Basically this post is a copy paste from my post on reddit You can check it here
There are still many people who are still confused about the context and the exact timeline of this game, so I hope this post can help you understand and enjoy star rail even more. And as we all know, not all of the star-rail players only come from honkai, this post was also made for new players to familiarize themself with honkai world.
( English is not my first language, sorry if there is a spelling mistake )
== Context , Spinoff , Sequel & Prequel ==
Honkai: Star rail is a spinoff of Honkai Impact 3rd and also a sequel to APHO
Honkai impact 3rd doesn't mean this is the third game of Honkai series, this is just a reference to the third impact in the game
to give you the context,
Honkai Impact 3rd is a game about humanity's struggle to fight the Honkai, an apocalyptic force that threatens to destroy the world.
Honkai itself is a natural phenomenon designed by the Cocoon of Finality to test the limits of humanity. The strength and power of Honkai will always match the progress of human technology. Designed by the Cocoon of Finality, Honkai constantly pressures humanity to the point where they can embrace Honkai and ascend to the same level as the Cocoon
A Post Honkai Odyssey (APHO) is one of the open-world maps that are available in honkai impact 3rd, the story takes place 8 years after the main story ends (around the year 2025 ). ( spoiler) Humanity has succeeded in sealing 99% of the honkai to the moon, making human civilization prosper and live in peace……but not for long.
An unknown alien force called Sky people invaded the earth to harvest the remaining honkai energy and plotted to annihilate mankind, APHO revolves around earth trying to defend against Sky people's invasion.
The story of Honkai: Star Rail takes place after the events of APHO and is covered in Alien Space Manga ( the year 2029 ) where Welt and Void archives ( A Divine key possessing Otto's Solium Clone ) tries to save another world from the reach of Sky people. This manga is basically a Prequel to star rail, so I strongly suggest reading this.
Chad Welt
Conversation between Welt and Void Archives
The journey across the stars......begin
Also, Welt particularly visited this star rail universe because it seems sky people took an interest on this universe's Himeko (look at the red-haired person below the second text bubble). Welt then immediately had the intention to save that world.
oh no.....not again.....not himeko
The Parallel Universe
Why do the characters I know from Honkai (Bronya, Himeko, Selee) act and sound different in star rail?
Aside from appearance and voice, they are indeed different characters. Completely different backgrounds and stories because this is a different world/universe than what is currently in-game ( Honkai ). Except for Welt and Void archives, they are the visitor of this universe.
Welt's splash art from star-rail. Void archives vibing in the background
Will I enjoy this game without knowing about Honkai Impact 3rd at all?
No need to worry about whether you need to know about Honkai3rd or not, Mihoyo certainly will find a way to make this game accessible to people who have never played Honkai3rd. After all, this is a game aimed for a new audience and it's also set in a different world, so you might miss some minor details but won't be completely clueless about the game's plot.
Edit 1:
As we can see from the beta version, HI3rd and Star rail have very separate and different story plots. This is further proof that you don't need to know much about HI3rd to be able to play star rail.
Things you might need to consider knowing are Welt's motivations, Imaginary Tree, and Sea of Quanta
Edit 2 :
Reburn 2 animation ( welt and carole animation ) is most likely not canon , since it contradicts a lot of present information, so don't care too much about it
The train that Himeko uses in Star Rail is not the second divine key Cosmic Juggernaut; it's an entirely different train called Astral Express, which was built by Akavili, the Aeon of Tralblaze
For new players who want to understand about Honkai, this is what you can do:
- Watch Honkai lore Videos ( links at the bottom )
- Read Honkai mangas ( especially alien Space )
- If you don't have the time to play honkai but wants to know about the story, you can watch recordings of Honkai3rd chapters
- Well....play Honkai Impact 3rd....this is the best method to understand the honkai saga
Useful Links
Basic Honkai lore video: link
Alien Space Manga: link
List of all the Mangas : link
Reading Order of Honkai mangas ( if you are interested in fully dives into Honkai lore): link
Recordings of all the Honkai3rd chapters: link
Honkai 3rd Wiki : link
Best beginner Guide to playing Honkai Impact 3rd: link
