Zenless Zone Zero
Honkai: Star Rail Elation Path Guide
Elation is the Path that arrived in version 4.0, and it plays nothing like the teams that came before it. This guide explains Punchline, the Aha Instant, Certified Banger and the Elation stat from scratch, then goes through each character, how to build the team and the Light Cones worth knowing, so you can decide if this Path is for you.
In This Guide
What the Elation Path Is and How It Differs
Elation is a Path, like Destruction or Harmony, not a Type like Fire or Ice. That’s why its characters span several Types: Physical, Fire, Ice, Imaginary, Quantum and Lightning.
The whole Path is built around one idea: keeping Aha entertained. When your team has an Elation character, Aha slips into the turn order. Aha’s turn is the Aha Instant, where every Elation character on the field gets an extra turn and uses their Elation Skill automatically. For damage dealers like Silver Wolf LV.999 and Evanescia, most of the damage comes as Elation DMG, so understanding this loop is understanding how they carry.
Punchline
Shared team resourceOne pool for the whole team, shown bottom right next to Aha’s mask. Elation characters fill it by attacking and using abilities.
Aha Instant
Aha’s turnEvery Elation character on the field gets an extra turn and uses their Elation Skill.
Certified Banger
Gained after an Elation SkillA state tied to each character’s Talent, so the effect is different for everyone.
Elation
The new statThe stat Elation DMG dealers build around. Supports and Elation Light Cones raise it.
How the Aha Instant and Punchline Work
This is the hardest part to grasp, but step by step it’s simple:
- Build up PunchlineElation characters add Punchline to the shared pool when they attack and use abilities. Sparxie burns through lots of Skill Points in one turn, so she makes a ton. Trailblazer (Elation) adds some with every attack.
- Aha takes a turnAha has a separate entry on the turn order. How many Elation characters you field influences Aha’s SPD, and a faster Aha means more frequent Aha Instants.
- Every Elation character actsAll Elation characters on the field get an extra turn and use their Elation Skill one after another, for free. The Punchline in the pool decides how much Elation DMG this round deals.
- Punchline moves onto each characterAfterward the shared pool resets to 0, but that Punchline isn’t wasted. It’s stored on each Elation character as a number next to them and affects that character’s own Elation DMG for a while.
- Old stacks expireEach stored batch has its own timer, counted separately. An old batch disappears when it runs out, while newer ones stay.
A few characters add extra Aha Instants or Elation Skills on top of the normal cycle, a big reason people want them:
- Yao Guang: her Ultimate gives Aha an extra turn right away, and every Elation character uses their Elation Skill without spending Punchline.
- Trailblazer (Elation): the Trailblazer’s Ultimate lets one ally use their Elation Skill immediately and raises that ally’s CRIT DMG.
- Aventurine • Waveflair: he gains stacks every time an ally attacks, and at 10 stacks he uses his Elation Skill on his own, no Aha Instant needed.
Certified Banger and the Elation Stat
Certified Banger
After using their Elation Skill, a character enters the Certified Banger state. It’s tied to their Talent, so the effect differs per character. It’s also tracked as points on each character, and some characters live off those points:
- Trailblazer (Elation): the Trailblazer’s Skill grants 20 Certified Banger points to the Trailblazer right away, no Aha Instant needed. While you can afford the Skill Points, the state stays active.
- Evanescia: builds Certified Banger very fast, so she gets going early in a fight. She also picks up half of the Certified Banger that Trailblazer (Elation) generates.
- Pearl: spends Certified Banger to block damage for her allies.
- Silver Wolf LV.999: needs enough Certified Banger so she doesn’t run out partway through her Enhanced Basic ATKs.
The Elation Stat
Elation is the new stat that comes with this Path. Evanescia shows why it matters: most of her damage is Elation DMG, not damage from ATK. Ways to raise Elation DMG:
- More Punchline before each Aha Instant, from Sparxie, Trailblazer (Elation) or Evanescia.
- More Elation, from Yao Guang, Aventurine • Waveflair and Elation Light Cones.
- CRIT stats: the strongest Evanescia team is built to give her enough CRIT DMG, Elation and Energy.
- RES PEN, DEF ignore and enemies taking more DMG: Yao Guang gives 20% All-Type RES PEN, and several Light Cones cover the rest.
Every Elation Character and Their Role
As of version 4.6, Elation has 7 playable characters, all of them 5-star. On the site’s tier list, all seven sit at SS or S+ Overall, so the Path is very strong right now.
| Character | Type | Role | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yao Guang | Physical | Support: All-Type RES PEN, makes enemies take more DMG, adds extra Aha Instants | SS |
| Silver Wolf LV.999 | Imaginary | DPS: charges her Ultimate with her own points instead of Energy. At 60 her Ultimate state starts and she fires 3 Enhanced Basic ATKs that bounce across enemies | SS |
| Evanescia | Physical | DPS: strong in AoE and single target. With 1 enemy left, her Ultimate bounces 4 extra times | SS |
| Aventurine • Waveflair | Quantum | DPS: damage packed into his Elation Skill, doesn’t need other Elation teammates | SS |
| Pearl | Ice | Sustain: heals, blocks damage, cleanses debuffs, boosts Elation DMG | SS |
| Sparxie | Fire | DPS or damage-dealing support, the best Punchline generator | S+ |
| Trailblazer (Elation) | Lightning | Free support: generates Punchline, hands out Certified Banger directly | S+ |
Don’t sleep on the two S+ names. Sparxie is SS in all three endgame modes and can later shift into a damage-dealing support role, so she’s unlikely to fall off soon. Trailblazer (Elation) is SS in Apocalyptic Shadow, pretty good for a free character.
How to Build an Elation Team
Elation teams follow a few rules of their own. Learn them and building your own team isn’t hard:
- More Elation characters is better. Yao Guang and Pearl both get stronger with more Elation teammates, and Pearl needs 4 on the team to reach full power. The exception is the Aventurine • Waveflair Follow-up ATK team below.
- You need a Punchline generator. Sparxie is the best, Trailblazer (Elation) is the free option. With a thin pool, Aha Instants hit much softer.
- Yao Guang goes in almost every team, since she buffs every Elation DPS and adds extra Aha Instants.
- For sustain, Pearl comes first. Without her, Huohuo, Dan Heng • Permansor Terrae or Gallagher still work.
| Team | Members | How it plays |
|---|---|---|
| Strongest Elation team | Silver Wolf LV.999, Sparxie, Yao Guang, Pearl | Sparxie spends so many Skill Points that she keeps triggering one of Silver Wolf LV.999’s effects, which can refund Skill Points to Sparxie, so they feed each other. Pearl’s Ultimate gives Silver Wolf LV.999 60 of her Ultimate points at once, but time it (tip below). |
| Evanescia | Evanescia, Trailblazer (Elation), Yao Guang, Pearl or Huohuo | The Trailblazer brings CRIT DMG and Certified Banger. Huohuo restores Energy based on Max Energy, and Evanescia’s is 480, so she gets a full 96 Energy back. |
| Sparxie as main DPS | Sparxie, Sparkle, Yao Guang, Pearl | Sparkle raises the Skill Point cap, restores Skill Points, buffs ATK and advances Sparxie’s turn, so Sparxie doesn’t need to build SPD. |
| Follow-up ATK | Aventurine • Waveflair, Ashveil, Mortenax Blade, Hyacine or Huohuo | He’s the only Elation character here, so his Elation Skill counts as a Follow-up ATK. All three keep attacking, so his stacks fill steadily. |
| No Sparxie yet | Silver Wolf LV.999, Trailblazer (Elation), Yao Guang, Pearl or Huohuo | The Trailblazer makes Punchline and hands Certified Banger straight to Silver Wolf LV.999, so she doesn’t run dry mid-combo. |
Elation Light Cones Worth Knowing
Elation Light Cones mostly give Elation, CRIT stats, DEF ignore or make enemies take more DMG. The 5-stars are below. The last column is our read of each effect, not an official pairing:
| Light Cone | Main effect | Good on |
|---|---|---|
| Dazzled by a Flowery World | Each Elation character on the team raises the Skill Point cap by 1 (up to 3). Spending 4+ Skill Points in one turn raises all allies’ Elation | Heavy Skill Point spenders like Sparxie |
| Welcome to the Cosmic City | Elation DMG ignores 20% DEF. Using the Ultimate on yourself gives 20 Punchline (once, reset after 3 Basic ATKs) | Silver Wolf LV.999’s rhythm of Ultimate then 3 hits |
| Until the Flowers Bloom Again | Extra Energy Regeneration Rate above 120 Max Energy. Elation Skill makes enemies take more DMG | High Max Energy characters like Evanescia |
| Summer Rides the Surf | Elation Skill gives SPD. Using a different one from last time also adds Elation | Characters with more than one Elation Skill, like Aventurine • Waveflair |
| When She Decided to See | Ultimate on an ally raises all allies’ CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG | Supports who aim their Ultimate at allies |
| Elation Brimming With Blessings | Skill or Ultimate on one ally raises that ally’s Elation | Single-target buffers |
| Colors for Tomorrow | Raises DEF. An Elation Skill on all allies makes enemies take more DMG and heals the team | DEF-scaling sustain characters |
4-Star and 3-Star Options
- A Little Getaway: a straight Elation boost, and Elation Skills ignore some extra DEF. Good for a DPS without a 5-star Light Cone.
- Today’s Good Luck: CRIT Rate, plus stacking Elation on each Elation Skill.
- Mushy Shroomy’s Adventures: more Elation, and enemies take more Elation DMG after your Elation Skill.
- Tomorrow, Together: after the Ultimate, all allies get more Elation for 1 turn. A support pick.
- Sneering (3-star) raises Elation during the Aha Instant, and Lingering Tear (3-star) raises CRIT DMG when the pool holds 10 or more Punchline.
Each character page lists their best Light Cones, and the full list is under Light Cones.
Should You Invest in Elation?
Go for it if
You want a team that’s strong in all 3 modesYou have Yao Guang or plan to get Pearl, and you like extra turns and bouncing hits. All 7 Elation characters are SS or S+ on the tier list, so it’s hard to pick a weak one.
Think it over if
Your account already has full teamsYour main team leans on Trailblazer (Remembrance), and the Trailblazer can only join one team in endgame, so the free Elation version is hard to fit in. Same if you have only one Elation character, since Pearl needs 4 to reach full power.
- Yao Guang firstShe buffs every Elation character and still fits Skill Point-hungry DPS outside the Path like Archer, so she’s rarely wasted. Her 4.0 launch banner has ended, so watch Banner History for a rerun.
- One Elation DPSSilver Wolf LV.999 is worth pulling at any spending level, and Evanescia is strong in AoE and single target. If you own Ashveil and Mortenax Blade, Aventurine • Waveflair fits right in.
- Build Trailblazer (Elation)It’s free. Just remember the Trailblazer can only join one endgame team, so the Elation version means no Remembrance version elsewhere. More in which Trailblazer Path to pick.
- Pearl or SparxiePearl is strongest with 4 Elation characters on the team. Sparxie fits best when you already have Yao Guang or Sparkle.
To see how Elation teams handle each mode, read the endgame modes guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Elation a Type or a Path?
It’s a Path, added in version 4.0. Elation characters come in different Types: Yao Guang and Evanescia are Physical, Sparxie is Fire, Silver Wolf LV.999 is Imaginary, Pearl is Ice, Aventurine • Waveflair is Quantum and Trailblazer (Elation) is Lightning.
Do I need to put Aha in my team?
No. The Aha on the turn order isn’t a character you pick, it joins automatically when you field Elation characters. Aha’s turn is the Aha Instant, where every Elation character on the field gets an extra turn and uses their Elation Skill. The one twist is Nihilux, who is actually Aha and has been announced as an upcoming Elation character. Once released, Nihilux will be playable.
Can a team with only one Elation character work?
It depends on who. Aventurine • Waveflair runs well as the only Elation character in a Follow-up ATK team, and his Elation Skill even counts as a Follow-up ATK there. Pearl, on the other hand, needs 4 Elation characters to reach full power, so she’s not a good pick for teams with only one or two.
Should I use Trailblazer (Elation) or Trailblazer (Remembrance)?
The Trailblazer can only join one team in endgame. If you’re building an Elation team around Silver Wolf LV.999, Sparxie or Evanescia, the Elation version is well worth it because it makes Punchline and hands out Certified Banger directly. If your main team needs the Remembrance version, keep it there. See the Trailblazer Path comparison.
Do Elation DPS characters need a lot of ATK?
It depends on the character. Evanescia and Silver Wolf LV.999 deal mostly Elation DMG, so what they want is Elation, CRIT stats and plenty of Punchline. Sparxie still gets value from Sparkle’s ATK buff. Exact target stats are on each character page.
Can I play Elation without Yao Guang?
Yes. Sparxie can team with Tribbie, Cipher or Trailblazer (Remembrance) instead. Silver Wolf LV.999 still works with Trailblazer (Elation) and Asta if you don’t have other Elation characters yet. You just lose Yao Guang’s RES PEN and the extra Aha Instants from her Ultimate.
Is Pearl worth pulling?
Yes, if you already have Yao Guang and an Elation DPS like Silver Wolf LV.999, Evanescia or Aventurine • Waveflair. Pearl is SS Overall and in all three modes on the tier list, and she heals, blocks damage, cleanses debuffs and buffs Elation DMG all at once. If your account has few Elation characters, think it over first.
Related Guides
Updated October 7, 2026 (version 4.6). See also all guides, the tier list and the best teams.