Honkai: Nexus Anima Guides

Beginner's Executive Summary

HNA has two gacha banners: Eidos (characters that buff your team and periodically cast special skills) and Nexus Anima (the pets that fight for you). Both are split into Aspects (similar to elements) and rarity tiers, with 5-stars being the strongest and the primary target of gacha banners.

Nexus Anima of the same Aspect gain synergy bonuses when deployed together, and Eidos of that same Aspect further buff those units. Each Nexus Anima also has a type — Protectors and Explorers are your frontline, Blasters and Masterminds deal damage, and Mascots support the team.

Team Building

Building a strong team in Honkai: Nexus Anima often starts with a solid frontline. Consider picking a Protector first — your backline can fall apart quickly if your front collapses early. From there, try building around your Eidos' Aspect (e.g. Memory, Dark) to activate synergy bonuses, then look to fill in damage dealers (Blasters, Masterminds) and round out your last slot with a Healer for sustain.

Key Principles

• Frontline first — consider anchoring your comp with a tanky Protector before adding DPS.
• Match Aspects to your Eidos — units sharing your Eidos' Aspect can get buffed; try to activate Aspect combos where possible.
• Positioning matters — placing squishier units away from danger tends to help; certain Aspect synergies also modify specific hex tiles to offer cool bonuses (try placing 3 Dark units or 1 Strength unit on the Team Planner and see the hex interactions).
• You don't necessarily need all 5-stars — 4-star Eidos/Nexus Anima can work well; synergy and smart team building beats unsynergetic full 5-star rarity team comps.
• Adapt per mode — endgame content (Riddles) can reward swapping even one unit to better match the encounter or in some cases having another standby team that is of a different aspect/strategy.
• F2P friendly — it's very possible to clear the hardest content without perfect Eidos synergy or whale rosters.

Plan Your Team

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Gacha System

Is HNA F2P Friendly?

• Endgame is clearable as F2P — content like Riddles can be completed without a full 5-star roster. A small, well-built team is enough.
• Many 5-star Nexus Anima are free — you can obtain them from exploring the overworld, events, and progression rewards.
• DPS isn't locked behind 5-stars — damage dealers exist across 3, 4, and 5-star rarities, although 5-stars do have much better base stats and kits in general.
• Multiple copies are nice, not required — base copies are fully functional for clearing content.

How the Gacha Works

• Two separate banners — Eidos (characters/cards) and Nexus Anima (pets/units).
• Eidos are the main gacha focus — they dictate and boost your team's Aspect synergies, strongly shaping how you play.
• Nexus Anima banner adds variety — 4-star pets are farmable in the overworld, so pulling here is optional. Additional copies from the banner accelerate your collection (see Duplicate Copies below).

Standard vs Limited

• Current characters appear to be all standard — permanently available in the banner pool. Based on other HoYoverse beta test experience (ZZZ, HSR), these are highly probable to remain standard at launch.
• Limited banners expected post-launch — new characters will likely be time-limited and may take a while to return.

Duplicate Copies

• Additional copies unlock bonus abilities — effects like crowd control, anti-heal mechanics, and stronger AoE can unlock at the 2nd or 3rd copy.
• Base copy is fully functional — duplicates enhance your units but don't gate content behind them.
• 3/4-star units need multiple copies — and are easily obtained by catching more Nexus Anima in the overworld or through gacha pulls.
• Aspect synergies encourage mixing rarities — building around 3, 4, and 5-star units together is often optimal for activating synergy bonuses.

Pull Rates

• Rates are likely to change at launch — but generally HoYoverse games settle around 80 pulls for a guaranteed limited 5-star, with every 10 pulls guaranteeing a 4-star.
• F2P can guarantee any character — on average, 2–3 patches of saving will let you guarantee any character, even on the worst luck (hitting hard pity).

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Lore Background

This lore guide is sourced entirely from in-game dialogue with Zero, a mysterious entity who appears to the player early in the game. Zero speaks with knowledge of the player's past, the Old World, and the forces that shape the 81 planes.

All quotes below are taken directly from Zero's dialogue. Nothing has been summarized or paraphrased — this is the lore as it was told.

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Who is Zero?

Zero appears as a shadowy figure on the second floor, described as "present, yet otherworldly, as if he's a projection from a distant world, materialized through the plane's walls." He seems to exist between the physical and ethereal — at one point stepping forward and becoming "incredibly real" before stepping back and turning ethereal again.

Zero's name is not truly his name. As he explains:

Zero said: "Zero is not my name, merely a way of putting things to allow you to understand and accept. I go by different names in different planes, to make it easier for others to label me."

He describes himself in cryptic, philosophical terms:

Zero said: "I am the circle. The beginning and the end. I am the period. I am perfection. I am the number that cannot be divided by. The default value of all variables. I am the edge of infinity. I am a meaningless riddle."

Despite his enigmatic nature, Zero is not hostile. He arrived not by choice but by fate:

Zero said: "I didn't plan to meet you here, but the Nexus wills it."

He has traversed many worlds and planes, though even he has not visited them all.

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The Player's Identity

Zero reveals that the player is far more than an ordinary person. The player carries many titles from a previous life:

Zero said: "Worldbender, reconstructor of realms, sundering incarnate."

Zero said: "The Worldender, reconstructor of realms, sundering incarnate. These are all names people once gave the old you. The one who destroyed the world and remade it once more, shattering a single, perfect universe into 81 planes."

The player is, in essence, the being responsible for the Sundering — the cataclysmic event that shattered the original universe. Zero leaves the question of identity open:

Zero said: "As for who you are, that depends. Will you claim or discard the past? The choice is yours. You cannot force the world to accept your choice, but mayhaps neither do you require any approval."

The player's presence draws conflict. Zero describes them as a force of nature:

Zero said: "You. The Sundering Incarnate. You're the Eye of the Storm, drawing everything into your vortex wherever you go."

Zero also reveals that only three beings know the player's real name, and Zero is not among them.

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The Old World

Before the Sundering, there existed a single, unified universe — the Old World. Zero describes it with reverence:

Zero said: "It was a single, complete universe where people shared the same starry sky, breathed the same air, and wielded magic called Aspects. Dragons, humans, fae, and orcs all lived together, ruled by the 39 sovereigns."

The Old World is remembered fondly by those who came after, though Zero notes the irony:

Zero said: "People now call the Old World a Golden Era. One of perfection. One in which all was integrated. But people back then didn't think so. Humans always scorn what they possess, and fail to treasure what they have until they have lost it."

The Old World was far more diverse than the current planes suggest:

Zero said: "The intelligent species of the Old World were not nearly so few. Before the Sundering, all life lived together. And now, the 81 planes separate them."

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The Sundering

The Sundering was the catastrophic event that destroyed the Old World and created the current 81 planes. The player — in a previous life — was responsible for it.

Zero said: "The one who destroyed the world and remade it once more, shattering a single, perfect universe into 81 planes."

The destruction was total before the rebirth:

Zero said: "First, the entire Old World was annihilated, and then reborn. The complete universe no longer existed, having become 81 independent planes, separated from one another."

The Sundering also fractured the answers the player seeks:

Zero said: "The answers you seek were shattered like the world itself, the shards scattered across the planes. Sir Champion holds one of the pieces. As for whether you get it, that depends on the choices you make."

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The 81 Planes

The Sundering created 81 distinct planes, each varying wildly in size and nature.

Zero said: "The 81 planes. A fantastical space where imagination runs wild. Among them are planes vast as the material limb, and others confined, small, and cramped as the trough of dust."

Each plane is tied to an aspect — a form of magic from the Old World. Some planes are far more dangerous than others:

Zero said: "Many planes, like the Lotus Realm, are dangerous. Should you carelessly step in, you will be deceived by illusion, and escape will be most difficult. Planes such as those of Chaos, Evil, and Death should not be entered recklessly, for to do so courts death."

The Material Limb (Aspect: Reality)

Zero said: "It is the plane that represents the aspect of reality. Even among the 81 planes, its size is quite considerable. The plane was the least affected by the sundering of the aspects, and many other aspects remain close to it. This proximity fosters complexity, while shielding it from interference from the more extreme aspects."

The Material Limb has nine continents. Two are named:

Carcassia — The first continent, named for the massive rift within its mountain ranges.

Zero said: "Scientists say the canyon's depths extend to the center of the new world, but none of those brave enough to descend have ever returned."

Lucile — The second continent, where the town of Ea is located.

Zero said: "It is primarily known for having one of the arenas that hosts the Grand Championship."

The Lotus Realm (Aspect: Illusion)

Zero said: "None know what it really looks like, for those who enter become shrouded by the Mirage of Illusion. Every time someone enters the Lotus Realm, a Mirage Lotus blooms, and upon their departure, the flower wilts."

Pontus

Zero said: "Among those I have visited, Pontus is the most majestic. An untamed ocean. Where life grows without limit."

The Changelands

Zero said: "The Changelands, true to their name, change from one moment to the next. The path you tread on but a moment before can become a babbling brook in the blink of an eye, lapping about your ankles."

Other Planes Mentioned

Trail of Trials — "The peak rises above the clouds, and the Trail of Trials never ends."

Hullabaloo — "Millions of voices compose a song in hullabaloo."

Sahaloka — "The crystals in Sahaloka reflect the memories of countless lives."

Esherfold — "I've been to Esherfold, where nothing you see makes an iota of sense."

Snuggie Crib — "I've been to Snuggie Crib, where residents sleep on soft white blankets and dream as though they were infants."

Cornucopia & The Praetor Path — Zero mentioned visiting both but did not elaborate.

Zero said: "Which planes left an impression on me, you ask? All of them. They are wondrous landscapes that the people of the Old World could never have even dreamt of in their wildest dreams."

Zero also hints that the player has allies waiting in certain planes:

Zero said: "Go to the Plains of Order and Death. Two old friends await you there, and they will be most surprised to see you. However, that is not a path you must follow."

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The Sovereigns

The Sovereigns were the 39 rulers of the Old World — human demigods who wielded the power of the Aspects. Each Sovereign governed a pair of opposing aspects.

Zero said: "Ah, the once rulers of the aspects. The human demigods. It's a shame that they've faded into obscurity. Their glory long past."

Known Sovereigns and Their Aspects

Who Was the Most Powerful?

This was a popular debate even in the Old World:

Zero said: "The people then thought that Victus of Order and Chaos and Amstradath of Life and Death were the most powerful, with Kafka of Strength and Weakness and Big Boss Daddy of Profit and Loss close behind. When it came to individual strength, Victus and Chingang of Good and Evil were considered the most powerful. Some proposed Sir Champion of Competition and Cooperation, the masked hero of Courage and Cowardice as well."

The player has personal experience with at least two of them. The player fought both Victus and Sir Champion. Victus nearly killed the player — it was only a deal with Amstradath that saved their life.

Zero said: "All enjoy debating who's the strongest, and the harder the answer is to prove, the more fascinating the conversation becomes."

Zero said: "I do hope you understand that now that the Sovereigns are gone, discussions of who's the most powerful are now little more than rustic tales."

Vanished Sovereigns

After the Sundering, many Sovereigns disappeared entirely:

Zero said: "After the Sundering, many Sovereigns simply vanished. Chingang of Good and Evil. Nanamir of Reality and Illusion. Kafka of Strength and Weakness. Lestrange of Joy and Sorrow. More and more join this league. It is far easier to count those still among us."

Fading Power

The Sovereigns who remain are losing their connection to the Aspects:

Zero said: "The remaining Sovereigns use the powers of the Aspects. Yes, but their powers dwindle like a candle in the wind. The gates of the Aspects have not closed fully to the Sovereigns, but it's only a matter of time."

The Player's Closest Sovereigns

Zero reveals that many Sovereigns were once connected to the player, but three were especially close:

Zero said: "Victus. Amstradath. Beshirda. Troth Le Fay and Apeiro. All of these illustrious names were once linked to you. However, among the Sovereigns, some were exceptionally close to you. Darcy, Malheur, and Parayaya. They were by your side day and night, and they paid for it most dearly."

The mention of these three names triggers a visceral response in the player: "Each name stirs a ripple. You know them. You know them very well. You hurt them, harmed them, or betrayed them."

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The Novarchs

After the Sundering, a new class of rulers emerged — the Novarchs. They are described as replacements for the Sovereigns, though not all are worthy of the title.

Zero said: "The Novarks. The false kings that replaced the Sovereigns. The eighty-one Novarks all shine differently, yet not all of them deserve the powers of the Aspects."

There is a mathematical mystery to the Novarchs. There were 39 Sovereigns but 81 Novarchs, and the reason is unclear:

Zero said: "Ah, a strange number to be sure. Thirty-nine Sovereigns and eighty-one Novarks. The math does not work. The connection is subtle."

The player faintly recalls that their past self might have known the answer to this riddle.

Sovereigns Who Became Novarchs

During the Sundering, some Sovereigns seized the opportunity to become Novarchs:

Zero said: "During the Sundering, there were a few Sovereigns who seized the opportunity to become Novarchs. Like your old friend, Victus. Now he's Victus of Order. There was also Armand of Light and Dark. Troth Le Fay of Beauty and Ugliness. Sir Champion of Competition and Cooperation. The Masked Hero of Courage and Cowardice. And Parayaya of Love and Hate."

Parayaya

Parayaya receives special attention. She is the Novarch of Love and Hate and has a deep, complicated connection to the player.

Zero said: "Parayaya. The woman who hounded you in the Plane of Illusion, and claimed that she hated you. There seems to be a very deep connection between the two of you. So deep that you think nothing of her open display of enmity towards you."

The Novarchs and the Player

A group of Novarchs has vowed to find the Reconstructor of Realms (the player). The player has already encountered Parayaya, Blade, and Amorphoron, but more are coming.

Zero said: "Be careful, because some of them have vowed to destroy you. But you needn't not worry too much, for some of them are determined to help you. Out of those who knew you, some might choose to help you or not, depending on the choices you make. Remember, even someone who loves you with all their heart can fall into a frenzy because of a misstep."

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