Quick answer: if you only know that you want a character named Caris, stop before pulling. Two different units arrive on September 4: the new Alt Caris, Caris: Oath of Protection, and the returning original Caris. Both are Debut banners and share the same type of pity. First decide whether your account needs damage, protection, healing, or support for a specific team. Wait for the live details, trial, and verified values before assigning shared pity to either banner.
What the official notices confirm
- Caris: Oath of Protection is a new Alt character featured in the banner True Love Grants You Protection.
- The original Caris returns in the Light’s Decree, Sin’s Shadow banner.
- Both banners open on September 4, 2026 at 12:00 and end on September 17 at 23:59.
- Both are Debut banners and share pity with encounters of the same type.
- The notices direct players to the in-game Details page after launch for complete encounter information.
These facts are enough for resource planning but not for a universal pre-launch power verdict. Preview discussions disagree about shields, damage sharing, healing, and team fit. Treat those claims as questions to verify, not final answers.
Choose by the gap in your account
If you need the new Alt unit’s defensive support
Wait for the full live skill text, star upgrades, trial, cooldowns, and actual coverage of Caris: Oath of Protection. Put her first only if she solves a specific survival problem that your existing roster cannot address at lower cost.
If you specifically need the original Caris
Do not assume that a new unit with the same name makes the original obsolete. Write down the exact team she would join, the unit she would replace, and the stage she would help clear. Then confirm her current skills and your available upgrade materials. A rerun alone is not a reason to pull if she has no defined role.
If you are only afraid of missing the deadline
Both banners last two weeks. There is no need to decide in the first minute. Read the live Details page and early testing before planning shared pity. A countdown creates urgency, not evidence of account value.
Five checks on launch day
- Capture the rates, pity rules, sharing rules, and end time for both banners.
- Read the current skill text for both units instead of relying on old guides.
- Complete the trials and observe rotation, uptime, and operating burden.
- Name the existing teammate each unit would replace and confirm immediately usable materials.
- Set a stopping point. If you would not accept both possible outcomes, do not change targets while pulling.
Do not present these claims as facts
- Final values inferred from preview art or community speculation.
- A must-pull or completely obsolete verdict without live testing.
- Unconfirmed star thresholds, signature-weapon dependence, or long-term meta position.
- Conclusions for beginners based only on a few highly invested showcases.
Patch-risk note
This guide was verified on September 2, 2026, before the banners opened. Character names, banner type, schedule, and the shared-pity direction are confirmed. Skill values, star gains, signature-weapon interactions, practical team fit, and later meta relevance require another check after September 4. Before pulling, use the live Details page, character trials, and that day’s maintenance information as the final authority.
Summary
The hard part of the double-Caris release is not the shared name but the resource tradeoff under shared pity. Evaluate the two units separately and match them to a real roster gap. Avoid pre-launch strength conclusions; after launch, check details, trials, and replacement value before committing pulls.