Who is the best beginner character?

Bismuth is the easiest choice. Her book handles basic attacks so you can focus on dodging and casting.

Who is the strongest tank?

Vesper is unmatched as a melee bruiser thanks to his healing Resolve skill and attack speed scaling.

Is Aurena good in solo play?

Aurena can be played solo, but her health sacrifice mechanics make her risky. She shines more in co-op.

Shape of Dreams Best Characters Tier List Guide

Players want to know who the best travelers are in Shape of Dreams. With unique kits, scaling constellations, and unlock requirements, not every character performs equally. This guide ranks all current travelers into tiers, showing who stands out now and who still needs more testing. We will update this and shift some rankings around as we continue to play.

S Tier Characters in Shape of Dreams

Bismuth

Bismuth fights as a ranged mage with her floating book. The book performs all basic attacks for her and gains attack speed whenever she dashes. She also has Pure Soul missiles that slow enemies by 60 percent, giving her excellent control in tough fights.

Her range and scaling make her one of the strongest characters in the game. She is fragile, but with careful movement she dominates both early and late runs. Bismuth is the best pick for beginners and a top option even at high difficulty.

Vesper

Vesper is a hammer-wielding melee tank. His skill Resolve heals him whenever it connects with enemies, letting him stay in fights longer than anyone else. With attack speed upgrades, his healing and damage scale to absurd levels.

He is slower than other characters, but once he builds up, he becomes nearly unstoppable. Vesper is the best frontline traveler and a safe pick for long runs.

A Tier Characters in Shape of Dreams

Aurena

Aurena is a healer from the Lunar Arcanum Society. Her kit sacrifices her own health to cast abilities that damage enemies while restoring allies. She can keep a whole team alive in co-op and still contribute damage.

In solo play, she is riskier since her health cost can backfire. With careful management and the right constellation choices, she becomes one of the most versatile characters.

B Tier Characters in Shape of Dreams

Mist

Mist is a fast swordfighter who chains mobility with her passive. Every time she hits unique enemies, she gains a shield that refreshes after a short cooldown. This also reduces the cooldown of her lunge, letting her zip between foes. Her ultimate awakens her for 12 seconds, boosting attack speed and letting her heal whenever her passive shield triggers.

She rewards aggressive play and precision, but her survival is harder to manage than other characters.

Yubar

Yubar is a star mage who excels at burst damage. His passive Exotic Matter builds stacks whenever he casts a memory or uses his Dodge, and his next basic consumes stacks in an AOE explosion. His right-click sends out a boomerang projectile that can root enemies, while Cataclysm is an ultimate that buffs ability power and drops three meteors on enemies.

He only has one Dodge charge, making him the most fragile traveler. Strong when mastered but punishing if misplayed.

Lacerta

Lacerta is a ranged gunslinger and one of the starter travelers. She has two Dodge charges, a cannon shot that knocks enemies back, and a passive where every fourth basic attack crits and explodes. If the enemy is already burning, the explosion damage increases.

She is mobile and safe to start with, but her scaling feels weaker compared to Bismuth or Vesper.

Nachia

Nachia plays as a heavy melee traveler with sustain. Her passive life steal restores health on every attack, and against bosses the healing is doubled. Her ultimate empowers her next basic attack into a crit that deals knockback and heals her if cast below 60 percent HP.

She is built for riskier low-health play, weaving damage and self-healing, but takes more practice to use well.

C Tier Characters in Shape of Dreams

Shell

Shell is the most experimental design so far. Unlocking him requires giving three small souls to the Wooden Doll. Current reports suggest his gameplay is niche and harder to optimize compared to others. He is still marked as work in progress until more testing is done.

Final Blurb

The best characters in Shape of Dreams are Bismuth and Vesper. Bismuth brings ranged pressure and simple but powerful scaling, while Vesper dominates as a healing tank with sustain that carries long runs. Aurena is the strongest support option for co-op, and Mist, Yubar, Lacerta, and Nachia all offer unique playstyles but need more testing. Shell is still the least explored, waiting for balance and community data.

FAQ

How do you unlock Shell in Shape of Dreams?

To unlock Shell, you need to complete the Wooden Doll quest by giving it three small souls. A hotfix was released to fix bugs with this unlock, so make sure your game is updated before attempting it.

Who is the best starting character?

Bismuth is the strongest and easiest starting option. Her floating book handles basic attacks automatically, and she controls space with Pure Soul missiles that slow enemies.

Is Vesper good for solo runs?

Yes. Vesper’s healing from Resolve and high durability make him one of the best solo picks. He is slower, but his sustain lets him outlast most enemies.

Which characters are best for co-op play?

Aurena shines in co-op thanks to her healing and supportive abilities. Vesper also works well in teams since he can protect allies while soaking damage.

Are all characters balanced right now?

Not yet. Some characters like Bismuth and Vesper are clearly stronger, while Shell and Nachia are still niche or buggy. More testing and updates will likely shift the balance.

Do constellations affect tier rankings?

Yes. Constellations greatly influence how each character scales. Strong upgrades can push mid-tier characters higher in long runs, while poor constellation picks can hold them back.