The Mind-Blowing Nexus: Untangling the Intricate Links Between Genshin Impact, Honkai Star Rail, and Honkai Impact 3rd

MiHoYo frequently incorporates characters with diverse settings and scenarios in its games. This is evident in the cases of Bronya and Silver Wolf, as Bronya is a playable character in both Honkai Impact 3rd and Honkai Star Rail. While Silver Wolf's appearance and abilities are based on a skin of Bronya's in Honkai Impact, she has developed her own identity in Star Rail. It is worth noting that despite characters transitioning between games, their appearances, personalities, and skills vary significantly. Consequently, some fans may question the connection or lack thereof between these three games.

Released on April 26, 2023, Honkai Star Rail is the most recent installment in miHoYo's mainline series. It follows the enormous success of Genshin Impact, which debuted in 2020. It can be argued that the success of both games can be attributed to Honkai Impact 3rd, released in 2016, as it established miHoYo's distinct visual style and narrative approach. Both of the latest games pay tribute to Honkai Impact in various ways, but the most noteworthy is the inclusion of shared characters.

The Connection Between miHoYo Games Explained

In 2020, miHoYo's Honkai Impact 3rd's Fallen Rosemary trailer provided subtle hints connecting the game to their other titles, attracting the attention of devoted fans. The trailer showcased an interview with the game's story writer, delving into the concluding section of Honkai Impact 3rd's 17th chapter. Within this segment, Overseer Otto is shown utilizing the Imaginary Tree to observe alternate worlds, catching a glimpse of Genshin Impact's Dvalin, one of Teyvat's elemental dragons.

Within the world of Honkai Impact 3rd, the Imaginary Tree stands as the source of life, the universe, and bubble worlds. This parallels the Tree of Yggdrasil from Norse mythology, a common trend among miHoYo games which frequently draw inspiration from various mythologies. However, the Imaginary Tree surpasses its Norse counterpart in size and grandeur. It boasts an elaborate network of countless branches, each representing a distinct civilization, with its leaves representing self-contained bubble universes. In contrast, Yggdrasil only encompasses nine realms.

Official and specific information regarding the concept of a bubble universe has yet to be disclosed in any miHoYo games' lore. Speculation among fans suggests that these bubble universes may be parallel universes. This notion could explain why multiple versions of a character exist in various titles, each with distinct personalities and life paths.

An example of this can be seen in the character Himeko from Honkai Star Rail and Honkai Impact 3rd. In Honkai Impact, Himeko is portrayed as a scientist and a member of the Assault Squad who later transitions into a teaching role. However, in Star Rail, she also assumes the role of a scientist but lacks any recollection of her past, except for the knowledge that she embarked on her journey by repairing the Astral Express.

MiHoYo’s CEO has That Genshin Impact Exists in the “Honkai Universe”

At a recent Game Development Conference (GDC), Haoyu Cai, the CEO of miHoYo, discussed their motivation for creating Genshin Impact. He refuted claims that they merely hopped on the open-world game trend during its release. Instead, he clarified that miHoYo has aimed to build a "Honkai universe" since 2014. Additionally, in the same month as the conference, the company launched its publishing subsidiary called "HoYoverse" catering to non-Chinese markets, which is now their official name. This name possibly alludes to the interconnectedness of their major titles.

Without a doubt, miHoYo's Honkai Impact 3rd, Genshin Impact, and Honkai Star Rail have connections evident in the in-game lore and developer interviews. However, it appears that they do not coexist within the same canon or storyline. Instead, they can be viewed as parallel universes of each other, similar to the concept portrayed in the Spider-Verse movies or the multiverse of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Honkai Star Rail is available now for mobile devices, PC, PS4, and PS5.