Honkai: Star Rail’s upcoming Amphoreus arc is heavily inspired by Greek mythology, from the illustrations in the “Golden Epic” trailer to the inspirations behind the Chrysos Heirs. The much-awaited chapter will arrive inHonkai: Star RailVersion 3.0 this January, and there’s already an exciting lineup of characters to look forward to.
As many would know, stories based on Greek mythology always include the 12 Olympians in some way, because they are the most well-known characters. The trope has become predictable at this point, andHonkai: Star Railcould easily go this route in the Amphoreus arc. But based on the initial teasers for theGreek-inspired Amphoreus charactersand the overall worldbuilding, the HoYoverse title may just stand out.
Honkai: Star Rail Veering Away From the Usual Greek Myth Trope is a Good Thing
According to legend, Amphoreus and its people were molded by 12 Titans, who were born from the Coreflames. They watched over different facets of humanity and nature, like the sky and death. Civilization thrived under the guidance of the Titans, until a phenomenon called the “heretical black tide” drove the powerful beings to madness, which eventually caused the millennium-long war between mortals and gods.
At first glance, the Titans are equivalent to the Olympians, but they aren’t the main characters in Amphoreus. They are now represented by their respective Chrysos Heirs, who are prophesied to pluck the Coreflames and revive the planet from the consuming darkness. In fact, they seem to be similar toGenshin Impact’s Archons, who could also have heirs to take up the mantle of presiding over Teyvat’s regions.
Known Titans of Amphoreus
In the case of the known Chrysos Heirs so far, they seem to be based on some lesser-known gods and deities from Greek mythology. For example, the upcoming 5-starcharacter Tribbie has three faces, just like Hecate and the Fates. Another upcoming5-starHonkai: Star Railcharacter named Mydei, who’s also known as Mydeimos, is likely based on Deimos, a deity personifying fear and the son of Ares and Aphrodite. It’s good thatHonkai: Star Railis veering away from the usual Greek myth trope of featuring Olympians, not only because it will differentiate Amphoreus' story from other Greek-inspired stories, but also puts the spotlight on more characters from the source material.
Similarly, this is the route that theHadesseries went on, as it featuresZagreus and Melinoe as the main protagonists. While the games do feature the Olympians and other beloved characters from Greek mythology, like Achilles, Heracles, and Odysseus, developer Supergiant Games took great care in adding more depth to the characters' stories and personalities, especially for lesser-known gods and deities. That way, more people could learn about these characters beyond just the Olympians, and see them in a different light.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time HoYoverse has tackled mythology in its games.Honkai Impact 3rdhas elements inspired by Norse mythology, as evidenced by the powerful female warriors known as Valkyries. It also introduced the Imaginary Tree, which isHonkai Impact 3rd’s version of Yggdrasil, the tree that connects different worlds. The Imaginary Tree is also believed to be the vessel thatconnects the worlds and universes within the HoYoverse multiverse.
As the fourth major planet inHonkai: Star Rail, there’s a lot riding on Amphoreus to bring something fresh and new, especially with the promise that it’s going to be inspired by Ancient Greece. IfHonkai: Star Rail’s recent “Of Titans and Mortal Realms: Ancient Hymn” traileris any indication of what’s to come, then avid players might be in for an exciting story and an expansive world in the next few months.
Honkai: Star Rail
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