Overview
At the very beginning of the game, players are presented with a choice that shapes their early adventure: selecting one of three starter spirits. This decision is made in Merchant Street during the opening tutorial, and the spirit you choose becomes your first companion in battle. All three starters are exclusive to the starting selection; they cannot be found in the wild through normal exploration.
Each starter has a distinct element type and playstyle, catering to different preferences. There is no objectively wrong choice; all three are viable for completing the entire main story. However, their strengths and weaknesses create noticeably different early-game experiences. Players who want the starters they did not pick can later visit friends' worlds through the co-op system to capture them.
Fire Spark (火花)
Type: Fire
Fire Spark is the aggressive, speed-oriented starter. It excels in burst damage with a naturally high attack stat and above-average speed. Its kit revolves around hitting hard and hitting fast, making it the most efficient choice for clearing early content quickly. Fire Spark's passive ability grants a stacking damage boost each time it lands a hit, rewarding players who maintain offensive pressure.
In the early chapters, Fire Spark dominates against grass-type, ice-type, and mechanical-type enemies, which are heavily represented in the first several zones. This type advantage coverage means fewer difficult encounters and faster leveling. Fire Spark reaches its first evolution at level 16, which comes with a significant stat increase across the board, further accelerating progression.
The trade-off is fragility. Fire Spark's defensive stats are the lowest among the three starters. Water-type enemies can punish it severely, and its low HP pool means that a few unanswered hits can lead to a knockout. Players choosing Fire Spark should learn to position aggressively and end fights before taking too much damage.
Strengths: Highest damage output, fastest early progression, strong passive damage scaling, excellent type coverage in early zones
Weaknesses: Low HP and defense, vulnerable to water-type encounters, requires active play to avoid taking hits
Playstyle: Aggressive, speed-focused, ideal for players who want efficient progression
Community Tier: T0 (top tier) starter for speed and efficiency
Meow (喵喵)
Type: Grass
Meow is the defensive, survivability-focused starter. It boasts the highest defense among the three options and comes with a built-in health recovery ability that activates at the end of each turn. This passive healing makes Meow exceptionally forgiving; mistakes that would knock out Fire Spark barely dent Meow's health bar over time.
For beginners who are still learning the combat system, Meow offers the highest fault tolerance. It can tank hits from most early enemies without risk of fainting, giving players plenty of room to experiment with different moves and strategies. Its grass typing provides solid matchups against water-type and ground-type spirits found around Crescent Moon Lake Shore and the western hills.
The downside is speed. Meow has the lowest damage output of all three starters and the slowest overall progression pace. Battles take longer to resolve because Meow relies on outlasting opponents rather than bursting them down. Players who value quick clears may find the early chapters tedious with Meow as their lead.
Strengths: Highest defense and survivability, passive health regeneration, very forgiving for new players, strong against water and ground types
Weaknesses: Low attack power, slowest progression speed, battles take longer to finish
Playstyle: Defensive, patient, ideal for casual players or those who prefer safety over speed
Water Blue (水蓝蓝)
Type: Water
Water Blue is the balanced, utility-focused starter. Its attack and defense stats sit between Fire Spark and Meow, creating a well-rounded stat distribution that adapts to multiple situations. Water Blue's signature trait is its focus on area attacks that hit multiple targets, giving it strong performance in encounters with grouped enemies.
Water Blue also carries a chance to confuse enemies with its water-based abilities, adding a layer of crowd control that neither of the other starters can match. As battles progress, Water Blue's skill energy costs decrease, meaning it becomes more efficient the longer a fight lasts. This mechanic rewards patient, strategic play and scales particularly well into late-game PVP scenarios.
In spirit cultivation terms, Water Blue has the strongest late-game and PVP ceiling of the three starters. Its confusion utility, decreasing energy costs, and balanced defenses make it a staple on competitive teams. The downside is that its early progression is noticeably slower than Fire Spark's, as it lacks the raw burst damage to one-shot early enemies. Players choosing Water Blue are investing in long-term power.
Strengths: Balanced stats, area-of-effect attacks, confusion crowd control, decreasing skill costs over time, strongest PVP potential
Weaknesses: Slower early progression than Fire Spark, no standout stat in any single category early on
Playstyle: Balanced, strategic, ideal for players planning ahead for PVP endgame
Starter Comparison
The table below summarizes how the three starters compare across key categories.
Spirit | Type | Strengths | Weaknesses | Best For | Evolution Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fire Spark (火花) | Fire | High burst damage, fast clears, passive damage boost | Low HP/defense, vulnerable to water types | Speed-runners, efficient progression | 16 |
Meow (喵喵) | Grass | Highest defense, passive HP recovery, very forgiving | Low damage, slowest progression | Casual/defensive players, beginners | 16 |
Water Blue (水蓝蓝) | Water | Balanced stats, AoE attacks, confusion, scaling energy cost reduction | Slower early game than Fire Spark | PVP-focused players, long-term investment | 16 |
Which Starter Should You Choose?
The best starter depends entirely on your playstyle and goals. Here is a quick decision guide:
Choose Fire Spark if you want the fastest possible early-game progression. Fire Spark tears through the first ten chapters with minimal resistance and reaches its power spike at level 16 before most players have even left the southern zones. It is the consensus pick for experienced players on new accounts.
Choose Meow if you prefer a relaxed, low-pressure experience. Meow's passive healing and high defense mean you can afford to make mistakes, miss type matchups, or enter zones slightly under-leveled without worrying about fainting. It is the most forgiving starter for players new to spirit-battling games.
Choose Water Blue if you are thinking about the endgame from day one. While Water Blue's early chapters are slower than Fire Spark's, its confusion utility and decreasing skill costs make it a top-tier pick in late-game PVP. Competitive players who plan to invest heavily in spirit cultivation often prefer Water Blue.
Regardless of your choice, remember that all three starters are fully capable of completing the entire main story. The difference is in speed and playstyle, not in whether you can finish the game. And once you unlock co-op, you can visit friends' worlds to capture the starters you missed, eventually collecting all three.
Obtaining the Other Starters
After progressing far enough in the main story to unlock the co-op multiplayer system, players gain the ability to visit friends' game worlds. Each player's world contains the starter spirit they did not choose, wandering in the wild near Merchant Street. By visiting two different friends who chose different starters, you can capture all three. The wild versions appear at a level scaled to your current progression, so they integrate smoothly into your existing team.
Some seasonal events and special promotions have also offered starter spirits as rewards, occasionally with unique cosmetic variants. Keep an eye on in-game announcements for these limited-time opportunities.