Summary
Since the beginning of the Xianzhou Luofu arc inHonkai: Star Rail, many fans had become invested in the lore of the High Cloud Quintet. This influential group composed of Jing Yuan, Yingxing (now known as Blade), Imbibitor Lunae (also known as Dan Feng/Dan Heng), Jingliu, and the late Baiheng. The attention was mostly centered onBlade’s apparent hatred of Dan Heng, and the past they shared before they were banished from the Xianzhou.
Blade’s immortalityand the crimes of Imbibitor Lunae opened up a lot of theories. It was believed that Imbibitor Lunae tried to revive the former, which people thought was due to their close bond.Honkai: Star Railfans had different interpretations of this bond, ranging from being close friends to possibly being romantic. With the recent release ofHonkai: Star RailVersion 1.4, players found out the real reason behind the characters' falling out, and the eventual downfall of the High Cloud Quintet.
RELATED:The Unwritten Rules of Playing Honkai: Star Rail’s Luocha Explained
The High Cloud Quintet Story Backlash
Honkai: Star RailVersion 1.4 released the Jingliu Companion Mission “Clouds Leave No Trace,” which was the conclusion to the High Cloud Quintet storyline. It pretty much filled in some of the gaps in not only Jingliu’s story, but also Blade/Yingxing and Imbibitor Lunae’s past. The main thing it clarified was Imbibitor Lunae’s crime, and it wasn’t what many fans expected it to be.
Contrary to previous theories, Imbibitor Lunae didn’t use the Transmutation Arcanum to revive a dying Yingxing. He used it on Baiheng, who was killed during the battle of Shuhu, an Abundance Emanator. Yingxing assisted him by using Shuhu’s flesh. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. Imbibitor Lunae was arrested for his crimes against the Xianzhou Luofu, forced to go through a hatching rebirth, resulting to himreincarnating into Dan Heng, and was ultimately banished. Yingxing, on the other hand, turned into an “immortal abomination.”
ManyHonkai: Star Railplayers seemed to take issue with the direction of the High Cloud Quintet’s story. There were a number of accusations against a male HoYoverse writer, who allegedly changedImbibitor Lunaeand Blade’s story, and fridged Baiheng on purpose to anger the female fanbase. Many fans also pulled up an alleged misogynistic post by the writer to support these claims. Meanwhile, other fans thought that the alleged misogyny was a separate issue altogether.
In the past,Honkai: Star Railnever stated with finality that Imbibitor Lunae tried to revive Blade. It was simply a running theory based on the information available to players prior to the release of Version 1.4. It also seemed like the frustrations stemmed from the expectation that the characters were, in fact, romantically involved. It’s true thatLGBTQ+ players could relate to certainHonkai: Star Railcharacters, including Imbibitor Lunae and Blade, but again, nothing was confirmed outright.
On the other side of the discussion, manyHonkai: Star Railfans expressed their confusion over the backlash. They said thatJingliu’s Companion Mission provided ample explanation on what happened to the High Cloud Quintet, especially Baiheng’s tragic fate. While they also admitted that there were a couple plot holes, the story still managed to answer a lot of important questions. What was evident was that Imbibitor Lunae wanted to resurrect someone important to him; that he was willing to risk his status as the High Elder of the Vidyadhara and break Xianzhou laws to do so. The person was Baiheng, who was their good friend. It was also implied that Yingxing might have had feelings for her too since he made a flagon for her.
It can be incredibly frustrating when a game’s story doesn’t go the direction one wanted. However, it’s crucial to remember that not all theories are always going to become canon events. Games likeHonkai: Star Railhave a deep lore that’s still unfinished, so it can be misunderstood at times. There’s nothing wrong with theory crafting, but at the end of the day, the best course of action is to wait for the developer to make things official, as doing otherwise runs the risk of being disappointed.
Honkai: Star Railis now available on Mobile, PC, and PS5.
