Anime Expeditions Evolution Guide
Evolution is the largest single power spike for any unit in Anime Expeditions. Nine units can evolve into stronger forms, unlocking new passives and access to exclusive equipment. This page covers every evolution requirement and passive, plus a priority order to help you spend scarce Sprite materials wisely.
Weapon Statistics
| Stat | Value | Scaling |
|---|---|---|
| Evolvable Units | 9 | - |
| Rainbow Sprites Needed | 12 | - |
| Most Expensive | Shadow | - |
Lore & Trivia
Overview
Summoning a strong unit is only the starting point. Evolution turns that unit into a long-term carry by improving base stats, unlocking a unique passive, and granting access to exclusive equipment. The catch is that evolution materials are scarce, especially Rainbow Sprites. Evolving the wrong unit can set your account back days.
Verified by Daniel Brooks on July 17, 2026 at 10:30 UTC: I opened the Evolution menu in the Upgrades room, inspected each evolvable unit's material cost and passive preview, and confirmed the nine evolutions and their requirements below.
How to Evolve a Unit
- From the main lobby, enter the Upgrades room.
- Select the Evolve station.
- Choose the unit you want to evolve.
- Confirm that all required Sprites, special items, and Gold are available.
- Press Evolve Unit to complete the upgrade.
The menu includes a preview of the passive you will unlock. Check it before spending materials, since some passives fit specific team compositions better than others.
All Evolutions
| Base Unit | Evolved Form | Materials | Gold | Passive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow | Shadow (Divine) | 20 Blue, 20 Green, 20 Red, 3 Rainbow Sprites | 10,000 | Divine Spirit summons an unkillable spirit that mirrors Shadow's damage and stuns Shadow for 15 seconds. |
| Crimson | Crimson (Brother) | 20 Red, 20 Pink, 1 Rainbow Sprite | 5,000 | Piercing Crimson fires at a target point for 10 seconds, dealing 7,755 damage per second and applying Crimson Mark. |
| True Saint | True Saint (Holy) | 1 Holy Pendant, 5 of each Red/Blue/Green/Purple/Yellow/Pink Sprites, 1 Rainbow Sprite | 5,000 | Seize steals 20% damage from the 3 strongest units in range for 60 seconds. |
| Cursed Student | Cursed Student (True Love) | 1 Student ID, 20 Blue, 20 Purple, 1 Rainbow Sprite | 5,000 | Cursed Mimicry performs a follow-up every 3rd attack; Spirit Bats summon every 20 Bleed stacks for bonus damage. |
| Salmon Sorcerer | Salmon Sorcerer (Grade 1) | 1 Salmon, 20 Green, 20 Blue, 1 Rainbow Sprite | 5,000 | Crumble Away applies a 20% slow on all upgrades; Plummet staggers enemies entering half range for 2 seconds. |
| Flame Emperor | Flame Emperor (Reincarnate) | 1 Burning Fruit, 20 Red, 20 Yellow, 1 Rainbow Sprite | 5,000 | Wall of Fire summons a fire wall on any path in range, applying Burn to passing enemies. |
| Puppet | Puppet (Telekinetic) | 1 Puppet Heart, 20 Pink, 20 Purple, 1 Rainbow Sprite | 5,000 | Complete Control rewinds all enemies in range by 2 seconds. |
| Elf Mage | Elf Mage (Unleashed) | 1 Cosmic Magic, 20 Blue, 20 Purple, 1 Rainbow Sprite | 5,000 | Arcane Magic builds charges per attack; Overcharge boosts spell damage by 5% on reset; fires Old Magic, Eruption, and Storm follow-ups. |
| String Demon | String Demon (Awakened) | 1 Joker of the Nonsensical Pirates, 20 Yellow, 20 Pink, 1 Rainbow Sprite | 5,000 | String Sync attaches strings to nearby units on regular attacks, triggering follow-up attacks before breaking. |
Evolution Priority
Best Early Evolutions
Crimson (Brother) is the cheapest evolution, requiring only 20 Red Sprites, 20 Pink Sprites, and 1 Rainbow Sprite. The Piercing Crimson passive provides strong chokepoint damage.
Flame Emperor (Reincarnate) is similarly accessible and adds persistent Burn coverage, which works well in almost every game mode.
Best Mid-to-Late Evolutions
Shadow (Divine) is the most expensive evolution at 3 Rainbow Sprites and 10,000 Gold, but the Divine Spirit passive cannot be killed, despawned, or stunned. The self-stun drawback means you must position Shadow carefully.
True Saint (Holy) requires a Holy Pendant and six different Sprite colors, making it harder to assemble. Seize acts as a team-wide damage amplifier by stealing damage from nearby allies.
Elf Mage (Unleashed) rewards consistent attack uptime. The Arcane charge system compounds into three follow-up spells and a 5% damage boost on charge reset.
Situational Picks
Puppet (Telekinetic) and String Demon (Awakened) offer utility rather than raw damage. Puppet's rewind can reset enemy positions in wave-clear scenarios, while String Demon's follow-up triggers scale with nearby high-attack-speed units.
Farming Evolution Materials
The main sources for colored Sprites and Rainbow Sprites are:
- Story mode stages
- Challenges and weekly challenges
- Mastery stages
- Expeditions
- Raids
Rainbow Sprites are the bottleneck. Prioritize weekly challenges and raids to stockpile them quickly. Shadow alone needs three Rainbow Sprites, so plan your first Shadow evolution around a full week of farming.
Farming Tips
- Run weekly challenges every reset for a reliable mix of colored and Rainbow Sprites.
- Repeat mastery stages for specific colors you are short on.
- Use the Quick Craft button in the evolution menu to craft missing special items without leaving the screen.
- Check the evolution preview before farming. If a passive does not fit your team, hold the materials for a unit that does.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many units can evolve in Anime Expeditions?
Nine units can evolve: Shadow, Crimson, True Saint, Cursed Student, Salmon Sorcerer, Flame Emperor, Puppet, Elf Mage, and String Demon.
What are Rainbow Sprites used for?
Rainbow Sprites are required for every evolution. Most evolutions need 1 Rainbow Sprite, but Shadow needs 3.
Where do I get evolution materials?
Colored Sprites and Rainbow Sprites drop from Story mode, Challenges, weekly challenges, Mastery stages, Expeditions, and Raids.
Which evolution should I do first?
Crimson or Flame Emperor are the best first evolutions because their materials are cheap and their passives are useful in most content.
Can I preview an evolved passive before evolving?
Yes. The evolution menu shows a preview of the passive before you spend materials.
Change Log
- 2026-07-17: Added all nine Anime Expeditions evolutions with materials, Gold costs, passives, and priority recommendations.
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