Gunfire Reborn impressed us all at Boss Level Gamer. The tight controls, great pacing, and boundless character build possibilities have kept us coming back time and again. Yet among its heroes, one thing has become clear – some are true heroes, and others? Well, they’re better off as sidekicks. So let’s break it down. Who is the strongest among the Gunfire Reborn characters?!
AO Bai, AKA the Dual-Wielding Doggo
It’s bad enough you can’t pet the dog in Gunfire Reborn, but worse still, Ao Bai is just not that fun to play as. Unless you’re lucky with certain weapon drops, his dual-wielding ability can be virtually useless outside of status effect boosts.
His Ascension perks aren’t game-changing, and his meaty health bar doesn’t really help given how infrequent health pickups drop. His grenades are explosive, but there’s nothing about them that outweighs the tiger’s decay grenades. At best, you can spray and pray with automatics or laser gauntlets, pretending to be Rambo or Iron Man for a hot second.
As such, the dog is best used as additional firepower in a party of players. However, that still means investing precious soul essence into a character that just isn’t that worthwhile. It’s a shame too because he has a great visual design, and the idea of dual-wielding like the gunzerker in Borderlands 2 sounds amazing on paper. Yet when thrown in on his own, the dog just isn’t that distinctive a choice.
Qing Yau, AKA Kung-Fu Birb
Qing Yau is a fascinating bird. Shame that his beautiful plumage breaks in a passing wind. To his credit, the resident bird brain martial artist does have some biting moves and impressive Ascension perks that can make him worthwhile. The problem with that is getting the right unlocks. Until you start to get some of his upgrades, he’s an absolute glass cannon who can wipe easily if on his own.
You’ll get the most out of this bird by harnessing him with other Gunfire Reborn characters in your party, especially if your friends have upgraded their revive stats. His melee feathers and talon dash are great when paired with a shotgun or explosives, but more precise weapons are wasted on him. Definitely worthwhile if you like to get up close and personal, but expect to rely heavily on RNG giving you the right Ascension upgrades to keep him sustainable if played solo.
Qian SUI, AKA Turtle Tank
Qian Sui is one of the hardest heroes to unlock, requiring 600 soul essences. So, is he worth what could take even experienced players a good few complete runs to unlock? Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, kinda? It’s not that he lacks some totally radical turtle power, with his shield power and mighty fist – but he’s another niche character. Unlike Qing Yau though, he has a bit more overall utility.
The Tidal Aspis is an amazing power to wield, whether purely on defense or as an offensive blast. It makes pushing close with shotguns and SMGs far more viable, even if you sacrifice shooting while the shield is up. His higher shield stat overall further emphasizes leaning hard into daring assaults bellied by dodging for cover when out of layers of protection.
The main issues holding him back are his Striking Punch and his Ascension talents. Only players with a mind for crunching the min-maxing math of optimizing his temporary stat boost perks and situational bonuses are going to find his perks all that fun.
Meanwhile, his punch is just too limited given it’s your only means of attack while the Tidal Aspis is active. Somehow running out of ‘ammo’ for a punch feels a bit ridiculous. There will be those that love Qian Sui, but he’s not for everyone.
Crown Prince, AKA El Tigre
Gunfire Reborn’s first playable hero is, remarkably, a really great option in general. The wandering prince wields not only his stunning energy orb ability but poison smoke grenades that can be enhanced to trigger enemies to explode when damaged. His Ascension perks are versatile, he works with virtually any gun in the game and has reasonable stats all around. They really made sure that before you got into the rest of Gunfire Reborn’s characters, the errant prince would hook players in.
However, with that flexibility comes a lack of defining edge. You won’t have any abilities that fundamentally rewrite the battlefield, just be incredibly versatile in the heat of the moment. Despite his accessibility, getting the most out of this feline friend requires genuine FPS skills and situational awareness. Despite relatively even health and shields, his only real defense besides cover is temporarily freezing an enemy.
Easy start with, difficult to master, and not necessarily as satisfying as some of the other options on the plate. That’s an impressive achievement, but it does limit how much some will get out of the prince in the long run. However, those who come to know Gunfire Reborn’s systems by heart are in for a treat.
Tao, AKA the Hopping Mad Rabbit
Tao is the second most expensive character to unlock, requiring 400 soul essence, but my word she’s worth it. This little bunny can summon a barrage of swords, and her Fatal Bloom grenades apply damaging status effects like the Prince’s decay bombs. So right off the bat, she has one of the most effective primary abilities in the game, essentially a rechargeable Needler from Halo, paired with a fantastic grenade.
Her health is low, but to compensate for that she does move a bit faster, and her shield is still enormous. Everything about her from her Ascension perks to her core skillset is about melting squads of enemies like they’re nothing. She’s immediately devastating out of the gate and just gets more deadly the further you go. If it weren’t for Lei Luo, Tao would easily be the most powerful character in the game.
She’s got more situational upgrades and more traditional perks. Her skillset goes with long, mid, and short-range weaponry. Any sort of DPS player will have a blast as Tao.
That’s really all that warrants saying. For some, Tao might just be their favorite, but in terms of overall efficacy, I’ve found there is one cool cat who rises above even Tao’s greatness.
Lei Luo, AKA the Literal Thunder Cat
Lei Luo is without a doubt the most powerful among the Gunfire Reborn characters. He’s essentially Thor with a gun. Paired with the mortar cannon and the explosive pistol, Lei can wipe bosses in under a minute. Thanks to his primary Thunder ability overcharging his next shot, combined with the alt-fire of the mortar cannon, you can reap devastation upon any opponent.
Meanwhile, his Chain Lightning can hit any enemy within line of sight. Forget grenades – Lei Luo can smite whole groups of lesser enemies with a single button press. That means for one lightning orb, especially with the right Ascension perks, you can wipe whole squads of minor grunts while unleashing a single volley to clear out mini-bosses and enemy heavies.
What’s wonderful is that Gunfire Reborn doesn’t become a breeze when playing as Lei Luo. His lower health and shields necessitate strategic, rapid-fire offensives. When you make a move as Lei Luo, you’re committing to that action. I never knew I needed Hotline Miami crossed with Thor as a playable character, but Lei Luo is a perfect melding. An exceptional glass cannon for those who want to be even more lethal than Tao.
And there you have it! All six gunfire reborn characters ranked!
If you haven’t already, check out our review and see if Gunfire Reborn is the FPS/rogue-lite for you!
Think we got our list wrong? Sound off in the comments section, we love some spirited debate.
