Honkai: Star Rail employs a Path system, which you can liken to the concept of classes used in other RPGs. The origin of Paths is quite complex and trickles into philosophies and ideals respected by certain factions in the game. However, where gameplay is concerned, these simply determine what a character is good at in battle.
What are Paths in Honkai: Star Rail?
Paths are philosophies that originated from Aeons, who followed a single Path upon ascension and were bound to it for eternity. Each Path represents a set of ideals, and followers of the corresponding Aeons are likely to live by those same ideals.
For instance, The Architects of Jarilo-VI are devoted followers of Qlipoth, the Aeon of Preservation, whose philosophy revolved around building the Celestial Comet Wall to protect worlds that still lived amid the Dusk Wars. As a result of their resonance with this ideal, The Architects likewise built a wall around Jarilo-VI to protect civilization.
Aeons, Paths, & Followers
Below is an overview of each Path and its corresponding Aeon and followers.
| Path | Aeon | Followers |
|---|---|---|
| The Elation | Aha | Mourning Actors, Masked Fools |
| The Trailblaze | Akivili | Astral Express, The Nameless |
| The Remembrance | Fuli | The Cremators, Garden of Recollection |
| The Equilibrium | HooH | |
| The Beauty | Idrila | Mirror Holders, Knights of Beauty |
| The Nihility | IX | Doctors of Chaos, Device IX |
| The Hunt | Lan | Xianzhou Alliance |
| The Permanence | Long | |
| The Enigmata | Mythus | The Riddlers, History Fictionologists |
| The Destruction | Nanook | Antimatter Legion |
| The Erudition | Nous | Genius Society, Erudition Association |
| The Voracity | Oroboros | |
| The Preservation | Qlipoth | The Architects, Interastral Peace Corp. |
| The Propagation | Tayzzyronth | The Swarm |
| The Finality | Terminus | Omen Vanguards, Creed Exequy |
| The Harmony | Xipei | The Family |
| The Abundance | Yaoshi | Denizens of Abundance, Elixir Seekers |
Related: What are the PC, Android, & iOS system requirements for Honkai Star Rail?
How do Paths affect gameplay in Honkai: Star Rail?
Like Aeons, each character is permanently bound to a single Path, which determines what they do best in battle. For example, a character who follows The Abundance Path would fall under the healer class. By knowing how each Path operates, you can easily build a team that complements each other.
Playable Paths
There are 14 Paths, but only seven are currently playable. Here's an overview of all the playable Paths in the game, as well as what they do best.
| Path | Gameplay |
|---|---|
| The Destruction | Balanced damage dealers with equal levels of survivability, flexible for various combat situations. |
| The Hunt | Single-target DPS, best for bosses. |
| The Erudition | AoE attackers, best for fighting large groups of enemies. |
| The Harmony | Buffers who can help improve the team's combat ability. |
| The Nihility | Debuffers that reduce the enemy's combat capacity. |
| The Preservation | Defensive characters that can boost the team's defense in various ways. |
| The Abundance | Healers to help the team's survivability. |
Limitations
Paths don't limit a character's function. For example, Asta belongs to The Harmony and is primarily a SPD buffer. However, she can also perform single-hit DMG, although not with the same destructive power as someone like Dan Heng. Meanwhile, Clara belongs to The Destruction and is normally a DMG dealer, but her Ultimate buffs her and Svarog.
Paths mainly limit what Light Cones a character can use. Light Cones are essentially "weapons" that take the form of cards. Like how a polearm can only be used by polearm users, a Light Cone for The Destruction can only be used by characters under The Destruction Path.
Before pulling for new characters, check out Honkai Star Rail Pity, Explained & How to get Guaranteed 5-Star here on Pro Game Guides.
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Honkai Star Rail Paths system, explained
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