Fastest Way to Level Up & Unlock All Content

Fastest Way to Level Up & Unlock All Content

Leveling in Anime Defenders feels slow if you're doing it wrong. Most players just replay whatever stage they last cleared and wonder why it takes a week to hit Level 30. There's a much faster way.

This guide breaks down the optimal leveling route, the XP values that actually matter, and the AFK setups that let you grind while doing literally anything else.

How XP Works (The Numbers)

Every activity in Anime Defenders awards XP, but the amounts vary wildly:

Notice something? Stage 4-7 has the best XP-per-minute ratio in the game for pure leveling. It's a short stage with dense enemy waves and a relatively easy boss. Until you can reliably push Infinite Mode past Wave 80, Stage 4-7 is your best friend.

Pro Tip: Stage 5-3 gives less XP/minute than 4-7 despite being a harder stage. A lot of players assume "harder = more XP" — it doesn't work that way. The game rewards stage completion speed, not difficulty.

The Optimal Leveling Route

Level 1-8: Story Push (30 minutes)

Just clear Story Mode stages in order. Don't replay anything yet.

• Stages 1-1 through 2-3 get you to Level 8
• Milestone: Level 8 unlocks Code Redemption — stop and redeem every active code immediately. Check Anime Defenders Codes

Level 8-15: Story Push Continued (1-2 hours)

• Continue clearing Story Mode through Chapter 3
• Stage 3-5 is a difficulty spike. If you're stuck, replay 2-5 a few times for XP and Gold
• Milestone: Level 10 unlocks Daily Missions — start doing these EVERY DAY
• Milestone: Level 12 unlocks Infinite Mode — don't touch it yet, your units aren't ready

Level 15-30: Stage 4-7 Farm (2-3 days)

This is the grind phase. Here's the setup:

1. Clear Story Mode through Stage 4-7
2. Set up your best 3 units on Stage 4-7 (positioning guide below)
3. Repeat. Every clear gives 520 XP and takes ~7 minutes
4. You need roughly 45 clears to go from Level 15 to Level 30

• Milestone: Level 20 unlocks Trait Rolling — immediately roll traits on your best DPS unit
• Milestone: Level 25 unlocks the Trading Post — but you can't trade until Level 90, so ignore it for now

Warning: Don't switch to Infinite Mode farming before Level 30. Your units won't have enough upgrades to reach Wave 50 consistently, and failing at Wave 25 gives worse XP than a clean Stage 4-7 clear.

Level 30-50: Infinite Mode Transition (1-2 weeks)

Once you have a solid team (at least one SSS unit with a decent trait), start mixing Infinite Mode into your routine:

• Morning: Complete all 5 daily missions (1,000 XP, 150 Gems)
• Afternoon: 3-4 Stage 4-7 runs (~2,100 XP)
• Evening: 1-2 Infinite Mode pushes, aim for Wave 50+ (2,800+ XP)

This gives you roughly 6,000 XP per day. Level 30 to 50 requires about 90,000 XP total, so expect 2 weeks of consistent play.

• Milestone: Level 35 unlocks Hard Mode stages — great for Gem farming, covered below
• Milestone: Level 40 unlocks Relic Crafting — start saving Relic Shards now
• Milestone: Level 50 unlocks the full Trait system — all trait types become available

Level 50-90: Long Haul (3-6 weeks)

The XP requirements get steep here. Each level from 50-90 needs approximately 8,000-15,000 XP. Your best strategy:

1. Dailies every day (non-negotiable, 1,000 XP + 150 Gems)
2. Push Infinite Mode as deep as possible — Wave 80+ gives 2,800 XP per run
3. Use AFK farming setup (detailed below) during overnight or work hours
4. Weekly events give bonus XP — always participate, even if the rewards look mediocre

• Milestone: Level 60 unlocks Nightmare stages — hardest PvE content, incredible rewards
• Milestone: Level 75 unlocks Clan features — join an active clan for bonus XP and weekly Gems
• Milestone: Level 90 unlocks Trading — you can finally trade units with other players

Pro Tip: Between Level 70-90, the most efficient XP source is actually Nightmare Stage 1. It gives 1,200 XP per clear in about 10 minutes (120 XP/min), which beats everything else. But you need a stacked team to clear it consistently.

AFK Farming Setup

Anime Defenders doesn't have a built-in AFK mode, but you can set up runs that require zero interaction:

Stage 4-7 AFK Setup:

1. Place Celestial Qi Master at the center crossroads
2. Place your main DPS unit (Shadow Dragon, Storm Titan) adjacent to it
3. Place Frost Empress at the path entrance for slow coverage
4. Start the stage and leave it running
5. Your team should auto-clear in 7-8 minutes
6. You'll need to restart manually after each clear (no auto-repeat unfortunately)

Infinite Mode AFK Setup (Wave 30-40 farm):

1. Use the same positioning as above but add Lava Admiral for AoE
2. This setup reliably AFKs to about Wave 35-40 before leaking
3. Gives 600-800 XP per run with zero input after the initial setup

Warning: AFK farming in Infinite Mode kicks you after 5 minutes of no input. You need to tap the screen at least once every 4 minutes to avoid the idle disconnect. Some players use an auto-clicker, but that's technically against Roblox TOS — do so at your own risk.

Maximizing Gem Income While Leveling

Leveling is great, but Gems are what actually power your account. Here's how to maximize both simultaneously:

A free-to-play player doing everything right earns about 1,500-2,000 Gems per week. That's pity on a banner every 2 weeks, which is actually very generous compared to most gacha-style games.

Pro Tip: Hard Mode stages are the most overlooked Gem source in the game. 10 stages at 50 Gems each, plus they give solid XP. Most players forget Hard Mode exists after unlocking it. Don't be that player.

Milestone Unlock Summary

Focus on hitting Level 8, then Level 20, then Level 50. Those are the biggest power spikes. Everything else is nice to have but not urgent.

For team building advice as you unlock better units along the way, check our Best Units Guide.