Anime Vanguards Evolution Guide

Evolving is one of the biggest power spikes available in Anime Vanguards. An evolution upgrades a unit into a far stronger form — for example, base lines evolve into meta carries like Song Jinwu and Igros. Here’s how the system works and what to prioritize.

Which units can evolve

Only Mythic, Exclusive and Secret units are eligible to evolve. Each evolution raises every one of the unit’s stats by a rank, and many evolved forms gain new or upgraded abilities. Rare through Legendary units cannot be evolved, so they stay as early-game pieces.

What you need

Evolution costs a combination of materials. The exact requirements differ for every unit, but you’ll generally need:

• A unit-specific Evolution Item. Each evolvable unit needs its own item, dropped from Legend Stages or earned through quests. Many of these can also be crafted.
• Essence Stones. These come in several types — Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Light/Dark variants. You earn them mostly by clearing Story stages and completing daily Challenges.
• Gold. Evolutions consume a large amount of Gold (standard evolutions often cost in the region of 15,000).
• Takedowns (sometimes). Certain units must rack up a set number of enemy takedowns before they qualify to evolve.

Where to farm materials

• Legend Stages drop many of the unit-specific Evolution Items.
• Story stages and daily Challenges are your steady source of Essence Stones.
• Portals, shops and crafting fill in the rest — most items not tied to a specific stage can be crafted.

Plan your runs around the specific item your target unit needs, rather than farming blindly.

How to evolve, step by step

1. Gather every required material for the unit you want to evolve.
2. Go to the Evolve room on the west side of the lobby.
3. Step into the Evolve circle.
4. Select your unit, then pay the Gold and hand over the materials.
5. Your unit transforms into its evolved form, with higher stats and often a stronger kit.

What to evolve first

• Evolve your main carry first. The biggest return comes from turning the DPS you already rely on into its evolved version.
• Then a key support or utility unit that the rest of your team is built around.
• Don’t waste materials on units you’ll replace. Check the tier list before committing — an evolution is a big investment of time and Gold.

Short on Gold for those 15,000-cost evolutions? See how to get Gems and keep clearing Story for the resources you need.