Lost Ark tier list: Best characters and classes for PvE & PvP (2024)

Lost Ark is full of classes to try in both PvE and PvP, and our tier list can help you decide exactly which ones to use for the MMO‘s different challenges.

Having the right class is essential to get the best experience in Lost Ark, especially as each is best suited to different modes. Whether you’re fighting tough PvE enemies like Moake or wanting to prove yourself against other players in the Proving Grounds PvP, you’ll have to consider each mode when picking your class.

Best Lost Ark classes for PvE

Before diving into the tier list we’d like to highlight that given the whole story is PvE and you’re stuck with whatever class you choose, you’re best picking a character that synergizes with your own playstyle. After all, there’s nothing worse than having to grind on a class you hate.

That said, for PvE-focused players, these are the classes we’d recommend:

TIER	CLASSES
S	Paladin / Artillerist / Artist / Breaker / Arcanist / Bard / Sorceress / Summoner / Soul Eater / Deathblade
A	Berserker / Destroyer / Gunlancer / Gunslinger / Slayer / Glaivier / Scrapper / Soulfist / Striker / Wardancer / Deadeye / Aeromancer
B	Shadowhunter / Reaper
C	Machinist / Sharpshooter

Up in the S-tier is the Paladin. This excellent Support class shines at making sure your party’s main DPS can deal as much damage as possible in PvP. Their skills can provide consistent damage buffs to the whole party, as well as reduce damage with shields and healing abilities.

Alongside the Paladin in the S-tier are the Artillerist and Artist. Artillerists have high burst damage and are tanky so they can handle a lot of hits.

Artists are another support class that can provide the party with single-target heals and solid damage buffs.

You can theoretically take on PvE with any class, however, we’d advise against the Machinist and Sharpshooter. The Machinist is fun to play but as the squishiest class in the entire game it can be taken down easily, we wouldn’t recommend starting PvE with it, especially for newcomers.

Sharpshooters have enough in their arsenal to comfortably clear the main story but their lack of AoE makes endgame content tougher to handle.

Best Lost Ark classes for PvP

These are the best Lost Ark classes for PvP-oriented players:

TIER	CLASSES
S	Paladin / Gunslinger / Deathblade / Shadowhunter
A	Destroyer / Slayer / Glaivier / Striker / Wardancer / Artillerist / Bard / Artist / Sorceress / Summoner / Reaper
B	Berserker / Gunlancer / Reaper / Deadeye / Machinist / Sharpshooter / Aeromancer / Arcanist
C	Soulfist / Scrapper

When it comes to PvP, many may be a little baffled to see the Paladin at the top of the table. However, it’s essential to every 3v3 composition, skyrocketing up the tier list, but it also performs incredibly well in 1v1 brawls due to the balance between its offensive and healing abilities.

Also in the S-tier is the Gunslinger. They may come with low defense but have got fantastic combos that cause big damage, and a lot of mobility that shines in PvP battles.

Rounding out the top 3 PvP classes is the Deathblade whose fast-paced combat and Assassin-style damage leave her foes in ribbons as she struts into the sunset without a scratch.

In terms of classes to avoid in PvP, we’d advise against the Soulfist and Scrapper.

Scrappers have high HP and solid mobility but their attack range is very short, and they’re limited when it comes to self-protection which can make them an easy target in PvP scenarios if you’re not careful.

Soulfist is also at the bottom of our rankings due to its high-skill ceiling that’s difficult to master. It’s got solid mobility but so do a lot of other classes, and unless you’re looking for a challenge to get to grips with, we’d advise against it for PvP.

That’s our Lost Ark tier list of the best classes for each mode! Don’t forget to check out our rundown of characters and advanced classes while you’re here.