The return of Illusion Connect Re has reignited interest in one of the most popular mobile strategy RPGs, bringing back a roster of characters that defined both PvE and PvP metas during the original global release. While the relaunch meta is still settling, the current rankings draw heavily from the original version’s proven performance, offering a reliable foundation for new and returning players alike. This Illusion Connect Re tier list evaluates each partner based on overall usefulness, team flexibility, progression value, and long-term viability. Since many players are also weighing where to invest their summons, we have included banner recommendations aligned with the upcoming schedule to help maximize early account growth.
Understanding the Illusion Connect Re Tier List: Criteria and Context
The tier list presented here is not a simple ranking of raw power. Each character has been assessed across multiple dimensions that matter most for sustained progression. Overall usefulness considers how well a partner performs across different game modes, from story stages to arenas and boss encounters. Team flexibility measures how easily a character fits into various compositions without demanding specific synergies. Progression value reflects how much a partner accelerates account growth, particularly during the early and mid-game phases. Long-term viability accounts for whether a character remains competitive in late-game content and future updates. The combination of these criteria ensures that the rankings serve both new players building their first rosters and veterans looking to optimize established teams.
SSS Tier: The Undisputed Pillars of the Meta
These are the strongest and most universally useful characters in Illusion Connect Re. Obtaining any of them early can fundamentally accelerate your account’s progression across virtually all content.
Miyuki
Miyuki remains one of the best partners in the game thanks to her ability to reduce enemy Rage while dealing powerful AoE damage. This dual utility makes her effective in nearly every game mode and allows her to fit seamlessly into almost any team composition. Her presence alone can cripple enemy ultimate rotations while simultaneously pressuring the entire opposing field.
Kasumi
Kasumi excels at eliminating priority targets and disrupting enemy backlines. Her burst damage output makes her one of the most dangerous assassins available, capable of turning fights before they truly begin. In both PvE boss encounters and PvP arena matches, her ability to remove key threats instantly is invaluable.
Yuffie
Yuffie stands among the strongest AoE damage dealers in the game. Her capacity to wipe out multiple enemies in a single action makes her a staple for PvE progression and late-game content. When paired with support units that amplify damage or provide energy, she becomes a wave-clearing engine that can carry entire stages.
Gemmy
Gemmy offers excellent offensive pressure while maintaining strong utility. Her performance is consistently high in both PvE and PvP environments, making her a reliable investment regardless of the content you prioritize. She brings a balance of damage and disruption that few other partners can match.
Nicola
Nicola provides valuable debuffs and support effects that significantly increase team damage output. Her ability to amplify the damage of high-carry partners makes her even more valuable as your account develops. She is particularly effective in compositions built around burst damage and focused elimination.
Phoebe
Phoebe combines survivability with utility and crowd control, making her one of the safest long-term investments in the game. She can anchor a team’s defenses while contributing meaningful disruption, and her flexibility means she rarely falls out of favor as the meta evolves.
Maki
Maki delivers powerful single-target damage and remains one of the best choices for eliminating dangerous enemies quickly. Her ability to focus down high-priority targets makes her essential for boss fights and PvP compositions that require precise removal of key threats.
Anna
Anna is arguably the strongest healer in Illusion Connect Re. Her healing output and team support capabilities make her an essential unit for difficult PvE stages, where sustained survival is often the difference between success and failure. Every account benefits from having access to her restorative power.
SS Tier: Excellent Partners with Specific Strengths
These characters are excellent and can often perform at SSS-tier levels when deployed in the right team compositions or with appropriate investment.
Hachi Shiki
A strong damage dealer capable of producing impressive burst damage in both PvE and PvP. Hachi Shiki rewards players who build around her timing and positioning, offering explosive payoff for well-executed strategies.
Selena
Selena is one of the best defensive tanks available. Her survivability allows teams to weather difficult encounters that would overwhelm less durable frontlines. She is particularly valuable in progression content where enemy damage output is high.
Vivian
Vivian offers outstanding utility while helping manage deployment costs, making her valuable in many team compositions. Her ability to smooth out resource curves allows for more flexible and aggressive strategies.
Angela
Angela provides strong defensive support and can dramatically increase team durability. She is a cornerstone for many tank-based compositions and remains useful from early progression through end-game content.
Kiraya
Kiraya’s shields and protection abilities make her one of the strongest frontline support units. She excels at keeping damage dealers alive through sustained engagements and is particularly effective in content where attrition is a factor.
Hersey
Hersey specializes in deleting high-priority targets and remains a reliable damage dealer throughout the game. Her consistency makes her a safe investment for players who need a dependable assassin option.
S Tier: Powerful but Context-Dependent
These characters are powerful and worth building but generally require more specific teams or higher investment compared to the tiers above. They can shine brightly in the right circumstances.
Gagaku
Provides strong support capabilities and synergizes particularly well with summon-focused teams. In the right composition, Gagaku enables strategies that overwhelm opponents with numbers and sustained pressure.
Rikia
Offers useful utility and consistent performance across various game modes. Rikia is a solid choice for players who need a flexible mid-tier option that rarely underperforms.
Pan
A strong early and mid-game damage dealer with good scaling. Pan can carry players through significant portions of the story and remains viable in specific PvE content even later.
Rotania
Rotania can produce exceptional damage when built correctly and supported by the right team. She rewards dedicated investment and strategic positioning, making her a favorite for theorycrafters.
Edward
Provides reliable offensive pressure and useful utility. Edward is a dependable choice for teams that need consistent damage output without demanding specific synergies.
Saya
One of the best starter characters. She remains useful far longer than most early-game units and can serve as a core damage dealer well into the mid-game.
Nina
Excellent for AoE damage and wave clearing during progression. Nina accelerates early account growth by enabling faster stage completion.
Victoria
Offers balanced offensive and defensive utility. Victoria fits well into compositions that need a flexible midline presence.
Ann
Provides strong support and survivability options. Ann is a valuable secondary support for teams that need additional durability.
Rie
Reliable overall performance with useful team contributions. Rie is a safe investment for players who want consistent returns without high risk.
Fenebeth
Fenebeth is particularly effective against healer-heavy teams due to her anti-healing mechanics. She is a tactical counterpick that can swing matchups against sustain-oriented compositions.
Diana
A solid support character with useful healing and utility. Diana provides reliable backup for teams that need additional sustain.
Hotaru
Strong assassin-style damage dealer capable of quickly removing enemy threats. Hotaru rewards precise targeting and good positioning.
A Tier and Below: Viable Alternatives and Niche Choices
The following tiers cover characters that can perform well in specific contexts but generally have stronger alternatives available or face significant competition from higher-ranked partners.
A Tier Partners
These units can perform acceptably but are typically replaced as accounts develop. They include Annie, Diamond, Gigi, Barinas, Camille, Amon, Jasmine, Mad Hatter, Carol, Mei, and Frantiva. Most of these characters are viable for early progression and can contribute meaningfully in specific team compositions, but players should prioritize upgrading them only when higher-tier options are unavailable.
B Tier Partners
These partners are generally niche choices or budget alternatives. The list includes Chiyo, Alice, Beatrice, Polly, Sachiko, Shanti, and Tiffany. They can serve in specific roles but lack the versatility or power ceiling of higher-ranked characters.
C Tier Partners
These characters struggle to compete with higher-tier alternatives and are best avoided outside of personal preference. The group includes Loro, Harto, Nanalie, Mia, Flora, and Mary.
D Tier Partners
These are currently considered the weakest options in Illusion Connect Re and should generally be avoided unless you simply enjoy using them. Their performance across most content is significantly below that of even C-tier alternatives.
Best Upcoming Banners: Where to Invest Your Summons
Banner value is often more important than individual character rankings because obtaining strong characters early can dramatically accelerate account progression. The following analysis covers the most impactful upcoming banners based on the scheduled rotation.
Day 4 Selected Tactic: Maki
This is one of the best early banners available. Maki is an SSS-tier damage dealer capable of carrying new accounts through large portions of the game. Her single-target burst is invaluable for boss encounters and PvP elimination strategies. Priority: Very High.
Day 11 Selected Tactic: Angela
Angela is a fantastic defensive support unit and remains useful throughout the entire game. Her durability enhancements enable teams to survive content that would otherwise be impassable. Priority: High.
Day 18 Selected Tactic: Kasumi
Kasumi is arguably the most valuable banner among the Selected Tactic rotations. Her assassination potential makes her effective in both PvE and PvP, and her ability to remove key threats from the enemy team is unmatched. Priority: Extremely High.
Day 25 Selected Tactic: Anna
Anna is the premier healer in Illusion Connect Re. Every account benefits from having her, and this banner represents one of the best opportunities to secure her services. Priority: Extremely High.
Best Rate-Up Banners: Featured Characters and Value Analysis
Unlike Selected Tactic banners, rate-up banners do not guarantee featured characters. They only increase the probability of obtaining them. However, the quality of the featured units on certain banners makes them excellent investment opportunities nonetheless.
Noble Knight
This is arguably the best rate-up banner available because both featured units are top-tier investments. Players who pull on this banner have a strong chance of acquiring characters that will serve them well through all phases of the game.
Second Prophecy
An excellent banner offering one of the strongest AoE damage dealers alongside a valuable support unit. This combination provides both offensive firepower and team utility in a single banner, making it highly efficient for resource allocation.
Sword of Reincarnation
Another high-value banner containing two characters that remain useful throughout the game. This banner offers strong long-term returns for players who invest in it.
Summoning Strategy for New Players
For players starting a fresh account, resource allocation is critical. The following priorities are recommended based on the current meta and upcoming banner schedule. Focus your resources on acquiring partners in this order: Miyuki, Kasumi, Anna, Yuffie, Maki, Kiraya, Angela, and Selena. This sequence prioritizes characters who provide the most immediate impact on account progression while also maintaining long-term value.
For Selected Tactic banners, Kasumi and Anna should generally be your highest priorities because they fill roles that are difficult to replace with lower-tier alternatives. Maki is an excellent early-game choice who can carry progression through multiple story chapters. Angela provides tremendous long-term value as a defensive anchor that enables more difficult content.
For regular rate-up banners, Noble Knight and Second Prophecy offer the strongest overall value due to the quality of their featured characters. These banners represent the most efficient use of summoning resources for players who want to build competitive rosters quickly. Avoiding lower-value banners and conserving resources for these high-impact opportunities is one of the most important strategic decisions a new player can make.
As the Illusion Connect Re meta continues to develop following the relaunch, these rankings and recommendations provide a solid foundation for both new and returning players. The tier list will inevitably shift as players discover new synergies and as balance updates are introduced, but the characters that defined the original meta have proven their worth and are likely to remain relevant for the foreseeable future.
