The Ultimate Warframe Tier List: Making Sense of the Meta

Warframe’s action-packed movement and combat can have many players wondering about the best characters to play. For newcomers, this can feel like a daunting task, so we’ve put together a Warframe tier list that can help you pick a favorite from several available Warframes.

Whether you’re looking for slick movement or simply a Warframe that’s designed for new players, this list will help you understand and pick the right Warframe for your playstyle.

Warframe Tier List Breakdown

This tier list considers several key factors that matter when picking a Warframe. Ideally, a Warframe’s foundational abilities should synergize effectively. This affects the overall gameplay quality in both solo and co-op scenarios. A good Warframe should also be able to stand its ground against Steel Path enemies.

Next, Warframe builds in multiple scenarios (defensive, survival, etc.) should showcase their prowess. For instance, Volt is a powerful character in several Eidolon hunting missions, while Khora’s crowd-control abilities give her an edge in environments with high enemy volumes. 

Finally, a Warframe needs to be judged based on its survivability in different situations. Sometimes, when aggressive offense fails, reliable defensiveness comes into play. This can change how the game’s meta works, affecting the overall tier list, almost like a well-balanced role-playing game (RPG).

S	These are the strongest Warframe builds you can rely on, as they perform well in any area within the game. They offer exceptional survivability, damage, utility, and support.
A	These are some of the best Warframe builds you can choose from in most scenarios. If you don’t have S-tier Warframes, these are great alternatives.
B	These are good Warframes with strong kits, but they have limitations. They need specific setups to truly shine in different scenarios.
C	While these struggle with base kits, they’re still an important part of a Warframes list as they can be worked on for better damage scaling. Still, they’re not too reliable.
D	While these aren’t Warframe’s best frames, they could benefit from meta and balance changes in the future. They seem to be easily outclassed by other Warframes.

It’s important to keep in mind that the Prime and Umbra variants of Warframes offer enhanced and unique benefits. From better stats to high armor and health, they can be highly beneficial in multiple environments. That’s why no Warframe is truly poor in any sense. If you can upgrade one to its fullest potential, you’ll have a game-changing experience — a feeling often felt in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs).

S Tier

Citrine

Citrine is one of the most powerful support Warframes in 2025, offering an ideal blend of offensive and defensive capabilities. Her Crystalize skill provides a lot of utility by marking enemies. Her real weakness is a strong reliance on energy management, but with the proper mods, she remains a top-tier pick.

Dante

Dante’s ability to control the fight puts him at the top of the list. His kit revolves around using a unique Grimoire-type weapon that scans enemies. He can also use Overguard to improve the team’s health. However, he requires an experienced player to fully utilize his combo potential.

Garuda

Garuda excels at self-preservation and damage output. Her Bloodletting ability ensures that she seldom runs out of energy, while her Seeking Talons skill deals devastating slashes that can be nightmarish against high-tier opponents. She’s only recommended for aggressive playstyles.

Gauss

With high speeds and strong resistance, Gauss thrives in speed-focused situations. His Mash Rush ability brings incredible mobility, while the Redline skill boosts his damage and survivability. He does require some mod investment to reach his highest potential, however. His Warframe design is similar to many fast-paced mobile RPG characters.

Hydroid

Hydroid’s Undertow ability is an effective means of crowd control as well as a healing tool. His Tempest Barrage provides consistent AoE damage, letting you be in control of the battle. He can sometimes struggle with energy efficiency, but with the right setup, he’s a formidable Warframe.

Khora

Thanks to her Venari companion and Straangledome ability, Khora provides unparalleled crowd control, especially in high-difficulty missions. Her Whipclaw ability is a powerful melee attack, but her overall playstyle requires precise ability management. Once you’ve mastered her build, there’s no going back!

Kullervo

Kullervo’s unique kit revolves around high burst damage and survivability through skill-based healing. While his Requiem Cloak provides solid defense, the Storm of Ukko ability allows him to deal massive AoE damage. This one’s going to crank up your play hours, adding to commendable video game statistics since he requires a lot of practice.

Mag

Mag’s exceptional control over enemy armor and shields keeps her in the S tier. After all, her Polarize ability lets her strip enemy defenses with ease, while her Crush ability provides an effective AoE finisher. Despite her awesome abilities, she needs a lot of strategic positioning to maximize her kit’s potential.

Mesa

Mesa’s Peacemaker ability, which allows her to shred through enemies with ease, solidifies her position as one of the best Warframes in 2025. Her Shatter Shield skill keeps her highly durable, keeping her kit well-rounded. While she excels in boss fights and most open-world encounters, she relies a lot on energy management.

Nekros

Thanks to his farming potential and survivability, Nekros remains one of the best Warframes in the game. His Desecrate ability lets him excel at loot generation, and his Shadows of the Dead ability provides survivability and crowd control. He lacks burst damage, but his kit makes up for it.

Nova

Nova is one of the most versatile Warframes in the game, offering damage amplification as well as crowd-control potential. Her Molecular Prime skill can slow enemies down or speed them up, leading to strategic gameplay. However, her low durability can be a drawback.

Protea

Protea’s energy sustenance and defensive capabilities are truly commendable. Her Dispensary ability lets her deploy a supply crate that benefits the entire team, and her Temporal Anchor skill provides a unique rewind mechanic that improves her survivability. To make the most of her kit, you may need to master her strategic decision-making first.

Rhino

Rhino’s tankiness and ability to buff his allies make him a must-have in any squad. His Iron Skin provides exceptional durability, while his Roar ability boosts the entire team’s damage output. However, since he lacks mobility compared to others, you’ll have to pretend like you’re playing a strategy game and make the most of his kit regardless of the situation.

Saryn

Saryn’s damage-over-time kit keeps her in the S tier, as she excels at clearing out large groups of enemies without many problems. Her Miasma ability in particular helps deliver devastating AoE damage. While she’s great for fast-paced missions and situations that test her endurance, she does rely a bit on ability uptime.

Styanax

Styanax does an excellent job at dealing with javelin-based attacks and having defensive capabilities. His Final Stand ability provides a lot of burst damage, and the Tharros Strike skill offers a chance at powerful crowd control. However, he requires some ability to spam to remain effective in certain scenarios.

Volt

Volt is a great pick for both newcomers and experienced players since his Speed and Discharge abilities let him stay agile and strong in crowd-control scenarios. Since he’s so versatile, he can be useful in most missions, especially if you’re considering Eidolon hunts.

Wisp

With healing, crowd control, and overall available buffs, Wisp can feel like a jack of all trades. Her Reservoirs ability offers a lot of team utility, while the Sol Gate skill lets her deal some serious damage. This Warframe is a versatile choice if you’re unsure which one to pick as a newcomer.

Xaku

Xaku’s impressive kit allows them to strip armor and deal Void damage against enemies. The Grasp of Lohk ability allows them to steal enemy weapons, turning the situation in your favor. Xaku needs a few mod investments to provide complete utility, but it’s worth it for endgame players.

Zephyr

Zephyr’s Turbulence ability makes her one of the best Warframes if you’re thinking of playing defensively against projectile-based enemies. She’s incredible at crowd control thanks to her Airburst ability and excels in open-world scenarios. However, she requires careful positioning, which comes with practice.

A Tier

Caliban

As a hybrid support and offensive Warframe, Caliban mixes crowd control and damage output. His Sentient Wrath ability serves as a strong AoE attack with a staggering effect, while the Fusion Strike skill offers armor stripping against enemies. Given his context, he does lack a sheer damage output compared to the top-tier Warframes.

Cyte-09

Cyte-09 focuses on sustained damage and survivability through impressive adaptive shielding. His Sniper skills deal elemental damage over time, making him ideal for fans of traditional PC game controls that test your skills. However, much his playstyle revolves around effective resource management and timing, making him a challenging pick.

Dagath

Dagath’s kit focuses on status effects that cause Viral damage. This chips away at the opponent’s armor, thanks to the unique Doom debuff. While this Warframe can be great against hordes of enemies, her survivability isn’t as reliable.

Gara

Gara’s Mass Vitrify ability lets her create an indestructible glass barrier that improves her survivability, making her great in crowd-control situations. However, she requires some time to set up, and the glass barrier can be destroyed when you’re least expecting it.

Grendel

Grendel is a tanky Warframe that thrives on a consume-and-digest mechanic. His Feast ability allows him to absorb enemies and gain certain buffs. While he’s great during long missions, his damage output relies on enemy scaling. Make sure you don’t feed him too much!

Octavia

Thanks to her Mallet ability, Octavia redirects enemy fire as she deals and scales AoE damage. This makes her powerful during endurance missions. But her complex abilities require a somewhat rhythm-based interaction, which can feel complicated (or boring) for many players.

Sevagoth

Sevagoth boasts a unique mechanic, Shadow Form, that makes him a high-risk, high-reward Warframe. This does incredible AoE damage and peaks during crowd-control scenarios. Unfortunately, this also makes him quite situational and less versatile.

Voruna

This beastly Warframe focuses heavily on melee combat. Her Shroud of Dynar ability keeps her invisible when sprinting, turning the gameplay into a stealth-esque adventure. However, this makes her survivability questionable in many scenarios.

Yareli

Yareli’s Riptide skill gives a decent approach to crowd control, offering a chance at dealing continuous damage to enemies. Additionally, her reliance on movement-based combat can make or break your playthrough. While she can be fun and stylish to play with, her kit usually struggles with high-level content.

B Tier

Baruuk

Baruuk is a high-survivability Warframe best suited for defensive players. His Elude ability negates incoming damage from several directions and lets you adapt to the battle based on the situation. However, he requires a lot of patience and promotes a passive playstyle, which isn’t suited for everyone.

Equinox

Equinox is able to shift between Day and Night forms, allowing different playstyles. She can cause enemies to bleed while also excelling at clearing hordes of enemies. Her versatility can also be her weakness since the dual-form mechanics require a lot of micromanagement.

Frost

Frost uses clever war tactics in his kit, staying defensive when needed and not shying away when attacking. His Snow Globe ability provides a reliable shield that protects you from incoming fire. However, he shines more in defensive positions, struggling when it comes to fast-paced action.

Gyre

This electricity-based Warframe focuses on a playstyle that relies on critical chance and energy regeneration. Her Rotorswell ability improves her critical damage. However, her reliance on staying active and keeping her abilities refreshed can be difficult during missions where enemies are spread out.

Hildryn

Hildryn is a shield-based Warframe who trades energy for shields. Her Pillage ability allows her to take down enemy shields as she replenishes her own. While it does provide considerable defense, she struggles against opponents who bypass the shields.

Lavos

Lavos’ unique cooldown-based abilities allow you to consistently rely on ability uptime without worrying about energy cost. His Ophidian Bite provides reliable healing and crowd-control potential. However, his slow casting speeds make him less effective during fast-paced scenarios.

Nezha

Nezha’s hybrid abilities help him excel at both survivability and doing damage to crowds. His Warding Halo skill provides impressive damage reduction, keeping him durable. At the same time, this versatility keeps him from focusing on one technique, relying too much on the balance between different abilities.

Nyx

Using her manipulation skills, Nyx thrives on her Mind Control and Chaos abilities to turn enemies against one another. While her kit can offer strong crowd control, her reliance on enemy AI and situation abilities makes her weaker than other Warframes.

Revenant

Revenant’s high immunity against damage makes him one of the strongest Warframes. His Mesmer Skin reflects incoming attacks, adding a layer of combat techniques to his kit. However, his overall damage output can struggle against high-level enemies.

C Tier

Atlas

Atlas thrives as a brawler Warframe. His Landslide ability deals some damage but lacks powerful scaling power compared to other melee-focused Warframes, making him unworthy of fighting in high-level content.

Banshee

Banshee excels at raw damage amplification over time, thanks to her Sonar ability. Even though the damage output is strong, her fragile nature leaves her vulnerable in a lot of fights. This makes her unreliable during high-level missions.

Chroma

Over time, Chroma has fallen from grace due to his mechanics as a damage dealer. His reliance on Vex Armor scaling is certainly off-putting, even though his niche kit keeps him usable in certain situations. However, there are certainly better Warframes in this category.

Ember

Ember’s focus on fire-based shooter mechanics helps her achieve decent area control, but the damage output falls off during high-level scenarios. A constant focus on her Immolation mechanic makes her a divisive pick among players, especially if they’re progressing toward the endgame.

Excalibur

This one’s a great Warframe for newcomers since the Exalted Blade skill proves strong melee damage. However, Excalibur lacks much-needed survivability, making him weaker than other Warframes during high-level combat scenarios.

Harrow

Harrow excels at being a support Warframe with a focus on buffs and energy regeneration. Since his abilities require constant micromanagement, he only shines during team-based gameplay and not as a solo fighter.

Inaros

Even though Inaros has a lot of health and self-sustaining capabilities, his utility and damage scaling lack a bit. His Scarab Swarm ability provides some armor reduction but feels a bit outdated compared to other Warframes.

Jade

Jade’s focus on defensive mechanics makes for safer plays, but her kit lacks synergy and consistency. Her abilities do offer crowd-control potential, but they don’t provide enough damage and survivability to compete with other Warframes.

Koumei

Koumei’s kit offers a unique blend of survivability and trickery that can keep the gameplay fresh. Even though he can be fun to play, his abilities are often unreliable during crowd-control scenarios and high-level content.

Mirage

Mirage has heavy burst damage potential, thanks to an ability like Hall of Mirrors. Yet, her poor survivability and dependence on energy can make her an inconsistent pick, especially if you’re looking for someone who thrives in multiple environments.

Nidus

While Nidus is a tanky Warframe with strong sustain and scaling, the Mutation Stacks mechanic requires time to build up. This makes him a challenging pick during missions where he needs to quickly reach his full potential.

Qorvex

Qorvex has a solid defensive toolkit but questionable mobility and damage output. This prevents him from being a reliable pick, especially during high-level scenarios. Since he doesn’t have a clear niche, it automatically makes him a tough pick.

Titania

Titania’s fast and agile nature should be an instant pick, especially when you want to experience an adventure in the open world. But even with her Razorwing ability, her damage output is inconsistent. Her lack of impact on high-end content keeps her in the C tier.

Trinity

Trinity used to be in the spotlight as a healer, but she has been overtaken by other support Warframes. Her Blessing ability provides team-wide support, but her overall kit lacks the versatility and speed you need for different kinds of battles.

Vauban

While Vauban has some decent crowd control, his abilities require a lot of setup and micromanagement. His turrets and traps are certainly useful in some scenarios but they don’t give him the edge over Warframes that can do much more.

Wukong

Even with something like Celestial Twin, Wukong may appear self-sufficient but lacks the strong synergy you need during endgame viability. His clone can deal decent damage but is highly inconsistent, resulting in poor balance during a fight.

D Tier

Ash

Ash specializes in stealth and slash damage. Although his Blade Storm ability seems flashy at first, it’s quite slow and inefficient compared to other characters. His outdated mechanics fail to justify his place in the collection of Warframes you can otherwise go for.

Ivara

Ivara’s stealth-focused gameplay can feel versatile, especially with something like Artemis Bor and Quiver. Yet, her overall kit is simply not well-suited for fast-paced missions, making her a weak pick during top-tier missions and combat scenarios.

Limbo

Limbo shows strong defensive potential, thanks to his Rift mechanics. However, his playstyle is clunky and disruptive, especially during team-based gameplay. He can excel at certain missions but is a tough choice for most.

Loki

Loki may seem like a perfect pick for stealth-focused players because of his Invisibility skill and decoy abilities. Unfortunately, his direct damage or support capabilities are mediocre at best, failing to provide much-needed utility during team-based scenarios.

Oberon

Oberon is a hybrid healer and crowd-control Warframe that shows promise. However, even with his Renewal ability (that provides passive sustain), he lacks the speed or efficiency needed for high-end missions and battles.

Valkyr

Valkyr’s melee-focused approach to battle is commendable, and her Hysteria ability helps her thrive in certain situations. However, her kit is too reliant on energy and lacks the scaling needed for modern melee-based frames. This keeps her at the bottom of the D tier.

Explore New RPGs and Shooters

Keep in mind that this Warframe tier list is designed to rank available characters on their usefulness. However, each Warframe is unique and relevant based on your playstyle in an online game. As you venture through the game, you’ll switch between Warframes to master a few you truly connect with.

The same goes for any game in an RPG collection that experiments with your taste and personality. Keep trying different characters, playstyles, and builds to find out what works for you. Then, try the same with a different game. The journey is everlasting.

Warframe Tier List FAQ

When browsing a Warframe tier list, you’ll come across certain terms that may be a little confusing to new players. Don’t worry — we’ve got you covered!

What Does “Meta” Mean in Warframe?

Meta refers to the most effective tactics you can try out in battle — essentially, the best Warframes, weapons, strategies, and builds that can maximize your efficiency as you progress through the game.

What Are Status Effects in Warframe?

Status effects are debuffs applied to enemies when certain weapons or abilities inflict them. They are determined by the weapon’s elemental damage types and status chance. Each element has a unique effect that weapon enemies deal damage over time or simply improve your team’s synergy.

What Is Steel Path?

Steel Path refers to Warframe’s hard mode, which is unlocked after completing the entire Star Chart. It significantly increases the game’s difficulty, with enemies starting at level 100+, and having 250% more health, shields, and armor.