There are many movie, TV, and video game easter eggs in Honkai: Star Rail, the new turn-based RPG by developer HoYoverse (well-known for Genshin Impact). The new title in the Honkai franchise takes a step aside from the Impact series and weaves a new story that is unrelated to it. During its storytelling process, however, players are encountering multiple references to different pop culture products, spread across various mediums.
So far, players have seen Honkai: Star Rail reference popular TV shows, many iconic movies, and even a few award-winning games. While most of them are mere mentions of these products, usually present as dialogue options, a few others are more developed and even relate to a full questline.
8 Genshin Impact Easter Egg In Honkai: Star Rail
Some of the most obvious Easter eggs in Honkai: Star Rail are, unsurprisingly, nods to HoYoverse’s other open-world RPG Genshin Impact. One of the first ones that players may encounter is within the northeast area of the Storage Room level in the Herta Space Station: the base glider from Genshin Impact. When examining it, players are met with a description highlighting the wind’s power, which is a clear reference to Mondstadt, the nation of Anemo. Another early reference is a nod to Paimon’s main quote when heading toward locked areas, as exemplified by artist Charliemincer on Twitter.
There are many other Genshin Impact references, such as an Achievement that references Zhongli’s voice line when opening chests, and a mission titled after Tartaglia’s Elemental Burst voice line. There are also plenty of smaller references to the wider Genshin universe subtly placed among dialogue options and even in character names – the Goethe Hotel in Belobog is a direct reference to the Grand Hotel Goth owner in Genshin, also named Goethe. Even Timmy and his pigeons are referenced in Star Rail. More Genshin easter eggs in Honkai: Star Rail will likely be added and discovered by fans as the game progresses and evolves.
7 The Shining Easter Egg In Honkai: Star Rail
Another fairly early pop culture reference that players may encounter is a nod to the classic horror movie, The Shining. When inside the Hotel Corridor in Belobog’s Overworld Goethe Hotel, players may interact with each room door leading up to their own room in the place, and hear what is inside each one. They all have small references to Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of The Shining. There are mentions of the noise of a ball constantly hitting, as well as references to the Torrance family, including Danny himself. There is even a visitor that talks about a nightmare involving a man with an ax.
The ultimate The Shining Easter egg in Honkai: Star Rail, however, only happens when players interact with all the doors inside the Hotel Corridor. After triggering the last door, as exemplified by Mobile Game on YouTube, players’ screens go black and a text prompt cites that the main character is feeling a presence in the hallway. The next image shows twin girls standing next to each other at the end of the corridor, looking toward the Trailblazer. The girls then invite the protagonist to play with them forever, which is a direct reference to The Shining.
6 Fight Club Easter Egg In Honkai: Star Rail
The turn-based RPG has plenty of references to Hollywood movies, and another easily catchable easter egg in Honkai: Star Rail is about Fight Club. Though it is an extremely simple reference, it is one that all players have to go through, as it is part of the main story quests. When talking to Hook and a few other Moles, she mentions the Underworld’s Fight Club. When this happens, players have two dialogue choices, one of which says “I thought the first rule was…”, which is a direct reference to the movie, as shown by Elli on Twitter:
In the Fight Club movie, Edward Norton’s narrator character creates a fight club with Brad Pitt’s character, Tyler Durden. The first rule for members is to not talk about its existence, while the second rule is but a reinforcement of the first rule. As such, the dialogue option in Honkai: Star Rail is a nod to the popular movie adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s novel.
5 Breaking Bad Easter Egg In Honkai: Star Rail
Another dialogue option easter egg in Honkai: Star Rail references Breaking Bad and the protagonist’s drug-dealing alter ego, Heisenberg. In the Underground’s Goethe Hotel, players can interact with a form inside their hotel room. It is an evaluation of their experience within the hotel, which includes questions about their accommodations, the view, and much more. Near the end of the form, they can choose to leave their name, as shown by BoyJav on Twitter.
One of the options is “Heisenberg.” This is a very small reference, but one that is easily picked up by fans of the hit TV show. Aside from the player’s name, another option is “Your friendly neighborhood Nameless,” which is a reference to how Spider-Man refers to himself in most Marvel products. Out of the three possible answers, two of them are nods to pop culture products.
4 Matrix Easter Egg In Honkai: Star Rail
Continuing the streak of Hollywood movies that are highlighted as Easter eggs in Honkai: Star Rail, there is a subtle reference to the original Matrix movie. Within Herta Space Station, players can start a side quest called “To: The Faint Star” by talking to Rocky in the Master Control Zone. The character’s story of writing an unacknowledged love letter develops and once players figure out the truth, they can talk to Rocky’s mentor, called Bernard.
As shown by Desamayo on Twitter, Bernard offers players the chance to either tell Rocky the red truth or the blue lie. This is a slight reference to the red pill and blue pill choices presented by Morpheus to Neo in The Matrix. The red truth would be a change in Rocky’s perspective, while the blue lie would keep him in the status quo he finds himself in.
3 Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy Easter Egg In Honkai: Star Rail
Perhaps the ultimate pop culture easter egg in Honkai: Star Rail is the reference to the novel series The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The reason Towel Day exists and a great embrace of nerd culture, Douglas Adams’ works are cited more than once in HoYoverse’s turn-based RPG. One of the references is the “The Express Passenger’s Guide to the Galaxy” Achievement, which requires the acquisition of 10 different characters. The Achievement’s title is but a reinterpretation of the franchise’s name.
Another reference to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is presented during a conversation with Herta when she is explaining the Simulated Universe for the first time. When talking to her, one of the dialogue options players can choose from is “42”, as posted by Leine on Twitter. In Douglas Adams’ work, the number is considered the answer to the universe. It is an extremely subtle Easter egg, but one that fans will likely pick up on.
2 Rick Astley Easter Egg In Honkai: Star Rail
There is a comedic Easter egg in Honkai: Star Rail, referencing Rick Astley’s hit song Never Gonna Give You Up, which is used for the popular “rickrolled” meme. There are many readable materials in the game and, among them, one of them talks about an Aeon and describes it as the protagonist of the song. As shared by Mizukate on Twitter, an entry about the Masked Fools – Elation was written by “Ast Rickley, super popstar of the Epsilon XII Galaxy.”
The entry itself says: “Even an organization like the Masked Fools sing solemn praises of their Aeon. The Aeon will never give you up, never let you down, or abandon you. They will never make you cry, say goodbye, or tell a lie and hurt you.” While the author’s name is a play on Rick Astley’s name, the entry is a direct citation of Never Gonna Give You Up.
1 Bloodborne Easter Egg In Honkai: Star Rail
The best Easter egg in Honkai: Star Rail so far is a reference to Bloodborne, that seems like a complete copy of one of its most upsetting quests. Upon entering Rivet Town, players can hear a faint voice and, by approaching the correct window near the area’s entrance, they can talk to a girl, which is preoccupied with her sister. After setting out, players can encounter a Warp Trotter, which is a pig-like creature. Upon defeating it, they will receive the Dirty Ribbon Tied to a Bell item, which suggests she was consumed by the Fragmentum creature.
Taking the ribbon back to the girl in the window will make her disappear in sadness, leaving behind a Damaged Music Box. As shown by Sun on Twitter, all of this is exactly what happens to Father Gascoigne’s daughters in Bloodborne, from discovering the girl was eaten by a swine-like creature, leaving behind a ribbon, to the music box, which can later be used against Gascoigne in his boss fight. Returning to the Warp Trotter’s location and handing the music box to the woman there will complete the side quest and grant the Outworld Achievement.
The replication of Bloodborne’s quest is Honkai: Star Rail’s best Easter egg so far, primarily due to its larger presence, which goes beyond a simple dialogue option. It is arguable that the quest was unrightfully copied from FromSoftware’s title as most of its structure is exactly the same, but for fans of the game, it is a great nod to see.
Source: Charliemincer_/Twitter, Mobile Game/YouTube, Elli/Twitter, BoyJav/Twitter, Desamayo/Twitter, Leine/Twitter, Mizukate/Twitter, Sun/Twitter
