Image Credit: HoyoVerse

The second half of the Honkai: Star Rail × Fate/stay night collaboration introduces one of anime’s most legendary heroes. Gilgamesh, the self-proclaimed King of Heroes, joins the roster as a 5-Star Lightning Destruction character whose kit revolves around building Interest, unleashing devastating Ultimate attacks, and forming an exceptionally powerful partnership with Saber.

Unlike traditional Destruction characters, Gilgamesh thrives in aggressive teams that attack frequently. His mechanics reward constant action, allowing him to accumulate Interest stacks that empower his Skill and Ultimate while enabling a unique Joint Follow-Up Attack with Saber. Once fully built, he becomes one of the strongest burst-oriented damage dealers introduced in Version 4.4.

If you’re planning to add the King of Heroes to your roster, here’s everything you need to know.

Gilgamesh Overview

Rarity: 5-Star

Element: Lightning

Path: Destruction

Role: Main DPS

Gilgamesh’s gameplay centers around accumulating Interest through attacks, Skills, and his Ultimate. His Skill, Gate of Babylon, grants King’s Acknowledgement, allowing him to ignore a portion of enemy DEF, while his Ultimate, Enuma Elish, delivers massive AoE Lightning damage. When paired with Saber, the duo can trigger an exclusive Joint Follow-Up Attack that dramatically increases both characters’ damage output.

Strengths

• Extremely high burst damage
• Powerful AoE Ultimate
• DEF Ignore built into his kit
• Outstanding synergy with Saber
• Strong scaling into endgame content

Weaknesses

• Relies on building Interest efficiently
• Performs best with premium supports
• Signature Light Cone provides a significant damage increase
• Rotations require proper Ultimate timing

Best Light Cones

Best-in-Slot: I Am As You Behold

Gilgamesh’s signature 5-Star Light Cone is his strongest weapon by a comfortable margin.

It provides:

• ATK%
• Energy Regeneration Rate
• Ultimate DMG Bonus
• Team-wide CRIT DMG after activating its passive

Because Gilgamesh’s damage heavily revolves around frequent Ultimates, this Light Cone amplifies nearly every aspect of his kit while also increasing the damage of his teammates.

Other Excellent Options

A Thankless Coronation

One of his strongest premium alternatives, providing excellent CRIT and offensive stats.

Something Irreplaceable

Offers ATK and survivability, making it a reliable general-purpose option.

On the Fall of an Aeon

Gilgamesh’s best free-to-play Light Cone. Its stacking ATK buff and Break bonus make it an excellent choice for players who don’t own a limited 5-Star Light Cone.

The Moles Welcome You

A solid 4-Star alternative that provides consistent ATK increases throughout combat.

Best Relics

Best 4-Piece Set

Scholar Lost in Erudition

Although Gilgamesh follows the Path of Destruction, current testing shows this Relic set performs exceptionally well thanks to its Skill and Ultimate damage bonuses, which align perfectly with his rotation.

Best Planar Ornament

Rutilant Arena

Rutilant Arena remains his preferred Planar Ornament thanks to its CRIT Rate bonus and increased Skill damage after reaching the required CRIT threshold.

Main Stats

Body

• CRIT Rate

Feet

• SPD

Planar Sphere

• Lightning DMG Bonus

Link Rope

• ATK%

Substat Priority

1. CRIT Rate
2. CRIT DMG
3. ATK%
4. SPD
5. Energy Regeneration Rate

Aim for approximately 70% CRIT Rate before heavily investing in CRIT DMG to maintain consistent damage.

Trace Priority

Upgrade Gilgamesh’s abilities in this order:

Ultimate → Talent → Skill → Basic Attack

His Ultimate contributes the largest portion of his total damage, while his Talent is essential for generating Interest and triggering his strongest mechanics.

Best Team Compositions

Gilgamesh’s strongest teams are built around frequent attacks, powerful Harmony supports, and characters that accelerate his Interest generation.

Best Overall Team

Gilgamesh + Saber + Sunday + Huohuo

This is widely regarded as Gilgamesh’s strongest composition.

Why it works

• Saber is Gilgamesh’s premier partner, enabling their exclusive Joint Follow-Up Attack.
• Sunday provides Action Advance, Energy regeneration, and powerful CRIT buffs.
• Huohuo supplies healing while helping both DPS characters reach their Ultimates faster.

Together, this team maximizes Gilgamesh’s Interest generation and creates devastating burst windows.

Premium Hypercarry Team

Gilgamesh + Saber + Robin + Huohuo

Robin dramatically increases the team’s overall damage while also benefiting Gilgamesh’s frequent attacks.

This setup emphasizes sustained offensive pressure while maintaining excellent Ultimate uptime.

Dual DPS Team

Gilgamesh + Saber + Mortenax Blade + Aventurine

Mortenax Blade contributes additional damage and offensive utility, while Aventurine provides shields and follow-up attacks that complement Gilgamesh’s aggressive playstyle.

This team performs exceptionally well in Memory of Chaos and multi-wave encounters.

Budget-Friendly Team

Gilgamesh + Asta + Tingyun + Gallagher

Players without premium Harmony supports can still build an effective team.

• Asta supplies SPD and ATK buffs.
• Tingyun provides Energy regeneration and additional ATK.
• Gallagher offers reliable healing while contributing Break damage.

Although it lacks Saber synergy, this lineup remains effective for story content and early endgame progression.

Eidolon Priority

Gilgamesh performs extremely well at E0.

For players wishing to invest further:

• E1 improves Skill damage and Interest generation.
• E2 significantly boosts his burst potential.
• E4 increases Energy Regeneration Rate, allowing more frequent Ultimate usage.

These provide the largest performance improvements before considering higher Eidolons.

Should You Pull Gilgamesh?

Gilgamesh is an excellent choice if you:

• Enjoy high-damage Destruction characters.
• Already own or plan to pull Saber.
• Like Ultimate-focused gameplay.
• Want one of the strongest Lightning DPS characters in Version 4.4.

You may want to skip him if:

• You prefer simple, low-maintenance rotations.
• You lack strong Harmony supports.
• You’re saving Stellar Jade for future collaboration or Version 4.x characters.

Final Verdict

Gilgamesh lives up to his title as the King of Heroes. His combination of powerful Ultimate damage, DEF Ignore mechanics, and exclusive synergy with Saber makes him one of the most exciting collaboration characters Honkai: Star Rail has introduced. While he requires careful management of Interest and proper team support, the payoff is tremendous burst damage capable of clearing even the toughest endgame encounters.

Final Thoughts

Gilgamesh brings overwhelming power and regal flair to Honkai: Star Rail, offering players a unique Destruction character who rewards aggressive play and smart team building. Whether you’re pairing him with Saber, optimizing his Relics, or chasing his signature Light Cone, mastering his mechanics will help you unleash the full might of the King of Heroes.

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