The Yet Another Zombie Survivors characters roster contains nine Survivors in version 1.0: SWAT, Tank, Engineer, Huntress, Ghost, Medic, Pyro, Mechanic, and Ranger. A run starts with one of them as leader and can add up to two teammates through SOS rescues, so character choice affects both the opening and the completed squad. Use this page to identify roles, then open the focused build and unlock guides for details that belong to a specific search question.
All nine Survivors at a glance
SWAT is the general firearm-output option, while Tank emphasizes tolerance and sustained fire. Engineer is associated with turrets, barriers, and area control, and Huntress uses bows with critical-focused support. Ghost emphasizes Slash, close-range clearing, and critical windows, while Medic provides healing and long-run recovery.
Pyro is the Fire and elemental area-damage specialist, and Mechanic is associated with frequent abilities and buff zones. Ranger is the ninth Survivor added in version 1.0, using a crossbow and animal companions while supporting Critical, Luck, and healing. These labels explain a starting role without replacing the current weapon, ability, leader passive, tags, and Synergy text shown in game.
Why leader choice matters
The leader determines the weapon and abilities available at the start as well as the complete leader effect described by the game. Teammates later bring their own weapons, abilities, attributes, and team value, but they do not erase the importance of the opening character. A team recommendation should therefore name its intended leader instead of listing three Survivors as if order never matters.
The opening phase also determines which weapon receives the earliest concentrated upgrades. A forgiving leader can reach SOS rescues more consistently, while a conditional leader may depend on nodes or support that arrive later. Record whether a failed run ended before or after the squad formed because those failures point to different character decisions.
Damage and control roles
SWAT and Tank are the clearest general-output anchors in the collected role summaries. Ghost can cover nearby threats with a Slash direction, Huntress can provide ranged output or control, and Pyro can build toward elemental area pressure. Their practical value still depends on the route selected and on whether the squad covers both crowds and stronger individual enemies.
Engineer and Mechanic add forms of area control, barriers, zones, and ability interaction. Those contributions can preserve movement space or enable another character, even when they do not lead the final damage report. Match control to the actual threat rather than adding it only because a character is described as technical.
Recovery and team support
Medic is the roster's clear healing and sustain role in the collected material. Huntress can support critical-oriented weapon teams, while Ranger brings team Critical and Luck support and can provide healing according to the official 1.0 description. Support should be evaluated by the failure it prevents rather than by damage alone.
A recovery character cannot compensate for every unfocused build, and a damage support character cannot help if the squad collapses before its route develops. Identify whether the team lacks healing, control, focused damage, clearing, or movement tolerance before choosing the support slot. The best-team guide applies this role-first method to several community-tested candidates.
Ranger in version 1.0
Ranger is officially the ninth Survivor and unlocks at Survival Level 175. The official release material describes a crossbow, animal companions, team Critical and Luck benefits, healing, and a new Fear status. Those facts establish Ranger's theme, but they do not provide a settled community tier placement.
Ranger also arrives after the established roster has accumulated much more historical discussion. 待确认：a stable ranking for Ranger requires repeated current-version runs under the same mode, difficulty, progression, and leader conditions used for other Survivors. Treat launch-era impressions as test leads rather than as proof of superiority or weakness.
What every character page should verify
Version 1.0 adds a fifth tier, two new Synergy nodes, two passive-enhancement nodes, and one passive that benefits the whole team while the character is present. A complete character record should therefore capture the weapon, three abilities, leader passive, damage tags, Synergies, unlock condition, and recommended teammates. Omitting progression nodes can make an accurate roster description produce an inaccurate build.
The game client is the final check for exact skill names, prerequisites, and values. Search summaries can help locate a question, but they can merge information from different versions. Record the version beside screenshots or test notes so an update does not silently turn historical details into current claims.
Where to continue
Use the hidden-character guide for unlock conditions and for every place where older sources conflict with version 1.0. Use the Ghost skills guide for Thousand Cuts, Windcutter, Slash teams, and current balance changes. Use the Huntress upgrade guide for multi-shot, explosion, Ice, and team-critical directions.
Those child pages separate specific build questions from this roster overview. Keeping them separate prevents a short character list from presenting an untested route as universal advice. Return here when choosing a role, then use the specialist page only after the squad's missing function is clear.