Umamusume: Pretty Derby Sparks guide

Those serious about raising high-performing Uma Girls in Umamusume: Pretty Derby need to wrap their heads around how Sparks work, especially if you're planning on building a long-term team of legacy racers. From stat inheritance to skills and ultimates, it controls a big part of what your trainee ends up with.

So, here’s a breakdown of every Spark in Umamusume: Pretty Derby.

How Sparks work in Umamusume: Pretty Derby

What Sparks in Umamusume: Pretty Derby increase (Image via Cygames)

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When you finish training a Uma Girl, the game hands out something called Sparks. These come in four types (Blue, Pink, Green, and White), and they shape the bonuses passed down when you select the Uma Girl as a legacy parent. Before each new run, you're asked to pick two legacy Umas: your main parent and a sub-parent (think of them like grandparents).

Their Sparks will directly affect the stats, skills, and aptitudes your new Uma starts with, as well as what she can gain through inspiration events. Now, let’s go one by one:

1) Blue Sparks – The stat carriers

These are the most important ones. They decide which base stat (Speed, Stamina, Power, Guts, or Wit) gets passed down.

You get one Blue Spark at the end of every career.
The stat picked is random.
The strength of the Spark is rated 1 star, 2 stars, or 3 stars.

So, how do you land a 3-star Spark? It depends on how high your stat was when the career ended. For example:

If your Speed is under 600, your odds of getting a 3-star Speed Spark = 0%.
If it's over 1,100, your odds = 10%.

Why this matters:

The higher the Spark's rating, the more stat points get passed down.

1-star = +5 stat
2-star = +12 stat
3-star = +21 stat

Additionally, if both your legacy Uma and the grandparents have a 3-star Spark in the same stat, you get a possible +126 bonus points when training the new Uma. That’s how “9-star Umas” are built, and that’s the ultimate endgame for competitive players.

Also read: New characters and Support Cards revealed for Umamusume: Pretty Derby

2) Pink Sparks – The Aptitude buffers

Pink Sparks affect how well your Uma performs on specific track types, distances, or running styles (like Front Runner or Closer).

You get one Pink Spark per completed career.
It’s chosen from a trait your Uma naturally leans toward.
The 1-star to 3-star rating is completely random here (no way to control it).

A higher Pink Spark rating means better odds that the buff gets passed down during career inspirations. For example, if a legacy has a Pink Spark on “Mile” distance, your trainee might start with better Affinity or raise it from A to S during inspirations.

3) Green Sparks – Ultimate skill transfer

Green Sparks pass down the Uma’s unique skill (a.k.a. her ultimate).

Only 3-star Umas can pass down their ultimate through a Green Spark.
You need to unlock the character’s star rank first if she’s under 3-star.
You get the Spark at the start of a new training, and possibly again during inspiration events.

If a Green Spark hits during an inspiration event, you get a hint and a discount to buy that ultimate. This can be handy if you're building skills that you can't otherwise afford during your run. And yes, grandparents (the sub-legacy) can pass these too. More Sparks mean more chances.

4) White Sparks – Skill & Race extras

These are split into two types: Skill and Race.

Skill

You get them from buying skills during a run.

Spark odds depend on the skill:

Regular skill: 20%
Double-purchase skills (with special compatibility): 25%
Gold skills: 40%

These Sparks are rated 1 to 3 stars. Ratings affect how easily the skill gets passed down and how much discount you get when buying it again. Example: A 3-star Spark gives a bigger discount if you get it during inspiration.

Race

Earned from winning G1 races or completing the URA finale.
They may show up as inspiration bonuses later on.
What you get: Skill hint + small stat boost OR two small stat boosts on different stats.
Chance of creating a Race Spark = 20%.

These aren’t huge game-changers, but they’re great for stacking smaller bonuses you otherwise wouldn’t aim for directly.

Why do Sparks actually matter?

Make your Uma better (Image via Cygames)

If you’re trying to create top-tier Uma Girls, Sparks are downright essential. They:

Decide your starting stat boosts.
Influence how fast you build Affinity in races.
Set up your entire progression path for mid and late-game success.

Want to build a monster with an S+ Speed score, the perfect race style, and the best ult? Use Sparks to build her bloodline right.

Check out more articles on the game:

About the author

Rishi is an Esports and Gaming writer at Sportskeeda. A civil engineer by background, his love for gaming and tech was sparked by childhood memories of playing Snow Bros. with his father. During college, he balanced late-night tech reviews with competitive sessions of FIFA, Counter-Strike, and Valorant — even stepping into tournaments for these titles. When he's not deep in the gaming world, you'll find him strumming his guitar, blending his passion for music with creativity

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Edited by Niladri Roy