Kafka
★★★★★

Kafka Build

Kafka is a 5★ Lightning character on the Path of Nihility in Honkai: Star Rail. Below are the character's stats, skills and Eidolons — plus a pity calculator if you plan to pull.

Released: 19/07/2023 · v1.2· Updated: 03/07/2026
Updated for version 4.3 · 02/07/2026
Calculate pity to pull this character →
Community usage · phase 4.3.2
Memory of Chaos19.6%
Pure Fiction25.8%
Apocalyptic Shadow23.3%
Stats from 16,423 real player profiles (Memory of Chaos) · community data by LvlUrArti
Building Kafka — just follow the numbers
30-second summary

If you love hands-off DoT gameplay, Kafka is a cornerstone. Skip her if you dislike DoT or already run strong burst/break cores.

1
30-second build
In a hurry? This box is all you need — details below
BodyATK% FeetSPD SphereLightning DMG RopeATK% (Energy Regeneration Rate cho build hỗ trợ ult nhanh)

Sub-stat priority: SPD > ATK% > EHR% (tới ~75%)

2
Verdict & playstyle
How strong, worth pulling, how to play
Memory of Chaos 4/5
Pure Fiction 4.5/5
Apocalyptic Shadow 4.5/5
Should you pull Kafka?

If you love hands-off DoT gameplay, Kafka is a cornerstone. Skip her if you dislike DoT or already run strong burst/break cores.

Pros
  • Constant DoT detonations, huge nukes with Black Swan
  • Low-stress, RNG-free (no crit needed)
  • Dominant in Pure Fiction multi-target
  • Runs a strong F2P light cone (Before the Tutorial)
Cons
  • Weak in Apocalyptic Shadow (burst/break favored)
  • Practically needs Black Swan to shine
  • DoT ramps slowly, poor for fast-kill checks
  • Requires enough EHR to be consistent
How to play

Turn 1 Skill to apply Shock. From turn 2, time your Ultimate to detonate all DoTs, then loop Skill/basic attacks to feed energy and let Black Swan's Arcana explode alongside.

3
Full build
Light cones, relics, stat targets — with reasons
Best Relics
BodyATK%
FeetSPD
SphereLightning DMG
RopeATK% (Energy Regeneration Rate cho build hỗ trợ ult nhanh)

Sub-stat priority: SPD > ATK% > EHR% (tới ~75%)

Stat targets

SPD 156 minimum (170 with Lies Dance on the Breeze), EHR ~60-75% for guaranteed Shock and her ATK buff, total ATK ~3000+. DoTs don't crit, so ignore CRIT entirely.

4
Teams
Best teammates to pair with
Best teams for Kafka

Core: Kafka + Black Swan + Ruan Mei + Huohuo. Add Hysilens for heavier multi-target damage. No 5-star sustain? Gallagher is a great F2P sub.

Meta suggestions synthesized from global community consensus (Meta 2026-07). Figures come from game data — updated each patch.

5
Eidolons
How far to invest, which milestones matter

E0 (E1/E2 rất mạnh) — E0 is fully complete. E1 is a big DoT boost and E2 is excellent if you want to push the ceiling, but neither is required.

E1
Da Capo★★★★☆
When the Talent triggers a Follow-Up ATK, there is a 100% base chance to increase the DoT received by the target by 30% for 2 turn(s).
Whenever the Talent's Follow-Up ATK triggers, it boosts DoT taken by the target by 30% for 2 turns, meaningfully amplifying the whole team's damage.
E2
Fortississimo★★★★★
While Kafka is on the field, DoT dealt by all allies increases by 25%.
While Kafka is on the field, all allies' DoT DMG increases by 25%, a massive near-permanent team-wide damage buff.
E3
Capriccio★★☆☆☆
Skill Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15. Basic ATK Lv. +1, up to a maximum of Lv. 10.
Only levels up Skill and Basic ATK, a minor stat boost that doesn't change gameplay.
E4
Recitativo★★☆☆☆
When an enemy target takes DMG from the Shock status inflicted by Kafka, Kafka additionally regenerates 2 Energy.
Regenerates 2 extra Energy whenever a target takes Shock DMG from Kafka, a modest boost to Ultimate uptime.
E5
Doloroso★★☆☆☆
Ultimate Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15. Talent Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15.
Only levels up Ultimate and Talent, a minor stat boost that doesn't change gameplay.
E6
Leggiero★★★★★
The Shock state inflicted on the enemy target by the Ultimate, Technique, or the Talent-triggered Follow-Up ATK has a DMG multiplier increase of 156% and lasts 1 turn(s) longer.
The Shock DMG multiplier from Ultimate, Technique, or Talent Follow-Up ATK increases by 156% and lasts 1 extra turn, a massive damage upgrade to Kafka's core mechanic.
6
Skills & Traces
What to level first — tap each skill for details
Skill Leveling Priority
Ultimate ★★★★★ Twilight Trill applies AoE Shock to all enemies, forming Kafka's core DoT source, so it should be maxed early.
Talent ★★★★★ Gentle but Cruel triggers a Follow-Up ATK and spreads Shock whenever an ally uses Basic ATK, delivering continuous damage across the fight, so it deserves equal priority with the Ultimate.
Skill ★★★☆☆ Caressing Moonlight deals single-target damage and detonates existing DoTs early; useful but not her main damage source, so it sits at medium priority.
Basic ATK ★☆☆☆☆ Basic ATK is rarely used actively since Kafka mainly deals damage via Shock and Follow-Up ATKs, making it the lowest priority.
Trace priority: A2 = A6 > A4 Eidolon priority: E1 > E2 > E6. Kafka's E1 is one of the strongest E1s in the game (permanent DoT vulnerability) — the clear first copy to chase.
Skills
Midnight Tumult
Midnight Tumult
Basic ATK Single Target Lv.10

Deals Lightning DMG equal to 140% of Kafka's ATK to a one designated enemy.

Caressing Moonlight
Caressing Moonlight
Skill Blast Lv.15

Deals Lightning DMG equal to 200% of Kafka's ATK to a target enemy and Lightning DMG equal to 75% of Kafka's ATK to enemies adjacent to it. If the target enemy is currently receiving DoT, all DoTs currently placed on that enemy immediately produce DMG equal to 83% of their original DMG.

Twilight Trill
Twilight Trill
Ultimate AoE Lv.15

Deals Lightning DMG equal to 96% of Kafka's ATK to all enemies, with a 100% base chance for enemies hit to become Shocked and immediately take DMG from their current Shock state, equal to 110% of its original DMG. Shock lasts for 2 turn(s). While Shocked, enemies receive Lightning DoT equal to 361% of Kafka's ATK at the beginning of each turn.

Gentle but Cruel
Gentle but Cruel
Talent Single Target Lv.15

After Kafka's teammate uses Basic ATK on an enemy target, Kafka immediately launches Follow-Up ATK and deals Lightning DMG equal to 189% of her ATK to that target, with a 100% base chance to inflict Shock equivalent to that applied by her Ultimate to the attacked enemy target, lasting for 2 turns. This effect can only be triggered 1 time per turn.

Attack
Attack

Attacks an enemy, and after entering combat, reduces their Toughness of the corresponding Type.

Mercy Is Not Forgiveness
Mercy Is Not Forgiveness
Technique

Immediately attacks all enemies within a set range. After entering battle, deals Lightning DMG equal to 50% of Kafka's ATK to all enemies, with a 100% base chance to inflict Shock equivalent to that applied by her Ultimate on every enemy target for 2 turn(s).

Major Traces
3 powerful passives (A2/A4/A6) — unlocked via Ascension
A2
Torture

When the Ultimate is used, enemy targets will now receive DMG immediately from all currently applied DoT sources instead of just receiving DMG immediately from the currently applied Shock state.

A4
Plunder

If an enemy is defeated while Shocked, Kafka additionally regenerates 5 Energy.

A6
Thorns

The base chance for target enemies to be Shocked by the Ultimate, the Technique, and the Talent-triggered Follow-Up ATK increases by 30%.

Trace Bonuses
Total stats gained from unlocking the full trace tree
+56%ATK
+36%Effect Hit Rate
+20%HP
7
Stats & Materials
Base stats at Lv.80 and what to farm
Level 80 stats
HP
1,087
ATK
679
DEF
485
SPD
100
CRIT Rate
5%
CRIT DMG
50%
8
Kafka FAQ
What is the best Light Cone for Kafka?

The best Light Cone for Kafka is Patience Is All You Need (top pick). See F2P options in the Light Cones section above.

Is Kafka worth pulling?

If you love hands-off DoT gameplay, Kafka is a cornerstone. Skip her if you dislike DoT or already run strong burst/break cores.

What is the best team for Kafka?

Core: Kafka + Black Swan + Ruan Mei + Huohuo. Add Hysilens for heavier multi-target damage. No 5-star sustain? Gallagher is a great F2P sub.

Matching Light Cones
Path of Nihility — a Light Cone only gives its bonus to matching-Path characters.
Light Cones →
How to read this build page

Every character build page has these parts: recommended Light Cone/Relic sets and stat table, a Trace/skill leveling order, Eidolon milestones worth considering, and a reference SPD threshold. Read them in that order — gear tells you "what to use", Traces tell you "what to level first", Eidolon tells you "is it worth pulling dupes", SPD tells you "how fast you need to be to keep the rotation on time". The section below explains how to read each part and applies the same way to every character on the site — check the exact numbers in the table above this section, since community sources sometimes differ by a few points.

Why the Light Cone and Relic picks make sense

Most characters have a "signature" Light Cone built for their exact role, plus a few cheaper substitutes from the standard banner or easy-to-get 3-4★ cones. Missing the signature isn't a dead end — most characters keep most of their power with a well-matched substitute, typically losing somewhere between a few percent and roughly a fifth of total damage depending on the setup, per most public comparisons.

  • Relic sets (2pc+2pc or 4pc) are picked for the set effect that fits that character's role (single-target DPS, AoE, shield/healing support, Break damage, and so on).
  • Main stats per slot (Body/Feet/Sphere/Rope) and substats follow a priority that changes by role: DPS roles usually chase CRIT Rate/CRIT DMG before ATK%; Break-focused roles prioritize Break Effect; support/healing roles often value Effect Hit/RES or Outgoing Healing over pure CRIT.

These weights differ per character and can shift slightly between ranking sources — follow the exact priority table above rather than applying one formula to every role.

Trace/skill leveling order by role (a general guideline, not a fixed rule)

There's no single order that's correct for every character, and community sources sometimes disagree depending on the team the character is used in — but the general pattern by role is:

  • DPS: level whichever skill (Skill or Ultimate) carries most of the damage for that character first, with Basic ATK usually last if it isn't the main damage source.
  • Support/Buffer: prioritize Traces that boost buff strength or the skill that applies the effect over Basic ATK, since this role's value comes from lifting the team rather than personal damage.
  • Healer/Shielder: prioritize the main healing or shield skill first, since that is the reason the team runs this character.
  • Break/CC: prioritize whichever skill contributes the most Toughness Damage, since the Break/Weakness Break window is where the team dumps damage.

Major Traces unlock at fixed ascension levels in-game, not by choice — but which one to level first (when resources are limited) should follow the role priority above. Since the exact order can differ between ranking sources, check the specific recommendation in the table above for this character.

Eidolons: how far E0 gets you, and which milestone is worth considering

General rule: most characters at E0 (no duplicates) already handle most content, even 5-star characters. Eidolons are a duplicate-fueled upgrade system — higher levels cost more resources for a smaller power gain, and the actual gain varies a lot per character (some barely change role at E0, others shift how they're played at a specific level). The milestones most often cited by the community tend to sit at E1, E2, or E6 depending on the character — but none of these are required to clear the game's content. Check the Eidolon section in the table above for this character's specific milestone and gain; if sources disagree on how to rate a milestone, trust the in-game effect description over a pre-set percentage number.

How to think about SPD breakpoints

SPD (Speed) controls how often a character acts in the turn order — higher SPD means denser actions, and for some roles (especially support/healing that need to buff or heal before the team gets hit) hitting the right SPD "breakpoint" matters more than the raw SPD number. Values like 101 or 134 SPD are often cited as community-common breakpoints (letting a character act again before or after a specific point in certain team setups) — this is crowd-verified action-gauge math, not an official fixed number the game states for every situation. The right breakpoint also depends on the team and allies' SPD, so treat the SPD suggestion in the table above as a starting point to adjust from, not a mandatory target.

Where to dig deeper

This section only teaches you how to read the page — for deeper comparisons, use the dedicated tools:

  • Tier list to see where this character stands against the full roster.
  • Teams for full in-game comps with rotation order.
  • Relic score to check how your current gear scores against the benchmark.
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