As a dedicated Trailblazer, I know firsthand that securing a coveted five-star character like Black Swan in Honkai: Star Rail is only half the battle. The real journey begins with the meticulous, resource-intensive process of ascending them and upgrading their combat capabilities. For this elegant and powerful Nihility character, whose Wind-based powers manipulate fate itself, preparing her for endgame content requires a significant investment of time and Trailblaze Power. Here is my comprehensive breakdown, based on the latest farming routes and material sources as of 2026, to help you efficiently build the Memokeeper of the Garden of Recollection.
🎯 Black Swan Ascension Materials: A Step-by-Step Breakdown
To unleash Black Swan's full potential and reach the maximum level cap, you'll need to gather a substantial amount of specific materials. The ascension process is divided into six distinct phases, each requiring a combination of common enemy drops, a unique Stagnant Shadow material, and Credits. The total cost is quite substantial, so planning your farming sessions is crucial.
Here is the complete ascension roadmap from Level 1 to Level 80:
| Ascension Phase | Required Level | Extinguished Core | Glimmering Core | Squirming Core | Ascendant Debris | Credits Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 20 | 5x | - | - | - | 4,000 |
| Phase 2 | 30 | 10x | - | - | - | 8,000 |
| Phase 3 | 40 | - | 6x | - | 3x | 16,000 |
| Phase 4 | 50 | - | 9x | - | 7x | 40,000 |
| Phase 5 | 60 | - | - | 6x | 20x | 80,000 |
| Phase 6 | 70 | - | - | 9x | 35x | 160,000 |
| 🌟 TOTAL | Level 80 | 15x | 15x | 15x | 65x | 308,000 |
🔍 Key Farming Locations:
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Ascendant Debris: This crucial material is obtained exclusively from the "Shape of Celestial" Stagnant Shadow located in the Alchemy Commission on the Xianzhou Luofu. Defeating the boss, The Ascended, at the highest difficulty will yield 5 fragments per run. Pro Tip: This foe is vulnerable to Physical, Ice, and Lightning damage, so bring your best DPS characters of those types to clear it quickly.
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Core Drops (Extinguished/Glimmering/Squirming): These are some of the most common enemy components in the game, dropped by the Fragmentum monsters you encounter on nearly every explorable planet. You'll likely accumulate these naturally, but if you need to target-farm, any area with a high density of Fragmentum creatures will do.
✨ Upgrading Black Swan's Traces: Maximizing Her Nihility
Trace upgrades are where a character's true power is unlocked, enhancing their Skills, Talent, Ultimate, and Basic Attack. For Black Swan, the maximum levels are gated behind her Ascension Phase. Notably, even at her peak, her Basic Attack can only reach level 6, while her Skill, Talent, and Ultimate can be pushed to the formidable level 10. These two upgrade paths require different material sets.
Basic Attack Trace Materials
This table outlines everything needed to max out Black Swan's Basic Attack:
| Trace Level | Fiery Spirit | Starfire Essence | Heaven Incinerator | Extinguished Core | Glimmering Core | Squirming Core | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lv. 2 | 3x | - | - | 6x | - | - | 5,000 |
| Lv. 3 | - | 3x | - | - | 3x | - | 10,000 |
| Lv. 4 | - | 5x | - | - | 4x | - | 20,000 |
| Lv. 5 | - | - | 3x | - | - | 3x | 45,000 |
| Lv. 6 | - | - | 8x | - | - | 4x | 160,000 |
| TOTAL | 3x | 8x | 11x | 6x | 7x | 7x | 240,000 |
Skill, Talent & Ultimate Trace Materials
This is the more resource-heavy path, requiring rare Echo of War drops and Tracks of Destiny. Here’s the full cost to get all three key abilities to level 10:
| Trace Level | Fiery Spirit | Starfire Essence | Heaven Incinerator | Core Drops | Past Evils | Tracks of Destiny | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lv. 2 | - | - | - | 3x Extinguished | - | - | 2,500 |
| Lv. 3 | 3x | - | - | 6x Extinguished | - | - | 5,000 |
| Lv. 4 | - | 3x | - | 3x Glimmering | - | - | 10,000 |
| Lv. 5 | - | 5x | - | 4x Glimmering | - | - | 20,000 |
| Lv. 6 | - | 7x | - | 6x Glimmering | - | - | 30,000 |
| Lv. 7 | - | - | 3x | 3x Squirming | - | - | 45,000 |
| Lv. 8 | - | - | 5x | 4x Squirming | 1x | - | 80,000 |
| Lv. 9 | - | - | 8x | - | 1x | 1x | 160,000 |
| Lv. 10 | - | - | 14x | - | 1x | 1x | 300,000 |
| GRAND TOTAL | 3x | 15x | 30x | Various Cores* | 3x | 2x | 652,500 |
*Core Total: 9x Extinguished, 13x Glimmering, 7x Squirming.
🗺️ Farming Guide: Where to Find Everything
Now that we know what we need, let's talk about where to get it. Efficient farming is the key to avoiding burnout.
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Crimson Calyx Drops (Fiery Spirit/Starfire Essence/Heaven Incinerator): These materials were introduced in the pivotal Version 2.0 update. You must farm the specific "Bud of Nihility" Crimson Calyx located in the Alchemy Commission zone on the Xianzhou Luofu. ⚠️ Important: Do not confuse this with other Buds of Nihility found elsewhere in the game; this is the only one that drops the correct set of materials for Black Swan.
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Past Evils of the Borehole Planet Disaster: This weekly-bound material is obtained from the "Borehole Planet's Old Crater" Echo of War on the Herta Space Station. You can claim rewards from this challenge three times per week, so make it a part of your regular routine.
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Tracks of Destiny: This ultra-rare material is primarily acquired through:
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Limited-time Events (always check the event shop!)
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The weekly point rewards from the Simulated Universe
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Certain Nameless Honor (Battle Pass) levels
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Occasionally from major version update compensation.
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Credits: The universal currency. Farming Calyxes of Abundance (Credit yields) or completing daily assignments and high-level content like the Pure Fiction or Forgotten Hall are the best ways to keep your wallet full.
💎 Final Thoughts & Resource Summary
Building a five-star character like Black Swan to her maximum potential is a marathon, not a sprint. As of 2026, the farming routes remain consistent, but planning is everything. Here’s a final aggregated list of the total materials needed for a fully-maxed Black Swan (Ascension 6/80, Traces 10/10/10/6):
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Ascendant Debris: 65x
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Extinguished Core: 30x (15 for Ascension + 15 for Traces)
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Glimmering Core: 35x (15 for Ascension + 20 for Traces)
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Squirming Core: 22x (15 for Ascension + 7 for Traces)
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Fiery Spirit: 6x
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Starfire Essence: 23x
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Heaven Incinerator: 41x
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Past Evils of the Borehole Planet Disaster: 3x
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Tracks of Destiny: 2x
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Credits: 1,200,500 (308k + 240k + 652.5k)
My advice? Focus on one category at a time. Start with the Ascendant Debris and Crimson Calyx farming, as those consume Trailblaze Power. Gather the common Core drops passively while exploring or doing other content. Save your Tracks of Destiny for her final Trace levels. With patience and this guide, you'll have the Memokeeper gracefully unraveling the fates of your enemies in no time. Happy farming, Trailblazers!