It’s hard to believe that three years have passed since Version 1.4 brought the legendary Sword Champion of the Xianzhou Luofu into our rosters. Even here in 2026, with a flood of new Destruction and Hunt characters reshaping the meta every patch, Jingliu still commands a special kind of respect. I’ve recently dusted off her build, ran her through the latest Memory of Chaos cycles, and I’m here to tell you that the Ice Queen remains an absolute powerhouse. If you’re wondering how to squeeze every ounce of damage out of her in the current landscape, you’ve come to the right place. This guide walks you through the best relics, light cones, trace priorities, and whether she deserves your hard-earned Stellar Jades in 2026.

Best Relics And Planar Ornaments For Jingliu

Relics and Planar Ornaments remain the foundation of any top-tier DPS, and Jingliu is no exception. While newer sets have been introduced, her optimal gear hasn’t shifted much because of how perfectly her kit synergizes with these classics. She scales off Crit, ATK, and Ice DMG, and you’ll want sets that enhance her burst windows inside the Spectral Transmigration state.

Type	Name	Reason For Synergy With Jingliu
Relics	Hunter of Glacial Forest	The four-piece bonus gives extra Ice DMG and increases Crit DMG for two turns after using her Ultimate. This lines up flawlessly with Jingliu’s buffed state, making it the most consistent choice even now.
Relics	Genius of Brilliant Stars	A situational powerhouse. When enemies carry both Ice and Quantum Weakness (especially if you pair her with Silver Wolf), the 20% DEF ignore can outdamage Hunter of Glacial Forest. I keep this set pre-farmed for Quantum-heavy floors.
Planar Ornaments	Rutilant Arena	Found in World 7 of the Simulated Universe, this set still reigns supreme. It boosts Basic ATK and Skill DMG by 20% when your Crit Rate exceeds 70%, and Jingliu’s built-in Crit Rate buff in her enhanced state makes this threshold trivial.
Planar Ornaments	Space Sealing Station	A great early-game option that provides up to 24% ATK at 120 SPD. I recommend this as a stepping stone until you can farm a good Rutilant Arena set.
Planar Ornaments	Inert Salsotto	The lower Crit Rate requirement is nice, and the Ultimate DMG bonus is welcome, but the follow-up attack portion goes to waste. Only use this if you have truly god-rolled pieces.

Once you’ve locked in your sets, the real grind begins: substats. Jingliu is a Crit-hungry character, and the RNG can be brutal. I aim for these main stats on every piece:

• Body: Crit DMG

• Feet: SPD

• Planar Sphere: Ice DMG Bonus

• Link Rope: ATK%

For substats, I chase 50% Crit Rate (before her state buff), at least 134 SPD to hit essential speed breakpoints, and as much ATK% as possible. One hard lesson the game taught me: you can never have too much ATK% on her. If a piece has Crit DMG as its main stat, you won’t find Crit DMG in its substats, so plan your rolling strategy accordingly.

Best Light Cones For Jingliu

Light Cones from the Destruction path are mandatory to activate Jingliu’s secondary effects. Over the years, a few new Destruction cones have dropped, but her signature remains the golden standard. Here’s my ranked list for 2026:

Light Cone	Notes
I Shall Be My Own Sword	Her signature provides a base Crit DMG boost and increases overall DMG whenever allies get hit or consume HP. In Jingliu’s buffed state, the stacks instantly max out, and at three stacks she also ignores a chunk of enemy DEF. This is the uncontested best-in-slot.
Something Irreplaceable	Still acquirable from the Starlight Exchange. It grants a flat ATK boost and ramps up both her HP and DMG when she takes a hit. I pair this with taunters like March 7th or Lynx to keep the stacks rolling.
On the Fall of an Aeon	The F2P champion from Herta’s Store. It gives ATK on every attack, and Jingliu’s rapid turn cycles stack this up in no time. The extra DMG on Weakness Break is also a nice cherry on top.
The Moles Welcome You	A straightforward option that provides ATK upon using Basic ATK, Skill, or Ultimate—all three of which Jingliu uses constantly. It’s a reliable fallback if you’re lacking the top picks.
Collapsing Sky	For fresh Trailblazers: this three-star cone at Superimposition 5 gives a massive 40% Skill DMG bonus. I used this for weeks before pulling something better, and it performed admirably.

Jingliu Traces Overview And Priority

Jingliu’s kit is a beautifully interlocking machine. If you skip one trace, the whole thing sputters. Here’s the breakdown you need before spending your credits and materials:

Trace Name	Type	Description
Lucent Moonglow	Basic ATK	Deals Ice DMG to a single enemy. You won’t use this much, but level it to 4 just in case.
Transcendent Flash	Skill	Hits a single enemy and grants one stack of Syzygy. This is your primary stack builder outside of the enhanced state.
Moon On Glacial River	Buffed Skill	Unleashes Ice DMG to a single foe and splash damage to adjacent targets. Consumes one Syzygy stack and costs zero Skill Points. This is where 80% of your damage lives.
Florephemeral Dreamflux	Ultimate	Deals colossal Ice DMG to three enemies and grants one Syzygy stack. Use it to extend or enter your Spectral Transmigration window.
Crescent Transmigration	Talent	At two Syzygy stacks, Jingliu enters the Spectral Transmigration state, gains an instant turn and a Crit Rate boost. Her normal Skill is replaced by the buffed version, and she drains a tiny portion of all allies’ HP to increase her own damage. Max Syzygy stacks become three while in this state.
Shine of Truth	Technique	Creates a freezing field in the overworld. Starting combat against frozen enemies grants one Syzygy stack and 15 Energy, and all enemies have a 100% base chance to be Frozen for one turn.
Deathrealm	Bonus Ability	While enhanced, gains 35% Effect RES. A lifesaver against debuff-heavy bosses.
Sword Champion	Bonus Ability	After using her normal Skill, the next action is advanced forward by 10%. More actions mean faster Syzygy rotation.
Frost Wraith	Bonus Ability	Increases Ultimate DMG during the buffed state. I always grab this before maxing her Talent.

Trace priority is non-negotiable: Skill > Talent > Ultimate > Basic ATK. The buffed Skill’s damage scales directly off her normal Skill level, so max that first. Next, pump her Talent to boost the Crit Rate gain and the HP-to-DMG conversion from allies. Finally, invest in her Ultimate for that burst of extra damage. I’ve left Basic ATK at level 4 for years without any performance drop—she simply never needs it.

Is Jingliu Worth Pulling In 2026?

This is the question I get asked the most: with so many shiny new DPS units, should I still go for a character that debuted in 2023? My answer is a resounding yes—provided you enjoy her playstyle. Jingliu’s loop of building Syzygy, entering a god-mode window, and unleashing Skill Point-free devastation is still one of the most thrilling experiences in Honkai: Star Rail. She’s easy to understand but demands smart timing to avoid leaving the enhanced state early. That skill-check keeps her fresh even after hundreds of hours.

Meta-wise, she remains a top-tier Ice DPS. The 2026 endgame continues to feature floors with Ice-weak bosses, and her splash damage chews through adds without breaking a sweat. Her only real competition now are a couple of recent limited Hunt characters, but none of them replicate her sustained AoE pressure and team HP-drain synergy. I pair her with abundance healers like Luocha or Huohuo to instantly top off the team after each drain, and the damage output is staggering.

If you’re a veteran looking for a reliable carry to clear all content, Jingliu will not disappoint. For newer players, she’s a fantastic first limited five-star because her builds are well-documented and the relic requirements, while demanding, are farmable in efficient caverns. With a strong Light Cone and decent substats, she can carry you from Jarilo-VI all the way to the latest Trailblaze Continuances. Just remember that power creep is a reality—future characters will likely push the ceiling higher—but Jingliu’s combination of elegance and raw power has aged like fine wine.

Overall, if you see her banner get a rerun in 2026 (some whispers say a special event is coming), pull without hesitation. The Ice Queen still reigns.