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Acheron (Honkai: Star Rail)

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Acheron
Honkai character
Official artwork
First gameHonkai: Star Rail (2024)
Voiced by
In-universe information
Full nameRaiden Bosenmori Mei
WeaponSword
HomeIzumo
Type
Lightning
Path
Nihility

Acheron (/ˈæˌkər.ɔːn/, ACK-er-on; Chinese: 黄泉; pinyin: Huángquán), real name Raiden Bosenmori Mei (雷电忘川守芽衣; Léidiàn Wàngchuānshǒu Yáyī), is a character in the video game Honkai: Star Rail, developed by miHoYo. She was released as a playable character in version 2.1 of the game on March 27, 2024. In the game, she is a drifter who claims to be a Galaxy Ranger, a vigilante who fights for justice and to protect the innocent. However, it is later revealed that this is a lie and that she is actually an Emanator of Nihility. She was received well by players and critics, who praised her storytelling and characterization. She was compared to Raiden Mei, a similar character from Honkai Impact 3rd, as well as the Raiden Shogun, a character from Genshin Impact, another game developed by miHoYo.

Creation and design

Information about Acheron was first released in winter 2023–2024 introducing her as a galactic traveler or drifter. It was also revealed that she had in her possession an invitation to the dream planet of Penacony, as well as the fact that she claimed to be a Galaxy Ranger but that her true identity was unknown.[2][3] In the game's lore, the Galaxy Rangers are a group who travels the cosmos to uphold justice and protect the innocent.[3] More information about Acheron was released on March 18, 2024, when miHoYo released her character trailer, "Rondo Across Countless Kalpas". In it, the character Black Swan muses about Acheron's identity and motives and speculates on who she really is. She also hinted that there was more to Acheron's past than meets the eye.[4] The two characters were also shown dancing with each other in the trailer, although the relationship between them is left vague.[5] miHoYo released another trailer on March 22 called "Kyoden: A Cleave Across the Transient World", in which hints of her mysterious past were revealed.[6][7] On March 25, her combat trailer, "Your Color", was released.[8][9][10] It showed Acheron fighting against illusions of Stellaron Hunters.[10] Interspersed with the combat scenes were shots of what appears to be the character Raiden Mei from Honkai Impact 3rd putting on makeup; at the end of the trailer, this was revealed to instead be Robin, a famous singer from the fictional planet of Penacony.[8][10] Acheron was released as a playable character in version 2.1 of the game on March 27, 2024.[9][11]

Acheron is voiced in English by Allegra Clark, in Chinese by Juhuahua, in Japanese by Miyuki Sawashiro, and in Korean by Park Ji-yoon [ko].[1] Sawashiro stated in an interview that Acheron does not talk much about herself, although she could not say for sure why this was. She added that Acheron had a cute side to her, stating that she loved peaches.[12] The development team characterized her as cold and reserved, but powerful and appealing.[13]

Appearances

Story

In version 2.2 of the game, Acheron revealed that her real name was Raiden Bosenmori Mei. She has a somewhat pessimistic view of the world,[14] but not entirely. She carries a long sword reminiscent of an ōdachi.[14][15] On her home planet, Izumo, people continuously forged weapons to slay monsters, but were trapped in an endless cycle of destruction and rebirth. Acheron realized this cycle was futile, so she cast everything aside and forged one final blade. This was due to her intense hatred for nothingness. With it, she stopped her homeland's eternal cycle and unknowingly became an Emanator of Nihility, also known as a Self-Annihilator. In the game's lore, the term "Emanator" refers to characters who have gained an Aeon's permission to draw power from the Path[a] governed by that Aeon; in Acheron's case, that would be the Aeon of Nihility.

In the game's main plot, the Trailblazer is about to arrive on the dream planet of Penacony and finds themselves in a dreamscape inside the grand Reverie Hotel. There, they meet Acheron, who guides them towards the dreamscape's exit, but not before telling them they evoke memories of someone she used to know.[b][3] She introduces herself as a Galaxy Ranger; this was later revealed to be a lie.[17] She mentions that she has issues with forgetfulness; she also experiences time in a not necessarily linear fashion.[18][19] She wakes them up by attacking them with her sword. Later on, she sees the Trailblazer inside their hotel room on Penacony talking with Aventurine, a senior executive of the Interastral Peace Corporation (IPC) and approaches the two, lying to Aventurine and claiming the room to be hers. Later, Acheron appears during an investigation into the planet's dreamscape alongside the character Black Swan, assisting them. When Firefly, one of the Trailblazer's allies, is seemingly killed in an attack in front of Acheron, she expresses regret over her inability to prevent it. Aventurine would later reveal that Acheron was an Emanator. He says he is unsure which Aeon granted Acheron their power, but speculates that it was either the Aeon of The Hunt, Destruction or Finality. Aventurine learns that Penacony's leadership hides secrets in deeper layers of the dreamscape and who wishes for them to relinquish control over the planet. He initiates combat against the Trailblazer and their friends including Acheron, which forces her to cut open the dreamscape with her sword and send him into the deeper layers of the dream; Acheron defeated Aventurine in a single blow.[3] Towards the end of the Penacony story arc, the Trailblazer can optionally choose to say goodbye to Acheron before heading back to the Astral Express and is given the chance to ask her if they have met before, as there was a time loop involved in said quest. Acheron reminisces about her old comrades and draws references from what she says are her "other selves" without elaboration as to who she was referring to.[20]

Gameplay

Acheron is a five-star Lightning-type character who follows the Path of the Nihility.[a] She functions as a DPS.[6][8] Her Basic Attack deals Lightning damage to a single enemy target. Her Skill causes her to gain a point of Slashed Dream and inflicts one stack of Crimson Knot on a single target, as well as dealing Lightning damage to said target and a smaller amount of damage to adjacent enemies. Her ultimate can only be used when Acheron has nine stacks of Slashed Dream and deals Lightning damage to all enemies, the amount of which multiplies depending on how many stacks of Crimson Knot were on a particular enemy.[21]

Promotion

In April 2024, miHoYo collaborated with the eyewear brand Zoff to launch a series of co-branded eyewear for Aventurine, Kafka, Dan Heng and Acheron.[22][23][24] That July, miHoYo collaborated with clothing designer M.RAGE to release a jackets inspired by Acheron and Silver Wolf for players in the U.S. and Canada. The collection was unveiled at Anime Expo in Los Angeles.[25] In October, the company's flagship store on the Chinese platform TMall released apparel inspired by Acheron that included bracelets, chokers, jackets, keycaps and umbrellas. Pre-orders started on October 31, and items started to arrive in December. Some users expressed dissatisfaction with the items though, saying they were ugly or did not have enough of Acheron's symbols on them, such as the red flowers which appear onscreen when she activates her ultimate.[26]

Reception

A cosplayer of Acheron, taken on November 2, 2024, the first day of the Asian Animation Creation Exhibition

Acheron was received generally positively by players and critics. Fans have expressed their appreciation by cosplaying as her.[27] The game experienced a significant increase in revenue in March 2024 when Acheron was released compared to the previous month, according to data from Sensor Tower.[28]

Acheron's trailers were received well. Editor Hilo of United Daily News, characterized the treatment she received in "Your Color" as "the best ever for a character trailer" and added that the trailer was nearly three minutes in length, whereas most other character trailers for the game were between one minute and fifty seconds and two minutes in length. They praised the quality of the trailer, stating that it allowed players to appreciate Acheron better.[29] In a brief analysis of "Kyoden: A Cleave Across the Transient World", critic Stephanie Liu of Siliconera indicated that there were references to Honkai Impact 3rd and Guns Girl Z in the trailer; specifically, the appearances of the voice actor for Kevin Kaslana and "Honkai World Diva" motifs in the trailer. Additionally, she compared Acheron's horns to those of the Herrscher of Thunder.[6]

Acheron has been viewed as cryptic and mysterious by critics. Writer Marco Wutz said that there appeared to be crying heard in Acheron's ultimate, writing that players had taken to giving her the nickname "the developers' favorite child", and they had been theorizing about her identity as an Emanator of Nihility since version 2.0 of the game. Wutz speculated that Acheron became so depressed that she stepped on the Path of Nihility,[30] despite hating the idea of nothingness. Wutz speculated that Acheron behaves as if she already knows what will come to pass in the future; in other words, that she experiences a time loop. Her actions, he writes, suggest precognition but a limited ability to change the future.[19] Yan Ku of Yahoo News correctly speculated that Acheron was an Emanator of Nihility before this information was confirmed ingame, arguing this was true because the character lacked a sense of direction and because there was a Nihility sigil on her splash art.[3]

Official artworks of Raiden Mei in Honkai Impact 3rd (left) and the Raiden Shogun in Genshin Impact (right)

The revelation of her real name, Raiden Bosenmori Mei, as well as other connections to Honkai Impact 3rd, was widely discussed. Writer Willa Rowe of Kotaku called it a "doozy of a reveal" and compared Raiden Mei to characters with the name "Raiden" in other miHoYo games, such as the Raiden Shogun in Genshin Impact. She wrote that the "Raiden" characters were all "some version of each other" and indicated that the dialogue between Acheron and the Trailblazer hinted heavily at the events of Honkai Impact 3rd. She said that Acheron is not the same Raiden Mei that appears in that game, but rather an alternate-universe version of her. Fans had already begun theorizing about her identity prior to the reveal due to the similarities between Acheron, Raiden Mei and the Raiden Shogun.[14] Rowe went further, comparing one of the game's cutscenes showing Acheron reaching out to the Trailblazer as they fall through the air to a similar shot from Honkai Impact 3rd in which Raiden Mei did the same to that game's protagonist, Kiana Kaslana.[14] One writer for Game Grape concurred, saying that miHoYo frequently copies characters between games to evoke a sense of déjà vu.[31] PCGamesN writer Whitney Meers speculated that Acheron was Raiden Mei's counterpart, or an expy, in Honkai: Star Rail. She added that Acheron is not the first character from the wider Honkai series to be included in Honkai: Star Rail, as the characters Himeko and Luocha both have counterparts in the game as well.[32] Liu said she saw Raiden Mei appear in "Your Color",[8] before it was revealed that it was actually Robin.[10]

Notes

  1. 1 2 In Honkai: Star Rail's lore, Paths are manifestations of universal philosophical concepts. A person is considered to be "on" a Path when their will overlaps with the characteristics of that Path. For example, characters on the Path of Remembrance often have something to do with memory. Only certain Paths are available for use in combat; characters who use other Paths in the lore are assigned alternative Paths that they use in combat instead. In combat, a Path defines a character's combat role and design philosophy. Characters on the Path of Nihility are known for applying debuffs to enemies.[16]
  2. ↑ Whom Acheron is referring to changes depending on whether the player selected the male or female Trailblazer at the start of the game. If the player chose Caelus, the male, she states that they "crossed blades", likely in reference to Kevin Kaslana from Honkai Impact 3rd. Otherwise, if the player chose Stelle, the female, she says they "stood shoulder to shoulder", which is likely a reference to Kiana Kaslana from the same game.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Tuting, Kristine "Kurisu" (May 6, 2025). "All Honkai Star Rail characters: Rarity, combat type, paths | ONE Esports". www.oneesports.gg. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  2. ↑ "「崩壊：スターレイル」，巡海レンジャーを自称する「黄泉」（CV：沢城みゆき）の情報を公式Xで公開". 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). January 23, 2024. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ku, Yan (February 20, 2024). "Honkai: Star Rail: What is Acheron's true identity and what role will she play in Penacony's story?". Yahoo News. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
  4. ↑ Honkai: Star Rail (March 18, 2024). Animated Short: Rondo Across Countless Kalpas | Honkai: Star Rail. Retrieved March 31, 2026 – via YouTube.
  5. ↑ Liu, Stephanie (March 19, 2024). "Black Swan and Acheron Share a Dance in Honkai: Star Rail Trailer". Siliconera. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 Liu, Stephanie (March 22, 2024). "Acheron Trailer For Honkai: Star is Full of References". Siliconera. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  7. ↑ Honkai: Star Rail (March 21, 2024). Myriad Celestia Trailer — "Kyoden: A Cleave Across the Transient World" | Honkai: Star Rail. Retrieved April 1, 2026 – via YouTube.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Liu, Stephanie (March 26, 2024). "Honkai: Star Rail Acheron Trailer Pits Her Against Sparkle". Siliconera. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
  9. 1 2 Edward (March 26, 2024). "《崩壞：星穹鐵道》釋出黃泉角色預告「你的顏色」 及角色活動躍遷介紹". 巴哈姆特電玩資訊站 (in Chinese). Retrieved March 24, 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Honkai: Star Rail (March 25, 2024). Acheron Trailer — "Your Color" | Honkai: Star Rail. Retrieved April 1, 2026 – via YouTube.
  11. ↑ Liu, Stephanie (March 16, 2024). "Release Date for Honkai: Star Rail Version 2.1 Falls in Late March 2024". Siliconera. Retrieved April 1, 2026.
  12. ↑ Honkai: Star Rail [@houkaistarrail] (March 27, 2024). "#崩壊スターレイル 声優コメント公開記念キャンペーン" (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved March 31, 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  13. ↑ Gravelle, Cody (April 8, 2024). "Honkai: Star Rail Interview: Penacony Reworks, Black Swan's Design, & Story Content Planning". ScreenRant. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Rowe, Willa (May 9, 2024). "What Honkai: Star Rail's Massive Acheron Reveal Means". Kotaku. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
  15. ↑ Spiers-Unwin, Ruby (November 28, 2024). "Every playable Honkai Star Rail character". Pocket Tactics. Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  16. ↑ Jain, Sanyam (April 29, 2023). "Honkai: Star Rail - Every Path, Explained". TheGamer. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  17. ↑ miHoYo. Honkai: Star Rail. Scene: Data Bank. Boothill: I ain't got no idea what her story is, nor why she's parading around as a Galaxy Ranger... but that's alright. If a fella like me can uphold the justice, it means there ain't just one road to righteousness!
  18. ↑ Jain, Sanyam (February 18, 2024). "Honkai Star Rail: The Complete Story of Penacony, Explained". TheGamer. Archived from the original on April 3, 2024. Retrieved April 1, 2026.
  19. 1 2 Wutz, Marco (February 12, 2024). "Honkai: Star Rail – On Acheron, Firefly, and time loops". Video Games on Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on February 14, 2024. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
  20. ↑ Enriquez, X. C. (June 27, 2024). "Honkai Star Rail: The Acheron scenario many players missed!". Esports. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
  21. ↑ Orr, Jessica (February 20, 2024). "Honkai Star Rail Acheron materials, kit, and Eidolons". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  22. ↑ 巴哈姆特. "《崩壞：星穹鐵道》x Zoff 聯名眼鏡今日開放預購 公開四種聯名眼鏡款式" [Honkai: Star Rail x Zoff Collaboration Eyewear Pre-orders Open Today; Four Collaboration Styles Revealed]. 巴哈姆特電玩資訊站 (in Chinese). Retrieved March 12, 2026.
  23. ↑ Stenbuck, Kite (March 19, 2024). "Zoff's Honkai: Star Rail Glasses Will Feature Four Characters". Siliconera. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
  24. ↑ Liu, Stephanie (April 26, 2024). "Here Are the Honkai: Star Rail Glasses From Zoff". Siliconera. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
  25. ↑ Skubich, Daz (June 30, 2024). "Race through cyberspace and protect yourself from Nihility's rain with M.RAGE's new Honkai Star Rail jackets". Pocket Tactics. Retrieved April 1, 2026.
  26. ↑ Liu, Stephanie (October 25, 2024). "Honkai: Star Rail's Acheron Inspires New Apparel and Keycaps". Siliconera. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
  27. ↑ Lin, Zhuoheng (May 2, 2024). "伊織萌Cos崩壞星穹鐵道黃泉超型出場｜海洋公園合作活動現場直擊｜遊戲動漫". HK01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved March 24, 2026.
  28. ↑ Hyeon, Nam-il (April 17, 2024). "3월 가장 많은 매출을 기록한 서브컬처 게임은?". ThisIsGame (in Korean). Retrieved April 1, 2026.
  29. ↑ Hilo (March 26, 2024). "頂級禮遇！《崩壞：星穹鐵道》揭黃泉角色預告 畫質片長都是歷來最強" [Premium Treatment! Honkai: Star Rail Reveals Acheron's Character Trailer: Best in Quality and Length to Date]. UDN. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
  30. ↑ Wutz, Marco (March 26, 2024). "New Honkai: Star Rail Trailer Confirms Major Acheron Fan Theory". Yahoo Life. Retrieved April 1, 2026.
  31. ↑ Qiuqiu (July 12, 2024). "坏了，这下真是为米哈游卖命了". 游戏葡萄 (in Chinese) – via Weixin.
  32. ↑ Mears, Whitney (December 8, 2023). "Honkai Star Rail's new character Acheron is another familiar face". PCGamesN. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
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