Best Gilgamesh Light Cones HSR 2026
Recent update
This guide is fully updated for Honkai Star Rail Version 4.5. For complete coverage on this character, check out our companion guides:
This guide covers the best Gilgamesh Light Cones from every budget angle, and I’ve also ranked every Light Cone worth running on Gilgamesh, from his own signature down to the best F2P pick.
Now, before you pick the best Gilgamesh Light Cone for your build, there’s one important fact to keep in mind: Gilgamesh walks the Destruction Path. Although he can physically equip a Light Cone from any Path for its base stats, its unique passive abilities and skill effects will only trigger if he’s equipped with a Destruction Light Cone.
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Best Gilgamesh Light Cones Ranked (TL;DR)
Here’s the quick answer if you just need a ranked list before diving into the details.
| Rank | Light Cone | Why It Ranks Here |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I Am As You Behold | Gilgamesh’s own signature pairs ATK, Energy Regeneration Rate, and a scaling Ultimate DMG bonus with a team-wide CRIT DMG buff. |
| 2 | A Thankless Coronation | Refunds Energy on Ultimate cast and stacks a heavy ATK buff, easing Gilgamesh’s steep Energy cost. |
| 3 | Thus Burns the Dawn | Adds base SPD and permanent DEF ignore, both of which stack cleanly with Gilgamesh’s own kit. |
| 4 | On the Fall of an Aeon | A Herta’s Store cone that ramps ATK every attack and adds bonus DMG after a Weakness Break, no Battle Pass required. |
I Am As You Behold – Best in Slot
I Am As You Behold is Gilgamesh’s own signature, and it’s built entirely around how he plays. At Superimposition 1, it grants 18% ATK and 10% Energy Regeneration Rate, plus a scaling Ultimate DMG bonus worth 0.2% for every point of Energy the Ultimate consumes, capping at 72% bonus Ultimate DMG.
On top of his own numbers, entering combat or using his Ultimate grants “King’s Entertainment” for three turns, which raises every ally’s CRIT DMG by 24%. That team-wide CRIT DMG buff is what pushes this cone ahead of the alternatives below, since Gilgamesh’s own teams usually run more than one damage dealer who can use it.
Best Alternatives to I Am As You Behold
A Thankless Coronation (Saber’s signature Light Cone) is a strong alt pick if Gilgamesh’s Energy cost is holding back his rotation. At S1, it adds 36% CRIT DMG, and using his Ultimate grants 40% ATK for two turns. If his Max Energy is 300 or higher, it also refunds a fixed 10% of that Max Energy on the same Ultimate cast, which helps close the gap between his rotations.
Thus Burns the Dawn leans into a different strength: raw stats that stick around. At S1, it adds a flat 12 base SPD and a permanent 18% DEF ignore on every hit Gilgamesh lands. After using his Ultimate, he also gains “Blazing Sun” for one turn, adding 60% DMG dealt until it’s consumed at the start of his next turn.
The base SPD boost is a very nice bonus since it compounds with Gilgamesh’s own SPD-focused Talent instead of just sitting on top of it.
Best F2P Light Cone for Gilgamesh
On the Fall of an Aeon is available from Herta’s Store, so it’s fully obtainable without spending a cent. At S1, every attack Gilgamesh lands adds 8% ATK for the rest of the battle, stacking up to four times for a total of 32% ATK.
Landing a Weakness Break on top of that adds another 12% DMG dealt for two turns. It needs a turn or two to ramp up, but once it does, it holds its own against several of the paid options above.
Verdict: Which Light Cone Should You Give Gilgamesh?
I Am As You Behold is the best pick for Gilgamesh if you can pull it, since the team-wide CRIT DMG buff makes it worth more than its raw personal stats alone. If it’s outside your budget, A Thankless Coronation and Thus Burns the Dawn both cover Gilgamesh’s Energy and SPD needs at a lower cost.
Players who’d rather not spend at all can lean fully on On the Fall of an Aeon and still field a competent Gilgamesh.
FAQs
The best F2P Light Cone for Gilgamesh is On the Fall of an Aeon, since it stacks ATK with every attack and adds bonus damage after a Weakness Break, all from Herta’s in-game store.
Yes, I Am As You Behold is worth it for Gilgamesh because it raises his ATK, Energy Regeneration Rate, and Ultimate DMG while also granting his whole team extra CRIT DMG through King’s Entertainment.
Yes, Gilgamesh can use Thus Burns the Dawn since it shares his Destruction Path. While he could physically equip a Light Cone from any Path for its base stats, only a Destruction Light Cone like this one triggers its SPD boost and DEF ignore for him.
Yes, A Trail of Bygone Blood is a good Light Cone for Gilgamesh since it raises his CRIT Rate along with his Skill and Ultimate DMG. It’s a Battle Pass reward, though, so it doesn’t count as a true F2P option.
Gilgamesh uses Destruction Path Light Cones in Honkai Star Rail, and his Lightning-aligned kit leans on Ultimate-based burst damage. That’s why Destruction-locked Light Cones like his own signature give him the biggest returns.
