If you’ve ever scrolled through team building forums or argued with friends about which limited 5-star is worth pulling for, you’ve probably asked how many honkai star rail characters are there at some point. The roster grows every six weeks with each new version drop, so it’s easy to lose track of permanent, limited, and even collab units that join the Astral Express crew for good or just a limited banner run. I’ve been playing since launch, and I still have to double check the list sometimes when I’m planning my pull schedule for upcoming patches, so I put together this full breakdown to save you the research time.
How Many Honkai: Star Rail Characters Are There as of the Latest Version?
As of the latest live version, there are 83 playable Honkai: Star Rail characters split across three rarity tiers, seven combat paths, and seven elemental types. That count only includes units you can permanently add to your account, so it doesn’t cover trial characters or NPCs that only appear in story segments. I know I’ve had moments where I thought a new limited unit was counted in the permanent roster, only to find out it was event-exclusive and I missed my chance to pull it, so this breakdown will help you avoid that mistake.
The roster is split fairly evenly between rarities, with 12 3-star units, 38 4-star units, and 33 5-star units currently available. Most 3-star units are handed out for free when you first start the game, and while most fall off in the late game, March 7th (the free 3-star ice preservation unit) is still a top tier pick for many endgame team comps if you build her correctly. 4-star units make up the bulk of the accessible roster, with half available in the permanent banner and the other half tied to limited events or banner runs. 5-star units are the rarest, with only 12 available in the standard permanent banner and the rest only obtainable during their limited banner windows.
Breakdown of Roster Types You Might Not Track
Most players only count the limited 5-stars they want to pull for when they tally up the total roster size, but there are several categories of units that get overlooked in casual counts. Some units are given away for free during events, others are tied to collabs, and some are only available for test runs, so it’s easy to get confused about what counts towards the official total.
Only units you can add to your permanent account collection count towards the official total roster size, so trial, story-exclusive, or enemy-only characters don’t make the cut. Here’s a quick reference to help you tell which units count:
For example, the free 4-star units given out during patch events are always added to the permanent roster after their event ends, so they count towards the total even if you didn’t log in during their event run to claim them. Collab units are a bit of a gray area, but all collab units released so far are counted in the official roster, even if they only rerun very rarely.
How the Roster Grows With Each Version Update
HoYoverse sticks to a strict six-week update cycle for Honkai: Star Rail, and almost every update adds at least one new character to the roster, sometimes two or three. Usually, each version has one limited 5-star and one limited 4-star for the first half of the banner cycle, and another limited 5-star and 4-star for the second half, plus sometimes a free event 4-star for players to claim without spending pulls.
Take the most recent version as an example: it added two new 5-star units, one for each half of the banner cycle, plus a free 4-star event unit that players could get for completing the limited-time event quest line. You can expect between 8 and 12 new characters added to the game every year, so the total count will keep going up steadily for the foreseeable future.
Older limited characters also get rerun every 6 to 12 months, so if you miss a unit you want, you don’t have to wait forever to pull them again. If you’re saving Stellar Jade for a specific unit, you can usually find reliable leak info 2 to 3 versions in advance about upcoming roster additions, so you can plan your pull schedule accordingly. Just don’t rely 100% on leaks, since plans can change last minute before a version drops.
Tips for Building Your Roster Without Overspending
Now that you know how large the roster is, you probably realize you don’t need to pull for every single character to have a strong account. Most endgame content can be cleared with just 8 to 10 well-built units, so you can be picky about which ones you add to your collection. There’s no pressure to 100% the roster unless you’re a completionist who wants to collect every unit for fun.
First, prioritize units that fit gaps in your current team, instead of pulling for every new shiny 5-star that releases. For example, if you don’t have a strong imaginary damage dealer, saving for one will make clearing endgame content like Pure Fiction way easier than pulling for a random ice unit you don’t need. The free 4-star and permanent 5-star units are more than strong enough to clear all non-whale exclusive content, so you don’t have to spend real money to have a viable roster.
You should also always claim free event units, even if you don’t plan to use them right away. They might get buffed in later updates, or be required for specific event missions down the line. Save your Star Rail Passes for limited 5-star units you really want, instead of wasting them on the standard banner, where you can get most of the permanent units from off-banner pulls anyway.
At the end of the day, the answer to how many honkai star rail characters are there will keep changing every few months as HoYoverse adds new units to the game. The current count of 83 will likely hit 90 by the end of the year, so you can always come back to this guide for updated counts and roster breakdowns every time a new version drops. Don't stress about collecting every single unit, focus on building a team that fits your playstyle, and you'll have a great time exploring the universe with the Astral Express crew.
