7 Must-Have Characters for Honkai Star Rail: From Aliens to Fallen Deities

Archetypes play a significant role in anime and anime-like media, particularly character archetypes. In this context, archetypes refer to a group of characters that share a core idea, whether in their personality or design. Despite some viewers growing tired of the recurring "hot-blooded delinquent" character, such as Josuke Joestar, these types of street punks continue to appear because they are popular among audiences.

Honkai: Star Rail already features 24 characters with various archetypes in design, personality, and fighting styles. According to a recent leak of over 20 characters, it is likely that new archetypes, such as Luka or Xueyi, are currently in development. However, there are still some iconic stereotypes that Honkai: Star Rail should incorporate into playable characters in the future.

7 Airheaded Or Too 'Pure' For This World Casanova

Honkai Impact needs a lovable, yet simple-minded character archetype to join the playable cast. This character would embody a stereotypically attractive or muscular appearance, with a personality that is overly kind or lacking in intelligence. This type of character is commonly referred to as a 'himbo', although it may not be the most endearing term. The himbo archetype typically serves as a dependable ally who is passionate about physical fitness or food, a 'street punk' with a heart of gold, or a determined protagonist who charges forward with little regard for consequences. While Gepard and Sampo from HSR come close to fitting this archetype, they are ultimately too serious and intelligent for the role.

6 The 'Larger Than Life' Performer

There's no denying that Serval fits the 'rocker' archetype in Honkai Impact 3rd, but there are other fine arts-based archetypes that could be explored in the game and anime. The 'idol' or 'singer' archetype, for instance, has been approached in different ways by designers, as seen with Dorothea from Three Houses and Barbara from Genshin Impact. Even Azura from Fire Emblem: Fates could work, albeit with a more stoic personality.

With Honkai: Star Rail being a space-based series, it would be fitting to introduce a futuristic opera singer to match the Space Opera vibe. A character like Diva Plavalaguna from The Fifth Element would be a great example of this archetype, and having a Ruby Rhod-type manager character alongside her would add an interesting dynamic. It would be fascinating to see how the 'idol' concept is portrayed in a futuristic setting where everyone lives among the stars.

5 The Unhinged & (Sometimes) Incomprehensible Explosives Expert

Honkai: Star Rail has excelled in providing a diverse range of standard and unique weapons for its characters to use. Unlike Genshin Impact, where characters are restricted to specific weapon types, Honkai: Star Rail uses Light Cones and Paths to allow for more freedom in combat. For instance, Himeko wields a combat drone that doubles as a giant pizza cutter, while Hook, a child character, uses a massive claw-shaped mining device called the Diggertron to defend herself. Although Hook has an explosive Ultimate attack, her resemblance to Klee from Genshin ends there, as she is not an explosives specialist. Nonetheless, players enjoy characters like Ziggs from League of Legends or Junkrat from Overwatch who thrive on big booms. If Honkai: Star Rail were to introduce an explosives expert, it would likely be a character similar to Tiny Tina from Borderlands rather than Junkrat.

4 The All-Flair No Substance Wrestler

Skullgirls,

King from Tekken,

Haggar from Final Fight,

Zangief from Street Fighter, and

Macho Man Randy Savage from WWE.

Skullgirls.

Rainbow Mika (and Znagief) from the

Street Fighter

games.

Characters who fight with unconventional weapons or styles have always been a fan favorite in the gaming world, and the Tekken games have provided some of the most iconic examples of this trend. King and Armor King are prime examples of Destruction-Path characters who use chairs and suplexes to take down their opponents in the most stylish and entertaining way possible. It is a concept that is too good to pass up on, and hopefully, HoYoverse will take notice and incorporate it into their game. While Luka may be the closest character to this archetype, we won't know for sure until he is released and players get their hands on him.

3 Sociopathic Jester Or Clown

Aha, the leader of the Path of Elation, is an Aeon in the HSR world who embodies pranks, humor, chaos, tragedy, and nihilism. Similar to Norse God Loki or the Laughing God Cegorach, Aha presents an intriguing opportunity for Mihoyo to create a jester or jokester character who follows him and prioritizes humor over everything else. While the typical representation of this archetype is someone like Harley Quinn or the Joker, HSR lore suggests that Aha also recognizes and grants powers to those who stand in opposition to him, such as the Mourning Actors. This alternative archetype route could be explored for an Aha-inspired character.

2 A 'Fish Out Of Water' Alien Character

While the likelihood of this archetype being represented in Honkai: Star Rail is quite low, it would definitely add an interesting element to the story. The main cast travels across the galaxy on a space train, similar to the Enterprise in Star Trek. However, unlike the Enterprise, the Astral Express lacks 'actual' alien species. Though players have encountered non-human races like the Foxians and Vidyadhara, they are too similar to humans to truly count. It would be fascinating to see Mihoyo's interpretation of a more alien-looking extraterrestrial character, such as Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy, Liara T'Soni from Mass Effect, or Starfire from Teen Titans. It doesn't have to be as extreme as H.R. Giger's Alien, but something different would be refreshing.

1 The 'Fallen Diety' Or A Forgotten Aeon

It would be a game-changer if the HoYoverse team could introduce a playable Aeon in the future. However, the powerful nature of the Aeons, such as Aha, Qlipoth, and Nanook, would make them overpowered compared to human characters like March 7th. While it would be interesting to see godlike beings interacting with humans from a story standpoint, it would be challenging to balance the gameplay. One potential solution could be introducing a fallen Aeon like Tayzzyronth, who may be dead but could have an avatar or amnesiac counterpart that could work as a playable character. The leaked details of Screwllum's phone case in Honkai: Star Rail, featuring an insect, might hint at Tayzzyronth's appearance.

Honkai: Star Rail is available now for PC and mobile devices. PS4 and PS5 versions are in development.