Digimon Survive Tier List - Who's the Strongest Monster in this Dangerous World?

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Anthony is a ferociously competitive gamer and always looks for ways to compete, even in single-player games, most notably by speeding through his favorite games at break-neck speeds!
Anthony enjoys deep diving into strategies and explaining them to people whilst they blankly stare back, and is also a big fan of cosplay and creating assets for Cons and events in his spare time.

Bottom Line Up Front

Passive skills play a massive part in determining a Digimon’s usefulness in Survive. Most top-tier Digimon have powerful Passives, decent movement and balanced resistances.

Ultimately, you can succeed with any team if you’re a tactician. If you’re suddenly blown away by superior opponents, replacing a few team members can make all the difference.

A Quick Word on Spoilers…

There’s no way I can create a tier list on Digimon Survive without excessive spoilers, as many Digimon evolutions are integral to the story. If spoilers are a concern, I’d hold off viewing this tier list until you’ve beaten the game at least once.

Selection Criteria

Minoru — I bet you weren’t expecting life lessons with your tier list.

I have graded each Digimon based on their usefulness in endgame content, including NG+, Hard Mode and the Mugen Recollection. Some Digimon can be outright broken if equipped with specific items, but this list focuses on each Digimon’s kit right out of the box.

There are 113 Digimon in Digimon Survive (117 if you pre-ordered), and they are split into classes, with Rookie being the weakest and Mega being the strongest. Mega’s sit head and shoulders above the rest, completely dwarfing every other evolution stage.

With this in mind, this Tier list exclusively features Mega’s. If it were to feature every single Digimon separately, there would be a tier for each evolution stage with all the Mega’s at the top.

The Tier List

S Tier

These Digimon are the best of the best, thanks to their incredible skills and ability to complement any team. Every Digimon here is a force to be reckoned with, no matter what content you take on.

Gallantmon

Type: Wrathful (Virus)
Class: All-Rounder

Starting the Tier list off, I have a bittersweet entry in Gallantmon. The only Digimon that’s no longer available (cheers, pre-order bonuses…). Gallantmon’s superb passive skill, Heiretical Holy Knight, ignores poor monster affinity. This means he hits at full power regardless of his opponent’s type.

His Shield of the Just is a superb attack that negates stat boosts, something very valuable in endgame content. These abilities are so good they excuse his weakness to Dark elemental attacks. It’s just a shame that many players will never get to use him.

MetalGarurumon

Type: Harmonious (Data)
Class: All-Rounder

S Tier Digimon all bring something incredibly special to the table, and MetalGarurumon’s passive does precisely that. High-Speed Strikes allows either two moves or attacks to be used each turn.

This makes MetalGarurumon the most mobile unit in the game and capable of dishing out an immense amount of damage. To prevent him from being completely broken, his attack is Water element which is rarely optimal. This is a minor nitpick. Make no mistake, MetalGarurumon is a force to be reckoned with.

Dinorexmon

Type: Harmonious (Data)
Class Attack

Dinorexmon can turn even the most formidable foes into ash with his impressive skill set. King of Fear is a superb passive skill that raises PHY ATK and Speed one rank. It also has a low chance of putting enemies to sleep, which is a nice bonus.

Ogre Flame is a disgustingly strong Fire attack that hits a huge area and raises the power of Fire by 2 ranks. Even deep into the end game, there’s very little capable of shrugging off Dinorexmon’s ridiculous damage.

Fanglongmon

Type: None
Class: All-Powerful

I debated putting Fanglongmon on this list because he’s an endgame unlock from the ‘True’ ending route. This means beating the game twice and saving Ryo in the story. Fanglongmon is so powerful he trivialises just about any battle he’s in. He has no weaknesses and is massively resistant to every element.

His Sovereignty passive skill prevents status effects and stat reductions, and his Taikyoku attack does phenomenal damage. There’s nothing else to say. Fanglongmon is a dragon-shaped win button.

GranKuwagamon

Type: Free
Class: Attack

GranKuwagamon is a strong contender for Digimon with the most broken passive ability. Demon of the Deep Forest allows using 2 skills in the same turn if you haven’t moved. The 2nd skill’s power is also raised by one rank.

This allows for a ton of flexibility and the buffing of non-elemental equipped skills, something very uncommon in Digimon Survive. To top that off, he has solid resistances across the board, and his Dimension Scissor attack ignores stat boosts. A formidable Digimon in every situation.

WarGreymon

Type: Moral (Vaccine)
Class: All-Rounder

WarGreymon is broken on so many levels, and for an All-Rounder, he outshines other Digimon in fields they are meant to specialise in. His Terra Force is a powerful fire attack with a moderate chance of raising his ATK by 2 ranks.

His Passive, Strongest Dragon Warrior increases Fire damage by another 2 ranks and, to top it all off, makes him immune to Sleep. This terrifying combination lands WarGreymon in S-Tier, even without considering his superb resistances.

A Tier

A Tier Digimon all bring incredible value and will comfortably fit into any team. Many have game-changing abilities and great stats; they just aren’t completely busted like in S Tier!

Anubismon

Type: Moral (Vaccine)
Class: Mobility

Although not as flashy as some other Digimon in A Tier, Anubismon is a solid all-rounder that hits hard and fast. He also has decent movement stats, thanks to his Mobility Class. His passive skill, Judgement of Good and Evil, raises Light and Dark damage by 2 ranks and makes him immune to confusion.

This passive works nicely with his standard Light attack and Dark special. To top everything off, he has no elemental weaknesses allowing him to march deep into enemy lines without the fear of getting one-shot.

Azulongmon

Type: Harmonious (Data)
Class: Special

Azulongmon marks the first of the four Sovereign Monsters on the Tier List. They are all in A Tier, thanks to their solid stats. There is some overlap between them, but they are different enough to stand on their own.

Azulongmon has a great passive ability in Sovereign Protection: Thunder which raises Wind damage by 2 ranks and prevents all abnormalities and stat reductions.

Sourai is a deadly Wind attack with a high chance of inflicting Paralysis. Paralysis is a brilliant status effect as it can interrupt even the most dangerous attacks. Still, even without it, Azulongmon is capable of dishing out a world of hurt. A great Digimon to set the stage in A Tier!

Baihumon

Type: Harmonious (Data)
Class: Attack

Arguably the coolest final form of Labramon, Baihumon is a colossal earth-based powerhouse. Sovereign Protection: Steel raises Earth damage by 2 ranks and prevents abnormalities and stat reductions.

Kongou is a powerful Earth attack with a high chance of reducing the target’s speed by 2 ranks. Baihumon is solid across the board with excellent resistance to everything apart from Wind which is very easy to work around.

Ceresmon Medium

Type: Harmonious (Data)
Class: All-Rounder

Ceresmon Medium has outstanding resistance to every element in the game besides Fire and has exceptional tools for both offence and defence. Abundant Blessing prevents status abnormalities and gives allies extra SP when a recovery skill is used.

Her Karpos Hule attack poisons foes and has a ‘life steal’ effect. Life steal isn’t common in Digimon Survive, and for Ceresmon Medium, it makes her incredibly tough to kill with her already impressive stats.

Ebonwumon

Type: Moral (Vaccine)
Class: Defense

Honestly, this was the last thing I imagined Floramon evolving into, but Ebonwumon is a great Digimon, if arguably the weakest Sovereign Monster. Sovereign Protection: Rapids raises Water damage by 2 ranks and prevents abnormalities and stat reductions.

She has a powerful Water attack in Mugen which has a high chance of confusing foes, which is a potent status effect. Ebonwumon’s damage numbers are the lowest of the Sovereign Monsters but don’t misunderstand. She’s still one of the hardest-hitting Digimon in the game!

HerculesKabuterimon

Type: Moral (Vaccine)
Class: Defense

HerculesKabuterimon has a superb passive that makes him exceptionally tanky, and the longer the battle goes on, the more dangerous he becomes. Between Offense and Defence, raises DEF 1 rank at the end of each turn whilst guarding. If you’re not guarding, it increases ATK instead.

In time, HerculesKabuterimon can mop up dangerous enemies on his own or fill a solid defensive role. His only downside is a standout weakness to Fire at -130. Still, this is easy to work around and doesn’t detract from the value HerculesKabuterimon brings to the team.

MetalSeadramon

Type: Harmonious (Data)
Class: Defense

MetalSeadramon is arguably the best ‘Tank’ style Digimon in the game. If you need a wall to cower behind (and later on, you will!), no Digimon does the job better.

MetalSeadramon is so good because of his passive Harden, which reduces damage taken by a staggering 4 ranks! His River of Power attack is unremarkable, but MetalSeadramon isn’t here for damage. He’s here to make sure you don’t die.

Piedmon

Type: Wrathful (Virus)
Class: All-Rounder

Piedmon can dish out terrifying damage numbers thanks to the incredible synergy of his kit. His passive, Mad Clown, randomly reduces one of his target’s stats during an attack. Trump Sword is a Dark attack, but the best thing is it’s always treated as a back attack!

Back attacks always do the most damage, and on some complex battlefields, they can be pretty hard to pull off naturally without ending up wildly out of position.

Puppetmon

Type: Wrathful (Virus)
Class: Attack

Puppetmon has a superb kit capable of turning the tide of battles with a sneaky Sleep effect. His passive, Gunpower Hammer, raises both Fire and Earth damage by 2 ranks and increases Counter damage.

Puppet Pummel is a hard-hitting Fire attack which gets buffed by Puppetmon’s passive skill and has a moderate chance of putting enemies to sleep. Sleep is a fantastic status effect in Digimon Survive, but even if it doesn’t trigger, Puppetmon’s damage is good enough to shine on its own.

Rosemon

Type: Harmonious (Data)
Class: Special

There’s a solid case to be made for Rosemon being S Tier, but I feel she misses the mark just slightly compared to the Digimon residing there. Rosemon has an impressive movement area of 4 panels and a passive skill that increases the power of Earth and Wind attacks. On top of that, the passive also restores HP and SP at the start of each turn.

She hits hard with her Forbidden Temptation, which has a high chance of poisoning and negates stat boosts. If there was an A+ Tier, Rosemon would proudly sit there.

Sakuyamon (Maid Mode)

Type: Harmonious (Data)
Class: Special

Sakuyamon’s kit is unique as her special attack Amethyst Mandala is a fantastic support ability. Amethyst Mandala removes all stat reductions and increases DEF by 2 ranks.

Sakuyamon is immune to stat reductions and abnormalities and is resistant to every element in the game. She can heal and buff her allies whilst staying relatively safe, and she fills a niche few other Digimon can.

Zhuqiaomon

Type: Wrathful (Virus)
Class: Mobility

If your mean streak has led Falcomon down the Wrathful evolution path, this fiery winged beast is what you’ll end up with. Zhuqiaomon’s passive skill, Sovereign Protection: Blaze, raises Fire damage by 2 ranks and prevents abnormalities and stat reductions.

Crimson Blaze is a terrifyingly hard-hitting Fire attack with a high chance of reducing defences by 2 ranks. The icing on the cake is Zhuqiaomon’s only notable weakness is Water, which will barely ever come up.

B Tier

B Tier is full of Digimon with great strengths but weaknesses you will need to manage. Digimon here are viable in every facet of the game as long as you understand their limitations.

Machinedramon digimon survive — Machinedramon is powerful but loves to take his time.

BanchoStingmon

Type: Free
Class: Attack

My problems with RNG-based effects are about to become quite apparent in this tier list. BanchoStingmon gets a pass in that regard as his attack, Bloody Finish, hits hard and has a high chance of paralysing and poisoning his foes. There’s no way of knowing exactly how high the chance is, but these effects trigger a lot!

His passive Bancho has a moderate chance of raising a random stat when attacked and raising SP ATK when health falls beyond a certain point.

I’m not too fond of effects that rely on you getting hurt to work, as they force a reckless playstyle. Fortunately for BanchoStingmon, Bloody Finish makes him a worthy pick on its own.

Boltboutamon

Type: Wrathful (Virus)
Class: All-Rounder

Boltboutamon is a great All-Rounder with excellent resistances, including a solid 150 against the Dark element. Sadly, the best parts of his kit fall victim to RNG mechanics and stop him from truly shining. His passive, Ala Di Pollo, has a low chance of damaging the opponent first when attacked.

If this happens, the attack is negated, which can be a game changer. His Pernicious Waltz is a solid Dark attack with a chance to raise ATK 2 ranks. On a good day, Boltboutamon could easily be in A Tier, but as it needs to be more consistent, he belongs in B Tier.

Ceresmon

Type: Harmonious (Data)
Class: Defence

Ceresmon is a solid Defence class Digimon capable of dishing out respectable damage. Ceresmon’s passive is Island in the Sky, raising damage dealt and taken by 2 ranks.

Notice that this passive doesn’t specify what ‘type’ of damage, which means it works well with equipped skills too! Ceresmon’s weakness to both Fire and Dark (both common elements) is unfortunate, but a skilled hand can make Ceresmon do brilliant things.

Cherubimon

Type: Moral (Vaccine)
Class: Mobility

Cherubimon is a powerful Digimon, thanks to its Angelic Entity passive. This ability raises Light damage and recovery effects by 2 ranks making for a superb healer.

This passive also grants immunity to sealing. Heaven’s Judgment is a decent Light attack with a moderate chance to confuse foes. Cherubimon has a weakness to Dark attacks that you’ll need to play around but all-in-all, a great choice as a support Digimon.

Machinedramon

Type: Wrathful (Virus)
Class: Special

Machinedramon is one of my favourite Digimon and only narrowly misses out on A Tier. His passive Unlimited Power raises Dark damage by 2 ranks, PHY ATK by 2 and recovers SP when defeating an enemy. That extra Dark damage ties nicely into his powerful attack, Infinity Cannon. So, what’s the problem?

Unfortunately, Machinedramon is rather slow and plods around the stage with a meagre 3-panel movement area. Even with all his power, he will fall behind, and it’s easy for him to get isolated and bullied.

Plutomon

Type: Wrathful (Virus)
Class: All-Rounder

Plutomon’s passive sounds incredible but ends up underwhelming in most battles. King of Hell increases stats based on the total number of defeated units. Honestly, the first time I read this, I couldn’t wait to try it, but in practice, it seldom does as much as it needs to do to push Plutomon into A tier.

The rest of Plutomon’s kit is OK, with a solid resistance to Dark and a hard-hitting attack in Hell’s Gate. It’s just a pity his unique passive doesn’t deliver.

C Tier

C Tier is home to many Digimon with glaring weaknesses or abilities that simply don’t do enough. In endgame content, these weaknesses can be tough to work around without the appropriate items.

MarineAngemon

Type: Moral (Vaccine)
Class: Special

MarineAngemon has a decent attack, but other factors make them feel more like a punching bag. Ocean Love isn’t a hard hitter, but it reduces the target’s ATK by 2 ranks which is excellent, especially in Hard Mode. The issue is that MarineAngemon is sluggish, has a lousy speed stat, and can only move three panels.

It’s also weak to Dark which is never good. Out of every Digimon in the roster, MarineAngemon can get surrounded quickly and dismantled from multiple angles. It’s frustrating when it happens, and there’s little you can do other than watch through your fingers.

Phoenixmon

Type: Moral (Vaccine)
Class: Mobility

Phoenixmon has uses but is a prime example of a Digimon with a kit that doesn’t gel together. Phoenixmon can move a tremendous 5 panels each turn, which is excellent! But here’s where the problems start. It has great stats for PHY ATK, but ideally, Phoenixmon wants to use SP ATK’s.

The passive Golden Wings buffs Light attacks, but oddly enough, Phoenixmon’s primary attack is Fire element and gains no benefit. There’s also a weakness to the Dark element to consider. Even with the great movement, everything else makes Phoenixmon a sadly below-average Digimon.

Plesiomon

Type: Harmonious (Data)
Class: Defense

RNG is something you never want to rely on in endgame content. Unfortunately for Plesiomon, both their Passive ability and Attack are riddled with random chance. White Veil is just OK, raising DEF by one rank. It also makes Plesiomon less likely to be affected by status abnormalities.

The Sorrow Blue attack has a moderate chance of confusing enemies and ignores stat boosts. My issue is, what does ‘less likely’ or ‘moderate chance’ actually mean? Nobody knows! It’s such a shame because even without RNG, Plesiomon would be far from overpowered. As it stands, this Digimon is just underwhelming.

Seraphimon

Type: Moral (Vaccine)
Class: Mobility

Seraphimon is a difficult Digimon to place. On the one hand, Seraphimon boasts the largest movement area in the game, a whopping 5 panels. On the other hand, he has a very average attack in his Strike of the Seven Stars. He also has a severe -200 weakness to Dark, and there are many monsters of that type.

My times using Seraphimon often involve him charging into battle and getting destroyed, no matter how careful I try to be. You can make him work by keeping him with the team, but that means disregarding his superior movement, and by then, is there any point?

Spinomon

Type: Wrathful (Virus)
Class: Special

Spinomon is a personal favourite because, seriously, how could you not like a dinosaur covered in blades?! Spinomons passive, Sword Armor, is interesting because it hurts your opponent when they hit you with a physical attack.

In practice, however, this doesn’t come up as often as you think. With a massive weakness to Wind and only neutral defence against Dark, Spinomon would fare better if he didn’t get hit at all.

His Sonic Slash Rain supports his playstyle, but more is needed to justify a higher placement.

Varodurumon

Type: Moral (Vaccine)
Class: Mobility

Varodurumon has a cool defensive passive ability in Purge Shine, which prevents all stat reductions and abnormalities. Aurora Undulation can be used for incredibly clutch plays as it eliminates stat boosts.

Sadly, that’s where my praise for Varodurumon ends. He’s fragile against Dark attacks and isn’t all that mobile for a Mobility Class Digimon. On paper, he should be able to get in quickly, reset enemy stats, and get out. In reality, he gets in, lands the attack and dies before escaping.

D Tier

In Digimon Survive, you can make any Digimon work with careful play or clever item usage. However, in this tier, you may question if the extra work is worth it with so many other incredible Digimon choices. If your favourite is in here (one of mine is!), you can make them work, but they will be your team’s weakest link.

Beelzemon

Type: Wrathful (Virus)
Class: Attack

It pains me to put Beelzemon in D Tier. He’s one of my favourite Digimon, but wow, they did him dirty in Survive. His Berenjena passive gives a low chance of breaking an opponent’s guard, but the damage pay-off is insultingly weak, considering how rarely it works.

Bafflingly his Double Impact does less damage and costs more SP than most other comparable ‘Mega’ class abilities, and there’s no good reason for it. His strong resistance to Dark is decent but shouldn’t be a highlight of his kit. If you bring him along, do it for the shotguns and leather pants!

MagnaDramon

Type: Moral (Vaccine)
Class: Defense

MagnaDramon is another tragic case of a Digimon with a kit that doesn’t work together. He’s tanky and has a great passive in Solemn Sacred Beast, which raises the strength of recovery effects by 2 ranks. He’s also immune to status abnormalities.

The issue is he’s pretty slow, with only a 3-panel movement area forcing the entire team to play at his pace if he’s to benefit. His nasty weakness to Dark nullifies his tankyness in many battles. I feel like he would only need a couple of changes to be a great healer, but as it stands, he’s far behind his contemporaries.

SaberLeomon

Type: Harmonious (Data)
Class: Attack

I’m so sorry, but this is another awesome Digimon let down by a dreadful kit which leaves him at the mercy of the RNG gods. Sonic Charge raises SaberLeomon’s Speed one rank and gives a moderate chance of unleashing 2 attacks instead of one.

The ‘moderate’ chance is the problem here, as you’ll usually plan your attack based on whether you can secure kills. The attack in question, Howling Crusher, is a serviceable Earth attack, but more is needed when most other Mega Digimon can do better.

Useful Resources

Shadow Battles are a great way to recruit rare Digimon. The only downside is you need to know where these battle trigger in the first place. If you’re up to the challenge, you can find an exhaustive list of every Shadow Battle here

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What is the Strongest Digimon in Digimon Survive?

Answer: Without question, the strongest Digimon in the game is Omegamon, and he’s so powerful his class is ‘Super Ultimate’. Omegamon is a special case in Digimon Survive, a fusion of Metal Garurumon and Wargreymon.

You can’t use Omegamon on the fly, so he isn’t included in the tier list. If he was, he would need a tier of his own right at the top!

Question: How do I Choose what My Digimon will Evolve Into?

Answer: Digimon you convince to join your team in free battles are called ‘Free’ Digimon and can be evolved into any form you wish using Enlightenment Slabs.

Your partner Digimon are little more complicated as their evolutions depend on your alignment to either Wrathful, Moral, or Harmony. You’ll need to beat the game several times with different alignments to see every partner Digimon.

Question: What Digimon should I Use to Beat the Main Game?

Answer: You can rely heavily on your partner Digimon to clear the game for the first time. If your team consists of Agumon, Labramon, Falcomon and Floramon whenever possible, and you engage in free battles, you’ll have no problems beating the game.

Conclusion

There’s a tremendous power difference between Digimon in the S Tier and D Tier, but a skilled hand can make any squad work.

In a story-driven game like Digimon Survive, you’ll likely grow attached to a few of your Digimon, so I encourage you to use your favourites. Still, when it’s time to bring in the big guns, now you know who to pick!