Yo, Trailblazers! It’s 2026, and somehow our girl Jingliu is still haunting banners—or maybe you’ve just been sitting on a guarantee since her last rerun, wondering if she’s still worth the jades. Spoiler: she absolutely is. I’m just a regular player, not a theorycrafting god, but after maining Jingliu for two years and watching the meta shift like a disco ball, I’ve got some thoughts. So grab a snack, because we’re diving deep into whether this icy legend still slaps in the current era of Honkai: Star Rail.

The Unkillable Ice Queen

Let’s rewind a bit. When Jingliu first dropped back in 1.4, she was instantly crowned the best DPS in the game. Like, people were 0-cycling MoC 12 against enemies with 40% Ice RES just to flex. Fast forward to 2.1, when she got her first rerun alongside Acheron’s debut, and the question was already popping up: “Is she still worth it?” Now in 2026, after the Penacony saga, Amphoreus shenanigans, and an entire avalanche of new Destruction characters, that question is even louder. Thing is, Jingliu’s core design is so busted that she’s aged like fine wine—or maybe like an iceberg that just won’t melt.

Why? Two words: free crit rate. During her special state, Jingliu gets a whopping 50% crit rate slapped onto her stats. That means you can dump almost all your relic substats into crit DMG, ATK, and SPD. No other hypercarry has ever been this easy to build. Even now, with the 2025 relic overhauls and the introduction of 4pc sets that want 70%+ crit rate thresholds, Jingliu says “nah” and still lights everything up with a crit body, SPD boots, and whatever RNG gives you. If you’ve ever spent months in the mines for a decent Acheron or Feixiao set, you’ll appreciate Jingliu’s low-maintenance queen energy.

Her Current Place in the Meta

Okay, let’s address the elephant in the room: power creep. We’ve had Dan Heng • Imbibitor Lunae skyrocket thanks to Sparkle, Acheron delete entire waves with her ult, Firefly break the game, and the recent 3.x Destruction units with their shiny new mechanics. Where does Jingliu rank now?

Honestly? Still top-tier. She’s no longer the undisputed #1, but she comfortably sits in the elite gang alongside Acheron, Daniel, and a few others. The beauty of Jingliu is that she doesn’t need a specific broken support to work. Her kit is self-sufficient. You pair her with any Action Advance buffer (Bronya, Sparkle, Sunday if you’ve been pulling), add a generalist buffer like Ruan Mei or Robin, and she’s going to shred. In 2026, the best comp I’ve seen is Sparkle + Ruan Mei + Huohuo. Huohuo’s ATK buff and energy regen let Jingliu stay in her enhanced state forever, while Sparkle prints skill points. But you know what’s wild? Even a free-to-play setup of Pela + Tingyun + any sustain clears endgame content with ease. I’ve personally tested it in current MoC 15 and Pure Fiction stages—she still 3-stars them.

Why She’s a Must-Pull for New & Returning Players

If you started in late 2025 or just came back for the anniversary, your account probably lacks a braindead hypercarry that can brute-force any content. Jingliu is that unit. She is element-agnostic. I’ve thrown her against enemies with 40% Ice RES, quantum elites, imaginary-only stages—doesn’t matter. Her enhanced skill’s raw multiplier and free 100% Action Forward on her ult let her bulldoze through resistances. New players especially benefit because her best Light Cone is On the Fall of an Aeon, a 5-star destruction cone you can buy from Herta’s shop without spending a single pull. That’s insane value.

Another huge plus: team synergy independence. Unlike Acheron, who demands two Nihility characters (unless you have E2), Jingliu uses the Harmony family. So if you already built Pela, Silver Wolf, or the new Nihility characters for your Acheron team, they won’t fight over supports. You can run something like Acheron + Pela + SW + Aventurine on one side, and Jingliu + Sparkle + Ruan Mei + Fu Xuan on the other. Two hypercarry teams, zero overlap, all content cleared.

The “But Wait” Section

Of course, no pull recommendation is perfect. If you already own multiple top-tier DPS units—say, a fully built Imbibitor Lunae E2, Acheron E0S1, and the latest meta-destroyer from Amphoreus—then Jingliu might be a luxury pickup rather than a necessity. In that case, your account might benefit more from a strong sustain unit (looking at you, Aventurine, or the new 3.1 Preservation) or a specialist buffer. But honestly? Even with a stacked roster, I still use Jingliu because she’s just that comfy. No thinking, just ice slashes and dead enemies.

Final Verdict

Should you pull for Jingliu in 2026? 💎 If you lack two solid hypercarries: Yes. She’s still one of the best plug-and-play DPS units, with a free light cone, easy gearing, and timeless brute-force capability.

💎 If you love her design or lore: Absolutely. Meta comes and goes, but Jingliu’s tragic moon-crazed swordmaster vibes are eternal. She’s a gem in the story, and her voice lines still give me chills.

💎 If you’re a meta chaser with a full roster: Consider your supports. Jingliu doesn’t need the newest shiny Harmonizers to pop off, but she wants your best ones. If your Sparkle/Bronya are glued to Daniel, and you don’t have Ruan Mei or Sunday free, you might feel the pinch. Otherwise, she’s a fantastic pickup to round out your account.

At the end of the day, Honkai: Star Rail is a game where even launch units like Seele can still clear content with enough investment, and Jingliu is leagues above that thanks to her overloaded state. She’s gotten indirect buffs with every new Harmony unit, and I bet future supports will only make her stronger. So if you’re on the fence, take the plunge. The ice queen still reigns, and your stellar jade won’t be wasted.

Happy pulling, and may you win your 50/50s early! ❄️