Worst Characters in Honkai Star Rail

Nobody wants to waste resources on a character they are never going to use in the future. But how can you tell when you are first starting out in Honkai: Star Rail? Starter characters typically don't age well, so should you try to use others as soon as you pull for them? We understand your confusion and want to give you the best advice possible. These are the the characters we think are the worst to use resources on in the early game of Honkai: Star Rail.

Which characters are not worth leveling up in Honkai Star Rail?

This article comes with a disclaimer: it is based on our experience playing the betas and initial version of the game. We are not from the Xianzhou Luofu's Divination Commission, and we can not tell the future. In the early days of Genshin Impact, Bennet was considered a "poor character," and look how well that aged.

Here's our best analysis of the characters you should avoid spending resources on.

1. Herta

While most of the free characters you receive in the beginning of the game are viable and worth building, Herta seems to be the character that ages the least gracefully. While she excels early in the game in the Simulated Universe due to her access to both the Freeze effect and Follow-Up attacks in her kit, her multipliers are poor. Moreover, as an Erudition character, she specializes in AoE attacks and Mobs, which tend to make up the easiest content in Honkai: Star Rail. Right now, you can use her for efficient farming, but she won't be of much help tackling most difficult bosses.

2. Hook

Overtime, Hook may be seen as a more valuable character. She is a Destruction character that deals Fire damage and specializes in applying the Burn effect. At the moment, however, there is nothing Hook can do that Asta can't cover as well. Asta's kit comes with the added bonus of being a Harmony Character and boosting Speed teamwide. In the future, Hook may be great when paired with Asta, as she boosts fire damage, but in the early game, we don't advise putting your resources in her just yet.

Related: All Honkai Star Rail 5 Stars

3. Arlan

Arlan is a Lightening Destruction character with a unique kit. It requires him to fight with lower HP to boost his overall damage. In beta tests, he actually did very respectable damage for a Four-Star unit, but his kit was nerfed between CBT 3 and the final game. Combine that with his requirement to be shielded over healed, and it makes him a tricky character to use early on. As more shielders and healers are introduced, Arlan may become more viable.

4. Qingque

Qingque is likely the last character you'll receive for free and she has a rare element, Quantum, which can make her very flexible. Unfortunately she's an Erudition character, which, as we've already discussed, makes her better equipped to handle the easiest content in the game. Her kit is also very reliant on RNG, which ties in well to her gambling background, but doesn't make for very reliable damage. You could build her to help in your hunt for Warp Trotters, but we think Natasha and the Physical Trailblazer cover this just fine.

Related: Honkai Star Rail Best Healers

5. Himeko

Adding this character to the list is almost painful. While most fans of Honkai Impact 3rd are happy to see her alive and well, they may be disappointed to know that Himeko is currently considered the worst Standard Five-Star character in the game. If this is the only Five-Star unit you've pulled, you'll need to build her, anyway. Just know that she is an Erudition character, and will likely be best used fighting mobs and farming materials in the end game, not tackling tough bosses.

Need to build a team around Himeko? Or did you draw another Five-Star character in Honkai Star Rail? Either way, we've got you covered. Check out Honkai Star Rail Team Comps – Best teams to use for each Standard Five-Star character here at Pro Game Guides.