Honkai Star Rail 4.4 — Fate collaboration breakdown (Rin Tohsaka, Gilgamesh, Himeko Nova, Kafka rerun)

Honkai Star Rail 4.4 — Fate collaboration breakdown

Honkai Star Rail Version 4.4, titled "In Ravages Does the Whistle Sound," went live on July 15, 2026 and runs through August 25, 2026. The headline is the Fate collaboration — the first crossover between Honkai Star Rail and the Fate franchise. The patch adds 3 new 5-star characters (Rin Tohsaka, Gilgamesh, and Himeko Nova), 6 new 5-star Light Cones, and a new game mode. Plus 6 rerun banners in two phases, the new Trailblaze Mission, and the post-Renegades narrative continuation.

This article covers everything in the patch: the new characters, the banner phases, the new game mode, the meta impact, and what to expect from Version 4.5.

The Fate collaboration characters

The Fate collaboration is the first major crossover Honkai Star Rail has done since the game's launch. Three new 5-star characters join the roster:

Himeko Nova (Fire, Erudition)

A reimagined version of the original Himeko from Honkai Star Rail. Himeko Nova is the Fire element's "Erudition" path version of Himeko — she specializes in AoE Fire damage with a focus on follow-up attacks. Her kit:

• Basic Attack: Ember's Whisper — single-target Fire damage.
• Skill: Nova's Embrace — deals Fire damage to all enemies and applies "Burning" for 2 turns.
• Ultimate: Cosmic Reckoning — deals massive Fire damage to all enemies and triggers a follow-up attack from each ally.
• Talent: Eternal Flame — when Himeko Nova uses her Ultimate, all allies gain +30% Fire damage for 2 turns.
• Technique: Starforged Echo — at the start of battle, Himeko Nova immediately uses her Ultimate.

Himeko Nova is a top-tier Erudition character and a strong pick for Fire-weak content. Her follow-up attack synergy is the strongest in the game.

Rin Tohsaka (Quantum, Erudition)

Rin Tohsaka is the Quantum element's "Erudition" version of the Fate collaboration. She's based on the Fate/stay night character and is a ranged damage dealer with strong single-target and AoE capabilities. Her kit:

• Basic Attack: Gem Sword — single-target Quantum damage.
• Skill: Five-Ring Burst — deals Quantum damage to all enemies and applies "Bleed" for 2 turns.
• Ultimate: Rho Aias — deals massive Quantum damage to all enemies and creates a 7-turn shield equal to 30% of her Max HP.
• Talent: Jeweled Origin — every 3rd attack, Rin Tohsaka deals +50% damage.
• Technique: Kaleidoscope — at the start of battle, Rin Tohsaka gains 1 free Ultimate use.

Rin Tohsaka is a top-tier Quantum Erudition character and the first Quantum character with both single-target and AoE strengths.

Gilgamesh (Lightning, Destruction)

Gilgamesh is the Lightning element's "Destruction" version of the Fate collaboration. He's based on the Fate character and is a melee damage dealer with the highest single-target burst damage in the game. His kit:

• Basic Attack: Sword of Revealing — single-target Lightning damage.
• Skill: Gate of Babylon — deals Lightning damage to a single enemy 5 times, with each hit having a 20% chance to crit.
• Ultimate: Ea — deals massive Lightning damage to a single enemy, ignoring 50% of the enemy's DEF.
• Talent: King's Treasury — when Gilgamesh crits, he gains +20% ATK for 2 turns (stacks up to 3 times).
• Technique: Gate of Babylon: Volumen Hydrargyrum — at the start of battle, Gilgamesh immediately uses his Skill 3 times.

Gilgamesh is the highest single-target burst damage in the game and a top-tier Lightning Destruction character. He's the most "carries" character in the patch.

Banner phases

Version 4.4 has two banner phases over its 6-week run:

Phase 1 (July 15 - August 5, 2026):

• Himeko Nova (NEW, 5-star, Fire/Erudition)
• Sparxie (rerun, 5-star, Wind/Erudition) — first rerun since Version 4.0
• Permansor Terrae (rerun, 5-star, Imaginary/Preservation)
• Evernight (rerun, 5-star, Imaginary/Harmony)

Phase 2 (August 5 - August 25, 2026):

• Rin Tohsaka (NEW, 5-star, Quantum/Erudition)
• Gilgamesh (NEW, 5-star, Lightning/Destruction)
• Kafka (rerun, 5-star, Lightning/Nihility) — first rerun since Version 4.0
• Cerydra (rerun, 5-star, Wind/Harmony)
• Anaxa (rerun, 5-star, Ice/Erudition)
• Aventurine (rerun, 5-star, Imaginary/Preservation)

The Phase 2 banner lineup is the most anticipated banner phase in Honkai Star Rail's history — 4 limited 5-star characters in 3 weeks, including 2 new characters and 2 highly-requested reruns (Kafka and Cerydra).

New game mode: Echoes of the Past

Version 4.4 adds a new game mode called "Echoes of the Past." The mode is a roguelike combat challenge where you build a team of 4 characters and progress through 10 random stages. Each stage has 3 random modifiers (buffs and debuffs) and a boss. The mode is single-player only and rewards:

• 4-star Light Cone "Echoes of Triumph" (first clear)
• 5-star Stellar Jade x 800 (clearing all 10 stages)
• 5-star Stellar Jade x 1,600 (clearing all 10 stages with a sub-30-minute clear time)

The mode is the highest source of Stellar Jade in the game for high-skill players. The sub-30-minute clear is the goal for whales and the casual player can get the first-clear reward with a 60-minute clear.

The 4.4 Trailblaze Mission

The 4.4 Trailblaze Mission is a direct continuation of the post-Renegades narrative. The Astral Express crew returns to the Xianzhou Luofu to investigate a "whistle" that has been heard across multiple planets — the same whistle mentioned in the version's title ("In Ravages Does the Whistle Sound"). The mission introduces a new faction: the "Whisper Watchers," a group of Xianzhou natives who have been tracking the whistle for centuries.

The mission has 3 hours of story content and introduces 2 new NPCs who are expected to be playable in Version 4.5 or later.

Meta impact

The 4.4 patch shifts the meta significantly:

• Fire teams get a major boost from Himeko Nova. The best Fire team is now Himeko Nova + Topaz + Sparkle + Huohuo.
• Quantum teams get a major boost from Rin Tohsaka. The best Quantum team is now Rin Tohsaka + Sparkle + Bronya + Fu Xuan.
• Lightning teams get a major boost from Gilgamesh. The best Lightning team is now Gilgamesh + Sparkle + Tingyun + Huohuo.
• Erudition as a path gets 2 new top-tier characters (Himeko Nova and Rin Tohsaka) plus 2 rerun top-tier Erudition characters (Sparxie and Anaxa). The path is now the most-represented in the meta.

The "single carry" Lightning / Fire / Quantum comps all get significantly stronger. The "follow-up attack" archetype (a meta-defining strategy since Version 3.0) is now centered around Himeko Nova.

What comes next

Version 4.5 launches on August 26, 2026 (the day after 4.4 ends). The 4.5 roadmap includes:

• 1 new 5-star character (rumored to be a Lightning Support)
• 1 new 5-star character (rumored to be a Fire Harmony)
• 2 rerun banners (rumored to be Robin and Topaz)
• A continuation of the Whisper Watchers storyline
• A new game mode (rumored to be a "Tower of Babel" style climbing mode)

FAQ

Q: When does Honkai Star Rail 4.4 end? A: August 25, 2026. Version 4.5 launches the day after on August 26, 2026.

Q: Who is the strongest Fate collaboration character? A: Gilgamesh. He's the Lightning Destruction character with the highest single-target burst damage in the game. His "Ea" ultimate ignores 50% of the enemy's DEF, making him a top-tier boss killer.

Q: Should I pull for Himeko Nova or Rin Tohsaka? A: Depends on your account. If you have a strong Fire team, pull for Himeko Nova. If you have a strong Quantum team, pull for Rin Tohsaka. If you have neither, pull for Himeko Nova — her follow-up attack synergy is the most meta-defining in the patch.

Q: Is Kafka worth pulling in 4.4? A: Yes, if you don't already have her. Kafka is the Lightning Nihility character and a top-tier pick for Lightning DoT teams. She hasn't had a rerun since Version 4.0 (over 4 months) and is the most-anticipated rerun in the patch.

Q: What's the Echoes of the Past reward? A: The first clear awards 4-star Light Cone "Echoes of Triumph." Clearing all 10 stages awards 5-star Stellar Jade x 800. Sub-30-minute clears award an additional 5-star Stellar Jade x 1,600 (total 2,400 per cycle).

Q: Will there be a second Fate collaboration? A: HoYoverse hasn't officially announced a second collaboration, but the success of the Fate collab makes a second collaboration likely. The most-anticipated collabs in the player base are Fullmetal Alchemist, Sword Art Online, and Evangelion.