HSR 4.3 Livestream Reveals Blade's Rebirth, New Banners & Game-Changing Star Ward Mode

There was a lot to digest for Trailblazers during the HSR 4.3 Livestream, which took place on May 22, 2026. Version 4.3, The Lethe Below the Living, promises to be one of the most heart-wrenching patches HoYoverse has ever released, whether it's Blade's much-anticipated transformation or a massive crossover with Fate/stay night.

New Character: Mortenax Blade

Mortenax Blade Is Here, And He's Not the Blade You Remember.

Blade has always been burdened by Mara and centuries of suffering. Thus, the sight of him being reforged literally makes an impact compared to a regular SP rework.

His Ultimate is displayed, causing a full transformation sequence in the HSR 4.3 Livestream: his body turns into a furnace, a broken sword is recast, and he enters a powered-up Enhanced State known as Wrath Laid Bare. The white-hair look and burning silhouette is, as one host said, "straight out of an action comic double page spread.

Mortenax Blade Kit Breakdown

Here's what his kit actually does in that Enhanced State:

He's a Fire/Nihility hybrid part support, part DPS, and is in no way a base Blade's Wind/Destruction self-harm loop. Even if you aren't a fan of Nihility or its sequel, he's still an interesting draw for players looking to create Nihility or sequel teams.

4.3 Banner Schedule: Who's Coming and When

The HSR 4.3 Livestream confirmed a clean two-phase rollout. Here's the full breakdown:

Free Outfit Alert: Pulling Mortenax Blade will give you a free Trailblaze Fashion accessory, Karmic Fire of the Distant Shore, for the new accessory slot. Not merely cosmetic, it represents Blade letting go of his obsessions. The outfit and its lore are truly moving in context.

New Story: Blade's Final Mission and Grafia's Ancient Secret

This is where 4.3 makes its emotional impact. The version comes right after 4.2's Fool's Wish crisis, where they have to choose between destroying Shuhu, the plague of eternal growth sealed within Blade since he absorbed the 200,000 Joy Ascendants, and bringing him to the World in Canvas and using Veracity's power to dissolve it.

The problem? If Shuhu is dissolved, then Blade will probably be dissolved as well.

But the livestream added: Elio's script is still empty. There is no evidence of death or rebirth. The Trailblazer will see the end of Blade's journey firsthand, and how it will be resolved is up to the game.

There's a parallel storyline going on. The Trailblazer also leaves to alert Grafia, Mother of Imogenesis, of the threat of the Sakramod. Grafia is a painter who has been around for a millennium, who once sealed all of Ahatopia inside a painting to prevent Lord Ravager Asat Pramad from going anywhere, by borrowing his strength in the Phantasmoon Games. This act cast a curse on all the Murata descendants, known as the Weathering Curse, and there is no known cure for it, save perhaps now.

The starting point is Inkford Hermitage, a liminal space. It's protected by Grafia, and encountering her might finally provide answers to the Murata family, Himiko's survival, and the true nature of the Phantasmoon Games. Curious about how 4.3 compares to 4.2's banner value? Check out U7BUY for up-to-date community pull analysis and account preparation guides.

Fate/Stay Night Collab + Events Breakdown

It was confirmed in the HSR 4.3 Livestream that the collaboration with Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works is live in this version. Gilgamesh was teased as a top-tier burst damage dealer, and a free character (which is likely to be Archer) may be distributed similarly to Wave 1 of the collab.

In addition to the collab, there are some events confirmed:

The Wispay Amusement Park is of interest. The Trailblazer creates a complete park in the World in Canvas, with the positioning of facilities and the routing of Wispay through attractions. It's more creative than most HSR event minigames and is directly related to the story.

Star Ward Mode: 300 Free Jades, But at What Cost?

The most controversial reveal from the HSR 4.3 Livestream is Star Ward Mode. It introduces a third difficulty wave to Memory of Chaos, Pure Fiction and Apocalyptic Shadow, which will now be played with 3 full teams.

Passing Star Ward with both stars in all 3 modes will earn an additional 300 Stellar Jades per period. It's a big deal for F2P players. But the need for a third premium team has had a very divisive effect on the community as many are viewing it as the first real step towards power creep that penalises roster gaps. Want a stronger account heading into Star Ward Mode? Honkai Star Rail Top account services can help you close those roster gaps before June 3.

QoL Updates That Actually Matter

The HSR 4.3 Livestream also revealed some notable quality-of-life improvements:

Syncing across devices has been one of the most desired features for more than a year. Small fix, big impact each day.

HSR 4.3 Livestream Redeem Codes (Expire May 23, 2026)

Three codes were revealed during the HSR 4.3 Livestream, each worth 100 Stellar Jades:

How to redeem: HoYoverse gift site → login with your account → enter the code → collect in-game mail. These expire May 23, 2026, at 23:59 UTC+8.

FAQs

Conclusion

The HSR 4.3 Livestream was almost flawless in every aspect, from emotional story payoffs to mechanically fresh Blade, stacked collab, and meaningful QoL wins. Version 4.3 drops June 3, 2026. Get your codes, make your pulls, and prepare.

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