When you first boot up Arknights Endfield, one of your earliest decisions is choosing between two Endministrator forms. If you’ve played other gacha games where protagonist choice affects the story—like Genshin Impact’s Aether versus Lumine dynamic, or Zenless Zone Zero’s Belle and Wise swap—you might worry about being locked into your selection permanently.
Good news: Arknights Endfield takes a much more flexible approach, similar to Wuthering Waves. You’re not stuck with your initial choice, and switching between Endministrator identities is straightforward once you unlock the proper feature. Before diving into character development strategies in our level up and promote guide, let’s clarify how the protagonist system works.
For more gameplay insights, visit our Arknights Endfield guides hub.
Which Endministrator Should You Choose?
Here’s the honest answer: it genuinely doesn’t matter which form you pick initially.
Why Your Choice is Flexible
Unlike games where your protagonist selection changes narrative outcomes or character relationships, both Endministrator forms in Arknights Endfield function identically. There’s no gameplay advantage, stat difference, or story variation between them. Your choice is purely cosmetic—it affects visual appearance and voice acting, nothing more.
This means you can make your decision based entirely on personal preference without worrying about min-maxing or missing content. Pick whichever design appeals to you aesthetically or whichever voice actor you prefer.
The Voice Actor Factor
The primary distinction between the two forms is their voice actors. If you’re familiar with certain VAs or have preferences for specific voice styles, this might influence your choice. However, since you can swap freely later (with a small cooldown), there’s no pressure to get it “right” on your first try.
How to Unlock Endministrator Switching
The ability to change your Endministrator form isn’t available immediately—you need to progress through the story first.
Story Progression Requirement
Continue playing through the main questline until you unlock OMV Dijiang, the spaceship where your character originally woke up at the game’s beginning. This happens naturally as part of the early story progression, so you won’t need to grind or complete difficult challenges to access it.
When Xaihi introduces you to OMV Dijiang for the first time, the game provides a tutorial explaining how to change your Endministrator’s identity. Pay attention during this sequence—it points you directly to the feature you’ll use for all future swaps.
Accessing the Statis Core
The Statis Core is your gateway to changing Endministrator forms. Here’s exactly where to find it:
Location Details
Board the OMV Dijiang and open your spaceship map. The Statis Core is located in the Kernel Sector, specifically on the top-right side of the ship layout. For navigation reference:
- To the right of the Reception Room
- Above the Working Sector
- In the upper-right quadrant of the map overall
Once you’ve located it on the map, head to that area and you’ll see a distinctive stone structure—that’s the Statis Core.
Performing the Switch
Approach the Statis Core and interact with it. You’ll receive a prompt asking if you want to change your Endministrator’s appearance. Confirm your choice, and the transformation happens immediately.
Important Restrictions and Cooldowns
While switching is unlimited in terms of total uses, there’s one restriction to be aware of:
24-Hour Cooldown Between Swaps
After changing your Endministrator form, you must wait 24 hours before you can switch again. This cooldown prevents rapid back-and-forth swapping but is generous enough that you can freely experiment with both forms over time.
Plan your swap timing accordingly—if you’re about to start a story chapter or content where you want a specific appearance, make sure you’re not on cooldown.
Why This System Matters
The freedom to swap Endministrator forms offers several benefits:
Experimentation Without Consequences You can experience both character designs and voice performances without rerolling or creating multiple accounts. Try one form for a few days, then switch if you prefer the other.
Cutscene Variety Changing forms lets you see story cutscenes and dialogue from different visual perspectives, adding replay value to narrative moments.
Personal Expression Your Endministrator represents you in the game world. Being able to adjust their appearance means you can align your in-game identity with how you’re feeling or what resonates with you at any given time.
If you’re building powerful teams around your Endministrator, check out composition guides like our Laevatain best team comp to maximize effectiveness.
Understanding the Endministrator’s Role
For those curious about the lore significance of your choice:
Who is the Endministrator?
The Endministrator (commonly shortened to “Endmin”) serves as the main protagonist of Arknights Endfield. According to in-game lore, Endministrators are guardians tasked with protecting civilization and saving humanity from catastrophic threats.
Your Starting Situation
When the game begins, your Endministrator awakens from years of hibernation suffering from complete amnesia. You catch glimpses of fragmented memories during the opening sequence, but your past remains largely mysterious.
The narrative positions you as an amnesiac protector who must rediscover their identity and purpose while navigating the dangerous world of Talos-II. Your journey involves both external threats—hostile creatures and environmental hazards—and internal mysteries surrounding your lost memories and powers.
This narrative framework means both Endministrator forms share the same backstory, memory loss, and character arc. The form you choose is simply the visual shell for this predetermined narrative journey.
Building Your Endministrator
Once you’ve settled on your preferred form, focus on strengthening your character through the game’s progression systems:
- Character Leveling: Use Combat Records efficiently as detailed in our leveling and promotion guide
- Stat Optimization: Understand attribute priorities in our stats guide
- Gear Choices: Check our best settings guide for performance optimization
For team-building strategies featuring your Endministrator, explore our characters guide to see how different operators synergize with your protagonist.
Additional Resources
Understanding game systems beyond character appearance will enhance your experience:
- Master elemental reactions for combat advantage
- Learn the gacha system to build your roster efficiently
- Consider rerolling strategies if starting fresh
- Claim free rewards via redeem codes and Twitch Drops
- Explore multiplayer and co-op features with friends
Getting Started
Ready to choose your Endministrator and begin your journey on Talos-II? Download Arknights Endfield on Google Play or the Epic Games Store today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my Endministrator choice affect the story or character relationships?
No, both Endministrator forms experience identical story content, dialogue, and character interactions. Unlike games like Genshin Impact where choosing Lumine makes Aether the antagonist, your choice in Arknights Endfield is purely cosmetic. The narrative remains unchanged regardless of which form you select.
Can I switch my Endministrator during important story moments or boss fights?
You can only switch at the Statis Core aboard OMV Dijiang—you can’t change forms mid-mission or during combat. Plan your swaps during downtime between story chapters or before starting new content where you want a specific appearance for cutscenes.
Will switching my Endministrator reset any progress, gear, or levels?
Absolutely not. Changing your Endministrator form is purely a visual and voice change. All your levels, equipment, materials, story progress, and team compositions remain completely intact. You’re simply changing the character model and voice nothing else is affected.
Is there any advantage to sticking with one Endministrator form instead of switching?
There’s no gameplay benefit to loyalty to one form. Both function identically in terms of stats, abilities, and combat performance. The only consideration is the 24-hour cooldown between swaps, which might matter if you frequently change your mind about appearance. Otherwise, feel free to switch as often as you like once the cooldown expires.
