Stellaris Ascension Perks Tier List [All Ranked]

This list ranks the game’s available Ascension Perks from most potent to weaklings that should be avoided like a black hole. Each Perk’s strategic value, usability, and overall gameplay impact are meticulously evaluated to offer players a comprehensive understanding of which to pursue and which to leave to the cosmic dust.

Before You Start: This Tier is based on “Stellaris: Ultimate Bundle.”

Key Highlights

There’s a total of 30 Ascension Perks in Stellaris Ultimate Bundle.
S-Tier marks the ultimate choice of Perks in Stellaris.
A-Tier contains one of the most powerful perks in the game.
B-Tier consists of average but distinguished perks.
C-Tier consists of perks that are below average and not very much useful.
D-Tier in this Tier List has the worst perks in the game.

Stellaris Ascension Perks Tier List

Perks	Tier	Prerequisites	DLC
Colossus Project	S	Titans technology	Apocalypse
Defender of The Galaxy	S
Become The Crisis	S	Xenophile, Pacifist, Rogue Servitor, Subject, Galatic Sovereign, Minamar Specialized Industries	Nemesis
Mind Over Matter	S	Psionic Theory technology, Teachers of the Shroud origin, Gestalt Consciousness Psionics	Utopia
Technological Ascendancy	S	Machine Intelligence
One Vision	S
Executive Vigor	S
Universal Transactions	S	Corporate, Criminal Heritage
Arcology Project	A	Anti-Gravity Engineering technology, Agrarian Idyll, Gestalt Consciousness, Rogue Servitor	MegaCorp
Galactic Contender	A	Communications with a fallen or awakened empire
Master Builders	A	Mega-Engineering Technology	Utopia
The Flesh is Weak	A	Quantum Neuro-Links	Utopia
Shared Destiny	A	Inward Perfection, Genocidal
Terraforming	B
Interstellar Dominion	B
Nihilistic Acquisition	B	Gestalt Consciousness, Authoritarian, Xenophobe, Barbaric Despoilers, Minamar Specialized Industries
Engineered Evolution	B	Gene Tailoring technology, Teachers of the Shroud origin, Machine Intelligence	Utopia
Voidborn	B	Orbital Habitats technology	Utopia
Xeno-Compatability	C
Synthetic Evolution	C	Synthetics technology, Teachers of the Shroud origin, Gestalt Consciousness	Utopia
Mastery of Nature	C
Galactic Force	C
Grasp the Void	C
Lord of War	C		Overlord
Imperial Prerogative	D	Corporate
Transcendent Learning	D
Eternal Vigilance	D	Star Fortress technology
Enigmatic Engineering	D		Apocalypse
Detox	D	Climate Restoration technology

Enter the vast universe of Stellaris, where empires rise and fall with each passing moment. Ascension perks, one of the most critical aspects of the game, allow players to customize their civilization by unlocking powerful bonuses that can make or break their success.

S Tier

Starting from the best perks in the game, S Tier perks in Tier List are the ultimate best choices for the players. These perks have the capability of single-handedly influencing all aspects of the gameplay.

Perk	Pros	Cons
Colossus Project	Unlocks powerful World Cracker ship and Titans, helps with endgame lag mitigation	Requires significant investment of resources and time, may not suit peaceful playstyles, negative consequences on diplomacy and ethics due to planet destruction
Defender Of The Galaxy	Provides significant damage boost against endgame crises and opinion boost from all empires	Not useful if endgame crisis is not close, doesn’t directly benefit empire’s power or expansion
Become The Crisis	Unlocks a different game path where you become the ultimate villain, build a galaxy-wiping machine	Difficulty forming alliances, becomes target for other empires, may not suit diplomatic playstyles
Mind Over Matter	Unlocks Psionic Ascension Path with powerful abilities and bonuses, grants access to Shroud, immortal “chosen one” leader	Locked into path choice, benefits not immediately impactful,
Technological Ascendancy	10% boost to research speed, increased chance of finding rare technologies, great for early-game tech progression	May not suit specific strategies, not as beneficial for certain builds
One Vision	Early-game boost with monthly unity, reduced pop amenities usage, and increased governing ethics attraction, helps stabilize factions and prevent faction problems	May not be as powerful late-game, requires early investment in unity buildings and traditions
Executive Vigor	Instant boost to Edict fund with +100 Edict capacity, allows for multiple active Edicts in early game	Falls off and can be underwhelming in later stages of game
Universal Transactions	Reduced branch office costs and free commercial pacts for MegaCorp players	Only useful for MegaCorp players, limited usefulness for other empire types, benefits limited beyond reduced branch office costs and free commercial pacts

A Tier

These perks may be better, but they can change the game altogether. A Tier in Stellaris Ascension Perks contains bonuses that can give tough competition to others.

Perk	Pros	Cons
Arcology Project	Enables construction of ecumenopolis, helps expand empire without acquiring additional planets, significant resource production and reduced housing needs	Requires significant investment of resources and time, may not suit broad build strategies
Galactic Wonders	Access to massive sci-fi megastructures like Ring Worlds and Dyson Spheres, impressive additions to empire, significant energy and mineral output	Requires significant investment of time and resources, benefits may not be immediately useful
Galactic Contender	Provides bonuses in diplomatic weight and damage against specific enemies, situational usefulness	Limited impact on gameplay outside specific scenarios
Master Builders	Significant boost to Megastructure build speed and capacity, faster construction, ability to build multiple megastructures simultaneously	Benefits players focusing on building megastructures, no immediate benefits, requires investment to take advantage of the boost
The Flesh is Weak	Cybernetic Ascension Path, unlocks bonuses for turning population into cyborgs, habitability and leader lifespan bonuses, bonus output from cyborgs	Locked into the Cybernetic Ascension Path once chosen, starting cybernetic bonuses may not be impressive
Shared Destiny	Provides envoys and loyalty bonuses for Overlords, improves relationships with other empires, ideal for empires with many subjects	Only useful for empires with subjects, not beneficial for all playstyles

B Tier

Falling under the A Tier Perks in Stellaris Ascension, these perks are the average perks. A lot can be achieved if these perks are put into use properly.

Stellaris Perks Tier List — Ascension Perks B Tier

Perk	Pros	Cons
Terraforming	Provides flexibility in customizing worlds, powerful tool for expanding resources, allows creation of specialized worlds	Requires significant resources and time investment, some options may not be useful, not a top priority for military-focused economies
Interstellar Dominion	Reduces influence cost of building starbases and making claims, helpful for expansion-focused playstyles	Not useful for empires not relying on building starbases, other perks may provide more significant benefits
Nihilistic Acquisition	Unlocks raiding bombardment stance, allows abduction of enemy pops, can weaken enemy empires	Situational and may not be helpful in every game, can damage relationships with other empires, requires specific playstyle
Engineered Evolution	Allows creation of specialized clones and tailored species traits, high population growth potential, unique gameplay	Restricted to Biological Ascension Path, time-consuming and micromanage-heavy, may not be as impactful in combat as other perks
Voidborn	Boosts habitat habitability and building slots, useful for empires relying on habitats for expansion	Not useful for empires focusing on colonizing planets, other perks may offer more immediate benefits in terms of military or economic power

C Tier

Here are the below-average perks of this Stellaris Ascension Tier List. These are not very special, but they can still do some good things when used correctly.

Perk	Pros	Cons
Xeno-Compatibility	Allows customizing species, leads to diverse populations	Can cause significant mid-late game lag, benefits not immediately impactful, not recommended for low-end systems
Synthetic Evolution	Strong resource output potential, significant bonuses for synthetic pops	Requires unlocking Synthetics technology, benefits may not be as impactful compared to other paths, irreversible choice
Mastery of Nature	Quicker development of planets with blockers, saves resources	Only useful for empires with many blockers, limited applicability
Galactic Force	Provides temporary boost to naval capacity and fleet command limit	Temporary bonus, occupies an ascension perk slot
Grasp Of The Void	Increases starbase capacity, improves defense and repair capabilities	No direct combat bonuses, not ideal for military expansion
Lord Of War	Provides diplomatic weight bonuses based on fleet power, useful in federations and voting scenarios	Very situational, not suitable for all playstyles, occupies an ascension perk slot

D Tier

Now is the turn for the worst perks in our Stellaris Ascension in my tier list. They may need to be more helpful, but the pros of these perks will state all the possible benefits you’ll get from them.

Perk	Pros	Cons
Imperial Prerogative	Can be helpful for small empires struggling for resources	Short-lived perk, not beneficial for larger empires
Transcendent Learning	Increases leader level cap and experience gain	Not as impactful for overall game strategy, better suited for role-playing
Eternal Vigilance	Helps with starbase defense capabilities	Generally not optimal, upgrading defenses can be expensive and time-consuming
Enigmatic Engineering	Allows research of enigmatic tech	Bonuses provided may not be very helpful or impactful
Detox	Transforms toxic worlds into habitable ones	Situational and only affects a small number of planets, occupies an ascension perk slot

Tier List Criteria

With each completed tradition tree, players will unlock a coveted slot for an ascension perk. These slots are limited, and choosing the right bonus for your empire can mean the difference between dominance and obscurity. Players can choose paths from an endless collection, so thinking carefully before going on a particular route is essential.

This tier list has been divided into five standard tiers (S to D) for ranking the perks. Selection of each bonus at any level will be justified by comparing their advantages and disadvantages.

Tier List Perks
S Tier	Colossus Project, Defender of The Galaxy, Become The Crisis, Mind Over Matter, Technological Ascendancy, One Vision, Executive Vigor, Universal Transactions
A Tier	Arcology Project, Galactic Wonders, Galactic Contender, Master Builders, The Flesh is Weak, Shared Destiny
B Tier	Terraforming, Interstellar Dominion, Nihilistic Acquisition, Engineered Evolution, Voidborn
C Tier	Xeno-Compatability, Synthetic Evolution, Mastery of Nature, Galactic Force, Grasp of the Void, Lord of War
D Tier	Imperial Prerogative, Transcendent Learning, Eternal Vigilance, Enigmatic Engineering, Detox