Hero Progression

Leveling heroes is one of the biggest resource sinks in Top Heroes. Heroes gain levels by consuming Hero Food and break through star tiers using Universal Shards. Understanding the full cost curve helps you focus investment on the right heroes.

How Hero Leveling Works

• Heroes level up by consuming Hero Food, earned from idle rewards, events, and purchases
• Each level requires progressively more food
• Star upgrades use Universal Shards — a separate currency that unlocks the next star tier and raises the hero’s level cap

The total cost to fully max a hero from 1 to 140 is significant, which is why most guides recommend focusing on one faction’s core 5 heroes before branching out. See the Horde, League, or Nature faction guide for the recommended upgrade order.

Star Upgrade Tiers

Heroes progress through three color tiers, each with 5 star levels:

Tier	Stars	Shard type
Yellow	1–5 ★	Yellow Universal Shards
Red	1–5 ★	Red Universal Shards
White	1–5 ★	White Universal Shards

Each star tier requires both shards and a minimum hero level. Plan your food and shard spending together using the calculator below.

Leveling Calculator

Use the Universal Shards tab to see exactly how many shards you need for each star tier (Yellow through Red to White), or switch to Hero Food to calculate food costs for any level range.

Hero Progression Calculator

Plan your hero upgrades — check universal shard costs for star progression or food costs for leveling.

Universal ShardsHero Food

legendary (500 total)mythic (1000 total)

Row	Tier	Stars	Shard/Step	Total/Star	Cumulative
1	Yellow	★1	1	5	5
2	Yellow	★2	1	5	10
3	Yellow	★3	2	10	20
4	Yellow	★4	2	10	30
5	Yellow	★5	4	20	50
6	Red	★1	6	30	80
7	Red	★2	4	20	100
8	Red	★3	4	20	120
9	Red	★4	8	40	160
10	Red	★5	8	40	200
11	White	★1	16	80	280
12	White	★2	4	20	300
13	White	★3	8	40	340
14	White	★4	16	80	420
15	White	★5	16	80	500

Range Calculator

Universal shards needed (rows 1–1)

5 shards

Data sourced from community tables (2026). Subject to change with game updates.

Event timing

Save hero food consumption for Guild Arms Race or KvK preparation stages — feeding heroes earns event points. Check the Event Optimizer to see exactly how many points your food is worth.

Community data

Shard costs and food values are based on community-verified tables and may change with game updates.