In Honkai: Star Rail, each character belongs to a specific Path. These Paths are represented by god-like beings known as Aeons, considered celestial beings who freely roam the vast, infinite cosmos. It seems they can exert influence on the world.
While the Aeons exist as beings in the broader game, they are also a gameplay mechanic in Herta's Simulated Universe. Inside this simulation, the Aeons offer boons and buffs based on their archetypal Path. The Hunt specialises in damage, while the Abundance is all about healing your wounds. Outside of the Simulated Universe, what do the Aeons want, and who are they?
Who Exactly Are The Aeons?
Honkai defines the Aeons in-game as "mysterious existences" in the universe. Importantly, it is said that mortal beings are unable to perceive them due to limited capacities of cognition. Aeons are simultaneously considered God-like while also personifying and embodying philosophical concepts.
The Aeons are effectively considered Gods in the world of Honkai. If you read through the Data Bank entries for them, you will see that they are credited with influencing or creating aspects of the universe and laying down the building blocks for the rest of life on each planet.
Akivilli, for example, is credited as laying down the tracks for the Astral Express, linking worlds together and letting the train traverse the sea of stars.
Qlipoth, the Aeon of The Preservation Path, is thought to be the oldest, and they are obsessed with creating a wall, a powerful barrier to protect the worlds from a distant calamity.
Each Aeon rules over a Path in Honkai, which are ways of thinking or acting that every character aligns with. If you happen to be involved in the Path of any Aeon, this is described almost as a form of enlightenment, explained in the game with the following passage:
If anyone can tread on a Path ruled by an Aeon, they will be inundated by a distant sensation, like being struck by a glance from light-years away across the galaxy.
As we know from cutscenes and dialogue, the Aeons have a crucial and mysterious role to play in the story, with our main character tied closely to the Trailerblazer, The Destruction, and The Preservation.
Importantly, it seems that anything can actually 'ascend' into Aeonhood, but how this happens is unknown.
Somehow, a computer made by humans called Nous ascended to Aeonhood and became the Erudition.
As of patch 1.0, there are seven Paths available to the characters we have. As a gameplay consideration, these Paths dictate a playable character's role in combat. These are:
- The Preservation - provides shields and defensive buffs.
- The Destruction - damage dealers who can tank hits.
- The Hunt - single-target DPS, typically your main DPS role.
- The Erudition - specialises in AoE damage, helping with crowd control.
- The Harmony - provides various buffs to your party members.
- The Nihility - specialises in rebuffing enemies, making them weaker.
- The Abundance - the healers of your group, keeping you in the fight and healthy.
Currently Known Aeons
In Honkai: Star Rail's Data Bank, you can see all known Aeons in the story thus far. You haven't met all of them yet, and it is a safe assumption that more of these Aeons will be officially introduced as more patches, characters, Paths, and story content is released.
Outside of the seven we've met in-game, you will have seen through trailers and other in-game references that there are more Aeons out there. This information is correct, as of patch 1.0, and corresponds to Aeons mentioned and the ones emulated in the Simulated Universe.
Here is a list of all the Aeons mentioned in the game so far:
Aeon | Path | Information |
|---|---|---|
Akivili | The Trailblazer | Akivili is considered to be missing or dead. The information about them in-game explains Akivili left their world of Pegana and explored distant worlds. During their travels, their destiny came to an unexpected end. Akavili is in some way tied to the Astral Express and the Nameless. |
Nanook | The Destruction | Due to their allegiance to the Antimatter Legion, Nanook can essentially be considered the main antagonist of Honkai, manipulating events from the shadows and bringing destruction around them wherever they exert their influence. Nanook wants to see entropy rule the galaxy, embodying destruction in all its forms. It is thought that Nanook destroyed his home star system Adlivun, and now seeks to stoke conflict elsewhere. |
Lan | The Hunt | Lan is effectively at war with Yaoshi, the Aeon of Abundance, due to the unnaturally long lives the Abundance gifts creatures with. Yaoshi also gave rise to the undead in some capacity, and Lan has sworn to forsake everything to hunt down the undead. Lan is known formally as the Reignbow Arbiter. In-game notes explain Lan used to be a leader within the Xianzhou Alliance, and they are credited with saving the Xianzhou's civilisation as it was about to fall. |
Nous | The Erudition | Nous is a powerful supercomputer, thought to be created by someone called Zander, the founding member of the Genius Society. This computer was created to answer the lingering and secret questions of the whole universe. Eventually, this computer became an Aeon and it is the key to opening your mind to the truth of the universe. |
Xipe | The Harmony | Xipe isn't one specific being, but an amalgamation of several voices and ideas, all of whom are preaching the same messages of hope, peace, and harmony to rule across the galaxy. Due to their nature of being a mash-up of different things, they are known as Xipe of thousand faces. |
IX | The Nihility | Nihilism, as you know it in the real world, is the belief that everything happening is ultimately meaningless and inconsequential. IX is the embodiment of this belief, drifting throughout the universe as a blob covered in mist. IX supposedly don't talk or interact with the other Aeons, content living out its meaningless existence in beautiful oblivion. |
Qlipoth | The Preservation | Qlipoth is also known as the Amber Lord, and they are dedicated to the defence and preservation of life. They are the oldest of the Aeons, along with the Voracity, but Qlipoth has a focus on isolating worlds from others, in an attempt to reduce the threat to other places. Qlipoth wants to build a wall of protection around the worlds, creating the Celestial Comet Wall, the Subspace Crystalline Barrier, and the Great Attractor Base. |
Yaoshi | The Abundance | Yaoshi is the Aeon of Abundance and life. It is her duty to preserve life and avoid death at all costs. She travels the worlds, granting the blessing of immortality to anyone who wished for it, in the form of Ambrosial Arbor. One such Arbor was planted on Xianzhou, but the people who partook of the immortality it offered were cursed, becoming inflicted with Mara. Those afflicted eventually turn into mindless beasts. |
Oroboros | The Voracity | Oroboros the Aeon is the embodiment of the idea of Oroboros: a snake constantly devouring itself in a circle. This is a symbol of endless hunger and infinity, and that is exactly what Oroboros the Aeon is known for in Honkai: Star Rail. They are a Leviathan, a gigantic snake-like reptile, known as an insatiable devourer and glutton. |
Aha | The Elation | Aha is the Aeon of joy. They just want to have fun, and due to this whimsical and flippant nature, they were once involved in a plot to kill IX, just to see what would happen if an Aeon died. The Elation refers to all things jovial and fun, seldom taking anything seriously. |
Fuli | The Remembrance | Fuli is one of the more mysterious Aeons. They have appeared before humans a few times, and they have shown to take the form of a crystalised humanoid, wearing a lavish diadem. Fuli is the keeper of memories of the universe, acting as something of a record keeper. The Data Bank entry for Fuli explains that their appearance is a precursor to a significant event about to happen, or they are simply there to record the details. |
Idrila | The Beauty | Not much is known about Idrila since she has long disappeared by the time the events of the main story play out. The Beauty is the taken shape of all things wonderful and pretty in the universe made manifest. She is the notes of a ballad, the prose of a poem, and everything else. |
Tayzzyronth | The Propagation | Tayzzyronth is an Aeon who died long ago. The Propagation is feared far and wide as the creator of a faction known as the Swarm. According to the Data Banks in-game, Tayzzyronth was a precursor to horror, and it multiplied itself over and over again. It is currently unknown was killed Tayzzyronth, but we know that fate intervened to put a stop to it. |
Mythus | The Enigmatic | Mythus acts as a counterbalance to the Erudition. As the latter believes everything can be understood and known, Mythus seems to exist as the anathema to this idea, clouding certain knowledge and understandings in mystery and fog. At the end of the day, Mythus introduces a new way to gain understanding. |
HooH | The Equilibrium | The idea of equilibrium is that all things are in balance. HooH in Star Rail is unknown and has no known form. As an Aeon, HooH is trying to reach and maintain a balance in the universe, keeping everything stable by any means necessary. |
As you can see, the known Aeons in the game can exert a certain amount of influence over the world, each seemingly trying to guide their followers and others down their path.
As with any school of thought, these Aeons intersect with each other and cause conflicts, and these conflicts shape the characters, worlds, and motivations of everyone you meet in the game.