Honkai: Star Rail

Honkai: Star Rail
Developer(s)	miHoYo
Publisher(s)	CHN: miHoYo TWN/HKG/MAC: Nijigen Games VNM: 3T Online WW: HoYoverse
Producer(s)	David Jiang [1]
Composer(s)	Cui Hanpu Cui Wei Lin Yifan Gong Qi Wang Kexin Wang Yujue Wen Chi
Series	Honkai
Engine	Unity [2]
Platform(s)	Windows iOS Android PlayStation 5
Release	Windows, iOS, Android April 26, 2023 PS5 October 11, 2023
Genre(s)	Role-playing
Mode(s)	Single-player

Honkai: Star Rail ^[a] is a free-to-play role-playing gacha video game developed and published by miHoYo (with publishing outside mainland China under Cognosphere, d/b/a HoYoverse). It is miHoYo's first turn-based game, featuring the main character, who is referred to as the Trailblazer, travelling across planets through the Astral Express to help and connect the worlds while resolving disasters caused by "Stellarons" and other third-parties. The first closed beta test was launched on October 27, 2021. It was publicly released internationally on April 26, 2023, ^[3] for Windows and mobile devices. Additionally, the PlayStation 5 port was released on October 11, 2023. The PlayStation 4 version is still yet to be announced, as revealed at the 2023 Summer Game Fest with a trailer. ^[4] It is the fourth installment in the Honkai series, utilizing some characters from Honkai Impact 3rd and some gameplay elements from Genshin Impact .

Partially due to the popularity of Genshin Impact, the game was widely anticipated before its launch. It was nominated for the Most Wanted Game Award at the Golden Joystick Awards in 2022, ^[5] won the Best Popularity Award of World Science Fiction Game Annual Awards in 2023, ^[6] and Best Mobile Game Award in the Game Awards 2023.

Gameplay

A battle in Honkai: Star Rail, as character Acheron, showcasing its turn-based combat system

Honkai: Star Rail follows the gameplay style of classic Japanese role-playing games: players build up a lineup of characters and control a team of up to four in turn-based combat. ^{[7] [8]} In addition to various stats that affect characters' strength, each character has a combat type that affects the kind of damage dealt to targets, a character class referred to as a Path (see Story and Setting § Setting) that defines their combat role, and a set of unique abilities called Traces used in combat. ^{[9] [10]} Each character can equip a weapon known as a Light Cone, that has various effects that activate if the Paths of both the character and Light Cone match. Characters can also equip various Relics, similar to Artifacts in Genshin Impact .

Elements of open-world and dungeon exploration are present, with multiple mechanics, including the gacha system, carried over (with slight differences) from Genshin Impact. ^[7] Both games have mechanics of gacha games, in which players spend in-game currency that can be earned in-game or purchased with real money through microtransactions to receive new characters and weapons.

Plot

Setting

The game is set in a science-fantasy universe in which humanity and sapient non-human beings follow the Paths of god-like entities known as Aeons. Those who follow Paths are known as Pathstriders. Each Path espouses an ideal: for example, the Abundance is based on the view that immortality is a blessing and that healing and altruism should be valued as a top priority. ^[11] The Destruction believes that civilization is cancerous to the universe, and seeks to eradicate all of civilization through the spreading of various disasters, such as the Stellaron, an object known as the Cancer of All Worlds, which brings destruction to any planet it is placed on. ^{[12] [11]}

Some Paths were led by Aeons who are now deceased, but continue to exist without the influence of their Aeons. The main character of the game known as the Trailblazer, a mysterious amnesiac possessing a Stellaron, follows the Path of Trailblaze, a Path created by the deceased Akivili. Pathstriders of Trailblaze seek to "explore, establish, and connect" among different worlds. ^[12]

Different Paths are portrayed as antagonistic, protagonistic, or neutral. The primary antagonist of the game is Nanook, who controls the Path of Destruction, along with Antimatter Legion led by Lord Ravagers, the Emanators of the Path of Destruction. ^{[11] [12]} Other Paths, such as the Path of Abundance, are not necessarily seen as antagonistic, but are involved in rivalries with the Hunt and other Paths, who view the immortality granted by the Path of Abundance as a curse. ^[11]

Aside from the Path of Destruction, the Stellaron Hunters are a somewhat antagonistic antihero group throughout the game, who search for and collect Stellarons across the universe and claim to be able to see the future. ^[12] The main characters are often in conflict with the Stellaron Hunters, though they more or less end up aiding each other on their journeys. ^[12]

Story

Mission Type	Title(s)	Release Date(s)
Prologue: Herta Space Station
Trailblaze Mission	Today Is Yesterday's Tomorrow	April 26, 2023 [13]
The Herta Space Station is attacked by members of the Antimatter Legion, followers of the Path of Destruction. Amidst the chaos, two Stellaron Hunters, Kafka and Silver Wolf, infiltrate the station and steal the Stellaron that was being safely held within it. Kafka takes hold of the Stellaron and inserts it into the body of an empty vessel generated by Silver Wolf (whose gender and name are chosen by the player). The vessel (known as the Trailblazer in English and various other names in other translations of the game) awakens, after which Kafka erases their memory, informs them of the future that lies ahead, and leaves. They then fall unconscious. A now-amnesic Trailblazer wakes up and meets March 7th and Dan Heng. Both are traveling on the Astral Express, a large cosmic train that travels the universe along the eponymous "Star Rail". After eliminating the remaining threats from the Antimatter Legion, the Trailblazer meets Himeko, the Navigator of the Astral Express, and Welt Yang, an interstellar traveler originating from the world of Honkai Impact 3rd . In an attempt to discover their origins and eliminate the threats of the remaining Stellarons, the Trailblazer departs with the Astral Express crew.
Trailblaze Continuance	Crown of the Mundane and Divine	December 27, 2023 [14]
Ruan Mei, a member of the Genius Society, asks the Trailblazer to clean up lifeforms accidentally created in a secluded zone of the Herta Space Station. Afterward, Dr. Ratio from Intelligentsia Guild reveals that Ruan Mei cloned Skaracabaz, an Emanator of the Path of Propagation, which could destroy the station. The Trailblazer defeats Skaracabaz but returns to find Herta missing after an attack. Investigating, they uncover clues about Herta's disappearance and missing researchers. The Annihilation Gang, followers of the Path of Destruction, claim responsibility. The Trailblazer and Dr. Ratio defeat the gang members, rescue the researchers, and find Herta, resolving the crisis.
Chapter I: Jarilo-VI
Trailblaze Mission	In the Withering Wintry Night	April 26, 2023 [15]
	In the Sweltering Morning Sun
The Trailblazer, March 7th, and Dan Heng arrive at Jarilo-VI. This planet has been mostly ravaged by the Eternal Freeze, an uninhabitable winter caused by the power of a Stellaron, and the Fragmentum. This phenomenon creates powerful monsters that work to injure or kill humans and destroy human-made creations. As the crew nears the capital city of Belobog to resolve the Stellaron affair, they are branded as fugitives by Supreme Guardian Cocolia, after the Stellaron tells her to accuse them of attempting to overthrow Belobog's government. They escape from the Belobog's Silvermane Guards and move to the Underworld below the planet, where they learn of the peacekeeping Wildfire led by Seele and their ongoing conflict with Svarog, the leader of the robots, who has repeatedly rejected peace talks. After battling Svarog and learning new intelligence about the Stellaron, the crew returns to the surface to face Cocolia, who merges herself with the Stellaron and attempts to kill the Astral Express crew. The crew defeats her, and Bronya, Cocolia's adopted daughter, takes her place as the new Supreme Guardian while announcing plans to bridge the Underworld and Belobog together.
Trailblaze Continuance	Jolted Awake From a Winter Dream	October 11, 2023 [16]
March 7th and the Trailblazer are invited by Bronya to the Solwarm festival in Belobog, where they discover that Topaz from the Interastral Peace Corporation (IPC) is trying to collect an expensive debt from hundreds of years ago. After failed negotiations, IPC workers invade the Underworld but are defeated by the Trailblazer and March 7th. Bronya considers letting the IPC take over Belobog but changes her mind after Himeko warns her of the IPC's poor track record. The Trailblazer and March 7th start to fight with Topaz but stop after an intervention from Bronya. After being shown the progress of Belobog's citizens in reconstructing their planet, Topaz leaves the planet and is demoted for her failure.
Chapter II: The Xianzhou Luofu
Trailblaze Mission	Windswept Wanderlust	April 26, 2023 [17]
	Topclouded Towerthrust	July 9, 2023 [18]
	Karmic Clouds Faded, War Banners Folded	August 30, 2023 [19]
The crew receives a signal from Kafka, who wants the crew to settle a Stellaron incident on the Xianzhou Luofu, a planet following the Path of the Hunt. When Welt, the Trailblazer, and March 7th arrive, they are not permitted to assist in Stellaron affairs but are instead tasked by Jing Yuan, the general of the Xianzhou Luofu army, to weed out Kafka and her Stellaron Hunter cohort Blade, as the presence of the Stellaron Hunters on the ship is deemed a threat. The crew finds and defeats Kafka in battle, after which she reveals she was sent to lure the Astral Express crew to the Luofu to fulfill the prophecy laid out by the Stellaron Hunters' leader, Elio. After Blade and Kafka are found and interrogated, the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, a faction following the Path of Abundance, a rival to Path of the Hunt, attack the Luofu in a conflict manipulated by Lord Ravager Phantylia, a leader of the Antimatter Legion. During this conflict, Dan Heng reveals that he is the reincarnation of a powerful exiled Vidyadhara criminal named Dan Feng during a battle with Blade, and assists the rest of the Astral Express and the Xianzhou Luofu army in fighting the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus and defeat Phantylia, resulting in the temporary retreat of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus and Antimatter Legion. After the battle, Jing Yuan formally creates an alliance between the Xianzhou and Astral Express and annuls the exile of Dan Heng's previous incarnation, granting him freedom onboard the Xianzhou Luofu. As a symbol of their alliance, Jing Yuan gifts the Astral Express a Jade Abacus that can be used to summon Xianzhou reinforcements in a time of need. After the Trailblazer and March 7th return to the Express, Himeko tells the Trailblazer that their next stop is Penacony, the Planet of Festivities. Formerly a prison planet used by the IPC to exile criminals, it had fallen under the influence of Xipe, the Aeon of Harmony, some time ago, radically transforming the planet into a luxurious dream-like utopia. Himeko explains that the Family at Penacony issued formal invitations to many galactic factions for the first time in history and among the invited factions were the IPC and the Astral Express. Meanwhile, Luocha, a traveling merchant visiting the Xianzhou Luofu, and Jingliu, a powerful swordmaster, meet Jing Yuan at the Shackling Prison, proclaiming that they will put the Abundance in their grave.
Trailblaze Continuance	A Foxian Tale of the Haunted	November 15, 2023 [20]
The Trailblazer receives a message from Guinaifen and returns to the Xianzhou Luofu, where Guinaifen and Sushang report encountering ghost-like heliobi. At Fyxestroll Garden, they meet members of the Ten-Lords Commission who warn them of the danger. Guinaifen disappears, and the Trailblazer gets trapped in a mirror by Cirrus, a heliobus and fragment of Ignamar. After defeating Furynox, Cirrus tries to take over the garden but is forced to retreat. The group then gathers an escaped heliobus and rescues Huohuo, who was possessed. They return to find Cirrus attempting his plan again but defeat him with Jing Yuan's help.
Trailblaze Continuance	Finest Duel Under the Pristine Blue (I)	July 31, 2024 [21]
	Finest Duel Under the Pristine Blue (II)	September 10, 2024 [22]
The Express receives an invitation from Jing Yuan to join the Wardance on the Xianzhou Luofu. The ceremony becomes a hotspot of conflicts, including IPC ships docking after borisin attacks. Accompanying Yanqing, the Trailblazer helps mediate disputes at the Artisanship Commission. They fend off accusations from an IPC Specialist and face a swordswoman challenging Yanqing. Jing Yuan reveals the Wardance's purpose and the motives of the Zhuming and Yaoqing generals. March 7th earns a chance to participate in the Wardance, learning Xianzhou swordplay. As the Wardance approaches, several borisins disguised as foxians infiltrate the Shackling Prison and spring their leader free, the seemingly invulnerable Warhead Hoolay. Hoolay makes use of a hostage and his disguised allies to create chaos across the Luofu, but Hoolay and his conspirators are eventually defeated by General Feixiao, working with the Cloud Knights and other allies on the Luofu.
Chapter III: Penacony
Trailblaze Mission	The Sound and the Fury	February 6, 2024 [23]
	Cat Among Pigeons	March 27, 2024 [24]
	In Our Time	May 8, 2024 [25]
	Farewell, Penacony	June 19, 2024 [26]
	A New Venture on the Eighth Dawn	December 04, 2024
The Astral Express arrives on Penacony for the Charmony Festival, overseen by Sunday and his sister Robin. Penacony's luxury is the Dreamscape, a system of collective dreams. In the lead-up to the festival, they uncover the dark reality of the Dreamscape and face off against the monster called "Death", leading to Firefly's apparent death. After Robin is found murdered by "Death", Aventurine's betrayal, and subsequent confrontation with a Galaxy Ranger, Acheron reveals deeper conspiracies involving the Stellaron and the Family's control over the Dreamscape. Later when confronted with Sunday, Aventurine is caught swapping his Cornerstone (his source of power) with Topaz's and, in retaliation, Sunday uses his power to number Aventurine's hours. Plagued by visions of his past and future, Aventurine remembers he planned to get caught to lure Acheron and the Trailblazer. He reveals the Cornerstone belongs to his superior, Jade, and that he destroyed his own before arriving on Penacony. Aventurine then threatens to detonate the Stellaron within the Trailblazer, provoking Acheron to "kill" him. A member of the Stellaron Hunters, Sam, revealed to be a surviving Firefly, explains to the Trailblazer and the Astral Express crew that "death" in the Dreamscape leads to the Land of the Exiles, guarded by Penacony's Head of Security, Gallagher. Gallagher "kills" Sunday, who reunites with Robin in the Land of the Exiles and reveals the Dreamscape is a Stellaron disaster controlled by the Family. Sunday realizes the Stellaron is at the Penacony Grand Theater and that the Dreammaster is involved. However, Sunday allies himself with the Dreammaster and betrays Welt and Robin, revealing their power comes from Order, and plans to use the Stellaron and Harmony's song to brainwash Penacony's inhabitants. The group learns of the Nameless' role in Penacony's liberation and, with Mikhail's help, the Trailblazer connects with Harmony. They confront Sunday at the Grand Theater, seemingly defeating him with Dan Heng's aid, but Black Swan reveals it was an illusion. With help from Acheron, Black Swan, Robin, and Galaxy Ranger Boothill, the Astral Express crew escapes the illusion and truly defeats Sunday, restoring the Dreamscape and reality. To cover up the incident, the Charmony Festival is rebranded as a smaller event on the Radiant Feldspar airship. Oti Alfalfa, the new leader of the Family, initially plans an IPO for Penacony but relents after Jade threatens to reveal that true death is now possible in the Dreamscape. The IPC becomes a significant shareholder with 30% equity, gifting 5% to the Nameless. During the festival, Sparkle's bomb threat turns out to be a fireworks display. The Astral Express honors Mikhail, Gallagher, and the former Nameless, and the Trailblazer bids farewell to Acheron. As the Express prepares to depart, Welt explains that the Express' fuel, drawn from the Star Rail, is running low; to resolve this, Black Swan suggests heading to Amphoreus, the Eternal Land. Meanwhile, Jade offers Sunday a deal to fulfill his and Robin's vow to create a true haven of peace and frees him. Deciding that he must start afresh, Sunday left Penacony to bids Robin goodbye, faces his projection to atone his misdeeds at the Grand Theater, and joins the Astral Express to continue his journey to find paradise.
Trailblaze Continuance	Banana Outrage: Battles Without Ninja and Humanity	October 23, 2024
The Astral Express is invited back to Penacony as Welt and Himeko are scheduled to give a guest lecture at Paperfold University and invite the other crewmembers as guest students to visit the campus for a week. Shortly after re-entering the Dreamscape, the Trailblazer finds themselves in a bizarre situation where everyone is obsessed with "Slumbernana Monkey," transforming everything they can into bananas and cartoon monkeys. The Trailblazer soon finds out that Slumbernana Monkey is a memetic virus, created by Dr. Primitive, that has taken hold at the school and will spread until everyone on Penacony is transformed into monkeys. With the help of the eccentric "Dazzling Ninja" Rappa, a returning Boothill, and famous film director-turned-Memokeeper Mr. Reca, the Trailblazer defeats "Profnana", the mastermind behind the spread of the virus and reverts the Dreamscape to its previous state.

Characters

Playable

The following table lists all currently confirmed playable characters in alphabetical order. All playable characters are associated with a specific world or faction, except cosmic characters. ^[27]

All characters wield one of 8 playable paths: Abundance, Destruction, Erudition, Harmony, the Hunt, Nihility, Preservation, and Remembrance.

Astral Express

The Astral Express was released in April 2023.

Name	Type	Path	Voice Actor	Description	Cits
Trailblazer (Caelus)	Variable	Changeable	ZH: Qin Qiege EN: Caleb Yen JA: Junya Enoki KO: Kim Myung-jun	The main protagonist of the game. An artificial body, in the form of a human being, that contains a Stellaron. Players can choose to play as either Caelus (male) or Stelle (female) as the Trailblazer and may enter their chosen name to be used throughout the story. After being awakened by Kafka and Silver Wolf in the Herta Space Station, they joined the Astral Express to eliminate the threats posed by the Stellaron.	[28]
Trailblazer (Stelle)			ZH: Chen Tingting EN: Rachel Chau JA: Yui Ishikawa KO: Kim Ha-ru
Dan Heng	Wind	The Hunt	ZH: Li Chunyin EN: Nicholas Leung JA: Kent Itō KO: Kim Hye-sung	A reserved young man who acts as the train's guard. He often spends more time in the Astral Express data archives than in his own bedroom.	[28]
Himeko	Fire	Erudition	ZH: Lin Su EN: Cia Court JA: Rie Tanaka KO: Kim Bo-na	A scientist who fixed the Astral Express when it became stuck in her home world as a teenager. She later becomes the train's navigator and is the most senior active member of the Nameless.	[28]
March 7th	Variable	Changeable	ZH: Nuoya EN: Skyler Davenport JA: Yui Ogura KO: Jung Hye-won	A cheerful girl with no memory of her past before the Astral Express crew rescued her from being encased in ice. She took the name "March 7th" as it marked the day of her rescue.	[28]
Welt Yang	Imaginary	Nihility	ZH: Peng Bo EN: Corey Landis JA: Yoshimasa Hosoya KO: Han-sin	The former Anti-Entropy Sovereign and the second-most senior member of the Nameless, whose true name is Joachim Nokianvirtanen. He traveled from the world of Honkai Impact 3rd , hoping to form new alliances to hold off future threats.	[28]

Herta Space Station

Herta Space Station was released in April 2023.

Name	Type	Path	Voice Actor	Description	Cits
Arlan	Lightning	Destruction	ZH: Tao Dian EN: Dani Chambers JA: Ryoko Shiraishi KO: Kim Yul	The head of the space station's security department.	[28]
Asta	Fire	Harmony	ZH: Guiniang EN: Felecia Angelle JA: Chinatsu Akasaki KO: Kim Hyeon-ji	An astronomer and the space station's lead researcher who comes from a wealthy family. Arlan often has to rein in her spending.	[28]
Herta	Ice	Erudition	ZH: Hou Xiaofei EN: PJ Mattson [b] JA: Haruka Yamazaki KO: Kim Seo-yeong	A puppet loosely modeled after Herta's younger self. Several of these are scattered throughout the space station.	[28]
The Herta				The space station's true master and the interest-driven member #83 of the Genius Society. She is an Emanator of Erudition who controls her namesake puppets scattered throughout the space station.	[29]
Ruan Mei	Ice	Harmony	ZH: Zhang Wenyu EN: Emi Lo JA: Saori Ōnishi KO: Yoon Yeo-jin	A life sciences expert and member #81 of the Genius Society. A completely amoral scientist with dreams of becoming an Aeon herself.	[30]

Belobog

Belobog was released in April 2023.

Name	Type	Path	Voice Actor	Description	Cits
Bronya	Wind	Harmony	ZH: Xie Ying EN: Madeline Reiter JA: Kana Asumi KO: Lee Bo-hee	The commander of the Silvermane Guards and Cocolia's adoptive daughter. She became Belobog's Supreme Guardian after Cocolia's death.	[28]
Clara	Physical	Destruction	ZH: Zisu Jiuyue EN: Emily Sun JA: Rina Hidaka KO: Kim Yea-lim	A young girl and a self-taught mechanic in the Underworld, a region in Belobog located underground. In most of the story and during combat, she is accompanied by the automaton Svarog (Voiced by: Wang Yuhang (ZH), D. C. Douglas (EN), Hiroki Yasumoto (JA), Choi Nak-yoon (KO)).	[28]
Gepard	Ice	Preservation	ZH: Ma Yang EN: Bryson Baugus JA: Makoto Furukawa KO: Min Seung-woo	The dutiful captain of the Silvermane Guards who is Serval's and Lynx's brother. He is the middle sibling of the Landau family.	[28]
Hook	Fire	Destruction	ZH: Wang Xiaotong EN: Felecia Angelle JA: Sora Tokui KO: Lee Jae-hyun	The self-proclaimed boss of The Moles, a group of children who go on adventures and play pranks throughout the Underworld.	[28]
Luka	Physical	Nihility	ZH: Xiao Zhai EN: Howard Wang JA: Gakuto Kajiwara KO: Lee Joo-seung	An Underworld fighter and a member of Wildfire, a grassroots faction based in the Underworld. He tries to support his friends and neighbors, even at his own expense.	[28]
Lynx	Quantum	Abundance	ZH: Mi Hu EN: Risa Mei JA: Haruka Terui KO: Lee Eun-jo	A polar explorer who is Serval's and Gepard's sister. She is the youngest sibling of the Landau family, as well as a friend of Pela.	[28]
Natasha	Physical	Abundance	ZH: Qin Ziyi EN: Elizabeth Maxwell JA: Yumi Uchiyama KO: Kang Eun-ae	An Underworld doctor and the true leader of Wildfire.	[28]
Pela	Ice	Nihility	ZH: Yanning EN: Xanthe Huynh JA: Sumire Morohoshi KO: Lee Da-eun	The intelligence officer of the Silvermane Guards. She is a friend of Lynx and the drummer in Serval's rock n' roll band.	[28]
Sampo	Wind	Nihility	ZH: Liu Shengbo EN: Roger Rose JA: Daisuke Hirakawa KO: Jeong Jae-heon	A notorious con artist and a member of the Masked Fools wanted across Belobog who ends up supporting the Trailblazer in his own way.	[28]
Seele	Quantum	The Hunt	ZH: Tang Yajing EN: Molly Zhang JA: Mai Nakahara KO: Song Ha-rim	An Underworld resident and a spirited member of Wildfire. She grew up at the same orphanage as Bronya.	[28]
Serval	Lightning	Erudition	ZH: Mu Xueting EN: Natalie Van Sistine JA: Aimi KO: Min-a	A brilliant mechanic who is Gepard's and Lynx's sister. She is the eldest sibling of the Landau family and has an affection for rock n' roll.	[28]

Xianzhou Alliance

The Xianzhou Alliance comprises six flagships: the Yaoqing, the Zhuming, the Yuque, the Fanghu, the Xuling, and the Luofu. ^[31] The Xianzhou Luofu was released in April 2023.

Name	Type	Path	Voice Actor	Description	Cits
Bailu	Lightning	Abundance	ZH: Duoduo Poi EN: Su Ling Chan JA: Emiri Katō KO: Jo Hyeon-jeong	A Vidyadhara doctor of the Alchemy Commission on the Luofu who often tries to escape her responsibilities. She is the heir apparent to the Imbibitor Lunae, the title of the leader of the Vidyadhara race in the Luofu.	[28]
Dan Heng • Imbibitor Lunae	Imaginary	Destruction	ZH: Li Chunyin EN: Nicholas Leung JA: Kent Itō KO: Kim Hye-sung	Dan Heng's true Vidyadhara form, whose appearance closely resembles to his previous incarnation and the former Imbibitor Lunae, Dan Feng. Despite his name, he does not hold the title of Imbibitor Lunae, as this was intended for Bailu.	[28]
Feixiao	Wind	The Hunt	ZH: Ye Zhiqiu EN: Anairis Quiñones JA: Mikako Komatsu KO: Son Jung-min	One of the seven Arbiter-Generals and the general of the Yaoqing, whose true name is Saran. She is of foxian and borisin descent afflicted by Moon Rage, a condition akin to lycanthropy, resulting from her mixed heritage.	[32]
Fu Xuan	Quantum	Preservation	ZH: Hualing EN: Sarah Wiedenheft JA: Miku Itō KO: Lee Ji-hyeon	The head of the Divination Commission on the Luofu.	[28]
Fugue	Fire	Nihility	ZH: Xiao N EN: Anya Floris JA: Yūki Takada KO: Lee Myeong-ho	A foxian girl who was saved by Ruan Mei. She is the real Tingyun whose identity was stolen from her by Phantylia.	[33]
Guinaifen	Fire	Nihility	ZH: Xiao Gan EN: Morgan Lauré JA: Hina Suguta KO: Kim Soo-young	A street performer who resides on the Luofu after the Antimatter Legion destroyed her home planet. Her true name is Guinevere, but Guinaifen is the local name chosen by her friend Sushang.	[34]
Hanya	Physical	Harmony	ZH: Zhang Yuxi EN: Suzie Yeung JA: Sayumi Suzushiro KO: Yoon Eun-seo	A judge of the Ten-Lords Commission on the Luofu who has become numb after becoming flooded with work and haunted by nightmares. She is Xueyi's younger sister.	[35]
Huohuo	Wind	Abundance	ZH: Ge Zirui EN: Megan Shipman [c] JA: Maria Naganawa KO: Kim Chae-rin	A foxian trainee judge of the Ten-Lords Commission on the Luofu. She has a fear of inhuman beings, but ironically attracts them due to a heliobus she calls "Mr. Tail" (Voiced by: Liu Beichen (ZH), Aaron Veach [d] (EN), Takeshi Hirabayashi (JA), Han Bok-hyun (KO)) sealed in her tail by the other judges.	[38]
Jiaoqiu	Fire	Nihility	ZH: Chenzhang Taikang EN: Mark Whitten JA: Toshiyuki Toyonaga KO: Lee Jung-min	A foxian counselor and a healer of the Alchemy Commission on the Yaoqing who was blinded after being attacked by the borisin leader, Hoolay. He loves cooking dishes with heavy amounts of spice, even using spices in combat.	[39]
Jing Yuan	Lightning	Erudition	ZH: Sun Ye EN: Alejandro Saab JA: Daisuke Ono KO: Ryu Seung-gon	One of the seven Arbiter-Generals and the general of the Luofu. He summons the Lightning Lord to aid him in combat.	[28]
Jingliu	Ice	Destruction	ZH: Du Mingya EN: AmaLee JA: Houko Kuwashima KO: Park Yi-seo	The leader of the now-defunct High-Cloud Quintet who bore the title "Transcendent Flash". She was the sword master of the Luofu and Jing Yuan's mentor until she succumbed to Mara, a curse that causes its host to become insane, and began attacking her former allies.	[28]
Lingsha	Fire	Abundance	ZH: Rao Zijun EN: Whitney Holland JA: Kaori Maeda KO: Jang Ye-na	A Vidyadhara healer and the Cauldron Master of the Alchemy Commission on the Luofu, whose true name is Dan Zhu.	[40]
Luocha	Imaginary	Abundance	ZH: Zhao Lu EN: Craig Lee Thomas JA: Akira Ishida KO: Shin Yong-woo	A foreign trader who is often seen carrying a huge coffin. His true background is a mystery, but Jing Yuan suspects him of having smuggled a Stellaron onboard the Luofu, and Welt suspects him of being linked to Void Archives from his past.	[28]
Moze	Lightning	The Hunt	ZH: Huang Jinze EN: Ben Balmaceda [e] JA: Shogo Sakata KO: Choi Hyun-sik	A sneaky and fastidious assassin from the Yaoqing and Feixiao's assistant. He usually remains hidden, only appearing when it's time to assassinate his enemies.	[43]
Qingque	Quantum	Erudition	ZH: Liu Shisi EN: Bryn Apprill JA: Arisa Date KO: Seo Da-hye	A librarian and a diviner of the Divination Commission on the Luofu. Although incredibly intelligent, she prefers spending her time slacking off and playing Celestial Jade rather than working.	[28]
Sushang	Physical	The Hunt	ZH: Chen Tingting EN: Anjali Kunapaneni JA: Misato Fukuen KO: Park Shi-yoon	A young Cloud Knight who wields a large sword and yearns to become a legend. A friend of Guinaifen, she assists in some of her acrobatic stunts and almost always appears in her livestreams.	[28]
Tingyun	Lightning	Harmony	ZH: Xiao N EN: Anya Floris [f] JA: Yūki Takada KO: Lee Myeong-ho	An eloquent foxian and a trade envoy of the Sky-Faring Commission on the Luofu. She is not the real Tingyun, but rather the vessel of Phantylia.	[28]
Xueyi	Quantum	Destruction	ZH: Su Xun EN: Jenny Yokobori JA: Maki Kawase KO: Park Ri-na	A judge of the Ten-Lords Commission on the Luofu and Hanya's older sister. Her natural body was destroyed, but she was resurrected into an ingenium puppet body.	[45]
Yanqing	Ice	The Hunt	ZH: Miao Jiang EN: Amber May JA: Marina Inoue KO: Lee Sae-a	The lieutenant of the Cloud Knights on the Luofu and Jing Yuan's retainer who seeks to become the Luofu's sword master.	[28]
Yukong	Imaginary	Harmony	ZH: Zhong Ke EN: Dawn M. Bennett JA: Yumi Tōma KO: Jeon Sook-kyeong	A foxian former wartime pilot and the head of the Sky-Faring Commission on the Luofu.	[28]
Yunli	Physical	Destruction	ZH: Liu Wen EN: Brenna Larsen JA: Shion Wakayama KO: Lee Ju-eun	A sword hunter from the Zhuming and the adoptive granddaughter of its general, Huaiyan.	[46]

Penacony

Penacony was released in February 2024. ^[47]

Name	Type	Path	Voice Actor	Description	Cits
Gallagher	Fire	Abundance	ZH: Ma Yufei EN: Erik Braa JA: Satoshi Mikami KO: Park Sang-hoon	A security officer of the Bloodhound family who also works as a bartender. He is the result of an amalgamation of traits from all the Family members combined. His actual identity is that of an agent of the Enigmata and ally of the Watchmaker, and keeper of the entity known as "Dormancy".	[48]
Misha	Ice	Destruction	ZH: Liu Zhixiao EN: Cat Protano JA: Eriko Matsui KO: Bak Sin-hee	A bellboy at the Reverie Hotel. His existence is a reflection of the true Watchmaker, Mikhail Char Legwork.	[49] [50]
Robin	Physical	Harmony	ZH: Qian Chen EN: Alice Himora JA: Kaori Nazuka KO: Shin Onyu	An elegant Halovian singer (Singing voice: Chevy (ZH/EN/JA/KO)) and Sunday's sister who has secretly gone missing at the start of the Penacony chapter.	[51]

Amphoreus

Amphoreus is planned to be released sometime in 2025, and the Path of Remembrance will be made playable in the game.

Name	Type	Path	Voice Actor	Description	Cits
Aglaea	Lightning	Remembrance	ZH: Chu Yue EN: Morgan Lauré JA: Aya Endō KO: Oh Ro-ah	One of the Chrysos Heirs and the Dressmaster of the city of Okhema.	[52]

Stellaron Hunters

The Stellaron Hunters are a mysterious group that collects Stellarons. They are led by Elio, also known as "Destiny's Slave".

Name	Type	Path	Voice Actor	Description	Cits
Blade	Wind	Destruction	ZH: Liu Yijia EN: Daman Mills JA: Shin-ichiro Miki KO: Kwak Yoon-sang	A swordsman who abandoned his body to become a blade and a former member of the now-defunct High-Cloud Quintet who went by the name Yingxing. He is cursed with immortality after a failed ritual resulted in him becoming Mara-struck.	[28]
Firefly	Fire	Destruction	ZH: Song Yuanyuan EN: Analesa Fisher JA: Tomori Kusunoki KO: Yu Hye-ji	A young girl clad in a mechanical armor called SAM (Voiced by: Gan Ziqi (ZH), Adin Rudd (EN), Jun Kasama (JA), Jang Seo-hwa (KO)). She joined the Stellaron Hunters in the hopes of finding the meaning of life and a way out of her doomed fate.	[53]
Kafka	Lightning	Nihility	ZH: Xu Hui EN: Cheryl Texiera JA: Shizuka Itō KO: Sa Moon-young	A soft-spoken woman who is incapable of feeling fear. She personally implanted a Stellaron into a body now known as the Trailblazer during the opening events of the game. She is one of the first two people, along with Silver Wolf, that the Trailblazer met.	[28]
Silver Wolf	Quantum	Nihility	ZH: Hanser EN: Melissa Fahn JA: Kana Asumi KO: Jang Mi	A master hacker who has excelled in a skill that alters reality called "aether editing". She is one of the first two people, along with Kafka, that the Trailblazer met.	[28]

Interastral Peace Corporation

The Interastral Peace Corporation (IPC) is a megacorporation that manages the economy across the entire cosmos.

Name	Type	Path	Voice Actor	Description	Cits
Aventurine	Imaginary	Preservation	ZH: Yang Chaoran EN: Camden Sutkowski JA: Kengo Kawanishi KO: Park Jun-won	A senior manager of the Strategic Investment Department and one of the Ten Stonehearts, whose true name is Kakavasha. His Cornerstone is "Aventurine of Stratagems". A gambler by nature, he treats life as a high-risk, high-reward investment.	[54] [55]
Jade	Quantum	Erudition	ZH: Zhang Ruoyu EN: Faye Mata JA: Kotono Mitsuishi KO: Kim Soon-mi	A senior manager of the Strategic Investment Department and one of the Ten Stonehearts. Her Cornerstone is "Jade of Credit". A pawnbroker, she is willing to lend people anything they want as long as she receives something of equivalent value in her eyes.	[56]
Topaz & Numby	Fire	The Hunt	ZH: Mace EN: Sam Slade JA: Yoshino Nanjō KO: Bang Si-u	A senior manager of the Strategic Investment Department and one of the Ten Stonehearts, whose true name is Jelena. Her Cornerstone is "Topaz of Debt Retrieval". Her partner, the Warp Trotter "Numby" (Voiced by: Mace (ZH/EN/JA/KO)), can locate treasures within a particular radius.	[57] [58]

Cosmic

Name	Type	Path	Voice Actor	Description	Cits
Acheron	Lightning	Nihility	ZH: Juhuahua EN: Allegra Clark JA: Miyuki Sawashiro KO: Park Ji-yoon	A cosmic drifter who lacks a sense of direction and an Emanator of Nihility, whose true name is Raiden Bōsenmori Mei. She claims to be a Galaxy Ranger, earning the ire of Boothill, who points out she's an impostor using their name. She carries a long sword reminiscent of an ōdachi.	[59] [60]
Argenti	Physical	Erudition	ZH: Liang Dawei EN: Talon Warburton [g] JA: Shinnosuke Tachibana KO: Choi Seung-hoon	A cosmic drifter and a Knight of Beauty who travels the cosmos performing heroic deeds like an old-fashioned knight-errant, hoping to one day see the reappearance of Idrila, the currently missing Aeon of Beauty.	[61]
Black Swan	Wind	Nihility	ZH: Yang Menglu EN: Arryn Zech JA: Hitomi Nabatame KO: Kim Ha-young	A mysterious Memokeeper from the Garden of Recollection. She later accompanies the Astral Express as a passenger in traveling to Amphoreus.	[62]
Boothill	Physical	The Hunt	ZH: Peng Bo EN: Andrew Russell JA: Katsuyuki Konishi KO: Kim Dan	A cyborg cowboy and a member of the Galaxy Rangers who seeks revenge on the IPC for destroying his home planet and his daughter despite the enormous bounty they placed on his head.	[63]
Dr. Ratio	Imaginary	The Hunt	ZH: Sang Yuze EN: Jordan Paul Haro JA: Shunsuke Takeuchi KO: Lee Dong-hoon	A narcissistic Intelligentsia Guild member who often conceals his appearance with an alabaster head. He treats ignorance as a disease and aims to cure it by spreading knowledge throughout the universe.	[64] [65]
Rappa	Imaginary	Erudition	ZH: Jin Na EN: Kendell Byrd JA: Megumi Han KO: Kim Yu-rim	An experimental subject at a young age who was implanted with a memetic virus based on a popular ninja manga. After being freed from captivity, she became a Galaxy Ranger, but still interprets everything through the eyes of a ninja.	[66]
Sparkle	Quantum	Harmony	ZH: Zhao Shuang EN: Lizzie Freeman JA: Reina Ueda KO: Seong Ye-won	A member of the Masked Fools who can shapeshift into anyone, taking on whatever identity she finds interesting at a given moment.	[67]
Sunday	Imaginary	Harmony	ZH: Xu Xiang EN: Griffin Puatu JA: Takeo Ōtsuka KO: Kang Seong-woo	A zealous and revered Halovian who is the former head of the Oak Family as well as Robin's brother. He was secretly a Pathstrider of Order, and the main antagonist of the Penacony chapter.	[68]

Non-playable

• Pom-Pom (帕姆; Pàmǔ)

Voiced by: Xiao N (ZH), Christine Sposato (EN), Miki Nagasawa (JA), Yoon Ah-yeong (KO)

The conductor of the Astral Express who is unable to leave the train. ^[69]

• Cocolia Rand (可可利亚兰德; Kěkělìyǎ Lándé)

Voiced by: Mufei (ZH), Heather Gonzalez (EN), Misa Katō (JA), Unknown (KO)

The eighteenth Supreme Guardian of Belobog and the adoptive mother of Bronya. ^[70] Later revealed to be the main antagonist of the Belobog chapter, with the Stellaron's influence turning her away from the Path of Preservation.

• Screwllum (螺丝咕姆; Luósīgūmǔ)

Voiced by: Zhao Yang (ZH), Steven Kelly (EN), Yūya Uchida (JA), Kim Min-kyu (KO)

Member #76 of the Genius Society. ^[71]

• Huaiyan (怀炎; Huáiyán)

Voiced by: Li Haojia (ZH), J. Michael Tatum (EN), Tadashi Miyazawa (JA), Jo Min-soo (KO)

One of the seven Arbiter-Generals and the general of the Zhuming. ^[31]

Development

...we felt that the turn-based combat system was something we have not done before in the company yet, in all our previous games. It's still a viable genre to base the game on, and we felt that it's something that we would like to give a try; our players are feeling for it, and that's why we developed something like that.

And for sci-fi, in reality, our developers felt that it's something that provides hope, and it's very inspiring for younger generations to look forward to. Sci-fi represents something classic, and sci-fi plus turn-based RPG is something that we would like to give a try. Yeah, that's how the game came to be.

Michael Lin, HoYoverse Global Business Development team member ^[72]

Honkai: Star Rail began development in 2019 with the goal of "exploring new directions for the Honkai series". The production team has about 500 people, most of whom are fans of science fiction works and turn-based role-playing games. ^[72] This project is HoYoverse's first attempt at a turn-based combat mechanism game. The team has stated that this genre is very popular in the game market and can lower the difficulty threshold for players to get started. In previous surveys conducted by HoYoverse, many players expressed that they enjoy this type of game. There were concerns about whether this type of game is too retro, but the production team believes that as long as the quality of the game is enjoyable, it can attract players.

Like other works in the Honkai series, it is in no way "too hard-core science fiction". The setting of Honkai Impact 3rd is Earth, but the plot mentions other planets in this worldview. Therefore, the production team of Honkai: Star Rail decided to expand on this concept of "a universe". The basic setting revolves around taking a train and traveling around the major planets in the universe, which takes inspiration from the idea of a steam train running through the stars in the novel Night on the Galactic Railroad by Kenji Miyazawa and Leiji Matsumoto famous manga, Galaxy Express 999 . The production sequence of each planet in the game takes around one year to first determine the worldview and theme of the planet, then create the characters and detailed setting information, and then finally write the plot. ^[72]

The overall artistic vision of each planet is based on elements from real-world cultures and aesthetics:

• The design of the space-faring fleet "Xianzhou Luofu" is based on Chinese culture and East Asian fantasy, which has been described as "silkpunk".
• Penacony's design was inspired by a blend of Jazz Age and Art Deco, which re-imagines through luxurious dream-like fantasy.
• The concept of an upcoming planet "Amphoreus" takes inspiration from an Ancient Greek mythology with some influences of Renaissance and Neo-Classical aesthetic.

In terms of combat mechanism, producer David Jiang said that this game adopts "command-based combat." He said that Honkai Impact 3rd and Genshin Impact were heavy on the role-playing aspect, but they did not include command-based and turn-based combat. In addition, some players reported that Honkai Impact 3rd was too action-oriented and too difficult to operate. Therefore, Honkai: Star Rail pays more attention to strategy than the player's operational skills. Persona 5 was the team's inspiration when deciding to develop a turn-based role-playing game.

Producer David Jiang hopes that Honkai: Star Rail can achieve the immersive feeling of "as if you are in the world of the work", and create a "playable animated series". ^[73] In order to enhance player immersion, the production team integrated artificial intelligence technology into the behavior patterns of non-player characters. ^[74]

Distribution and promotion

Astral Express model in Xujiahui, Shanghai

The game was revealed in October 2021 at the end of the Honkai Impact 3rd online concert, Starfire Sonorant, then later on the game's official YouTube channel. ^[75] On October 27, the game launched its first closed test ^[76] and its second closed beta test on May 25, 2022. ^[77] On August 15 of the same year, the game received support from the "Special Fund for Cultural Development" issued by the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Xuhui District, Shanghai, where the developer is located. ^[78] On August 23, 2022, a game story trailer was unveiled on the opening night of Gamescom 2022. ^[79]

On January 17, 2023, the mobile version of the game received the game version number approved by the National Press and Publication Administration, and the game was approved for distribution in mainland China ^{[80] [81]} On February 10, 2023, the game conducted its third closed test ^[82] On the same day, the Apple App Store page revealed that the official launch date of the game was April 26. ^[83] In the international market, miHoYo launched more than 2,000 sets of ads on Google Play one month before the public beta of the game. The main advertising channel was Google AdMob ^[84] and the main advertising areas were Japan, Hong Kong, the United States, Vietnam, and Thailand. ^[85]

On April 25, miHoYo released the game's opening theme animation "Star Travel". ^[86] The game was officially launched globally on April 26. ^[3] On April 28, miHoYo held its first theme exhibition "Galaxy Gathering" in Xujiahui. ^[87] From April 29 to May 13, miHoYo undertook train advertisements on Xiamen Rail Transit Line 1 and jointly issued NFTs to promote the game. ^[88] On mid-May, HoYoverse began to put up ads for the game in Japan, which are prominently displayed in Akihabara in Tokyo, as well as collaborating with Chichibu Railway in Saitama Prefecture to launch a special steam train service, which ran for a month. ^[89] On July 13, miHoYo launched a high-speed train named "Star Dome Railway High-speed Railway Brand Special Train" with an uncertain route, used to promote the game. ^[90]

Reception

Reception

Aggregate scores

Aggregator	Score
Metacritic	PC: 80/100 [91] PS5: 82/100 [92]
OpenCritic	90% [93]

Review scores

Publication	Score
Eurogamer	Recommended [94]
GamesRadar	[95]
IGN	9/10 [96]
PCGamer	90/100 [97]
Polygon	Very positive [98]
RockPaperShotgun	Positive [99]

Honkai: Star Rail received "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregator Metacritic. ^[91]

Eurogamer recommended the game for its "delightfully goofy humour, charismatic voice cast, and truly magnificent combat", despite the writers' tendency to "give one sentence explanations for important details, yet spend eight paragraphs overexplaining the simplest plot twist". ^[100] Rock Paper Shotgun called the game "still in its early stages but (...) incredibly good fun to play", comparing it to " Star Ocean , but if everyone was hotter and you could gamble". The reviewer praised the combat system for being deep yet approachable, and noted that, like in Genshin, spending money was not necessary to progress, as all content in the game could be cleared with the characters players receive for free. ^[101] PC Gamer appreciated Star Rail's "impeccable visual style and strategic depth" and its "elastic tone, which fluctuates from the heroic optimism of a space opera, to the dark comedy of a Nier game, with a lot of Final Fantasy 14 's soap opera storytelling mixed in". To the reviewer, the game's main draw was its "sheer creativity" and that it "distills what's most satisfying about turn-based RPGs: tactical, team-based decisions." ^[102]

However, some people have criticized the character designs, saying that they lack creativity, especially those of female characters, saying the outfits worn by female characters in Genshin Impact had more variety. ^[103]

Popularity

Before the game's official release, the number of pre-registered players in mainland China reached 22.98 million, with an additional 10 million players outside of mainland China. ^[104] On April 23, 2023, the day of pre-download, the game topped the free charts on the App Store in over 113 countries and regions, ^[105] and ranked first overall in mainland China, the United States, Japan, and South Korea. ^[106] After the game's global launch on April 26, it reached the top spot on the bestseller list of the App Store in mainland China within five hours, and ranked within the top 10 on the bestseller lists in 42 countries and regions. On April 28, miHoYo announced that the game had exceeded 20 million downloads. ^[107]

GameLook estimated that on the day of its launch, the game's global revenue across all platforms likely exceeded 100 million RMB. ^[108] According to data from Sensor Tower, within the first 10 days of launch, the mobile version of the game generated over $100 million globally, with 44% of the revenue coming from China, 22% from Japan, and 12% from the United States. ^{[109] [110] [111]} Data from DataEye indicated that within 15 days of launch, the iOS version and the Android version downloaded through Google Play had generated at least $65 million, with Japan contributing a total of 120 million RMB. ^[112] On February 6, 2024, with the launch of version 2.0, the game's download count exceeded 100 million. ^[113]

Accolades

Year	Award	Category	Result	Ref(s).
2022	Golden Joystick Awards	Most Wanted Award	Nominated	[5]
2023	World Science Fiction Game Annual Awards	Best Popularity Award	Won	[6]
	Google Play Awards	Best Game	Won	[114] [115]
		Best Story	Won
		Best for Tablets	Won
	App Store Awards	iPhone Game of the Year	Won	[116]
	The Game Awards 2023	Best Mobile Game	Won	[117]
2024	13th New York Game Awards	A-Train Award for Best Mobile Game	Won	[118]
	27th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards	Mobile Game of the Year	Nominated	[119] [120]
	Google Play Awards	Best Ongoing Game	Won
	Golden Joystick Awards	Still Playing Award (Mobile)	Won

Notes

1. Chinese :崩坏: 星穹铁道; pinyin :Bēnghuài: Xīngqióng Tiědào; lit.'Collapse: Starry Sky Railway'
2. In the announcement on the official English X account of the game, the voice actor for the game's English version of The Herta was not mentioned. However, Mattson voiced the puppet Herta.
3. In the English version of the game, Huohuo was originally voiced by Courtney Lin. However, due to unspecified reasons, she was replaced by Shipman. ^[36]
4. In the English version of the game, Tail was originally voiced by Adam Michael Gold. However, due to unspecified reasons, he was replaced by Veach. ^[37]
5. In the English version of the game, Moze was originally voiced by Chris Niosi. However, due to backlash after his past abuse allegations resurfaced, he was replaced by Balmaceda. ^{[41] [42]}
6. In the English version of the game, Tingyun was originally voiced by Laci Morgan. However, due to unspecified reasons, she was replaced by Floris. ^[44]
7. In the English version of the game, Argenti was originally voiced by Adam Michael Gold. However, due to unspecified reasons, he was replaced by Warburton. ^[37]

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Further reading

• Liao, Shannon (October 22, 2023). "With Bamboo and Jade, Silkpunk Rebuilds History". The New York Times .

External links

• Official website
• Honkai: Star Rail at MobyGames