nWay Inc. has recently released a new wrestling game for iOS and Android gamers called WWE Undefeated. This is an officially licensed WWE product, though as you may have noticed if you’ve already downloaded the game, it has nothing to do with the in-ring matches you may watch every Monday and Friday night and during those monthly pay-per-views.
This is a side-scrolling fighting game where each character performs over-the-top versions of the moves they execute in real life, and there’s a lot of strategy involved when choosing which cards to play — should you go for a strike or a grapple, or possibly counter-attack? Those are just some of the decisions you can make during the four-minute battles in this game. If you have just started playing WWE Undefeated and need some tips and tricks that you can use early on to improve your overall gameplay, then we suggest you heading over to our detailed beginner’s guide, which comes with numerous tips and strategies.
At the moment, there are only little more than a dozen characters you can unlock in the game, with another two — Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H — due to arrive soon. That makes it easier to zero in on a favorite, though as you would in any fighting game, it’s still better to collect as many characters as possible before choosing someone (or a few others) to focus on. That in mind, here’s our WWE Undefeated character tier list, where we give you the lowdown on everyone you can unlock in the game.
Before we proceed, we have listed all 14 Superstars currently available and classified them into three rarities — Rare, Epic, and Legendary. We’ve listed each character’s type (Brawler, Technician, or Powerhouse), style, era, finisher, basic stats at level 1 (as seen in the League screen), and when you can unlock them, as well as some tips on how to effectively use each of them.
Take note that we have yet to unlock all the characters in the game, so some entries may be based on YouTube videos that feature them in action, as well as observations we’ve made while facing them in Practice mode.
I: Rare Superstars
1. The Rock
Type: Brawler
Style: People’s Champion — Damage, Defense, and Energy get a 10 percent boost when The Rock’s Hype is at 100 percent. He also regenerates energy 10 percent faster once this Style is activated, making it easier to set up combos.
Era: Attitude
Finisher: Rock Bottom (Speed — Medium, Range — Short)
Level 1 Basic Stats: Finisher Damage 241, Stamina 1,099
Unlocked: Training League
The Rock is the first character you get to unlock in the game — he is the stock character, so to say, and the same Superstar you will get to use in the tutorial matches. By far, his most useful special, non-finishing move is the People’s Elbow, which can only be landed if an opponent is on the ground. You can do a ton of damage on your opponent by using the Rock Bottom finisher, then following up with a People’s Elbow right after — that could seriously turn the tide, or allow you to further dominate the other user if timed properly! He’s also a good character to use if you like to string punch combos together, especially if you’ve got his second special move, the People’s Punches, as part of your deck.
2. Finn Balor
Type: Brawler
Style: Finishing Touch — Gets a Damage boost of 20 percent whenever an opponent’s Health is less than 40 percent. If you’re the type of player who likes finishing off opponents in an aggressive manner, you’ll want to take full advantage of his Style once it’s active.
Era: Modern Era
Finisher: Coup de Grace (Speed — Fast, Range — Mid, 5 Hits)
Level 1 Basic Stats: Finisher Damage 248, Stamina 1,099
Unlocked: League 1
Balor is one of two NXT Superstars included in the game, and he’s also the first one you can unlock — you’ll likely unlock him after a few battles where both you and your opponent are using The Rock. His basic deck isn’t anything special compared to your average Superstar, but since he’s a Brawler, you can also focus on strike combos while trying to build up Hype while also inserting the occasional grapple move, particularly the Sling Blade, which is one of his special moves. (The other, the Float Over DDT, is quite powerful and allows you to switch sides with your opponent.)
He does, however, have a rather impressive finisher in the Coup de Grace, which, in the game, is a five-hit combo hit from high above with a quick setup time, making it easy to execute, especially against opponents whose finishers require longer setups.
3. Otis
Type: Brawler
Style: Ham and Slam — After losing a Grapple Clash, he gets a 15 percent Defense boost for 10 seconds. Not particularly useful if you’re the type who prefers a striking attack, but if you use your grappling moves a lot, this could allow you to stick around longer before getting pinned — as long as you don’t make yourself too vulnerable.
Era: Modern Era
Finisher: Compactor (Speed — Medium, Range — Mid, 2 Hits)
Level 1 Basic Stats: Finisher Damage 301, Stamina 1,099
Unlocked: League 1
The former Mr. Money in the Bank may no longer have a tag team and may not be as visible as he used to be on television, but Otis is still one of the more fun — and effective — Rare Superstars to use in WWE Undefeated. He has some basic striking moves that are unique to him, including the Body Avalanche, which allows him to strike opponents with his whole body, and the Caterpillar, which is a stomping move that can only be used on opponents on the ground.
He also has an interesting take on his former tag team, Heavy Machinery’s finisher, the Compactor — in here, he drops the opponent to the ground before a second Otis briefly “tags in” for a body splash before disappearing. This can do a lot of damage on any opponent, and it appears to be faster than many other mid-paced finishers. As a bonus tip, try using the Caterpillar right after landing the Compactor for a devastating finisher + special move combo!
4. Adam Cole
Type: Brawler
Style: Star of the Show — Enjoys an 8 percent increase to his Damage and Energy regeneration rate as long as his Hype has yet to reach 100 percent. This, in other words, makes him even deadlier than usual before he’s able to land his finishing move.
Era: Modern Era
Finisher: Last Shot (Speed — Fast, Range — Short, 2 Hits)
Level 1 Basic Stats: Finisher Damage 252, Stamina 1,099
Unlocked: League 2
The longest-reigning NXT Champion in the brand’s history becomes available in League 2, and Cole should be a perfect character choice for anyone who favors fast strike combos. But while it may be tempting to focus on those striking moves when using him in battle, he has a couple of other useful, grapple-centric special moves— the Panama Sunrise, while technically a strike, leads to a grapple from the wall, while the Kneecap Brainbuster is a high-energy move with finisher-level Damage.
The Last Shot is also one of the game’s fastest finishers in terms of setup time, making it a great choice even if you launch it at the same time as someone who’s using a mid-paced finisher or slower. It also deals damage two ways — first when he kicks the opponent to the ground, then with the knee strike.
5. Drew McIntyre
Type: Technician
Style: 3, 2, 1 — Gets a 20 percent Damage buff for ten seconds in half-minute intervals. This rather lengthy Damage boost — and one that could take place multiple times in the same battle — is just one of the many reasons why he is oftentimes favored among other Rare Superstars in the first few leagues.
Era: Modern Era
Finisher: Claymore (Speed — Slow, Range — Long)
Level 1 Basic Stats: Finisher Damage 263, Stamina 1,099
Unlocked: League 2
McIntyre is one of the more interesting characters in WWE Undefeated. While his finishing move, the Claymore, has a supposedly slow speed and does take some time to set up, we’ve seen it trumping several faster finishers. That, among other factors, boils down to the fact that it deals out more damage than most others, despite being a running dropkick and not a multiple-hit combo move.
That aside, it’s best to use a healthy balance of grappling and striking moves for the reigning WWE Champion’s virtual equivalent. His special moves, after all, include a pair of relatively high-energy grapples — the Alabama Slam and the Tilt-a-Whirl. The former is particularly effective in throwing off opponents as it allows you to switch sides after the move is executed.
6. Kevin Owens
Type: Technician
Style: Prize Fighter — Gets a 10 percent boost to Stamina Regeneration once he gets hit, with opponents conversely losing some Stamina Regen. This resets whenever he hits his opponent. This, naturally, isn’t an excuse to let him get hit repeatedly during a battle, but it does help build him up for some high-energy, high-impact moves.
Era: Modern Era
Finisher: Pop Up Powerbomb (Speed — Fast, Range — Short)
Level 1 Basic Stats: Finisher Damage 254, Stamina 1,099
Unlocked: League 3
Owens is the second Technician you can unlock in the game, and that means you’ll want to save up a good deal of energy to make those grappling moves work. At the point you unlock him, you may be encountering more opponents who use counters to block grapples or reverse them into grapples of their own.
But that’s where his special moves come in handy, and they both happen to be strikes — the Cannonball is a long-range, fast move that can drop an opponent, and the Stunner is a two-hit combo that results in a wallsplat. His finisher, the Pop Up Powerbomb, is also a fast move in terms of its setup time and it does decent damage, but you’ll need to be at a close enough distance in order to pull it off successfully.
7. Shinsuke Nakamura
Type: Technician
Style: Strong Style — Gets an automatic 25 percent Hype bonus after landing a three-move combo. As you can see, this is a rather difficult Style to activate, especially considering the league where he becomes available and the quality of opponents at League 6 onward. However, this can be very dangerous if you get those three hits in without interruption.
Era: Modern Era
Finisher: Kinshasa
Level 1 Basic Stats: Finisher Damage 252, Stamina 1,099
Unlocked: League 6
The King of Strong Style is the last Rare character that can be unlocked, though you can purchase him ahead of time for real-life money via limited-time offer. That said, his special moves are quite interesting, as one of them happens to be a counter — the Cross Armbreaker, which is set up with a taunt and counters an opponent’s strike.
Aside from that, his other special move is the Heel Kick Combo, which is a two-hit series that can be launched from midrange and result in a wall bounce. Despite his Technician status, we’d suggest using a strike-heavy offense with Nakamura, and taking advantage of his Strong Style so you can land multiple instances of his Kinshasa knee strike finisher.
II: Epic Superstars
1. AJ Styles
Type: Technician
Style: Phenomenal Precision — Styles has a 10 percent chance of landing a critical hit. This might not matter too much in the grand scheme of things, but those critical hits could add up and lead to additional damage in any given battle.
Era: Modern Era
Finisher: Phenomenal Forearm (Speed — Medium, Range — Mid, 2 Hits)
Level 1 Basic Stats: Finisher Damage 278, Stamina 1,269
Unlocked: League 3
Once you reach League 3, Styles will be the first Epic character you can unlock, though it might take some time before you find him in those prize boxes, given his higher rarity. However, we would strongly recommend using him as soon as you have him unlocked, as WWE’s Phenomenal One has a high-energy grapple — the Styles Clash — that could defeat most others in a Grapple Clash and deal out a lot of damage.
He also has a nifty strike combo in the Phenomenal Blitz, and while this move can be used with any other Superstar, you’ll likely be introduced to the Payback Punch counter when playing as Styles. His finisher, the Phenomenal Forearm, is right in the middle in terms of speed and range, and while it can be landed regularly, certain moves, such as Kevin Owens’ Cannonball, could allow opponents to evade it.
2. Kofi Kingston
Type: Brawler
Style: Boom Boom Boom — reduces the costs of his special moves by 3 Energy points whenever his Energy is at 4 or less. This would pertain to his S.O.S. and Boom Drop, which both deal solid damage and could be quite useful if their cards are played at the right moment and distance.
Era: Modern
Finisher: Trouble in Paradise (Speed — Medium, Range — Long, 2 Hits)
Level 1 Basic Stats: Finisher Damage 222, Stamina 1,269
Unlocked: League 4
Although he’s known to fans as one of the preeminent high-flyers in present-day WWE, Kingston is strangely classified as a Brawler in this game, which means he’s a good character to use if you’re a fan of those striking combos. As we mentioned above, his special moves, the S.O.S. and Boom Drop, are especially handy if his Energy is at 4 or less, though you can only launch the latter move if the opponent is grounded.
Fortunately, his Trouble in Paradise finisher can be used even at long range, even if it can be overpowered by opponents with stronger finishers launched at around the same time. We suggest using the Trouble in Paradise, then following up with the Boom Drop for a high-damage combo.
3. Seth Rollins
Type: Technician
Style: Architect of Cards — All moves of a certain type cost one Energy point less if he has all of them in the same hand, e.g. all grapples, all strikes. This may be rather hard to pull off due to the randomness of the game and the fast pace of the matches, but it clearly makes it easier to pull off those high-energy moves.
Era: Modern
Finisher: Curb Stomp
Level 1 Basic Stats: Finisher Damage 228, Stamina 1,269
Unlocked: League 5
The Epic Superstars keep coming in once you reach League 5, which is where you can unlock Rollins and make good use of his grapple moves, including his two specials — the King’s Landing and the Superplex Falcon Arrow. The latter move is particularly deadly — it’s a multi-stage attack that could take out a huge chunk of your opponent’s health. The Big Swing, while not exclusive to him, also makes its first appearance in League 5, so you can use it as well in close range to throw opponents against the wall.
While his Style isn’t as cost-effective as Kingston’s when active, it can allow you to play those special moves sooner rather than later — assuming you’ve got three Grapple Cards in your deck. Due to its low base damage, however, you may want to hold off on using his Curb Stomp finisher against most opponents until they’ve used their finisher first.
4. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt
Type: Brawler
Style: Let Me In — In our opinion, not as useful as most, but good for enhancing Critical Hit odds over the span of a match. Using a special move decreases his Stamina by 6 percent and increases Critical Hit Chance by 4 percent, with a stacking effect for each time the Style is activated.
Era: Modern
Finisher: Sister Abigail
Level 1 Basic Stats: Finisher Damage 251, Stamina 1,269
Unlocked: League 6
League 6 players will be able to unlock the Superstar who is arguably WWE’s most bizarre character at the moment — and there’s no cheerful kids’ show host alter-ego to get in The Fiend’s way this time. With the Sister Abigail, Wyatt has one of the more impressive looking finishers in WWE Undefeated, and it happens to be up there in terms of base damage.
But before you can even get to use that finisher, you’ll need to build up some Hype, and that can be done with well-timed strike combos, as well as his Running Crossbody special move, which can be launched from long range. The Ura-Nage is described as a good setup move for a combo, so you can use that as well before following up with an Elbow Strike or any other move designed to target grounded opponents.
III: Legendary Superstars
1. John Cena
Type: Brawler
Style: Never Give Up — Reduces the Energy cost of all Special Moves by 2 once Cena’s Stamina is at 40 percent or less. This makes him another good character to use if you want to deal a lot of damage sooner rather than later.
Era: Ruthless Aggression
Finisher: Attitude Adjustment (Speed — Medium, Range — Short)
Level 1 Basic Stats: Finisher Damage 350, Stamina 1,464
Unlocked: League 6
The 16-time world champion will be the first of the three Legendary Superstars (as of this writing) you can unlock in the game, and he becomes available at Level 6, along with Shinsuke Nakamura and “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt. His base Finisher Damage is only second to The Undertaker’s, so make sure to use his Attitude Adjustment whenever you’ve built up enough Hype — timing, of course, will still be critical.
Build up that Hype, as you would for most Brawlers, by focusing mainly on strikes, and once you’ve got your opponent grounded, you can launch his first special move, the Five Knuckle Shuffle, for extra damage. (Attitude Adjustment + Five Knuckle Shuffle is also a great way to turn the tide or easily put an opponent away.) His other special move, the Running One-Handed Bulldog, is quite powerful as well, and allows you to switch sides with your opponent.
2. Roman Reigns
Type: Powerhouse
Style: Wreck Everyone — Quite timely that this is his Style, given his recent heel turn and Universal Championship run. Damage increases by 2 percent and stacks each time he deals out damage on an opponent. The Style, however, will be deactivated the moment he incurs some damage.
Era: Modern
Finisher: Spear (Speed — Medium, Range — Long)
Level 1 Basic Stats: Finisher Damage 281, Stamina 1,464
Unlocked: League 7
The Powerhouse type Superstars only start appearing once you’ve gone quite deep into the game and reached league 7, and Reigns will be the first one you will get to unlock. You’ll also encounter him briefly during the tutorial matches. As he is a Powerhouse character, you can leverage this by focusing mainly on strikes, though the occasional grapple wouldn’t hurt to mix things up.
The Deadlift Sit-Out Powerbomb takes your opponent to the ground with lots of speed and lots of damage, while his other special move, the Leaping Punch (or Superman Punch, as it’s better known to WWE fans) results in a wall bounce while also taking its toll on your opponent’s health. You won’t have the benefit of a Style that reduces the energy cost of your moves, special or otherwise, but the latter move, at the very least, costs just 4 Energy and can be used to target a standing opponent.
3. The Undertaker
Type: Powerhouse
Style: Undead — Quite fittingly, he can escape a pin one extra time and recover some Stamina in the process. This makes him quite hard to beat, but there’s a reason why he’s the very last character who you can unlock in WWE Undefeated — at least for the time being.
Era: New Generation
Finisher: Tombstone Piledriver
Level 1 Basic Stats: Finisher Damage 361, Stamina 1,464
Unlocked: League 8
Last, but definitely not the least, we wrap up this character tier guide with the Deadman himself, The Undertaker, who, as mentioned earlier, has the most powerful finisher in terms of base damage — the Tombstone Piledriver is as close as one can get to being a game-changing finisher. The fact that he has an extra pin escape is another selling point for Undertaker, although you’ll need to be league 8 or higher in order to unlock him.
He also has some nasty special moves, starting with the Choke Slam, which is a long-range grapple that slams an opponent to the ground and can set up some high-damage combos. Likewise, the Last Ride also grounds opponents and sets up combos, albeit with even more damage and a faster setup and execution time. As you would with most other characters of his type, strikes are the main key to building up enough Hype to land that finisher.