Blue Archive: 10 Best Characters for Beginners in March 2026 – Ranked

Updated by Ankit Babal
July 8, 2025
Gaming

Starting your journey as a new Sensei in Blue Archive can feel overwhelming with dozens of students to choose from. The right character choices in your first few weeks determine whether you’ll breeze through content or struggle at every stage. This comprehensive guide ranks the 10 absolute best characters that every beginner should prioritize, based on accessibility, versatility, and long-term value.

Blue Archive: Essential Beginner Characters

Rank	Character	Role	Why They’re Essential
1	Serina	Healer (Special)	2-cost heal, repositioning tool, available from day one
2	Tsubaki	Tank (Striker)	Near-immortal with self-heal, dominates early content
3	Yuuka	Tank (Striker)	Free from tutorial, high evasion, teaches positioning
4	Nonomi	DPS (Striker)	Free wave-clearer, essential for farming
5	Serika	DPS (Striker)	Lowest cost EX skill, enables skill cycling
6	Chise	DPS (Striker)	Mystic damage specialist, farmable
7	Yoshimi	Support (Special)	Crowd control, interrupts dangerous attacks
8	Juri	Support (Striker)	Enemy grouping, teaches positioning
9	Iori	DPS (Striker)	High single-target damage, now farmable
10	Kotama	Buffer (Special)	Accessible ATK buffer for multiple students

Understanding Blue Archive’s Character System

In Blue Archive, you step into the role of a Sensei in the mysterious city of Kivotos, where you solve various incidents and mysteries. Before diving into specific characters, it’s crucial to understand the two main character types:

Strikers: The four students you see on the battlefield. They directly engage enemies and their survival determines mission success.
Specials: Two support students who remain off-screen but provide healing, buffs, and other crucial support through their EX skills.

For more details on team building strategies, check out our comprehensive Genshin Impact tier list which covers similar gacha game mechanics.

The 10 Best Blue Archive Characters for Beginners

1. Serina – The Lifeline Every Team Needs

As a 1-star special student, she is universally available to every single player from day one. Her EX Skill costs only 2 points to drop a medkit at a chosen location, healing the first ally who moves to it.

Why She’s #1:

Lowest cost heal in the game (2 skill points)
Available to everyone immediately
Doubles as a repositioning tool for advanced play
Scales perfectly into endgame content

Investment Priority: Maximum. Despite being a 1-star unit, Serina remains relevant even for veteran players. Her skill upgrades significantly increase healing potency.

Pro Tip: Players can use it to pull a Striker out of an enemy’s telegraphed attack zone. Eventually, when they master this tactic, they can use her to move their tank to a precise spot, manipulating all enemy AI to converge for a perfect AoE wipe.

2. Tsubaki – The Unkillable Wall

This 2-star Striker from Hyakkiyako is the most dominant tank for all early and mid-game content. Her EX Skill Taunts all enemies, forcing them to attack her while buffing her defense.

Why She Dominates:

Automatic revival when health drops below 30%
Taunts all enemies, protecting your team
Special Armor type resists Explosive damage
Remains viable through mid-game and beyond

Build Focus: Prioritize HP and defense equipment. Her T4 bag significantly boosts survivability.

Want more character building tips? Our Blue Archive reroll tier list provides detailed insights on maximizing character potential.

3. Yuuka – The Evasion Master

This 2-star Explosive Striker is free from the tutorial and can be easily promoted via early Hard mode stages. Her 3-cost EX Skill gives her a durable shield, making her incredibly self-sufficient and a reliable frontline anchor for nearly all story content.

Key Strengths:

Free from tutorial – guaranteed for everyone
High base evasion stats
Self-shielding for survivability
Teaches positioning fundamentals

Equipment Priority: Yuuka’s passive healing and reliance on cover introduce beginners to the value of positioning and gear, especially when her survivability leaps after she is equipped with a Tier 4 Bag.

4. Nonomi – Your Farming MVP

This 2-star backline Striker is given to every player for free, along with enough materials to promote her to 3-stars, through the “New Teacher Guide Mission.” Her EX Skill unleashes a devastating cone of Piercing damage that can delete entire screens of enemies.

Perfect For:

EXP Commission farming
Clearing dense enemy waves
Early story progression
Teaching AoE positioning

Usage Tips: Position Nonomi carefully to maximize her cone attack coverage. She excels against Heavy Armor (Yellow) enemies common in farming stages.

For advanced farming strategies, see our Blox Fruits tier list which covers similar progression optimization.

5. Serika – The Skill Cycling Engine

This 2-star Striker from the Abydos Foreclosure Task Force is a premier single-target damage dealer who excels at taking down bosses with Light Armor (Red). Her EX Skill costs a mere 2 points, the lowest in the game, and it buffs her own Attack and Attack Speed.

Strategic Value:

Enables faster skill rotation for your entire team
Excellent boss killer against Light Armor
Low investment for high returns
Synergizes with any team composition

Team Building: Serika’s cheap skill allows players to “cycle” through their hand of skills much faster, enabling more frequent use of a tank’s shield or a healer’s emergency heal.

6. Chise – Mystic Damage Specialist

This 2-star Striker from Hyakkiyako is the go-to solution for the waves of Special Armor (Blue) enemies that populate early-to-mid-game missions. Her EX Skill creates a large field of persistent Mystic damage, teaching the concept of Damage over Time (DoT) in an effective way.

Farmability Advantage:

Available from Hard Mode stages 14-2H and 17-2H
Essential for Special Armor enemies
Remains useful for Chesed Total Assault
Medium-high investment priority

7. Yoshimi – Crowd Control Introduction

Yoshimi, the 1-star Special from Trinity, fills the “crowd control” niche with a bit of flair and a lot of fireworks. Her EX skill is a 4-cost missile barrage that stuns and damages an area.

Learning Tool:

Teaches interrupt timing
Budget crowd control option
Useful for Hieronymus Total Assault
Low investment requirement

8. Juri – The Positioning Teacher

Juri’s entire kit revolves around her 3-cost EX Skill, which summons a pot that pulls nearby enemies into one spot. For a brand-new player, this is a fantastic, low-stakes introduction to the powerful mechanic of forced movement and enemy grouping.

Niche Uses:

Kaiten FX Mk.0 Total Assault specialist
Enemy grouping for AoE damage
Minimal investment needed
Teaches advanced positioning

9. Iori – The Former Queen

One of the highest single-target damage dealers, making her invaluable in both PvE and PvP. While newer students have somewhat overshadowed her, Iori remains a solid pick for beginners.

Current Status:

Now farmable through Hard Stages
Still competitive single-target damage
Simple kit perfect for beginners
Worth building if pulled early

Check our Mobile Legends tier list for more insights on character meta shifts over time.

10. Kotama – The Accessible Buffer

She is the only specialist who is purely based around buffing your team. Her EX is an ATK boost, and her passive is also an ATK buff for allies.

Budget-Friendly Support:

2-star rarity makes her accessible
AoE attack buff helps farming
Decent alternative to premium buffers
Works in most team compositions

Blue Archive: Team Building Fundamentals for Beginners

Understanding Damage Types and Armor

When my attack attribute is weak against the enemy’s armor attribute, I’ll deal only 50% damage (Resist). Conversely, if my attack attribute is effective against the enemy’s armor attribute, I’ll deal 150% damage (Effective).

Damage Type Relationships:

Explosive (Red) → Strong vs Light Armor
Piercing (Yellow) → Strong vs Heavy Armor
Mystic (Blue) → Strong vs Special Armor

Recommended Beginner Team Compositions

Universal Starter Team:

Tank: Tsubaki or Yuuka
DPS: Nonomi + Serika
Flex: Chise (for Mystic coverage)
Healer: Serina
Support: Yoshimi or Kotama

For more team composition ideas, explore our Honkai Star Rail tier list which covers similar team synergy concepts.

Progression Priorities for New Players

Days 1-7: Foundation Building

Clear story to 6-1 to unlock all game modes
Level Serina and Tsubaki as priority
Complete New Teacher missions for free Nonomi
Start farming Hard Mode for character shards

Week 2-4: Resource Optimization

Commissions: For EXP and Credits grinding. Cafe: Passively obtain Stamina and Credits. Also allows you to raise Relationship with characters.

Daily Priorities:

Complete all Commission stages (start from Stage D)
Upgrade Cafe for passive resources
Farm character shards from Hard Mode
Participate in events for additional resources

First Month Goals

Core team at level 30+
Tsubaki and Serina skills upgraded
Clear Chapter 10 for better farming stages
Join an active club for raid rewards

Common Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

1. Ignoring Low-Rarity Characters

Many beginners chase 3-star units while ignoring powerhouses like Serina and Tsubaki. Here’s a fact that surprises new players: one of the best healers in Blue Archive is a 1-star student.

2. Spreading Resources Too Thin

Focus on 6-8 core students initially. It’s better to have one strong team than multiple weak ones.

3. Neglecting Skill Upgrades

Character levels matter, but skill levels often provide bigger power spikes. Prioritize EX skills for your main damage dealers and healers.

4. Skipping Equipment Upgrades

The recommended areas to obtain equipment pieces in Blue Archive are in Area 4 and Area 5 stages as Tier 2 pieces starts to become available.

Want to avoid more pitfalls? Our Crystal of Atlan tier list covers common gacha game mistakes that apply across titles.

Advanced Tips for Maximizing These Characters

Skill Rotation Mastery

Understanding skill costs and rotation is crucial. With Serika’s 2-cost skill and Serina’s 2-cost heal, you can maintain constant pressure while keeping your team healthy.

Positioning Strategies

Use Serina’s heal to bait enemies into clustering
Position Tsubaki to absorb maximum damage
Place Nonomi for optimal cone coverage

Resource Management

Action points replenish at a rate of one AP every six to eight minutes. Plan your gaming sessions around natural AP regeneration for maximum efficiency.

Future-Proofing Your Account

While these characters excel for beginners, some remain relevant forever:

Eternal Value Characters:

Serina: Used even by day-one veterans
Tsubaki: Viable through mid-game content
Chise: Essential for specific raids

Transition Characters:

Nonomi: Eventually replaced by better farmers
Yoshimi: Outclassed by premium options
Juri: Very niche use cases

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I reroll for better starting characters?

While rerolling can give you a head start, Blue Archive’s gacha rates sit at a painful 3% for 3-star students. The characters in this guide are either free or easily obtainable, making rerolling less crucial than in other games.

Which character should I invest in first?

Prioritize Serina and your main tank (Tsubaki or Yuuka) first. A strong healer and tank enable your DPS to survive and deal damage effectively.

Are 1-star and 2-star characters really worth building?

Absolutely! Some of my favorite students are B-tier, and I use them anyway because I enjoy their stories and designs. Many low-rarity characters like Serina and Tsubaki outperform higher-rarity alternatives in their roles.

How important is elemental coverage early on?

Very important. Having at least one DPS of each damage type (Explosive, Piercing, Mystic) ensures you can handle any content efficiently.

When should I start focusing on other characters?

Once your core team of 6-8 students reaches level 30-40 with upgraded skills, you can start branching out based on specific content needs.

What’s the best way to farm character shards?

As a 2-star student, she’s relatively common in recruitment, but her true strength lies in her farmability from Hard Mode stages. Focus on Hard Mode stages for guaranteed shard income.

How do I know which banners to pull on?

Save for banners featuring versatile characters like Himari, Ako, or limited units. Check our reroll tier list guide for current banner recommendations.

Conclusion: Your Path to Success

Success in Blue Archive isn’t about having the rarest characters—it’s about understanding game mechanics and maximizing what you have. These 10 beginner-friendly characters provide everything you need to clear content, learn the game, and build a strong foundation for your account.

Remember, Whether it’s Serina’s quick medkits saving a run or Tsubaki’s tanking redefining what “unkillable” really means, these students quietly teach the fundamentals—like positioning, skill timing, damage typing, and team-building—for every new player.

Start with these characters, learn their strengths, and gradually expand your roster as you progress. Most importantly, enjoy your time in Kivotos—the journey is just as rewarding as the destination.

For more gaming guides and tier lists, check out our complete gaming tier list collection. Happy studying, Sensei!