Evolution is one of the strongest progression systems in Anime Expeditions, allowing players to permanently upgrade certain units into much more powerful versions. An evolved unit gains stronger stats, unlocks new abilities, and becomes significantly more effective in difficult game modes.
While Evolution requires farming several materials and spending Gold, the investment is well worth it if you’re planning to tackle late-game stages, Villain Invasions, or challenging events. This guide explains how Evolution works, every unit that can evolve, the required materials, and where to obtain them.
What Is Evolution in Anime Expeditions?
Evolution is a permanent upgrade system that transforms eligible units into enhanced versions with improved combat performance. However, not every character can evolve. At the moment, only selected Mythic, Exclusive, and Secret units have Evolution forms. Once a unit evolves, it receives multiple upgrades that improve both offense and utility, making it one of the best ways to increase your team’s overall strength.
How to Evolve Units
Once you’ve collected every required material, evolving a unit is straightforward.
Follow these steps:
- Enter the Main Lobby.
- Go to the Upgrades area.
- Walk to the Evolve section.
- Interact with the Evolution Machine.
- Select the unit you want to evolve.
- Verify that you have every required material.
- Press Evolve to complete the transformation.
The Evolution is permanent, so your upgraded unit will remain evolved permanently.
All Units That Can Evolve
Currently, the following units are eligible for Evolution in Anime Expeditions.
Shadow → Shadow (Divine)
Required materials:
- 20 Blue Sprites
- 20 Green Sprites
- 20 Red Sprites
- 3 Rainbow Sprites
- 10,000 Gold
Crimson → Crimson (Brother)
Required materials:
- 20 Red Sprites
- 20 Pink Sprites
- 1 Rainbow Sprite
- 5,000 Gold
True Saint → True Saint (Holy)
Required materials:
- 1 Holy Pendant
- 5 Red Sprites
- 5 Blue Sprites
- 5 Green Sprites
- 5 Purple Sprites
- 5 Yellow Sprites
- 5 Pink Sprites
- 1 Rainbow Sprite
- 5,000 Gold
Cursed Student → Cursed Student (True Love)
Required materials:
- 1 Student ID
- 20 Blue Sprites
- 20 Purple Sprites
- 1 Rainbow Sprite
- 5,000 Gold
Salmon Sorcerer → Salmon Sorcerer (Grade 1)
Required materials:
- 1 Salmon
- 20 Green Sprites
- 20 Blue Sprites
- 1 Rainbow Sprite
- 5,000 Gold
Flame Emperor → Flame Emperor (Reincarnate)
Required materials:
- 1 Burning Fruit
- 20 Red Sprites
- 20 Yellow Sprites
- 1 Rainbow Sprite
- 5,000 Gold
Puppet → Puppet (Telekinetic)
Required materials:
- 1 Puppet Heart
- 20 Pink Sprites
- 20 Purple Sprites
- 1 Rainbow Sprite
- 5,000 Gold
Elf Mage → Elf Mage (Unleashed)
Required materials:
- 1 Cosmic Magic
- 20 Blue Sprites
- 20 Purple Sprites
- 1 Rainbow Sprite
- 5,000 Gold
String Demon → String Demon (Awakened)
Required materials:
- 1 Joker of the Nonsensical Pirates
- 20 Yellow Sprites
- 20 Pink Sprites
- 1 Rainbow Sprite
- 5,000 Gold
Hollow → Hollow (Blaze)
Required materials:
- 1 Elixir of Life
- 20 Red Sprites
- 20 Green Sprites
- 1 Rainbow Sprite
- 5,000 Gold
Lady Giant → Lady Giant (Envy)
Required materials:
- 1 Giant Hammer
- 20 Green Sprites
- 20 Yellow Sprites
- 1 Rainbow Sprite
- 5,000 Gold
Reaper → Reaper (Released)
Required materials:
- 1 Hollowed Visor
- 20 Red Sprites
- 20 Yellow Sprites
- 1 Rainbow Sprite
- 5,000 Gold
Crow → Crow (Black Fire)
Required materials:
- 1 Crow’s Ring
- 20 Red Sprites
- 20 Yellow Sprites
- 20 Purple Sprites
- 3 Rainbow Sprites
- 10,000 Gold
Cursed Immortal → Cursed Immortal (Black Sun)
Required materials:
- 1 Cursed Book
- 20 Purple Sprites
- 20 Blue Sprites
- 1 Rainbow Sprite
- 10,000 Gold
More units are expected to receive Evolution forms in future updates.
Evolution Materials Explained
Every Evolution recipe requires a combination of Gold, Sprites, and a unique item tied to that specific unit.
Unit Evolution Materials
Each unit requires its own exclusive Evolution item.
Examples include:
- Student ID
- Burning Fruit
- Giant Hammer
- Puppet Heart
- Cosmic Magic
- Hollowed Visor
- Cursed Book
These special materials are primarily obtained by completing Unit Trials.
Sprites
Sprites are universal Evolution materials used across nearly every recipe.
Current Sprite types include:
- Blue Sprite
- Green Sprite
- Red Sprite
- Yellow Sprite
- Purple Sprite
- Pink Sprite
- Rainbow Sprite
Sprites can be earned by:
- Completing Challenges.
- Crafting them at the Crafting Station.
Since Rainbow Sprites are required for every Evolution, they’re among the most valuable crafting materials in the game.
Gold
Every Evolution also requires Gold.
Most units need:
- 5,000 Gold
Meanwhile, premium Evolutions such as Shadow, Crow, and Cursed Immortal require:
- 10,000 Gold
Because Gold is used for several progression systems, it’s a good idea to save enough before attempting multiple Evolutions.
How Unit Trials Work
Many Evolution materials cannot be obtained through regular gameplay. Instead, they come exclusively from Unit Trials. Unit Trials are character-specific stages that reward the unique Evolution item needed for that unit. You’ll only be able to access trials for units you’ve already unlocked. To find Unit Trials:
- Open the Quests menu.
- Select the Unit tab.
- Choose the trial associated with your unit.
- Complete the stage to earn its Evolution material.
Without completing these trials, you won’t be able to evolve many characters, regardless of how many Sprites or Gold you’ve collected.
All Unit Trial Rewards
Each Unit Trial rewards one exclusive Evolution material.
Love & Loss
- Reward: Student ID
- Used for: Cursed Student
The Last Great Elven Mage
- Reward: Cosmic Magic
- Used for: Elf Mage
Fire that Spreads
- Reward: Burning Fruit
- Used for: Flame Emperor
Elixir of Life
- Reward: Elixir of Life
- Used for: Hollow
Giant’s Resolve
- Reward: Giant Hammer
- Used for: Lady Giant
A Puppet’s Heart
- Reward: Puppet Heart
- Used for: Puppet
Tuna Tuna
- Reward: Salmon
- Used for: Salmon Sorcerer
Strings of Captivity
- Reward: Joker of the Nonsensical Pirates
- Used for: String Demon
Mirror of the False Moonblade
- Reward: Hollowed Visor
- Used for: Reaper
Tips for Unlocking Evolutions Faster
Evolution can take time, but focusing on efficient farming methods will speed up the process considerably. Here are a few tips:
- Farm Challenges regularly to collect Sprite materials.
- Craft missing Sprites whenever possible.
- Complete Unit Trials as soon as you unlock eligible characters.
- Save Rainbow Sprites since nearly every Evolution requires them.
- Avoid spending Gold unnecessarily if you’re preparing multiple Evolutions.
- Prioritize evolving your strongest Mythic or Secret units first to make later farming easier.
Evolution is one of the most impactful upgrades available in Anime Expeditions. By transforming eligible Mythic, Exclusive, and Secret units, you gain stronger stats, additional skills, higher upgrade limits, and significantly better performance across every game mode.
Although gathering Sprites, Gold, and exclusive Unit Trial materials requires patience, the long-term rewards easily justify the effort. If you’re preparing for end-game content or simply want to maximize your team’s potential, evolving your best units should be one of your highest priorities.