Astrakeep hero awakening is the last step in a hero's progression: a hero who reaches both max level and 5 stars becomes "Awakened". In sieges, an awakened power then replaces their special attack, and the bonus they give nearby troops goes up. There's nothing to buy: awakening kicks in on its own as soon as both are maxed, and all 13 heroes can awaken, Jinhou and Varek included.
This page is part of the Astrakeep guide and builds on the Astrakeep heroes page. Each hero sheet shows a "Road to awakening": the current form, the awakened form, and how many levels and stars are still missing.
What is hero awakening?
The game sums it up in one line: "Max level and stars: awakened power and a stronger bond with troops in assaults." In practice, three things change:
- An awakened power: it "Replaces its special attack once the hero is awakened (max level and stars)." Every hero has their own.
- A stronger troop combo: every hero boosts one troop type standing near them. The hero sheet shows the normal value, then the value "Once awakened".
- A golden form (golden trims and glowing golden eyes) and an "✦ Awakened ✦" badge on their card.
These effects work in sieges, the battles with troops, lanes and ramparts. Since the October 16, 2026 update, every battle in Astrakeep is a siege: the campaign, raids, the Ascension and battles against other players.
How to awaken a hero
1. Raise the hero to max level
A hero's level is capped by the Crystal Tower: they can go up to the Tower's level + 1, and the screen says so ("Max level … (Tower lv. …)"). Since the Tower tops out at level 15, a hero's real max level is 16. So to awaken a hero, you first need to push the Tower up. It also caps every other building, which makes it the most important upgrade in your kingdom: the Astrakeep islands and buildings page explains how to grow it.
Once the Tower is high enough, level the hero all the way up with your resources.
2. Give them all 5 stars
Stars come from shards: "+12% per star". Stars 2 to 5 cost 10, 20, 40 and then 80 shards, 150 shards in all. Shards mostly come from the Summoning Altar, where every summon gives a card or shards; a card for a hero you already own is worth 25 shards. And once you own every legendary, each fragment from the daily chest turns into 2 star shards.
Which hero should you start with?
Put your shards and resources into one hero at a time: one awakened hero beats three half-built ones. Pick them based on the army you usually field (see the table below). One thing to know: a legendary bought in the shop fights other players too, so its awakened power does help in attacks on other players, even though, like every hero, it's capped by your Crystal Tower there. A legendary earned with fragments joins those fights once the server has counted enough daily chests opened online (40 for your first one). Jinhou and Varek, for their part, only come with their own pack in the shop.
Hover a hero (or tap them) to watch their awakening animation.
- Awakened form
Lyra the Archer
Star Storm
One volley on its target, then one in each of the other two lanes, on the tightest group of enemies.
- Awakened form
Orin the Mage
Meteor Shower
3 meteors: on the target, then on nearby groups. A rampart hit takes 100% of the damage.
- Awakened form
Kael the Knight
Steel Bastion
A wider shockwave that stuns around him; allies within 3 tiles take 40% less damage for 5 s.
- Awakened form
Nyx the Sorceress
Eternal Winter
Freezes every enemy in its lane for 2.5 s, then slows them for 3 s; when attacking, that lane’s rampart freezes too.
- Awakened form
Tharok the Bombardier
Grand Charge
A bomb that blows after 1 s: 80% of its damage to ramparts, and a tower under 25% health collapses.
- Awakened form
Aurelion the Paladin
Sacred Aegis
Allies within 3.5 tiles of the impact become invulnerable for 2.5 s, then recover 15% of their health.
- Awakened form
Sylvara the Empress
Imperial Decree
Heals all allied troops by 35% and their hits deal +100% for 4 s.
- Awakened form
Jinhou the Monkey King
A Thousand Staffs
The staff crashes down on the target, then 4 staffs fall around it, on the tightest group: each deals 35% of the damage.
- Awakened form
Varek the Ember Prince
Last Burst
A star beam hits the target, then 3 bursts follow around it, each dealing 50% of the damage. After 45 s of combat, an awakened Varek takes his astral form: +20% damage and power.
All 13 awakened powers and their troop combos
| Hero | Awakened power | Effect in sieges | Troop combo: normal → awakened |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyra the Archer | Star Storm | One volley on its target, then one in each of the other two lanes, on the tightest group of enemies | Griffins: +25% → +40% damage |
| Orin the Mage | Meteor Shower | 3 meteors on the target, then on nearby groups; a rampart hit takes 100% of the damage | Crystal colossi: +20% → +32% damage |
| Kael the Knight | Steel Bastion | A wider shockwave that stuns around him; allies within 3 tiles take 40% less damage for 5 s | Footmen: +25% → +40% damage |
| Nyx the Sorceress | Eternal Winter | Freezes every enemy in its lane for 2.5 s, then slows them for 3 s; when attacking, that lane's rampart freezes too | Shield guards: target slowed 1.5 s → 2.4 s |
| Tharok the Bombardier | Grand Charge | A bomb that blows after 1 s: 80% of its damage to ramparts, and a tower under 25% health collapses | Crystal colossi: explode when they fall, 140 → 224 damage |
| Aurelion the Paladin | Sacred Aegis | Allies within 3.5 tiles of the impact become invulnerable for 2.5 s, then recover 15% of their health | Shield guards: −30% → −45% damage taken |
| Sylvara the Empress | Imperial Decree | Heals all allied troops by 35% and their hits deal +100% for 4 s | All troops: +2% → +3.5% health per second |
| Jinhou the Monkey King | A Thousand Staffs | The staff crashes down on the target, then 4 staffs fall around it, on the tightest group: each deals 35% of the damage | Griffins: +30% → +48% damage |
| Varek the Ember Prince | Last Burst | A star beam hits the target, then 3 bursts follow around it, each dealing 50% of the damage | Footmen: +35% → +56% damage |
| Kiran the Star Whelp | Sky of Old | The breath hits, then the dragon flies over the field: 5 showers of star scales, each dealing 40% of the damage; available from the young dragon on | Griffins: −20% → −30% damage taken |
| Mio the Shadow Child | All the Shadows | The beast strikes, then the 2 other shadow beasts burst out around it, each dealing 55% of the damage | Footmen: +20% → +32% damage |
| Bolt the Link Golem | Living Forge | The lash hits; Bolt repairs 35% of his health and takes 50% less damage for 4 s | Crystal colossi: −25% → −38% damage taken |
| Solène the Lantern Keeper | Whole Day | All four phases at once: troops healed by 25%, allies +40% damage for 3 s | All troops: +1.2% → +2.1% health per second |
Varek has one more trick: after 45 seconds of combat, an awakened Varek takes his astral form, with +20% damage and power until the end of the battle.
Kiran, Mio, Bolt and Solène change form during battle, and awakening takes them further: Kiran grows into an elder dragon (up to +50% damage), Mio changes shadow beast every 8 s, Bolt adds a module every 10 s (up to +75% damage) and Solène moves through a phase of the day every 10 s. Their forms are detailed on the Astrakeep heroes page.
Freezes, protection and damage boosts only last a few seconds: they swing a moment of the siege, not the whole fight.
Playing awakened heroes in sieges
Put the right troop next to the hero. The combo only applies to nearby troops: griffins around Lyra or Jinhou, footmen around Kael, Varek or Mio, colossi with Orin or Tharok, shield guards with Nyx or Aurelion. Play the hero card in the same lane as the troop they boost. Sylvara boosts every troop, which makes her a strong pick for a mixed army, and mixing is rewarded too: +18% damage and health with 3 troop types, +25% with all 4.
Against towers and the keep, three powers stand out: Orin's Meteor Shower (a rampart hit takes the full damage), Tharok's Grand Charge (which finishes off a weakened tower) and Nyx's Eternal Winter, which freezes her lane's rampart when attacking. The Freeze spell, which "stops enemy troops and a rampart's shooters", stretches that window.
To protect your army, Kael, Aurelion and Sylvara make up the defensive trio: damage reduction, brief invulnerability and an army-wide heal. Paired with the Heal and Shield spells, they help your troops reach the ramparts.
For long sieges, Varek is the one to watch: after 45 seconds, his astral form adds +20% damage and power, just as the last 30 seconds double your energy. The Astrakeep troops and raids page covers the spells, ramparts and troop cycle in detail.
If you enjoy games where heroes matter as much as strategy, our feature on hero strategy games covers the genre. To start leveling your heroes now, play Astrakeep in your browser; Astrakeep is also out on Android, on Google Play, free to play with optional in-app purchases, and the iPhone version is coming soon (see the Astrakeep page).
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to pay to awaken a hero in Astrakeep?
No. Awakening can't be bought and needs no special item: it triggers automatically when the hero reaches max level and 5 stars.
Why isn't my hero awakened yet?
They're either missing stars or levels. A hero's level can't go above the Crystal Tower's level + 1, so the max of 16 requires a level 15 Tower.
Does awakening work in the campaign?
The game describes awakening and troop combos for sieges, the battles with troops, lanes and ramparts. Since the October 16, 2026 update, campaign levels are sieges too: every level is an enemy kingdom to besiege.
Can every hero awaken?
Yes: all 13 heroes have their own awakened power and troop combo, from the rare starters to the legendaries Jinhou and Varek, with Kiran, Mio, Bolt and Solène in between. To share your favorite combos, drop by the Astrakeep forum.