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What are Kardia

Kardia are the leader characters in Honkai: Nexus Anima's auto-chess combat. While Anima fight on the battlefield, Kardia stay off-field and provide support. Players deploy 3 Kardia per battle. The lead Kardia activates their Exclusive Principle — a unique ability that triggers automatically during the fight. The two non-leader Kardia contribute their Talisman equipment bonuses to the team instead.

Exclusive Principles

Each Kardia has a unique Exclusive Principle that activates only when they're set as the team leader (the first of the three slots). These range from passive stat boosts to summoning extra units to conditional execution effects. The choice of leader is one of the biggest strategic decisions in team building.

Known Exclusive Principles:

• Nanafey: "Small-Town Girl" — Targets the allied Anima with the highest MP pool. Grants 3 energy per 2 seconds and +18% Magic Damage for the battle

• Kiana: "Man's Best Friend" — Summons a Puddliking (stronger Puddlipup variant) to the front line as an extra unit without using a deployment slot

• Blade: "Ephemeral as Dew" — Protects the strongest allied Anima. Two seconds after it's defeated, revives it with 35% Max Health. All opponents within 2 hexes are stunned for 1 second on revival. Triggers once per battle

• Maple Manybell: "Brilliant, Shining Party" — Rolls two dice at battle start, granting random buffs: +12 Armor/MR, +6% ATK/MP, +6% Attack Speed, or 700 Magic Damage to 2 enemies. Matching dice doubles effectiveness by 20%

• Parayaya (Novarch form): "Hell is Other People" — Grants a Hate Pendant to the strongest Anima. After 4 hits, 3 bats attack random opponents dealing 80% MP as Magic Damage

• Parayaya (Sovereign form): "Walk With Love" — Love/Hate Gem deals 20% Max Health as True Damage to all enemies at battle start

• Armand: "Petals Worth Plucking" — All allies in Umbral Shroud can Terminate enemies below 10% Health. Dark-aspected Anima Terminate below 20%

Talisman equipment

The two non-leader Kardia don't activate their Exclusive Principles, but they still contribute to the team through their Talisman equipment. Talismans are equippable items that provide passive stat bonuses — things like increased health, attack power, or Aspect-specific buffs. The best teams optimize all three Kardia slots: a leader with the right Principle for the strategy, and two supporters with Talisman bonuses that complement the deployed Anima.

Rarity

Kardia come in 4-star and 5-star variants. Higher rarity means stronger base stats and more impactful Exclusive Principles. 5-star Kardia are obtained through gacha pulls or the Aspect Gem store. Certain 4-star Kardia are given as story rewards.

• 4-star Kardia: Nanafey, Kiana, Maple Manybell, Cassio Rollex, Hua

• 5-star Kardia: Blade, Parayaya (two forms), Armand

Equipment

Kardia can equip exclusive gear. During the beta, free Kardia equipment was available for Maple Manybell, Cassio Rollex, and the Arena Master Jalily starting at Level 21. Higher-rarity Kardia like Parayaya required completing content to Level 21-24 plus spending 1,250 Aspect Gems.

Known Kardia characters

• Nanafey: 4-star. Magic damage buffer. Iia poster character

• Kiana: 4-star. Summons extra frontline unit. Planestrider from Honkai Impact 3rd

• Blade: 5-star. Revival and stun mechanic. 22nd Novarch from Honkai: Star Rail

• Hua: 4-star. Aspiring Animaster

• Maple Manybell: 4-star. Random dice buffs. Deputy Arena Master of Iia

• Cassio Rollex: 4-star. Deputy Arena Master of Iia

• Jalily: Arena Master of Iia. Free equipment at Level 21

• Parayaya: 5-star (two forms). 29th Novarch of Hate / 14th Sovereign of Love and Hate

• Armand: 5-star. Execution mechanic. 17th Novarch of Dark