Skull Up is one of those games where the “meta” doesn’t feel stable at all. One week you think you’ve built a solid team, and then suddenly a new banner drops, someone discovers a weird synergy, or you finally see what late-game players are actually running — and everything shifts.
So right now, the important thing isn’t just knowing who’s strong. It’s understanding why certain skellies keep showing up in almost every lineup, while others slowly fade out even if they looked good early.
Because honestly… some units feel amazing at first, then you hit midgame and realize they just don’t scale.
Let’s break down the current meta properly.
Skull Up Tier List 2026 – Best Skellies Guide
Early game in Skull Up is less about “perfect synergy” and more about survival and easy progression. You don’t have the luxury of building complex teams yet — you just need skellies that work without needing insane investment.
Sparky is usually the first one people lean on heavily. He’s simple, reliable, and most importantly, easy to upgrade. That alone makes him valuable in the early grind because star progression in this game can get painfully slow once you hit higher levels. Sparky’s AoE damage carries you through waves quickly, and for a long time he feels like he’s doing way more work than his rarity suggests.
Then there’s Joan, who is basically the safety net for early teams. She’s not flashy at all, but her death-trigger ability changes fights completely. When she dies, she heals the entire team and gives them a temporary resurrection shield. That kind of “second life” mechanic is absurdly useful when you’re underleveled or pushing harder stages than you probably should be.
Another one that shows up a lot early is Dronia. He’s not as universally loved as Sparky or Joan, but his AoE damage combined with armor reduction makes him extremely effective in team fights. He’s one of those units that you might underestimate at first until you see how much damage your entire team starts doing when enemies lose defense.
Late Game Units
As you move deeper into the game, the roster naturally shifts. Some early heroes fall off because their scaling just isn’t there, while a few skellies keep showing up over and over in late-game lineups.
Warren is a great example of this. He doesn’t look broken at first glance, but his sacrifice buffs and death effects make him incredibly valuable in long fights. He boosts attack and crit for allies, and even after he dies, he continues supporting the team. That kind of lingering utility becomes extremely important in late-game content where fights last longer and damage spikes are higher.
Trey is another one that consistently ranks at the top. Even at lower star levels, he can output absurd damage compared to other units. Many players notice that he performs well above his investment level, which is usually a sign of a truly strong late-game carry.
Bucky fills a completely different role but is just as important. He acts as a durable frontline tank who can temporarily become untargetable. That alone makes him incredibly annoying for enemies and incredibly valuable for your team’s survivability.
Then there’s Hexy, who usually appears slightly later in progression. He’s considered a top-tier late-game skelly because of his consistent damage output and strong combat presence. Once players unlock him, he often becomes a permanent part of their main lineup.
Current Skull Up Tier List
Right now, the strongest units generally fall into two categories: long-term carries and reliable support pieces.
At the very top, you’ll almost always see Trey, Bucky, and Hexy dominating. These three form the backbone of many high-level teams because they bring damage, survivability, and scaling power.
Right behind them are units like Warren, Joan, and Sparky. These skellies remain relevant because they offer strong utility or consistent AoE presence even as the game progresses.
The A-tier usually includes flexible but slightly less impactful characters like Kit, Pan, or Exor. They’re still perfectly usable, especially for free-to-play players, but they don’t shape the meta the way the top units do.
Lower tiers tend to include skellies that either lack scaling or simply don’t bring enough utility compared to stronger alternatives.
One important takeaway is that tier lists in Skull Up heavily reflect investment levels. A highly upgraded A-tier skelly can easily outperform an underleveled S-tier one, especially in early and midgame.
Banner Strategy and Spending Reality
One thing that becomes obvious quickly is how tightly the game’s progression is tied to banner timing.
The strongest skellies often appear during limited windows — usually tied to specific server days. Players who plan ahead can save resources and grab key units when they appear, while others may struggle if they miss those windows.
The good news is that banners do eventually return, so missing one isn’t permanent. But the difference between having a top-tier skelly early versus getting them much later can significantly affect progression speed.
Right now, Skull Up’s meta revolves around a few extremely reliable skellies supported by strong utility units. Early game success depends on accessible AoE damage and survivability, while late game focuses more on synergy, scaling, and sustained buffs.
The important thing to remember is that the game is still evolving. New updates, balance changes, and additional skellies will eventually shift the rankings again.
But for now, building around the proven core units while avoiding overinvestment in temporary options is the safest path forward.