Honkai: Star Rail has never been short of excitement when it comes to its banner schedule, and the current era of the game is proof of that. With Version 4.2 already in full swing and Version 4.3 peeking around the corner, there is a lot for players to think about, from which five-star characters are worth saving for, to how many Stellar Jades need to be stockpiled before the next big release drops. Whether someone is a day-one veteran or a newer Trailblazer just finding their footing, staying ahead of the banner calendar is one of the smartest moves in the game.
Planning Pulls and Topping Up Wisely
With so many banners stacking up across 4.2 and into 4.3, Stellar Jade management becomes genuinely important. Saving for a specific target means resisting the pull on every interesting character along the way, which is easier said than done in a patch like 4.2 with two new five-stars and six reruns running at the same time.
For players who want to supplement their Stellar Jade supply through Oneiric Shards, finding a reliable and affordable top-up option matters. LootBar is a well-regarded HSR top up shop that offers competitive pricing on Oneiric Shards, making it a go-to destination for Trailblazers who want more value from their spending. The shop supports multiple payment methods and has built a strong reputation for smooth, fast transactions, which is exactly what players need when a banner is ticking down and a few extra pulls are all that stand between them and a guaranteed five-star.
Using LootBar for HSR top up is particularly smart before major patches like 4.2 or 4.3, when banner windows are short and the cost of missing a limited character is high. Stocking up in advance means never scrambling at the last minute.
Version 4.2: Two New Faces and a Wave of Reruns
The 4.2 update, which went live on April 21, 2026, brought one of the more stacked banner schedules in recent memory. Phase 1 introduced Silver Wolf Lv.999, a revamped Imaginary and Elation character whose “Godmode Player” banner runs until May 13, 2026. Joining her in Phase 1 are rerun banners for Firefly, The Dahlia, and Castorice through the Indelible Coterie banner, giving players who missed these characters a second shot.
Phase 2, starting May 13, brings in Evanescia, a brand-new Physical and Elation five-star, alongside reruns of Tribbie, Sunday, and Feixiao on the Indelible Coterie banner. Evanescia’s window runs until approximately June 1, 2026. The four-star lineup also shifts between phases: Phase 1 features Gallagher, Xueyi, and Hook, while Phase 2 swaps in Guinaifen, Lynx, and Sushang.
Running alongside all of this is the ongoing Fate/Stay Night collaboration, which brought Saber (Wind, Destruction) and Archer (Quantum, Hunt) to the game back in July 2025. These banners have no confirmed end date, making them a unique case in the game’s history. Both characters come with signature Light Cones on their respective weapon banners, and notably, pity does not carry over between the collab banners and the standard limited event banners.
What’s Coming in Version 4.3: Mortenax Blade Leads the Charge
The most talked-about upcoming banner is Mortenax Blade, a new five-star Fire and Nihility character confirmed through official drip marketing. If Version 4.3 follows the standard six-week schedule, his banner is projected to run from June 2 to June 24, 2026. The Nihility path has seen strong representation in the meta lately, and a Fire character on that path naturally invites comparisons to Firefly in terms of team-building potential, though Mortenax Blade appears to bring a distinctly different playstyle to the table.
Beyond 4.3, leak-based roadmaps suggest even bigger names are on the horizon. Characters like Nihilux (a mysterious Aha-connected figure teased as a major meta unit), Himeko SP, and Robin SP have been circulating in community discussions for several patches now. These are not officially confirmed, and players should treat them as speculation until HoYoverse’s formal announcements, but the pattern of SP-style alternate versions of beloved characters seems to be a deliberate direction for the 4.x era.
How the Banner System Works: A Quick Refresher
For anyone newer to the game, Honkai: Star Rail runs two types of rotating banners at a time, the limited Event Warp (character banner) and the Brilliant Fixation (weapon/Light Cone banner). Each phase typically lasts around three weeks. The standard 50/50 pity system applies to limited Event Warps, meaning there is a 50% chance of getting the rate-up five-star on a guaranteed pull, and a 100% guarantee if the previous guaranteed pull went to the non-featured five-star.
There is also the Stellar Warp, a permanent banner that uses regular Star Rail Passes rather than Special Star Passes. It features a fixed pool of seven five-star characters and never expires. After accumulating 300 total pulls on Stellar Warp, players can directly select any of the available five-stars, making it a long-term investment that rewards patience.
Separate from this, the Indelible Coterie rerun banner has become a staple mechanic in recent versions, allowing multiple returning five-stars to appear simultaneously. This gives players more flexibility to chase missed characters without waiting for individual reruns.
The Bigger Picture: 4.x Era Ambitions
What makes the current state of Honkai: Star Rail’s banner calendar exciting is not just the individual characters, it is the clear sense that HoYoverse has a long-term vision for the 4.x arc. The arrival of Planarcadia as the new setting has opened the door to entirely new character concepts and story threads, and the banner schedule reflects that ambition. New debuting characters like Silver Wolf Lv.999 and Evanescia feel thematically tied to where the story is heading, rather than being standalone additions.
The SP character concept, alternate versions of existing fan-favorites with reworked kits, also signals that HoYoverse is committed to keeping beloved characters relevant rather than letting them fade into the meta’s past. If Himeko SP and Robin SP do arrive in the 4.4 and 4.5 window as leaks suggest, it would represent a meaningful expansion of the roster’s depth.
Final Thoughts
The banner schedule from Version 4.2 through 4.3 and beyond is shaping up to be one of the most content-rich stretches Honkai: Star Rail has seen. Between new debut characters, a surge of rerun opportunities, the ongoing Fate collaboration, and the promise of SP-tier alternate characters on the horizon, there is something for every type of player to look forward to.
