Shadows play a crucial role in Solo Leveling: Arise, empowering your team of Hunters and unlocking their true potential. However, with each team limited to just three Shadows and new Shadows being regularly introduced, choosing the best ones can be challenging. The following tier list ranks all Shadows of Solo Leveling: Arise based on their abilities and buffs, providing an overview of each to explain their ranking.

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10 Best Blessing Stones in Solo Leveling: Arise

This list aims to help players identify the 10 best Blessing Stones to equip before going to the battlefield in Solo Leveling: Arise.

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Solo Leveling: Arise Shadow Tier List Criteria

The following ranking for Solo Leveling: Arise’s Shadows considers three critical aspects of each soldier: Upgrade Value, Authority Privileges, and Skills/Effects Synergies.

  • Upgrade Value: Maxing out a Shadow requires rare resources like Trace of Shadows. Naturally, soldiers worth this investment in the long run are ranked higher on the list.
  • Authority Privileges: Only the frontline Shadow yields its Authority to the Hunters. So, the tier list considers each Shadow’s Authority usefulness to rank them accordingly.
  • Skills/Effects Synergies: Shadows can have additional Skills or Effects that synergize with specific comps. The following tier list gives a higher rank to Shadows with universal Skills/Effects over those offering niche synergies.

Army of Shadows Tier List

The best Shadow in Solo Leveling: Arise is Igris, closely followed by Tusk. Thanks to their universal Authorities, these two soldiers can carry most teams regardless of the synergies. Other reliable choices for beginners include Blades and Cerbie. On the other hand, the least potent Shadows are Iron and Tank, primarily due to their niche skills.

Tier

Shadows

S

Igris

A

Tusk

B

Blades, Cerbie

C

Iron, Tank

Tier List Description

  • S Tier: Universally practical units with high upgrade value, making them top-tier choices for any team.
  • A Tier: Niche but potent Shadows, excelling in specific compositions and scenarios.
  • B Tier: Reliable support or backing Shadows, offering solid utility but not necessarily game-changing.
  • C Tier: Shadows with narrow, niche usage or impractical skills, often overshadowed by better options.

An Overview of the Shadows

Igris

Igris In The Army Of Shadows Menu With The Shade Count

As the first Shadow you unlock, Igris remains a top choice throughout most of the game. His Authority, which provides a Critical Hit Rate buff, synergizes seamlessly with all team compositions. Additionally, Igris comes with a personal ATK buff that doubles his damage, making him an indispensable asset in any lineup.

Tusk

tusk a shadow in solo leveling arise.

If you’re running teams that rely on Core ATK damage dealers like Alicia Blanche, Tusk is your best bet. His Authority grants a base Core ATK damage buff, turning characters like Alicia into unstoppable offensive units—a critical advantage in high-stakes encounters.

Blades

blades a shadow in solo leveling arise.

Blades is an excellent Shadow for beginners, offering a straightforward ATK buff that boosts the team's overall power. However, as the game progresses and more potent Shadows become available, Blades starts to fall short—mainly due to his lack of impactful skills.

Cerbie

cerbie in solo leveling arise.

Cerbie, one of the latest Shadows to join Solo Leveling: Arise, serves as a valuable backup in most team compositions. Its standout feature is the Combustion effect, which deals 50% of the user's damage to the enemy and increases the enemy’s damage taken by 5% until the end of the match, making Cerbie a solid addition to your roster.

If you haven't unlocked Cerbie, you might want to save your resources for upcoming Shadows, as they seem to offer better synergies than Cerbie.

Iron

iron a shadow in solo leveling arise.

Despite being a tanky Shadow, Iron is not a must-have unit. His ability to decrease the enemy’s DEF by 12% for five seconds is negligible in most scenarios. Moreover, his Authority, which increases the team’s Max HP, often proves unnecessary in damage-oriented compositions.

Tank

tank a shadow in solo leveling arise.

Tank is the least favored Shadow in Solo Leveling: Arise. It only provides a one-second Stun and a negligible DEF increase for the team—both of which have minimal impact on the battle.

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Solo Leveling:ARISE Tag Page Cover Art
Solo Leveling:ARISE
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Released
May 8, 2024
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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ESRB
T For Teen Due To Violence, Blood
Developer(s)
Netmarble
Publisher(s)
Netmarble
Platform(s)
Android, iOS, PC
Genre(s)
Gacha, Action