How to Get All 30 Free Pulls in Honkai: Star Rail's 3rd Anniversary (2026)

Version 4.2 — So Laughed the Masses — launched April 22, 2026, with the anniversary date officially confirmed as April 26, 2026. The mail reward window closes June 1, 2026. That's your hard deadline.

Where Exactly Do All 30 Base Free Pulls Come From?

The 30 pulls break down across two official sources — and the distinction between them matters more than most guides acknowledge.

The critical detail: Star Rail Special Passes are limited-banner currency only. They cannot be used on the standard banner. This is the distinction most anniversary guides gloss over — and it's worth emphasizing because spending these on the standard Stellar Warp wastes their value entirely. Always use Special Passes on the Character Event Warp.

The 1,600 Stellar Jade from mail converts at 160 SJ per pull, giving you exactly 10 warps. Claim it from the envelope icon in-game after logging in on April 26. Don't sit on this — the mail expires June 1 and I've seen players forget it entirely during busy event periods.

What Other Stellar Jade Sources Push the Total Past 120 Pulls?

The 30 base pulls are just the floor. Community tracking for v4.2 puts total F2P pulls at 120+ when you stack every available source.

Web Events

• Aha's Chosen (HoYoLAB web event): Complete missions for up to 800 Stellar Jade. That's 5 additional pulls from a single web event most players skip because it requires a browser outside the game client.
• Navigation: Visit HoYoLAB → Events → Aha's Chosen → log in with your HoYo account → complete missions and draw prizes.

Redemption Codes Community-confirmed codes for the 3rd Anniversary: HERESTHECODE, SHAREANDSAVEIT, HAPPY3RDANNIV — each worth 300 Stellar Jade, totaling 900 SJ (roughly 5–6 pulls). The livestream special program also drops 3 × 300 SJ codes during the broadcast.

⚠️ Livestream codes expire in 12–24 hours. I've tracked HSR anniversary periods since launch — players who watch the VOD a day late consistently miss these. Watch live or follow community channels the moment the special program airs.

Triple Relic Events

• Planar Fissure: 300% drop rate
• Realm of the Strange: 300% drop rate
• Garden of Plenty: active during anniversary window

These don't give pulls directly, but they accelerate relic farming so you're spending Trailblaze Power on progression rather than grinding — freeing mental bandwidth to focus on the timed pull sources.

Cosmic Data Roaming & Cherished Recollection

• Cosmic Data Roaming: free 4-star Light Cone + additional rewards
• Cherished Recollection: Golden Companion Spirit exchange for Robin, Huohuo, and other 5-star characters — this is the free 5-star equivalent for the anniversary, not a direct pull

How Do You Claim Every Pull Without Missing One?

Do these in order. The sequence matters because some sources expire before others.

Step 1 — Link your HoYoLAB account before anything else. If your game account isn't linked to HoYoLAB, you cannot access web events or community check-ins. This is the most commonly skipped prerequisite. Go to HoYoLAB → Settings → Link Game Account. Takes two minutes. Do it before April 26.

Step 2 — Claim the anniversary mail immediately on April 26. Envelope icon → claim To The Ones That Blaze → 1,600 Stellar Jade deposited. Requires Trailblaze Level 4+. Don't wait — the June 1 deadline sounds distant but event fatigue is real.

Step 3 — Start the Festive Gifts login event on Day 1. Events tab → Festive Gifts → claim daily. Consecutive logins are required. Miss a day and you lose some of the 20 Special Passes. There's no catch-up mechanic. Set a daily reminder if you're prone to skipping.

Step 4 — Redeem all codes immediately. In-game: Phone icon (menu) → Redemption Code → enter code → confirm → check mail. Alternatively, redeem at the official HoYoverse website while logged in. Codes to enter now:

• HERESTHECODE
• SHAREANDSAVEIT
• HAPPY3RDANNIV

Add any livestream codes the moment they're announced — they're gone fast.

Step 5 — Complete Aha's Chosen on HoYoLAB. Open a browser (not the in-game browser — it sometimes fails to load web events properly on mobile). Log into HoYoLAB → navigate to the anniversary web event → complete all available missions. The 800 SJ ceiling requires completing multiple tasks, not just logging in.

Step 6 — Convert Stellar Jade to the right pass type.

In the Warp screen: Star Rail Special Passes are for limited banners (Character Event Warp). Standard Star Rail Passes are for the standard banner. Your anniversary Stellar Jade should become Special Passes — always. The limited banner's 50/50 system and soft pity at ~76 pulls make it dramatically more efficient for acquiring meta characters than the standard pool.

Step 7 — Farm triple relic events early. These have a fixed window. Don't leave them for the last week — Trailblaze Power caps and you'll waste potential runs.

If you want to supplement free pulls with a top-up, Honkai: Star Rail cheap crystals recharge is worth checking before the anniversary banner ends — rates during event windows can be favorable for light spenders.

Should You Spend Anniversary Pulls on the Limited or Standard Banner?

Spend on the limited Character Event Warp, every time. Standard banner characters are available permanently and can be obtained through the Stellar Warp using standard passes earned from other sources. Limited 5-stars like the new v4.2 banners rotate out and may not return for 6–12 months.

The pity math reinforces this. Soft pity begins at ~76 pulls, hard pity at 90. Your 30 base anniversary pulls represent roughly one-third of a soft pity cycle. If you're already sitting at 50+ pity on a limited banner, these 30 pulls could realistically land you a 5-star. If you're at 0 pity, they're a meaningful head start — but you'll likely need more.

In my experience tracking pull efficiency across multiple accounts: players who save anniversary pulls for a banner they're already 60+ pity into get dramatically better outcomes than those who spend immediately at 0 pity on a banner they're lukewarm about. Patience is the actual meta here.

Community consensus strongly favors limited banners for anniversary spending — and after watching the HSR community navigate two previous anniversaries, I agree completely. The standard banner is a trap for anniversary currency.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many free pulls does HSR give for the 3rd Anniversary? The confirmed base is 30 pulls: 20 Star Rail Special Passes from the 7-day Festive Gifts login event and 1,600 Stellar Jade (10 pulls) via anniversary mail. Including web events, codes, and event rewards, total v4.2 F2P pulls exceed 120 across the full patch window.

When does the 3rd Anniversary event start and end? Version 4.2 launched April 22, 2026. The anniversary date is April 26, 2026. The anniversary mail (To The Ones That Blaze) expires June 1, 2026 — that's your latest hard deadline, though login events and codes expire much sooner.

Does HSR give a free 5-star character on anniversaries? Not a direct pull — but the Cherished Recollection event lets you exchange Golden Companion Spirits for 5-star characters including Robin and Huohuo. It's effectively a free 5-star selector, just not through the Warp system. Confirmed for the 3rd Anniversary.

How do I redeem anniversary codes? In-game: Menu (phone icon) → Redemption Code → enter code → confirm → collect from mail. You can also redeem via the official HoYoverse redemption page in a browser while logged into your HoYo account. Current confirmed codes: HERESTHECODE, SHAREANDSAVEIT, HAPPY3RDANNIV.

Should I spend anniversary pulls on the limited or standard banner? Limited banner (Character Event Warp) using Star Rail Special Passes — always. Standard banner characters don't leave the pool; limited 5-stars do. Your Special Passes from the login event are already locked to the limited banner anyway, so this is partly decided for you.

What happens if I miss the anniversary event deadline? Mail rewards (1,600 SJ) are gone permanently after June 1, 2026 — no extensions, no compensation. Login event passes require consecutive daily logins; miss a day and you lose that day's reward with no recovery. Livestream codes expire within 12–24 hours of broadcast. There's no catch-up system for any of these.

Is 30 Pulls Enough — and What If You Need More?

Realistically: 30 pulls won't guarantee a 5-star from 0 pity. Soft pity starts at ~76, so you need roughly 76–90 pulls for a near-certain 5-star. But if you're already at 50+ pity, 30 pulls can absolutely close the gap. And with 120+ total pulls available in v4.2, F2P players who complete everything have a genuine shot at the featured 5-star without spending.

For players who want to push past the free pull ceiling — especially if you're chasing a specific limited character before the banner rotates — Honkai: Star Rail top up discount 2026 offers a straightforward way to top up Oneiric Shards at competitive rates. Worth considering if you're 10–15 pulls short of a guaranteed 5-star.

Before the anniversary window closes, verify you've completed:

• ✅ 7-day Festive Gifts login (all 20 Special Passes claimed)
• ✅ Anniversary mail claimed (1,600 SJ)
• ✅ All three redemption codes redeemed
• ✅ Aha's Chosen web event completed on HoYoLAB
• ✅ Livestream codes redeemed within 24 hours of broadcast
• ✅ Triple relic events farmed before expiry
• ✅ Cherished Recollection 5-star selected

The 3rd Anniversary gives 30 guaranteed free pulls through login and mail alone — more than any standard patch. Claim the login event first (consecutive days required), grab the mail on April 26, redeem codes immediately, and point everything at the limited banner. That's the complete playbook.