Characters / Arknights Defenders

Arknights Characters
Operators: Vanguards (A-M | N-Z) | Snipers (A-M | N-Z) | Guards (A-H | I-Q | R-Z) | Defenders (A-M | N-Z) | Casters (A-G | H-M | N-Z) | Medics (A-M | N-Z) | Supporters (A-M | N-Z) | Specialists (A-M | N-Z)
Factions: Rhodes Island | The Reunion Movement | Dublinn | The Military Commission of Kazdel | Allied Factions | Enemy Factions | Miscellaneous factions & characters | Nation States (A-M | N-Z) | Enemy Units Index

Defenders are operators with great survivability overall, usually in terms of raw HP. Their job is to provide blocking in order to prevent enemies from mobbing and overwhelming your DP-generating Vanguards, or to give out buffs and healing that relieve stress from your Medics in the event many allies are hurt. Put simply, the job of a Defender is to take damage for someone else. Defenders are categorized based on what their primary roles are.

Protector

Default DP cost range (without potential upgrades): 3 DP^note 1-star operators only, 14 - 23 DP

Protector Defenders are Exactly What It Says on the Tin. These guys have the greatest health by comparison to everyone else in their class, and can take the most punishment. Most of the time, their kit doesn't extend far beyond sitting there and be a Stone Wall, as their damage output is usually poor, though there are exceptions, most notably Hoshiguma, who has high ATK and skills that facilitate her use as an offensive tank, and Nian, who's a multiclass.

• 6★ Operators of this archetype: Hoshiguma, Nian
• 5★ Operators of this archetype: Bison, Croissant, Heavyrain
• 4★ Operators of this archetype: Bubble, Cuora, Matterhorn
• 3★ Operators of this archetype: Beagle, Cardigan
• 2★ Operators of this archetype: Noir Corne
• 1★ Operators of this archetype: Friston-3

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• Boring, but Practical: Their main (and often only) purpose is to stand there and tank hits, and they're quite effective for it. However, with the exception of Nian and to a lesser extent Hoshiguma, this also works to their detriment, as they generally lack other forms of utility that makes bringing them worthwhile in lategame maps.
• Stone Wall: All Defenders have this as a job, but this archetype plays the trope the most straight since most often, their kit doesn't offer much for DPS (which is in particular the case with lower rarity Protector Defenders).

Arts Protector

Default DP cost range (without potential upgrades): 20 - 26^note No 6-star operator released yet to have this upper bound cost DP

Arts Protector Defenders are less sturdy, but they're capable of dealing Arts damage when their skills are running, giving them better mileage against beefy enemies with a lot of HP, but low RES. They also have above-average RES which makes them more resilient to Arts themselves.

• 5★ Operators of this archetype: Asbestos, Czerny, Shalem
• 4★ Operators of this archetype: Dur-Nar

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• Magic Knight: Somewhat similarly to Arts Fighter Guards, they're the only Defender archetype that deals Arts damage by default, but only if their skills are running, as Arts Fighter Guards can do so without a skill running.

Guardian

Default DP cost range (without potential upgrades): 15 - 22 DP

Guardian Defenders are those who can heal nearby allies and themselves with their skills. These Defenders serve as the middle ground between Protector and Arts Protector Defenders, having middling HP, DEF, and ATK, but are almost invaluable to have due to their healing skills providing high sustainability for your lineup. Unlike Protector Defenders, however, Guardian Defenders are not usually placed as the main tanks due to their significantly weaker staying power, and are more commonly deployed as supports instead.

• 6★ Operators of this archetype: Blemishine, Saria, Shu
• 5★ Operators of this archetype: Bassline, Hung, Nearl
• 4★ Operators of this archetype: Gummy
• 3★ Operators of this archetype: Spot

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• Achilles' Heel: Guardian Defenders (with the exception of Blemishine and Saria) have the additional crimp of needing to stop attacking in order to utilize their most effective skills. Unless there are other operators around to relieve the pressure, a Guardian Defender who's stopped attacking will be very prone to being overwhelmed.
• Combat Medic: They can serve as an impromptu Medic until you get your hands on one. Granted, as the healing is dependent on the operator's ATK stat, they're not as good as a dedicated Medic for their intended purpose...though this is compensated by the fact that they are tankier and can be placed on ground tiles for extra flexibility.

Juggernaut

Default DP cost range (without potential upgrades): 30^note No 4-star operator released yet to have this lower bound cost - 36 DP

Juggernaut Defenders have great survivability and damage output, giving them good mileage as solo tanks. Like Soloblade or Reaper Guards, they can't be healed directly by Medics or Guardian Defenders, but generate their own HP via certain skills or talents. They have a high DP Cost.

• 6★ Operators of this archetype: Mudrock, Penance
• 5★ Operators of this archetype: Vulcan
• 4★ Operators of this archetype: Lutonada

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• Achilles' Heel: Like the other enmity archetypes (Soloblade or Reaper Guards), Juggernaut Defenders cannot be healed directly, leaving them vulnerable to elemental damage, ranged damage, or enviromental damage unless specific operators that can provide indirect healing are used.
• I Work Alone: Players are encouraged to deploy Juggernaut Defenders away from other operators due to their ability to heal themselves and high DPS for a Defender.
• Life Drain: Not to the extent of Soloblade or Reaper Guards, but most Juggernaut Defenders will have some tool in their kit to generate HP or otherwise sustain themselves, as they cannot be healed normally.
• Loophole Abuse: Like Soloblade or Reaper Guards, passive regeneration effects like those of Bard Supporters or specific units are still fair game when it comes to healing them.

Duelist

Default DP cost range (without potential upgrades): 27^note No 4-star operator released yet to have this lower bound cost - 33 DP

Duelist Defenders have very high defense and attack, but are limited to 1 block, making them mainly suited to blocking and eliminating single, high threat targets that Dreadnought Guards and Executor Specialists won't fare well against, such as elite enemies or bosses. Another feature of Duelist Defenders is that they only generate SP while they are actively blocking an enemy, which also extends to SP batteries unless they happen to have their X Module equipped.

• 6★ Operators of this archetype: Eunectes
• 5★ Operators of this archetype: Aurora, Cement

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• Achilles' Heel: Duelist Defenders are dependent on blocking enemies in order for them to generate SP for their skills. However, their high ATK and block count of 1 actually works against them since they would be killing enemies too quickly before they could get meaningful amounts of SP, and they cannot block multiple enemies to circumvent this while they focus on attacking a single enemy. A Duelist Defender that cannot activate their skills when they need it is likely prone to being overwhelmed by many weak to mid-level threats, or easily killed by high-level threats. This also causes them to let unblockable enemies like wraiths walk past them while only getting in one or two attacks in on them at most. Their SP generation can also be gimped if their block count gets reduced to 0, either due to hazards/enemy gimmicks, Integrated Strategies artifacts, or challenge mode conditions that reduce block count.

Fortress

Default DP cost range (without potential upgrades): 22^note No 4-star operator released yet to have this lower bound cost - 28 DP

Fortress defenders sacrifice some defense for more offense, and are able to use AoE physical attacks at long range as long as they aren't blocking enemies themselves. However, they are unable to attack airborne units with their ranged attacks.

• 6★ Operators of this archetype: Horn
• 5★ Operators of this archetype: Ashlock, Firewhistle

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• Achilles' Heel: They have a blindspot in the two rows directly in front of them in which they are unable to target enemies with their ranged attacks. Requiring the use of a fellow Defender to off-set this problem.
• Difficult, but Awesome: Their unusual range and usage as ranged DPS despite being 3-block ground units can make proper positioning difficult, but they are capable of outputting staggering amounts of damage from safety while being much more durable than actual Snipers.
• Long-Range Fighter: Despite being classified as Defenders, they are most optimally placed in the backline, boasting maximum range comparable to Snipers and area-on-effect damage on their ranged attack only. Added to this is them actively prioritizing doing ranged attacks.

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Sentinel Protector

Default DP cost range (without potential upgrades): 22^note No 4-star or 6-star operator released yet to have this lower or higher bound cost DP

Sentinel Protector defenders (formerly classified as Protector Defenders before An Obscure Wanderer) wield ranged weapons that allow them to attack up to two tiles ahead of themselves as well as shoot down air units. They have increased offensive power compared to Protectors, but lower defenses as a result.

• 6★ Operators of this archetype: Jessica the Liberated
• 5★ Operators of this archetype: Blitz, Liskarm

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• Dummied Out: Played with. Them being a seperate archetype was planned as early as the first anniversary. When archetypes were implemented properly a few years later, they weren't present, but they were eventually put back in in an informal manner (lacking the symbol assigned to them at first).

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Shared Tropes

• Achilles' Heel: With exceptions of Arts Protector Defenders, enemies with a lot of HP and high DEF are this to most Defenders, due to their mediocre (Physical) damage output. Without Arts support from other operators, most Defenders will be out of a means to Hold the Line when mobbed by small groups of enemies, who will eventually overcome their block and leak past them.
• Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: The vast majority of them wield shields (or shield-like objects), justifying their high defenses. Some of them are even issued shields and nothing else. (A number of them have very little problem with this arrangement.)
• Stone Wall: Stat-wise, Defenders have mountains of hit points and defense with correspondingly low range and attack power. Their ATK growth rate is generally significantly lower than most operator classes, although they compensate with their high HP and DEF growth rates. Many of them also have skills that boost their excellent survivability even further. Functionality-wise, most Defenders are deployed to be this, usually to protect a squishy Guard or DP-generating Vanguard behind them. Alongside Snipers, Medics, and some Casters, the strength of your Defenders is the most accurate measurement of whether you can surmount a current Beef Gate or not. If all of your Defenders are KO'd, expect the enemy to overwhelm you in seconds.

Operators

• A through M
• N through Z

Crossover operators

Crossover characters, denoted by a star (★) in their section headers, can be found here.

Blitz (★)

Blitz/Elias Kötz

Introduced: Operation Originium Dust
Voiced by: Christopher J. Domig
Artist: Liduke^note displayed as Ubisoft Montreal.

Considering how most enemies we deal with have eyes, a blinded enemy is the best enemy.

^{Click here to see Elite 2 appearance.}

Blitz, a member of Team Rainbow, wields a charged-and-ready tactical shield.

Rarity: ★★★★★

ID: No. 457

Subclass: Sentinel Protector

Tags: DPS, Defense

Skills: Flash Shield, Shield Bash

Talents: Shielded Shooting, Bunker Defense

Affiliation: Team Rainbow - Rhodes Island

Race: Unknown (Human)

Birthday: April 2

Height: 175cm

"RAINBOW Operator, codename Blitz. Give the order and I'll bash 'em in the face with my shield!"

Armed his with his signature custom Flash Shield, Blitz carries the pride of the GSG 9 as a Team Rainbow operative specializing in breaching tactics.

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• Blinded by the Light: Blitz can blind enemies in front of him with Flash Shield, which translates to a stun in gameplay.
• Cunning Linguist: His proficiency at multiple languages makes him Rainbow's go-to negotiator with the locals. In a bit of Gameplay and Story Integration, his RIIC skill Linguistics buffs HR contacting speed when Blitz is assigned to the Office.
• It Only Works Once: Four times, to be exact. His Flash Shield skill is limited to 4 uses with every deployment similar to his Rainbow Six Siege incarnation.
• Injured Vulnerability: Or rather, stunned. His Shielded Shooting talent increases the amount of damage he can inflict on stunned enemies as well as causing him to prioritize attacking stunned enemies, and the easiest way to trigger that would be for him to use his shield to do so.
• Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Subverted; he's out of combat duty for most of the story because his shield ends up failing him when fighting a metal crab, until Liskarm gives his shield a temporary fix in "Operation Originium Dust" and Rhodes Island gives him a more Terra-standard-issued shield. The playable unit plays this straight afterward.
• Nice Guy: He's a good-natured and positive fellow, which stands out quite a bit in the Crapsack World of Arknights.
• Omniglot: Is well-versed in speaking numerous languages, in part due to his studies in the field prior to serving in the GSG 9. He has several lines of dialogue in the campaign where he talks to Tachanka in Russian, if only to keep any Rhodes Island operators (who are capable of recognizing their English as Victorian in their world) from snooping in on their conversations.
• Pass the Popcorn: He eats popcorn when watching Battle Records.
  This is pretty good. The popcorn, I mean. Want some?
• Shield Bash: His second skill name drops this trope, and its effects suggest that this is exactly what Blitz does.
• Situational Sword: His Bunker Defense talent grants him a chance to resist incoming physical damage if there is a high ground tile behind him or to his side.
• Temporary Online Content: Like his fellow Siege operators, Blitz can only be recruited during the Operation Originium Dust event.
• You Don't Look Like You: While Blitz's full face was already revealed when his Elite skin came out, saying that he looks nothing like his Arknights counterpart would be an understatement. Rather than his Tall, Dark, and Handsome, Leon S. Kennedy-esque appearance◊ as established in Siege, here he looks like a very pale Bishōnen with white hair and golden eyes instead.

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