Archived Trait Guide & Tier List, Best One to Use!

Traits in Archived are special passive effects that change the way your character performs in both combat and exploration. They can improve stamina, parry timing, survivability, or even grant quirky utility bonuses. Since you can only keep three traits at once, choosing the right ones is key if you want to maximize your build.

This guide breaks down how traits work, how to obtain them, and provides a full tier list from best to worst. Also check out our Archived Guide for those new to the game.

How Traits Work in Archived

Traits are always active once you acquire them, meaning they don’t require activation like skills or items. There are several ways to get traits:

• Grading Up your character.
• Using Mirror Shards.
• Using a Golden Bough (requires typing the trait name in chat; case-sensitive).
• Completing specific questlines for unique traits.

Keep in mind that using a Golden Bough incorrectly will waste the item, so always type trait names carefully.

How to Remove Traits in Archived

If you want to reset your traits, visit the Stranger NPCs found across the world. For 1,000 Ahn, they’ll let you remove one of your traits. While speaking to them, you can also check your current traits and decide which one to keep or replace.

Archived Trait Tier List

Here’s a ranking of traits in Archived, ordered by overall effectiveness in PvE and PvP:

• S-Tier: Resourceful, Hot-Headed, Proficient, Coldness
• A-Tier: Indomitable, Paranoid, Methodical, Energetic, Steadfast
• B-Tier: Agile, Bizarre, Calm, Unpredictable, Reactive
• C-Tier: Manical, Shimmering, Resolute, Hypoxic
• D-Tier: Immovable, Garde Pardue, Rojima, Chromatic

S-Tier Traits (Best Choices)

• Resourceful – Boosts stamina regeneration; reliable for every build.
• Hot-Headed – Stronger parry stun and flashy red animation, but drains stamina when blocking.
• Proficient – Blue parry animation, extra parry frames, but punishes missed parries.
• Coldness – Your grips can’t be canceled unless you’re ragdolled; dominant in PvP.

A-Tier Traits

• Indomitable – Reduces damage taken while staggered, giving safety after mistakes.
• Paranoid – Lower damage outside permadeath events but higher inside them.
• Methodical – Faster grip time, making it easier to finish opponents.
• Energetic – Lowers emotion thresholds, letting you activate them more often.
• Steadfast – Reduces specific incoming damage, solid for defense.

B-Tier Traits

• Agile – Improves dash i-frames but adds longer cooldowns; great for mobility users.
• Bizarre – Purple parry with faster cooldowns but smaller parry window.
• Calm – Blocks use less stamina but punishes failed parries.
• Unpredictable – Increases shin proc damage but lowers proc frequency.
• Reactive – Shorter ragdoll cancel cooldown but higher stamina cost.

C-Tier Traits

• Manical – Better stamina recovery on parry but worse sanity regen.
• Shimmering – Gain extra Light when parrying guardbreaks; niche but situationally useful.
• Resolute – Lower speed penalty at low HP; helps with clutch escapes.
• Hypoxic – High HP regen but very poor stamina regen, making it risky.

D-Tier Traits (Lowest Value)

• Immovable – Removes knockback on parries but leaves you open to punishment.
• Garde Pardue – Reduces food penalties; has no real combat use.
• Rojima – Rats ignore you unless attacked; useful only for early-game grinding.
• Chromatic – Visual-only aura and cosmetic changes; no gameplay advantage.

Traits play a major role in shaping how your build feels in Archived. While some traits like Resourceful and Coldness can carry you in both PvE and PvP, others are more situational or even purely cosmetic. Always consider your playstyle when choosing traits, and don’t be afraid to reroll with Golden Boughs or Mirror Shards until you get the perfect setup.