Hunter Tier List

Tier lists for Pass the Fear go stale fast because affix synergy and Pearl modifiers matter more than baseline hunter stats. Still, new players ask who to unlock first on the July 2026 launch roster — eight playable hunters across solo, co-op, and Blood Moon routes. This page ranks hunters for launch week (through patch 7.27) with context, not gospel. Always pair rankings with character pages and build guides.

Tier methodology

We score hunters on:

• Solo learning curve — forgiveness while learning bullet patterns.
• Co-op role clarity — aggro, DPS, utility, sustain coverage.
• High-difficulty ceiling — Nightmare / Blood Moon with relic cores online.
• Patch volatility — launch-week tuning in updates can reshuffle tiers overnight.

S-tier — reliable damage and support anchors

Elena — Top-end damage when Demon Hunting Silver Arrow timing clicks. High skill floor but S-tier ceiling for players who master shoot-dodge-shoot rhythm. Destructoid and community launch lists place Elena among the best damage dealers — unforgiving early, dominant once affixes align.

Iron Bucket Knight — Not highest DPS, but S-tier for account progression and co-op aggro. New players clear more runs with Knight durability while learning Storm Wall routing. Essential frontline in four-player comps per team roles.

A-tier — strong specialists

Explosive Cutie (Jenny) — AoE room clear and Fireworks Master enabler. Launch rework rewards explosive elemental lines; weaker on single-target boss checks until relic core online.

Long Tong — Spirit Dragon Amber companion and charge weapon identity. A-tier for charge/transmutation routes; requires pet positioning awareness.

Mysterious Nun — A-tier co-op support. Novice’s Luck and sustain themes mirror Jester-style support from community guides. Solo tier B, co-op tier A.

B-tier — high ceiling, narrow floor

One-Eyed Codger — Utility king for affix fishing and tarot steering. B-tier until you read affix reference; becomes A-tier in organized co-op.

Money Whiz — B-tier combat, A-tier economy when the team commits to shared gold routes. Weak solo until shops snowball.

Stella — B-tier generalist, A-tier Pearl + tarot planning. Astrologer routes shine with Pearls guide loadouts after patch 7.27 tarot slot relaxations.

Tier table (launch window)

Tier	Hunter	Best mode
S	Elena	Solo / DPS co-op
S	Iron Bucket Knight	Learn / frontline co-op
A	Explosive Cutie	AoE / Fireworks
A	Mysterious Nun	Co-op support
A	Long Tong	Charge / companion
B→A	Stella	Pearl + tarot
B→A	One-Eyed Codger	Utility co-op
B→A	Money Whiz	Economy co-op

Why tier lists mislead

Pass the Fear has no fixed meta — marketing and review coverage emphasize affix combinations over one hunter dominating all difficulties. A B-tier solo pick becomes S-tier when:

• Squad Points buy armor for squishy DPS.
• Forge Mythic relics match hunter weapon tags.
• Party covers weaknesses (co-op guide).

Demo migration notes

Demo Jenny players should read Explosive Cutie — full rework, not reskin. Demo habits do not transfer 1:1 to Elena or Cutie launch kits — see demo vs full.

Revisit this page after major patch notes — Blood Moon 7.26 and Pearl 7.27 already shifted optimal co-op comps.