Light cones are special items in Honkai: Star Rail that grant heroes extra stats and passive effects, influencing one character and the entire squad. In practice they work like Genshin Impact weapons, boosting a character’s stats and shaping playstyle. This guide explains where to find light cones, how to upgrade them, and which cones suit particular characters best.
Honkai Guides: Star Rail
What are light cones and why are they needed
Light cones increase a character’s stats and provide a unique passive that elevates one or more attributes.
The passive activates only when the character’s path matches the light cone’s path. If they don’t align, the game indicates the mismatch. You can identify a character’s path by the icon and inscription in the top left of the loadout screen and pair it with the light cone’s icon. Cone icons that match are highlighted in green to show compatibility.
Many light cones, especially four stars and above, hint at the best match by artwork, featuring the likely user on the cover.
Each light cone has a rarity from three to five stars. Higher-star cones offer stronger passives and bigger stat boosts for the wearer.
How to get light cones in Honkai: Star Rail
Light cones drop from a variety of activities:
- World exploration
- Completing different quests
- Progressing through guide tasks
- Participating in events
- Purchasing from in-game shops
Some light cones come early in the story, while the main route often yields three-star cones. In addition, items described as weapons for characters can be found in places noted below.
Light Cone stores
Pom Pom store in the Unquenchable Starlight section.
Harta store accepts Hertha bonds earned through the virtual universe interplays.
Light cones can be exchanged for Radiant Glimpse, a resource earned from the Hall of Oblivion.
Battle pass offers an enhanced version of light cones as rewards.
Weekly bosses provide light cone drops, similar to Echoes of War rewards.
What is the passage of light cones?
Completing Forgotten Hall levels grants a special currency, shining light, which can be spent on rare four-star light cones. Examples include Spring River Flows, Past and Future, Weft! Duration!, Importance of Breakfast, Equivalent Exchange, Fermata, and We Are a Wild Fire.
The order of emphasis often depends on recent drops and what can be strengthened next. The most versatile cones typically include items like Spring River Flows and Equivalent Exchange, which aid both damage dealers and the team as a whole.
How to upgrade light cones
There are two paths to upgrade: leveling and overlaying.
Leveling increases the cone’s stat bonuses such as HP, attack, and defense. It uses ether and the splitting of other cones for experience. Typical experience values include Purified Ether, Condensed Aether, and Scarce Aether, along with baseline experience for three- and four-star cones at specific levels.
Ether types come from Sepals, Open World Gift Shops, and the Pom Pom Shop. They often appear as quest rewards or in the Interastral World Guide briefings and bounty hunts.
Split decisions can be protected by locking the item before feeding it to ensure the desired cone is not consumed by mistake.
As with other studio projects, weapons have upgrading limits. Every ten levels, starting at level 20, a cone must be ascended to continue. Ascension requires special materials and a certain mastery level. For instance, the first Ascension might require a Mastery level, so coordinated leveling of weapon, cone, and account matters for a strong team. Needed materials are shown when tapping the required icon.
Overlaying lets players merge duplicates to improve the passive. If multiple level 2 cones exist, they can be fused into a level 4 cone. The game warns before performing a merge, and final fusion cannot exceed a maximum level of five. It is not possible to upgrade a level 4 overlay with a level 2 overlay cone.
Over time, players accumulate many three-star cones; to keep inventory clean, the system includes a parse function to manage duplicates.
Disassembly of light cones follows rules: a level 1, three-star cone that is not equipped or locked and has no overlays can be disassembled to yield Discharged Aether, which grants 500 experience points, matching the reward for disassembling a weapon.
Best light cones in Honkai: Star Rail Tier List
Nearly all light cones improve a squad when upgraded, but some passives fit specific paths better. The list below highlights top cones for each path while encouraging builds that suit individual characters and playstyles.
Best cones for destruction
Destruction-focused characters balance defense with high damage and can attack single targets or multiple foes. The cones below are particularly effective for this path:
- Something Irreplaceable (5 stars)
- Secret Oath (4 stars)
- Moles Greet You (4 stars)
- Weft! Duration! (4 stars)
- The Sky Is Falling (3 stars)
Best Cones for Harmony
Harmony-oriented characters boost allies with faster energy recovery, amplified attack, and speed. Great cones either buff allies directly or set up sub-damagers from buffers:
- The Battle Is Not Over Yet (5 stars)
- Dance! Dance! Dance! (4 stars)
- Slice the Moon and Adjust the Clouds (4 stars)
- Memories of the Past (4 stars)
- Date with the Stars (4 stars)
- Past and Future (4 stars)
The best cones for Abundance
The abundance path centers on healers who rely on high HP, since healing often scales with health. Healers can also boost energy or team speed, depending on the build. Top cones for this path include:
- Time Waits for No One (5 stars)
- Equivalent Exchange (4 stars)
- Perfect Time (4 stars)
- General Feelings (4 stars)
- Interview After Surgery (4 stars)
Best Cones for Nothing
Nothingness users aim to weaken opponents, reduce defenses, and slow enemies. Specific character fits matter, but these cones perform well overall:
- For the Sake of Peace (5 stars)
- Determination Shines Like Drops of Sweat (4 stars)
- Fermata (4 stars)
- The Victim’s Gaze (4 stars)
- Emptiness (3 stars)
- We Will Meet Again (4 stars)
- Goodnight and Sleep Peacefully (4 stars)
The best hunting cones
Hunting-focused paths emphasize single-target damage, making critical chance and critical damage important. The following cones help improve these stats:
- During the Night (5 stars)
- Dead Dream (5 stars)
- Cruise Through the Galaxy (5 stars)
- More Subscriptions! (4 stars)
- Only Silence Remains (4 stars)
- Screens (4 stars)
- Back in the Darkness (4 stars)
The best cones to keep
Preservation path members protect teammates with shields, higher protection, and reduced incoming damage. Excellent cones for this role include:
- First Day of My New Life (5 stars)
- Landau’s Choice (4 stars)
- Moment of Victory (5 stars)
- We Are Wildfire (4 stars)
- It’s Me! (4 stars)
The best cones for Erudition
Erudite users focus on multi-target attacks. They struggle in boss fights when many opponents are present, but they remain powerful against weaker foes. Top cones to complement this style include:
- Until Sunset (5 stars)
- Today Is Also a Quiet Day (4 stars)
- Don’t Let the World End (4 stars)
- Night on the Milky Way (5 stars)
- Importance of Breakfast (4 stars)
- The Origin of Yourself (4 stars)