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CARDHonkai: Star Rail 4.8 Collab Pull Guide
I really did not see that final moment of the Honkai: Star Rail 4.7 preview livestream coming!!!
I thought it would be a standard version preview: new skins for Feiying and Fengjin, the 4.7 banner schedule, and maybe a brief mention of Penacony's future. Instead, the stream ended by dropping a collaboration PV, with Ellen and Yao Jiayin standing inside a carriage of the Astral Express······Wait, how did these two end up in Honkai: Star Rail???
And this is not fan-made content. It is an official announcement.
For anyone who is still catching up, here is the situation. During the 4.7 preview livestream on the evening of September 20, HoYoverse announced that the Honkai: Star Rail × Zenless Zone Zero collaboration will officially launch in Version 4.8. Ellen Joe and Yao Jiayin from New Eridu will board the Astral Express as playable characters. This is the first official collaboration between two of HoYoverse's modern IPs. Genshin Impact and Star Rail have had occasional “neighbor” easter eggs before, but that was nothing like this.
Zenless Zone Zero actually released a collaboration teaser as early as July, saying that “Pom-Pom and a Bangboo have suddenly appeared on Sixth Street, and the collaboration will begin in winter 2026.” The timing now lines up: Version 4.8 is expected to launch in late December, which is definitely winter.
Ellen Joe — The Shark Maid Arrives, and Nihility Is the Most Likely Path
Let's start with Ellen.
If you have not played Zenless Zone Zero, here is a quick introduction: Ellen Joe is a maid from Victoria Housekeeping, an S-Rank Ice Attack agent and one of the launch-era characters. Her concept is an “energy-saving shark maid.” She is always complaining that things are troublesome and that she wants to change jobs, yet she hits harder than almost anyone. Her signature lollipop is part of the charm: she can pull out a candy in the middle of a fight to recharge. That contrast has kept her popularity consistently high since launch.
In Zenless Zone Zero, Ellen's kit revolves around Flash Freeze Charges. She builds charges through Dash Attacks and her enhanced Special Attack. Once fully charged, she enters an empowered state, turning her Basic Attack into high-multiplier Ice damage while also applying Freeze. In simple terms, she gathers resources, enters a burst window, and deals heavy Ice damage with crowd control.
So which Path will she follow in Star Rail?
The most common community guess right now is Nihility. The reasoning is straightforward: Ellen's Freeze control naturally matches Nihility's debuff-focused identity in Star Rail, while her “charge up, then burst” playstyle also fits the rhythm of applying negative effects before triggering damage. Her Ice element is nearly certain. She is an Ice character in Zenless Zone Zero, so there is little reason to change it in Star Rail.
Some players are guessing The Hunt because Ellen is geared toward single-target burst damage. Personally, I lean toward Nihility. Star Rail's Ice damage roster currently lacks a truly capable main DPS on the Nihility Path, and Ellen would fit that gap perfectly.
There is also one important rumor: Ellen may be given out for free. If that proves true, this collaboration will be especially friendly to free-to-play players.
Yao Jiayin — From Ether Support to Harmony, with Quantum as the Logical Element
Now for Yao Jiayin.
In Zenless Zone Zero, Yao Jiayin is an S-Rank Ether Support agent and one of New Eridu's top idols. Her core mechanic is entering the “Ethereal Chorus” state to provide the whole team with ATK and CRIT DMG buffs, while also dealing considerable off-field damage herself.
In Star Rail, her role is almost impossible to miss: Harmony. Yao Jiayin's utility follows the same logic as Star Rail's Harmony characters, buffing allies and raising the team's damage ceiling. ATK and CRIT DMG buffs are valuable in practically every direct-damage team.
As for her element, Zenless Zone Zero's Ether has no direct equivalent in Star Rail. The community generally considers Quantum the closest option. Quantum Harmony is currently an open slot in Star Rail, so Yao Jiayin filling it would make a lot of sense from a roster perspective.
In short: Ellen deals the damage, while Yao Jiayin provides the buffs. If they launch together, they will likely form a DPS-plus-support combination. Whether you pull one or both depends on what your account is missing.
A Two-Way Collaboration — Who Will Visit New Eridu?
This collaboration is probably not one-sided.
Zenless Zone Zero's July announcement called it a “Zenless Zone Zero × Honkai: Star Rail collaboration,” while Star Rail described the characters as “beginning an adventure in Honkai: Star Rail.” Both sides use the word “collaboration” rather than describing a one-way character addition. Combined with the collaboration plan mentioned during the Zenless Zone Zero 3.0 preview, a two-way event is basically confirmed.
So the question is: who will go to New Eridu?
Several candidates have received strong community support:
Robin is the name mentioned most often. The reason is obvious: Yao Jiayin is a songstress, and Robin is also a singer. Seeing two great songstresses meet in the same world would be enough to excite fans of both games. Zenless Zone Zero's visual style and musical themes also match Robin's vibe well.
Firefly is another popular suggestion, mainly because of her combat style. Firefly's high-mobility battles share some of the same “high-speed action” fundamentals as Zenless Zone Zero, so she would likely feel natural in the game.
March 7th also has plenty of support. Her Ice element and cheerful personality would blend nicely with Zenless Zone Zero's art direction. However, March still has an active role in Star Rail's main story, so sending her to New Eridu suddenly could feel slightly awkward from a narrative perspective.
The actual character will most likely be revealed in the next Zenless Zone Zero version preview. Based on the timeline, the 3.x preview livestream should take place before Star Rail 4.8, so we will know then.
What You Should Prepare Now
The collaboration is scheduled for Version 4.8, which is expected to launch around December 23 according to Star Rail's update schedule.
There are roughly three months left until December. If you plan to pull for the collaboration characters, now is the time to start planning your Stellar Jade. With daily activity, events, Memory of Chaos, and Simulated Universe, free-to-play players should have little trouble saving one guaranteed pity in three months. If you want both characters, you will need to control your spending from now on and avoid wasting pulls before Versions 4.7 and 4.8.
One more thing: if Ellen is really given out for free, you can focus your Stellar Jade on Yao Jiayin or her signature Light Cone. Players who have experienced Star Rail's previous rewards already know how valuable a free character can be.
Here is a detailed preparation plan by time period, covering what to do from late September until Version 4.8 goes live:
| Time | Main Tasks | Estimated Stellar Jade/Pulls | Notes |
| Late September–October | Complete Version 4.7, including all events and endgame content | About 20–25 pulls | Save your resources and avoid the 4.7 banners unless necessary |
| November | Complete the last full version before 4.8, including Simulated Universe and Pure Fiction | About 25–30 pulls | Watch the official preview livestream and confirm how the collaboration characters are obtained |
| Early December | Version 4.8 pre-launch events, redemption codes, and login rewards | About 10–15 pulls | Redeem preview codes immediately before they expire |
| Late December | Version 4.8 goes live and the collaboration characters arrive; pull according to your plans | About 60–75 pulls total | If Ellen is free, spend your Stellar Jade on Yao Jiayin or her signature Light Cone |
As the table shows, if you follow the plan strictly from now on, reaching one guaranteed pity—about 90 pulls—before Version 4.8 should be realistic. If you want both characters, avoid every banner before and during 4.7 and 4.8, including reruns. Collaboration-limited characters may have very long rerun cycles, so they should take priority over standard and regular limited characters.
KARDZ Recommended Top-Up Guide
As an officially recommended top-up channel from Kardz, we would like to share a few words with all Trailblazers.
The appeal of collaboration-limited characters is undeniable. Ellen and Yao Jiayin are traveling from New Eridu to the Astral Express, and this kind of cross-IP playable collaboration is a first within HoYoverse's lineup. Missing it could mean waiting a very long time for another chance. If you want both characters or a signature Light Cone for Ellen, the Stellar Jade pressure will be concentrated in these three months. The next major version will also follow soon after 4.8, so the banner schedule will not leave much room to recover.
When choosing a top-up channel, security should always come first. The third-party recharge market is full of unreliable sellers, including low-price traps, black-card bans, and account theft. Kardz provides direct top-ups through your game UID, so you never need to share your account password with a third party, reducing the risk of account theft at the source. It offers 24/7 customer support and accepts major payment methods such as Visa, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. No matter your time zone or device, you can complete a top-up quickly without waiting for manual processing or worrying about black-card payments.
For players who want to obtain the collaboration characters in Version 4.8, Kardz is a safe, convenient, and reliable choice. Search for “Kardz Honkai Star Rail top up” to learn more. The official website provides detailed top-up instructions and frequently asked questions.
Honestly, the timing of this collaboration announcement is quite interesting.
Version 4.8 sits at a transitional point in Star Rail's update cycle. Placing the collaboration there avoids disrupting the rhythm of a major main-story version while giving players something clear to look forward to during a quieter period. Ellen and Yao Jiayin are also both popular and powerful characters in Zenless Zone Zero, so choosing them as the opening act shows that the developers are taking this collaboration seriously.
Of course, their exact Paths, elements, kits, and acquisition methods have not been revealed. Everything predicted above is based only on the information currently available. Follow the official announcement when the time comes—otherwise it will be awkward if Ellen turns out to be The Hunt while I keep insisting on Nihility······
Either way, see you on the Astral Express in December.
Are you planning to pull Ellen or Yao Jiayin? Or do you want both? Also, who do you think will visit New Eridu: Robin, Firefly, or March 7th?
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