Early in Aniimo, two Light-element guardians step out of a mural and ask you to take one with you. Helion is the lion built for close-range aggression, and Lunara is the fox-wolf that fights from a distance. They are both DPS units, they carry the exact same base stat line, and they share the same Hustle sprint for exploration. The only thing that actually changes your experience is how each one deals damage.
Quick answer: Pick Lunara if you want ranged safety, built-in healing, and a debuff that helps a wider team; pick Helion if you prefer aggressive melee burst and grouping enemies together.
Helion vs Lunara: The core differences
Because their numbers are identical, neither one is mathematically stronger. The split is entirely about attack range and the mechanic that powers each kit.
| Trait | Helion | Lunara |
|---|---|---|
| Role | Light DPS | Light DPS |
| Range | Close-range melee | Long-range |
| Core mechanic | Solar Halo | Silver Moon Mark |
| Strength | Burst damage, enemy grouping | Sustain, Light RES debuff |
| Best for | Aggressive solo players | Most beginners, co-op |
Helion: Melee burst and enemy grouping
Helion rewards you for staying in the fight. Its trait, Solar Grace, raises final damage when it is not attacking with an advantageous element, and every four basic attacks grants Solar Halo, which powers up the next skill you use. The rhythm is simple: chain four basic hits, spend the enhanced skill, then repeat.
Light Bombardment is the signature move, diving onto the target for a Holy Light explosion at 20 EP and 62 power on a 1-second cooldown. With Ring of the Golden Sun active, that damage rises by 30%. With Solar Halo active, the hit deals 30% more damage, restores 4% HP, and has a 75% chance not to consume the buff, which is where Helion’s surprisingly strong self-healing comes from.
Holy Storm spins into the air and pulls scattered enemies toward the center while dealing heavy BREAK damage, making it the best open-world farming tool of the two. Holy Roar stacks Helion’s own Light damage up to three times over 20 seconds, and Sun-Kissed restores 20 EP, with Solar Halo adding another 5 EP.
Its ultimate, Helios’ Judgment, hits nearby targets for 167 power, evolves Helion into Soleon, boosts its own Damage Amp until it leaves combat, and grants Ring of the Golden Sun.
Helion shares Lunara’s defensive stats but fights in melee range, so you need cleaner dodge timing against bosses that punish you up close.
Lunara: Ranged damage with sustain and a debuff
Lunara keeps its distance and heals as it fights. Its trait, Lunar Power, raises final damage when not attacking with an advantageous element, and casting any skill or ultimate grants four stacks of Silver Moon Mark. Each basic attack then spends one stack to deal 100% extra damage and restore 0.5% HP, so normal combat quietly tops your health back up.
Lumin Bolts is the reason Lunara scales into teams. It fires three Light missiles at different targets and applies Fox Mark, which reduces the enemy’s Light Resistance by 5% per stack, up to three stacks for 15% total, lasting 10 seconds. That debuff sits on the enemy, so any other Light attacker benefits from it too.
Moon Impact drops a full moon for an explosion at 15 EP and 45 power, adding small-area damage when it lands on a marked target. Lunar Eclipse delivers heavy BREAK damage scaled to level, useful for staggering tougher foes, and Moon-Washed restores 20 EP on an 18-second cooldown.
Its ultimate, Selene’s Judgment, deals heavy damage, transforms Lunara into Fennelun, refreshes four Silver Moon Mark stacks, and increases its damage until it leaves combat.
Which starter to pick
Match the pick to how you like to fight. Range and healing make Lunara the more forgiving first choice, while Helion pays off if you enjoy committing to close-range trades.
| If you want | Pick |
|---|---|
| The easiest early game |  Lunara |
| Ranged combat and healing | Lunara |
| Co-op and Light teams | Lunara |
| Aggressive melee burst |  Helion |
| Enemy grouping and farming | Helion |
| A strong solo carry loop | Helion |
Both are strong enough to carry you through the opening hours, and you will collect more powerful Aniimo as the story goes on. If combat style is not a deciding factor, choosing the one whose design you like more is a perfectly valid tiebreaker.
Can you get both Helion and Lunara?
No. You can only take one starter, and the choice is permanent. Once you select at the mural, that Aniimo becomes your companion for the rest of the story, and the other returns to the mural and is taken by someone else. Dr. Lewis at the Polaris Institute hints at an item called the Ancient Prism that could awaken the one you left behind, but no such method exists in the game right now. Pick with the expectation that the other starter is gone for good.
