The 9 characters — choosing by when their ability kicks in

Abilities at a glance

Pick a character by when the information arrives — some know from the start, others wait for a specific round.

Character	Ability	When the big reveal comes	Real pick rate (1.4)
Haniel	Rarity + silhouette of 5 at the start; from round 2, the rarity of 2 unrevealed collectibles each round	From the start	14%
Chiz	8 silhouettes at the start; those same 8 collectibles are revealed in round 3	Round 3	25%
Hotori	Every silhouette of one unrevealed type in each of rounds 1–3; in round 5, silhouettes of all collectibles with known rarity	Rounds 1–3 · round 5	16%
Daffodill	Total count of Purple, Gold and Red at the start	From the start	14%
Jiuyuan	Silhouette of the 1 highest-rarity collectible at the start; rarity + silhouette of 1 random collectible each round	From the start	4.9%
Adler	All White silhouettes in round 1, Green in round 2, Blue in round 3 and Purple in round 4	Rounds 1–4	0.4%
Edgar	Rarity + silhouette of every White, Green and Blue collectible at the start	From the start	1.8%
Hathor	Rarity of every collectible at the start of round 5	Round 5	0.8%
Blackbird	One of 6 Fate's Prophecies, at random, at the start and at the start of rounds 3 and 5	Start · rounds 3 · 5	23%

Only you see your ability's information. It is separate from Auctioneer Public Intel (shown to everyone) and your Devices (you only).

In-game screen — Auctioneer Public Intel, character abilities and Device results each appear separately (the middle one is Daffodill's ability) — In-game — In-game screen — Auctioneer Public Intel, character abilities and Device results each appear separately (the middle one is Daffodill's ability)

Advanced GuideHotori — reading value from type silhouettes (1.5)How to play Hotori as of the 1.5 update — which round 1–3 type silhouettes lock in a piece and which are traps, how the 3 new collectibles (Home Movie Projector · Paradise Chocolate · Guardian) change the silhouettes, and what the lower Eternal Heart odds mean, with odds per hall.
Advanced GuideBlackbird — reading the board and betting with Fate's Prophecy (1.4)How to use the six Fate's Prophecies of Blackbird, the new character in the 1.4 update, in rounds 1, 3 and 5.

Blackbird — Fate's Prophecy and how to unlock

Blackbird, added in the 1.4 update — at rounds 1, 3 and 5, one of 6 Fate's Prophecies revealed at random.

At the start of rounds 1, 3 and 5, one of the six is drawn with equal odds. Each round draws on its own, so the same revelation can come up again.
· The 6 Fate's Prophecies:
- ① Total collectibles — how many collectibles are on the whole board
- ② The silhouette of the 1 highest-rarity collectible
- ③ The identities of 3 random collectibles
- ④ The rarity (color) of 6 random collectibles
- ⑤ The silhouettes of 6 random collectibles
- ⑥ The value of the 1 highest-rarity collectible — one of the slots it sits in turns light gray with its price in small print (rarity and shape stay hidden)
If the same revelation comes up again, ① gives the same number (nothing new), while ③, ④ and ⑤ draw again from the whole board, so they can overlap with collectibles you already know.
Unlock condition: in the game, Blackbird unlocks once you complete Win 10 bids on Red Collectibles. Until then it shows as a locked card in the character list.
In Auction Simulator [1.4] you can practice with Blackbird without unlocking it (in both Practice and Reroll mode) — Auction Simulator

How to choose

Haniel if you're new, Chiz for one big round-3 reveal, Hotori for spotting a big board (high-value collectibles) once you know the game — Daffodill is the dopamine pick

Haniel — If you're new, pick Haniel. You know 5 collectibles from the start and learn more every round, which makes for good board-reading practice. The Playbook's All-Round Haniel is the standard Pearl strategy.
Chiz — Learns 8 identities at once in round 3. Hold on through rounds 1–2 with the 8 silhouettes and your Devices, then decide in round 3. The All-Round Chiz strategy is built on this.
Hotori — Once you know the game, Hotori is the pick for spotting a big board (one likely to hold high-value collectibles). The round 1–3 ability reveals silhouettes together with their type, so the candidates you see when you tap narrow to the same shape and type and you can point at the high-value candidates right away. The round-5 ability and silhouettes from Devices or the auctioneer don't give the type, so you see every candidate — Hotori advanced guide
Daffodill — The dopamine pick. Knowing the Purple, Gold and Red counts at the start gives you a feel for the board's size right away, but not what is where — a character for the thrill of betting big on counts alone. Board value is tightly tied to the Red and Gold counts, which suits early all-in strategies.
Hathor — Learns every collectible's rarity in round 5, but until then knows only what everyone else knows. You need the bankroll to last through round 4.
Blackbird — Information arrives three times (rounds 1, 3 and 5), but what you get is luck every time. When a revelation shows the board's size or its top value (① or ⑥), gauge the whole board; when it pins down slots (③–⑤), read the board like Haniel or Chiz — and fill the gaps with Devices.