One such game is Gunfire Reborn, a Roguelite with unique FPS gameplay elements. In Gunfire Reborn, players are tasked to clear levels by defeating hordes of enemy creatures either by themselves or with a group of friends. And while the game has plenty of weapons to choose from, only eight playable heroes exist. So, players must carefully choose their hero, especially if they want to clear the levels without breaking a sweat.

Updated November 13, 2022, by Daniel Dilena:The Gunfire Reborn fanbase grows as more players are interested in Roguelite shooters. And thanks to that expansion, Duoyi Network has decided to release its first DLC, Visitors of Spirit Realm (with another DLC rumored to be in the works. This new DLC adds two new playable heroes (Xing Zhe and Li), four additional weapons (Hexagon, Arc Light, Cloud Weaver, and Lightning Ksana), and six in-game achievements, aside from new and more powerful Gemini Inscriptions.

And with the release of these new Gunfire Reborn characters, there has been a slight shift in who is the best hero in Gunfire Reborn. That’s why we’ve decided to revisit this Gunfire Reborn hero tier list to reflect the current state of the characters better.

8 Xing Zhe - The Buff Monkey Master

HP: 35 - 75 Shield: 75 - 115 Unlock Requirements: Purchased from Spirit Realm DLC Shop

This Gunfire Reborn character mainly focuses on buffing his primary and secondary abilities (Soul Strike or Essence Chain) or his weapons. Xing Zhe’s primary ability (Soul Strike) releases a projectile that creates a clone of himself that strikes enemies within a 10m radius. Soul Strike’s damage depends on the currently equipped weapon (and Ascension skills). For example, having a Launcher equipped will transform every Soul Strike hit into an explosive one, while using a shotgun will add an extra three projectiles.

Unfortunately, even though Xing Zhe has lots of potential as a damage dealer, his damage depends highly on the weapon used. Players that want to make him OP will have to use Launchers, which aren’t the most effective weapons to use late-game. Xing Zhe requires a specific build to shine in normal gameplay (similar to Qing Yan), meaning he is not even close to being the best Gunfire Reborn characterin the game.

7 Ao Bai - The Dual-Wielding Dog

HP: 100 - 155 Shield: 30 - 55 Unlock Requirements: Level 25

Ao Bai is one of the tankiest heroes in Gunfire Reborn, which means players can soak up tons of damage without worrying about dying. But the problem with most tank-like characters is that they suffer from low DPS output which means Ao Bai isn’t the best choice for players looking to complete the game solo. Furthermore, Ao Bai has one of the lowest Shield stats, causing him to lose more HP, which isn’t easy to replenish.

Ao Bai does have a few skills that make up for his lack of DPS. For example, his primary ability allows him to dual-wield any weapon (similar to the Gunzerker from Borderlands 2) and deal explosive damage to enemies. But, players must use this skill carefully as the explosive damage can also hurt Ao Bai. Nonetheless, Ao Bai is a useful hero to use with other players but falls short if played alone.

6 Lei Lou - The Thunder Tiger

HP: 50 - 75 Shield: 60 - 85 Unlock Requirements: Level 55

Fatal Current and Chain Lightning are two powerful AOE abilities Lei Lou has that can wreak havoc on hordes of enemies, making them the ideal mob clearer. Fatal Current also boosts Lei Lou’s Movement Speed (6) and Shield Recovery Rate (3.5 seconds), both of which are essential in some levels of Gunfire Reborn. Lei Lou’s secondary ability, Chain Lighting, not only affects several enemies at once but also boosts the damage of every shot.

But, the major downside of Lei Lou is that they have the lowest Health and Shield pools in the game, which isn’t ideal in a Roguelite game. And while some Occult Scrolls can mitigate that downside, they can only boost it so much. Overall, Lei Lou is a powerful glass cannon but is too squishy to use at higher levels but excels in the early stages of a match.

5 Qian Sui - The Brawler

HP: 60 - 85 Shield: 90 - 135 Unlock Requirements: 600 Soul Essence

Players that like getting up close to enemies will enjoy using Qian Sui as he’s the best close-quarter hero in Gunfire Reborn. His secondary ability, Striking Punch, makes him punch enemies with a powerful force that can push or knock them back. On top of that, Tidal Aspis (primary ability) allows Qian Sui to create a barrier that makes him immune to damage for a short time. Tidal Aspis also boosts his Movement Speed and enables him to hurtle enemies.

But, as players can expect, they’ll need to constantly be in front of enemies to make full use of Qian Sui’s ability. A significant downside of his primary ability is that it reduces the player’s field of vision, exposing them to being attacked from the sides or behind. These two reasons are why Qian Sui isn’t ranked higher on this list but still is a viable hero to use in the right party, as a support character.

4 Crown Prince - The Alchemist

HP: 65 - 90 Shield: 65 - 110 Unlock Requirements: From the Start

Crown Price was the first playable hero released for Gunfire Reborn and continues to be a top pick for players. On the one hand, Crown Prince is the ideal hero to use Elemental Weapons since he applies Decay on them, causing them to shoot two different Elements. And on the other hand, his Smoke Grenade and Energy Orb skills can clear several enemies simultaneously while covering a large radius.

Unfortunately, the main issue of using Crown Prince is that he has one of the lowest Movement Speed stats, making him harder for players to avoid enemy damage. Players can boost their Movement Speed by allocating points to their Ascension Tree (a prominent feature in most Roguelite RPGs). If built focusing on his elemental buffs, like Wildfire and Elemental Rage, Crown Prince can become a top hero in Gunfire Reborn.

3 Qing Yan - The Ninja Bird

HP: 70 - 115 Armor: 70 - 115 Unlock Requirements: Level 40

Qing Yan is the only playable hero in Gunfire Reborn that doesn’t have Shield but Armor, which doesn’t have a recharge delay. Instead, Qing Yan recovers lost Armor by using his primary ability, Leap, which causes him to leap toward enemies dealing decent damage. Players can upgrade Leap a well to reduce its cool down, allowing Qing Yan to recover his Armor faster.

On top of that, his secondary ability (Cleave) delivers a powerful melee attack within a 7m range. But, the problem with using Qing Yan is that players will need to play aggressively if they want to use him at his full potential. So, it’s best to use Qing Yan only after understanding the basics of the game.

2 Tao - The Sword Master

HP: 50 - 75 Armor: 80 - 105 Unlock Requirements: 400 Soul Essence

Undoubtedly, Tao is still a top-tier hero in Gunfire Reborn since one of her Talents increases magazine capacity (+30%) and decreases reload speed (-30%). On top of that, her Resilient Shield Talent lowers her Shield Recovery Rate every time she defeats an enemy. And as if she wasn’t already OP, every time a player defeats an enemy, Tao’s Movement Speed is increased by 10% for 8-seconds.

Swords Out, Tao’s primary ability, summons several blades around her that automatically attack nearby enemies (similar to Glintstone Phalanx from Elden Ring). So, the best way to build Tao is by exploiting her Swords Out ability, which will essentially make her clear entire maps without having to shoot a bullet. The only downside of using Tao is that players must max her Talent Tree if they want to make her OP, but even before reaching that point, Tao remains one of the best heroes in Gunfire Reborn, but no longer the best hero.

1 Li - The Flaming Fox

HP: 50 - 75 Shield: 50 - 95 Unlock Requirements: Unlocked After Purchasing Spirit Realm DLC

Even though Tao’s Swords Out ability is OP and still is among the best abilities in the game, Li has two OP abilities (Spiritual Flame and Blazing Meteor) that make her the best Gunfire Reborn character and the best choice for players wanting to “cheese” through the map. Her Spiritual Flame is a channeling ability that deals fire damage and inflicts the burn status effect. The more Spiritual Flame Energy players have, the stronger this ability gets (maximum of 60 Energy).

Blazing Meteor has the same mechanics as Crown Prince’s Energy Orb skill, which allows him to summon orbs that target enemies. Similarly, Li will summon several meteors that will target enemies within a certain radius, but the main difference is that each meteor will stagger enemies. The only downside of Li is that she has low HP and shield, making her a type of glass cannon, similar to Lei Lou. Nonetheless, Li is now the best Gunfire Reborn character in the game.

Gunfire Reborn is available now for Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, PlayStation 4, Android, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Windows.

More: Things Most Gamers Missed In Gunfire Reborn