Honkai Star Rail 4.3: The Lethe Below the Living Brings Mortenax Blade, New Story Content, and Major Gameplay Updates

Honkai Star Rail 4.3 has officially arrived, introducing one of the most significant story chapters in the game's recent history. Titled The Lethe Below the Living, Version 4.3 continues the Planarcadia storyline while adding a powerful new character, fresh exploration areas, challenging gameplay modes, and numerous quality-of-life improvements.

With the debut of Mortenax Blade, new events, additional Relics, expanded progression systems, and major narrative developments, Honkai Star Rail 4.3 offers substantial content for both new and veteran Trailblazers.

The update launched globally on June 1, 2026, bringing players deeper into the mysteries surrounding Planarcadia, the Stellaron Hunters, and the fate of Blade himself.

Honkai Star Rail 4.3 Release Date and Overview

Unlike previous updates that typically launch during the middle of the week, Honkai Star Rail 4.3 arrived slightly earlier than expected.

Version 4.3, officially known as The Lethe Below the Living, marks the twenty-eighth major version update since the game's launch.

The title references the legendary River Lethe from Greek mythology, a river associated with forgetfulness and the underworld. This symbolism perfectly aligns with the darker themes explored throughout the new story chapter.

As players progress through the latest Trailblaze Missions, they encounter forgotten memories, ancient mysteries, divine entities, and the culmination of several long-running storylines.

The Story Continues in Planarcadia

One of the biggest highlights of Honkai Star Rail 4.3 is the continuation of the Planarcadia arc.

The Trailblazer embarks on a journey into the mysterious World in Canvas, where ancient secrets and powerful forces shape the future of multiple worlds.

At the center of the narrative stands Blade and his newest form, Mortenax Blade.

The story explores Blade's centuries-long struggle against his curse while introducing new revelations involving:

• The Aeon Voracity

• Lord Ravager Asat Pramad

• The Murata family

• Graphia

• Inkford Hermitage

• The World in Canvas

Throughout the adventure, players uncover deeper connections between the Stellaron Hunters and the larger cosmic conflicts unfolding across the galaxy.

The version also provides new information about Himeko and several mysteries that have remained unresolved for multiple updates.

Mortenax Blade Makes His Debut

The biggest playable addition in Honkai Star Rail 4.3 is undoubtedly Mortenax Blade.

This new version of Blade represents a major evolution for the beloved Stellaron Hunter.

Mortenax Blade Overview

• Rarity: 5-Star

• Element: Fire

• Path: Nihility

Unlike Blade's original Destruction version, Mortenax Blade embraces a completely different combat philosophy focused on debuffs, battlefield control, and sustained offensive pressure.

His appearance in the story marks a crucial turning point in his destiny.

For years, Blade has waited for the "death in the script" foretold by Elio. In Version 4.3, players witness the next stage of that journey as he seeks a permanent solution to the curse that has haunted him for centuries.

Mortenax Blade Combat Abilities

In battle, Mortenax Blade introduces a unique combat style built around special states and enhanced abilities.

Ultimate Ability

His Ultimate, Fornax Ex Corpore, creates a powerful Bounded Field that affects the entire battlefield.

While the field remains active:

• Enemies receive increased damage

• Blade enters an enhanced state

• New offensive options become available

Enhanced Combat State

After activating his Ultimate, Mortenax Blade gains access to upgraded skills and stronger damage potential.

His enhanced abilities allow him to:

• Deal increased Fire damage

• Apply debuffs consistently

• Generate additional energy

• Trigger powerful follow-up attacks

Team Synergy

Mortenax Blade also benefits from ally actions.

Whenever teammates attack enemies:

• Additional debuffs are applied

• Special Charge accumulates

• Blade gains access to automatic skill activations

This creates strong synergy with aggressive team compositions that attack frequently.

New Character Banners in Honkai Star Rail 4.3

Version 4.3 introduces several important Warp banners.

Phase One

The first half of the update includes:

• Mortenax Blade

• Yao Guang (rerun)

Phase Two

The second half features:

• Cyrene (rerun)

• Phainon (rerun)

These banners give players multiple opportunities to strengthen their rosters with both new and returning characters.

Free Trailblazer Outfit Available

One of the most exciting rewards in Honkai Star Rail 4.3 is a brand-new Trailblazer outfit.

Karmic Fire of the Distant Shore

Players who successfully obtain Mortenax Blade can claim the exclusive Trailblazer costume:

Karmic Fire of the Distant Shore

This cosmetic reward provides a unique visual appearance and represents one of the most notable free customization options released in recent updates.

New Events in Honkai Star Rail 4.3

Several limited-time events arrive alongside Version 4.3.

Gift of Odyssey

The popular login reward event returns once again.

Players can earn valuable resources simply by logging into the game during the event period.

Gift of Tempered Blade

This special event focuses on Mortenax Blade and provides additional rewards connected to the new character.

Pixel Plane Rumble

Pixel Plane Rumble introduces an arcade-inspired gameplay experience.

Players pilot customizable aircraft while:

• Defeating enemies

• Collecting upgrades

• Enhancing firepower

• Completing objectives

The event offers a refreshing change from traditional combat systems.

Wispae Amusement Park

Wispae Amusement Park introduces a management-focused mini-game.

As Chief Planner, players must:

• Design visitor routes

• Place attractions

• Maximize attendance

• Improve overall efficiency

The event combines strategy and resource management with generous rewards.

New Locations to Explore

Exploration remains a key component of Honkai Star Rail 4.3.

Inkford Hermitage

This new area serves as an important narrative location within the World in Canvas storyline.

The region acts as a boundary between life and the mysterious painted world.

Players will encounter:

• New NPCs

• Story quests

• Exploration objectives

• Hidden lore

The location's visual design reinforces the update's themes of memory, mortality, and forgotten history.

New Relics and Progression Options

Version 4.3 introduces two new Relic sets.

New Relic Sets

• As Navigator Isee Sees It

• Divine-Querying Master Smith

These Relics provide additional build options for various character archetypes and create new optimization opportunities for endgame players.

Starward Mode Adds New Endgame Challenge

One of the most important gameplay additions in Honkai Star Rail 4.3 is the arrival of Starward Mode.

This feature expands several existing challenge modes:

• Memory of Chaos

• Pure Fiction

• Apocalyptic Shadow

How Starward Mode Works

Players must now prepare:

• Three separate teams

• Three unique strategies

• Multiple optimized lineups

Successfully clearing all challenges with maximum stars rewards additional Stellar Jades.

Additional Rewards

Starward Mode provides:

• 100 extra Stellar Jades per challenge

• Up to 300 bonus Stellar Jades total

This makes the mode highly valuable for players saving resources for future banners.

Quality-of-Life Improvements

Beyond content additions, Honkai Star Rail 4.3 introduces several useful system enhancements.

Language Resource Management

Players can now manage language files more efficiently.

Benefits include:

• Smaller update downloads

• Better storage management

• Easier language switching

Cross-Device Settings Sync

Many settings now synchronize automatically across devices.

This includes:

• Story playback preferences

• System features

• Most combat settings

Daily Training Improvements

A new Daily Training objective allows players to quickly complete daily activity requirements using Fuel Vouchers or Deep Immersifiers.

This significantly streamlines routine progression.

Mobile Home Screen Widget

Mobile users gain access to a dedicated widget displaying:

• Trailblaze information

• Game status updates

• Useful progression details

Warp History Improvements

A highly requested feature arrives in Honkai Star Rail 4.3.

Warp history retention has been expanded.

Updated Record Storage

Regular Warp history now remains available for:

• 12 months

Collaboration Warp records remain stored for:

• 24 months

This allows players to review their pull history much further back than before.

Final Thoughts on Honkai Star Rail 4.3

Honkai Star Rail 4.3 delivers one of the most content-rich updates of the year. The arrival of Mortenax Blade, the continuation of Planarcadia's storyline, new Relics, fresh events, and expanded endgame systems provide meaningful additions across nearly every aspect of the game.

The update balances narrative progression with gameplay improvements, giving players new reasons to explore, farm, optimize teams, and engage with challenging content.

For fans invested in Blade's story, the mysteries of Planarcadia, or the future of the Stellaron Hunters, Honkai Star Rail 4.3: The Lethe Below the Living represents a major milestone that pushes the game's universe into its next chapter.