Gilgamesh joins the Honkai Star Rail roster on July 24 2026 as the newest 5‑star addition from the Fate Stay Night collaboration.
Core Stats and Role
Marked as a Destruction‑path unit, the legendary king wields Lightning damage, offering 717 Attack, 509 Defense, 1,125 HP, 97 Speed, and a 600 Energy pool. His rarity sits at 5‑star, confirming a top‑tier status within the game’s character hierarchy.
Combat Kit Overview
The basic strike unleashes Lightning equal to the character’s full Attack on a single foe. His active skill, “King’s Acknowledgement,” reduces the opponent’s defense by 30 % for three turns, delivering 200 % Attack to the primary target and 100 % Attack to adjacent enemies.
The ultimate, titled “Enuma Elish,” showers the battlefield with 400 % Attack Lightning damage to all enemies and then fires ten additional hits, each dealing 40 % Attack to a random opponent.
When an ally triggers their ultimate, Gilgamesh gains the “King’s Burden” buff, raising his ultimate damage by 40 % for three turns. He also accumulates “Interest” points whenever teammates act, instantly acting when ten points are reached; the first activation forces him to use his skill.
His technique creates a ten‑second “Special Dimension” that freezes enemies in a “King’s Permission” state. Attacking a frozen target forces all frozen foes into combat and deals 100 % Attack Lightning damage across the field, while granting Gilgamesh three additional Interest points.
Trace Abilities
- Epic’s Opening: Allies’ ultimates grant three Interest points and replenish 80 % of the Energy just spent.
- Hero’s Hauteur: Energy overflow caps at 120; after using his ultimate, overflow converts into fresh Energy. Each Interest point adds 10 % Crit Damage, stacking up to twelve times.
- Hegemon’s Strife: While on‑field, Gilgamesh boosts allies’ Attack and Crit Damage by 30 %; excess Max Energy beyond 100 adds a further 1 % per point, up to an extra 100 %.
- Stat enhancements include an 8 % Lightning damage increase, 18 % Attack boost, and 19 % Crit Rate boost.
Eidolons and Progression
- Eidolon 1: Extends the defense‑ignore effect to teammates and raises Gilgamesh’s Attack by 25 %; Skill use after consuming Interest restores a fixed 60 Energy.
- Eidolon 2: Grants eight Interest at combat start and six more on ultimate use; raises primary target Skill damage by 30 % and adjacent target damage by 20 %.
- Eidolons 3‑5: Increment basic attack, skill, and ultimate levels (by 1‑2 points) and boost talent rank.
- Eidolon 6: Increases the bounce damage of “Enuma Elish” by 20 %; adds 20 % All‑Type RES PEN to allies; each ally ultimate bestows a “Golden Rule” point, up to five, which can amplify Gilgamesh’s ultimate when fully stacked.
Acquisition Path and Events
Players will first encounter Gilgamesh through the upcoming Phase 2 banner, released concurrently with the July 24 launch. A limited‑time login event, running until the close of the 4.6 update, offers the character for free, while premium banners allow acquisition via Star Rail passes. Those low on Stellar Jades can secure additional passes through official HSR code distributions.
Gilgamesh’s entrance expands the second chapter of the Penacony Holy Grail War storyline, joining Rin Tohsaka and following the earlier debut of Saber and Archer. His quest to annex a Stellaron hints at future narrative developments within the collaboration.
With a blend of defense‑piercing strikes, team‑wide buffs, and a multi‑phase ultimate, Gilgamesh is positioned to become a pivotal asset for players seeking high‑impact Lightning damage and strategic synergy in upcoming Honkai Star Rail content.
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