles, which is great for cracking stubborn PvP garrisons. Her random axe flurry also pressures the enemy backline early in Arena. The downside is Bear Hunt, where her unusual kit falls behind Petra as a leader and her first skill does nothing for joiners.
Core usage: PvP rallies against garrisons and Arena
Long Fei (Gen 5 Infantry)
Long Fei is the Gen 5 Roulette hero and a dependable free Arena tank with control immunity and healing based on the damage he deals. He performs best when he already has a stat advantage. In Bear Hunt he falls behind Zoe and Alcar because he only has one offensive skill. Build him for team depth, not for rallies.
Core usage: Arena tank and multi team events
Alcar (Gen 4 Infantry)
Alcar turned infantry from pure meat shields into real damage dealers, which helped kick off the 60/40 infantry and cavalry formation meta. In Arena he gives the whole team 70% damage reduction for 2 seconds, perfect for blanking an enemy ultimate. He has aged, but he still fills garrison and Arena slots well.
Core usage: 60/40 garrison and Arena support
Petra (Gen 3 Cavalry)
Petra was the best cavalry Bear Hunt leader from Gen 3 all the way to Gen 7, mostly because her Evil Eye skill triggers far more often than its description suggests. Ava has taken that job now, but Petra is still a capable backup leader. Her chance based skills do not stack, so one Petra per rally is the limit. In Arena she swings wildly between huge damage, huge heals, or nothing at all.
Core usage: Backup cavalry Bear Hunt leader
Helga (Gen 1 Infantry)
Helga was an early spender favorite with a knockback and stun ultimate in Arena, plus a talent that boosts Attack and Defense for all squads. Her stats fell behind quickly, but infantry Bear Hunt leading depends more on skills than raw stats, so she still holds up surprisingly well there.
Core usage: Infantry Bear Hunt leader if you lack Amadeus
Hilde (Gen 2 Cavalry)
Hilde brought team healing to Arena and can shut down enemy ultimates with her signature move. Her first Expedition skill raises both Attack and Defense, which makes her a strong garrison joiner and a decent Bear Hunt joiner. She is expensive to build and is not on the Roulette, so only heavier spenders should chase her.
Core usage: Garrison joiner and Arena healer
Eric (Gen 3 Infantry)
Eric’s real long term value is his joiner skill, which cuts enemy Attack by 20%. It uses an uncommon skill type, so it multiplies with other defensive joiners and can cripple even strong attackers when stacked in a garrison. He also works as a decent garrison leader. Skip him if you never defend in PvP.
Core usage: Garrison joiner
Zoe (Gen 2 Infantry)
Zoe was the first great free hero, available from the Gen 2 Roulette. Once per battle she heals a big chunk of her Health after dropping below half, which forces enemies to kill her twice. She carried free to play garrisons through Gen 5, but in Gen 8 she is a holdover rather than a target. Never lead attacks with her, since she has no offensive widget.
Core usage: Early garrison leader and Arena tank for free players
Gordon (Epic Cavalry)
Gordon is the first choice for defensive joining. His joiner skill adds 25% Health, which beats the 20% damage reduction offered by Howard or Quinn. Whenever your alliance asks for garrison reinforcements, Gordon is the hero to send.
Core usage: Garrison joiner
C-Tier Heroes
Check out all the Kingshot heroes in this tier:
Jaeger (Gen 3 Archer)
Jaeger is an archer garrison leader and not much else in Expedition. His widget skill can silence enemy skills for 5 seconds in Arena, but another of his skills can occasionally heal the enemy. Feel free to skip him if you do not defend in events like Castle Battle.
Core usage: Archer garrison leader
Rosa (Gen 4 Archer)
Rosa was the Gen 4 Roulette hero and a straight Bear Hunt upgrade over Marlin thanks to her much higher base stats. Yang and Luna have since passed her, so she is a placeholder unless your server is still in Gen 4 or Gen 5. She is a poor joiner because her first skill is chance based.
Core usage: Bear Hunt archer leader on Gen 4 and Gen 5 servers
Marlin (Gen 2 Archer)
Marlin’s exclusive gear gives a multiplicative 15% Lethality bonus, which made him the first choice archer rally leader early on. He also hits wide areas and stuns enemies in Arena. Rosa replaced him in Gen 4, and he makes a weak joiner because his first skill is a chance based proc.
Core usage: Early archer rally leader
Jabel (Gen 1 Cavalry)
Jabel is the only Mythic hero you can farm for free in Gen 1, so every new account should build her. She leads early cavalry rallies and garrisons, but her first skill is defensive, so she adds nothing to Bear Hunt as a joiner. Stop investing in her once Gen 3 heroes show up.
Core usage: Early free cavalry leader
Fahd (Epic Cavalry)
Fahd’s joiner skill is only 20%, but it uses a rare skill type that multiplies with other buffs instead of adding to them. In practice, that makes him nearly as useful as Gordon in garrison stacks, especially against heavy hitters.
Core usage: Garrison joiner
Howard (Epic Infantry)
Howard has the highest Health of any non Mythic hero in Gen 1, so he holds early garrisons well. His 20% damage reduction joiner skill still has some defensive use, but Zoe is a massive upgrade once Gen 2 arrives.
Core usage: Early infantry tank and defensive joiner
Quinn (Epic Archer)
Quinn is one of your starting heroes and holds the archer slot until better options arrive. Like Howard, his joiner skill is a 20% defensive buff that helps garrison stacks but does nothing for Bear Hunt.
Core usage: Early archer slot and defensive joiner
D-Tier Heroes
Check out all the Kingshot heroes in this tier:
Saul (Gen 1 Archer)
Saul ranks low for combat, but his economic value is real. His Resourceful skill cuts construction time and costs by up to 15%. Put a few stars into him to unlock that skill, but do not dump your Mythic shards here, because Gen 1 ends quickly and better heroes are coming.
Core usage: Faster and cheaper construction
Diana (Epic Archer)
Diana is weak in battle, but new players genuinely need her. Her skills reduce stamina costs and double march speed, which means more resources and materials from PvE events every day.
Core usage: Stamina saving and faster PvE farming
Olive (Rare Archer)
Olive’s shards are common, so most players field her early. She handles the first few stages fine, but her real job is boosting bread gathering.
Core usage: Bread gathering
Forrest (Rare Infantry)
Forrest can fill an empty infantry slot on day one, but he falls off almost immediately in combat. Keep him around for wood production.
Core usage: Wood gathering
Seth (Rare Infantry)
Seth has a surprisingly large Health pool for a Rare hero, which makes him a passable emergency garrison body early on. Beyond that, he is an iron gathering specialist.
Core usage: Iron gathering
Edwin (Rare Cavalry)
Edwin is the only Rare cavalry hero and holds that slot until Jabel or an Epic arrives. He also gets just two Conquest skill slots, which caps how far he can go.
Core usage: Stone gathering
How We Built this Kingshot Tier List?
No hero in Kingshot is the best at everything. A hero who leads rallies brilliantly can be useless on defense, and a cheap Epic can outperform a Mythic when joining rallies. Three things decided every placement in this list.
- Widget type: A widget is a hero’s Exclusive Gear. Offensive widgets boost Rally Squad stats when the hero leads an attack, while defensive widgets boost Defender Squad stats in a garrison. The widget usually tells you exactly what job a hero was designed for.
- First Expedition skill: When you join someone else’s rally, the game only uses your lead hero’s first Expedition skill. Your gear, widget, and stats contribute nothing. Flat Attack, Lethality, or damage taken buffs work great here, while chance based skills do not stack between joiners.
- Generation: Newer generations bring higher base stats, with Gen 7 delivering the biggest jump so far. A fresh Gen 8 hero will usually beat an older one at the same stars, unless the older hero has a mechanic nobody else replicates.
Every ranking assumes the hero is built to 4 stars, since that is where the full skill kit unlocks. One more thing worth knowing is how rally buffs stack. Skills of the same type add together, while skills of different types multiply. That is why a rally with Chenko’s Lethality plus Amane’s Attack hits harder than one with four copies of the same buff.
Building rosters in other games too? Check out our Hero Wars Alliance tier list, Summoners War tier list, Age of Magic tier list, and AFK Journey tier list, or browse our picks for the best gacha games to play right now.
Kingshot Heroes List by Generation
Heroes in Kingshot unlock in waves tied to your server’s age. Every generation after the first adds exactly one Mythic hero per troop type, and one of those three always lands on the Hero Roulette, making it the realistic target for free players.
| Generation | Approx. Server Age | Infantry | Cavalry | Archer | Roulette Hero |
| Gen 1 | Launch | Amadeus, Helga, Howard, Seth, Forrest | Jabel, Chenko, Gordon, Fahd, Edwin | Saul, Quinn, Amane, Yeonwoo, Diana, Olive | None |
| Gen 2 | Around Day 40 to 50 | Zoe | Hilde | Marlin | Zoe |
| Gen 3 | Around Day 105 to 120 | Eric | Petra | Jaeger | Petra |
| Gen 4 | Around Day 185 to 200 | Alcar | Margot | Rosa | Rosa |
| Gen 5 | Around Day 265 to 280 | Long Fei | Thrud | Vivian | Long Fei |
| Gen 6 | Around Day 360 | Triton | Sophia | Yang | Sophia |
| Gen 7 | Around Day 440 to 450 | Charles | Ava | Wee & Woo | Wee & Woo |
| Gen 8 | Around Day 530 onwards | Diego | Liz | Luna | Diego |
After Gen 2, new heroes roughly arrive every 80 days, which works out to about five or six Hero Roulette cycles. Exact timings vary from kingdom to kingdom, so treat the server ages above as a guide rather than a fixed calendar.
Kingshot Tier List by Role
Now that you have seen the overall tier list for all heroes, it’s time to rank heroes by role. The rankings below tell you who to use for each specific job in the current Gen 8 meta.
Best Bear Hunt Rally Leaders
The Bear never hits back, so Defense, Health, and hospital space are irrelevant here. Only damage matters, and archers make up most of an endgame Bear Hunt march.
| Tier | Heroes |
| S | Amadeus, Ava, Luna |
| A | Yang, Petra, Wee & Woo, Helga |
| B | Diego, Liz |
| C | Margot, Triton, Alcar, Zoe, Thrud, Rosa, Vivian |
Best Bear Hunt Joiners
Only your lead hero’s first Expedition skill counts when joining, so this ranking looks nothing like the rest of the list.
| Tier | Heroes | Why |
| S | Chenko, Amane, Yeonwoo, Amadeus, Margot, Vivian, Wee & Woo, Ava, Luna | First skill directly boosts rally damage with no chance involved |
| A | Hilde | Useful Attack buff on the first skill, with a defensive half that goes to waste |
| B | Liz | Chance based, so one per rally at most |
| Skip | Everyone else | First skill is defensive, chance based, or unrelated to damage |
A rally only uses four joiner skills, and joiners are sorted by skill level. An unstarred S tier joiner will get bumped by a well built Chenko, so get your joiners to 4 stars before relying on them.
Best Attack Rally Leaders for PvP
| Tier | Heroes |
| S | Amadeus, Ava, Luna, Yang |
| A | Petra, Thrud, Vivian |
| B | Rosa, Marlin, Helga |
Thrud deserves a special mention for PvP since her cavalry can damage every troop type at once, which helps break heavily defended garrisons.
Best Garrison Leaders and Joiners
| Role | Current Picks | Older Options |
| Garrison leader | Charles, Triton, Wee & Woo, Liz | Margot, Diego, Vivian, Alcar, Long Fei, Eric, Jaeger, Zoe, Jabel |
| Garrison joiner | Gordon, Eric, Fahd, Hilde | Howard, Quinn |
Best Heroes for Arena
Widgets are switched off in Arena, so raw stats and Conquest skills decide every fight. Heroes with a strong Arena kit include Wee & Woo, Liz, Margot, Triton, Long Fei, Sophia, Vivian, and Thrud. Free players can lean on Roulette heroes like Long Fei and Sophia for the frontline and spend their effort upgrading the backline.
Best Kingshot Heroes for F2P Players
If you are not spending, read this Kingshot tier list through the lens of the Hero Roulette, because it is your best friend. Each generation’s Roulette hero is the one Mythic you can realistically finish with free resources, and following it keeps your account competitive.
| Generation | Who to Build | Why |
| Gen 1 | Jabel, plus Chenko, Amane, and Yeonwoo to 4 stars | Free Mythic leader and permanent joiners |
| Gen 2 | Zoe | Huge garrison upgrade over Howard |
| Gen 3 | Petra | Best cavalry Bear Hunt leader until Gen 7 |
| Gen 4 | Rosa | Direct Bear Hunt score increase |
| Gen 5 | Long Fei | Free depth for Arena and multi team events |
| Gen 6 | Sophia, then Yang with saved Mythic shards | Sophia is free, Yang transforms Bear Hunt |
| Gen 7 | Wee & Woo | The best all round Roulette hero yet |
| Gen 8 | Diego | The Gen 8 Roulette finish |
The biggest early trap is spending your general Mythic shards on Saul. Gen 1 passes quickly, and those shards are far more valuable on a later hero you could not unlock any other way, such as Yang, Ava, or Luna.
Level Up Your Kingshot Account With Driffle Gift Cards!
Once you know which heroes from this Kingshot tier list you want, the next bottleneck is gems. Hero Roulette spins, VIP progress, and growth packs all run on them. If you want to speed things up, grab Google Play Gift Cards or Apple iTunes Gift Cards from Driffle at great prices with instant digital delivery. Curious about how we work? Read our guide on whether Driffle is legit.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q1. Who is the best hero in Kingshot right now?
Ans: It depends on the role. Amadeus is still the best Bear Hunt rally leader, Luna and Ava are the strongest current generation rally leaders, and Wee & Woo are the best all round free hero.
Q2. Who is the best free to play hero in Kingshot?
Ans: Wee & Woo from the Gen 7 Hero Roulette are the standout. Earlier on, Jabel and Zoe carry most free accounts, and Chenko, Amane, and Yeonwoo remain valuable joiners forever.
Q3. Which heroes should I use for Bear Hunt joining?
Ans: Chenko, Amane, and Yeonwoo are the cheapest great options. Luna, Ava, Wee & Woo, Margot, Vivian, and Amadeus are just as strong if you own them at 4 stars.
Q4. Is Amadeus worth getting in Kingshot?
Ans: Yes, if you can access him. He is the only infantry hero with an offensive widget, so his rally value has lasted every generation so far.
Q5. How often do new hero generations release in Kingshot?
Ans: Roughly every 80 days after Gen 2, which is about five or six Hero Roulette cycles. The exact timing depends on your server’s age.
Q6. Should I upgrade heroes past 4 stars?
Ans: Only if you will use their stats, such as an archer you lead Bear Hunt with. 4 stars unlocks every skill, so joiners and infantry or cavalry Bear Hunt leaders gain little from a fifth star.
Q7. Which Gen 8 hero should I build first?
Ans: Build Luna if you spend, since she is the only Gen 8 hero with an offensive widget. Free players should build Diego from the Roulette. Liz is only worth it if you hold walls for your alliance.
Q8. Does hero gear need to match a specific hero in Kingshot?
Ans: No. Hero gear moves freely between heroes and has no hero specific bonuses. Troop type does matter, though, because stats like Health are worth more on infantry than on cavalry.
Q9. What is a widget in Kingshot?
Ans: A widget is a hero’s Exclusive Gear. It adds a multiplied bonus that either boosts your rallies or your garrison, which is why it decides most hero rankings.
