Characters / Arknights Specialists

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

Specialists are operators who specialize in doing one thing and one thing only. Unlike the rest of the roster, which tend to be universally useful regardless of situation, Specialists are typically only called upon in very specific situations, where their special niches can be utilized to make a level easier to clear. Specialists are categorized based on what they do and the situations in which they are needed.

Ambusher

Default DP cost range (without potential upgrades): 19 - 21 DP

Ambusher Specialists are called upon to hamstring large groups of enemies at once with their wide range, Herd-Hitting Attacks, and stun chance. Operators that usually hide within camouflage upon deployment, and are less of a target to enemies. They have the slowest ASPD out of all operators, which is sometimes even made slower by their skills. They are normally used to get rid of clusters of enemies that hit hard. They typically also accordingly have a block value of 0, making it so that melee attackers will ignore them, and they also have 50% physical and Arts evasion to dodgetank any ranged attackers that come their way.

• 6★ Operators of this archetype: Ascalon, Mizuki
• 5★ Operators of this archetype: Kirara, Manticore
• 4★ Operators of this archetype: Ethan

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• Mighty Glacier: They have pretty good overall stats, and their innate evasion allows them to tank hits should they be targeted, but they attack very slowly.
• The Sneaky Guy: They are this as they have innately reduced taunt and they also have a substantial chance to dodge Arts and physical damage, which one of their modules raises even more.

Executor

Default DP cost range (without potential upgrades): 8 - 10 DP

Executor Specialists (not to be confused with the operator) sidestep the usual minute-long redeployment timer when retreated and have very low cost, along with powerful opening skills that gradually decay over time, necessitating their retreat for further use. They are often used to strategically defeat or stall a dangerous enemy, or to bait out certain attacks that would be lethal for other operators.

• 6★ Operators of this archetype: Kirin R Yato, Phantom, Texas the Omertosa
• 5★ Operators of this archetype: Kafka, Projekt Red, Waai Fu
• 4★ Operators of this archetype: Gravel
• 1★ Operators of this archetype: THRM-EX

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• Hit-and-Run Tactics: Executor Specialists are preferrably played like this, possessing skills or passives that confer huge buffs or tactical advantages upon spawning that rapidly decay over time. Their short redeployment timers and generally-low DP costs facilitate this playstyle. After their buffs have expired, they effectively become Fragile Speedsters that have the defensive capabilities of a wet napkin and thoroughly mediocre offensive power, thus signaling that they should be retreated.
• Devious Daggers: With few exceptions, all Executors will wield or is at least equipped with some kind of knife, which they will often uses two at a time.

Merchant

Default DP cost range (without potential upgrades): 7 - 9 DP

Merchant Specialists have all around higher stats than Executor Specialists, alongside infinite duration skills and a fast redeployment time. What sets them apart from Executors is that their redeployment time is slightly longer, they consume 3 DP (2 with their module) every 3 seconds, and they will automatically retreat if there is not enough DP remaining, refunding no DP when retreated.

• 6★ Operators of this archetype: Lee, Swire the Elegant Wit
• 5★ Operators of this archetype: Mr. Nothing
• 4★ Operators of this archetype: Jaye

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• Hit-and-Run Tactics: Thanks to their reduced redeployment time, they can be used for helidrop tactics in the same vein as Executors to take down key targets.
• Lightning Bruiser: Merchants have great HP, Attack, and Defense, their attack speed is almost on par with that of Executor Specialists, and can also be redeployed fairly quickly. However, they only block one enemy at a time, and they periodically consume DP when they're on the field.

Dollkeeper

Default DP cost range (without potential upgrades): 14 - 16 DP

Dollkeeper Specialists are unique in that if the operator themselves die in battle, a substitute clone will take their place. The clone lacks the ability to block, but the operator's talent(s) grants them ways to deal damage towards enemies. After 20 seconds, the original operator will return to the battlefield with full HP, provided the clone does not fall in battle, otherwise the operator must be redeployed all over again.

• 6★ Operators of this archetype: Specter the Unchained
• 5★ Operators of this archetype: Bena, Iana, Kazemaru
• 4★ Operators of this archetype: Verdant

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• Achilles' Heel: Their inability to gain SP when their Substitute is up can hurt them.
• Auto-Revive: A well-played Dollkeeper is incredibly difficult to kill, as their substitute can be healed and can still deal damage in their own way before the original comes back.
• Glass Cannon: The Dollkeepers dish out great damage, but their skills decrease their durability in some way, whether it's decreasing their Max HP or damaging them every time they attack. If you can properly manage their health however, they can become a Lightning Bruiser.

Push Stroker/Hookmaster

Push Stroker Default DP cost range (without potential upgrades): 19 - 21 DP
Hookmaster Default DP cost range (without potential upgrades): 12 - 14 DP

Push Stroker

Hookmaster

Push Stroker/Hookmaster Specialists, otherwise known as Shift-types, are capable of using their skills to jostle enemies out of place. They are valuable in maps with Bottomless Pits, where they can score One Hit Kills on many types of troublesome enemies by sending them to their doom, whether by pulling or pushing them into holes on the ground. Outside of this, they're also employed to hinder the movement of some enemies or bosses on specific maps and can be quite entertaining to use this way. Push Strokers can attack multiple enemies equal to their block count much like Centurion Guards, while Hookmasters benefit from an extended range; still, their offensive capabilities are unimpressive otherwise and should not be used as general attackers. Their trait allows them to be placed on both ground and ranged tiles.

• 6★ Operators of this archetype (Push Stroker): Weedy
• 6★ Operators of this archetype (Hookmaster): Gladiia
• 5★ Operators of this archetype (Push Stroker): Enforcer, FEater
• 5★ Operators of this archetype (Hookmaster): Almond, Cliffheart, Snowsant
• 4★ Operators of this archetype (Push Stroker): Shaw
• 4★ Operators of this archetype (Hookmaster): Rope

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• Achilles' Heel: For Hookmasters specifically, enemies with immunity to Shift (not to be confused with high Weight), to a greater extent than Push Strokers. Not only does it negate their intended function, but skills with pulling effects that hit a Shift-immune target will stick to them for a period of time and lock the Hookmaster into their animation, effectively causing them to self-stun.
• Disney Villain Death: Shift Specialists can forcefully change the position of the enemy. In certain maps with Bottomless Pits, pushing/pulling an enemy towards those will net an instant kill, regardless of how much HP they have or the attack power of these Specialists relative to the victim's DEF, just so long as the skill is powerful enough to push/pull them sufficiently far away/close enough from/to the operator (e.g. a "Moderate" push moves the target back by 1 tile). Only bosses or bigger targets can withstand the force of a "Significant" push/pull, though there are challenge maps that substantially increase the mass of each enemy, making this trick less viable. Some Supply or boss maps practically require this being done if one is to stand a chance at winning at all.
• Non-Indicative Name: For Gladiia, who does not use a hook to pull enemies.
• One Hit Poly Kill: Push Strokers knock back all enemies hit with their attacks. If there are Bottomless Pits nearby and the enemy is bunched up, one slight shove can push all of them to their Disney Villain Deaths.
• Outside-the-Box Tactic: Shift-type specialists are preferably used against extremely tough Reunion variants.
  • Having troubles with a Damage Sponge enemy? Just shove or push/pull them into a pit for an instant kill.
  • Push Strokers with long knockback range such as FEater can also be used to draw aggro away from the enemy and reposition them to be immediately blocked by a nearby Defender.
  • Using a combo of Push Strokers and Hookmasters on the same target could result to quirky, yet lethal tactics as poor Crownslayer can attest to◊.
  • With sufficient pushing force and the right timing, you can interrupt enemy units from casting their skills, including bosses. As of right now, the strongest pushers in the game are FEater and Weedy, who can interrupt basically every boss at Mastery 3 of their most powerful skills force-wise and the help of Angelina with her third skill up and running for heavier bosses. Not even Patriot with a weight of 7, the heaviest unit thus far, is immune to this trick.
• You Will Not Evade Me: Hookmasters can snare an enemy with their hooks and yoink them backwards, potentially into Bottomless Pits. Target acquisition occurs after an enemy has stepped into their attack tiles, so those trying to escape can still be pulled back, provided at least some part of them still haven't left the Specialist's highlighted range.

Geek

Default DP cost range (without potential upgrades): 11^note No 4-star operator released yet to have this lower bound cost - 13 DP

Geek Specialists are a hard bunch to categorize, owing to how similar their skills are to Medics and Supporters while their method of attack is similar to Marksman Snipers. Their main job is to provide strategic buffs to their allies and randomized debuffs to enemies, although the former usually comes at a cost. They are the only class archetype who steadily lose HP over time.

• 6★ Operators of this archetype: Aak
• 5★ Operators of this archetype: Spuria

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• Friendly Fireproof: The only archetype so far that subverts this. The root of their usage is that they damage or otherwise negatively affect your operators so that they gain a buff in exchange.
• Living on Borrowed Time: They innately lose HP over time, so they will need healing if they want to be on the field for a prolonged time. Aak at least has a chance to heal HP from his shots and healing is more effective on him, but Spuria lacks such means and will need handholding from outside sources.
• Random Effect Spell: Their first talent makes it so that their attacks have a chance of activating various effects. This can reach from dealing more damage on that hit, stunning the enemy, or healing their own HP. Their X Module adds a chance for all of these effects to activate at once.

Trapmaster

Default DP cost range (without potential upgrades): 10^note No 4-star operator released yet to have this lower bound cost - 12 DP

Trapmaster Specialists have the ability to utilize summons (akin to Summoner Supporters) as traps that can inflict various effects towards enemies who triggers them. These summons cannot be deployed on tiles where an enemy is already on. Their traps do not count towards the deployment limit.

• 6★ Operators of this archetype: Dorothy, Ela
• 5★ Operators of this archetype: Frost, Robin

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• Not the Intended Use: Traps count as friendly units for the purpose of tile occupation, making Trapmasters especially good at holding tiles in events that require tile-holding such as "Twilight of Wolumonde", "What The Firelight Casts" and "Hortus de Escapismo". Additionally, Trapmasters can check civilians or spies by setting up traps over tiles they will travel in Chapter 13, with Dorothy's S3 being an especially good option because the trap's explosion range is considered its default range, giving it a very wide coverage.

Shared Tropes

• Exactly What It Says on the Tin: Specialists specialize in certain gimmicks, such as shifting an enemy position, stealth, or quickly being dropped in and out to take care of enemies on different places such as in the AP-5 stage, where mortar gunners spawn on places where only one operator can stand. Most players do not bring specialists in a multi-purpose team.
• Herd-Hitting Attack: Most Push Strokers have the ability to hit every enemy they block, and Ambushers deal AoE damage to everyone that gets within range.
• Mechanically Unusual Fighter: Many of the more unique and unusual playstyles of operators tend to fall into this class as a whole.
• Situational Sword: True to their class name, Specialists are only typically employed in very specific situations, especially the Shift bunch. And even then, a Specialist's role usually boils down to exploiting map geometry or stalling certain enemies, neither of which are all that common to see in normal play.
• The Sneaky Guy: This seems to apply as a whole to Ambushers (and provide justification for their reduced target chance and base evasion), and to a lesser extent Executors (which is used to justify most of their in-story roles as assassins, with Waai Fu being the exception).
• Weak, but Skilled: Unlike the more dedicated classes, Push Strokers and Hookmasters tend to fall into this, whose values are measured by the strength of their skills, and the utility they provide, rather than raw damage or survivability. When it comes to building these Specialists, focus should be put on raising their skills first, as that's where their true worth lies. A well-trained Specialist can be worth more than their weight in DP even at level 1, though many players typically feed them up to Elite 1 just to improve their HP enough that the odd Crossbowman cannot snipe them as easily.

Operators

• A through M
• N through Z

Crossover operators

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

Ela (★)

Ela / Elżbieta Bosak

Introduced: Operation Originium Dust (First Appearance), Operation Lucent Arrowhead (Playable Debut)
Voiced by: Monica Nowak
Artist:

Don't worry, it'll only be a surprise for you but not to the enemies.

^{Click here to see Elite 2 appearance.}

Ela, Team Rainbow Operator, is ready to surprise you with her Grzmot Mines.

Rarity: ★★★★★★

ID:

Subclass: Trapmaster

Tags:

Skills:

Talents:

Affiliation: Team Rainbow - Rhodes Island

Race: Unknown (Human)

Birthday: November 8

Height: 173cm

"Codename Ela, member of Team RAINBOW. Just give me my objective, then sit back and wait for the good news."

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• Critical Hit: Her second talent gives her a chance to deal significant bonus damage on hit, which becomes guaranteed against enemies affected by her mines.
• Early-Bird Cameo: In "Operation Originium Dust", she's part of the team infiltrating Magnethill No. 2, but she isn't caught in the explosion that transports her teammates and Levi Klitschko to Terra.
• Last Ditch Move: Her first talent, in addition to being the generic Trapmaster talent that lets her use her traps, will cause her to trigger the effect of her currently equipped mine on herself when she retreats.
• Mechanically Unusual Fighter:
  • She's the first Trapmaster with a manually activated skill which actually buffs her for a duration, as opposed to just changing the functionality of her traps and passively generating more over time. To compensate, her traps don't actually do any damage and regenerate considerably slower along with having a significantly lower max. cap of 4 compared to the 8-10 of other Trapmasters, leaving them as a support for the rest of her kit instead of being her entire kit. As a result, she's often been described as a Marksman with traps on the side.
  • She has the TRP-Δ (Delta) Module, which allows her and her traps to be deployed on both low and high ground. This synergizes with her unique traps, which detonate when an enemy enters their radius instead of when one enters their tile.
• Promoted to Playable: From NPC in "Operation Originium Dust" to playable Trapmaster Specialist Operator in "Operation Lucent Arrowhead".

Frost (★)

Frost / Tina Lin Tsang

Introduced: Operation Originium Dust
Voiced by: Julie Tamiko–Manning
Artist: 巡逻中的百合警察^note displayed as Ubisoft Montreal

This congenial hunter always has things planned out even for the most haphazard of guests.

^{Click here to see Elite 2 appearance.}

Frost, a member of Team Rainbow, has already deployed her Welcome Mats.

Rarity: ★★★★★

ID: No. 458

Subclass: Trapmaster

Tags: Summon, Crowd-Control

Skills: Trap Deployment, Incapacitated Prey

Talents: Welcome Mats

Affiliation: Team Rainbow - Rhodes Island

Race: Unknown (Human)

Birthday: May 4

Height: 155cm

"RAINBOW Operator, codename Frost. At your service, sir."

Representing Joint Task Force 2 within the larger Team Rainbow coalition, Frost's apt cool and collected performance on the battlefield allows her to snag her prey with her trusted Welcome Mats.

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• Gadgeteer Genius: Her profile mentions Frost crafting her own hunting equipment and traps during her stay on Rhodes Island.
• Guest Fighter: Of Rainbow Six Siege.
• Mundane Utility: In "Operation Originium Dust", she uses her hunting skills to trap Originium slugs for Miarow's medicine.
• One-Steve Limit: Averted. A drone enemy and the guitarist of Alive Until Sunset are also named Frost.
• Shotguns Are Just Better: While Frost normally uses her Inglis Hi-Power, when equipped with her second skill Incapacitated Prey and something steps onto her Welcome Mat, she will quickly pull out her M3 Super 90 to blast it in the face before swapping back to her handgun.
• Shout-Out: Her E2 artwork has Frost sitting behind a pillar with two of her Mats in the background, referencing Castle's operator intro where he did the same thing to ambush incoming enemies.
• Trap Master: Frost's specialty is laying down "Welcome Mats" that damage and stun enemies that walk over them.
• Temporary Online Content: Like her fellow Siege operators, Frost can only be recruited during the "Operation Originium Dust" event.
• You Don't Look Like You: Fans were quick to see that the Arknights version of Frost is visually distinct from the R6 Frost. Mainly, Arknights Frost has pale skin, black hair, and blue eyes while R6 Frost is brunette and has brown eyes.

Iana (★)

Iana / Nienke Meijer

Introduced: Operation Originium Dust (First Appearance), Operation Lucent Arrowhead (Playable Debut)
Voiced by: Clare McConnell
Artist:

She provides you with the most reliable intelligence and present your enemies with the deadliest options.

^{Click here to see Elite 2 appearance.}

Iana, Team Rainbow Operator, is ready with her Gemini Replicator.

Rarity: ★★★★★

ID:

Subclass: Dollkeeper

Tags:

Skills:

Talents:

Affiliation: Team Rainbow - Rhodes Island

Race: Unknown (Human)

Birthday: August 27

Height: 157cm

"Codename Iana, team RAINBOW. There's a lot of intel we can share with each other."

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• Action Bomb: Any enemy that attacks her hologram will cause it to explode, inflicting Fragile to enemies nearby and revealing them a duration. With her skill 1, the explosion also inflicts physical damage centered on the attacker that dealt the blow, while with skill 2, she can manually detonate it, which increases its decloaking duration.
• Early-Bird Cameo: In "Operation Originium Dust", she's part of the team infiltrating Magnethill No. 2, but she isn't caught in the explosion that transports her teammates and Levi Klitschko to Terra.
• Mechanically Unusual Fighter: Unlike the Dollkeepers before her, Iana functions closer to a reverse Dollkeeper, with her "normal form" being essentially a single-use hologram that explodes after taking one hit, and her Substitute being her actual self that performs all of her abilities and skills. As a result, she'll usually spend the vast majority of her time in the form of the Substitute.
• Promoted to Playable: From NPC in "Operation Originium Dust" to playable Dollkeeper Specialist Operator in "Operation Lucent Arrowhead".

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