If you want to ascend characters you need to unlock higher difficulties. This guide on How To Increase Difficulty Level To 1 In Honkai Star Rail will tell you everything you need to know to advance the difficulty level so you can unlock the next difficulty setting and then advance your characters through ascendance.
Much like Genshin Impact, the difficulty feature in Honkai Star Rail is a progressive system, unlike traditional difficulty settings that can be changed at any time. Changing difficulty in Honka Star Rail is more about advancing the game world. Yes, it does get more difficult, but it’s part of progressing through the game rather than adjusting a single option in a menu. If you want to continue advancing through the game, you will need to unlock new Difficulty levels in order to progress.
How To Increase Difficulty Level To 1 In Honkai Star Rail
Once your characters reach level 20 their advancement stops. You can no longer progress past level 20 until you unlock Difficult Level 1. This is one of the many different Difficulty settings that you can unlock. Unlocking Difficulty Level 1 will allow your characters to advance and continue past level 20 to the next level cap before you need to unlock another difficulty level.
The difficulty setting is tied to your Trailblaze level, an overall account-like level that progresses as you advance through the game. If you want to unlock Difficulty Level 1 you need to reach Level 20 Trailblaze. This then unlocks a Trailblade Missions called Increase Difficulty Level to 1.
Simply complete that quest and you will unlock Difficulty Level 1 and will now be able to ascend your characters.
- Once your characters reach level 20 they will no longer be able to advance without ascending
- Once a character has reached level 20 you need to find the ascension material and unlock the appropriate difficulty level
- If you want to unlock Difficulty Level 1, advance to Trailblaze level 20 and the side quest will become available
