Anime Vanguards Update 13.5 introduced several new units that immediately impacted the meta. While every update brings excitement around new characters, not every new release ends up becoming a must-have unit. Some units specialize in support, some dominate specific game modes, and others become staples in almost every endgame team.
After spending time testing units across Story Mode, Infinite Mode, Raids, and leaderboard-focused content, the biggest thing I noticed is that raw damage alone doesn’t determine whether a unit is top tier. Utility, consistency, scaling, placement flexibility, and long-term viability all matter just as much.
This guide breaks down the strongest units in Update 13.5 and explains where they fit in the current meta.
Anime Vanguards 13.5 Tier List Guide – NEW UNLITS
Several new units arrived with this update.
These include:
- Today’s Strongest vs History’s Strongest
- Cursed Doctor
- Roan Oni vs Red God
- Lord Fairy
- Reaper Scissors
- Envoy of Destruction
While all of them bring something unique, only a few have managed to secure spots among the strongest units available right now.
Some are excellent for specific situations, while others have enough versatility to remain useful regardless of future balance changes.
Tier List Evaluation Criteria
Before ranking units, it’s important to understand what separates an average character from a top-tier one.
Several factors were considered:
Damage Output
A unit must consistently deal strong damage throughout a match rather than only performing well during a short burst window.
Utility
Buffs, debuffs, crowd control, stuns, freezes, and support effects can often provide more value than pure DPS.
Story Progression
Units that help players clear Story Mode efficiently gain extra value, especially for newer accounts.
Infinite Mode Performance
Long matches reveal which units scale properly and remain effective in later waves.
Team Flexibility
The best units fit naturally into multiple team compositions without requiring specific support units.
Upgrade Scaling
Some units start weak but become monsters after upgrades, while others peak early and fall off later.
A truly top-tier unit performs well across all of these categories.
Support And Utility Units
Support units are always difficult to rank because their purpose is completely different from damage dealers.
A support unit isn’t supposed to carry the entire run through raw DPS. Instead, their job is to improve the performance of your main damage units.
Many players overlook support units because damage numbers are easier to notice, but once you begin tackling difficult content, support becomes one of the most important aspects of team building.
Strong Support Units
The following units provide useful buffs, debuffs, or utility effects:
- Shanks
- Doflamingo
- Aizen
- Itachi
These units contribute solid utility and can improve team performance significantly. However, they are not always mandatory and can often be replaced without completely changing how a team functions.
They are useful additions rather than irreplaceable core pieces.
Elite Support Units
A small group of support units stand above the rest because of the value they bring to difficult content.
These include:
- Beerus
- Lichkin
- Kurumu
- Escanor
- Kashi
- Dio
Among these units, Dio remains one of the most impactful support characters available.
His utility can completely change the outcome of difficult stages and Infinite Mode runs.
These units provide enough value that players frequently build entire teams around maximizing their effectiveness.
Situational Support Units
Some support characters perform adequately but struggle to compete with the elite options.
Examples include:
- Kat
- Kaluba
- Whitebeard
They still have uses in certain situations but generally fall behind stronger alternatives when tackling high-level content.
Meta Units
Meta units represent the backbone of most successful teams.
These are the characters frequently seen in leaderboard runs, Infinite Mode records, and difficult challenge content.
Unlike niche units, meta units remain effective in almost every game mode.
Entry-Level Meta Units
These units are powerful and capable of clearing virtually all content.
Examples include:
- Esta
- Law
- Sukuna
- Edward Elric
- Hollow Ichigo
These characters provide excellent performance and remain strong investments for most players.
However, they don’t completely dominate the game the same way higher-ranked meta units do.
High-Tier Meta Units
The next group contains units that consistently perform at an elite level.
Examples include:
- Gojo
- Sasuke
- Titan
- Raiden
These units combine strong damage with excellent versatility.
What separates them from lower-ranked characters is their ability to stay useful regardless of game mode.
Whether you’re farming Story Mode, pushing Infinite waves, or tackling difficult challenges, these units rarely feel out of place.
Meta Leaders
At the very top of the meta category sit two units that continue to dominate difficult content.
The Ice God unit remains one of the strongest choices available due to its overwhelming power and reliability.
The Old Man support unit also deserves special recognition because of how much value it provides to team compositions.
Both units remain relevant even when new updates arrive, which is one of the strongest indicators of a truly great character.
Lord Fairy
One of the biggest surprises from Update 13.5 is Lord Fairy.
For a newly released Mythic unit, Lord Fairy immediately demonstrated strong performance across multiple game modes.
The unit offers excellent overall value and already looks capable of remaining relevant in future updates.
If you obtain Lord Fairy, it is absolutely worth investing resources into upgrades and traits.
Best Overall Units
These units represent the absolute peak of Anime Vanguards right now.
They combine damage, consistency, flexibility, scaling, and long-term usefulness better than almost anyone else.
Gear 5 Luffy
Gear 5 Luffy remains one of the strongest units in the entire game.
His damage output is absurd, and he maintains excellent performance throughout every stage of a run.
What makes Gear 5 Luffy special is that he doesn’t rely heavily on specific team compositions. He can fit into almost any lineup and still perform at an elite level.
Players fortunate enough to own him already understand why he consistently appears near the top of every tier list.
Naruto
Naruto continues to be one of the most reliable units available.
His combination of damage and versatility allows him to perform effectively across Story Mode, Infinite Mode, and difficult endgame content.
Few units offer as much consistency as Naruto.
Even as new updates arrive, he continues finding his place in high-level teams.
Ichigo
Ichigo remains a powerhouse.
His ability to deal tremendous damage while maintaining strong scaling makes him a dangerous unit throughout an entire match.
Many players underestimate just how much value Ichigo can bring until they see his late-game performance.
Pain
Pain is another monster when fully upgraded.
The unit delivers excellent damage and contributes heavily during difficult encounters.
While some newer units compete for attention, Pain still deserves recognition among the strongest overall choices.
Zoro
Zoro continues proving why he remains popular among experienced players.
The combination of damage output, scaling, and consistency makes him a reliable option for nearly every piece of content.
He may not always generate the same excitement as newly released units, but his performance speaks for itself.
Traits And Upgrades
One thing that often gets overlooked during tier list discussions is traits.
Even the strongest unit can feel underwhelming with poor traits.
Likewise, a powerful trait can elevate an already strong unit into something truly ridiculous.
When evaluating your roster, always consider:
- Trait quality
- Upgrade level
- Team synergy
- Support buffs
A top-tier unit with optimal traits will often outperform several lower-ranked units combined.
Building A Strong Team
One mistake many players make is filling every slot with damage dealers.
The strongest teams usually include:
- Main DPS units
- Secondary DPS units
- Buff supports
- Debuff supports
- Utility units
A balanced team consistently performs better than a roster made entirely of glass-cannon attackers.
Support units may not appear impressive on paper, but they often enable your strongest DPS characters to reach their full potential.
Update 13.5 introduced several exciting additions, but the overall hierarchy remains fairly familiar. Gear 5 Luffy, Naruto, Ichigo, Pain, and Zoro continue sitting among the strongest overall units thanks to their exceptional damage, flexibility, and scaling.
The meta category remains filled with reliable choices such as Gojo, Sasuke, Titan, Raiden, and several other elite performers that excel across virtually every game mode.
Meanwhile, support units continue playing a crucial role in high-level content. Characters like Dio, Beerus, Kurumu, Escanor, and Kashi may not top damage charts, but their utility often determines whether a difficult run succeeds or fails.
If you’re building a team for Update 13.5, focus on combining powerful DPS units with strong support options rather than chasing damage alone. That approach consistently produces the best results and will help you clear both current content and future updates much more efficiently.