Last Updated on December 18, 2023 by Samuel Franklin
Lost in the complex world of Maplestory class options and the promises of mobbing mastery, bossing benefits and unfunded progression glory? This comprehensive MapleStory class tier list guide rates the 40+ MapleStory jobs with scores across mobbing, bossing, mobility, party utility, funding requirements and mechanical complexity to find the class that perfectly aligns with your playstyle. This guide includes a tier list table for ease of reference along with specific class profiles for mobbing, bossing and reboot options that details their strengths and weaknesses.
Whether you crave lightning-fast monster training massacres, tactical team support or budget-friendly boss mule takedowns I dissect each class below to guide my fellow Maplers towards their Maple destiny. This character tier list can assist players to step into the New Age of MapleStory for selecting a new main, your first Reboot class, a bossing alt, burning character or something unique for your own goals and playstyle preferences. Having played every class for Legion or Link Skill purposes I’ve accumulated thousands of MapleStory gameplay hours to develop these recommendations and also cross referenced my opinions with MapleStory community content.
Table of Contents:
– MapleStory Best Class Overview
– MapleStory Best Class Tier List
– MapleStory Best Mobbing Class
– MapleStory Best Bossing Class
– MapleStory Best Reboot Class
MapleStory Best Class Overview
All available MapleStory classes are ranked based on the categories described below to help players determine their personal best class option. These ratings are based on post level 200 gameplay as this is when your class will reach most of their potential and where the bulk of MapleStory gameplay takes place.
- Mobbing: Mobbing effectiveness directly impacts your training speed and Meso rates with the goal to full clear a particular monster map quickly and efficiently. While most classes have been designed with a reliable mob attack some still lack height or reach on these attacks that make some of the best MapleStory training maps out of reach. The best mobbing class also has access to mobility or utility that makes training less intensive and results in an easier pathway to level 250+.
- Bossing: Bossing is a critical gameplay element with the MapleStory best bossing class kit capable of holding their own in these fights by having targeted powerful attacks, invincibility in their skills (i-frames), strong sustain, high DPS values or utility.
- Mobility: Mobility has always been my personal most important factor when selecting a MapleStory class and why I have always played an Assassin/Hermit/Night Lord as my main character since the Maplestory beta. While the MapleStory character meta has shifted since that time as the developers have added more mobility across classes there is still a vast gap between the best mobility characters with multiple movement options vertically and horizontally compared to the average characters that might still be limited to one skill.
- DPS: Some players love to see big numbers or be the primary burst character in a party boss run with this rating factoring in sustained overall damage per second/minute. If damage is your primary interest in a class there are a number of DPS tier lists online that are regularly updated for different game patches that you can refer to in addition to this page.
- Utility: A factor towards the end of your MapleStory adventure where party utility is key to late game bosses where buffs and unique skills are highly desired. There are also some utility skills that are desirable outside bossing though with map wide attacks, summons and experience gained buffs to consider and if you like having access to abilities no other class can use or being a key contributor to your party in bossing these classes might be the best option.
- Funding: This is a rating of how easy a character can reach their full potential with many players wanting the best unfunded class in MapleStory as you’ll be able to spend less time farming Mesos. The amount of funding required is driven by the portion of damage that comes from equipment compared to skill strength with popular classes on normal servers also often having higher funding costs as there is more demand for their weapons and other key equipment on the Auction House. For Reboot players this funding metric can give you a sense of how much farming you’ll have to do and if you need to consider a dedicated farming character to support your main class choice.
- Complexity: The difference in complexity of newer Maplestory classes compared to the original ones is striking. On the simple end of the scale of class complexity you’ll be using only a few attacking skills and not need any combos for maximum damage while at the complex end you’ll have different gauges to manage and have to use your skills in the correct order. Some players love a class with this complexity and skill ceiling while other MapleStory players might be seeking the easiest class for something straightforward and relaxing instead.
MapleStory Best Class Tier List
All classes below are rated on a S-D (S>A>B>C>D) tier rating based on the categories described above in comparison to each other in alphabetical order. S tier is considered best on offer, A is above average, B is average, C is below average and D is the worst comparatively to other classes. Complexity is rated on an alternative High (H), Medium (M), Low (L) scale based on the level of difficulty in their core mechanics.
| Class | Mobbing | Bossing | Mobility | Utility | Funding | Complexity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Adele | A | A | A | B | S | M |
 Angelic Buster | A | B | S | D | A | M |
 Aran | A | B | A | C | A | M |
 Ark | A | A | S | A | B | M |
 Battle Mage | A | A | A | S | C | H |
 Beast Tamer | B | C | B | B | D | M |
 Bishop | S | B | B | S | A | L |
 Blaster | C | B | S | D | A | H |
| Blaze Wizard | B | A | A | B | B | H |
 Bowmaster | A | A | B | C | B | L |
 Buccaneer | B | A | B | B | C | L |
 Cadena | A | A | A | B | C | M |
| Cannoneer | A | A | A | C | B | L |
| Corsair | B | B | B | D | B | M |
 Dark Knight | B | B | B | C | A | L |
| Dawn Warrior | A | A | B | A | A | M |
 Demon Avenger | B | B | A | B | A | L |
 Demon Slayer | A | A | A | B | A | M |
 Dual Blade | C | S | A | C | A | M |
 Evan | B | B | C | C | C | H |
| Fire/Poison Arch Mage | S | A | C | C | B | M |
 Hayato | B | B | B | C | A | M |
| Hero | A | S | B | C | A | L |
 Hoyoung | A | A | A | B | A | H |
| Ice/Lightning Arch Mage | A | B | C | B | S | L |
 Illium | A | B | A | C | C | M |
 Jett (class retired) | B | C | S | D | C | L |
 Kain | A | A | A | C | B | M |
 Kaiser | C | A | B | C | B | L |
 Kanna | A | C | B | A | A | M |
 Khali | B | B | A | C | S | M |
 Kinesis | B | B | B | B | C | M |
 Lara | A | B | A | A | A | M |
 Luminous | A | A | B | C | A | L |
| Marksman | B | A | B | C | B | L |
 Mechanic | A | C | A | B | C | M |
 Mercedes | A | A | A | B | B | H |
 Mihile | C | B | C | B | B | L |
 Night Lord | A | S | A | D | B | M |
| Night Walker | A | A | S | B | B | H |
| Paladin | B | S | B | S | B | M |
| Pathfinder | A | B | B | B | S | L |
 Phantom | B | B | A | B | D | M |
 Shade | B | B | B | B | B | L |
| Shadower | A | A | B | B | B | M |
| Thunder Breaker | A | B | A | C | S | H |
 Wild Hunter | B | B | B | B | C | L |
| Wind Archer | A | A | A | B | C | L |
 Xenon | A | A | S | B | B | L |
 Zero | A | B | S | A | B | M |
MapleStory Best Mobbing Class
Mobbing is a major component of MapleStory gameplay with many players seeking relaxing mobbers that are satisfying to train and enable them to reach the highest MapleStory levels due to their sheer training speed or the ability to train while your focus is elsewhere. In terms of mobbing classes the following are the best options I recommend players consider:
- Lara (High maintenance but high reward summoner): A newer MapleStory class Lara calls on her friends to attack mobs with a high maintenance but highly effective mobbing style that revolves around Dragon Veins which allow you to unleash your power. While there are some low effort ways to train with Lara due to her summons your maximum potential comes from a highly active play style which if achieved goes beyond most other classes.
- Night Walker (Master of effortless mob farming through their bat companions): Bite farming is the main mobbing method of the Night Walker which allows players to stand in place while your bats fly around the map and defeat monsters. Historically the Night Walker hasn’t been a great mobber (partially because bats had a RNG mechanic) and you do need a high level of gear to utilise this playstyle but even before you reach the necessary power for bat farming the Night Walker is a decent mobber given the thief archetype gives them great mobility.
- Bowmaster (The overlooked archer that full clears maps with ease): A class that often goes under the radar as archers are generally a unpopular class in the MapleStory community this class specialises in full clears of maps with limited movement required due to some of the insane range that their skills and summons can cover when combined.
- Bishop (Buff yourself for high experience gains): A great mobber given they have the ability to buff themselves with full holy symbol for increased experience gains which is supported with summons and large area of effect attacks that can easily clear a map with little effort. The supportive nature of Bishop skills also makes it mistake friendly as your buffs provide incredible survivability in comparison to some of the squishy mob classes that need to pay a little more attention when training.
- Fire/Poison Arch Mage (Stand in place as you cover the map with flames and poison): With access to fifth job you’ll be the master of fire explosions and poison gases that have large area of effect which means players can comfortably stand in a central location and cycle through their different skills for a low effort training method.
- Kanna (The simple to use effective summoner): Kanna is a class in MapleStory that has gone through many changes but still ranks as one of the easiest mobbers in the game due to their wealth of long duration summons and solid area of effect attacks that have both great length and height to attack monsters on multiple platforms. With some supportive skills the Kanna has some similarities with the Bishop in that it is a low focus style of play when training as you will rarely be at risk.
MapleStory Best Bossing Class
Bossing focused characters are popular in the MapleStory community for the bossing achievements these hard hitting or high survivability classes unlock. Within this category you will find vastly different strengths and weaknesses with some having high skill caps that are deadly with practice compared to simple classes that are hard to fail with and accordingly are generally the best bossing mule options:
- Dual Blade (Built in boss killing power if you can master it): With an impressive amount of Ignore Enemy Defence (IED) on core skills already the Dual Blade doesn’t have a major reliance on Link Skills, Legion or equipment that makes them an incredible bossing class and a regular on many boss mule tier list rankings. Combined with their short cooldown high burst attacks the Dual Blade isn’t a class that needs to wait between burst cycles either although they require a high level of micromanagement to achieve this potential.
- Night Lord (High DPS burst that overpowers bosses): The Night Lord has long been a community favourite and also my current main class in MapleStory. Often topping DPS tier list charts regardless of the current game patch due to their potent burst attacks on a moderate cooldown, Night Lords excel at dealing damage in party and solo play. Playing as a Night Lord does require players have a good understanding of boss mechanics already though to know when you can or cannot utilise your burst.
- Bishop (The ultimate boss party support with high solo survivability): As a Bishop you’ll never struggle to find an invite for party bosses as your support abilities are unmatched that buff both damage and survivability. This survivability also benefits your solo bossing power that makes it a forgiving class to play as you learn boss mechanics although your fights will take a little longer due to the lower damage output.
- Hero (Straight forward and safe playstyle with few downsides): The Hero belongs to the Warrior archetype that means they bring an innate durability that serves them well in bossing matchups. They have a simple combo focused gameplay loop and several invincibility frames provided by skills while still being able to dish out damage at a consistent rate that makes them reliable and easy to play in boss encounters.
- Paladin (Incredible durability with valuable support capabilities): The Paladin will rarely die in a boss fight with passive durability provided by both Vessel of Light, Shield Mastery and Divine Shield that means you can literally absorb attacks while you slowly deal the necessary damage. They also have a few supportive skills that makes them fit nicely into the party boss challenges of MapleStory that makes them great across solo or party play.
- Dawn Warrior (Simple to play and doesn’t need account support): Another warrior themed bossing expert the Dawn Warrior has a simple playstyle based on high damage melee attacks that means you don’t need to develop your account significantly before seeing success with this class. If neither of the other Warrior classes appeal to you then this Cygnus Knight variant may be the melee boss character you’ve been after.
- Buccaneer (Easy to play with massive consistent damage output): The Buccaneer is all about offense on the surface with an incredible amount of damage output that rivals the top DPS heroes of MapleStory. What isn’t obvious at first glance though is the number of invincibility frames provided by their skills that means you will always feel like you can be attacking particularly as your damage output is not burst reliant and some of it is even automatic with Lord of the Deep.
MapleStory Best Reboot Class
Classes that are highly rated on MapleStory reboot tier lists are often also the best unfunded class as these options shine without significant reliance on resources or support from account mechanics. These characters can carry themselves through MapleStory content and also make for some of the best solo classes for players that want to dedicate themselves to a single class as much as possible:
- Hero (Great all rounder that is effective and simple to play): One of the original Explorer Warrior classes that have been in the game since the beginning that uses combo elements. Despite being a melee class the Hero has great range on their attacks and solid mobility that when combined with a two minute burst cycle and general warrior durability means they really have no notable weakness although equally don’t excel in a particular area.
- Dawn Warrior (Powerful without account power or experience): Another warrior who doesn’t need significant account support or MapleStory experience to reach their potential across damage and durability that ensures you can progress through content without significant pushback. With high base skill damage percentages players will also not have to gear up significantly to reach the 1 hit kill threshold where training effectiveness peaks.
- Demon Slayer (Built in power and survivability for bossing): For those unsure where to start their Reboot adventure the Demon Slayer is often a safe choice that I recommend given they bring a staple Link Skill of boss damage that ensures they still benefit your account if you change your mind later. While the mobbing is not the best of the MapleStory classes they have great in built power and 3 sources of invincibility frames that make it easy to start bossing without significant mechanical or account progression.
- Buccaneer (High damage and an automatic damage source): The Buccaneer is a straight forward high damage mobile class with their base kit and thus not reliant on additional account support. Lord of the Deep is a notable skill in the Buccaneer kit which essentially creates an aura around the player that constantly deals high damage and frees up the player to focus on positioning instead while not hurting your damage output.
- Marksman (A simple and safe generalist for mobs and bosses): With one skill for mobbing with large area of effect the Marksman is a simple grinding class that offers both easy levelling and key in built power like critical and Ignore Enemy Defence that helps with many of the early to mid game bosses you’ll want to overcome. In addition you can manipulate some bosses movement through use of your illusion to help with their boss mechanics by changing their focus away from your character. For those that want an archer class they can also consider the Wind Archer who fills a similar archetype although trades some burst power for consistency.
Written by
Samuel Franklin
Samuel Franklin is the founder and lead editor of the Games Finder team and enjoys video games across all genres and platforms.
With over 2,000 hours of MapleStory played since beta Sam has experienced the evolution of MapleStory firsthand and continues to return for the satisfying progression, the thrill of overcoming challenging bosses and the enduring joy of the community interactions. Playing primarily solo as his level 226 Night Lord for the swift ranged attacks and dominating solo boss power Sam is currently exploring the depths of the Arcane River and the expanding Maple World on the Scania server while developing a legion of powerful characters to support his account.
This extensive experience with MapleStory has given him a deep understanding of the game’s mechanics, hidden secrets and ever-evolving game landscape. He is excited to share his knowledge and insights with fellow Maplers, helping them navigate their own unique stories through the world of MapleStory.
