If you’ve spent any time bouncing between Honkai Impact 3rd and Honkai Star Rail, you’ve probably caught little hints that the two games share more than just “Honkai” in their name. A familiar character name here, a throwaway line referencing events you remember from another story there, it’s enough to make you stop and ask how are Honkai Impact and Star Rail connected. I’ve played both titles since their respective launches, and I’ve spent way too much time digging through hidden lore, cross-over event details, and developer comments to break down every confirmed link between the two. You don’t have to be a deep cut HoYoverse lore nerd to follow along, either – I’m keeping this accessible for casual players and long-time fans alike.
The Honkai Multiverse Framework That Ties Both Games Together
Before we get into specific character cameos and easter eggs, it’s important to understand the base worldbuilding that lets both games exist in the same overarching universe. HoYoverse uses a core multiverse system for all of its games, built around the Imaginary Tree and Sea of Quanta. The Imaginary Tree holds every existing “main” universe, while the Sea of Quanta is a chaotic void surrounding it that holds fragmented bubble universes born from what-if scenarios and collapsed timelines. The "Honkai" term itself is the core unifying concept across all of these universes, even if it looks different depending on the world you’re in.
In Honkai Impact 3rd, the Honkai manifests as a world-ending disaster that targets advanced civilizations, sending powerful Herrschers to wipe out humanity when they reach a certain technological level. In Honkai Star Rail, the same core force is often referred to as “Corrosion”, a destructive energy that eats away at planets, Aeons, and even the Paths that all characters draw their powers from. It’s the same fundamental evil, just adapted to fit the tone and setting of each game. That means every world you visit in Star Rail exists on a different branch of the same Imaginary Tree that Honkai Impact’s Earth sits on, so crossovers aren’t just fan service – they’re canonically possible.
You don’t need to memorize all the multiverse rules to enjoy either game, of course. But knowing that framework makes all the little references you spot feel far more intentional, rather than just lazy reuses of popular character designs. HoYoverse has been building this multiverse for over a decade now, so even the smallest nods are almost always intentional.
Confirmed Canon Links That Show How Are Honkai Impact and Star Rail Connected
The most obvious and confirmed link between the two games is Welt Yang, a playable 5-star Imaginary Nihility character in Star Rail who originated as a core main character in Honkai Impact 3rd. For context, Welt was the 2nd Herrscher of Reason in Honkai Impact, a hero who spent decades protecting his Earth from Honkai attacks. After the events of Honkai Impact’s A Post Honkai Odyssey (APHO) arc, which takes place 8 years after the main story ends, Welt travels through the Sea of Quanta to explore other worlds, eventually ending up on the Astral Express with Himeko, March 7th, and the rest of the Star Rail cast.
He’s not a variant or a different version of the character, either – he’s the exact same Welt from Honkai Impact’s main timeline, and he often makes offhand references to his past life if you listen to his voice lines carefully. He even brought the 2nd Divine Key, the Star of Eden, with him to Star Rail, which is why his ultimate ability lets him create black holes and manipulate gravity. Captainverse crossover event released in 2023 also confirmed the link canon, where the nameless captain from Honkai Impact’s alternate event timeline travels to the Star Rail universe to rescue Pom-Pom from a time anomaly. The event had exclusive rewards for players of both games, and HoYoverse confirmed it counts as official canon for both titles.
There are also smaller canon links scattered across Star Rail’s worlds that you might miss if you haven’t played Honkai Impact. For example, the Bronya you meet on Jarilo-VI is a variant of the Bronya Zaychik from Honkai Impact, sharing her signature ice powers, leadership skills, and even her love of sweet snacks. Kalpas nod in HSR's Jarilo-VI underworld is another easy one to spot: the masked, flame-wielding fighter in the underworld fight club is a direct reference to the Flame Chaser Kalpas from Honkai Impact’s Elysian Realm arc, right down to his rage-fueled fighting style and hatred of authority. If you’ve played that arc, the second you see him you’ll immediately recognize the reference.
Gameplay Easter Eggs and Shared Systems Across Both Titles
It’s not just lore that links the two games, either. HoYoverse has carried over plenty of gameplay systems, design choices, and tiny easter eggs that reward players who have experience with both titles. For starters, both games use nearly identical gacha systems, with 90 pull pity for 5-star characters, a 50/50 chance to get the featured limited character, and a guaranteed limited character if you lose the 50/50. If you’re used to the gacha rhythm in Honkai Impact, you’ll pick up Star Rail’s system instantly with no learning curve.
Shared character design motifs are another common link across both games. Almost every variant of Seele across the multiverse has quantum element powers and uses a scythe as her weapon, and that holds true for both Honkai Impact’s Seele Vollerei and Star Rail’s Seele from Jarilo-VI. Similarly, Fu Hua variants almost always have ties to fire or imaginary element, and have a background as a wise, ancient warrior protecting humanity. These consistent design choices make it easy to spot familiar faces even when they’re in an entirely different universe.
If you keep your eyes open as you play through Star Rail’s story, you’ll spot dozens of tiny easter eggs referencing Honkai Impact. Some of the easiest ones to find include:
One common question I get from new players is if there’s any cross-progression between the two games, and the short answer is no. There are no cross-game progression links right now, so your characters, crystals, or items in Honkai Impact won’t carry over to Star Rail, and you won’t get any exclusive in-game rewards in Star Rail for having a high level Honkai Impact account. HoYoverse has said they have no plans to add cross-progression, since the two games are designed to be standalone experiences that anyone can enjoy without playing the other first.
What Future Connections We Might See Between The Two Games
HoYoverse has teased that we’ll see more links between Honkai Impact and Star Rail in future updates, though they’ve promised to keep them subtle enough that players who only play one game won’t get confused. The most common fan theory right now is that more Honkai Impact characters will appear as playable or NPCs in future Star Rail planets. Characters like Fu Hua, Kiana Kaslana, and Mei Raiden are all top candidates for cameos, since they’re some of the most popular characters in Honkai Impact’s roster, and their powers fit perfectly into Star Rail’s Path and Element system.
We’re also likely to see more cross-over events like the 2023 Captainverse event, which gave players of both games free rewards like characters, light cones, and in-game currency. These events are usually low-stakes, fun side stories that don’t interfere with the main plot of either game, so they’re a perfect way to reward long-time fans without alienating new players. If you missed the first Captainverse event, don’t worry – HoYoverse usually reruns popular cross-over events every 12 to 18 months, so you’ll likely get another chance to play it.
If you want to be prepared for any future references or cross-over content, you don’t have to play all 7 years of Honkai Impact’s story to catch up. The only arc you really need to be familiar with is the A Post Honkai Odyssey arc, which covers Welt’s backstory and how he ended up on the Astral Express. There are dozens of free, 10 to 15 minute recap videos online that cover all the key details, so you can get up to speed in less than an hour if you want to understand all of Welt’s references in Star Rail.
At the end of the day, how are Honkai Impact and Star Rail connected comes down to a shared multiverse framework, canon cross-over characters like Welt Yang, and hundreds of tiny easter eggs that reward long-time HoYoverse fans. The best part is that none of these links get in the way of enjoying either game as a standalone experience. If you only want to play Star Rail, you’ll never be confused by references to Honkai Impact events, because the devs make sure all necessary context is given for any cross-over characters or plot points. If you play both, you get the added fun of spotting little nods that feel like inside jokes between you and the development team. I still get giddy every time I spot a new Honkai Impact reference in a Star Rail update, and I can’t wait to see what links the devs add next.
