Scarlet Nexus Deluxe Edition Tier List - Best Characters & Builds

Kasane dominates the current Scarlet Nexus Deluxe Edition meta. Her superior mobility and ranged Psycho-Kinetic (PK) setups outclass Yuito’s raw damage in endgame Phantom fights. This tier list ranks both protagonists, their optimal SAS (Strategic Augmentation System) pairings, and the skill trees actually worth your Brain Points.

Ranking Criteria and Scope for the Deluxe Edition

This list evaluates the game's current patched state (post-Season Pass DLC). We do not rank base-game early zones. The focus is entirely on Stand 6 difficulty and endgame Brain Crunch challenges.

Metrics used for placement:

• Damage Output: Sustained DPS versus burst windows during enemy vulnerabilities.
• Safety/Mobility: Ability to dodge without sacrificing DPS uptime.
• SAS Synergy: How well the character enables specific companion abilities.
• Brain Field Efficiency: Return on investment for the risky ultimate mechanic.

Scarlet Nexus features two overlapping metas: Yuito's campaign and Kasane's campaign. While you can swap protagonists in the post-game, their base stats and exclusive skill tree nodes remain distinct. Kasane holds a higher ceiling. A detailed breakdown of the underlying combat math is available via the official Bandai Namco portal.

S-Tier: The Endgame Meta Definers

Why does Kasane Randall control the highest tier?

Kasane’s throwing knives generate momentum. You can throw, dash, and throw again without resetting your combo timer. This creates a hit-and-run playstyle that trivializes highly aggressive bosses. Her Psychokinesis reach is inherently longer than Yuito's sword swings, letting her safely dismantle enemies from mid-range.

Optimal Kasane SAS Loadout:

• Yuito (SAS): Provides the mandatory speed buff. Stack this with her evasion skills to become untouchable during Stand 6 boss phases.
• Gemma (SAS): S-Tier defense option. His Sclerokinesis mitigates the massive damage spikes in late-game DLC encounters.

Her only flaw is a slightly slower start to fights. If an enemy interrupts your initial knife throw, it takes a second to re-establish rhythm. Once established, her DPS floor is unmatched.

Is Yuito Sumeragi still viable at max level?

Yuito sits at the top of A-Tier. He hits incredibly hard. His close-range PK attacks boast higher stagger values per hit than Kasane's. The problem is execution risk. Yuito must remain in melee range to maximize his Psycho-Kinetic flurry, forcing him to trade blows with enemies that can one-shot him on Stand 6.

Optimal Yuito SAS Loadout:

• Kasane (SAS): Her invisibility is his best defensive tool, allowing him to safely build his brain gauge in melee.
• Luka (SAS): Cloning scales exponentially with Yuito's fast PK strikes, creating massive screen-clearing bursts.

If you prefer aggressive, high-risk gameplay where every dodge counts, Yuito is phenomenal. If you want consistent clears, Kasane is better.

A-Tier: High-Impact SAS Companions

Which support characters define the S-Tier protagonist builds?

The SAS system makes or breaks your run. Even a lower-tier protagonist can feel overpowered with the right companion active. However, some SAS abilities lose value in the late game due to enemy resistance scaling.

• Luka (Clairvoyance/Cloning): A-Tier. Cloning multiplies your PK damage. Against stationary bosses, Luka’s clone spam is the highest raw DPS tool in the game. It drops to B-Tier against fast, flying enemies where clones miss frequently.
• Shiden (Electrokinesis): A-Tier. Shiden acts as a stamina-free crowd control battery. His stunning effect interrupts enemy charge attacks, which is vital for managing multiple high-level Others simultaneously.

The combat loop relying on these characters is documented thoroughly in the community-maintained Scarlet Nexus Wiki.

B-Tier: Niche Picks and Mid-Game Champions

Do Tsugumi and Arashi fall off in the Deluxe Edition?

Yes. Both start as early-game powerhouses but suffer from harsh diminishing returns.

• Tsugumi (Sclerokinesis): B-Tier. Her shield is fantastic in the base game. In the DLC episodes, enemies use unblockable grab attacks that bypass Sclerokinesis entirely. You will get false confidence from her shield, dodge too late, and die.
• Arashi (Pyrokinesis): B-Tier. Solid DoT (damage over time) and works well against ice-weak enemies. Unfortunately, fire immunity becomes common in the final acts, rendering her passive DPS useless in critical moments.

Use them while leveling. Swap them out before entering the final standalone DLC stages.

C-Tier: Situational or Outclassed Options

Why are Hanabi and Kodama ranked so low?

They aren't bad. They are just heavily outclassed by the S and A-tier options.

• Hanabi (Pyrokinesis): C-Tier. Her SAS activation is too slow. By the time her fire AOE registers, the boss has already moved out of the damage zone.
• Kodama (Hypervelocity): C-Tier. Speed buffs are redundant if you are already running Yuito or Kasane's SAS speed buffs. A wasted SAS slot is a fatal error on Stand 6.

The Brain Field Meta: High Risk, Conditional Reward

Is activating Brain Field actually worth the healing penalty?

Brain Field is a trap for inexperienced players. Activating it drains your health rapidly. If you do not kill the enemy before your HP hits zero, you die. There is no secondary health bar to save you.

When to use it:

• During specific enemy "Down" states where they cannot fight back.
• When your Brain Field gauge is maxed and you have a full team SAS heal queued immediately upon exit.

When to avoid it:

• In DLC boss arenas with adds. The adds will interrupt your Brain Field combos, wasting the gauge.
• If you lack the "Brain Field HP Consumption Reduction" nodes in your skill tree. Without these, the health drain is too severe to sustain.

Optimal play actually ignores Brain Field for 90% of a fight, relying instead on standard PK combos and SAS toggling for consistent damage.

Deluxe Edition Build Priorities

How should you spend your limited Brain Points?

Do not spread points evenly across the tree. The Deluxe Edition punishes generalists.

Priority 1: Survival Nodes. Max out your HP and defense stats first. A dead DPS deals zero damage. Stand 6 demands a minimum health pool to survive unavoidable chip damage.

Priority 2: PK Enhancement. Increase the range and hit count of your base PK attacks. This lowers the time needed to break enemy shields.

Priority 3: SAS Cooldown Reduction. Lowering your SAS cooldown by even 1 second drastically improves your uptime on S-Tier abilities like Gemma's shield or Yuito's speed buff.

Ignore: Weapon combo finisher nodes early on. They look flashy but deal less cumulative DPS than spamming unenhanced PK attacks. The Bandai Namco Entertainment official forums highlight how frequently new players misallocate points into these flashy, low-yield skills.

Patch Sensitivity and Role-Specific Caveats

Scarlet Nexus does not have a competitive PvP scene, so balance patches are rare. However, the Deluxe Edition bundles all DLC, which was tuned assuming you had max-level base-game characters. This creates a weird difficulty spike.

Role-specific notes:

• Main DPS (Kasane/Yuito): Your only job is breaking shields and managing spacing. Let your AI companions handle the minor enemies.
• SAS Support: Never level up the SAS abilities of characters you do not use. It is a waste of memory fragments.

If you imported a save, check your skill tree. The DLC enemies have inflated stats that will expose any sloppy leveling from your base playthrough. Respect the stun mechanics, lean on Kasane’s safe ranges, and skip the Brain Field unless the math guarantees a kill.