Honor of Kings HubUNOFFICIAL FAN SITE
Yao

Yao

JungleFighterAssassinDifficulty: Hard

Latest Meta Stats

JUNGLE
C
Tier / Pop
50.51%
Win Rate
0.39%
Pick Rate
0.02%
Ban Rate

Statistics from the official in-game HoK Camp (as of 2026-08-14).

Official Ratings

Survival
5/10
Attack
7/10
Skill
6/10
Difficulty
7/10

Official ratings shown on the in-game hero detail screen.

Base Stats

Compare all heroes' base stats →
Max HP3304
Energy3
Physical Attack163
Magic Attack0
Physical Armor150|20%
Magic Defense75|11.1%
Movement Speed380
Attack RangeMelee
HP Regen / s49
Energy Regen / 5s0

Transcribed from the in-game hero status screen. Arcana bonuses are excluded.

Summoner Spells That Fit

The reasoning for each is on the summoner spells page. You may only bring one per match, and the best choice shifts with the enemy draft.

Arcana Build That Fits

Fighter
Red
Blue
Green

This role stands in lane for long stretches, so how much chip damage you can heal back decides how long you hold.

This is a role-wide recommendation, not one tuned for this hero specifically.

See every build on the Arcana page

First Skill to Level Up

Official pickSkill 1: Starlight Slice / Brilliance: Starlight Slice
1

Source: the official in-game HoK Camp (fetched 2026-08-14). What to level after this depends on the matchup.

Frequently Paired With

2-hero team
1.37%
3-hero team

The figures are the "match rate" published by the official in-game HoK Camp: how often these heroes ended up on the same team (fetched 2026-08-14). It is not a win rate, so a higher number does not mean a stronger pairing.

Popular Item Builds

#1 most used59.37% win rate / 10,024 wins
Smite
#2 most used58.03% win rate / 6,461 wins
Smite

The order matches the in-game display. The win rate covers matches played with that build, so player skill is mixed in. Taken on 2026-08-25.

Skills

Passive Skill: Gift of the Stars
Passive

Passive Skill: Gift of the Stars

EnhanceRecovery
Yao recovers 70 (70 + 2% extra Health) Health when his skills hit an enemy unit, or half if they miss. Skill uses grant stacks of Star Power. At max stacks, enhances his next skill for 3s. Using the enhanced skill then enhances his next Basic Attack, letting him dash at the target and deal 100 (100 + 30% extra physical attack) physical damage.
DetailsLvl 1Lvl 15
Base Recovery
70140
Base Damage
100200
Skill 1: Starlight Slice
Skill 1

Skill 1: Starlight Slice

CD: 6s
Damage
Yao spins quickly with his blade, dealing 380 (380 + 120% extra physical attack) physical damage to nearby enemies.
DetailsLvl 1Lvl 2Lvl 3Lvl 4Lvl 5Lvl 6
Cooldown
65.85.65.45.25
Base Damage
380456532608684760
Skill 2: Star Rush
Skill 2

Skill 2: Star Rush

CD: 7s
MovementSlowDamage
Yao moves quickly to the left, dealing 180 (180 + 70% extra physical attack) physical damage to enemies in his path and slowing them by 25% for 1-2s.
DetailsLvl 1Lvl 2Lvl 3Lvl 4Lvl 5Lvl 6
Cooldown
76.76.46.15.85.5
Base Damage
180216252288324360
Slow Duration
11.21.41.61.82
Slow
25%30%35%40%45%50%
Skill 3: Return to Dust
Ultimate

Skill 3: Return to Dust

CD: 15s
MovementStar ReductionDamage
Yao returns to his location 2s ago (up to 600 units), removes all Star Reduction, and deals 420 (420 + 140% extra physical attack) magical damage to enemies in his path and at the end point.
Passive: 40% of damage taken is converted into Star Reduction, only taking effect after 2s.
DetailsLvl 1Lvl 2Lvl 3
Cooldown
15129
Base Damage
420630840

Strategy Guide

Playstyle

A swordsman who heals on skill hits and unleashes empowered versions at full star power. His signature is the rewind — returning to where he stood two seconds ago, letting him dive deep and walk out untouched.

Best for: Players who treat the way home as part of the technique — you'll happily lab the perfect rewind timing.

Recommended Combos
Pinned Between the Stars
Build Star Power to max → Enhanced Skill 2 (Brilliance: Star Rush — launches for 0.75s any unit hit by both Yao and the stars) → Empowered Basic Attack (dash at the target) → Skill 1 (Starlight Slice, 380 at Lvl 1 to nearby enemies)

The enhanced Skill 2 sends Yao to the right while Star Power repeats the cast from the left. Only a unit caught by both is launched for 0.75s, so set it up against a wall or inside a corridor where sidestepping is impossible. Using an enhanced skill turns the next Basic Attack into a charge, which flows directly into Skill 1's spin.

Writing Off the Damage
Step across a safe spot → Skill 2 (Star Rush — dash with a 25% slow) → Skill 1 (Starlight Slice) → Skill 3 (Return to Dust — return to your position 2s ago and clear Star Reduction)

40% of damage taken is converted into Star Reduction and subtracted from Health over the following 2s. Walk over safe ground two seconds before committing, and Skill 3 both returns you there and wipes that stored damage. The return caps at 600 units, so dive any deeper and you will not make it home.

These combos are not official data. They are this site's own write-up, built only from the skill data transcribed from the in-game display; nothing that the skill text does not state is included.

Strengths
  • Healing on every skill hit wins the war of repeated short trades
  • Max Star Power spikes hard with empowered skills and the charging basic attack
  • The Ultimate delays 40% of damage taken and can erase it entirely
  • Skill 2's mobility gives you the initiative on both chase and escape
Weaknesses
  • Individual skills hit softly, so full combo execution is the price of damage
  • The Ultimate returns you to a fixed spot from 2 seconds ago—unplanned casts get you killed
  • Hard crowd control stops the loop and stacked Star Split damage deletes you
Early Game Strategy

In the jungle, Yao lives on repeated short engagements powered by the Passive, which heals you every time a skill connects. Touch with Skill 2's arcing dash, land Skill 1's full-circle slash, and back off immediately—repeat this loop and your HP bar drains slower than your opponent's. Star Power management is the key detail: your skills are only empowered for 3 seconds at max stacks, so never commit while the buff is down. Unlocking the Ultimate at level 4 lets you delay 40% of incoming damage and snap back to where you stood 2 seconds ago, erasing it—which is when shallow tower dives start to work.

Mid Game Strategy

The mid game is about shoving side waves and winning skirmishes with your in-and-out mobility. From around 6 to 8 minutes, once your first physical core item is finished, combos built around the empowered Skill 2 knock-up start killing squishy targets outright. The single biggest habit on this hero: always track where you stood 2 seconds ago, and step through a safe spot before you commit. As long as your return point is secured, even getting collapsed on by the enemy jungler and support isn't fatal—the Ultimate wipes the delayed damage and carries you out.

Late Game Strategy

Late-game Yao is a second-wave diver whose job is touching the enemy backline. Don't burn skills at the start of a teamfight; watch the enemy's targeted crowd control get used on someone else, then enter with Skill 2. Going in at max Star Power lets you pile on pressure with empowered skills and the charging empowered basic attack. Even when you soak heavy damage, returning 2 seconds back with the Ultimate cancels it—but returning into the middle of the enemy team is worthless, so design your entry path as your route home from the start.

Teamfight Strategy

The ideal teamfight is a cycle: dart in, heal off skill hits, dart out, and do it again. Leave the first engage to your tank, sweep in from a flank with Skill 2 into Skill 1, layer empowered skills, and disengage. One piece of hard crowd control is your death sentence—the delayed Star Split damage collapses on you all at once—so never stop respecting the enemy support's stun. And if you spend the Ultimate aggressively, you lose the safety net for the next burst you eat, so take a breath before every cast.

Other Jungle Heroes

Stats: official HoK Camp, as of 2026-08-14

Spotted an error on this page? Email us. Naming the section, the correct value, and how you verified it makes the fix faster.

Report an error on this page

© 2026 Honor of Kings Hub. All rights reserved.

Tier, win rate, pick rate and ban rate are taken from the official in-game HoK Camp statistics (as of 2026-08-14). Skill values and descriptions are transcribed from the in-game display (Global). Patch changes are summarised from the official patch notes (Level Infinite) and written up by this site. Matchups, synergies and strategy write-ups are this site's own commentary.

This website is an unofficial fan site and is not affiliated with Tencent or Level Infinite in any way.
Honor of Kings is a registered trademark of Tencent.