Hotori
Hotori, the S-rank Cosmos character in Neverness to Everness. Shopkeeper of Eibon and Witch of Time, Umbrella Katana weapon, Non-Closed Timepiece mechanic with team HP restoration, Present Replay skill recording ally attacks, World's Tide ultimate with time stop, Frozen Snow Ritual out-of-combat time slow, and proprietress of Eibon Antique Shop.
Featured Article
This article has been recognized for its exceptional quality and comprehensive coverage.
Overview
Hotori is an S-rank playable character in Neverness to Everness. Her element is Cosmos, one of the six attributes in the Esper Cycle, and she wields an Umbrella Katana as her weapon. She holds the titles of "Shopkeeper of Eibon" and "Witch of Time." Her birthday is December 20. Her character quote is: "Business is tough. Every little thing counts."
Hotori is the elegant proprietress of the Eibon Antique Shop, the central hub for many of the game's characters and activities. She possesses a deep understanding of time and treasures, using her unique abilities to support her team. Her Non-Closed Timepiece mechanic provides passive team healing, while her Present Replay skill records and replays ally attacks, and her World's Tide ultimate initiates a devastating time stop that replays all recorded attacks.
Appearance
Hotori presents herself with refined elegance befitting her role as a shop proprietress. Her demeanor is calm and composed, and her clothing reflects a blend of traditional and contemporary fashion that suits the antique shop aesthetic. Her Umbrella Katana is a sophisticated weapon that appears as an ordinary parasol until drawn, at which point the blade is revealed. This dual-purpose design mirrors Hotori's own nature as someone who appears gentle on the surface but carries formidable power beneath. She received a redesign ahead of the closed beta test.
Personality
Hotori carries herself with composed, almost maternal warmth that makes the Eibon Antique Shop feel like a gathering place rather than a business. However, she can be quite talkative about money she drives a hard bargain with customers, as captured in her characteristic line: "Oh my, you sure drive a hard bargain, are you... Alright then, 90% off it is!" She is described as having a sharp eye for spotting treasures, boldness in bargaining, decisiveness in negotiation, and determination in closing deals.
Her "Witch of Time" title hints at a depth that goes beyond her shopkeeper persona. Hotori possesses knowledge about Anomalies and the supernatural world that exceeds what a simple shop owner should know. She speaks of past events with a familiarity that suggests personal experience, and some of her references imply she may have lived far longer than her appearance suggests. She appears human, but her supernatural powers remain a mystery. She is protective of those under her care at Eibon, including characters like Nanally, Sakiri, and Taygedo.
Abilities and Combat Kit
Hotori is a support character whose kit revolves around time manipulation. Her Umbrella Katana provides elegant strike patterns, and her Cosmos element powers allow her to record ally attacks and replay them during time stop, creating a unique combat loop unlike any other character in the combat system.
Misty Moon Style (Basic Attack)
Hotori draws her katana from within the umbrella sheath and performs up to 5 consecutive attacks. The attack chain includes several variant techniques:
Rippling Waves A hold attack for sustained damage.
Crescent A plunge attack from elevation.
Half Moment A critical riposte counter-attack.
Her attack animations are smooth and precise, with each strike leaving trailing Cosmos energy effects. The umbrella itself is used defensively between attack sequences.
Present Replay (Elemental Skill)
Present Replay has no cooldown. When Non-Closed Timepiece energy is greater than 60, Hotori can activate Present Replay to deal 7 instances of Cosmos DMG to an area while beginning to observe and record all Entry Attacks and Skills used by the team within the next 5 seconds. Up to 3 activations maximum per character can be recorded. This creates Hotori's core gameplay loop: she records her team's best attacks, then replays them during her ultimate.
World's Tide (Ultimate)
Hotori initiates a time stop effect lasting 10 seconds. During time stop, all recorded attacks from Present Replay are replayed, and Hotori accumulates momentum damage. The time stop creates a devastating damage window where enemies are completely frozen while recorded ally attacks are unleashed against them. This is considered one of the strongest support ultimates in the game.
During time stop, the Non-Closed Timepiece pointer continuously rewinds. Hotori cannot use other time-affecting skills while time stop is active. Time stop ends when the pointer fully rewinds, or when Hotori holds basic attack, enters battle, switches scenes, or performs certain other actions. Entering time stop removes any time-control negative effects on Hotori and grants immunity to time-control negative effects for the duration.
Shopkeeper's Authority (QTE)
Hotori's character swap QTE has her throw her umbrella, dealing area Cosmos damage to enemies in range.
Non-Closed Timepiece (Unique Mechanic)
When Hotori is deployed, a Non-Closed Timepiece appears on the interface. Its hand slowly rotates clockwise as time passes, accumulating energy. Each time the hand moves, it regularly restores HP to the entire team. This passive healing mechanic means Hotori provides team sustain simply by being in the party, without requiring active skill usage. The timepiece's energy also fuels her Present Replay skill, which requires at least 60 energy to activate.
Passive Abilities
Ghost Orchid Crest During time stop, special attacks continue without consuming resources, allowing Hotori to maximize damage output during the frozen window.
All Treasures Under Heaven Team health recovery increases by 3% of Hotori's max HP each time the timepiece hand moves, enhancing her passive healing contribution.
Frozen Snow Ritual Outside of combat, holding basic attack slows time when the timepiece has accumulated energy. This exploration utility allows players to interact with time-sensitive puzzles and observe details in Hethereau that move too quickly to see at normal speed.
Esper Cycle Role
As a Cosmos element character, Hotori creates reactions with adjacent elements on the Esper Cycle wheel. Her time stop ultimate is element-agnostic in its crowd-control effect, meaning it benefits all team compositions regardless of element. However, the recorded attacks from Present Replay retain their original elemental properties, so the replayed damage during World's Tide can trigger elemental reactions from her teammates' recorded abilities. This makes her a universal support pick that amplifies whatever elemental strategy the team is running.
Lore and Background
Hotori is the owner and operator of the Eibon Antique Shop, one of the most important locations in Hethereau. The shop serves as a front for Appraiser activities and as a gathering place for characters involved in Anomaly response. Under Hotori's management, Eibon has become a sanctuary for various characters, including Nanally (the star attraction), Sakiri (the self-appointed rule-enforcer), and Taygedo (Eibon's best restorer).
Her official profile describes her as possessing a deep understanding of time and treasures. She appears human, but her supernatural powers (particularly her control over time) remain a mystery. The "Witch of Time" title suggests abilities that extend beyond what she typically displays. Whether she gained these powers through Anomaly exposure, inherits them from a lineage, or possesses them as part of a non-human nature is unknown. She does not discuss the origins of her powers openly.
Affiliations
Eibon Antique Shop Hotori is the proprietress and manager of this establishment.
Bureau of Anomaly Control Connected through Eibon's role in Appraiser operations.
Character Statistics
Character | Description |
|---|---|
Rarity | S-rank |
Element | Cosmos |
Weapon | Umbrella Katana |
Birthday | December 20 |
Titles | "Shopkeeper of Eibon," "Witch of Time" |
Combat Role | Time-based Support (recording, replay, time stop, passive healing) |
Unique Mechanic | Non-Closed Timepiece (energy accumulation, team HP restoration) |
Trivia
Hotori's Umbrella Katana is one of the most distinctive weapon designs in the game, combining an everyday parasol with a hidden blade.
Her Present Replay skill has no cooldown, gated only by the Non-Closed Timepiece energy requirement of 60.
World's Tide creates a 10-second time stop that replays all recorded ally attacks, making it one of the most strategically complex ultimates in the game.
She can slow time outside of combat through her Frozen Snow Ritual passive, useful for exploration and puzzle-solving.
Her Non-Closed Timepiece passively heals the entire team as it ticks, making her valuable even without active play.
Her bargaining quote ("Oh my, you sure drive a hard bargain... Alright then, 90% off it is!") suggests she is more generous than her money-conscious reputation implies.
She received a character redesign before the closed beta test.
Her "Witch of Time" title is separate from her "Shopkeeper of Eibon" title, suggesting these represent different facets of her identity.
Related Pages
Eibon Antique Shop The establishment Hotori manages.
Nanally Eibon's star attraction.
Sakiri Eibon's rule-enforcer.
Taygedo Eibon's best restorer.
Esper Cycle How Cosmos interacts with other elements.
Gacha System How to obtain S-rank characters.
Characters Full roster of playable characters.
Hethereau The city where Eibon Antique Shop is located.