Rin Tohsaka arrived with the second wave of the Fate/stay night collaboration as a 5-star Quantum character on the Path of Erudition. She works as a sub-damage dealer and support built around Archer, but she can also run as a main damage dealer on her own. With limited Stellar Jade, most players have to choose between one extra copy of her, her first Eidolon (E1), or her signature Light Cone, Flickering Stars (S1).
Quick answer: If you plan to run Rin as a main damage dealer or hypercarry, pull her E1 (Zelretch’s Apprentice) first. If she is purely a support for Archer, Flickering Stars (S1) gives you more, since E1 barely moves her output in that role.
E1 vs S1: What each pull actually changes
Both options raise Rin’s damage, but they help in different situations. Her E1 rewards heavy Enhanced Skill use, which only happens when she is the one dealing damage. Flickering Stars boosts her personal damage and hands the whole team a defense-ignore buff, which stays useful even when she is mostly buffing Archer.
| Option | Effect | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| E1 – Zelretch’s Apprentice | Refunds Gem Energy as “Shadow Gem” when an Enhanced Skill spends 30+ Gem Energy, letting her fire another Enhanced Skill for free. | Rin as main DPS / hypercarry |
| S1 – Flickering Stars | +18% CRIT Rate, plus a team-wide DEF ignore and extra Skill DMG for Rin when 4 or more Skill Points are spent in a turn. | Rin as Archer support |
What E1 (Zelretch’s Apprentice) does
Rin’s first Eidolon reads as follows: if a single Enhanced Skill consumes 30 or more Gem Energy, she gains “Shadow Gem” equal to the amount of Gem Energy consumed. While she holds Shadow Gem, her Skill stays enhanced into Second Magic Experiment. That follow-up Enhanced Skill spends all Shadow Gem, does not convert Skill Points into Gem Energy, and does not consume Gem Energy.
In plain terms, E1 gives her a near-full refund on a big Enhanced Skill and lets her fire a second one off the stored Shadow Gem. Since her Enhanced Skill can bounce up to 33 times for 90% of her ATK per hit, doubling up on it is a large damage swing. This only pays off when Rin is actually casting that skill often.
Note: As a pure Archer support, Rin rarely uses her Enhanced Skill, so E1 adds very little in that setup. Its value climbs sharply once she is the main damage dealer.
What Flickering Stars (S1) does
Flickering Stars is Rin’s signature Light Cone and her strongest single item overall. It grants +18% CRIT Rate outright. When any ally spends a total of 4 or more Skill Points in one turn, the wearer gains “Radiant Crown” for 3 turns. During Radiant Crown, every ally’s damage ignores 20% of the target’s DEF, and Rin’s own Skill damage rises by 72% at S1.
The key point is that Flickering Stars helps the entire team, not just Rin. The DEF ignore applies to Archer as well, which is why it stays relevant even when Rin is buffing rather than nuking. That team-wide value is what makes it her best-performing Light Cone in most builds.
Which one to pull for your team
Your choice comes down to how you intend to play her.
- Main DPS / hypercarry Rin: Prioritize E1. She casts her Enhanced Skill far more often here, so the Shadow Gem refund translates into a real, repeatable damage jump. This is her strongest early Eidolon for a carry build.
- Archer support Rin: Flickering Stars is the better spend. E1 gains almost nothing when she skips her Enhanced Skill, while the Light Cone’s DEF ignore and CRIT Rate keep helping Archer and the wider team.
If you only run Rin next to Archer and want to save resources, staying at E0S0 or E0S1 is already a strong, budget-friendly setup, and Flickering Stars is the upgrade to chase before any Eidolons. Players who love the duo and want more consistency can look at E1S1 later. If your goal is a standalone Rin carry, put E1 at the top of your list and build toward her Light Cone afterward.
