Cookie Run Kingdom tier list - best cookies for PVE and PVP

What's the Cookie Run Kingdom tier list of cookies? Whether you're rushing PVP for a constant supply of Crystals and Rainbow Cubes, or simply looking to dominate against guild bosses and hardcore story content, our list of the best cookies to cut and upgrade should help you get the most out of your kingdom.

Pulling for (and upgrading) top-tier CRK characters requires Crystals, which you can get for free with the latest Cookie Run Kingdom codes. It's a method that carries over into other gacha games, too. So if you're looking to score some goodies in other popular gacha games, give the latest HSR codes or Wuthering Waves codes a go while you're here.

Below, we've rounded up every available Cookie Run Kingdom cookie and graded them based on their overall performance, availability, rarity, and several other key metrics. Note that running a team of low-tier cookies isn't a problem until later stages of the game, so don't be too worried if your account is looking a little simple a few hours in.

With power creep being a very real thing in this game, expect most top-tier cookies to fall way down the tier list over time. That doesn't mean they're suddenly useless—it just means they're less able to tackle new content, eventually forcing you to pump resources into newer units to progress.

Due to the sheer number of Cookies in Cookie Run Kingdom after many years of service, any not listed should be considered sub-D tier and not worth investing in long-term. They're likely fine for running through the standard difficulty Crispia stages, but you'll want something else for Dark or Master modes and the Beast Yeast storyline.

Cookie Run Kingdom tier list - What's the best cookie for PVE?

Here are the best cookies to use in PVE scenarios like story mode content, guild battles, and high-level resource trials:

Don't let the continued dominance of upgraded Ancient cookies trick you into thinking they're essential for story mode progression.

While they'll certainly make the challenge easier to overcome, older cookies like Twizzly Gummy, Space Doughnut, and Financier still pack enough of a punch to see it through. The chilling freeze of Frost Queen can still act as a powerful damage mitigation machine if you're lucky enough to have her on hand.

Basically, what we're saying here is that it doesn't matter if you haven't played Cookie Run Kingdom since 2022. Cookies from that era have found a way to keep up with the latest batch fresh from the oven.

Cookie Run Kingdom PVP tier list - What's the best cookie for PVP?

For those looking to grab seasonal rewards from the Arena PVP tiering system, here are the best cookies to unlock and upgrade:

Though similar to the PVE tier list at a glance, the best Cookie Run Kingdom PVP cookie tier list is a whole other beast.

Front-loading with attacker cookies can work in many situations, but going for a balanced team with defenders, support, heals, and stable damage dealers can go a long way. And while newer cookies are typically designed to counter those that came before in an effort to constantly shake up the meta, popular picks from years back continue to be viable far up the rankings.

Take Wildberry, for example. With this tanky tussler at the front of your team, you can absorb a great deal of early damage from burst or glass-cannon cookies designed to overwhelm from the get-go, then turn it back on them with a powerful punch that's known to smash through teams like a wrecking ball.

Tea Knight and Pumpkin Pie can still be seen dominating in all but the top tier of play, standing tall against new threats like Sugarfly and Gree Tea Mousse, proving that early investment years ago can still pay off today. That's especially true if you put your all into Vampire Cookie before his glow-up years back. He's still assassinating with the best of them.

Of course, players with a bunch of S-tier characters at their disposal can walk through the ranks like it's nothing. Thankfully, these are still ultra-rare Cookies that are incredibly hard to build out fully. So while you'll struggle to square up to them with A and B-tier characters, you should only be blocked by them long after you've reaped most of the rewards from the Arena system.

So, how does your collection stack up against the Cookie Run Kingdom tier list? If you're struggling to stand out, perhaps it's time to check out the best gacha games on PC for something new to try. And if the gacha gods just aren't on your side, maybe turn your attention to the best turn-based strategy games on PC instead.