Black Swan is a Wind and Nihility character in Honkai: Star Rail. Check out this guide for Black Swan's best builds, team comps, relics, light cones, rating, and how to play them here!
List of Contents
- Character Overview
- Best Builds
- Best Teams
- Best Relics and Ornaments
- Best Light Cones
- Ascension and Trace Materials
- Gameplay Guide
- Trace Priority
- Traces (Skills and Kit)
- Eidolons
- Additional Information
- Related Guides
Black Swan's Character Overview
Black Swan Basic Info and Rating
 Black Swan | Rarity | 5-star |
|---|---|---|
| Element | Wind | |
| Path | Nihility | |
| Tier List Rating |
|
OverallRatings are based on E0.
How do you rate Black Swan?
SS 9920
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S 485
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A 42
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B 23
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C 68
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Character Tier List
Black Swan Base Stats
| HP | ATK | DEF | SPD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lvl. 1 | 147 | 89 | 66 | 102 |
| Lvl. 80 | 1086 | 659 | 485 | 102 |
Is Black Swan Good?
Black Swan is one of the strongest DoT units in-game whose game plan is to simply apply Arcana onto enemies. Black Swan's DoT becomes a lot stronger the more Arcana stacks an enemy has accumulated.
Pull for Black Swan if you want to give a huge upgrade to your DoT teams, especially if you have Kafka.
Black Swan's Best Builds
DoT DPS Build
| Best Light Cone | Relics and Ornament | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reforged Remembrance | Prisoner in Deep Confinement | |||
Pan-Cosmic Commercial Enterprise | ||||
| Main Stats | Sub Stats | |||
| Body: Effect Hit % Feet: SPD Sphere: Wind DMG or ATK% Rope: ATK% | Effect Hit % ★★★ SPD ★★★ ATK% ★★ Flat ATK ★ | |||
| Alternative Light Cones | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Eyes of the Prey |
| 2 | Patience Is All You Need |
| 3 | Good Night and Sleep Well |
| 4 | Before the Tutorial Mission Starts |
| 5 | Incessant Rain |
Black Swan needs at least 120% Effect Hit Rate to max out her DMG buff from her Third Bonus Ability. You can equip the Firmament Frontline: Glamoth instead if you have managed to get enough Effect Hit Rate through substats.
Black Swan's DoTs scale on the ATK stat and SPD is useful for letting her act sooner and take more turns in one cycle. If you have Ruan Mei in your party, use an ATK% Sphere on Black Swan as the former already provides a huge buff to the latter's DMG.
Recommended Stat Values
| Stat | Recommended Value |
|---|---|
| Effect Hit Rate | 120% |
| ATK | 3000 or above |
| SPD | 135 - 160SPD should be higher than Kafka's |
Black Swan's Best Teams
Black Swan F2P Team (Free to Play)
| Sub-DPS | DPS | Support | Healer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Swan | Serval | Asta | Natasha |
Black Swan will go in tandem with Serval as the two DPS characters in the party. Serval can also provide Shock DoTs with her kit.
Asta is the best free-to-play Support for Black Swan thanks to her SPD and ATK buffs for the entire party.
Black Swan DoT Team
| Sub-DPS | DPS | Support | Healer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Swan | Kafka | Ruan Mei | Huohuo |
Black Swan shines in DoT-centric teams with Kafka as the Main DPS who can trigger her DoTs.
Ruan Mei can increase the party's Break Efficiency and delay the enemies' recovery from Break, which results in them taking in more DoTs before they manage to attack.
| Alternative | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Sampo | DPS or Support ReplacementSampo can increase the DoT taken by enemies and provide Wind Shear DoTs. As a DPS, Sampo is best used when his 4th Eidolon is unlocked. |
| Guinaifen | DPS or Support ReplacementGuinaifen can increase the DMG taken by enemies and provide Burn DoTs. |
| Silver Wolf | Support ReplacementSilver Wolf is best used against enemies who neither have a Wind or Lightning Type Weakness. |
| Robin | Support ReplacementRobin can increase the party's ATK and DMG. Robin can also advance everyone in the turn order after using her Ultimate. |
| Asta | Support ReplacementA free-to-play unit who can buff the party's SPD or ATK. |
| Tingyun | Support ReplacementCan increase the ATK of either Black Swan or the DPS and restore their energy. |
| Gallagher | Utility ReplacementGallagher can provide an ATK reduction debuff with his Enhanced Basic ATK. He can also heal the team as long as an ally attacks the debuffed enemy. |
| Luocha | Healer ReplacementLuocha can provide a huge amount of healing and can remove enemy buffs with his Ultimate. |
| Gepard | Healer ReplacementGepard can provide a strong shield and can be an SP-friendly unit that can just use his Basic ATKs. |
Black Swan's Best Relics and Ornaments
All Recommended Relics and Ornaments
| Relics | Rating & Merits |
|---|---|
| Prisoner in Deep Confinement x4 | ★★★★★ - Best As a DoT unit, Black Swan highly benefits from using the Prisoner of the Deep effect that ignores enemy DEF. |
| Eagle of Twilight Line x2 Prisoner in Deep Confinement x2 | ★★★★☆ - 2nd Best Black Swan can use a mix of Prisoner of the Deep and Eagle of Twilight Line to deal a decent amount of Wind DMG to enemies. |
| Ornaments | Merits |
| Pan-Cosmic Commercial Enterprise | ★★★★★ - Best Pan-Cosmic Commercial Enterprise is the best Planar Ornament for Black Swan as it provides Effect Hit Rate stats and ATK buffs which strengthens her DoTs. |
| Firmament Frontline Glamoth | ★★★★☆ - 2nd BestFirmament Frontline Glamoth increases Black Swan's DMG as long as she has a minimum of 135 SPD. |
| Space Sealing Station | ★★★☆☆ - 3rd BestSpace Sealing Station is a good early-game set since it increases Black Swan's ATK and only requires 120 SPD to activate its effect. |
Black Swan's Best Light Cones
All Recommended Light Cones
| Light Cone | Why We Recommend It |
|---|---|
| Reforged Remembrance | ★★★★★ - BestEarthly Escapade is the best for Black Swan since she can fully stack Prophet every time she uses her Ultimate. The increased Effect Hit Rate, ATK, and DEF ignore also improve her ability to stick Arcana onto the enemy and increase her DMG significantly. |
| Eyes of the Prey | ★★★★☆ - GreatEyes of the Prey is also a great option for Black Swan since it provides Effect Hit Rate and boosts DoT by a certain amount, which her Arcana debuff benefits from. |
| Patience Is All You Need | ★★★★☆ - GreatPatience Is All You Need is also a great Light Cone option for Black Swan since it increases her DMG and SPD. It also gives her access to Erode, which is another debuff that gives Lightning DoT. |
| Good Night and Sleep Well | ★★★★☆ - GreatGood Night and Sleep Well is a great 4-Star Light Cone for Black Swan since it gives her a stacking DMG boost for every debuff the enemy has. |
| Before the Tutorial Mission Starts | ★★★☆☆ - GoodBefore the Tutorial Mission Starts is a good Light Cone for Black Swan since it increases her Effect Hit Rate and also regenerates her Energy when she attacks enemies with reduced DEF. This is easily achievable since her Skill can reduce enemy DEF. |
| Incessant Rain | ★★★☆☆ - GoodIncessant Rain is a good Light Cone for Black Swan since it increases her Effect Hit Rate and also provides the Aether Code debuff, which increases the enemy's damage taken. However, Black Swan does not benefit much from the CRIT Rate boost as most of her damage comes from DoT. |
Black Swan Ascension and Trace Materials
Total Ascension Materials
| Ascension Materials | Total |
|---|---|
Extinguished Core | 15 |
Glimmering Core | 15 |
Squirming Core | 15 |
Ascendant Debris | 65 |
Credit | 308,000 |
| Lvl. | Character Ascension Materials |
|---|---|
| 20 ➔ 30 | Extinguished Core x5 Credit x4,000 |
| 30 ➔ 40 | Extinguished Core x10 Credit x8,000 |
| 40 ➔ 50 | Ascendant Debris x3 Glimmering Core x6 Credit x16,000 |
| 50 ➔ 60 | Ascendant Debris x7 Glimmering Core x9 Credit x40,000 |
| 60 ➔ 70 | Ascendant Debris x20 Squirming Core x6 Credit x80,000 |
| 70 ➔ 80 | Ascendant Debris x35 Squirming Core x9 Credit x160,000 |
Total Trace Materials
| All Trace Node Materials | Total |
|---|---|
Fiery Spirit | 15 |
Extinguished Core | 41 |
Starfire Essence | 72 |
Glimmering Core | 56 |
Heaven Incinerator | 139 |
Squirming Core | 58 |
Past Evils of the Borehole Planet Disaster | 12 |
Tracks of Destiny | 11 |
Credit | 3,000,000 |
| Lvl | Basic ATK Ascension Materials | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | x3 | x6 | x5000 | |||
| 3 | x3 | x3 | x10000 | |||
| 4 | x5 | x4 | x20000 | |||
| 5 | x3 | x3 | x45000 | |||
| 6 | x8 | x4 | x160000 | |||
| Lvl | Skill, Talent, & Ult Ascension Materials | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | x3 | x2500 | - | - | ||
| 3 | x3 | x6 | x5000 | - | ||
| 4 | x3 | x3 | x10000 | - | ||
| 5 | x5 | x4 | x20000 | - | ||
| 6 | x7 | x6 | x30000 | - | ||
| 7 | x3 | x3 | x45000 | - | ||
| 8 | x5 | x4 | x80000 | - | ||
| 9 | x1 | x1 | x8 | x160000 | ||
| 10 | x2 | x2 | x14 | x300000 | ||
| Nodes | Bonus Stat and Abilities Materials | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ability 1 | x2 | x4 | x4000 | - | ||
| Ability 2 | x4 | x1 | x1 | x16000 | ||
| Ability 3 | x6 | x1 | x1 | x128000 | ||
| Stat 1 | x2 | x2500 | - | - | ||
| Stat 2 | x3 | x6 | x5000 | - | ||
| Stat 3 | x3 | x3 | x10000 | - | ||
| Stat 4 | x3 | x3 | x10000 | - | ||
| Stat 5 | x5 | x4 | x20000 | - | ||
| Stat 6 | x3 | x3 | x45000 | - | ||
| Stat 7 | x3 | x3 | x45000 | - | ||
| Stat 8 | x8 | x8 | x160000 | - | ||
| Stat 9 | x8 | x8 | x160000 | - | ||
| Stat 10 | x8 | x8 | x160000 | - | ||
Black Swan's Gameplay Guide
DoTs Apply Arcana onto Enemies
When Black Swan is in the party, there is a base chance for enemies to receive the Arcana debuff after getting hit with a DoT. Arcana deals Wind DMG to an enemy at the start of their turn.
Arcana Bonus Effects
Arcana can also provide additional effects depending on the number of Arcana stacks an enemy has.
| No. of Stacks | Effect |
|---|---|
| 3+ | Deals Wind DoT to adjacent targets and has a base chance of applying 1 bonus Arcana stack on Adjacent Targets |
| 7+ | Arcana DoTs ignore a set percentage of the target and adjacent targets' DEF. |
Basic ATKs Apply Extra Arcana Stacks
Black Swan's Basic ATKs can also apply Arcana stacks onto enemies. If the enemy is inflicted with Wind Shear, Bleed, Burn, or Shock DoTs, each respectively has a chance of applying an extra Arcana stack.
Skill can Apply Arcana and Reduce DEF
Black Swan's Skill deals Wind DMG to a single enemy and adjacent targets and has a chance to apply Arcana and DEF Reduction to the attacked enemies.
Ultimate Inflicts Epiphany on All Enemies
Black Swan's Ultimate will deal Wind DMG to all enemies and apply the Epiphany effect onto them. Enemies affected with Epiphany deal increased DMG on their turn and the Arcana stacks will count as Wind Shear, Bleed, Burn, and Shock.
On top of that, if Arcana is triggered at the start of an enemy's turn, the stacks will not reset.
Technique Applies Arcana at the Start of Combat
After using Black Swan's Technique, enemies have a base chance to be inflicted with Arcana repeatedly until it fails to be applied.
Black Swan's Trace Priority
Combat Traces
| Trace | Priority & Explanation |
|---|---|
| Basic Attack | ★★★☆☆ - Medium PriorityBlack Swan's Basic ATKs should be upgraded last since it contributes the least DMG given to an enemy. It's still important to upgrade this Trace to increase the chances of applying more Arcana stacks. |
| Skill | ★★★★☆ - High PriorityUpgrading Black Swan's Skill will strengthen the DEF debuff applied to enemies. |
| Ultimate | ★★★★☆ - High PriorityIncreases the DMG taken by enemies at the start of their turn, which lets them take more DoT DMG in the process. |
| Talent | ★★★★★ - Highest PriorityUpgrading Black Swan's Talent simply increases her Arcana DMG, which is an essential part of her kit. |
Bonus Abilities
| Trace | Priority & Explanation |
|---|---|
| Viscera's Disquiet | ★★★★★ - Highest PriorityThis allows Black Swan to inflict an extra Arcana stack with her Skill on enemies affected with other DoTs. |
| Goblet's Dredges | ★★★★★ - Highest Priority Enemies now have a chance to be inflicted with Arcana upon entering combat. Enemies can also gain Arcana stacks simply by receiving a DoT from an allied unit. |
| Candleflame's Portent | ★★★★★ - Highest PriorityThis Bonus Ability significantly increases Black Swan's overall DMG based on the current amount of Effect Hit Rate she has. |
Black Swan's Traces (Skills and Kit)
All Abilities and Effects
| Trace | Scaling and Explanation |
|---|---|
| Skill | Decadence, False Twilight: Deals Wind DMG equal to 45% of Black Swan's ATK to a single target enemy and any adjacent targets. At the same time, there is a 100% base chance of inflicting 1 stack of Arcana on the target enemy and the adjacent targets. Additionally, there is a 100% base chance of reducing the DEF of the target enemy and the adjacent targets by 14.8%, lasting for 3 turn(s). |
| Talent | Loom of Fate's Caprice: Every time an enemy target receives DoT at the start of each turn, there is a 50% base chance for it to be inflicted with 1 stack of Arcana. While afflicted with Arcana, enemy targets receive Wind DoT equal to 96% of Black Swan's ATK at the start of each turn. Each stack of Arcana increases this DMG multiplier by 4.8%. Then Arcana resets to 1 stack. Arcana can stack up to 50 times. Only when Arcana causes DMG at the start of an enemy target's turn, Black Swan triggers additional effects based on the number of Arcana stacks inflicted on the target: When there are 3 or more Arcana stacks, deals Wind DoT equal to 72% of Black Swan's ATK to adjacent targets, with a 50% base chance of inflicting 1 stack of Arcana on adjacent targets. When there are 7 or more Arcana stacks, enables the current DoT dealt this time to ignore 20% of the target's and adjacent targets' DEF. |
| Ultimate | Bliss of Other World's Embrace: Inflicts Epiphany on all enemies for 2 turn(s). While afflicted with Epiphany, enemies take 15% increased DMG in their turn. Additionally, if enemies are also inflicted with Arcana, they are considered to be simultaneously afflicted with Wind Shear, Bleed, Burn, and Shock. After Arcana causes DMG at the start of each turn, its stacks are not reset. This non-reset effect of Arcana stacks can be triggered up to 1 time(s) for the duration of Epiphany. And the trigger count resets when Epiphany is applied again. Deals Wind DMG equal to 72% of Black Swan's ATK to all enemies. |
| Technique | From Façade to Vérité: At the beginning of the next battle, there is a chance to inflict a stack of Arcana on each enemy. If Arcana is successfully inflicted on any enemy, this effect will be repeated on the affected enemies until it fails to inflict Arcana on any of them. The re-trigger chance of inflicting Arcana will be lowered with each successful Arcana inflicted on the target. Stat Bonus: 1. ATK +4.0% 2. ATK +8.0% |
| Basic ATK | Precipience, Silent Dawn: Deals Wind DMG equal to 30% of Black Swan's ATK to a single target enemy, with a 50% base chance of inflicting 1 stack of Arcana on the target. Additionally, when attacking a target that suffers Wind Shear, Bleed, Burn, or Shock, there is respectively a 50% base chance of inflicting 1 extra stack of Arcana on the target. |
| Bonus Ability | Viscera's Disquiet: After using the Skill to hit an enemy that has Wind Shear, Bleed, Burn, or Shock, each of these debuffs respectively has a 65% base chance of inflicting 1 extra stack of Arcana. Stat Bonus: 1. Wind DMG +3.2% 2. ATK +4.0% 3. Effect Hit Rate +4.0% |
| Bonus Ability | Goblet's Dredges: When an enemy target enters battle, there is a 65% base chance for it to be inflicted with 1 stack of Arcana. Every time an enemy target receives DoT during a single attack by an ally, there is a 65% base chance for the target to be inflicted with 1 stack of Arcana. The maximum number of stacks that can be inflicted during 1 single attack is 3. Stat Bonus: 1. ATK +6.0% 2. Wind DMG +4.8% 3. ATK +6.0% |
| Bonus Ability | Candleflame's Portent: Increases this unit's DMG by an amount equal to 60% of Effect Hit Rate up to a maximum DMG increase of 72%. Stat Bonus: 1. Effect Hit Rate +6.0% 2. Wind DMG +6.4% |
Black Swan's Eidolons
Recommended Eidolons
| Why We Recommend It | |
|---|---|
| E1 | ★★★★★ - AmazingEnemies will have their Elemental RES reduced as long as Black Swan is active and they're affected by DoTs. |
| E2 | ★★★★★ - AmazingBest stopping-point for spenders. When an enemy is downed, other targets adjacent to it will receive Arcana stacks. This increases Black Swan's AoE capability. |
| E4 | ★★★☆☆ - GoodBlack Swan regenerates energy at the start of an enemy's turn or after defeating an enemy. |
| E6 | ★★★★☆ - GreatEnemies have a chance of receiving Arcana from allies attacking and increases the chance to implant extra Arcana stacks onto enemies. |
All Eidolon Resonance Effects
| E1 | Seven Pillars of WisdomWhile Black Swan is active in battle, enemies afflicted with Wind Shear, Bleed, Burn, or Shock will have their corresponding Wind, Physical, Fire, or Lightning RES respectively reduced by 25% |
|---|---|
| E2 | Weep Not For Me, My LambWhen an enemy target afflicted with Arcana is defeated, there is a 100% base chance of inflicting 6 stack(s) of Arcana on adjacent targets. |
| E3 | As Above, So BelowSkill Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15. Talent Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15. |
| E4 | In Tears We GiftWhile in the Epiphany state, enemy targets have their Effect RES reduced by 10%. And at the start of their turn or when they get defeated, Black Swan regenerates 8 Energy. This Energy Regeneration effect can only trigger up to 1 time while Epiphany lasts. And the trigger count resets when Epiphany is applied again. |
| E5 | Linnutee FlywayUltimate Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15. Basic ATK Lv. +1, up to a maximum of Lv. 10. |
| E6 | Pantheon Merciful, Masses PitifulWhen an enemy target gets attacked by Black Swan's allies, Black Swan has a 65% base chance of inflicting 1 stack of Arcana on the target. Every time Black Swan inflicts Arcana on an enemy target, there is a 50% fixed chance to additionally increase the number of Arcana stacked this time by 1. |
Additional Black Swan Information
How to Get Black Swan
| Limited Banners | Ripples in Reflection |
|---|
Black Swan was previously available in the Character Warp banner called Ripples in Reflection, which ran from Feb. 06, 2024, until Feb. 29, 2024.
Black Swan Banner Schedule and Rates
Background and Voice Actors
| Voice Actor | EN: Arryn Zech JP: Hitomi Nabatame |
|---|---|
| Faction / Affiliation | Garden of Recollection |
Black Swan's In-Game Lore
| Faction | Garden of Recollection |
|---|---|
| Background | A Memokeeper of the Garden of Recollection. An indolent and mysterious soothsayer. "Remembrance" of men are hers to heed, threads of fate are hers to tug. |
Honkai: Star Rail Related Guides
▶︎ All Playable Characters
Characters by Rarity
| Character Rarity | |
|---|---|
| ★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
Characters by Path
| Character Paths | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Destruction | Hunt | Erudition | Harmony |
| Nihility | Preservation | Abundance | |
Characters by Element
| Character Elements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire | Ice | Lightning | Wind |
| Quantum | Imaginary | Physical | |
All Wind Characters
| Wind Characters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bronya | Dan Heng | Blade |
| Sampo | Huohuo | Black Swan |
