Jingliu vs. Aventurine: Which 5-star character to pick in Honkai Star Rail 2.1

The second phase of the Honkai Star Rail 2.1 update has arrived, introducing the Jingliu and Aventurine banners. Both these 5-star units specialize in their respective Paths and require a closer look at their pull values. It is likely that most Trailblazers do not have sufficient pulls for both characters, so prioritizing who to summon is a necessity.

This article compares the combat potential of Jingliu and Aventurine to outline which one to pick in Honkai Star Rail 2.1.

Disclaimer: This article is subjective and reflects the writer’s opinion.

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Trailblazer should pick Aventurine over Jingliu in Honkai Star Rail 2.1

Aventurine wins (Image via HoYoverse)

In the Honkai Star Rail 2.1 patch, Aventurine appears to be a better pick than Jingliu for multiple reasons. For starters, the game has been introducing powerful enemies with every update, persuading players to take a defensive approach to end-game content, like the Memory of Chaos.

Yes, gamers can stack powerful DPS units to nuke elite encounters, but the characters have to be built to perfection to be that impactful. This can be difficult to achieve with random gear drops, so picking up a tank like Aventurine is worth the Stellar Jades.

In fact, he is one of the best sustainer characters in Honkai Star Rail as he treads on the Preservation Path to provide stackable shields for the entire team. He can also single-handedly protect allies without the need for a healer in the party.

That said, it is completely up to Trailblazer’s discretion to choose between Aventurine and Jingliu in patch 2.1. Below, we have condensed their comparison for the reader’s convenience:

Why choose Aventurine over Jingliu?

• Shields are essential commodities that provide survivability to an entire team, and Aventurine can offer that.
• His barrier can stack to provide more protection over time.
• Aventurine’s follow-up attacks are a good source of damage.
• Due to his versatile kit, he can be placed in almost every team composition.

Why choose Jingliu over Aventurine?

• Jingliu is a hypercarry DPS who has access to both single-target and AoE attacks.
• Her damage output is far superior in comparison to a lot of characters.
• She is extremely easy to build and can be used as a frontrunner across multiple teams.

Overall, Aventurine wins by a huge margin due to his future-proof and versatile kit. Besides, Jingliu is currently a rerun unit that is likely to be overshadowed by upcoming characters.

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Nevertheless, if you have sufficient Stellar Jades, you should certainly try to pull both Jingliu and Aventurine from the Honkai Star Rail 2.1 banner.