Alright, if you’re just starting Wuthering Waves (as of April 2025), you’ll want to focus on characters that are easy to get, simple to play, and actually help you get through the early stuff without a headache. Here’s my take on the top 5 characters to level up, based on how useful they are and how easy they are to grab:

Rover (Spectro/Havoc)

Wuthering Waves
Rover

Rover’s the main character you get for free, so no need to spend anything. Spectro Rover’s a decent damage-dealer with moves that aren’t complicated, and later on, Havoc Rover (unlocked as you play the story) hits hard on single enemies and groups, especially when powered up. You can make them stronger just by exploring and doing story quests, no gacha needed.

  • Job: Main damage-dealer (Spectro early on, Havoc for tougher fights later).
  • Pro tip: Stick with Spectro at first, then switch to Havoc when you’re ready for bigger challenges.

Verina

She’s a 5-star Spectro healer you can snag from the newbie banner or pick for free after 80 pulls. Verina heals, boosts your team’s attack, and even saves you from wiping out. She works with any squad and will carry you into the hard endgame stuff like Tower of Adversity.

Wuthering Waves Verina Cover
Verina
  • Job: Healer/Support.
  • Pro tip: If you get her early, level her up ASAP—she makes rough fights way easier.

Baizhi

A free 4-star Glacio healer you get early in the story. If you don’t have Verina, Baizhi’s your go-to. She heals, gives a small attack boost, and is super straightforward for new players. She stays useful if you upgrade her through story rewards.

Baizhi
Baizhi
  • Job: Healer/Support.
  • Pro tip: Use her until Verina shows up, then maybe keep her for a backup team.

Chixia

Wuthering Waves Chixia
Chixia

A free 4-star Fusion character who uses pistols. You get her early, and her ranged attacks make her easy to handle for beginners. She dishes out solid damage and is great for taking down overworld enemies and early bosses without much hassle.

Job: Main damage-dealer or backup damage.

Pro tip: Team her up with Baizhi so you can learn how fights work without dying.

Yangyang

Wuthering Waves Yangyang
Yangyang

Another free 4-star Aero character you grab early. She’s awesome for support, pulling enemies together and helping your main damage-dealer do their thing. Her skills also help recharge energy and boost Aero damage, which is handy if you get someone like Jiyan later.

  • Job: Support/Backup damage.
  • Pro tip: Use her to bunch up enemies and make fights flow better for your damage-dealer.

Note

  • Start with Rover and Chixia for dealing damage since they’re free and work well early on.
  • You’ll need a healer—Verina or Baizhi—to avoid getting wrecked in tougher battles.
  • Yangyang adds some nice support to tie your team together.
  • Don’t waste resources leveling everyone at once—focus on one damage-dealer and one healer to keep things manageable.

If you luck out and pull a strong 5-star like Jiyan or Xiangli Yao, you might swap Chixia out, but the ones above are guaranteed for everyone.
This crew will get you through the story, overworld fights, and even some early endgame stuff without much stress.