Let's face it; the final story bosses have some of the best enemy designs in Honkai: Star Rail; however, including them would be akin to cheating and would discount how cool the designs of more common enemies can be. This list isn't ranking the coolest boss designs but the coolest regular enemy designs!
They're the ones you constantly square off against and may take for granted. If you really take the time to sit and look them over and watch them walk back and forth, though, you may just come to appreciate them. Most of the enemy designs are good, but there are a few that are shining examples of greatness in both combat and appearance.
10 Everwinter Shadewalker
The Everwinter Shadewalker is a monster from the Fragmentum, mostly found on Jarilo-VI. These monsters were some pretty cool (pun intended) armor, covered in ice spikes and somewhat reminiscent of the Silvermane Guard. At least, reminiscent of every Silvermane Guard but Gepard.
Unlike the Silvermane Guard, however, Everwinter Shadwalkers practically glow with the corruption of the Fragmentum. The more you look, the more details you can see mimic and warp from Belobog's fighters. Their attacks aren't that varied, however, and really only slow down whoever they hit, which proves to be more annoying than much else.
9 Imaginary Weaver
Admittedly it's easy to think that Imaginary Weavers are part of the Antimatter Legion when you first run across them on Herta's Space Station. After all, it, too, is a sharply armored entity, but they actually belong to the Fragmentum and can be encountered just about anywhere it has spread.
Imaginary Weavers can utilize the Imaginary Power in Honkai: Star Rail to impair you during your fight. They are adorned with twisted spikes, warped from their power and twisting of reality. They're eerily reminiscent of humans, yet the closer you look, the more you realize they are anything but.
8 Voidranger: Reaver
Voidranger: Reavers can be found on Herta's Space Station after the Antimatter Legion invades. These Warforged Soldiers wield large blades along their arms, each one glimmering with a disturbingly pretty galaxy-reminiscent ombre. Of course, they will readily use those blades to slash you to pieces while you're marveling at them.
But the blades are a distraction from where the truly fascinating parts of the Reaver's designs are: inside the armor gaps. There you can see a small glimpse of what lies inside the armor of each Legion soldier and how they have reforged themselves to be something that isn't entirely human anymore.
7 Searing Prowler
The Searing Prowler is like the Automaton Direwolf, but taken up a few notches in both their danger level and their cool factor. These robotic enemies can be found skulking around the Fragmentum in the Jarilo-VI underground, usually guarding chests and other loot.
Searing Prowlers glow with the seething flames of rage during their fights, often attacking the entire team rather than a single individual. Although you might suspect these machines are warped versions of their non-fragmented counterparts, the lore in Honkai: Star Rail suggests otherwise. Instead, like the Everwinter Shadewalker, Searing Prowlers are warped mimics of the things around them.
6 Voidranger: Trampler
Voidranger: Tramplers are arguably the coolest out of all the Antimatter Legion enemies. These monstrosities are fusions of dead Legion warriors and Leviathans, which in itself, is kind of horrifying. They're a bit like undead centaurs in that regard.
These zombies are fully aware, maintaining the intelligence that their warrior half would have had in life while also gaining the power of the fallen Leviathan half. Tramplers attack your party with Quantum damage, regularly summoning new enemies to the battlefield to help keep things interesting and make your party members with AoE attacks continue to feel useful, even in the later parts of the fight.
5 Enchanted Ingenuity: Illumination Dragonfish
Once you finally reach the Xianzhou Luofu for your third adventure, you may run across these tricky little Dragonfish while you're running through the various areas. Although these little guys look like they could be your friend, they are not. In fact, they will readily breathe fire all over your entire party.
Their appearance more than makes up for the single-note attacks, however. Created by the Artisanship Commission, the Illuminated Dragonfish enemies were actually meant to function somewhat as floating lamps throughout Xianzhou Luofu.
They float in place, tail and fin streamers waving in the air while their decorative bodies absolutely enchant you during your fight. You can almost forgive them for trying to set everyone on fire because they're so pretty.
4 Stormbringer
If you thought the Voidranger: Tramplers had a really interesting design, just wait until you see the Stormbringer in-game. These enemies take the design of the Trampler and step it up a notch with a vibrant green design that gives a hint to its wind-based power. Watch out, Dan Heng; someone (or something) is coming to take your seat as the King of wind damage.
Their coloration is incredibly vibrant and striking to look at, giving more detail to every crevice and point in their armor, which in its own way, allows you to fully appreciate the detailed work. The lore of the Stormbringer is that it's a monster corroded by the Fragmentum, so one has to wonder if these are Tramplers who have succumbed to the corruption that Stellarons bring with them.
3 Mara-Struck Soldier
One of the first enemies that you'll run across in Xianzhou Luofu is the Mara-Struck Soldier. These enemies are supposedly Cloud Knights, or other Xianzhou natives, who have mysteriously succumbed to madness. This has only become more prominent with the unexpected arrival of a Stellaron.
Although the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus are similar in appearance when they take on their monstrous form, the Mara-Struck Soldiers really lean into their design with branch-like blades, similar to the Reavers, and what appear to be petals or leaves sticking out at almost every angle. Their attacks are simple, but their design is one of the most detailed ones to date.
2 Guardian Shadow
During the final chapter on Jarilo-VI, you'll start running into the Guardian Shadow enemy. These humanoid creations are born of the Fragmentum, determined to carry out the will of the Stellaron. They are some of the most intelligent creations of the Fragmentum, which arguably leads to some of the most interesting standard fights in Honkai: Star Rail.
They can put a 'ban' on using your skill, attack, or ultimately, punish you if you opt to ignore their declaration. They can even put a ban on attacking them, immediately retaliating if they're hit. Guardian Shadows is a wonderful change from the standard fights on Jarilo-VI, both in their less angular and ice-based design and their combat mechanics.
Hopefully, you have the combat mechanics down pat because you'll need to know what each skill is when fighting the Guardian Shadow.
1 Aurumaton Gatekeeper
The Aurumaton Gatekeeper can be found on the Xianzhou Luofu, and it, like many of the other enemies on the ship, does not disappoint in its design. It is large and imposing and is reminiscent of the architecture in Japanese shrines and torii. This, in itself, is incredibly fitting because the torii function as a gateway into sacred areas where shrines sit.
At one point, the aurumatons stood against the inhabitants of the Xianzhou, but after being overpowered and overthrown, were put under the control of the native Xianzhou inhabitants through the use of talismans. One has to wonder if this is what they looked like originally or if the Xianzhou people redesigned them to better fit with their architecture.