Nanami in Punishing: Gray Raven stands out not just as a tank or a frontline brawler, but as a character full of personality, unique abilities, and mechanical charm. As a member of the Gray Raven unit, Nanami brings more than just raw strength to combat she embodies resilience, playfulness, and an unexpectedly deep lore that adds dimension to the dystopian world of Punishing: Gray Raven. For players looking to master her combat style or simply understand what makes her special, Nanami offers a diverse experience across her different frames. Whether you’re using her for defensive strategy, support play, or damage output, there’s a version of Nanami fit for every squad configuration.
Who Is Nanami in Punishing: Gray Raven?
Character Background and Personality
Nanami is a Construct with a unique twist she has an eccentric, childlike personality that masks her formidable combat capabilities. Built with a tank-class body, she uses a massive chainsaw-like weapon in most of her frames and excels at close-range combat. Despite her cheery disposition and seemingly playful nature, she is deeply loyal and dependable, always watching over her teammates in the Gray Raven team. Her joyful and often mischievous behavior adds comic relief, but beneath that exterior is a fighter who has seen conflict and trauma.
Lore Significance
Nanami’s backstory ties closely into the central themes of Punishing: Gray Raven humanity, consciousness, and identity in the face of mechanical evolution. As a Construct, Nanami has preserved her consciousness through data transfer, but her emotional intelligence and curiosity about the world make her far more human than many give her credit for. She also plays a key narrative role in several story arcs, where her sense of justice and protectiveness toward allies takes center stage.
Nanami’s Frames and Combat Styles
Nanami: Pulse
This is Nanami’s starting frame, and it introduces players to her tank-focused playstyle. Nanami: Pulse uses a large, gear-like weapon and relies on defense and crowd control. She can pull enemies toward her with magnetic fields and create zones of safety for allies. Her abilities include:
- Red Orb: Spins her weapon forward, damaging all enemies in a line.
- Blue Orb: Creates a magnetic pull, drawing enemies inward.
- Yellow Orb: Activates a barrier, reducing incoming damage for a short period.
Nanami: Pulse is ideal for players who enjoy taking the frontline role, absorbing hits while controlling enemy placement and supporting the team’s damage dealers.
Nanami: Storm
This frame is an upgrade from her base form and introduces more mobility and electricity-based attacks. Nanami: Storm is less tanky than Pulse but compensates with better agility and elemental effects. Her visual design also becomes more dynamic, showcasing lightning motifs and an upgraded weapon. Key features include:
- Electric chain attacks that bounce between enemies
- Greater combo potential and area-of-effect damage
- Abilities that can stun or paralyze opponents
Nanami: Storm fits better in hybrid compositions where she can flex between defense and offense while applying debuffs.
Nanami: Starfarer
This is Nanami’s latest frame as of the current update, and it represents her most refined form. Starfarer transforms Nanami into a formidable tank with cosmic and energy-themed abilities. Her design is futuristic, with elements resembling a celestial warrior. She can absorb enemy attacks, reflect damage, and generate shields for allies. Standout mechanics include:
- Energy absorption that increases her damage output
- Temporal shields that slow enemy attacks
- High synergy with Constructs that focus on elemental damage
Nanami: Starfarer is best suited for advanced teams looking to create layered defenses and play strategic long battles where survival and positioning matter most.
Tips for Playing Nanami Effectively
Understand Your Role
Nanami is fundamentally a tank, but her variations give her room to specialize in different areas. Pulse is for control and basic defense, Storm adds offense and debuffs, and Starfarer is about advanced shielding and energy tactics. Knowing when to block, when to strike, and when to use support abilities is key to mastering her.
Positioning Matters
As a frontline unit, Nanami needs to stay between enemies and your team’s damage dealers or healers. Her skills often affect an area around her or pull enemies into a centralized location, so staying aware of group formations is essential. She’s most effective when keeping enemy attention away from squishier allies.
Skill Timing and Rotation
Nanami’s effectiveness increases when her orb skills are used in the correct order. Learning to time defensive skills like the Yellow Orb during heavy enemy bursts or initiating combat with a Red Orb spin can give your team a strong advantage. In her advanced frames, chaining her orbs with QTEs from allies can maximize team-wide damage and control.
Synergy with Other Characters
Best Team Compositions
Nanami pairs well with damage-heavy Constructs who rely on someone else to manage crowd control and tanking. Ideal teammates include:
- Lucia: Crimson Abyss A top-tier DPS who can strike freely while Nanami holds aggro
- Lee: Entropy A ranged Construct whose skills can be set up more easily when Nanami locks enemies in place
- Liv: Luminance A strong support unit who can heal and buff Nanami’s already-tanky frame
Coordinated Combat
In co-op or War Zone modes, Nanami becomes a linchpin when coordinated with teammates. Her ability to cluster enemies or reduce damage makes her invaluable during boss fights or swarm stages. The key is communication using her skills to support the entire team rhythmically.
Progression and Upgrades
Investing in Nanami
For players who enjoy tank roles, Nanami is a worthwhile investment. Her shards are relatively accessible compared to rare DPS units, and her core upgrades improve survivability dramatically. Key areas to focus on include:
- Weapon upgrades for damage output
- Memory builds that boost HP, defense, and resistance
- Rank promotions to unlock passive buffs and skill improvements
Best Memory Sets
Each frame benefits from specific memory configurations. For example:
- Pulse: 4 Darwin + 2 Frederick for tanking and debuff resistance
- Storm: 4 Heisen + 2 Gloria to support electric damage and critical boosts
- Starfarer: 4 Shakespeare + 2 Catherine to enhance shields and healing received
Fine-tuning your memory builds allows Nanami to reach her full combat potential across different missions.
Nanami in Punishing: Gray Raven is more than just a cheerful tank she is a versatile Construct who adapts well to multiple roles depending on her frame. From her magnetic pulls to her cosmic defenses, Nanami brings both personality and power to the battlefield. Whether you’re a new player looking for a reliable frontline character or a veteran searching for advanced tank mechanics, Nanami offers a complete and rewarding gameplay experience. With careful upgrades and thoughtful strategy, she can become the heart of your team smiling, spinning, and protecting every step of the way.