Pirate Crew Next Chapter Tier List (March 2026): Best Heroes

Setting sail in Pirate Crew: Next Chapter can feel overwhelming when you’re staring at dozens of One Piece-inspired characters, wondering which ones deserve your precious gems and upgrade materials. I’ve spent countless hours testing every character in both PvP Arena battles and challenging PvE event stages, and I’m here to tell you exactly which pirates will carry your crew to victory and which ones will leave you dead in the water.

This comprehensive tier list breaks down every character from the game-breaking SS-tier legends down to the underwhelming B-tier picks you should avoid. Whether you’re a F2P player looking to maximize limited resources or a dolphin ready to invest strategically, understanding character rankings is absolutely crucial for progression in this idle RPG. I’ll explain not just where each character ranks, but why they deserve that spot and how to build teams around them.

Quick Character Rankings Overview (March 2026)

Before diving deep into analysis, here’s a snapshot of the current meta based on March 2026 testing across hundreds of battles:

Tier	Power Level	Characters	Best For
SS-Tier	Meta-Defining	Akainu, Kuzan, Sanks, Whitebeard, Carrot, Chopper	All content, PvP dominance
S-Tier	Exceptional	Fujitora, Kizaru, Enel, Reluh, Bartolomeo, Kuza	Core team building
A-Tier	Solid & Reliable	Rob Lucci, Sanji, Robin, Nightmare Luffy	Early-mid game progression
B-Tier	Below Average	Mihawk, Nami, Brook, Zoro, Doflamingo	Avoid investing

Pirate Crew Next Chapter Character Rankings

Understanding the Tier System

My tier list evaluates characters across multiple critical dimensions that directly impact your success in Pirate Crew: Next Chapter. Here’s exactly what each tier means for your team building strategy:

SS-Tier (Must-Have): These are the absolute pinnacle characters that define the current meta. Every top-tier team features at least one SS-tier character, and they remain powerful throughout all stages of the game. If you pull an SS-tier character, immediately prioritize all your resources toward maxing them out. They excel in both PvP Arena battles and challenging PvE content like Boss Raid events and Campaign pushing.

S-Tier (Excellent): Just one step below game-breaking, S-tier characters are exceptional choices that will serve you incredibly well throughout your journey. They might lack the raw domination of SS-tier picks, but they’re versatile, powerful, and can carry teams through virtually all content. These characters are absolutely worth investing in heavily.

A-Tier (Dependable): Solid performers that work great for early and mid-game progression. A-tier characters shine in specific situations and team compositions but tend to fall off compared to higher tiers once you reach late-game content. They’re perfect for filling out your roster while you hunt for better options.

B-Tier (Skip): These characters are outclassed and inefficient for long-term investment. While they might help you in the very beginning, you’ll quickly want to replace them. Save your precious upgrade materials for characters in higher tiers.

SS-Tier Characters – The Meta-Defining Legends

These powerhouses represent the absolute best characters in Pirate Crew: Next Chapter. Acquiring and fully upgrading any SS-tier character should be your top priority, as they can single-handedly transform your team’s performance.

Akainu (Mage – Top Priority)

Akainu stands as arguably the most dominant character in the entire game right now. His Magma-based attacks deal devastating AoE damage that can wipe entire enemy teams, but what truly makes him SS-tier is his anti-healing mechanic. In the current meta where many teams rely on sustain through healers like Chopper, Akainu completely shuts down that strategy. His ultimate ability not only nukes the enemy backline but applies a healing reduction debuff that lasts multiple turns.

I’ve tested Akainu extensively in top-tier PvP battles, and he consistently performs. His ability to control the backline means enemy assassins and mages can’t safely output damage, while his prevent-healing mechanic counters the increasingly popular sustain meta. In PvE Boss Raids, Akainu’s percentage-based damage scales beautifully against high-HP targets.

Strategic Use: Position Akainu in your mid-backline where he can safely cast his devastating AoE abilities. Pair him with a strong tank like Fujitora or Reluh to keep him protected while he demolishes enemy formations.

Kuzan (Mage – Crowd Control King)

If Akainu is the king of damage, Kuzan is the emperor of control. His Ice-based abilities freeze enemies solid, effectively removing them from combat for crucial turns. What separates Kuzan from other crowd control characters is his ability to manipulate enemy positioning – pulling targets forward or pushing them back depending on your needs.

In my Arena testing, Kuzan consistently disrupts enemy team strategies. His freeze effects buy time for your damage dealers to eliminate threats, while his positioning manipulation can expose enemy backline carries to your assassins. The RNG factor on his freezes is balanced by their high proc rate and extended duration.

Strategic Use: Kuzan excels when paired with high-burst damage characters like Sanks or Kizaru. Freeze the enemy tank, pull their backline forward, and watch your assassins tear them apart.

Sanks (Assassin – Backline Executioner)

Sanks (clearly inspired by Shanks from One Piece) is the ultimate backline threat. His kit is designed around one purpose: bypassing enemy frontlines to obliterate squishy mages, supports, and enemy assassins hiding in the back. Unlike traditional assassins who need time to position, Sanks teleports directly to high-priority targets.

What makes Sanks truly SS-tier is his damage multiplier system. Each successful backline kill increases his critical damage for the remainder of the battle, creating a snowball effect where he becomes progressively deadlier. In testing, a well-fed Sanks in late-game can one-shot enemy carries with his ultimate ability.

Strategic Use: Protect Sanks with crowd control and tanks during the early turns. Once he gets his first kill, the snowball begins. He’s particularly devastating against healing-heavy teams where he can eliminate the support before they stabilize.

Edward Newgate/Whitebeard (Fighter – The Complete Package)

Whitebeard delivers everything you want in a fighter: massive damage, excellent survivability through lifesteal, and powerful crowd control through his knockback effects. His ultimate ability sends shockwaves across the battlefield that deal damage scaling with his max HP while pushing enemies backward.

I’ve found Whitebeard incredibly versatile in team compositions. He functions as a secondary tank when paired with dedicated defenders, or as your primary frontline bruiser in more aggressive setups. His lifesteal keeps him healthy even in extended fights, and his knockback provides valuable positioning control.

Strategic Use: Build Whitebeard with HP and Attack stats to maximize both his survivability and damage output. His knockback synergizes beautifully with area-denial characters like Akainu.

Carrot (Assassin – The Invisible Threat)

Carrot brings a unique mechanic to the assassin role: extended invisibility periods that make her nearly impossible to target. While invisible, she gains bonus critical hit rate, setting up devastating surprise attacks. Her Sulong transformation further amplifies her already impressive damage output.

What separates Carrot from other assassins is her survivability. Most assassins are glass cannons that die quickly when focused, but Carrot’s invisibility means enemies can’t target her even if they want to. In my Arena battles, Carrot consistently survives longer than any other assassin while maintaining top-tier damage output.

Strategic Use: Carrot excels in drawn-out battles where her invisibility provides consistent value. Pair her with characters that draw enemy attention away from when she does become visible.

Gekomoria/Gecko Moria (Mage – Summon Master)

Gecko Moria introduces a completely unique playstyle through his zombie summoning mechanics. His zombies act as additional units that soak damage, block positioning, and attack enemies independently. But the truly broken aspect is his ability to slow enemy ultimate skill charge rates, effectively delaying their most powerful abilities.

In high-level PvP, ultimate timing determines wins and losses. Moria’s ultimate delay gives your team extra turns to work with before enemy nukes come online. His zombies also provide fantastic value by blocking enemy positioning and forcing them to waste attacks clearing summons instead of targeting your carries.

Strategic Use: Moria works best in control-oriented team compositions. His summons synergize with area-of-effect damage dealers who can hit multiple targets at once.

Crocodile (Mage – Self-Sustaining DPS)

Crocodile combines high mage damage with exceptional self-sustain through his lifesteal mechanics. Unlike most mages who need protection, Crocodile can survive on the frontlines thanks to his healing. His pull ability brings enemy backline characters forward, exposing them to your frontline damage.

I’ve had tremendous success with Crocodile in both PvP and PvE content. His self-sustain means he doesn’t require a dedicated healer, freeing up a team slot for another damage dealer or controller. The pull mechanic disrupts enemy positioning and makes their backline vulnerable.

Strategic Use: Position Crocodile aggressively since he can handle taking damage. Use his pull to expose priority targets for your team to focus fire.

Sabo (Fighter – The Disruptor)

Sabo excels at making enemy teams absolutely miserable through constant disruption combined with sustaining lifesteal. His abilities interrupt enemy actions, reduce their damage output, and generally create chaos in their formation. He’s not the highest damage fighter, but his utility makes him invaluable.

In my testing, Sabo performs exceptionally well against heavy-damage compositions. His disruptions reduce enemy burst potential while his lifesteal keeps him healthy. He’s particularly effective against teams that rely on specific ability rotations.

Strategic Use: Use Sabo as your secondary fighter alongside a pure damage dealer. His disruptions buy time for your team to set up winning combinations.

Hina (Sniper – Summoner Support)

Hina rounds out the SS-tier with her unique sniper-summoner hybrid role. She deals excellent ranged damage while summoning support units that provide additional damage and utility. Her consistent DPS combined with her summons’ zoning presence makes her extremely valuable.

What makes Hina SS-tier despite being a support-style character is her consistent output. She doesn’t rely on critical RNG or cooldown timing – she just steadily pumps out damage and summons throughout every battle. This reliability translates to consistent performance across all content.

Strategic Use: Hina works in virtually any composition. Her summons provide value in both aggressive and defensive strategies.

Chopper (Support – The Cornerstone Healer)

If you’re serious about pushing high-level PvP or difficult PvE content, you absolutely need Chopper. He is unquestionably the best healer in Pirate Crew: Next Chapter, and the gap between him and other supports is massive. Chopper’s healing output is astronomical, his abilities have short cooldowns, and he provides team-wide buffs that increase everyone’s effectiveness.

I cannot overstate how much Chopper improves team survivability. In my Arena battles, teams with Chopper consistently outlast opponents through wars of attrition. In PvE Boss Raids, Chopper enables strategies that would be impossible without his healing throughput.

Strategic Use: Protect Chopper at all costs. Position him in your backline and ensure your tanks draw aggro away from him. Consider pairing him with anti-heal counters against enemy Akainu compositions.

S-Tier Characters – Powerful and Reliable

S-tier characters are absolutely worth heavy investment. While they might not quite reach SS-tier dominance, they’re exceptional performers that will carry you through all game content.

Fujitora (Tank – The Defensive Anchor)

Fujitora brings everything you want in a dedicated tank: excellent crowd control through area-based abilities, protective barriers that shield allies, and enough survivability to anchor your frontline indefinitely. His ultimate creates a massive gravity field that pulls enemies together while dealing damage, setting up devastating AoE combinations.

In my testing, Fujitora enables aggressive team compositions by providing reliable protection. His barriers significantly reduce incoming damage on your squishier characters, while his crowd control creates opportunities for your damage dealers.

Strategic Use: Use Fujitora as your primary tank when running multiple damage-focused characters. His barriers synergize particularly well with glass cannon mages and assassins.

Kizaru (Assassin – Light Speed Striker)

Kizaru functions similarly to Sanks with his backline-targeting abilities, but trades some of Sanks’ raw damage for better mobility and survivability. His light-speed teleportation makes him extremely slippery, and his abilities have shorter cooldowns than most assassins.

Where Kizaru shines is in his consistency. While Sanks requires kills to snowball, Kizaru maintains steady high damage throughout battles regardless of kills. This makes him more reliable in difficult content where you might not secure early eliminations.

Strategic Use: Kizaru works as either your primary assassin or as a complementary damage dealer alongside another carry. His consistency makes him reliable in all content types.

Enel (Mage – The Ultimate Rage Manipulator)

Enel’s primary strength isn’t his damage (though it’s quite good) – it’s his ability to reduce enemy rage generation, delaying their ultimate abilities. In a game where ultimates can swing entire battles, controlling when enemies access their strongest tools is incredibly powerful.

I’ve found Enel particularly effective against teams that rely heavily on ultimate abilities for their win conditions. Delaying that Akainu nuke by even one turn can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Strategic Use: Pair Enel with burst damage characters who benefit from the extra turns before enemy ultimates come online. His rage manipulation buys time for your team to execute strategies.

Reluh (Tank – The Self-Sufficient Wall)

Reluh excels through his constant self-healing and taunt mechanics. Unlike tanks that require support healing, Reluh sustains himself indefinitely, making him incredibly independent. His taunt forces enemies to attack him, protecting your damage dealers.

What I love about Reluh is his reliability. He doesn’t require specific team compositions or support – he just does his job round after round. This makes him perfect for players who want straightforward tank performance.

Strategic Use: Use Reluh when you want to dedicate your support slot to something other than healing. His self-sustain frees up team composition options.

Bartolomeo (Tank – Barrier Specialist)

Bartolomeo takes defensive play to the extreme through his barrier mechanics. He creates barriers that massively reduce incoming damage and provides excellent damage mitigation for the entire team. His barriers have saved my carries countless times in challenging content.

Bartolomeo excels in drawn-out battles where sustained protection matters more than burst defense. His barriers stack and refresh, providing ever-increasing defensive value as fights progress.

Strategic Use: Bartolomeo works best in sustain-oriented compositions with characters like Chopper. His barriers multiply the effectiveness of healing by reducing the damage that needs to be healed in the first place.

Kuza (Mage – Control Master)

Kuza specializes in battlefield control through freeze effects and rage manipulation. While similar to Kuzan in some respects, Kuza trades raw damage for more consistent control effects. His abilities have lower cooldowns, allowing him to apply crowd control more frequently.

In my Arena testing, Kuza performs excellently against fast-paced aggressive teams. His frequent controls slow down enemy momentum and create windows for counter-attacks.

Strategic Use: Use Kuza when facing teams with strong burst potential. His control effects buy crucial time for your team to respond to threats.

A-Tier Characters – Solid and Situational

A-tier characters are excellent for early and mid-game progression. They’ll help you clear content while you work toward acquiring higher-tier options, but eventually you’ll want to replace them in your main team.

Rob Lucci (Fighter)

Rob Lucci provides modest team buffs and decent damage output, but he lacks the staying power needed for extended battles. His abilities are straightforward and reliable, making him beginner-friendly, but he doesn’t bring enough utility to compete with higher tiers in late game.

When to Use: Early campaign progression and as a filler fighter until you acquire better options. He works fine in A-tier and B-tier content but struggles in end-game challenges.

Sanji (Assassin)

Sanji deals solid fire damage in straight-line attacks. His damage is respectable for early content, but his lack of utility and relatively predictable attack patterns make him less effective as you progress. He can’t match the backline access of top-tier assassins.

When to Use: Decent option for new players who need an assassin. Replace him when you acquire Sanks, Kizaru, or Carrot.

Robin (Mage – Crowd Control Hybrid)

Robin brings a mix of stunning and silencing effects that provide decent crowd control. However, her damage output is lower than pure damage mages, and her control isn’t as reliable as dedicated control specialists. She falls into the awkward middle ground of doing multiple things adequately rather than one thing excellently.

When to Use: Robin works as a budget crowd control option when you lack access to higher-tier controllers. She’s serviceable but not optimal.

Luffy Bonsman/Nightmare Luffy (Tank)

Nightmare Luffy provides team buffs and decent tanking ability, but his crowd control options are limited compared to premium tanks like Fujitora. He’s a solid placeholder tank that gets the job done without excelling at anything specific.

When to Use: Use as your main tank while working toward acquiring Fujitora, Reluh, or Bartolomeo. He’ll keep your team alive in early content but lacks the tools for high-level play.

B-Tier Characters – Less Recommended

I strongly advise against investing significant resources into B-tier characters. Every gem, gold coin, and upgrade material you spend on these characters is better spent saving for higher-tier options or upgrading characters that will remain relevant throughout your journey.

Mihawk (Warrior): Moderate damage with no lifesteal for sustainability. Quickly outclassed by any A-tier or higher fighter.

Nami (Support): Provides buffs but no healing. In a game where Chopper exists, there’s no reason to use a non-healing support.

Brook (Assassin): Low damage output and struggles to reach enemy backlines effectively. Completely outclassed by top-tier assassins.

Zoro (Assassin): Has a fighter’s playstyle on an assassin chassis, resulting in weak backline pressure. Better options exist in every tier above.

Hangkok (Controller): Provides only short, inconsistent crowd control. Unreliable and outclassed by every other control character.

Smoker (Sniper): Heavily reliant on distance positioning and weak in close combat. Too situational to be reliable.

Naru (Warrior): Limited lifesteal and conditional immortality effect that rarely activates when needed. Unreliable for consistent play.

Jin Bay (Tank): Minimal crowd control and mostly provides self-buffs rather than protecting the team. Fails at the primary tank job.

Kuma (Controller): Weak crowd control and low damage output. Brings nothing substantial to team compositions.

Doflamingo (Warrior): Can summon clones but lacks lifesteal or strong crowd control to compete with better fighters.

Usopp (Sniper): Only effective from long distance, making him too situational for consistent team slots.

Ace (Damage Dealer): Pure damage with no utility or crowd control. While his damage is okay for a starter hero, he quickly becomes irrelevant.

Building the Perfect Team in Pirate Crew Next Chapter

Understanding individual character strength is only half the battle – team composition makes the difference between winning and losing in both PvP Arena and challenging PvE content. Here’s how to construct winning teams:

Core Team Building Principles

The Golden Rule: Balance is King

Every successful team needs five fundamental components working in harmony:

1. Primary Tank (1 slot): Your frontline anchor who absorbs damage and protects carries. Choose from Fujitora, Reluh, or Bartolomeo depending on your strategy.
2. Primary Damage Dealer (1-2 slots): Your main source of enemy elimination. Prioritize SS-tier options like Akainu, Sanks, or Kuzan.
3. Secondary Damage/Utility (1-2 slots): Additional damage output or crowd control. Characters like Kizaru, Enel, or Crocodile fit here.
4. Support/Healer (1 slot): Essential for sustained battles. Chopper is the undisputed king, but you can skip the healer if running Reluh or Crocodile for their self-sustain.
5. Flexible Slot (1 slot): Adapt based on content. Add extra crowd control against fast teams, more damage against tanky opponents, or additional healing for survival content.

Recommended Team Compositions

Meta Domination Team (SS-Tier Heavy)

• Tank: Fujitora
• Primary DPS: Akainu
• Secondary DPS: Sanks
• Crowd Control: Kuzan
• Support: Chopper

This composition features the absolute best characters currently in the meta. Fujitora protects your carries while providing crowd control, Akainu delivers devastating AoE damage and healing prevention, Sanks eliminates backline threats, Kuzan controls enemy positioning, and Chopper keeps everyone healthy. This team dominates both PvP and PvE content.

F2P Friendly Powerhouse (Accessible Yet Strong)

• Tank: Reluh
• Primary DPS: Enel
• Secondary DPS: Kizaru
• Crowd Control: Kuza
• Support: Chopper or Rob Lucci

This composition focuses on characters that are more accessible while maintaining strong performance. Reluh’s self-sustain potentially allows skipping Chopper for additional damage if needed. This team can clear most content and compete respectably in Arena battles.

Control & Sustain (Defensive Strategy)

• Tank: Bartolomeo
• Primary DPS: Crocodile
• Crowd Control: Kuzan
• Support: Chopper
• Utility: Enel

Built around controlling enemy actions and outlasting opponents through superior sustain. Bartolomeo reduces damage with barriers, Chopper heals through what gets through, Kuzan and Enel control enemy tempo, and Crocodile provides self-sustaining damage. Perfect for difficult PvE Boss Raids.

Burst Destruction (Aggressive Strategy)

• Tank: Fujitora
• Primary DPS: Akainu
• Secondary DPS: Sanks
• Third DPS: Kizaru
• Utility: Gecko Moria

Maximum damage composition that aims to eliminate enemies before they can respond. Three high-tier damage dealers supported by Fujitora’s protection and Moria’s ultimate delay mechanics. Risky but devastating when executed properly.

Positioning Strategy Guide

Character positioning significantly impacts performance. Here’s where each role should be placed:

Front Row (Positions 1-2):

• Primary Tank (Position 1 – furthest forward)
• Secondary Tank or Bruiser Fighter (Position 2)

Mid Row (Positions 3):

• Mages with AoE abilities
• Fighters with sustain
• Snipers

Back Row (Positions 4-5):

• Healers and Supports (Position 5 – furthest back)
• Assassins (Position 4)
• Long-range Mages

Proper positioning protects your fragile damage dealers while ensuring your tank draws enemy fire effectively.

2026 Character Progression & Investment Guide

Resource Prioritization

With limited resources, investing wisely separates successful players from those who struggle. Here’s my priority system:

Priority 1 – SS-Tier Characters: Invest every available resource into SS-tier characters first. Max their level, enhance their skills, upgrade their equipment, and ascend them as soon as possible. These characters will carry you from early game through end-game content.

Priority 2 – Your Main Tank: Even if your tank is S-tier or A-tier, they need investment to function. A under-leveled tank dies instantly, leaving your damage dealers exposed. Keep your primary tank within 5-10 levels of your main damage dealer.

Priority 3 – S-Tier Characters: After maxing your SS-tier characters and maintaining your tank, invest in S-tier options that complement your team strategy.

Priority 4 – Everything Else: Only invest in lower-tier characters if you have literally nothing better. It’s often smarter to save resources for future acquisitions.

Summoning Strategy

When to Pull:

• Save gems for rate-up banners featuring SS-tier characters
• Pull during limited-time events that guarantee high-tier characters after a certain number of summons
• Never waste gems on standard banners unless you’re desperate for any upgrade

When to Save:

• During standard banner rotations without rate-ups
• When you already have a functional team covering all roles
• When a major content update is announced (new characters are often stronger)

Upgrade Path for New Characters

When you acquire a new character worth investing in, follow this upgrade sequence:

1. Level to Match Team (Days 1-3): Use experience materials to bring the new character to your team’s average level.
2. Essential Skill Upgrades (Days 4-7): Upgrade their most impactful skills first (usually ultimate abilities).
3. Equipment Enhancement (Week 2): Equip appropriate gear and enhance it to reasonable levels.
4. Ascension When Possible (Ongoing): Ascend the character when you have sufficient fragments or materials.
5. Maximum Investment (Long-term): Gradually max everything as resources become available.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often does the Pirate Crew Next Chapter tier list change?

The tier list can shift with major game updates, balance patches, or the introduction of new characters. However, the top-tier characters like Akainu, Kuzan, and Chopper have maintained their positions consistently. I recommend checking updated tier lists every 2-3 months or after major patches. The core SS-tier and S-tier rankings tend to remain stable, while A-tier and B-tier positions may fluctuate more frequently.

I don’t have any SS-tier characters. What should I do?

Don’t worry at all! A well-built team of S-tier characters can clear virtually all content in the game. Focus on summoning during rate-up banners to increase your chances of pulling SS-tier characters, and participate in events that offer SS-tier character fragments. Many players reach end-game with primarily S-tier teams. The difference between SS-tier and S-tier is optimization, not viability.

Are B-tier characters completely useless?

Not entirely useless, but definitely not worth significant investment. B-tier characters can help you progress in the very early stages of the game when you’re still building your roster. However, you should replace them as quickly as possible with higher-tier options. Every resource spent upgrading B-tier characters is a resource that could have been saved for characters that remain relevant long-term.

Which role is most important in Pirate Crew Next Chapter?

There’s no single “most important” role – success comes from synergy between all five team members. However, if forced to prioritize, I’d say your primary damage dealer and main tank are equally critical. Without sufficient damage, you can’t eliminate threats. Without a proper tank, your damage dealers die before dealing that damage. A balanced team always outperforms an imbalanced one.

Is Pirate Crew Next Chapter F2P friendly?

Yes, the game is generally F2P friendly, especially compared to many other gacha games. While some SS-tier characters are locked behind summoning, patient players can acquire them through event rewards, fragment collection, and consistent gameplay. The key for F2P success is resource management – don’t waste gems on impulsive summons, focus your upgrades on characters that will last, and participate in every event for free rewards.

Should I pull for duplicate characters or new characters?

This depends on your roster depth. If you have a functional team covering all roles with S-tier or higher characters, pulling duplicates of your SS-tier characters can significantly increase their power through limit breaking. However, if your roster has gaps (like missing a good tank or healer), prioritize filling those gaps with new characters first. Generally, one copy of multiple good characters beats one fully-upgraded character with an incomplete team.

How do I counter Akainu’s healing prevention in PvP?

Akainu’s healing prevention is incredibly strong, but several strategies can counter it. First, build a team that doesn’t rely solely on healing for sustain – characters with lifesteal like Whitebeard, Sabo, or Crocodile can heal through combat damage instead. Second, use burst damage to eliminate Akainu quickly before he can apply his debuffs. Third, strong crowd control from characters like Kuzan can lock down Akainu, preventing him from casting his abilities. Finally, characters with cleanse or immunity effects (when available) can remove the healing prevention debuff.

What’s the best way to get character fragments?

Character fragments come from several sources: completing campaign chapters rewards fragments for specific characters, participating in limited-time events offers fragment rewards, climbing the Arena ranks provides currency to purchase fragments in the PvP shop, and daily login rewards occasionally include fragments. Focus on events first as they typically offer the best fragment-per-effort ratio. Then prioritize Arena climbing for the PvP shop currency.

Should I focus on PvP or PvE content?

Both modes offer important rewards, but PvE should be your initial priority. Campaign progression unlocks features, provides upgrade materials, and rewards resources necessary for strengthening your team. Once you’ve reached a comfortable campaign chapter and built a solid team, then shift focus to Arena for the competitive rewards and PvP currency. Many successful players alternate – pushing campaign until hitting a difficulty wall, then grinding Arena while accumulating resources to overcome that wall.

How important are team synergies compared to individual character strength?

Both matter significantly, but I’d weight it roughly 60% individual character strength, 40% team synergy. Having multiple SS-tier characters will generally outperform a perfectly synergized team of A-tier characters. However, the gap narrows considerably when comparing similar tier characters. For example, a well-synergized team of S-tier characters with complementary abilities will often beat a random collection of SS-tier characters. Optimal play requires both strong individual characters AND thoughtful team composition.

Conclusion – Dominate the Seas with the Right Crew

Navigating Pirate Crew: Next Chapter becomes dramatically easier when you understand which characters deserve your precious resources. This tier list provides a clear roadmap from the legendary SS-tier powerhouses like Akainu, Kuzan, and Chopper down to the situational A-tier picks and the resource-draining B-tier characters you should avoid.

Remember that team composition matters as much as individual character strength. A balanced team with a strong tank, reliable damage dealers, and supportive crowd control or healing will always outperform an imbalanced collection of individually strong characters. Use the SS-tier characters as your foundation, fill gaps with S-tier options, and maintain strategic flexibility in your final team slot.

As you build your crew, focus on long-term investments rather than short-term gains. Resources spent upgrading characters that remain relevant throughout your journey compound into enormous power advantages. Conversely, resources wasted on B-tier characters that you’ll quickly replace set your account back significantly.

The meta will evolve with balance patches and new character releases, so bookmark this guide and check back regularly for updated rankings. Whether you’re a F2P player carefully managing limited gems or a spender looking to maximize your investments, understanding the current tier list ensures you’re always building the most feared pirate crew on the high seas.

Now set sail with your newfound knowledge, assemble your ultimate crew, and show the Grand Line what true pirate power looks like!