Overview
This is the launch-week PVE tier ranking for the 11 S0 Resonances of Honor of Kings: World. The tiers reflect performance in the launch build's open-world bosses, story chapters, and Dream Realm dungeons; competitive PVP rankings (where stat normalization or stat-reliant gear queues change the calculus) live on the PvP System page. Tier movement between launch and the first balance patch is expected to be modest, because Honor of Kings: World's combat depth comes more from the Resonance pairing and Talent System investment than from raw character power.
Tier letters carry their usual gaming-tier-list reading: T0 is the strongest in current launch content, T0.5 sits a step below T0, T1 is solid and flexible, and T2 has rougher windows or sharper skill-check requirements before paying off.
T0 (Top Tier)
Resonance | Role | Why T0 |
|---|---|---|
Jialuo | 强攻 Offensive (ranged) | Top single-target ranged burst; capitalizes on broken enemies; safe from boss melee swings |
Sun Bin | 辅助 Support | Premier team support; ultimate-charge donation, time-slow zone, and damage-absorption wave; defines the tempo of co-op fights |
Both T0 picks reward party play more than solo. Jialuo wants a Confrontation or Support partner to keep the boss off her, and Sun Bin's value scales with the damage of his Offensive partner.
T0.5 (Strong Tier)
Resonance | Role | Why T0.5 |
|---|---|---|
Xi Shi | 辅助 Support | Most universal support; group pull, healing, and damage amp on Offensive Resonances; flexible into nearly any pair |
Kai | 对抗 Confrontation | Defense-breaker with a parry stance and ultimate super-armor; scales with defensive stats; high skill ceiling |
Mulan | 对抗 Confrontation | Dual-form Light/Heavy Sword loop with sustained damage output; rewards stance-switch tempo |
T1 (Solid Tier)
Resonance | Role | Why T1 |
|---|---|---|
Child of the Primal Flow | Versatile (player avatar) | Balanced melee damage; smooth early-game progression; the default anchor in any two-Resonance loadout |
Meng Ya | 强攻 Offensive (ranged) | Strong open-world map clear; loose long-range projectiles can miss against agile bosses |
Wang Zhaojun | 强攻 Offensive | Shield support and freeze utility for early-game transitions; ice crystal resource gives stable burst |
Master Lu Ban | 辅助 Support | Mech-summon support with crit-damage bonuses; works best after late-game talent unlocks |
T2 (Conditional Tier)
Resonance | Role | Why T2 |
|---|---|---|
Dongfang Yao | 强攻 Offensive | Skill-demanding kit; weak early game due to delayed talent unlocks; pays off later but the climb is steep |
Leng Chun | 强攻 Offensive | Dual-form healer/Mo Sha switch; conditional damage relies on hitting the form-switch timing windows; difficult to pair without Wang Zhaojun |
Reading the Tier List
Tier letters describe early-launch S0 PVE only. PVP rankings are different and use a separate balance scope.
Pair value matters more than individual placement. A T1 Resonance paired with a T0 partner can outperform two unrelated T0.5 picks because cross-Resonance combos are the largest damage multiplier in the game.
Skill ceiling is not the same as tier. Kai and Dongfang Yao both reward dedicated practice; their tier reflects ease of access to that ceiling, not the ceiling itself.
Tier shifts when balance patches drop. Treat this list as the launch-week snapshot rather than the permanent meta.
Recommended Pairings
Jialuo + Master Lu Ban: long-range carry plus shield-and-mech support; clean late-game pair when Lu Ban talents come online.
Jialuo + Sun Bin: T0 plus T0 cooperative pair; Sun Bin extends Jialuo's burst window through the time-slow zone.
Child of the Primal Flow + Xi Shi: the canonical opening pair; smooth combo routes (EEAAQQAARRAA + EREEQ) and free Xi Shi via Chapter 1 unlock.
Wang Zhaojun + Leng Chun: niche freeze-into-Mo-Sha burst; both Resonances cost 3,980 Jingpo so this pair is a deliberate F2P investment.
Kai + Wang Zhaojun: parry frontline plus ranged ice burst; one of the most-quoted launch-week balanced pairs for new players.
Source Note
Tier placements above reflect launch-week Chinese coverage and community consensus from the April 10-26, 2026 window. Tier movement between this snapshot and the first balance patch is expected; check the Content Roadmap article for upcoming Resonance additions and balance changes.