5 best DPS characters in Honkai Star Rail 1.1

Honkai Star Rail deploys Trailblazer on an astral journey to protect the universe from annihilation, fending off intergalactic monsters on the path. While the initial story can be cleared with unorganized setups and under-leveled characters, it quickly transforms into a battleground where players cannot survive unless they recruit powerful units in their setup. On that note, a DPS unit is absolutely necessary for a team composition to secure the final blow on the frontline.

With the release of update 1.1, fans have access to an array of good damage dealers in the title. A few among them shine through with their strong abilities and overall impact during combat.

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What are the five best DPS characters in Honkai Star Rail?

5) Hook

Hook from Honkai Star Rail (Image via HoYoverse)

As a young adventurer from Boulder Town, Hook idolizes a life of freedom, which allows her to achieve great feats, even in the face of adversity during battle. She follows the path of Destruction, which leads her to be an excellent AoE and single-target damage dealer in Honkai Star Rail.

Despite being a kid, she can take down larger enemies on the battlefield. She is also a great pick for those needing a Fire DPS. Her Ultimate is her greatest asset as it enhances the next basic attack, which pushes her damage output by a mile. Combined with proper support, she can handle any boss content in Honkai Star Rail.

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4) Dan Heng

Den Heng is one of the best F2P DPS (Image via HoYoverse)

Dan Heng is arguably one of the most overlooked characters in the title since he is a free 4-star character every Trailblazer acquires during the prologue. He is one of the best early-game DPS and continues to be a strong contender in some more challenging content later.

Treading on the Hunt Path, his kit is geared to take down single-target enemies. Hence, his damage multipliers are higher than other 4-star characters, allowing him to be viable against elite enemies and bosses in Honkai Star Rail.

By wielding Cloud-Piercer, Dan Heng can inflict massive Wind DMG on opponents and weaken shields with relative ease. Players can use him as a primary DPS in the absence of a suitable character in Forgotten Halls and the Simulated Universe.

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3) Yanqing

Yanqing is one of the gifted swordsmen from the Cloud Knight (Image via HoYoverse)

While most of the Ice characters in Honkai Star Rail are strong in their respective roles, Yanqing excels significantly in the damage department, securing the third spot on this list. He is an excellent swordsman, capable of increasing critical attributes using his abilities. Hence, he is considered a F2P-friendly unit, as Trailblazers can hold back on their resources instead of fishing for a perfect Relic set.

As a young and gifted member of the Cloud Knight, Yanqing inflicts some of the highest single-target damage in the game. His Ultimate has massive multipliers, making it lethal when paired with strong buffers such as Bronya or Tingyun.

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2) Jing Yuan

Jing Yuan is currently the best Lightning unit (Image via HoYoverse)

Jing Yuan is one of the coveted Lightning units in Honkai Star Rail, capable of inflicting massive AoE damage during combat. Despite treading the Erudition path, his abilities can easily take down single-target boss enemies. He has the highest base ATKs in the game, effectively allowing him to use buffs from support characters.

Jing Yuan’s major selling point is his Lightning Lord persona, which acts as a separate entity during combat, implying that it has a separate turn order. Moreover, its damage can stack up to 10 times as long as the general is alive on the battlefield. It is also worth noting that his persona can utilize the Elation buff from the Simulated Universe in Honkai Star Rail since it is considered a follow-up attack.

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1) Seele

Seele from Honkai Star Rail (Image via HoYoverse)

Seele continues to be at the top of the tier list with her strong abilities that can nuke down single-target enemies. She was initially released as the only 5-star Quantum unit in Honkai Star Rail. However, update 1.1 introduced Silver Wolf as the second character from the element. They can pair together to decimate the massive health bar of bosses.

Even without Silver Wolf, Seele works with every other support character to maintain her position as the best DPS in the game. As long as she defeats a target, she can activate her Resurgence passive, which increases damage and provides an extra turn. Hence, players can use her against multiple enemies by executing her attack chains.