Arena

Everyone enters the same

Nothing you invested outside counts in here. Both lines enter exactly like this:

• Level 100
• Mythic
• ★★★★★5 stars
• Skill level 6
• 1 purple rune each
• No anime bonus

No escort, no enchant, no shiny card: the table offers none of that to either side.

Order matters, a lot

The line is not decoration: it decides who takes the first hit, who acts first, and who may never get to act.

1. Levi1st — the front

   Takes the hits aimed at the front of the line. Whoever can hold stays here; a glass hitter does not.

2. Tanjiro2nd

   Shielded by the front, but still reached by anyone hitting an area.

3. Luffy3rd — the middle

   The quietest spot in the line. Good for whoever needs to be alive at the end.

4. Naruto4th

   Far from the front, but the first one found by anyone aiming at the back.

5. Goku5th — the back

   Favourite target of whoever aims at the back. Healers and support usually live here — and that is why they get hunted here.

The 12 purple runes

One slot per character, twelve options. The right rune is worth more than the gap between two similar characters.

Two of the twelve cover almost the whole roster: Manto and Barrier are the best pick for 125 of the 156 characters. In a mode where everyone has one rune slot and nobody has an anime bonus, surviving is worth more than any number.

• 
  Mantobest pick for 66 characters

  Second Chance the first time it falls, returning with part of its health. Once per battle, and it stacks with the character's own Second Chance. Does not trigger Threshold effects.

• 
  Barrierbest pick for 59 characters

  Enters the field with a Barrier: the next damage attempt is fully nullified. Once spent, it recharges on its own over a cycle of rounds — the better the piece, the shorter the cycle. Burn, Poison and Thorns do not spend the Barrier.

• 
  Vengeancebest pick for 7 characters

  When an ally falls, gains Power and heals. Anything beyond max health becomes Shield.

• 
  Almabest pick for 6 characters

  The heals it casts are much stronger. It does not change healing received from others, and Lifesteal does not count.

• 
  Berserkbest pick for 6 characters

  The more wounded, the stronger: gains Power for every 1% of health already lost.

• 
  Deflectionbest pick for 3 characters

  Enters the field with Deflect stacks: each attempt to apply Poison, Burn or Sleep consumes one stack and is nullified.

• 
  Elobest pick for 2 characters

  After attacking, if below 45% health, it heals itself.

• 
  Limpezabest pick for 2 characters

  After attacking, removes Burn and Poison from itself.

• 
  Postergadobest pick for 2 characters

  Opportunist: deals extra damage to targets that have already acted this turn.

• 
  Armorbest pick for 2 characters

  Steel skin: reduces all incoming damage, from any source. Stacks with the same effect coming from the skill.

• 
  Marionetistabest pick for 1 character

  Gains Power every time an allied summon enters the field.

• 
  Esmagarnot the best pick for anyone

  Executioner: deals extra damage to targets below 40% health.

They are the same main runes as the rest of the game, at the top of rarity and level.

What a ban really does

You are not removing two characters: you are removing two pieces of his plan. A 7 that depends on one piece becomes a 5 with no plan. That is why the best ban is almost never "the two strongest".

The game’s own screens

Images from Anime Idle itself, in the order a match happens.