The Honkai Star Rail has a fantastic ensemble of characters who are ranked across various tiers, with the 5-star characters being among the most powerful. Currently, there are 14 such characters in the game, including the main protagonists, who have two different versions depending on their chosen path - the Path of Destruction or the Path of Preservation.
Each character in Honkai Star Rail possesses unique base stats, defense, and health. Despite all 5-star characters being formidable, some are stronger than others. Nonetheless, the way a character is utilized is crucial in maximizing their potential. Without further delay, here is a ranking of all the 5-star characters in Honkai Star Rail, from weakest to strongest.
10. Trailblazer (Physical)
- Element: Physical
- Path: Destruction
Trailblazer is a distinct character in Honkai Star Rail, akin to Genshin Impact's Traveler. As the primary character, players can choose their name and gender, and select from various elements and paths for Trailblazer, making them adaptable to different situations. Initially, players encounter Physical Trailblazer, who follows The Destruction path. Though players might find this character versatile and helpful at the outset, they will eventually discover that as they obtain more characters of 4-star and 5-star rarities, there are superior options available than Physical Trailblazer. This is due to their damage output being inferior to that of other 5-star characters for both single target and AoE attacks, and their support abilities being limited.
9. Yanqing
- Element: Ice
- Path: Hunt
Yanqing is not a favored choice among players in comparison to other 5-star characters. This is because, like Seele and Dan Heng, he follows The Hunt path, which puts him at a disadvantage. Though Yanqing has the potential to inflict significant single-target damage due to his scaling, he may not be as adaptable to team compositions as he requires frequent shielding and isn't as simple to operate. Nonetheless, being an Ice character, Yanqing can effortlessly freeze multiple opponents, granting the team an edge in terms of damage and turns.
8. Gepard
- Element: Ice
- Path: Preservation
Gepard is a character in Honkai Star Rail who specializes in defense and excels at absorbing damage. His distinct skill of drawing enemies towards him makes him an excellent choice for distracting and diverting enemy attacks away from weaker teammates. Furthermore, Gepard has a potent Ultimate Skill that can create a shield to safeguard his allies from incoming damage.
Being an Ice character, Gepard can also freeze enemies, providing his team with an opportunity to strike and potentially win battles early on. Nevertheless, while characters who can generate a shield are vital early in the game, especially before players can access more powerful healer characters, Gepard faces competition from other characters like March 7, who possess preservation abilities and are also Ice characters, making Gepard less unique in comparison to some others on the list.
7. Clara
- Element: Physical
- Path: Destruction
Similar to Trailblazer, Clara is a Physical damage dealer who follows The Destruction path. Despite ranking in the middle of this list, Clara possesses exceptional damage potential with a single attack, making her particularly effective in battles with multiple enemies due to her AoE attacks. However, her dependence on her Ultimate Skill can hinder her performance with her other skills, requiring a more specific team composition to unleash her full potential, such as teaming her up with a character that can provide her with energy for her Ultimate, like Tingyun. It's crucial not to underestimate Clara's capabilities, as she can be a valuable addition to any team with the right setup.
6. Himeko
- Element: Fire
- Path: Erudition
Himeko stands out as a unique character in Honkai Star Rail, being the only 5-star character with the Erudition path until Jing Yuan's release. This makes Himeko a popular choice among players because of her versatility and ability to deal significant AoE damage with decent single-target potential. Her follow-up attack is particularly noteworthy as it can activate and annihilate enemies, making her great for farming and auto-battle. With the right build and support, Himeko can even become a hyper carry, benefiting from characters like Asta who boost Fire damage. All these factors make her a valuable addition to the early game team.
5. Welt
- Element: Imaginary
- Path: Nihility
Welt's rarity as an Imaginary Element character in Honkai Star Rail makes him a highly desirable and unique character. As a Nihility path follower, Welt can fulfill multiple roles, including being a sub-DPS character and enemy debuffer. His ability to slow down enemies can prove to be highly useful in challenging combat situations. Additionally, Welt is a versatile character who can adapt to various scenarios thanks to his ability to deal both AoE and single-target damage.
4. Trailblazer (Fire)
- Element: Fire
- Path: Preservation
The Fire Trailblazer, unlike the Physical Trailblazer, is a character that can function effectively as both a support and damage dealer. This is due to Trailblazer's ability to generate shields and deal damage, making them quite versatile. One of Trailblazer's special abilities is to taunt all foes, causing them to target him instead of his more vulnerable teammates and lowering the team's overall damage.
Additionally, Trailblazer are a valuable asset in terms of damage output due to their capacity to regenerate skill points when attacked or when using their skills. As many characters heavily rely on their skills for utility or damage, having Trailblazer on the team can greatly improve their performance as a whole.
3. Bailu
- Element: Lightning
- Path: Abundance
Bailu is a helpful member of any team because of her healing skills, which are particularly valuable in the early game when access to healers is limited. Her ability to heal the entire team and revive a teammate once per battle can be a game-changer in difficult fights. However, she doesn't possess strong offensive abilities or other useful skills that may make her less attractive compared to future healer characters that may be introduced in the game.
2. Bronya
- Element: Wind
- Path: Harmony
Bronya's true value may not be immediately obvious in the early game where players tend to prioritize defensive support characters. However, as players start to build their preferred teams with preferred DPS characters, they will begin to appreciate her versatility. Bronya is a flexible character that can increase the team's turn speed and provide crucial buffs like ATK and Crit. This makes her one of the most sought-after standard banner 5-star characters currently available.
1. Seele
- Element: Quantum
- Path: Hunt
Seele, a character that is well-liked among fans of the Honkai franchise, has earned a reputation for her exceptional abilities and distinctive personality. She is a limited-character that players eagerly seek out. Seele excels against a variety of foes thanks to her Hunt path, which enables her to do significant damage to a single target. She also has a special ability that enables her to attack repeatedly after taking down an adversary, making her a fearsome foe with the potential to deal the most single-target damage. Additionally, as a Quantum element character, Seele has the ability to delay enemy actions, providing her and her team with a crucial turn advantage.
>>> Read more: 5 Things Honkai Star Rail Did Better Than Genshin Impact