Defense, abbreviated in-game as DEF, is a measure of how much incoming damage to a character or enemy is reduced.
The higher the defense, the less damage is taken from attacks. Defense can be modified by:
- raising your character level
- equipping artifacts or weapons that provide DEF or DEF% attributes
- certain character talents or constellations
- food items that provide a temporary defense boost when consumed
- other environmental factors such as Infusion Stones
Defense is calculated as:
For both characters and enemies, defense reduces incoming damage based on this formula:[1]
The incoming damage will then be multiplied by
Enemy Defense

Defense Multiplier (%) vs Attacker's level for a Lv. 10 (blue) and Lv. 90 (red) defender.
In both cases damage is halved (50%) relative to attack power when attacker and defender levels are equal [any DEF reduction ignored]
Characters have defense attributes based on their base stats, levels, weapons, artifacts, and any buffs (e.g. Food).
Enemy defense is given as:
Defense reduces incoming damage, but its effectiveness is dependent on the attacker's level:[2]
- In general this means that damage received is half (50%) of the attack power (also Incoming Damage used in the equations) at equal foe levels.
- The change in damage due to differences in level is relatively small, less than a 10% relative difference for a level difference of 20 (and far less at high levels).
For enemies with debuffed defense:
- The key difference of skills that decrease or reduce defense to the skills that ignored defense is that the former changes the actual attribute's values, increasing all damage that factors in defense while the latter is only applicable to a specific skill/attack of the character that triggers it. As of Version 2.5, only Raiden Shogun's C2 - Steelbreaker and Yae Miko's C6 - Forbidden Art: Daisesshou currently possess this effect.
Intermediate Equations |
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The DEF Multiplier formula from above: Given the expression for damage reduction as:
Plug in enemy defense to produce the damage reduction for enemies:
![]() Damage received vs. Defense reduction (at equal foe and character levels). To consider debuffs that decrease an enemy's defense, multiply the enemy defense accordingly.
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Character Ascensions
1 Character has DEF as their ascension stat:
Character | DEF (Lv. 90) |
---|---|
30.0% |
Increasing Character Defense
Talents
4 Talents match the category selection:
Character | Name | Description | Type |
---|---|---|---|
After using Juuga: Forward Unto Victory, all nearby party members' DEF is increased by 25% for 12s. | 1st Ascension Passive | ||
Sharp frost, swift blade. Press Slashes swiftly, dealing Cryo DMG. When it hits an opponent, Eula gains a stack of Grimheart that stacks up to 2 times. These stacks can only be gained once every 0.3s. Grimheart Increases Eula's resistance to interruption and DEF. Hold Wielding her sword, Eula consumes all the stacks of Grimheart and lashes forward, dealing AoE Cryo DMG to opponents in front of her. If Grimheart stacks are consumed, surrounding opponents will have their Physical RES and Cryo RES decreased. Each consumed stack of Grimheart will be converted into an Icewhirl Brand that deals Cryo DMG to nearby opponents. |
Elemental Skill | ||
Deals AoE Geo DMG and sets up a General's War Banner. General's War Banner Provides up to 3 buffs to active characters within the skill's AoE based on the number of Geo characters in the party at the time of casting:
Gorou can deploy only 1 General's War Banner on the field at any one time. |
Elemental Skill | ||
Displaying his valor as a general, Gorou deals Aoe Geo DMG and creates a field known as General's Glory to embolden his comrades. General's Glory This field has the following properties:
If a General's War banner created by Gorou currently exists on the field when his ability is used, it will be destroyed. In addition, for the duration of General's Glory, Gorou's Elemental Skill "Inazuka All-Round Defense" will not create the General's War Banner. |
Elemental Burst |
Constellations
4 Constellations match the category selection:
Character | Name | Description | Level |
---|---|---|---|
When the Raging Oni King state caused by Royal Descent: Behold, Itto the Evil! ends, all nearby party members gain 20% DEF and 20% ATK for 10s. | 4 | ||
Holding Violet Arc has the following effects:
|
2 | ||
When Xiao's HP falls below 50%, he gains a 100% DEF Bonus. | 4 | ||
When Yun Jin triggers the Crystallize Reaction, her DEF is increased by 20% for 12s. | 4 |
Artifacts
3 Artifact Sets match the category selection:
Set | Rarity | Pieces | Bonuses |
---|---|---|---|
Lucky Dog | 1-3★ | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
2 Piece: DEF increased by 100. 4 Piece: Picking up Mora restores 300 HP. |
Defender's Will | 3-4★ | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
2 Piece: DEF +30% 4 Piece: For each different element present in your own party, the wearer's Elemental RES to that corresponding element is increased by 30%. |
Husk of Opulent Dreams | 4-5★ | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
2 Piece: DEF +30% 4 Piece: A character equipped with this Artifact set will obtain the Curiosity effect in the following conditions: When on the field, the character gains 1 stack after hitting an opponent with a Geo attack, triggering a maximum of once every 0.3s. When off the field, the character gains 1 stack every 3s. Curiosity can stack up to 4 times, each providing 6% DEF and a 6% Geo DMG Bonus. When 6 seconds pass without gaining a Curiosity stack, 1 stack is lost. |
Weapons
Substat
4 weapons match the category selection:
Icon | Name | Rarity | Base ATK (Lv. 90) | 2nd Stat (Lv. 90) | Passive Ability |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Cinnabar Spindle | ![]() |
41 (454) |
DEF 15% (69.0%) |
Spotless Heart Elemental Skill DMG is increased by 40~80% of DEF. The effect will be triggered no more than once every 1.5s and will be cleared 0.1s after the Elemental Skill deals DMG. |
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Whiteblind | ![]() |
42 (510) |
DEF 11.3% (51.7%) |
Infusion Blade On hit, Normal or Charged Attacks increase ATK and DEF by 6~12% for 6s. Max 4 stacks (24~48% total). Can only occur once every 0.5s. |
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Traveler's Handy Sword | ![]() |
40 (448) |
DEF 6.4% (27.5%) |
Journey Each Elemental Orb or Particle collected restores 1~2% HP. |
![]() |
White Iron Greatsword | ![]() |
39 (401) |
DEF 9.6% (43.9%) |
Cull the Weak Defeating an opponent restores 8~16% HP. |
Passive
4 weapons match the category selection:
Icon | Name | Rarity | Base ATK (Lv. 90) | 2nd Stat (Lv. 90) | Passive Ability |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Redhorn Stonethresher | ![]() |
44 (542) |
CRIT DMG 19.2% (88.2%) |
Gokadaiou Otogibanashi DEF is increased by 28~56%. Normal and Charged Attack DMG is increased by 40~80% of DEF. |
![]() |
Deathmatch | ![]() |
41 (454) |
CRIT Rate 8% (36.8%) |
Gladiator If there are at least 2 opponents nearby, ATK is increased by 16~32% and DEF is increased by 16~32%. If there are fewer than 2 opponents nearby, ATK is increased by 24~48%. |
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Prototype Rancour | ![]() |
44 (565) |
Physical DMG Bonus 7.5% (34.5%) |
Smashed Stone On hit, Normal or Charged Attacks increase ATK and DEF by 4~8% for 6s. Max 4 stacks. Can only occur once every 0.3s. |
![]() |
Whiteblind | ![]() |
42 (510) |
DEF 11.3% (51.7%) |
Infusion Blade On hit, Normal or Charged Attacks increase ATK and DEF by 6~12% for 6s. Max 4 stacks (24~48% total). Can only occur once every 0.5s. |
Food
No Food match the category selection.
Increasing Party Defense
Talents
3 Talents match the category selection:
Character | Name | Description | Type |
---|---|---|---|
After using Juuga: Forward Unto Victory, all nearby party members' DEF is increased by 25% for 12s. | 1st Ascension Passive | ||
Deals AoE Geo DMG and sets up a General's War Banner. General's War Banner Provides up to 3 buffs to active characters within the skill's AoE based on the number of Geo characters in the party at the time of casting:
Gorou can deploy only 1 General's War Banner on the field at any one time. |
Elemental Skill | ||
Displaying his valor as a general, Gorou deals Aoe Geo DMG and creates a field known as General's Glory to embolden his comrades. General's Glory This field has the following properties:
If a General's War banner created by Gorou currently exists on the field when his ability is used, it will be destroyed. In addition, for the duration of General's Glory, Gorou's Elemental Skill "Inazuka All-Round Defense" will not create the General's War Banner. |
Elemental Burst |
Constellations
1 Constellations match the category selection:
Character | Name | Description | Level |
---|---|---|---|
When the Raging Oni King state caused by Royal Descent: Behold, Itto the Evil! ends, all nearby party members gain 20% DEF and 20% ATK for 10s. | 4 |
Scaling with Character's Defense
Talents
These talents scale with the character's DEF. 12 Talents match the category selection:
Character | Name | Description | Type |
---|---|---|---|
Gorou receives the following DMG Bonuses to his attacks based on his DEF:
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4th Ascension Passive | ||
Albedo creates a Solar Isotoma using alchemy, which deals AoE Geo DMG on appearance. Solar Isotoma has the following properties:
Hold to designate the location of the skill. |
Elemental Skill | ||
Arataki Kesagiri DMG is increased by 35% of Arataki Itto's DEF. | 4th Ascension Passive | ||
The Normal Attack DMG Bonus granted by Flying Cloud Flag Formation is further increased by 2.5%/5%/7.5%/11.5% of Yun Jin's DEF when the party contains characters of 1/2/3/4 Elemental Types, respectively. | 4th Ascension Passive | ||
Summons protective stone armor, dealing Geo DMG to surrounding opponents and creating a shield. The shield's DMG Absorption scales based on Noelle's DEF. The shield has the following properties:
The amount of HP healed when regeneration is triggered scales based on Noelle's DEF. |
Elemental Skill | ||
Deals AoE Geo DMG and grants all nearby party members a Flying Cloud Flag Formation. Flying Cloud Flag Formation When Normal Attack DMG is dealt to opponents, Bonus DMG will be dealt based on Yun Jin's current DEF. The effects of this skill will be cleared after a set duration or after being triggered a specific number of times. When one Normal Attack hits multiple opponents, the effect is triggered multiple times according to the number of opponents hit. The number of times that the effect is triggered is counted independently for each member of the party with Flying Cloud Flag Formation. |
Elemental Burst | ||
When Noelle is in the party but not on the field, this ability triggers automatically when your active character's HP falls below 30%: Creates a shield for your active character that lasts for 20s and absorbs DMG equal to 400% of Noelle's DEF. The shield has a 150% DMG Absorption effectiveness against all Elemental and Physical DMG. This effect can only occur once every 60s. |
1st Ascension Passive | ||
Displaying his valor as a general, Gorou deals Aoe Geo DMG and creates a field known as General's Glory to embolden his comrades. General's Glory This field has the following properties:
If a General's War banner created by Gorou currently exists on the field when his ability is used, it will be destroyed. In addition, for the duration of General's Glory, Gorou's Elemental Skill "Inazuka All-Round Defense" will not create the General's War Banner. |
Elemental Burst | ||
Ms. Yun may just be acting out fights on stage, but her skills with the spear are real enough to defend against her foes. Press Flourishes her polearm in a cloud-grasping stance, dealing Geo DMG. Hold Takes up the Opening Flourish stance and charges up, forming a shield. DMG Absorption is based on Yun Jin's Max HP and has 150% effectiveness against all Elemental DMG and Physical DMG. The shield lasts until she finishes unleashing her Elemental Skill. When the skill is released, when its duration ends, or when the shield breaks, Yun Jin will unleash the charged energy as an attack, dealing Geo DMG. Based on the time spent charging, it will either unleash an attack at Charge Level 1 or Level 2. |
Elemental Skill | ||
Time to show 'em the might of the Arataki Gang! For a time, Itto lets out his inner Raging Oni King, wielding his Oni King's Kanabou in battle. This state has the following special properties:
The Raging Oni King state will be cleared when Itto leaves the field. |
Elemental Burst | ||
Xinyan brandishes her instrument, dealing Pyro DMG on nearby opponents, forming a shield made out of her audience's passion. The shield's DMG Absorption scales based on Xinyan's DEF and on the number of opponents hit.
The shield has the following special properties:
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Elemental Skill | ||
Gathering the strength of stone around her weapon, Noelle strikes the opponents surrounding her within a large AoE, dealing Geo DMG. Afterwards, Noelle gains the following effects:
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Elemental Burst |
Constellations
4 Constellations match the category selection:
Character | Name | Description | Level |
---|---|---|---|
Transient Blossoms generated by Abiogenesis: Solar Isotoma grant Albedo Fatal Reckoning for 30s:
|
2 | ||
Sweeping Time increases Noelle's ATK by an additional 50% of her DEF. Additionally, every opponent defeated during the skill's duration adds 1s to the duration, up to 10s. |
6 | ||
Decreases the Stamina Consumption of Xinyan's Charged Attacks by 30%. Additionally, Xinyan's Charged Attacks gain an ATK Bonus equal to 50% of her DEF. | 6 | ||
When Yun Jin triggers the Crystallize Reaction, her DEF is increased by 20% for 12s. | 4 |
Enemy Defense Modifiers
Decreasing Enemy Defense
Enemy defense can be affected by various abilities:
Talents
1 Talent matches the category selection:
Character | Name | Description | Type |
---|---|---|---|
Opponents hit by Lightning Rose have their DEF decreased by 15% for 10s. | 4th Ascension Passive |
Constellations
3 Constellations match the category selection:
Character | Name | Description | Level |
---|---|---|---|
Opponents damaged by Kamisato Art: Soumetsu's Frostflake Seki no To will have their DEF decreased by 30% for 6s. | 4 | ||
Being hit by Jumpy Dumpty's mines decreases opponents' DEF by 23% for 10s. | 2 | ||
When casting Claw and Thunder (Press), opponents hit will have their DEF decreased by 15% for 7s. | 4 |
Ignoring Enemy Defense
Constellations
2 Constellations match the category selection:
Character | Name | Description | Level |
---|---|---|---|
While using Musou no Hitotachi and in the Musou Isshin state applied by Secret Art: Musou Shinsetsu, the Raiden Shogun's attacks ignore 60% of opponents's DEF. | 2 | ||
The Sesshou Sakura's attacks will ignore 60% of the opponent's DEF. | 6 |
Increasing Enemy Defense
Enemy Defense can be increased via Cryo Infusion Stones.
Other Languages
Language | Official Name | Literal Meaning |
---|---|---|
English | DEF | — |
Chinese (Simplified) |
防御力 Fángyù-lì |
Defensive Power |
Chinese (Traditional) |
防禦力 Fángyù-lì |
|
Japanese | 防御力 Bougyo-ryoku[!] |
Defensive Power |
Korean | 방어력 Bang'eo-ryeok |
Defensive Power |
Spanish | DEF | DEF |
French | DÉF | DEF |
Russian | Защита Zashchita |
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Thai | พลังป้องกัน |
|
Vietnamese | Phòng Ngự | Defense |
German | VTD | DEF |
Indonesian | DEF | — |
Portuguese | DEF | DEF |
References
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