Top 5 Honkai Star Rail characters who deserve a buff in 1.2 update

Some Honkai Star Rail characters could use a little bit of love, as they would most certainly benefit from a buff before the 1.2 update. Powercreep is inevitable in this game, and it's best to try to circumvent that if possible. miHoYo isn't known for buffing characters in other games like Genshin Impact, but wishful thinking never hurts anybody.

Note that none of the following Honkai Star Rail characters are particularly bad or unusable in the game. They're just merely outclassed in many relevant situations. There is usually a better option in most cases, which often means there is little reason for you to consider the weaker alternative unless you're limited in your selection.

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective.

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5 Honkai Star Rail characters who could use a buff in Version 1.2 or later

5) Natasha

Most characters are fine in this game, but Natasha could use a little extra oomph (Image via HoYoverse)

Natasha is a free 4-star that Honkai Star Rail players can easily get, so she's never likely to be meta-defining. However, she doesn't do much for players who already have Bailu unless they really need a Physical unit instead of a Lightning one against some enemies.

To Natasha's credit, she heals fine. It's just that she's arguably the weakest healer in the game right now, a trait that is expected to grow in future updates. An E6 Natasha can be pretty amusing as a Physical damage dealer, but there isn't much else to say about her.

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4) Arlan

Arlan could use a little bit of a boost in viability (Image via HoYoverse)

One of the most unique Honkai Star Rail playstyles involves Arlan. He essentially does more damage the lower his health is. The problem is that he has to be very low HP to be very effective. Unfortunately, that often puts him into the range of getting KO'd if the enemies break through any shields on him.

Many other damage dealers are much easier to use than Arlan, and he needs some kind of buff to make him more worthwhile, although preferably one that does not remove his unique identity.

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3) Himeko

Himeko could use a buff to compete with other 5-stars (Image via HoYoverse)

Many Honkai Star Rail players often hear how Hook outclasses Himeko in one way or another, especially since many difficult enemies tend to attack you alone. Hence, single-target damage is often preferred. Himeko is a 5-star unit, and Hook is only a 4-star, so one would hope that Himeko would be more useful due to being more difficult to obtain.

There's a case to be made for her being the worst Standard Banner 5-star character in the game, as the current content available doesn't necessitate her skillset too much. An indirect buff, like more content focusing on huge hordes of powerful enemies, might bring out her impressive AOE capabilities.

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2) Trailblazer (Physical)

The Fire form doesn't need a buff (Image via HoYoverse)

The Fire form of Trailblazer is very good as they can easily redirect enemies to attack them, buff their own Defense, and even apply a Shield on themselves. However, the Physical variation leaves a lot to be desired in comparison.

Trailblazer (Physical) focuses on dealing Physical damage. That's fine when fighting enemies weak to that element. However, it's otherwise unremarkable compared to what the rest of the cast can do (including the previously mentioned Fire variation of this character).

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1) Herta

Herta could definitely use a buff (Image via HoYoverse)

Herta is arguably the worst character in Honkai Star Rail prior to Version 1.2, and she's infamously mediocre without much of a niche in the current metagame. Her Ultimate just deals generic damage and can potentially freeze enemies, while her Skill is largely similar. The main difference here is that her Skill is slightly more effective against enemies with over 50% HP.

Herta isn't particularly noteworthy compared to Honkai Star Rail's other numerous damage-oriented characters. For example, Seele and Jing Yuan are much better at defeating enemies.

Since Herta's kit largely revolves around mediocre damage, she would need some kind of significant buff to make her worthwhile compared to Honkai Star Rail's growing roster of characters.