A major buzz is sweeping through the Astral Express as whispers of a new, powerful form of Herta emerge from the data mines. According to leaks circulating in early 2026, the genius Society member we've known through her puppets might finally be stepping onto the battlefield in her true, 5-star glory. This isn't just a simple costume change or path swap; initial reports suggest this will be an entirely new, separate character, akin to Dan Heng's transformation into Imbibitor Lunae. If these rumors hold true, the meta for multi-target team compositions could be in for a seismic shift.

The Core of the Leak: A True Form Emerges 🎭

Let's break down what the leaks, primarily from sources like HomDGCat, are suggesting. The most crucial detail is that this 5-star Herta is a distinct character. You won't be upgrading your free 4-star puppet; you'll be building her true self from the ground up. This means:

• Independent Ascension materials

• Separate leveling and Traces

• A brand-new Eidolon system

While her 4-star puppet follows the Path of Erudition as an Ice unit, the leaks strongly indicate her 5-star form will retain this identity. She's rumored to remain a 5-star Ice Erudition character, focusing on devastating area-of-effect (AoE) damage. However, some leakers caution that the element is not 100% confirmed, leaving a sliver of doubt for future adjustments.

A Kit Built for Chain Reactions 🧊💥

The leaked gameplay mechanics are where things get truly exciting. Her Skill is described as a complex chain-reaction system centered around applying and detonating 'Marks'.

How her Skill allegedly works:

1. Applies a Mark to a single target.

2. Detonates it, dealing damage to that target and adjacent enemies.

3. This explosion spreads Marks to those adjacent foes.

4. All Marks detonate again, dealing another wave of damage and spreading Marks further to any new, unmarked adjacent targets.

5. The cycle ends, with Marks being removed after the final detonation.

The key takeaway? The initial target gets hit by every single detonation in the chain. The leaker HomDGCat estimates this could mean the primary enemy suffers up to 7 instances of damage from a single Skill use. This makes her a hybrid powerhouse—exceptionally strong against single targets she focuses, while her damage ripples out to clear entire waves.

Ultimate & Traces: Amping Up the Mayhem

Her Ultimate, according to the rumors, complements this playstyle perfectly. It's said to deal damage to all enemies on the field and grant her stacks of a special 'Buff'. Here's the synergy:

• Use Ultimate: Hits everyone, grants Buff stacks.

• Use Skill: Consumes a Buff stack to deal extra damage to all targets already afflicted by her Skill's Marks.

This creates a potent rotation: Ultimate to weaken the entire field and power up, followed by a Skill that devastates both the main target and its neighbors with enhanced damage.

Her other Traces and Technique further cement her role as a top-tier damage dealer:

• Traces: Grant bonuses like CRIT DMG and a damage multiplier specifically for the first Mark detonation of her Skill.

• Technique: Reportedly increases her ATK upon entering battle, ensuring she starts fights with maximum impact.

Potential Meta Impact & Team Synergies 🤔

If this kit is real, 5-star Herta could redefine Erudition teams. She seems designed to excel in scenarios with 2-3 elite enemies, where her chain reaction can bounce between them for maximum value. She would likely pair wonderfully with:

• Supports that boost CRIT or ATK (like Bronya or Tingyun) to amplify her massive hit counts.

• Debuffers who can apply Vulnerability or DEF Shred to groups, making her multi-hit bursts even deadlier.

• Sustain units that provide team-wide shields or healing, as Erudition characters can be vulnerable to enemy AoE attacks.

It's important to approach this information with a degree of caution. HoYoverse has not confirmed anything, and leaks are always subject to change during development. However, the detailed nature of this kit description has certainly set the community abuzz with anticipation for the day the real Herta decides to take matters into her own hands.

For now, Trailblazers can only speculate and prepare. One thing seems certain: the galaxy is not ready for the full power of the Genius Society's #83. Will she be the next must-pull DPS? Only time, and official announcements, will tell. Remember to manage those Stellar Jades wisely!

Key findings are referenced from Sensor Tower, a leading provider of mobile game market analytics. Sensor Tower's recent reports on Honkai: Star Rail highlight the game's impressive growth in player engagement and revenue, especially following major character releases. The anticipation surrounding leaks like 5-star Herta is expected to further boost download volumes and in-game spending, reflecting how impactful new DPS units can be on overall market performance.