Animaster Character Predictions - Honkai: Nexus Anima

Today, miHoYo officially lifted the curtain on its latest addition to the Honkai franchise: Honkai: Nexus Anima, a creature-collector adventure strategy game that reimagines the series’ universe through the lens of fractured dualities. Within this world, primal concepts—light and dark, order and chaos, life and death—exist as Anima, scattered fragments of power that players can forge bonds with and command.

Central to this new system are Animasters, the leaders who channel these Aspects and define how battles unfold. While details remain scarce, early material provides enough clues for players to begin predicting how Animasters may shape both gameplay strategies and the competitive meta.

 

The Fractured World of Nexus Anima

Honkai: Nexus Anima is a brand-new creature-collector adventure strategy game in the Honkai series. In this world, Nexus is the unseen bond woven between paired concepts — Love and Hate, Light and Dark, Life and Death, and countless others. This equilibrium is suddenly shattered by a mysterious rupture, severing those connections and scattering their remnant powers across the land in the form of Anima.

From this fractured order, players embark on a journey: through missions and combat, they forge bonds with these Anima, unlocking abilities that reflect the unique concepts each embodies. Moreover, these abilities can be combined to create diverse battle tactics and shape how players explore and engage with the expansive overworld.

It is within this backdrop that the game introduces three distinct categories of Animasters — the leaders who command and channel these scattered Aspects.

Hokai: Nexus Anima Top-up is Coming Soon!

 

Animasters Overview

Sovereigns — Owners of the Old World’s Aspects

The Sovereigns are presented as the original owners of the Old World’s Aspects — long-standing rulers who once held centralized authority over mortal realms. In-universe they read like primordial sovereigns whose fractured legacy still shapes large-scale power structures; mechanically, Sovereigns could represent archetypal “founder” Animasters who grant sweeping, authority-like bonuses.

Victus	The 1st Sovereign, master of Order and Chaos, and who is now the Novarch of Order. Prior to the Sundering, he defeated the World-Ender seven times, destroying them twice.
Kumyo Kyo	The 4th Sovereign, master of Reality and Illusion. He vanished after the Sundering. Darsea's elder brother, he fulfilled his promise to her and sealed the World-Ender within the Plane of Illusion.
Amstradath	The 5th Sovereign, master of Life and Death.He now rules the Planes of Life and Death,though his status as a Novarch is unknown. He once signed a Pact of Rebirth with the World-Ender, granting them immortality
Apeiron	The 28th Sovereign, and master of Infinity and Finity. Rumored to be dead for a time. Reappeared after the Sundering, laying such rumors to rest.
Armand	The 8th Sovereign, master of Light and Dark,who is now the Novarch of Dark. He imprisoned the Novarch of Light, and is now seeking a way to overcome the Sunbane Curse.

Novarchs — Rulers of the New World’s Planes

Novarchs are introduced as the holders of the New World’s Aspects, each ruling one of the many planes that now make up the world order. They feel more localized and specialized than Sovereigns — think plane-specific champions who embody a single Aspect and its tactical identity. Early material even lists specific Novarchs (Blade appears among them), suggesting crossovers and canonical links to other Honkai titles.

Victus	Once the 1st Sovereign, master of Order and Chaos, and who is now the Novarch of Order. Presides over the Court of Dragons, managing the laws of the eighty-one planes to safeguard against the ravages of chaos.
Prabhas	The Novarch of light, and a Sunfire monk of the Old World. Imprisoned by Armand the Dark.
Armand	Once the 8th Sovereign, master of Light and Dark, who is now the Novarch of Dark. He imprisoned the Novarch of Light, and is now seeking a way to overcome the Sunbane Curse.
Blade	The 2nd Novarch, and master of the Plane known as "The Peak." One of the Phoenixbreaker Novarchs, he is searching for the missing 11th Sovereign.
Parayaya	The current Novarch of Hate. Prior to the Sundering, she was the 14th Sovereign, master of Love and Hate. After the Sundering, she joined the Phoenixbreaker Novarchs, seeking the World-Ender who so ruthlessly betrayed her.
Sir Champion	The current Novarch of Competition, and formerly the Sovereign who was master of Competition and Cooperation. Now the organizer of The Amphitheater's Grand Championship, none have seen the true face beneath the armor.

 

Others — Journey-bound Characters & Encounters

“Others” covers the wide cast you meet on your journey: non-sovereign Animasters, wayfarers, and story NPCs who don’t wear the mantle of planar authority. Expect them to populate quests, serve as mid-tier trainers, or provide niche playstyles rather than world-defining powers. (Kiana from HI3 is listed among this group in the early reveal.)

Nanafey	A young girl and ordinary student, she kindly allows you to stay in her home. Pure, innocent, and kind, she's the pride of lia, loved by all.
Hua	A young Animaster burning with passion. He's already quite famous in lia for his goal of making it through the qualifiers and to The Amphitheater.
Cassio Rollex	One of the Deputy Arena Masters of lia's Arena. He often talks of defeating the Arena Master, Jalily, but it's only just talk.
Maple Manybell	One of the Deputy Arena Masters of lia's Arena. Between her young age and extremely eccentric way of thinking, it's entirely possible she hasn't a clue that she's serving as a Deputy Arena Master.
Kiana	A Planestrider on a long journey. Currently dealing with an Aspect Fracture on behalf of the Committee for a joyful lia.

 

Predicted Role of Animasters in Honkai: Nexus Anima

With the official site and PV giving us only glimpses, players are already piecing together how Animasters might shape the meta of Honkai: Nexus Anima. By looking at design patterns from other miHoYo titles and typical auto-battler structures, we can make some educated predictions.

Exclusive Nexus Anima & Entry Buffs

Each Animaster appears to come with its own signature Nexus Anima, serving as their personal unit on the board. Unlike regular Nexus Anima, these signature partners likely carry special traits or synergies tied to the Animaster’s identity. More importantly, when an Animaster enters the battlefield, they seem to trigger unique entry buffs, amplifying the strength of your team from the very first round. This makes them not just leaders, but active power spikes in deployment.

Passive Skill Sets and Round-by-Round Buffs

Beyond simple entry bonuses, Animasters seem to provide passive buffs that take effect from the start of combat. These may apply globally—benefiting every Nexus Anima—or selectively, boosting only those with matching Aspects or Traits. Interestingly, the PV suggests a system where players can choose between multiple buffs across different rounds, adding a layer of adaptability. If true, this mechanic would echo elements of TFT Augments or Hearthstone Battlegrounds’ Hero Powers, where mid-battle choices decide long-term momentum.

Upgradeable Buff Effects via Gacha Progression

It’s very likely that Animaster buffs are upgradeable through progression mechanics. Looking at how miHoYo structures character development in Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, duplicates pulled through gacha often unlock Constellation-style enhancements. For Animasters, this could mean:

• Higher buff values (e.g., stronger ATK% or HP scaling),
• Enhanced conditions (buffing broader unit pools),
• Or entirely new buff nodes that reshape their utility.
  This creates a natural ceiling for investment, ensuring long-term collection goals for competitive players.

Active, Limited-Use Abilities

One of the most exciting possibilities is that Animasters may have active abilities with limited uses per match. These would function as high-impact, clutch tools—perfect for turning the tide of a losing round or locking in a critical win streak. If implemented, they could resemble “once-per-game ultimates” in auto-chess titles, giving each Animaster a distinctive tactical identity. Such abilities would also raise the skill ceiling, as timing their activation could decide entire matches.

 

What This Means for the Meta

If these predictions hold, Animasters won’t just be flavor leaders—they’ll be the backbone of team identity. Choosing the right Animaster might define your entire build path, influencing which Traits you stack, how you position your units, and when you push for streaks or stabilization. Over time, the meta could shift around which Animaster provides the most flexible or oppressive buff combinations, much like how “top-tier Heroes” dominate other autobattlers’ ladders.

 

Conclusion

Although still in its early reveal stage, Honkai: Nexus Anima has already drawn attention for how it frames Animasters as both narrative pillars and gameplay drivers. The predicted systems—signature Nexus Anima partners, entry buffs, passive bonuses, upgradeable traits, and even limited-use active abilities—suggest a design that blends auto-battler depth with Honkai’s trademark character-driven storytelling. If these expectations hold, choosing the right Animaster will not simply be about lore, but about mastering the battlefield itself.

For players eager to dive in, keeping track of the latest updates will be key. LDShop will continue to follow every new announcement about Honkai: Nexus Anima and bring timely insights to you. What’s more, exclusive top-up discounts and promotional offers for the game will be available through LDShop once the title goes live. Stay tuned with LDShop to secure the best deals and get a head start on your journey into Nexus Anima.