Kingshot Best Heroes Guide: Who to Upgrade First

Choosing heroes in Kingshot is not just a matter of finding the highest-ranked name on a tier list. Your available roster, hero development, formation, and preferred game modes all influence which upgrade is most useful.

For beginners and free-to-play players, the goal is to build a dependable core roster without wasting scarce resources. This guide explains how to make that decision. It does not claim that every hero recommendation has been independently tested in the current game version, so confirm hero skills and availability in your own game before making expensive investments.

1. Start with the role your team needs

Before upgrading a hero, identify what your current formation lacks.

Frontline durability: If your formation falls quickly, review the defensive capability and survival skills of your frontline heroes.
Damage output: If your team survives but cannot finish encounters, consider whether its damage dealers are sufficiently developed.
Area damage and control: Some encounters involve multiple opponents, where skills affecting several targets or disrupting enemies may be useful.
Support and synergy: A hero’s value can come from improving teammates or helping the formation survive, not just dealing personal damage.

These are evaluation categories, not claims that every hero in a particular class performs the same way. Read the individual skill descriptions and check which effects apply to the activity you want to improve.

2. Use a practical upgrade order

There is no universal upgrade sequence for every account, but the following process provides a useful starting point.

Step 1: Develop the heroes you already rely on

Review the heroes you use most often. If a hero contributes consistently to your main formation and has a clear upgrade path, improving that hero may provide more immediate value than starting over with an unfamiliar option.

Step 2: Address your biggest weakness

Identify why your formation struggles. If the frontline collapses, adding more damage may not solve the problem. If the team survives but runs out of time, additional durability alone may not help.

Change one major element at a time and compare the results under similar conditions.

Step 3: Check skill and upgrade costs

Hero level alone does not describe total investment. Consider skill development, available upgrade materials, and any other requirements shown in the game. A theoretical top-ranked hero may be a poor short-term choice if you cannot develop the abilities that make it useful.

Step 4: Expand only when you have a reason

Different activities may require different formations. Expand your developed roster when your current heroes cannot cover an important role or when a specific activity requires another setup. Avoid spreading every limited resource across the entire collection without a clear plan.

3. How to assess frequently discussed heroes

Public tier lists can help identify candidates for further review, but rankings differ by source, game version, and assumptions about hero development.

Names appearing in public Kingshot discussions include Vivian, Triton, Jabel, Marlin, Amadeus, and Helga. Treat these as candidates to investigate rather than a guaranteed upgrade order.

For each candidate, check:

The hero’s current skills and their effects in the game.
Whether the hero fills a role your existing formation lacks.
The cost of reaching a useful development level.
Whether the hero is available to your account and how reliably you can obtain upgrade materials.
Whether the recommendation applies to your preferred activity and current game version.

Do not assume that a hero is the best choice merely because its name appears frequently in community rankings. A ranking can help you shortlist options, but it cannot replace checking the hero’s current abilities and your own roster.

For a source-attributed ranking snapshot and its limitations, see our Kingshot hero tier list.

4. Choose heroes for the activity you play

Arena and player-versus-player battles

Review the balance between damage, survivability, and control in your formation. Consider whether your heroes can survive long enough to use their skills and whether their effects complement one another.

Boss encounters

Read the activity rules and determine which effects contribute to the encounter. Evaluate damage and support using comparable attempts where possible. Do not assume a hero that performs well against groups will automatically be the best option against a single target.

Expedition and multi-wave encounters

Consider sustained performance, the ability to deal with multiple opponents, and whether the formation can survive across successive waves. The best choice depends on the stage and enemy composition.

Defence and garrison

Check the rules and available formation options for the specific defensive activity. Defensive requirements can differ from offensive ones, so do not copy an Arena lineup without considering its purpose.

These are general selection principles rather than verified hero-by-hero rankings for each mode.

5. Advice for free-to-play players

A free-to-play account usually has less flexibility to replace investments whenever the meta changes. A deliberate approach can help preserve resources.

Prioritise availability. Focus on heroes you can realistically obtain and develop rather than planning an entire roster around unavailable characters.

Protect scarce materials. Before a major upgrade, check whether the same materials are needed for another important improvement.

Build a useful core first. Develop a manageable set of heroes that covers the roles you regularly need. Expand the roster when a clear requirement appears.

Avoid chasing rankings blindly. A highly ranked hero is not automatically worth abandoning an established hero or spending premium currency to obtain.

Review your progress periodically. Reassess your formation when you unlock a new hero, reach a new progression stage, or find that your current setup struggles with a specific activity.

6. Common mistakes when choosing heroes

Following tier lists without checking the date: A recommendation may refer to an earlier version of the game.

Confusing rarity with usefulness: Rarity alone does not establish that a hero is the right choice for your current formation.

Ignoring team composition: Several individually strong heroes may still leave the team without enough durability, support, or appropriate damage.

Upgrading too many heroes at once: Dividing scarce materials among too many candidates can delay meaningful improvements.

Changing several things at once: If you replace multiple heroes and alter their development simultaneously, it becomes difficult to identify what actually improved your results.

Final takeaway

The best hero investment is the one that solves a real problem in your current roster at a cost you can afford. Start with the heroes you have, identify the role you need, check skills and upgrade requirements, and expand your roster only when there is a clear reason.

For the next step, read our Kingshot best formation guide to learn how to combine heroes into a more balanced team. You can also consult the Kingshot beginner guide for broader progression priorities.

For official game information, visit the Kingshot website. Confirm current hero details and activity rules in the game before making expensive upgrade decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Kingshot heroes should I upgrade first?

Start with heroes you own and can develop consistently. Prioritise the roles your main formation needs, then compare upgrade costs and current third-party rankings.

Should I invest in every hero?

Usually, it is more efficient to develop a manageable core roster before spending scarce materials across many heroes. The right number depends on the activities you play.

Are newer-generation heroes always better?

Not automatically. Compare actual skills, investment requirements, role coverage, and performance in your chosen activity instead of relying on generation alone.