What is Lunara's combat transformation?

Lunara's combat transformation form is Fennelun.

Do starter Aniimo have combat transformations?

Each starter Aniimo possesses a unique combat transformation form.

Are starter transformations permanent evolutions?

Starter transformations offer a temporary combat power boost rather than a permanent evolution.

Was Lunara easier to play than Helion in the Aniimo beta?

During the beta, Lunara offered a more forgiving playstyle due to ranged combat and self-healing.

Does Lunara deal more damage than Helion in Aniimo?

Lunara deals slightly less DPS than Helion to balance its safer ranged combat style.

Should you choose your starter in Aniimo based on the meta?

Selecting a starter Aniimo purely based on meta rankings is considered a common mistake.

Does Aniimo have an introductory sequence before picking a starter?

An introductory sequence introduces the world before the starter choice.

What skills does Helion have in Aniimo?

Helion's skill kit includes a leap attack, a spinning area-of-effect strike, an enemy pull, and a self damage buff.

What kind of fighter is Helion in Aniimo?

Helion is a close-range physical DPS built for burst damage and aggressive combos.

When is the twining mechanic introduced in Aniimo?

After selecting a starter, players are taught the twining mechanic.

How does Lunara generate Power of the Moon stacks?

Using skills generates Power of the Moon stacks through Lunara's passive ability.

How does self-sustain help Lunara in combat?

Lunara's stack consumption provides self-sustain that aids in extended fights and reduces the need to retreat.

How do the starter Aniimo differ from each other?

The two starter Aniimo share mirrored stats and the same combat role, differing only in play style and appearance.

Why does playing Helion require precise positioning and timing?

Playing Helion requires careful positioning and timing due to the inherent dangers of melee combat.

Were starter Aniimo classified as special in the beta?

In the beta, both starter creatures were categorized as special Aniimo.

Helion and Lunara share the same typing, so neither has a different elemental weakness?

Helion and Lunara share the same typing, so neither has a different elemental weakness.

What is the combat rating potential of starter Aniimo?

Both starter Aniimo possess maximum potential for combat rating.

Why should you choose Lunara in Aniimo?

Lunara is recommended for beginners and players who prefer safer ranged combat in action RPGs.

Could starter creatures be used in the beta Bond Pact sealing event?

Starter creatures could not be selected for the Bond Pact sealing event during the beta due to their special classification.

What element and role are the starter Aniimo in Aniimo?

Both starter Aniimo are light-element DPS units.

Which creatures introduce the twining system in Aniimo?

Lunara and Helion are two special creatures introduced early in the story to teach the twining mechanic.

What is Helion's transformation in Aniimo?

Helion's combat transformation form is Soleon.

Do you choose a starter immediately upon starting Aniimo?

Players encounter and capture multiple Aniimo before being presented with a formal starter selection.

What playstyle is Helion best suited for in Aniimo?

Helion is recommended for players who favor aggressive, combo-heavy melee combat and high burst damage.

Guides › Guide

Helion or Lunara: Choosing a Starter

Two light-element DPS starters, identical on paper. The only real question is whether you want to be standing in the fight or standing back from it.

The short version

Helion and Lunara have mirrored stats, the same combat role, the same typing and the same maximum potential for combat rating. They differ in play style and appearance.
Helion is close-range physical DPS: leap attack, spinning area-of-effect strike, an enemy pull and a self damage buff. Melee is dangerous, so positioning and timing matter.
Lunara is a ranged magical attacker with wide area-of-effect magic. Its passive builds Power of the Moon stacks from skill use, and spending them heals it.
Lunara does slightly less DPS than Helion. That is the price of the safer range and the self-sustain.
Each starter has its own combat transformation. Helion becomes Soleon, Lunara becomes Fennelun. Both are temporary power boosts, not permanent evolutions.
In the beta both starters counted as special Aniimo, which kept them out of the Bond Pact sealing event.
Picking on meta rankings is the standard beginner mistake, and with mirrored stats it is also a pointless one.

Aniimo opens with a sequence that introduces the world, then lets you meet and capture several Aniimo before it asks you to commit to anything. The formal starter selection comes after that. It is the first major decision in the game, and it comes down to two companions: Helion and Lunara.

Both are light-element DPS. Both are introduced early in the story as special creatures whose job is to teach you the twining mechanic, which the game walks you through once you have chosen.

Everything below is from beta footage, so a few specifics may shift before launch. The shape of the decision almost certainly will not.

The two starters are the same unit wearing different clothes

Helion and Lunara share mirrored stats and the same combat role. They share a typing, so neither one walks into a different elemental weakness later. Both carry maximum potential for combat rating, which is the ceiling that usually separates a keeper from a placeholder. What is left after all that is play style and appearance.

This is why picking on meta rankings is the common mistake here. A ranking tells you which unit performs better. These two do not perform differently in any way a ranking can measure. Whatever a list tells you, you are choosing a control scheme, not a power level.

Helion or Lunara at a glance

Helion

Close range physical DPS built for burst damage and aggressive combos.
Kit is a leap attack, a spinning area of effect strike, an enemy pull, and a self damage buff.
Melee danger means careful positioning and timing.
Recommended for players who favor combo heavy melee and high burst.

Lunara

Ranged attacker with self healing, the more forgiving beta playstyle.
Skills build Power of the Moon stacks through its passive ability.
Spending stacks gives self sustain for long fights and less need to retreat.
Deals slightly less DPS than Helion to balance the safer range.

Helion: get close and commit

Helion is close-range physical DPS built around burst damage and aggressive combos. The kit gives you a leap attack to open with, a spinning area-of-effect strike for crowds, a pull to drag an enemy to you, and a self damage buff to load the burst window.

Those four pieces obviously want to be chained together, which is the appeal. The cost is that melee is inherently dangerous, so Helion asks for careful positioning and timing. You are inside the damage while you deal it. Pick Helion if that trade sounds fun rather than stressful.

Light element DPS that fights in melee. Transforms into Soleon for a temporary combat power boost.

Lunara: stay back and keep firing

Lunara is a ranged magical attacker that throws wide area-of-effect magic from a safe distance. Its passive turns skill use into Power of the Moon stacks, and consuming those stacks provides self-sustain. In practice that means long fights get easier instead of harder, and you retreat less often to top yourself up.

Lunara deals slightly less DPS than Helion, which is the balance for the safer style. That was the trade in the beta: range plus healing, minus a little damage. If you are new to the game or to action RPGs generally, Lunara is the forgiving pick, and it was noticeably the forgiving pick during the beta.

Light element DPS that fights at range and heals itself. Transforms into Fennelun for a temporary combat power boost.

Soleon and Fennelun

Each starter has a unique combat transformation form. Helion transforms into Soleon, Lunara into Fennelun.

Do not read these as evolutions. Starter transformations are a temporary combat power boost, so the form is something you turn on for a fight rather than something your companion permanently becomes. Neither transformation makes one starter the long-term winner.

What the special tag costs you

In the beta, both starters were categorized as special Aniimo. That classification is not just flavour. It meant starter creatures could not be selected for the Bond Pact sealing event.

This applies equally to both, so it does not tip the choice one way or the other. It is worth knowing before you build plans around your starter, and it is exactly the kind of beta detail that can change by launch.

Where to start

Ignore the tier talk. Read both kits, pick the one you would enjoy pressing buttons on for the next fifty hours, and get on with the game.

Questions this answers

Each of these is answered on its own page, with the sources behind it.

How do the starter Aniimo differ from each other?

Built from 24 facts gathered before launch, each checked against the sources it came from. How we know this, and who we learned it from.