Honkai Star Rail × Zenless Zone Zero Collab Guide: Ellen and Astra Yao in Version 4.8

The Honkai: Star Rail × Zenless Zone Zero collaboration officially begins in Version 4.8. HoYoverse has confirmed Ellen and Astra Yao as the two ZZZ characters joining the Star Rail adventure, but it has not announced their HSR Paths, elements, kits, banner order, prices, or release date.

For now, the useful preparation is a savings plan and a clear picture of what each guest represents. Do not pre-farm materials or assume either character is free until HoYoverse publishes the Version 4.8 character and Warp notices.

Quick answer: Version 4.8, Ellen, and Astra Yao are official. Everything about their HSR combat roles, rarity, acquisition, and event rewards remains unconfirmed. Save flexible resources, avoid converting Oneiric Shards early, and treat posts calling Ellen free or assigning final kits as rumors unless they link to a first-party notice.

Ellen and Astra Yao Version 4.8 collaboration announcement

Honkai: Star Rail official — Ellen and Astra Yao announced for the Version 4.8 collaboration.

What HoYoverse Has Confirmed

The official teaser and the Version 4.6 Special Program confirm only the points below. Character paths, acquisition rules, banner timing, rewards, and event mechanics have not been announced.

Detail	Status	What players can safely conclude
Collaboration version	Confirmed: Version 4.8	The crossover does not launch in 4.6 or 4.7
Ellen	Confirmed for the Star Rail adventure	She will appear in HSR content; acquisition method is unknown
Astra Yao	Confirmed for the Star Rail adventure	She will appear in HSR content; acquisition method is unknown
More surprises	Officially teased	Additional content may exist, but its form is not announced
HSR Path and element	Not confirmed	Do not use ZZZ attributes as HSR kit facts
Rarity and banner order	Not confirmed	Do not calculate a guarantee around an assumed phase
Free character	Not confirmed	No official source currently promises a free Ellen or Astra Yao
Exact release date	Not confirmed	Version number is official; calendar date is not
Event story, Light Cones, and rewards	Not confirmed	Wait for the 4.8 Special Program and event notices

Who Is Ellen, and What Could Carry Over?

Ellen in the official collaboration teaser

Honkai: Star Rail official — Ellen appearing in the HSR × ZZZ teaser.

In Zenless Zone Zero, Ellen is an Ice Attack agent associated with Victoria Housekeeping. Her identity is built around rapid movement, shark-themed attacks, Flash Freeze resources, and concentrated damage windows.

Those details explain why she is an obvious crossover choice, but they do not reveal her Star Rail kit. HoYoverse could preserve the Ice theme, translate her burst rhythm into turn manipulation, or reinterpret her completely around an HSR Path.

What an Ellen player should watch for

Whether HSR Ellen is a main damage dealer or a secondary attacker.
Whether her shark-tail and scissors become a standard Skill, Ultimate, follow-up, or special action.
Whether she uses Ice again or receives a different combat type.
Whether her team wants Speed, action advance, debuffs, or a new collaboration mechanic.
Whether any free copy, signature Light Cone, or event reward is explicitly confirmed.

Until those answers arrive, do not farm Ice materials, Relics, or Path materials specifically for her. Credits, Character EXP, Light Cone EXP, and reserved Trailblaze Power remain the safer preparation.

Ellen moving through the Version 4.8 collaboration teaser

Honkai: Star Rail official — Ellen's action sequence in the Version 4.8 teaser.

Who Is Astra Yao, and What Could Carry Over?

Astra Yao in the official collaboration teaser

Honkai: Star Rail official — Astra Yao appearing in the HSR × ZZZ teaser.

In ZZZ, Astra Yao is an Ether Support agent known for broad team buffs, healing, and a performance-themed combat identity. She is the more natural candidate for a Star Rail support interpretation, but “natural” is not the same as confirmed.

Her microphone, stage presentation, and off-field support identity could translate into buffs, healing, action support, or an entirely new collaboration system. Players should compare the final HSR kit with the supports they already own instead of pulling because her ZZZ version is strong.

Astra Yao close-up from the Version 4.8 collaboration teaser

Honkai: Star Rail official — Astra Yao's reveal in the Version 4.8 teaser.

What an Astra Yao player should watch for

Whether she is a universal support or locked to one Path or damage type.
Whether her sustain is enough to replace a dedicated healer.
Whether her buffs scale with ATK, Energy, Speed, or a new resource.
Whether she needs another collaboration character to unlock full value.
Whether her base kit is complete without a signature Light Cone.

Ellen vs Astra Yao: Early Account Planning

The comparison below helps identify which reveal deserves closer attention once the final 4.8 kits arrive.

Your account need	Watch Ellen first	Watch Astra Yao first
You lack a modern damage dealer	Yes, if her HSR role is confirmed as a carry	Only if she enables an existing carry more efficiently
You already have several strong carries	Lower priority unless favorite	Higher priority if her buffs are broad and unique
Your teams die or lose turns to control	Only if she has defensive utility	Watch for healing, cleanse, or action support
You collect crossover characters	Set one combined budget	Set one combined budget
You have one guarantee, not two	Wait for both kits and banner order	Wait for both kits and banner order

The safest decision is to treat Version 4.8 as one shared budget. Do not reserve a full guarantee for each character until HoYoverse confirms that both are obtainable through character Warps.

How Much Should You Save for Version 4.8?

HSR's normal limited-character system can require up to 180 pulls from zero pity and no guarantee, but the collaboration acquisition rules are still unknown. Use the normal ceiling only as a conservative planning model, not as proof that Ellen or Astra Yao will follow it.

Starting position	Conservative reserve for one normal limited character	What to do now
Guaranteed, 0 pity	Up to 90 pulls	Protect the guarantee and avoid impulse Light Cone pulls
Not guaranteed, 0 pity	Up to 180 pulls	Build the reserve before counting either character as secured
Existing pity	Subtract current pity only after confirming it carries to the relevant banner type	Check Warp records; do not assume a separate collab banner shares pity
Unknown acquisition rules	No exact target yet	Hold passes and Jade until the 4.8 notice explains the system

Claim Version 4.6's free passes and event Jade, but do not spend just because Version 4.8 is still several updates away. Aha in Version 4.7 may also compete for the same Elation-focused accounts, so favorites should be ranked now rather than on banner day.

What Not to Believe Yet

“Ellen is free”

This claim is circulating in community summaries, but the official teaser does not promise a free copy. Treat it as unconfirmed until a HoYoverse event or login notice states the acquisition rule.

“Their HSR roles match their ZZZ roles”

Cross-game identity can inspire a kit without fixing it. Ellen's Ice Attack classification and Astra Yao's Ether Support classification belong to ZZZ, not HSR.

“Version 4.8 has a confirmed release date”

HoYoverse confirmed the version number, not the maintenance date. Six-week-cycle estimates are useful for personal planning but should not be printed as the official launch date.

“Both characters use normal Event Warps”

That is plausible, not confirmed. Previous collaborations have used special claim rules, so the banner and pity notice matters more than precedent.

A Safe Pre-Collab Checklist

Finish current limited events and collect all free Special Passes.
Record character-banner pity and guarantee separately from Light Cone pity.
Rank Ellen, Astra Yao, and Aeon ★ Aha by personal priority.
Keep Credits, EXP materials, and Fuel flexible; do not pre-farm Path materials.
Wait for official HSR Paths, elements, Light Cones, and materials.
Recalculate after the Version 4.8 Special Program reveals acquisition rules.
Top up only after the live banner and your exact shortfall are visible.

If the official 4.8 banner later confirms a normal Oneiric Shard shortfall, verify UID, server, pity, guarantee, and the amount still needed first. Early hype is not a purchase amount.

Build a measured Version 4.8 reserve

Set the number of pulls you want first, then cover only a confirmed shortfall.

Check HSR top-up options

HSR × ZZZ Collaboration FAQ

Is the HSR × ZZZ collaboration official?

Yes. HoYoverse announced it through the official Honkai: Star Rail channel and placed it in Version 4.8.

Which ZZZ characters are coming to Star Rail?

Ellen and Astra Yao are confirmed. HoYoverse also teased more surprises without naming additional characters.

Is Ellen free in HSR?

Not officially confirmed. Do not plan around a free copy until the event or acquisition notice says so.

What are Ellen and Astra Yao's HSR elements and Paths?

They have not been announced. Their ZZZ attributes should not be copied into HSR build advice.

Can I pre-farm for them?

Only flexible resources such as Credits and EXP are safe. Wait for official materials and Path information before spending Trailblaze Power.

Should I skip Version 4.6 and 4.7 for the collaboration?

Skip only if Ellen or Astra Yao is clearly more important than Pearl, Evanescia, Mortenax Blade, and Aeon ★ Aha. If you are undecided, wait for testing on current characters and preserve enough resources to react to the 4.8 reveal.

Bottom Line

The most important Version 4.8 fact is also the simplest: Ellen and Astra Yao are coming to Star Rail. Their kits, banners, and prices are not, so the correct “leak strategy” is disciplined saving and careful source checking rather than pretending an unfinished reveal is a finished build.