Honkai Star Rail lore recap: Discussing the backstory of Blade and Dan Heng

Honkai Star Rail features exciting turn-based combat set in an expansive RPG world. It is set across a multitude of planets and galactic alliances, melding together a narrative structure via its many intriguing characters. Version 1.2 brings with it the climactic conclusion of the Xianzhou Luofu story arc.

It has so far been centered around Dan Heng - a member of the Astral Express. Another notable person of interest is Blade, a member of the mysterious Stellaron Hunters. The two individuals do share an undisclosed past and know each other rather well. This article will attempt to discuss everything about their relationship.

Note: Major spoilers for Honkai Star Rail will follow. Viewer discretion is advised.

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Yes, Blade and Dan Heng have known each other prior to the events of Honkai Star Rail 1.2

The events of Honkai Star Rail 1.2 have confirmed that Blade has known Dan Heng for a long time.

To be precise, Blade had known Dan Heng before he joined the Astral Express as Dan Feng - also known as the Imbibitor Lunae.

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Dan Feng’s sin

Blade and Dan Heng share a bitter past (Image via HoYoverse)

Dan Heng was the previous Imbibitor Lunae, a well-regarded member of the High-Cloud Quintent of Xianzhou. During this period, he shared a friendship with a man known as Yingxing - a mortal researcher.

During the yet undescribed events of the Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae, Dan Feng passed on the power of The Abundance to Yingxing - transforming him into an immortal.

This process earned them both the wrath of the Xianzhou, with Yingxing being repeatedly tortured by Jingliu and Dan Feng forcibly molted into Dan Heng.

This resulted in Dan Feng being banished from Luofu.

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Blade’s origin and relation to the Imbibitor Lunae

Blade can make use of the mara within combat (Image via HoYoverse)

All evidence points to Xingqing being the former identity of Blade. His obsession with death, remarkable swordsmanship, and immortality are key indicators of this theory.

Presumably, after achieving immortality, the then Yingxing was subjected to torturous deaths and denied the release of death. He feels Dan Feng is the sole reason for his current predicament.

Another piece of supporting evidence is Blade’s ability to control Mara in combat, which was curiously released as a side effect of making Yingxing immortal.

Blade has since devoted his life to the Stellaron Hunters and Elio, hoping to find a cure for his immortality - and gain peace in the afterlife.

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Jing Yuan and Jingliu

Mentor and disciple fight against each other (Image via HoYoverse)

As indicated by the cutscenes during Honkai Star Rail 1.2, Jing Yuan is rather familiar with both Dan Heng and Blade. He refers to them as “old friends” and was likely present during the catastrophe that resulted in the mara contamination around Luofu.

Jingliu was the former mentor of Jing Yuan, as detailed in the animated short. She chose to chase the path of immortality, being corrupted by Mara in the process.

After a bitter struggle against his former mentor, Jing Yuan was finally able to put her down for good. Jinglu has also been documented to have known Blade, subjecting him to torture via multiple deaths - promptly regenerating at the cost of immense pain.

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More lore awaits

More lore regarding the Imbibitor Lunae and Blade is yet to be revealed (Image via HoYoverse)

Though the contents of Honkai Star Rail 1.2 delves into the relationship between Blade and Dan Heng, not a lot of information has been disclosed yet. Jing Yuan’s role in the story is still unknown, and it is expected that more information will be made available in the future with the release of the epilogue to the Xianzhou Luofu chapter.

While the information above is detailed via in-game descriptions and cutscenes, a significant portion is based on subjective opinions. Take it with a grain of salt, and be wary of changes to lore.

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For more Honkai Star Rail lore, keep an eye out on Sportskeeda.