Last updated: August 6, 2026
Sunshine Cat: Smile has arrived in Star Savior as part of the third week of the Lost in Summer! Fated Paradise event. She is a Star-attribute Assassin built around repeatedly triggering her Special Skill, building Leap and Sparkler stacks, and concentrating damage on an enemy marked with Aqua Bomb. Her featured banner is scheduled to run from the end of the August 6 maintenance until August 20 at 19:00 UTC.
On paper, Sunshine Cat: Smile looks like a potentially powerful single-target damage dealer, especially when placed in a team that can help her generate Leap stacks and attack frequently. However, her mechanics require more setup than those of a straightforward damage dealer.
In this guide, I will break down her abilities, early build priorities, potential teammates, strengths, weaknesses, and whether I think she is worth pulling.
Early verdict: Sunshine Cat: Smile looks like a strong and entertaining Star Assassin with excellent single-target damage potential. She is especially appealing for players who can support her Leap mechanic, but I would not call her a universal must-pull until we have seen more testing.
Editor’s note: This is an early guide based on the published skill information available at release. Equipment, team, and pull recommendations may change after additional testing.
Who Is Sunshine Cat: Smile?
Sunshine Cat: Smile is the summer version of Smile and a new Star-attribute Assassin.
Her playstyle revolves around three connected mechanics:
- Aqua Bomb, which marks an enemy for the team to attack.
- Leap, which she consumes to activate her triggered Special Skill.
- Sparkler, which strengthens the additional attacks performed during her Ultimate.
Rather than waiting for each of her normal turns to deal damage, Smile can respond when another ally attacks the enemy carrying Aqua Bomb. When her conditions are met, she follows the ally’s attack with her own Special Skill.
This gives her the potential to produce a steady stream of additional attacks between her regular turns.
The official summer update preview described Smile as a Special Skill-focused Assassin who can continuously chain Special Skills once her conditions are satisfied.
Watch the Sunshine Cat: Smile Video Guide
Prefer to watch the full breakdown? Check out my Sunshine Cat: Smile video guide below for a closer look at her abilities, animations, and my first impressions.
Sunshine Cat: Smile’s Skills Explained
The wording of Smile’s kit may initially look complicated, but the basic rotation is fairly easy to understand:
- Place Aqua Bomb on an enemy.
- Generate Leap stacks.
- Have another ally attack the Aqua Bomb target.
- Smile consumes Leap and activates Heat Control.
- Heat Control generates Sparkler and advances Smile’s Action Gauge.
- Use her Ultimate to convert those Sparkler stacks into additional attacks.
Aqua Bomb
After Smile uses Hydration: Summer Night Fireworks, her passive has a 100% chance to place Aqua Bomb on the enemy with the highest Speed for three turns.
Only one Aqua Bomb can be active at a time. Applying a new Aqua Bomb removes the existing one.
This targeting method could be useful in PvP because it will normally select a fast enemy support or damage dealer. The drawback is that the fastest enemy will not always be the target you want to eliminate. A fast but extremely durable opponent could pull the mark away from a more vulnerable damage dealer.
Against a single boss, target selection should be much less of a concern because the boss will automatically receive the mark.
Smile’s Limit Break bonuses also improve her Critical Damage when attacking an enemy affected by Aqua Bomb, increasing the payoff for concentrating the team’s attacks on that target.
Basic Attack
Smile’s Basic Attack deals damage and grants her one stack of Leap.
There does not appear to be anything particularly unusual about the attack itself. Its main purpose is to contribute toward the two Leap stacks required to activate Heat Control.
Heat Control
Heat Control is the centerpiece of Smile’s kit.
When an ally other than Smile attacks an enemy affected by Aqua Bomb, Smile can activate Heat Control if she has at least two Leap stacks.
Heat Control then:
- Attacks the Aqua Bomb target.
- Consumes two Leap stacks.
- Grants Smile one Sparkler stack.
- Advances Smile’s Action Gauge by 15%.
The ability does not trigger when the ally’s original attack defeats the enemy. The target must survive long enough for Smile to perform her follow-up attack.
This makes Smile much better against bosses and durable enemies than against weak enemies that are defeated in a single hit. In easier stages, her teammates may eliminate the target before her follow-up can occur.
The Action Gauge increase is also important. Every successful Heat Control moves Smile closer to her next regular turn, helping her generate more Leap and use her Ultimate sooner.
Brilliant Fireworks
Smile’s Ultimate, Brilliant Fireworks, appears to be a powerful single-target attack that also grants her three Leap stacks.
Those three stacks immediately prepare Smile for another Heat Control activation. Since Heat Control only consumes two Leap, she can potentially continue her attack chain before her next turn if an ally attacks the marked target.
The Ultimate also activates an additional instance of Heat Control for every Sparkler stack Smile has accumulated. That means the Heat Control attacks used throughout the battle are not only dealing immediate damage—they are also preparing a larger burst when Smile uses her Ultimate.
Her rotation should look something like this:
Apply Aqua Bomb → Build Leap → Trigger Heat Control → Accumulate Sparkler → Use Brilliant Fireworks → Activate additional Heat Control attacks
That combination gives Smile both consistent follow-up damage and a potentially strong burst turn.
Early Build Recommendations
Sunshine Cat: Smile is a damage-focused Assassin, so the early priority should be increasing the damage of Heat Control and Brilliant Fireworks while maintaining enough Speed to keep her rotation moving.
Recommended Stat Priority
My early stat priority would be:
- Strength
- Critical Rate
- Critical Damage
- Speed or other Action Gauge-related stats
- Survivability
Strength should be the safest primary investment because almost every important part of Smile’s kit deals direct damage.
Critical Rate and Critical Damage should also be valuable, particularly because her Limit Break effects can increase her Critical Damage against an Aqua Bomb target. You still need enough Critical Rate to activate that extra damage consistently.
Speed is useful, but Smile already receives Action Gauge whenever Heat Control activates. Because of that, I would avoid sacrificing too much raw damage simply to make her slightly faster.
Does Smile Need Focus?
Focus does not appear to be a major priority based on the early skill information.
Aqua Bomb is listed with a 100% application chance, and early analysis suggests that the main version of the effect may not be resistible. Unless testing reveals that another part of her kit needs additional Focus, I would prioritize Strength, Critical Rate, Critical Damage, and Speed instead.
Recommended Equipment Direction
Until more equipment testing is completed, I would look for gear that provides:
| Priority | Recommended effect |
|---|---|
| Primary | Strength or general damage |
| Secondary | Critical Rate |
| Secondary | Critical Damage |
| Utility | Speed or Action Gauge support |
| Defensive | HP or Defense when needed |
A Special Skill damage bonus could be especially valuable because Heat Control is expected to account for a large portion of Smile’s total damage.
Players should avoid investing heavily in highly specialized equipment immediately. Start with a strong general Assassin or damage set and compare results before committing rare upgrade materials.
Best Arcana for Sunshine Cat: Smile
Smile’s featured SSR Strength Arcana appears to be her most natural option.
Its effects include additional potential points, increased Special Skill damage, and a Leap stack at the beginning of battle. At higher investment, the Arcana can provide as many as five additional potential points, while its combat effect can increase Special Skill damage by 20% and begin the fight with one Leap stack. Exact values may depend on the Arcana’s level and Limit Break.
Beginning with one Leap is particularly useful. Smile can gain three more Leap from her Ultimate, leaving her with enough resources for multiple Heat Control activations.
The featured Arcana looks extremely strong for her, but that creates one of the main concerns surrounding Smile: players may feel pressured to pull both the Savior and her Arcana to reach her full potential.
Early Alternative Arcana Options
Players without the featured Arcana should consider:
- General Strength Arcana
- Assassin-focused Arcana
- Special Skill damage Arcana
- Critical Rate or Critical Damage Arcana
- Arcana that improve Speed or starting resources
Kira’s Assassin-compatible Arcana may be worth testing as an alternative. A general high-investment Arcana that already fits your deck may also outperform a low-investment featured Arcana.
Do not assume that Smile is unusable without her signature option. The featured Arcana appears to improve her opening rotation and damage, but her basic Leap and Sparkler mechanics are still built into her character kit.
Best Teammates for Sunshine Cat: Smile
Smile wants teammates who can do at least one of three things:
- Generate Leap for Star Saviors
- Attack frequently
- Increase Smile’s damage against a single target
Lynn
Lynn is the first teammate I would test with Sunshine Cat: Smile.
Lynn can provide additional Leap stacks to Star-attribute Saviors, directly supporting Smile’s most important resource. More Leap means more opportunities to activate Heat Control without relying entirely on Smile’s Basic Attack and Ultimate.
This could make the combination of Smile and Lynn one of the smoothest ways to maintain Smile’s Special Skill rotation.
Fast Supports and Sub-DPS Characters
Smile’s Heat Control activates when another ally attacks the Aqua Bomb target. Teammates who act frequently can therefore provide more opportunities to trigger her follow-up.
A fast support or secondary damage dealer may contribute more to Smile’s rotation than a slower character who produces one large attack.
The important part is coordinating attacks. Allow the Aqua Bomb target to survive the initial hit so that Smile can perform Heat Control afterward.
Damage Buffers and Debuffers
Characters who increase Attack, Critical Rate, Critical Damage, or damage received by the enemy should work well with Smile.
Since Smile concentrates most of her damage on one marked target, single-target buffs and defense-reducing effects could be particularly valuable during boss battles.
Defender or Healer
Smile is still an Assassin and should not be expected to absorb heavy enemy attacks.
The final team position should normally go to a Defender, healer, or protective support. Keeping Smile alive long enough to accumulate Sparkler stacks is more valuable than adding another fragile damage dealer and losing the battle before her rotation develops.
Example Team Structures
Boss Team
- Sunshine Cat: Smile
- Lynn or another Leap-supporting Savior
- Damage buffer or fast secondary attacker
- Defender or healer
This should be Smile’s most natural environment. A single boss guarantees that Aqua Bomb marks the correct target, while the boss should survive long enough for repeated Heat Control activations.
General PvE Team
- Sunshine Cat: Smile
- Fast support
- Area-damage character
- Defender or healer
Smile can focus on elite enemies while the area-damage character clears weaker opponents. This may prevent Smile from wasting too much of her rotation on enemies that would have died quickly anyway.
PvP Team
- Sunshine Cat: Smile
- Speed opener
- Star or Leap support
- Defensive support
Smile’s automatic targeting of the highest-Speed enemy could help pressure opposing openers and support characters. However, this will depend heavily on the current PvP meta and how frequently the mark selects an undesirable tanky target.
Sunshine Cat: Smile’s Strengths
Excellent Single-Target Pressure
Smile can add Heat Control attacks whenever her teammates attack the marked enemy. This gives the team another source of damage without waiting for Smile’s normal turn.
Strong Boss Potential
Bosses should remain alive long enough for Smile to trigger repeated Special Skills, accumulate Sparkler stacks, and release the full value of her Ultimate.
Aqua Bomb targeting is also more reliable when only one enemy is present.
Built-In Action Gauge Advancement
Every Heat Control activation advances Smile’s Action Gauge by 15%. This helps her cycle back to her own turn and continue generating resources.
Synergy Between Every Part of Her Kit
Aqua Bomb, Leap, Sparkler, Heat Control, and Brilliant Fireworks all support one another. Her kit has a clear purpose rather than several unrelated abilities.
Active and Entertaining Playstyle
Smile should feel more involved than a character who simply waits for an Ultimate. Managing the marked target and timing ally attacks gives players more to consider during combat.
Sunshine Cat: Smile’s Weaknesses
She Requires Setup
Smile needs Aqua Bomb on the correct target, at least two Leap stacks, and an ally attacking that target before Heat Control can activate.
If any part of that sequence is interrupted, her damage may fall considerably.
Teammates Can Defeat the Target Too Early
Heat Control does not activate if the ally’s attack defeats the Aqua Bomb target. This may make Smile feel less impressive in easy content where enemies die quickly.
Aqua Bomb Targeting Is Not Fully Controlled
The mark selects the enemy with the highest Speed. That will often be useful, but it may occasionally select a durable enemy instead of the opponent you want to eliminate.
Potentially Expensive to Maximize
Smile gains meaningful benefits from her Limit Breaks, and her featured Arcana appears specifically designed to improve Heat Control.
Players pursuing maximum performance may need multiple copies of both the Savior and Arcana.
More Single-Target Than Area-Focused
Smile appears designed to overwhelm one marked enemy. Players who primarily need faster wave clearing may receive more immediate value from an area-damage Savior.
Is Sunshine Cat: Smile Worth Pulling?
My early answer is yes for the right account, but she is not an automatic must-pull for everyone.
Pull Sunshine Cat: Smile If:
- You need a Star-attribute single-target damage dealer.
- You enjoy characters built around follow-up attacks.
- You already use Lynn or another character who can support Leap generation.
- You need more damage for bosses or durable enemies.
- You like Smile and enjoyed her role in the summer event.
- You have enough resources to consider her featured Arcana as well.
Consider Skipping If:
- Your account already has several strong single-target Assassins.
- You mainly need area damage for clearing waves.
- You cannot support her Leap mechanic effectively.
- You are saving for another announced Savior.
- You prefer simple characters who do not depend on setup.
- Pulling for both a Savior and a featured Arcana would leave your account without resources.
Final Pull Recommendation
Sunshine Cat: Smile looks like a strong, carefully designed Assassin rather than a character who relies only on attractive summer artwork.
Her ability to repeatedly trigger Heat Control could produce excellent single-target damage, and the Action Gauge increase should make her rotation feel fast once it gets started. Lynn and other Star-supporting characters may push her performance even higher.
The biggest question is how much investment she needs. Her Limit Break bonuses and featured Arcana both appear valuable, and players may discover a noticeable difference between a basic copy and a heavily invested Smile.
For casual and free-to-play players, I recommend using the dedicated event tickets first and waiting for additional testing before spending all of your Stellagems. For players who already have the right Star teammates—or who simply want Smile’s new summer version—she looks like a very reasonable pull.
My early rating for Sunshine Cat: Smile is:
| Category | Early Rating |
| Single-target damage | 4.5/5 |
| Boss performance | 4.5/5 |
| Wave clearing | 3/5 |
| Team flexibility | 3.5/5 |
| Ease of use | 3.5/5 |
| Free-to-play value | 3.5/5 |
| Overall pull value | 4/5 |
Those ratings may change once players have completed higher-level Journeys, tested different Arcana combinations, and used Smile in competitive modes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What attribute and class is Sunshine Cat: Smile?
Sunshine Cat: Smile is a Star-attribute Assassin focused on single-target damage and triggered Special Skill attacks.
What does Aqua Bomb do?
Aqua Bomb marks the enemy with the highest Speed. Smile’s Heat Control can activate when another ally attacks the marked enemy, provided Smile has at least two Leap stacks.
What are Leap stacks used for?
Smile consumes two Leap stacks whenever Heat Control activates. Her Basic Attack and Ultimate help generate Leap, while certain teammates and Arcana may provide additional stacks.
What are Sparkler stacks used for?
Smile receives a Sparkler stack after activating Heat Control. Her Ultimate uses those stacks to perform additional instances of Heat Control against an enemy affected by Aqua Bomb.
Does Sunshine Cat: Smile need Lynn?
Lynn is not strictly required, but she appears to be one of Smile’s strongest early partners because she can help Star Saviors generate additional Leap.
Does Smile need her featured Arcana?
Smile should function without it, but the featured Arcana appears to improve her Special Skill damage, starting Leap, and potential points. Players seeking maximum performance will probably want it.
Is Sunshine Cat: Smile good against bosses?
She appears particularly well suited to bosses. Bosses survive long enough for repeated Heat Control activations, and Aqua Bomb will always select the boss when it is the only enemy.
Is Sunshine Cat: Smile a must-pull?
Not for every account. She looks strong, but her value depends on whether you need a Star Assassin, can support her Leap mechanic, and have enough resources to build her properly.