Evolution is the big power jump in Anime Expeditions. An evolved unit gets stronger stats, new passives or actives, and access to gear that only unlocks on the evolved form.
Only some Secret, Exclusive, and Mythic lines can evolve. Everyone else stays in their base form and never shows a full recipe in the Evolve menu.
You evolve from the main lobby under Upgrades → Evolve. Before you burn Rainbow Sprites, push potential high on units you plan to keep. Each stat tier bumps one step on evolve (A becomes A+, and so on), so a soft roll stays soft after the form change. Fix keepers with the stat reroll flow first when potential is still weak.
How to evolve a unit in the lobby
- Open the main lobby and walk to the Upgrades area on the right side of the main courtyard.
- Enter the Evolve section and press E to open the menu.
- Select the unit you want to evolve.
- Read the material list and the passive preview before you spend anything.
- Use Quick Craft if a craftable piece is short and you already hold the parts.
- Press Evolve Unit only when every requirement line is ready.
The menu previews costs and the new form before materials leave your bag. Raise potential on keepers first so the free tier bump lands on strong rolls. Bank the Gold (5,000 or 10,000 by line), hold any special trial or craft item the recipe asks for, and save Rainbow Sprites for units you will actually play.
Every unit evolution and what it costs
Most recipes mix colored Evolution Sprites, Gold, and one special material. Shadow, Crimson, and 8th Sword lean harder on sprites and gold instead of a pendant-style craft in their unit costs.
| Base unit | Evolved form | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Shadow | Shadow (Divine) | 20 Blue, 20 Green, 20 Red, 3 Rainbow, 10,000 Gold |
| 8th Sword | 8th Sword (Berserk) | 20 Red, 20 Blue, 20 Green, 3 Rainbow, 10,000 Gold |
| Crimson | Crimson (Brother) | 20 Red, 20 Pink, 1 Rainbow, 5,000 Gold |
| True Saint | True Saint (Holy) | 1 Holy Pendant, 5 Red, 5 Blue, 5 Green, 5 Purple, 5 Yellow, 5 Pink, 1 Rainbow, 5,000 Gold |
| Cursed Student | Cursed Student (True Love) | 1 Student ID, 20 Blue, 20 Purple, 1 Rainbow, 5,000 Gold |
| Salmon Sorcerer | Salmon Sorcerer (Grade 1) | 1 Salmon, 20 Green, 20 Blue, 1 Rainbow, 5,000 Gold |
| Flame Emperor | Flame Emperor (Reincarnate) | 1 Burning Fruit, 20 Red, 20 Yellow, 1 Rainbow, 5,000 Gold |
| Puppet | Puppet (Telekinetic) | 1 Puppet Heart, 20 Pink, 20 Purple, 1 Rainbow, 5,000 Gold |
| Elf Mage | Elf Mage (Unleashed) | 1 Cosmic Magic, 20 Blue, 20 Purple, 1 Rainbow, 5,000 Gold |
| String Demon | String Demon (Awakened) | 1 Joker of the Nonsensical Pirates, 20 Yellow, 20 Pink, 1 Rainbow, 5,000 Gold |
| Hollow | Hollow (Blaze) | 1 Elixir of Life, 20 Red, 20 Green, 1 Rainbow, 5,000 Gold |
| Lady Giant | Lady Giant (Envy) | 1 Giant Hammer, 20 Green, 20 Yellow, 1 Rainbow, 5,000 Gold |
| Reaper | Reaper (Released) | 1 Hollowed Visor, 20 Red, 20 Yellow, 1 Rainbow, 5,000 Gold |
Trust the in-game Evolve preview over any outside list when something disagrees. For 8th Sword, the unit cost above is sprites and gold only. An item named 8th's Sword may appear elsewhere in the game data; only treat it as required if your own Evolve panel asks for it.
Special materials mostly come from Unit Trials under Quests → Unit. Trials run with a preset team and stage rules. Student ID drops from Love & Loss, Cosmic Magic from Last Great Elven Mage, Burning Fruit from Fire that Spreads, Elixir of Life from the Hollow trial, Giant Hammer from Giant's Resolve, Puppet Heart from A Puppet's Heart, Salmon from Tuna Tuna, Joker of the Nonsensical Pirates from Strings of Captivity, and Hollowed Visor from Mirror of the False Moonblade.
Holy Pendant is craft-only at the Crafting Station: 3 Pink + 3 Red + 10,000 Gold.
Sprites start as Grey, then craft up. Color sprites craft from Grey (five Grey per color on the Blue sprite path). Rainbow Sprites drop from challenges and can also be crafted from a long Grey path or a multi-color path. Farm regular, daily, and weekly Challenges first. Story, Mastery, Raids, and Trials help fill gaps, and AFK Chamber can drip passive resources while you are offline.
Spend materials on keepers first. Shadow (Divine), 8th Sword (Berserk), Puppet (Telekinetic), and Cursed Student (True Love) are common long-term picks. Salmon Sorcerer (Grade 1) helps when the board needs control. Full unit cards live on the units wiki, and material names sit with the other items.
After a form upgrades, chase that unit's exclusive gear on the equipment list. Evolved form first, then the exclusive piece.
