Best Himeko build in Honkai Star Rail

Himeko is a playable character in Honkai: Star Rail, and she’s one of the first companions you meet at the start of your journey. 

As an adventurous scientist who now explores the universe as a navigator for Astral Express, Himeko is a powerful and capable unit to have on your side. To understand how she works, here’s the best Himeko build in Honkai: Star Rail.

How to build Himeko in Honkai Star Rail

Himeko is a standard five-star DPS in Honkai who can also function as a sub-DPS. She’s a Fire unit that follows the path of Erudition, meaning that she excels in follow-up attacks. While she deals a ton of damage, Himeko is not your traditional carry, so you can see her performing the best in teams with two damage dealers. To make good use of her entire kit, it’s important you equip her with the right Light Cones, good Relic and Planar Ornament sets, and level up her best Traces.

Light Cones

Since Light Cones are weapons in Honkai, they increase Himeko’s damage potential by a lot, making them a crucial part of her build. As a follower of Aeon Nous, you can only equip Himeko with Erudition Light Cones and luckily, she has a ton of great options for both free-to-play players and light spenders.

Here are the best Light Cones for Himeko:

• Before Dawn (five-star)
• Night on the Milky Way (five-star)
• The Seriousness of Breakfast (four-star)
• Today is another peaceful day 

Before Dawn is Jing Yuan’s signature Light Cone and since it offers a lot of offensive stats, it’s Himeko’s best in slot. This five-star Light Cone increases Himeko’s CRIT damage by 36 percent and increases her Skill and Ultimate damage by 18 percent. Additionally, whenever Himeko triggers a follow-up attack, her follow-up attack damage is increased by 48 percent. 

Night on the Milky Way is Himeko’s signature Light Cone, and it’s another five-star weapon that matches her playstyle. This Light Cone increases her attack by 45 percent, and when Himeko inflicts a Weakness Break on opponents, her damage increases by an extra 30 percent for one turn.

If you’re short on Stellar Jades, then The Seriousness of Breakfast is a great four-star option you can get for free from the Forgotten Hall Store.

Trace priority

To maximize her damage potential, you need to level her up to 80, and unlock all of her Traces. Although Himeko is a carry, her main source of damage comes from her abilities and follow-up attacks, so you can ignore her basic attacks and focus on other parts of her kit.

Here are the abilities and talents you should prioritize:

• Her Ultimate is a giant nuke that deals big AoE Fire damage  equal to 138 percent of Himeko’s attack, making it your top priority.
• Her Talent is equally important because that’s where those passive follow-up attacks come from. 
• Her Skill is your last priority because it’s another source of damage you use when your Ultimate is recharging. 

Relics and Planar Ornaments sets

Although finding a perfect Light Cone is crucial, equipping Himeko with good Relics and Planar Ornaments is an essential part of this build. As a damage dealer that deals a ton of damage with her follow-up attacks, her options are straightforward.

Here are the best Relic and Planar Ornament sets for Himeko:

• The Ashblazing Grand Duke (four-piece)
• Firmament Frontline: Glamoth (two-piece)

The four-piece The Ashblazing Grand Duke is a perfect Relic set for Himeko as it provides everything she wants. This set increases her follow-up attack damage by 20 percent, and whenever Himeko launches a follow-up attack, her attack increases by a total of 48 percent for three turns.

To make a perfect pair with her Relics, two-piece Firmament Frontline: Glamoth is exactly what Himeko needs. This Planar Ornament set increases her attack by 12 percent, and if Himeko’s Speed is higher than 135, she deals extra 12 percent damage. You can also farm this set easily in World 8 of the Simulated Universe.

Relic and Planar Ornament stats and substats

To maximize the value of those Relics, you need to get good offensive stats and substats because they are the core of Himeko’s build.

Here are the main following stats you should prioritize when grinding those sets:

• Body: CRIT Rate or CRIT damage
• Feet: Speed
• Sphere: Fire damage
• Rope: Energy Regeneration Rate

Proper main stats are important, but they only shine with decent substats. For Himeko’s substats, you should aim for a balanced CRIT ratio, a lot of Speed, and attack percent.

Best Himeko Eidolons

Himeko’s kit is great even without Eidolons, so she doesn’t need them to perform well. Considering that Himeko’s a standard five-star unit, you’ll get her copies eventually, and you’re in luck because her first two Eidolons are the best ones. They increase Himeko’s Speed by 20 percent and her damage by 15 percent against opponents with half health.