Here Are the Best Light Cones in Honkai: Star Rail

In Honkai: Star Rail, Light Cones can significantly help an under-leveled or under-built character perform in battle, which means you’ll want the best ones for your teams. However, with so many to choose from and such limited resources, which ones should you focus on? The best ones, obviously! Here is a list of the best Light Cones in Honkai: Star Rail.

What does it mean to be the best?

Before we begin, let me quickly explain my criteria. Obviously, some Light Cones are amazing, but they’re very limited in their usage. Dan Heng Imbibitor Lunae’s signature Light Cone, Brighter Than the Sun, is fantastic for Destruction characters like Dan Heng IL and Blade. However, it does not benefit characters such as Jingliu (who mostly uses her Skill and Ultimate) other than acting as a stat stick.

The Light Cones on this list are all Light Cones that are good for most characters on that specific path. It can be difficult, of course, now that we have more of a variety when it comes to scaling and such. I will also mostly focus on Light Cones that are good even at S1. This is because, barring certain Light Cones you can get in-game from places like Herta’s Shop and Light Cone Manifest, nothing is ever a guarantee with gacha. This makes it more fair. However, you must keep in mind that some Light Cones are completely different beasts at S5 compared to S1, so this is a list that’s more focused on which Light Cones to prioritize than the be-all-and-end-all.

Here are the best Destruction Light Cones

• On the Fall of an Aeon
  This Light Cone offers an ATK increase every time the user attacks, as well as a DMG buff every time they inflict Weakness Break. Because this Light Cone is a 5-star, it’s a powerful stat stick. You can also get it from Herta’s Store. This makes it very accessible and easy to Superimpose.
• Something Irreplaceable
  While Something Irreplaceable offers an ATK increase, most of the effects come after the enemy attacks the wearer. They immediately restore HP, as well as gain a DMG boost until the end of their next turn. As you may expect, this works extremely well with Clara thanks to her tanky play style, but you can also manipulate aggro with characters like March or Lynx.
• The Unreachable Side
  While this Light Cone is Blade’s signature Light Cone (and is thus tuned to his special needs), it’s also pretty nice for other Destruction characters. It gives a good Crit Rate buff (which means you can focus on other stats like Crit DMG for your Relics), as well as boosts Max HP (which is good since enemies tend to aggro Destruction characters). This buff also increases after the enemy attacks them. If you’re having trouble getting enemies to hit your Destruction character, again, you can increase the chances with characters like March and Lynx.
• The Moles Welcome You
  The Moles Welcome You is a good 4-star Light Cone because it can give stacks that increase ATK when you attack. This makes it a very good general use Light Cone for any Destruction when you’re not sure what to use.
• Under the Blue Sky
  There are several Destruction Light Cones that only activate their effect after the wearer defeats an enemy. Under the Blue Sky is, in my opinion, the best one because it can increase the wearer’s Crit Rate for 3 turns. At S1, it’s12% and at S5, it’s 24%.

Here are the best Hunt Light Cones

• Cruising in the Stellar Sea
  Though a 5-star Light Cone, its availability in Herta’s Store makes it easy to obtain and get to S5. It increases the user’s Crit Rate, with the bonus doubling when the enemy’s HP falls to 50% or under. It also increases the wearer’s ATK by an impressive 20% for two turns after they defeat the enemy. This makes it a great Light Cone if you’re running a hyper-carry team with your Hunt as the DPS.
• In the Night
  In the Night is Seele’s signature Light Cone but it’s still useful for most Hunt characters. As of Version 1.6, there really aren’t many choices compared to Nihility, Destruction, or Abundance… Anyway, In the Night increase the wearer’s Crit Rate by a flat percentage. It also increases Basic Attack and Skill DMG, as well as Ultimate Crit DMG by a percentage for every 10 SPD after 100. You’ll want your Hunt character to be fast so they should naturally have pretty high SPD.
• Only Silence Remains
  This Light Cone increases the wearer’s ATK, as well as their Crit Rate when there are 2 or fewer enemies on the field. Since you probably aren’t bringing out Hunt characters in battles against a lot of enemies, you’ll often be able to get this Crit Rate bonus.
• Return to Darkness
  This is a pretty good Light Cone in which it boosts the character’s Crit Rate, and there’s a chance for the wearer to remove a buff after a Crit Hit. However, this is a pretty small chance. It’s 16% at S1 and even at S5, it’s only 32%. You should think of this more as a way to increase Crit Rate rather than rely on the buff dispel. If you’re up against an enemy that can buff themself, you should just run your Destruction character with Luocha or Pela instead.
• Swordplay
  This is genuinely one of the best Hunt Light Cones as of Version 1.6. If you pull extras even after S5-ing one, I recommend keeping it so that you can give it to another Hunt character. Swordplay increases how much DMG the wearer does every time they hit the same target. Hunt characters specialize against single-target enemies, so this is a fantastic Light Cone to put on them. It’s also great against bosses.

Here are the best Erudition Light Cones

• An Instant Before A Gaze
  This is Argenti’s signature Light Cone, but it’s really good for general use. It increases the wearer’s Crit DMG, as well as buffs the wearer’s Ultimate based on their Max Energy. It caps at 180 points of Energy, which is more than enough. Most of the Erudition characters don’t even have that much, so they can max out this extra Ultimate DMG buff.
• Before Dawn
  This is Jing Yuan’s signature Light Cone and while it’s geared towards characters who use follow-up attacks, it’s also pretty good for general use. This is because it buffs Crit, Skill, and Ultimate DMG. Yes, it also increases how much DMG a follow-up attack deals, which benefit characters like Himeko. However, its other effects can still help characters like Qingque or Argenti who don’t operate in that way.
• Geniuses’ Repose
  Geniuses’ Repose increases the wearer’s ATK, and it also increases their Crit DMG every time they defeat an enemy. Even at S1, this is a 24% Crit DMG boost. This Light Cone is quite similar to The Seriousness of Breakfast. However, Geniuses’ Repose is an ATK boost (affecting scaling) and The Seriousness of Breakfast increases DMG (end result). DMG increase is better than an ATK increase, but in my opinion, the Crit DMG increase from Geniuses’ Repose is better than the potential 12% ATK increase of The Seriousness of Breakfast. Sorry, Pom-Pom.
• Make the World Clamor
  Make the World Clamor is a good Erudition Light Cone for someone with a really good Ultimate. These characters include Qingque, Argenti, and Serval (even if you’re running her on a DoT team). The wearer regenerates flat Energy only when they enter battle, which is just a so-so effect. However, they also enjoy a massive Ultimate DMG buff. At S1, it’s 32% and at S5, it’s 64%.
• Today is Another Peaceful Day
  Today is Another Day is a pretty good Light Cone that, like An Instant Before A Gaze, increases the wearer’s DMG based on their Max Energy. Obviously, it caps at a lower Max Energy (160) and it gives less per point (0.20% versus 0.36%). But it’s still a pretty good one for any Erudition unit, whether they’re for AoE attacks or for follow-up attacks.

Here are the best Harmony Light Cones

• But the Battle Isn’t Over
  But the Battle Isn’t Over is a 5-star Light Cone that you can get from the Starlight Exchange, as well as the gacha. The most important thing about this Light Cone is its Energy Regeneration Rate increase and the Skill Point refund every two Ultimate usages. After the wearer uses their Skill, the next ally to take action will deal more DMG for a single turn. Obviously, this is easiest to achieve with Bronya, whose Skill revolves around giving a character their turn. But you can also control this to an extent with SPD tuning.
• Carve the Moon, Weave the Clouds
  This is a fantastic general use Harmony Light Cone that provides a random buff for all allies at the start of battle and every time the wearer’s turn begins. The buff increases ATK, Crit DMG, or Energy Regeneration Rate. This Light Cone is also a reward from Nameless Glory. So F2P players might not be able to access it. If you’re going to buy Nameless Glory only once in your entire life though, I highly recommend you choose this one.
• Dance! Dance! Dance!
  This is a fantastic Light Cone that Advances Forward all allies’ actions after the wearer uses their Ultimate. This will help you get more turns in battle, since you’ll want to use your Harmony’s Ultimate as often as possible anyway. If you’re struggling to meet the turn limit in challenges like Memory of Chaos, considering putting this Light Cone on your Harmony unit.
• Meshing Cogs
  This is one of the best 3-star Light Cones but you should at least have S3 before you use it. Thankfully, S3 should be easy to attain thanks to its low rarity. Meshing Cogs regenerates Energy for the wearer every time they attack or an enemy attacks them. They can only regenerate Energy once per turn. At S1, they only regain 4, but at S5, they can regain 8 extra Energy per turn.
• Planetary Rendezvous
  Planetary Rendezvous is a little bit more specific because it’s only good if you’re running teams where your Harmony is the same Type as your DPS. However, it’s easier than it was at launch to do that thanks to the growing roster. At S1, it provides a 12% DMG increase and at S5, your team can get a 24% DMG increase so long as they’re the same Type as your Harmony.

Here are the best Nihility Light Cones

• Incessant Rain
  Incessant Rain is Silver Wolf’s signature Light Cone and it’s the best one for a Nihility who focuses on debuffing. Examples include Silver Wolf, Pela, and Welt. It increases Effect Hit Rate by a good 24% at S1, as well as increases the wearer’s Crit Rate when they hit an enemy that has 3 or more debuffs. This might be hard depending on your team. However, they can enjoy a buff from any kind of attack, compared to, say, In the Name of the World’s Skill limitation. Incessant Rain can also plant the Aether Code debuff, which increases how much DMG an enemy receives.
• Patience is All You Need
  Patience is All You Need is Kafka’s signature Light Cone and it’s a fantastic one for a Nihility who focuses on DoT. Examples include Kafka, Sampo, and Guinaifen. It increase how much DMG the user can deal (this includes DoT) and their SPD. Like Incessant Rain, it can afflict an enemy with a Light Cone-specific debuff. In Patience’s case, it’s Erode, which is a variation of the Shocked DoT that equates to 60% of the wearer’s ATK. At S5, Erode deals 100% of the wearer’s ATK.
• Before the Tutorial Mission Starts
  While this is an excellent Light Cone if you have it, it was only available for a limited time during Version 1.1. This means that players who missed it might not have it, and so far, Honkai: Star Rail has not made it available past its initial release. In any case, it boosts Effect Hit Rate and regenerates Energy for the wearer if they hit an enemy with reduced DEF.
• Good Night and Sleep Well
  Good Night and Sleep Well is one of those Light Cones that works well at S1 but becomes a beast at S5. It increases how much DMG the wearer can deal for every debuff the target has, capping at three stacks. Since this effect works on DoTs too, this makes it a viable Light Cone for both a debuffer Nihility or a DoT Nihility.
• Resolution Shines As Pearls of Sweat
  Resolution is also a great generic Nihility Light Cone if you’re not sure what to put on someone. It Ensnares an enemy if they’re not already Ensnared, which decreases DEF for a turn. Even at S1, it’s a 60% chance to Ensnare someone. At S5, this turns to 100%.

Here are the best Preservation Light Cones

• Moment of Victory
  Preservation units are very difficult to give Light Cones to right now because their time to shine hasn’t come yet. Moment of Victory is good for someone who scales off of DEF, which is (as of Version 1.6) everyone except Fu Xuan. It boosts DEF and Effect Hit Rate, as well as increases the chance of enemies aggroing the wearer. Whenever the enemy hits them, the Light Cone provides an extra DEF buff. This is also one of the 5-stars available in the Starlight Exchange, making it relatively F2P-friendly.
• She Already Shut Her Eyes
  She Already Shut Her Eyes is for Preservation units that scale off of HP. Currently, Fu Xuan is the only character who does, but she likely won’t be the only one. While it does offer an Energy Regeneration Rate boost and a HP restore (both very good), it buffs ally DMG after the wearer loses HP. Since other Preservation characters are using a shield (thus their HP is not depleting), this effect is not that useful. Nonetheless, characters like Gepard can still make use of the Energy Regeneration Rate boost.
• Texture of Memories
  Texture of Memories is a 5-star Light Cone that increases the wearer’s Effect RES and provides a Shield if the wearer doesn’t have one at the moment. This shield scales off of the character’s Max HP. This makes it a nice extra source of shielding for your classic Preservation, and can help keep Fu Xuan’s HP from falling too low if she’s struggling a bit. It’s a fairly good Light Cone for all of the current Preservation units and the best part is that it’s in Herta’s Store. So it’s pretty F2P-friendly.
• Day One of My New Life
  This is a good generic Preservation Light Cone that increases the wearer’s DEF. It also increases All-Type RES after battle starts. Mind that this effect does not stack. Nonetheless, this is one of the best options in the game.
• Landau’s Choice
  Since the point of a Preservation unit is to serve as a tank, Landau’s Choice is a great Light Cone to use. While it increases the chance of enemies attacking the wearer, it also reduces how much DMG they take. This is an especially good Light Cone if the wearer is on a team with characters like Yukong and Tingyun, who are somewhat infamous for their low survivability.

Here are the best Abundance Light Cones

• Night of Fright
  Night of Fright is Huohuo’s signature Light Cone and it’s pretty fantastic for general usage. It increases Energy Regeneration Rate. As well, when any ally uses their Ultimate, the wearer heals whoever has the lowest HP. The wearer can also buff an ally’s ATK when they heal them. This can help to turn your Abundance character into something like a hybrid Abundance-Harmony, much like Huohuo herself.
• Time Waits for No One
  This Light Cone’s Max HP increase can help Abundance characters who scale off of HP, or to help with survivability. It also increases Outgoing Healing. It also records how much the wearer heals for and deals additional DMG based on that number. Even if your Abundance character only exists to heal, this Light Cone can help them deal some damage in their own way. It’s available in the Starlight Exchange, so it’s relatively F2P-friendly.
• Perfect Timing
  Perfect Timing on paper doesn’t look that impressive but it’s pretty good in practice. It increases the wearer’s Effect RES, as well as their Outgoing Healing based on a percentage of Effect RES. At S1, this caps at 15% and at S5, it’s 27%. The main reason I recommend Perfect Timing is actually because a lot of Abundance characters can run Broken Keel as their Planar Ornament Set. This set boosts the party’s Crit DMG if their Effect RES is 30% or higher. Even without Broken Keel, this is a good Light Cone to boost your character’s healing potential no matter what they scale off of.
• Post-Op Conversation
  Post-Op conversation increases the wearer’s Energy Regeneration Rate and how much their Ultimate heals for. This isn’t very useful on characters like Luocha and Huohuo. However, they can still take advantage of the extra Energy Regeneration Rate if this is the only Light Cone you can offer them.
• Quid Pro Quo
  Quid Pro Quo is a fantastic Light Cone that regenerates Energy for a random ally whose current Energy is under 50%. This makes it an ideal Light Cone in teams that depend on a character’s Ultimate, such as a Jingliu or Dan Heng Imbibitor Lunae hyper-carry team. It’s also available in Light Cone Manifest, which makes it very F2P-friendly and easy to get to S5.

Honkai: Star Rail is readily available on the PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices.