If you want to know which characters are the best in Metal Slug: Awakening, start with the S tier. These characters generally offer the strongest overall value, but your team matters just as much as the individual character. A well-built team with good synergy can outperform a group of individually strong characters.
This Metal Slug Awakening tier list ranks the current characters from S to C based on their overall usefulness, damage potential, team value, flexibility, and how easily they can fit into different teams. The ranking is based on the current roster and should be treated as a practical guide rather than an absolute rule.
Metal Slug Awakening Tier List at a Glance
Here is the quick version if you only want to know which characters belong in each tier.
S Tier – Best Characters
Valke, Li Ji, Ophelia, Thea, Red Tassel, Zero, Aydan, Shadow, Alessio, Horae, Lyla, Scarlett, Trevor Spacey, Kukik, Saya, Mulan, Joe, Martina, Leona, Lilith, Phoenix, Tarma Roving, Nadia Cassel
A Tier – Strong Characters
Chi Lian, Eske, Mai Shiranui, Dong Huanlong, Ilum, Frejya, Aurora, Marco Rossi, Eiserner
B Tier – Good but More Situational
Li Xuanlang, Kyo Kusanagi, Haran, Eva Glenn, Violet
C Tier – Lower Priority
Fio Germi, Gru Kang, Eri Kasamoto
The current ranking places 23 characters in S tier, 9 in A tier, 5 in B tier, and 3 in C tier. Mulan is included in the current S-tier list following her recent addition.
What Do the Metal Slug Awakening Tiers Mean?
The tiers are mainly a shortcut for deciding where to spend your resources.
S Tier
S-tier characters are the strongest overall choices in this ranking.
They generally provide excellent damage, useful abilities, strong team value, or good performance across different situations.
If you are choosing between several characters and do not have a specific team strategy, an S-tier character is usually the safer investment.
A Tier
A-tier characters are still strong and can perform extremely well.
They may have slightly less flexibility than S-tier characters, require a particular team, or simply be outperformed by stronger options.
Do not automatically replace an invested A-tier character just because you obtain an S-tier character.
B Tier
B-tier characters can be useful, especially when you have the right weapons or teammates.
They are usually more dependent on their team, playstyle, or specific situations.
They can still be worth using if they are already well upgraded.
C Tier
C-tier characters have the lowest priority in this particular ranking.
That does not mean they are unusable.
A character can still perform well when you understand their mechanics or build a team around them. However, if you have similarly developed characters available, the higher-ranked option is generally the better place to spend new resources.
Who Are the Best Characters in Metal Slug Awakening?
There is no single character who is automatically the best in every situation.
The game lets you deploy up to three characters, allowing you to switch between them during combat. This makes team synergy particularly important. Official game guidance also demonstrates how characters can be combined around roles such as damage, healing, buffs, and other effects.
That means you should not look only at the tier letter.
For example, a powerful damage dealer may become much more effective when paired with characters who provide healing, buffs, debuffs, or other useful effects.
Kukik
Kukik is one of the strongest picks in the current S tier.
He can deal strong damage while also providing valuable team benefits through his passive effects. That combination gives him more value than a character who only focuses on personal damage.
If you want a character who can contribute both offensive power and team utility, Kukik is one of the characters worth prioritizing.
Trevor Spacey
Trevor Spacey is another standout S-tier character.
His main strength is burst damage. He can deliver extremely high damage when his abilities are used correctly, making him particularly attractive when you want to eliminate important targets quickly.
Lilith
Lilith is especially useful when your team needs additional survivability.
She can provide healing while also contributing damage. That makes her more valuable in situations where staying alive is as important as killing enemies quickly.
This is a good example of why a character’s tier should not be viewed only through raw damage.
Marco Rossi
Marco is one of the best examples of why tier lists should not be followed blindly.
He is an A-tier character in the current ranking, but he is also the starting character and remains a useful damage dealer.
Official guidance has specifically recommended building a team around Marco and using weapons that complement his attack-rate strengths.
So if you are a new player and have already invested heavily in Marco, there is no need to immediately abandon him because he is not S tier.
Which Character Should Beginners Use?
If you are new to Metal Slug Awakening, do not spend all your resources trying to build a perfect S-tier roster immediately.
Instead, build a team that covers different jobs.
A simple approach is:
Main damage dealer → support/off-field character → healing or utility character
This gives you a character who can stay active and deal damage while the other two provide additional effects.
The official game’s guides also show the value of combining a main damage character with characters that provide healing or other supporting effects rather than simply choosing three characters for raw damage.
Why Team Synergy Matters More Than Tier Alone
A common mistake is to build a team using the three highest-ranked characters without considering how their abilities work together.
That can leave you with three characters that all want to perform the same job.
A better team can combine:
- A main damage dealer
- An off-field damage or support character
- A healer, buffer, or utility character
The exact combination depends on your characters and weapons.
Official guidance for the game has repeatedly highlighted character traits, weapon effects, attack speed, healing, and complementary abilities when creating teams.
So, if your current team is working well, do not replace a character just because another character has a higher tier ranking.
Do Weapons Affect the Best Character?
Yes.
Your character’s performance is not determined by the character alone.
Weapons, cores, upgrades, and team combinations can change how effective a character is. The game’s official materials give examples of choosing weapons based on the character’s abilities and attack characteristics.
This is especially important when comparing a highly upgraded character with a newly obtained character.
For example, your existing A-tier character with strong equipment can be more useful to you right now than an unbuilt S-tier character.
Practical rule: Upgrade the character that gives your current account the most useful improvement, rather than constantly chasing a higher tier.
Should You Upgrade C-Tier Characters?
Usually, they should be a lower priority.
If you have limited upgrade materials and several characters available, start with your strongest characters and build a team around them.
However, there is no need to immediately discard a C-tier character that you already invested in.
Keep using the character if:
- You enjoy their playstyle.
- They fit your current team.
- Their equipment is significantly better.
- You need their particular ability.
- You do not have a stronger replacement.
Tier lists are most useful for deciding where to put your next resources, not for telling you to throw away everything you have already upgraded.
Metal Slug Awakening Reroll Guide
Can You Reroll in Metal Slug Awakening?
Rerolling is generally not worth the effort in Metal Slug: Awakening.
The main reason is simple: the game is built around long-term character, weapon, core, and account progression. Starting over repeatedly means losing the progress and resources you could have spent developing your existing account.
Current tier-list guidance also recommends against rerolling because the process takes time and does not guarantee that you will get the character you want.
Account binding is supported in the game, and official documentation has described the account-binding system.
Should You Reroll for an S-Tier Character?
For most players, no.
Getting an S-tier character can be useful, but it is not enough by itself to make an account strong.
You still need:
- Good weapons
- Character upgrades
- Useful cores
- A compatible team
- Resources to develop the character
Starting over repeatedly can therefore cost more progress than it gains.
What Should You Do Instead of Rerolling?
Use the characters you already have and build a balanced team.
If you obtain a strong S-tier character naturally, gradually move your resources toward that character.
If your current character is already heavily upgraded, continue using it until the replacement is ready.
This approach lets you keep your account progress while improving your roster over time.
Should You Pull for Every New Character?
No.
A new character is not automatically worth spending all your resources on.
Before investing, ask:
Does this character improve my current team?
If the answer is yes, the character may be worth building.
If the character fills exactly the same role as your strongest existing character, there may be little reason to spend heavily just because the character is new.
How to Use This Tier List
If you are a new player, use the list in this order:
1. Check your S-tier characters.
These should generally be your first characters to investigate for long-term investment.
2. Look at your A-tier characters.
A strong A-tier character can still be an excellent part of your main team.
3. Check team synergy.
Make sure your three characters actually complement one another.
4. Check your weapons and cores.
A character’s performance depends heavily on the rest of the build.
5. Stop chasing perfection.
Do not restart your account simply because your first characters are not all S tier.
This is a much more practical way to use a tier list than simply selecting the first three names from the S tier.
Metal Slug Awakening Tier List FAQ
Who is the strongest character in Metal Slug Awakening?
There is no universally best character for every situation. The current S tier contains several strong choices, including Kukik, Trevor Spacey, Lilith, Lyla, Scarlett, Valke, Li Ji, Ophelia, Thea, and Mulan. Your best choice also depends on your team and equipment.
Is Marco Rossi still good?
Yes. Marco Rossi is currently ranked A tier, but he remains a useful and reliable character, especially for newer players. Official game guidance also shows how Marco can be paired with complementary characters and weapons.
Is S tier always better than A tier?
No.
S tier indicates stronger overall value in this ranking, but team synergy, equipment, upgrades, and player skill can make an A-tier character the better choice for a particular team.
Is it worth rerolling in Metal Slug Awakening?
Generally, no. Rerolling takes time and does not guarantee the character you want. It is usually better to develop your existing account and improve your team over time.
How many characters can I use in a team?
You can deploy up to three characters and switch between them during combat.
Should I use three S-tier characters?
Not necessarily.
A balanced team with complementary abilities can be better than three characters that all perform similar roles.
Are C-tier characters useless?
No.
C-tier simply means they are lower priority in this ranking. A C-tier character can still be useful in the right team or for a player who has invested heavily in them.
Final Recommendation
If you are starting Metal Slug: Awakening, do not make your entire progression plan around the tier letters.
Build your strongest available team, prioritize high-tier characters when you have a choice, and make sure your characters, weapons, and abilities work together.
If you already have an S-tier character such as Kukik, Trevor Spacey, Lilith, Lyla, Scarlett, or another current S-tier pick, it is reasonable to consider them for long-term investment. But a well-developed A-tier character can still be valuable, so there is usually no reason to restart your account simply because you did not get the character you wanted at the beginning.
Tier lists should help you decide where to invest next – not force you to rebuild your entire account.
Sources used for the current ranking
The current roster and tier placement were checked against the latest available tier-list update, while official game material was used to verify the importance of team composition and character/weapon synergy. The game itself is officially licensed by SNK and its current store listing confirms Mulan as a recent character addition.