Evolving takes an Aniimo to its next stage, but every branch comes with its own checklist. Here is where to evolve, how to read the requirements on the Evolve screen, and what changes once you commit.
How to Evolve an Aniimo
Evolution happens on the Aniimo screen, where your Aniimo are listed. Select the Aniimo you want to evolve, then press the evolve button in the bottom-right corner, just left of Level Up.
The icons on that screen show who is ready. In our testing, an Aniimo that can evolve right now has a yellow double up-arrow, while a gray double arrow means only a time, weather, or region condition is missing. An Aniimo that is short on any other requirement shows no arrow at all.
The evolve button is already on the Aniimo screen early on, before the Setting Out Again chapter starts. The game formally introduces evolution in a tutorial after you clear Sanctum: First Spark.
Evolution Requirements
Requirements are set for each evolution branch, so two branches from the same Aniimo can ask for different things. Level is the baseline, and some evolutions need nothing more than a level milestone.
The Evolve screen lists everything for the branch you select. The branch into Turbo (Rainfall Form) is a good example: Unlock Evolution asks you to defeat the Alpha Turbo, Evolution Criteria asks for Aniimo level 21 and Rainy weather, and Cost shows 1 item. Until every condition is met, the Evolve button stays gray.
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Level | The baseline requirement. Evolving into Turbo (Rainfall Form), for example, needs Aniimo level 21. |
| Evolution Stone | Most evolutions need an elemental stone. In the game these are Evolution Materials, and each item description names the Aniimo it is for: Sprout Stone for grass-type, Loam Stone for earth-type, and Roar Stone for lightning-type Aniimo. |
| Time, weather, region | Regional, weather, and nighttime forms often have to be in their home region, weather, or time of day. Grassland Iris needs daytime in Nimbus Fields to become Grassland Irisal, and evolving into Turbo (Rainfall Form) needs Rainy weather. |
| Story and Journey quests | Some branches unlock only after a quest. Emberpup needs Sanctum: First Spark cleared to become Flameruff, and evolving into Melloblum needs Journey: Flowers and Thorns. The evolutions into Inferlupa and Pawney also need Journey quest progress. |
| Unique items | Some evolutions also need a dedicated Evolution Material or Curio. |
| Personality | Some branches check personality. The branch into Melloblum requires a personality that contains [Faithful]. |
| Alpha or Omega defeat | Evolving into a Nova Stage Aniimo often requires beating the wild Alpha or Omega of that Nova form. Evolving into Turbo (Rainfall Form) needs the Alpha Turbo defeated, and Geodeback's branch into Minespine stays locked until you defeat Alpha Minespine. |
The branch into Melloblum shows how many of these one branch can stack: "Complete Journey: Flowers and Thorns." to unlock, Aniimo level 27 and a personality that contains [Faithful] as criteria, and a cost of 1 Sprout Stone plus 1 other Evolution Material.
Sprout Stone's item card reads "Necessary material for evolving grass-type Aniimo." and lists Defeat Alphas under How to Obtain.
Can You Undo an Evolution?
Not as far as we can tell. We found no item or feature in Version 1.0 that returns an Aniimo to its previous stage, so treat every evolution as permanent.
Do Traits, Roles, and Elements Change?
They can, depending on the branch. When Hummin evolves into Hexxin, its role switches from BREAK to REGEN, and its trait changes from Energized (BREAK damage up by 2% for every 1,000 max HP) to Prank, which applies [Curse] and lets Dark basic attacks restore EP when they hit enemies with [Curse].
Other branches can change the element but keep the role. Pebbling splits into 2 branches. In our testing, its Fire branch, Lavazar and then Magmarex, makes Fire the main element, and most of its attacks are Fire, while it stays a BREAK Aniimo. The Geodeback branch stays Earth.
Do Special Forms Survive Evolution?
In our testing, Sparkling and Prismana carried over: we evolved a Sparkling Dewy and a Prismana Iris, and both kept their look after evolving.
Prismana Iris, which evolves into Prismana Irisal, is the only Prismana Aniimo we found that can evolve in Version 1.0.
Umbral works differently. Before an Umbral Aniimo evolves, an Important Notice warns that the Vein energy around it will dissipate and its Umbral appearance will vanish, so it loses the Umbral look once you confirm.
Alpha Turbo · Personality (MBTI) · Umbral Aniimo · Turbo (Rainfall Form) · Melloblum · Aniimo Index · All Guides