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New players in Neverness to Everness (NTE) don’t need lucky pulls to build a working team. Several useful characters come free just from playing, and the smartest early move is to invest in them instead of spreading resources thin. This guide covers who you get, how, and who to build first.

If you’re new to the combat system itself, read how NTE’s combat works first: switching characters and Esper Cycles matter more than any single pick.

Characters you get for free

According to GosuGamers’ character list:

Character How you get them
Zero Your starting character (the protagonist)
Mint Finish the Prologue
Adler Reach the Eibon Antique Shop in the main story
Haniel Your first pull after the gacha unlocks
Chiz Reach Rank 18 in City Tycoon

Launch events also handed out extras, such as Aurelia as a day-3 login reward and a free S-Class selector. Those were time-limited, so check the current events tab rather than counting on them.

What each free character does

Guides broadly agree on their roles, even if their exact tier rankings differ:

  • Zero: damage dealer with area attacks, useful against groups. Strengthens through normal story progression.
  • Haniel: support who boosts the team’s attack. Games.gg notes her buffs already work without extra copies.
  • Chiz: main damage dealer, and the free character beginners most often build. Games.gg describes her as able to reach full Awakening through gameplay alone. She’s also described as harder to play well than Zero.
  • Mint: damage dealer and your first free character after the Prologue.
  • Adler: survival role, with shields and damage over time.

Who to build first

  1. Zero from the start. You’ll use them through the whole story, so early resources are never wasted on Zero.
  2. Haniel as soon as you have her. A support who raises everyone’s damage makes your whole team stronger.
  3. Push City Tycoon to Rank 18 for Chiz. Games.gg’s advice is to prioritise City Tycoon so she isn’t locked longer than necessary. Our life-sim systems guide explains how City Tycoon works.
  4. Mint or Adler as your fourth slot, depending on whether you need more damage or more survivability.

That gives you a full four-character team without spending a pull.

What about tier lists?

Tier lists for NTE are moving fast with each update, and they disagree. For example, PC Gamer, Beebom and Neverness.gg each place Zero, Haniel and Chiz in different tiers. For a beginner, a character you’ve actually built beats a higher-tier character you haven’t. Use tier lists to choose pulls, not to abandon the free team you’ve invested in.

If you do pull on the standard banner or get a standard selector, Sakiri is a frequent recommendation as a team buffer with crowd control.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Spreading upgrades across many characters. Four well-built characters beat eight half-built ones. Our gear guide explains why upgrading fewer pieces fully works better.
  • Dropping a free character for every new pull. Invest in characters with a long-term upgrade path first.
  • Ignoring City Tycoon. It’s the path to Chiz.

Sources

Checked in October 2026: