Honkai: Star Rail’s story sometimes feels more like a whodunit mystery than the sci-fi epic that it’s poised to be. Every planet seems to have a stellaron-related conspiracy that the Astral Express crew, often coincidentally, helps its citizens uncover and solve. Each one is also aided by plot twists and multiverse references that keep players on their toes throughout each arc, and Honkai: Star Rail 3.4’s newly-released story does just that by uncovering a character detail that all but confirms a months-long fan theory.
The following discussion will feature major spoilers for Honkai: Star Rail V3.4’s and Honkai Impact 3rd's stories.
The game’s main cast is currently in Amphoreus, a hidden world ruled by a powerful group known as the Chrysos Heirs. As Trailblazers progress through the planet’s story, they learn that Amphoreus, like the other worlds they’ve visited before, is far from what it seems. Indeed, HSR Version 3.4’s story reveals the real origin of Amphoreus and its great hero, Phainon. Veteran Hoyoverse fans were quick to call out the striking resemblance of Phainon to Honkai Impact 3rd's Kevin Kaslana from the very start of Amphorerus' story, and a recent plotline in Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.4 all but confirms the link between the two.
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Honkai: Star Rail 3.4 Confirms That Phainon is a Reference to Honkai Impact 3rd’s Kevin Kaslana
Phainon is Kaslana
The latest story catches up with Phainon struggling with the enormous responsibility of being the only Chrysos Heir left in Amphoreus. He faces off against the Flame Reaver, the killer of his allies, and finds out through his opponent’s memories and the elder Lygus that Amphoreus is but a mere simulation that has been looping for millions of cycles now.
The game flashes back to Phainon’s previously unknown childhood in Aedes Elysiae. This is where he spent time training to be a hero with his childhood friend Cyrene, who called him by his real name: Khaslana. This all but confirms that Phainon is indeed a Hoyoverse variant or an “expy” of Honkai Impact 3rd’s Kevin Kaslana.
What Makes Phainon and Kevin Kaslana’s Tragic Journeys Similar
The game has cheekily hinted at the link between Kevin and Phainon from the start of Amphoreus’ arc. Apart from their looks and names, some of their other similarities include:
- The Heavy Burden of Deliverance: Kevin’s codename is “Deliverance,” while Phainon is often known for his title as the “Deliverer.” Those aliases are apt because of their destinies as heroes with the heavy burden of rescuing their respective worlds at all costs.
- Isolation and Self-Destruction: When Phainon first learned of Amphoreus’ truth, he refused to fulfill the prophecy of Era Nova, which would have destroyed the world and fulfilled its role as a tool for the Aeon of Destruction, Nanook. Instead, he let the simulation loop for millions of cycles, helplessly figuring out how to save Amphoreus from its destiny while repeatedly stopping Era Nova at any cost. This meant killing his fellow Chrysos Heirs and stealing their Coreflames. This process corrupted his body and turned him into the Flame Reaver, further isolating him from his beloved friends. Such was also the case for Kevin Kaslana, who also became an antagonist due to his turning into the Herrscher of Finality.
Kaslana and Khaslana’s Antagonistic and Heroic Ends
HSR’s Khaslana ends his journey by letting the Trailblazer fulfill Cyrene’s plan of capturing the Gaze of the Aeon of Remembrance, while he takes on Nanook in his final act of defiance and heroism. His transformation during his fight with Nanook also mirrors Kevin’s powerful Diabolic form.
Meanwhile, Honkai Impact 3rd’s Kaslana tries to save his world through Project Stigma, which has a high likelihood of killing the people it’s meant to save. In the end, Kevin’s plans to rescue the world did not pan out. He decided to put Earth’s fate in the future generation, letting his successor, Kiana, defeat him and carry on his hopes to save people from the Honkai. While Khaslana and Kevin Kaslana died without fully realizing their vision, they'll be remembered as heroes who sacrificed everything to save everyone.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 90%
- Released
- April 26, 2023
- ESRB
- Teen / Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, Simulated Gambling, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items), Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
- Publisher(s)
- HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unity
- Cross-Platform Play
- Limited
- Cross Save
- All platforms
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Turn-Based RPG
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC, Android, iOS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
- How Long To Beat
- 83 hours
