The best runes question in Anime Final Quest sounds like it should end with an item name, but Runes do not work that way. Runes are stat enhancers you attach to weapons and armor, and the system is really about the order you spend them in rather than which single Rune you chase.
That makes this page a priority list rather than a shopping list. The right first target depends on how your build deals damage — an ultimate-reliant weapon, a basic-attack grinding setup and a progression push into harder dungeons want different stats fed first — and the supply is limited enough that a wrong pick costs real progress.
Everything here is community-reported. The stat categories are community-tracked, the sources are community-tracked, and anything specific is worth verifying in game before you spend.
The Anime Final Quest Best Runes Priority List
Runes are scarce, and most of them arrive from two places: codes and dungeon rewards. That scarcity is the entire reason a priority order exists. A Rune spent on a stat your build does not convert into damage is a Rune you have to earn all over again, and re-earning is always slower than planning.
| Tier | Stat target | Feed it first when | Hold off when |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Skill damage | Your damage comes from a weapon ultimate | Almost none of your output lands in the burst window |
| A | Resource gain | Your clears stall on uptime rather than raw damage | Your resource bar never empties |
| A | Critical chance | Your damage is steady and you want consistency across a long fight | Gear and traits already push your critical chance high |
| B | Melee output | You play a basic-attack oriented build | Nearly all your damage comes from abilities |
| C | Flat health | One specific encounter keeps ending your runs | You already clear that content comfortably |
Skill damage leads for most late builds, and that is not an accident. Awakening unlocks a weapon ultimate, so the strongest builds in the game are usually built around that burst window, and every point of skill damage multiplies the moment those builds are designed to win with. If your damage does not come from the ultimate, this tier drops for you and melee output takes its place.
Resource gain and critical chance sit together in A because they solve different problems. Resource gain fixes builds that stall between casts. Critical chance fixes builds that clear but feel inconsistent. Feed whichever problem you actually have, and skip the one you do not.
Rune Priority by Build Archetype
Build type matters more than the raw tier of a stat. The same Rune that transforms one account does almost nothing for another, so find your archetype before you spend.
| Build archetype | Feed first | Feed second | Leave for later |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultimate-reliant weapon | Skill damage | Resource gain | Flat health |
| Basic-attack grinder | Melee output | Critical chance | Skill damage |
| Nightmare progression | Flat health or critical chance, whichever fixes your deaths | Skill damage once runs are stable | Nothing is wasted, but speed stats come last |
The ultimate-reliant line is where most players end up, because awakening pushes weapon builds that direction. Basic-attack grinders are the quiet workhorses: they farm steadily and convert melee output directly into throughput. Nightmare progression is the survival line, and it flips the usual order, because a build that dies has no damage at all.
The cross-cutting mistake is spreading thin. Feeding all five stat categories a little means none of them ever reach the level where a clear changes. Finish one priority target before you open a second, even if the second looks tempting in the moment.
Where Runes Come From, and What That Means for Priority
Two sources carry most of the supply for a normal account: codes and dungeon rewards. The current three codes hand out 400 Runes between them, which is a bigger burst than most players expect from a single source, so redeem the live list before you settle into farming. The rune farming breakdown covers the loop side, and the Runes guide explains how Runes attach to weapons and armor in the first place.
Because the supply is finite and front-loaded, the order you spend in decides more than the total you collect. A player who spends 400 Runes on one priority stat will clear more content than a player who spreads the same 400 across five stats, even though they hold identical resources.
Allocation Order: Where Runes Sit in the Upgrade Queue
Runes are one stop in a longer route. The order the community most commonly recommends is: awaken your main weapon, then complete a gear set you will keep, then attach Runes, then reroll traits on spare duplicates.
That placement is deliberate. Awakening changes what your build is, so runing a weapon before you awaken it means targeting stats for a kit that is about to change. Gear comes before Runes because empty slots are missing stats that no Rune can cover. Traits come last because rerolls consume duplicates, which makes them the only step that can destroy value. The awakening guide covers the first step, and the best traits ranking covers the last one.
A practical rule of thumb once you reach the Rune step: if Runes can cover a stat, treat traits as a bonus rather than the plan. Runes are targeted and limited, traits are random and destroyed on reroll, so let the controllable layer carry the load and let the random layer surprise you.
What to Skip
Skipping is part of the plan, not a sign you are under-investing. Skip flat health until a specific fight proves you need it. Skip melee output if your damage arrives through abilities. Skip critical chance if your gear and traits already carry it. Skip anything that duplicates a stat your weapon build does not convert into clears.
The one thing never to skip is the check on what you are building toward. Weapon choice sets the ceiling for every Rune you spend, which is why the weapons tier list and the gear tier list are worth reading before a large batch of Runes goes anywhere.
FAQ
What are the best runes in Anime Final Quest for a fresh account?
Start with skill damage if your damage comes from a weapon ultimate, or melee output if you are grinding with basic attacks. Before either, redeem the live codes, because codes are the fastest Rune injection available and they cost you nothing but a few minutes.
Should I put Runes on my weapon or my armor first?
Feed whichever piece you intend to keep. The recommended upgrade order places a full gear set ahead of Runes, so by the time you are spending Runes you should already know which pieces survive the next upgrade. Runing a piece you plan to replace wastes the scarcest resource you have.
Where do Runes come from?
Codes and dungeon rewards carry most of the supply. The current three codes provide 400 Runes between them, and dungeon rewards keep trickling in as you clear. Exact amounts and drop behavior are community-tracked rather than published, so verify in game.
Do Runes matter more than traits?
They solve the same fight in different ways. Runes are targeted and limited, so they are the layer you control. Traits are random passive rolls that get destroyed on reroll, so they are the layer you accept as a bonus. Treat Runes as the plan and traits as upside.