We had already gone through the phase where HoYoverse had an artist’s block when fans complained about the characters of The Xianzhou Luofu. This was specifically when the female characters had very similar outfits. Fortunately, with Penacony, the designs felt like something fresh. However, in Version 3.0, it is no longer about the look of the characters because, as a new planet, the clothing style will be more similar to ancient Greece. Yet the lack of creativity lies in the fact that lately, many of the 5-star male characters of Honkai Star Rail are part of the Imaginary element.
Does Honkai Star Rail Really Have So Many Imaginary Characters?
For this year’s banners, it has become increasingly evident that Honkai Star Rail has some elements and Paths that it prefers over others. Initially, Welt and Luocha in Version 1.1 were the first to be part of this element, but with the patches, more and more Imaginary characters arrived at the speed of the Astral Express. The next character to follow was Dan Heng Imbibitor Lunae for 1.3, and then Dr. Ratio for 1.6, before the start of Penacony. Aventurine took part in the banners in Version 2.1 and, finally, Sunday in the update 2.7.
Indeed, there are more patches between Aventurine and Sunday, but also more Imaginary characters are involved. For example, the Trailblazer got their new element in 2.2, March 7th in update 2.4, and finally, Rappa in 2.6. But that’s not all, as some of the official artwork of the new 5-star Amphoreus’s characters, Aglaea, Tribbie, and Mydei, are already available. With the introduction of Mydei, came the revelation that he is also Imaginary.
How Can Honkai Balance the Scales?
The developers need to start looking at other elements; although it is evident that they have a whole plan to use the Paths and types that they planned, surely they can find a way to make it more varied. For example, Ice has only a few 5-star males, Gepard, Yanqing, and soon Trailblazer. Also, Jiaoqiu and the Trailblazer are the only ones of the Fire element. In general, in Honkai Star Rail ,there are many 5-star female characters in any element, but only a couple of 5-star male characters that are not Imaginary.
One of the gamers’ complaints is that Mydei’s design because he looks like he could be a great Fire character. However, unlike Genshin Impact, in Honkai Star Rail, the characters don’t have to match their element with the colors they wear on their clothes. For example, Venti has a signature light green color and is Anemo (Wind), but Firefly, with greenish hues, is of the Fire element.
Personally, I love the designs of most of the characters in all the HoYoverse games, but it is evident that we need more variety. Fans also want to see other types of combinations for the new character kits. Fortunately, with Amphoreus also comes the Path of Remembrance, which can bring many new character options.
