Are you Caelus or Stelle?
MiHoYo’s Honkai: Star Rail has officially launched, bringing us the next chapter in the Honkai series. That said, fans of MiHoYo’s arena fighter Honkai Impact 3rd will find Star Rail to be a notable change of pace. Not just in the switch to turn-based combat, but in how the game handles the main character.
Honkai Impact 3rd generally had an ensemble cast, with Kiana usually referred to as the protagonist. Star Rail instead veers closer to Genshin Impact and gives the main character privilege to an established avatar referred to as “Trailblazer.” Here’s how it works.
When you’ll meet the main character in Honkai: Star Rail
In the game’s tutorial, you won’t control your main character right away. Instead, you’ll initially play as a woman named Kafka in the opening act. The game throws quite a bit of lore at you, so describing the exact chain of events would keep us here all day. Just know that Kafka isn’t actually your main character.
Eventually, Kafka and her companion Silver Wolf will find and awaken the Trailblazer. At this stage, you can choose between two avatars. Stelle is the name of the female form, and the male form is called Caelus. Both feature identical stats, and you have the option to name whichever one you pick. In other words, choose the form that resonates with you the most.
Is the main character of Honkai: Star Rail a silent protagonist?
Like Genshin Impact, the main character of Honkai Star Rail does participate in the story. However, this is mostly in the form of unvoiced dialogue options. That said, they will be present in story cutscenes and take an active role there. Both options also feature voiced dialogue during battles. We’ve yet to confirm the voice actors for the Trailblazers as of writing.
That said, note that you don’t have to use the Trailblazer. Just like in Genshin Impact, you can form your party with any characters you recruit via the story or the gacha. The only exception are “trial” characters, who are forced to take a character slot during their respective story arcs. In other words, you may at least control who leads your party. Whether it’s the Trailblazer or someone else, pick the character that you like best.
