#aha!sampo

4.1 General

— “The sky is blue, not a dazzling display of sparks.”

— Kuchiba says this (and has March repeat it) at the beginning of 4.1’s quest, and while it doesn’t have anything to do with Sampo directly, I think it’s notable. The theme of, generally, trying to convince people of inconspicuousness — that the sky is blue, not full of sparks — reminds me of a Sampo trying to convince others he’s inconspicuous too. A veil covering what lies beyond. This man is not Mr. Elation, he’s just blue. There is no confetti, no lights, no Laughter. Aha is not with us. Believe him. Repeat it back.

— At first, I thought the “Trailblazer” here has Sampo’s pupils but red (I don’t know why I thought that), but upon closer inspection the eyes are just the Trailblazer’s pupils but red. This tracks with the new information we have about Abundance and Happiness Syntax in 4.2, often manifested through “red.”

— However, the player can still hear “Akivili” being whispered in the background during the walking scene, and I’m not sure who else would know that information besides Aha. Even Oroboros’ Aeonic remains may not have a good reason to know that Akivili specifically “exchanged” Their life “for a boarding pass on the Express toward the end”. I cannot think of anyone who would know the Trailblazer’s identity as Akivili and the specific information of what potentially happened back then, besides someone close to Them, like Aha or Pom-Pom.

— On the other hand, as of 4.2, we now know the consciousness-melding type lines like “become one with me” are a part of Fulwish / Shuhu’s Abundance shenanigans, and the “me” could also be referring to Oroboros’ remains, so my initial ideas about this being Aha in some way are dwindling. This could explain Ego’s lines like: “Become a part of me” and “You want to go further, deeper”.

— Joy is absolutely present — “primordial joy” — but that’s the Path-melding of Elation and Abundance, as seen with Fulwish in 4.2. The Abundance’s effect on the Elation is, essentially, proliferating it, taking the concept of “joy” and spreading it virally. (“I am you, and you are me.”)

— I actually think some of this scene might track well with Oroboros’ remains: If Oroboros was imprisoned on a planet so intertwined with Elation — essentially being imprisoned by Wishpower originating from Elation itself — it makes sense that some enmeshment would occur. Oroboros, in a “dead” or weakened state, would be subject to Elation’s Aeonic runoff, resulting in a heightened want for joy, combined with the ever-devouring greed of Voracity. Then, with the Abundance being introduced via Fulwish / Shuhu, this “Ego” underlying the planet would increase the pull of its want to spread joy. I think this could account for the mesh of Ego we see here: The devouring, possessive nature of Voracity, the joy-high of Elation, and the irresistible pull and entanglement of Abundance. Truly, an Aeonic soup.

— In one of the Furbobo posts, @ / AFoolKnowsThemselves asks: “I heard that Akivili and Aha used to travel hand in glove for ages. Any truth to that?” under a picture of a very confused looking Phantasmoon. Here are the responses:

— Even though the records have been lost to time, the idea of Aha and Akivili traveling together and being close are supported by what we’ve seen in canon so far. Aha, and by extension, Elation, clearly has a soft spot for the Trailblaze (Akivili), and Aha did travel on the Express for a time undercover. I also like the idea of “if you travel together long enough, you start wearing the same gloves”.

— Additionally, the person who asked the question is named “AFoolKnowsThemselves,” which links back to the “Know Thyself” portrait.

— This lines up with Sampo’s affection for the Trailblazer specifically, going out of his way to give us fun little things to do like the Cosmicon Collective. Your honor, Aha really does have a soft spot for Akvili. 🥺

— In the anniversary livestream event, Sampo tips 555 gems, and Aha is banned from the Tavern because They failed to respond after 666 invites.

— This really tips me off to the idea that Sampo, the more level-headed guy trying to be normal, is always hiding or teetering on the edge of that deeper Aeonic consciousness. Just one step away from 666.

— Although this may be not entirely accurate information from a family member’s diary 400 years ago, if it’s true it has huge implications. The idea here is that Aha is “powerless against a curse.” Sampo has been described before as having the “blue-haired curse,” and if he is the recipient of some kind of cruel joke or ironic development — perhaps as a result of Asat Pramad or other powerful being — then this could mean there’s not much he can do to help himself out of it. This could explain Aha’s absence, Sampo’s wandering helplessness in asking for favors, and Aha potentially being trapped in Sampo’s form. Essentially, They would be in a forced vulnerable state. “Such is the cycle of cause and effect.”

— The whole idea of blackmailing Aha is really interesting to me too. This is where an Aha!Sampo reveal would go hard as fuck, I’m so serious. Currently, Aha is “faceless” — we have no visual form for them like other Aeons due to the obscured silhouette. So, not having the knowledge of who They are, the Trailblazer decides to blackmail Them with the debt statement Pom-Pom has on hand. It’s one thing if we meet Aha and that’s that. A little anticlimactic, but okay. It’s an entirely different beast if we show up and They’re a guy we know, invoking our friendship and long-term relationship to just “forget about the whole debt thing, how about that, buddy?”. 

— I am also intrigued by the text of the debt statement itself; not only did it prove that Akivili and Aha were very close, since some of the entries assumed joint liability, but it also shows that Aha racked up outstanding tabs at the Tavern “in the capacity of a Nameless” — specifically the branch on Planarcadia. This could explain why Sampo seems to be in a kind of “favor-owing” relationship with Sparkle, who is very present around the Tavern. It’s just speculation, but owing the Tavern multiple outstanding tabs could explain part of their relationship.

— I also want to note, that, at the beginning of the statement, “Aha” is in quotations, and despite the signature not having these, it is also described as “sketchy” — “Is this really from Aha Themself?”

— I’m not sure what I want to make of this. A lot of the interest, for me, relies on Aha and Akvili having fun hijinks together, which then places the debt on Aha’s shoulders, for a more potent reveal. I absolutely am interested in the idea of dual-sided Aha!Sampo switching back-and-forth as a kind of loophole, though. For example, if Aha!Sampo made a distinction between the red Aha and the blue Sampo for evasion purposes, even though they’re really just two sides of the same entity.

— This means the Trailblazer might make it all the way to the end to blackmail Aha, only to be faced with Sampo just looking and going, “Well, buddy, you see this signature right here? It says “Aha,” not Sampo, so I’m in the clear” with a shit-eating grin on his face. It also could’ve been the other way around — if Sampo knew that the debt could be used against Aha, perhaps he chose to be Sampo while signing it; despite the name being “Aha,” if it was Sampo’s writing, and Sampo’s incurrences, it could be a way of Aha scooting around responsibility.

— Simply put, I’d like to think it’s an identity-related way for Aha!Sampo to do tax evasion.

— Also, we now have confirmation from someone who knows Aha (Pom-Pom) that They abide by Their own rules, which would line up with the “limitations” Sampo has (as mentioned by Sparkle).

Now for some Nameless Wispae (4.1):

Star of Marching

“Ugh, this cursed one-way door. It takes me back to when I once considered someone a friend, who in turn saw only an enemy… Love always forgives the beloved, or so they say. Well, it seems I feel no such charity for one-way doors!”

— The Nameless Wispae have a lot of good connections, but I want to highlight this one. The idea of considering someone a friend, only for them to turn out to be an enemy could fit with any number of interpretations. Generally, it deals with betrayal. Specifically, this betrayal could be about Sampo being betrayed by Aha in any number of ways or vice versa, something Asat Pramad did, or even the idea of Aha growing close to Akivili, only for Akivili to “betray” them by choosing to forget everything and board the Express — to see Them as an enemy despite Aha’s almost-naïve attachment.

Star of Steadfastness

“… Seriously though, if an Aeon wants to be a subject of love, They must first relinquish Their authority of judgment…”

— This speaks very directly to Aha!Sampo under interpretation, since there are undercurrents of wanting to be loved/accepted running through both Aha and Sampo (Aha reaching out to the Express, Sampo reaching out to Belobog). (It also ties into ideas from the Grease Chronicles I’ll cover later.)

— I could absolutely see Aha, “lonely at the top,” wanting to be loved, but realizing the only way to do so is relinquishing Their authority, even temporarily, to live as Sampo. Perhaps this is why he put the Mask away, why he had Sparkle take care of it — the only way to be loved as Sampo was to no longer be Aha. (This would provide a clear opening for Asat Pramad to gain a foothold in Planarcadia.)

Star of Theft

“Yahoo! Took you long enough! I just finished writing a tragedy, and now my mind is flooding with nothing but comedy! Hahahaha.”

— 1. “Star of Theft”

— 2. Dual-sided: Tragedy versus comedy; “writing” indicates a position of authority over events, “flooding” is an almost-uncontrollable force of ego/Elation.

— 3. Unhinged laughter

— Your honor, case closed.

Floating Grease: Monkey

Now, one of the biggest pieces of connection I have from 4.1 to draw Aha!Sampo from is the Floating Grease Chronicles monkey. In my opinion, each animal represents someone integral to Planarcadia — like the pink fox being Evanescia. It’s not too far of a stretch, then, to think the monkey might resemble Sampo due to the blue coloring. This is further supported through dialogue lines, such as:

“The monkey started noticing he was getting old, / It all started after slipping on a banana peel.”

and

“… what does the paragon of animals enjoy? / ...Only coins!”

— This lines up with 1) Sampo’s discussions of being old, and 2) Sampo’s obsession with coins/valuables — as Sparkle calls it, his “money pit.”

— Also: the monkey getting “old” could coincide with the long life of an Aeon, and the monkey also refers to itself as “the paragon of animals.” The slipping on a banana peel bit almost sounds like the kind of cruel joke Asat Pramad would enact — of Aha as an eldritch entity suddenly being cursed with awareness of Their own existence beyond what has been previously established. A paragon of animals, in this case, would also translate to an Aeon, which is the paragon class of Honkai: Star Rail’s universe.

— If other animals — Pathstriders, Emanators, etc. — are trapped in Their own respective traits (“Dogs love bones” “Cats love fish”), then what would an Aeon like? What would Aha like? In the true spirit of unpredictability: Money.

— So, if we assume this monkey to represent Sampo, what do we get? A lot.

— First, the monkey is called “Great Climber.” This could be a reference to Aha climbing the tree that eventually led to Their first Laugh. This would position Sampo as the original body of Aha, the “Great Climber” who ascended to Aeonhood.

There are also some lines from outside the puzzle itself that you can read before interacting with the Floating Grease objects in the new zones: “I’d trade my whole kingdom / for a body! / Body! A body!”

— This aligns with my ideas surrounding Aha wanting to be loved, and wanting to take human form. The monkey echoes the repetition and excitement of Aha’s personality — “Body! A Body!” — that also tinges it with desperation. The monkey (Sampo, potentially Aha) is so desperate for a body, something more than a mere projection, that They would trade Their whole kingdom for it.

“I am no decoration… / You nobodies would never understand.”

— “I am no decoration” could also be referring to the “decorations” on Aha’s splash art. This puts Sampo in a more “washed up” position; that the real Aha — the silhouette holding the objects — is past Their prime, or easily overlooked in Their true form by others. Especially if Sampo is cursed or trapped in this form now, it’d probably get annoying. It’s the whole “Don’t you know who I am?” of it all. Also, just a tinge of arrogance.

Back to the in-puzzle lines:

“The sun, the moon, and the stars… / If you guys like me, can you give me a wink or something?”

— This is very sad to me, actually. It goes back to the theme of loneliness present in both Sampo and Aha. The distance of Aeons that Aha tries so hard to close, but can never seem to fully achieve. The sun, moon, and stars could represent other Aeons or celestial objects, or Aha’s other side(s), or even the objects in Aha’s splash art. Essentially, it’s Sampo looking out on the vast universe and asking, “Does anyone love me?” If other Aeons don’t answer, and Aha’s playthings don’t answer, and Aha Themself does not answer Their shadow, then does anyone really, truly, love Sampo?

“This is the life of every mechatron: / I’ll be the head! / But if the body had a consciousness of its own, / it’d definitely say— / Why should you get to be the head??”

— This gets into my more nuanced theories about Aha!Sampo, such as Sampo being one side of a dual-sided Aha, Aha’s shadow, or the silhouette as opposed to the mask(s). What I think Sampo is getting at, here, is the idea that there is an imbalanced power dynamic within Aha Themself. The Mask — the Authority — decides to be the head, to be the “real” Aha. But what of the silhouette? The body? The shadow? They are still as much Aha as the Mask is, so what gives? Why does the Mask get to decide everything? 

— Sampo as the silhouette or “body” of Aha, has resentment for the Mask, resentment for the part of himself that gets to choose, while he as Sampo does not. “Why should you get to be the head?!” could be translated to “Why should you get to be Aha?!” — if there is both Mask and Body, the Body has just as much right to the title.

— (I could also see this as Aha wanting a body and creating one for Themself, but the body gaining sentience and going “Step down, I’m literally You and I want to do things too.”)

“Creatures are used to judge body’s strength, / by the width of the shoulders. / That’s why deltoids are so crucial for humans!”

— Love that the monkey mentions shoulders, here, because that’s one of the only truly visible part of the silhouette in Aha’s splash art.

— Thanks, for mentioning deltoids, Sampo, I’ll give it a try!

— We can see that both Aha and Sampo have very wide shoulders — their deltoids especially are built out, giving them a stockier shape. Aha and Sampo’s E6 are the easiest to compare, in my opinion, because Sampo’s outfit obscures much of his silhouette (perhaps on purpose). I tried my best to find where Sampo’s shoulders might lay under his outfit, but the E6 still works better in my opinion, even if half the shoulders are missing. Beyond the blue coloring I used, we can also see similar shapes to the collarbone and inverted posture of the neck. Notably, wherever Aha’s Adam’s Apple would be is obscured by an object, making it impossible to compare.

— I still think they are incredibly similar, though, and the monkey pointing us in the direction of shoulders, specifically deltoids, is suspicious!

“Three more trees to climb…”

— This seems like a pretty direct reference to Aha climbing the tree in the Masked Fool’s “fable.” With Elation constantly testing its own boundaries of what is possible, it’s understandable that Aha would continue to test Their own limits as well — perhaps this is what Sampo’s entire existence is in the first place: Infinite Improbability. Sampo as Aha should not exist, Aha should not be able to distill Themself for an extended period into a tangible body like his, but They do, because Elation is the one Path that can change the script.

“Once upon a time, there was a monkey. / It kept crawling and crawling until it turned into a human.”

— Again, this reminds me of the idea that Aha wants so desperately to have a body. To travel, to enact personal pranks, to have form. They are shackled by Their own existence, Their own Path, Their own Primum Mobile, and so despite climbing to a great height, They continue to crawl. They crawl until They find a way to become human.

“What? A monkey that doesn’t like bananas? / Then it can’t be a real monkey!”

— There’s also the idea that what the “monkey” likes isn’t what it should like. That Aeons, generally, are bound by Their Paths — Their likes will align with the Primum Mobile. But Elation, ever fickle, does not like those things. And so, Aha’s identity comes into question: What is the Aeon of Elation if They don’t like… Elation? If They like money, or coins, or being accepted instead? If They just want a body to be normal in? Can They really be a “real” Aeon?

“You’re always welcome here.”

— And then there is the sweet sentiment of Elation always welcoming the Trailblaze, of Aha always welcoming Akvili with open arms. “You’re always welcome here,” They say, and we are.

Overall, my big takeaways from this are 1) the “Great Climber,” ostensibly, being Aha in lore, 2) the idea of Aha / Sampo desperately wanting a body and to be human and to be loved, 3) the possibility of multiple sides of Aha warring for dominance (“Why do you get to be the head?”), and 4) Jesus Christ look at those Deltoids!

Now, I have saved the best for last. The thing that really cements some form of Aha!Sampo in my mind. If Aha is depicted in the Mask — the light being Aeonic authority — and Sampo is depicted as the red and blue split mask in the Tavern, then, here:

— The anniversary web event (Phantasmoon New Game) directly places the light at the top of the split mask, signaling that it is, in fact Aha. Or has the Aeonic authority of Aha. Either way, it’s pretty telling to me.

— This, I believe, is the open secret underlying everything. The one below Sampo, and below the Tavern, and below the Phantasmoon. The one that is obvious but cannot be spoken. The one that has friends, and family, and wants so desperately to be loved. The one who has found a body, and will not compromise it. Aha as human, Aha as the Great Climber who seeks to break free from the Primum Mobile — Sampo, who wishes to greet his dear friend Akivili again.

Currency Wars

— The new avatar for Aha is specifically “Aha Working.” Work is a common theme across Planarcadia and Sampo’s character, with him constantly running errands and doing favors, and even texting us that he wants to quit.

— Also note that the word Aha here is not in quotations like it is for the rest of Currency Wars. There’s more a sense of legitimacy, like this is the real Aha, behind the scenes. That Elation, bound by the laws of this universe, is not glamorous or eye-catching. It is simply Sampo in a Mask, sitting at a computer tallying his debts.

— “Aha” is added as a mechanic in Currency Wars, and much like Divergent Universe, directly takes action in battle. Notably, they have the ability to “ascend” — essentially testing the boundaries of Their own Path — and the Elation Emblem (which has Their glowing mask front and center) is synthesized using Red and Blue Gems, and trash, which is commonly associated with Sampo. Also, the Elation Emblem skill is called “Euphoric Maelstrom,” which is just pretty cool.

4.2 General

A lot of the information from 4.2 moreso has to do with the situation on Planarcadia than anything directly Sampo-related.

“The winner of these Phantasmoon Games shall inherit all my authority, and become the true, permanent Aeon of Elation.”

— First is the idea of the “true, permanent” Aeon of Elation, which implies Aha might “switch” or change between individuals. However, if this is part of Asat Pramad’s scheme to destabilize Aha’s power this may not be true. Generally, I’m taking it with a grain of salt, although it could fit with the idea of Sampo as a previous (but not present) Aha.

— This is a little more directly Sampo-related. As we’ve seen here and there, The Laughter is starting to be referred to as “he” in addition to They. First with Zhongshan at the Tavern, and now with Yao Guang (although it is possible she is referring to the “entity” that hates Aha instead; honestly the flow of dialogue is a little confusing). However, it is clear that Evanescia refers to Aha as “that jerk,” similar to Pom-Pom’s “that one,” establishing Aha as fairly notorious, with the undercurrent of keeping additional (identity-revealing) details a secret. Evanescia also mentions the idea of “taking a joke too far” and making enemies, which inversely reminds me of Sampo mentioning how taking a joke too far can make things “no longer fun.” This seems to position Sampo, potentially, as someone (an enemy) Aha has wronged, but I also like the idea of Aha!Sampo pissing off the wrong person and finding Themself in hot water.

— In my opinion, I feel the strongest story beat comes from the conflict between Asat Pramad and Elation / Aha, so Aha!Sampo being targeted by an enemy with “deep hatred” such as Asat Pramad’s cruelty or the remains of Oroboros with a vendetta is the most appealing to me. It’s a point of note that Sampo tends to piss off people in his daily life, and him getting a warning from someone like Evanescia could line up.

— There is also (fake) Kafka’s “Don’t lose to ‘Aha’” message to Silver Wolf, with “Aha” in quotations. Despite this being all part of Asat Pramad’s illusion, I think it could still be a narrative pointer towards the “Aha” we currently encounter not being the “true” one. If Asat Pramad’s chess game includes infecting the Phantasmoon or “taking the spotlight” away from Aha, then the voice of Aha we hear from the Phantasmoon, or potential appearances from Them in the future, may be the result of Asat Pramad’s meddling — “Aha” rather than Aha. We can line this up with the Currency Wars work avatar — Aha — and other instances of “Aha,” where a difference is presented between the real and the false.

— Anyways, giant rat that makes all the rules, if you’re out there please let Asat Pramad be “Aha” and Sampo be Aha. Thank you and goodnight.

— We also know that the one hard rule of the game is that it has to continue, combined with the imprisonment of a “terrifying thing” below the surface. I take this to mean the remains of Oroboros, which Kuchiba brings up at the end of 4.2’s quest.

— It makes sense, then, that the games must never end. I believe Wishpower may be the power of Elation that is keeping Oroboros sealed; therefore, since the games generate that large amount of Wishpower and funnel it into keeping Oroboros trapped, the one rule is that the games must continue. That’s the only thing Aha would stand by, because presumably They have a vested reason for imprisoning Oroboros.

— There’s also these messages in one of the Furbobo posts. I don’t know if it means anything, but Sampo does bring up the idea of “new” versus “old,” which could link to a cyclical Aha who abandoned him for a new host or body. In that case, Sampo may be the original body — the “Great Climber” — but has since been discarded. However, he immediately segues this into a scam ad so it might just be bait.

— Also, Sparkle has him doing menial labor, which is so funny to consider if he’s Aha. They truly are just going on side quests.

— I also like these discussions about Masks. First, Sparxie brings up the idea of masks as “pain” — that the Fools only taste the “true zest of life” after “long torture.” Essentially, it’s the idea that happiness means nothing without sorrow, which in my opinion is much more aligned with Aha than the Abundance’s mockery of it. Sparxie also likens facing the mask to facing one’s pain, which is interesting.

— In another conversation, Sparxie talks with Zhongshan about being “heartless enough” to abandon her masks, but never stupid enough to destroy them. Zhongshan, notably, mentions how “unless a Fool is reduced to ash, how could anything happen to it?”

— Finally, Yao Guang mentions the distinction between masks and a “true self” — that Evanescia is not afraid of the “mask” she wears, but rather her true self. The mask, in this case, is status and responsibility (Arbiter-General; the authority of arbitration), almost an act, and the “true self” is who lies under it, the person who wears the mask.

— Putting all this together, I love what this could say about Aha!Sampo. First, that Aha’s mask and authority could represent “pain” — the pain of losing Akivili, the pain of being restricted by the Primum Mobile — that at some point in the story, Sampo might have to face this mask. 

— Then, there’s the idea of masks being so intertwined with their bodies — their Fools — that the only way to destroy it is to “reduce” the Fool themself to “ash.” Now, the whole conversation hints that maybe masks can be destroyed otherwise — Zhongshan is a bit flighty about it — but I do like the idea of “destroy the body to destroy the mask.” If Aha’s Aeonic authority lay in Their Mask, then Asat Pramad, generally being observant, may realize the only way to win in the long run is to destroy Aha’s body — the Fool. Specifically, being reduced to ash is something Sampo brought up in a Cosmicon Collective quest. In the quest, he’s buried under a mound of what the Trailblazer assumes to be snow, only for Sampo to correct them and say he’s “burning out,” being reduced to a pile of ashes. This could be Asat Pramad’s goal: Exhaust Aha’s body to the point it ceases to exist, then destroy the Mask itself, or perhaps both at the same time.

— Finally, there’s a distinction between the mask and the self — that “masks” represent status and responsibility in relation to a “true self.” This could tie to Aha’s Mask symbolizing the Aeonic authority of Elation — who Sampo becomes when he puts on the Mask — but not Aha’s true self. Sampo may currently be running away from the responsibility of his Mask, because who wouldn’t? It’s a large burden to shoulder. But, eventually, he will probably need to come to terms with it. Come to terms with his own pain, and the responsibility of an Aeon, otherwise Asat Pramad’s plan to burn him out may succeed.

— This distinction is also present when the Trailblazer gets their Elation Path powers — “With the ‘self’ beneath this mask, I’ll show them—” — the idea of the “self” beneath the mask having the ability to change the outcome of things may link to Sampo in the future as well, but we’ll just have to see.

— This is the Mask Fulwish shows to Sparxie in an illusion, so I’m taking it with a grain of salt, but if there’s any truth to the look of the Mask itself, it seems Aha’s Mask has a blank, inactivated state. No light, just a seal, and no coloring. As if it has no defining features, waiting for the wearer to pick it up, like some kind of eldritch, ever-changing object. This may be the Mask given to the winners of the game, stripped of the current Aha’s personality to be placed on a new wearer, but perhaps it is used in other contexts as well. Who knows. Also, with Sampo having his mask back now, I’d be interested to see if it’s in this “unactivated” state, and if it only becomes the one from the splash art when he puts it on.

— I also, generally, want to touch on Star Rabbit, specifically the idea that it takes a lot of Wishpower and is at risk of being discontinued. Star Rabbit is a game, like the Phantasmoon Games, and needs Wishpower to run. I think this could be a pointer towards the Games themselves beginning to dwindle or run into problems, since — if my theory is correct — keeping Oroboros shackled would require massive amounts of energy. Nothing more to say, other than the idea that the Trailblazer will be able to fix this “power source” issue.

Nameless Wispae (4.2):

Star of Remoteness

“Bombs! Let’s end everything with a blast! Art is an explosion, life is an explosion, and Elation is the ultimate explosion! I hope the resurrected Laughter blows the moon to bits! Wait… what did I just say?”

— This wispae makes a reference to bombs and Elation, saying Elation is the “ultimate explosion,” connecting to Sampo’s bomb motifs. There’s also “the resurrected Laughter,” which I’m not sure what to make of. As far as I’m aware, Aha couldn’t be truly “dead,” otherwise what reason would Asat Pramad have to be targeting Planarcadia so much? But perhaps Asat Pramad has found a way to inflict Aha with a curse, or hurt Them in some way, and the moon (potentially infected or taken over by Asat Pramad) could be “blown to bits” by Aha intervening. 

— However, it kind of sounds to me like, for whatever reason, the wispae said “Laughter,” but actually meant the remains of Oroboros on Planarcadia, which is an entity that could be resurrected. Blowing the moon to bits, then, could symbolize Asat Pramad’s plan to resurrect Oroboros and target the Phantasmoon / Aha.

— But maybe Aha really is in a position of needing to be resurrected? We haven’t seen Them directly before, and who knows the truth of the matter? 

— Note: I just said that, but went back to look at Sampo’s outfit, which looks like it is literally being constricted by the bones of a dead snake. This may sound crazy, but what if the remains of Oroboros on Planarcadia are actually trapping the Elation / Aha? In which case, it could place Them somewhat in a state needing “resurrection.”

Star of Completion

“Which is truly more significant: humans or the homes they inhabit? Is it easier to laugh at The Laughter, or to demolish the arcadia They left us? Even the grandest Aeons are insignificant. Without the concepts that form Them, They are nothing at all!”

— Love the insignificance angle here. Especially: “Without the concepts that form Them, They are nothing at all”. It makes me think that maybe Asat Pramad is trying to destabilize Aha / the Elation by introducing so many other Paths in Their general vicinity, drawing Them in, and undoubtedly affecting what I believe to be Their body, which is Sampo. It would describe Sampo’s blend of different Path concepts despite having a heavy bias towards Elation, and could be Asat Pramad’s way of trying to make Elation “vanish” — Sampo is being reduced to ash, but also nothing at all. Aha is, slowly, being whittled away by Destruction, and may not have even realized it until recently.

— I really do like the idea of Sampo reaching out to us, the Trailblazer, as a bid to old friendship. Aha and Akivili one step removed — one an amnesiac and the other slowly fading — where Aha is reaching out for a hand to help Them in a dire moment. It’s so bittersweet. 

— Either that, or Sampo does in fact have it under control, and will pop out at the end going “This was so fun! I knew I could count on you! Also you’ll never guess but—”

— I mentioned “Great Climber” earlier, so I wanted to bring up some others for contrast: Manager of the Sky-High Blossom (Red / Pink Fox) and Carefree Harbor Lodger (Green Frog). “Manager of the Sky-High Blossom” seems pretty clearly Evanescia to me, and I believe “Carefree Harbor Lodger” may be Graphia or another character close to Planarcadia’s history. Notably, these titles describe who they are and what they do — Evanescia is a manager, and the frog (whoever it may be) is carefree. “Great Climber,” then points to “great” and “climbing” — a high power status, constantly pushing the boundaries of the universe’s glass ceiling. Aha is undoubtedly a major figure in Planarcadia’s history, and again, “Great Climber” could be a reference to Aha climbing the great tree of the universe before ascending. 

— Here we have some key factors in Planarcadia (courtesy of Asat Pramad, thanks Asat Pramad) which are: Elation, Destruction, Revenge, Reignbow, and Shuhu. I believe this points towards the key concepts at play. Elation and Destruction as the main one, since Destruction seeks to…well…destroy Elation. Then, Reignbow and Shuhu representing specific entities Asat Pramad is employing in his plan, pitting Lan and an Abundance Emanator against each other. Then, there’s the general theme of “revenge,” which we see with Fulwish being resentful of her Tavern invitation and going full villain mode. 

— This may have just been for Act 1, but I wouldn’t be surprised if these key themes continue: The continued struggle between Elation and Destruction, more to do with Shuhu at a later date (potentially invoking Lan), and revenge as a theme. This may place Sampo as the one seeking revenge against Aha, or, the one I prefer more, someone seeking revenge against Sampo / Aha. Perhaps Oroboros, resentful at being imprisoned, or perhaps Asat Pramad, vengeful due to a past slight in addition to his general cruelty. Hell, maybe Aha pissed off Their own Body (Sampo) or Sampo pissed off his own Mask (Aha).

— Then, as an extra little note, we also have the Abundance’s emotional plague manifesting as “red,” which could link back to Ego’s red eyes. It gives the sense, with the warped emoti, that Asat Pramad (“Mr. Meanie”) is trying to pull off a larger kind of “infection” on Elation. That, beyond the Abundance, he is serving as a kind of corruptive force on Planarcadia — warping the Phantasmoon and, at some point, potentially pretending to be Aha. No wonder that would flush Aha out, not just for the allure of something fun, but for Sampo specifically, who, ostensibly, would want to set the record straight. At least, he’d probably be a bit annoyed. 

— Anyways! The point here is Asat Pramad —> Abundance plague —> Red.

— Also, just to throw this in, Asat Pramad is canonically confirmed to be on Planarcadia via the Trailblazer’s ending conversation with Evanescia (“The demon lord from beyond (Lord Ravager, Asat Pramad) has returned.”). Specifically, “returned,” which assumes that he’s been to Planarcadia before, having something to do with the Destruction’s original attacks on the planet. 

— Also also, the furbobo puzzles often deal with the furbos trying to dodge responsibilities and skip work by shapeshifting. Not sure if this relates at all to Aha!Sampo, but since it’s on Planarcadia — and Sampo “Mr. Cold Feet” Koski has mentioned wanting to retire before — I thought it might be pertinent to mention.

Conclusions

— Generally, 4.2 has a lot of good information on the potential state of Path powers on Planarcadia. We have the Elation, the original Path, then the Destruction, seeking to corrupt and destroy it, which likely came after. Then there’s the Voracity — Oroboros’ remains — which have likely been here since the beginning of the Games, maybe before. Lastly, there’s the Abundance, which Asat Pramad brought in, and some Harmony from Sunday, if that can count. There’s a lot going on for sure, and my general outlook is that Asat Pramad is trying to use all of these powers to destabilize Elation in general, but also the prison holding Oroboros, who will likely be pissed enough waking up to try to hurt Aha / the Elation too. Or maybe he’s generally trying to resurrect Oroboros. It begins to break down from there since we still don’t have all the pieces, so I’ll stop for now.

— The idea I’m liking the most now, involving Sampo, is Sampo as Aha’s Body or “true self” and Aha’s Mask as the status, authority, and responsibility of an Aeon, even the most capricious one. I would like the clash between Aha’s reputation and reality, perhaps a look into how the Elation, as fun and whimsical as it is, still has restrictions and “work” to do. Think back to the avatar — “Ahahaha, why do I still have to work while laughing this hard?” — and the imbalance of an Aeon who wants to be free of responsibilities, but due to the own shackles of Their Path’s Primum Mobile, literally cannot break free. Sampo, who was just trying to take a vacation, being thrown back into the limelight by Asat Pramad fucking with Planarcadia. Sampo, who is taking up his Mask again, facing Aha’s responsibility and pain, to at least choose how and when They take the stage. Sampo, who now has people to protect, giving the Express a good show and a surprise while’s he’s at it. Who knows, maybe the Plot Armor of the Trailblazer will end up fixing his problems?

— I also like Asat Pramad trying to destabilize Aha’s Body (Sampo) before going for the Mask, trying to draw Sampo out of hiding and finish him off to make disposing of Aha’s Mask easier. To, essentially, reduce Sampo to ash. It feels a bit like the Destruction is trying to throw so many Paths at the Elation that the goal is to “overwhelm” for such a long time it leads to burnout. Asat Pramad, making moves behind the scenes, throwing shit at the wall and going with what sticks. Using Aha’s unpredictable nature against Them, trying to make a show They can’t look away from. After all, against the Elation, isn’t that kind of what you have to do?

thanks for reading to the end !! :3

To be clear, beyond a straightforward “Aha is Sampo and Sampo is Aha” interpretation, I also subscribe to past Aha!Sampo who was abandoned by his own “self”, as well as the idea that he’s Aha’s “reflection” or shadow. I am specifically partial to Sampo as Aha’s Body while Aha’s Mask holds the Aeonic authority via its light — essentially, Aha only “truly” emerges with the combination of Sampo the Body putting on the Mask. (Those ideas will also be present here.)

— Aha’s action bar skill is called “Unboxing Surprise,” similar to Sampo’s “Surprise Present” burst.

I’m torn: 

— On one hand, the red goblet card with Aha’s signature mask (you can tell because of the spikes at the top where the light would be) could symbolize Sampo, a former or abandoned Aha, now occupying the position of a card (or Masked Fool), who is clearly not happy about his predicament. In this case, the blue card with the pi symbol in the second photo could also symbolize Sampo since it has those spikes. These two cards could be his dual sides as a former Aha, now reduced to cards and the vacant space for Aeonic authority at the top.

— On the other hand, Sampo is directly referred to as “Black Joker” and “Red Joker” by Sparkle in Hi3, which makes me think Sampo is 1) the black card shown in the Planarcadia trailer, and 2) the red joker present on-screen when Aha deals damage. This would place him in a more active role, since the red joker card is pretty much Aha in action.

— If Sampo is the blue and red cards here, it could additionally symbolize that Aha is also a Fool, or takes the guise of a Fool.

— Lots of reflection motifs, they come up everywhere. Specifically, when we are on our way to the Tavern, the “Ferryfae” says: “An old friend returns to fish out the moon’s reflection in the water.” The mention of “old friend” as we’re on our way to the Tavern sticks out to me, as does some of the mirrored Interplanar Jump gameplay, where there is literally a reflection of our character, shadowed and translucent, that we need to find to become “one” again.

— Notably, the Aha Laugh room has a darker, blue reflection on the other side. (It reminds me of “two sides of the same coin.”)

— I won’t include it all here, but the Miss Mary phone booth interaction that talks about Belobog and leaves us a note at the end is definitely Sampo-related. Notably, one of the calls before the note talks about Miss Mary being “abandoned” in the trashcan, stating, “you grew up, and heartlessly left me in the closet” and “[you tossed] me into the trashcan like some worthless rag.” This could be indicative of a previously-abandoned Aha!Sampo, but Miss Mary’s general thing is “abandoned doll” so it may not be specific to him.

— At the very least, the Belobog part mentions “taking it slow and smelling the roses” and moving at one’s own pace, which comes as more of a solid connection to Sampo given the presence of Belobog. However, he does sign his letter the “King of Trashcans,” and since Miss Mary did specifically mention trashcans by name, perhaps those earlier parts could still apply.

— Either way, interesting stuff!

— This could be a translation error, but when Zhongshan talks about meeting Aha in person, she says “he.”

— She also, generally, brings up the idea of Aha being among the Fools.

— Aha’s ban sign right next to the glowing blue door that sounds like Sampo’s laugh when you hit it. Either this could be insight into how Sampo feels about Aha personally — notice that only the mask is banned; the silhouette/body is not on the sign — or a very ironic twist of fate (being banned from his own Tavern). I actually really like the idea of Body Sampo getting pissed at Mask Aha and putting Them in the figurative time-out corner.

— The reason for Aha being banned could align with Sampo being abandoned by Them as well.

— Or, the abandonment coincided with Aha!Sampo “losing” his Mask, making it pretty much impossible for Aha to respond. 

— Another option is that Sampo (the door) is melancholic because Aha was banned — he has no choice but to realize his own followers have cast him out (“betrayed” him). Himeko even says that the action is meaningless but the message is loud and clear. What matters in this case is the message the Fools sent: That they don’t want Aha, that they are the students expelling the teacher from a classroom. Of course Aha doesn’t have to comply, but it’s a hit to the ego regardless.

— As for masks, we now have confirmation that Sampo directly “lost” his mask — this could be for any number of reasons: perhaps the Mask of Aha abandoned its Body (Sampo), perhaps it has something to do with Asat Pramad, or perhaps Sampo simply got too drunk one night, left his Mask on the table, and someone accidentally spirited it away. Who knows?

— Also: “losing one’s mask” could be similar to “losing one’s head,” which is what Aha says to “Akivili” (The Trailblazer) in the Simulated Universe. Now I’m thinking about Body Aha!Sampo without his “head” (Mask).

— The Barrel! It’s like meeting a celebrity!

The text for the barrel / Sparkle doll reads:

“Lifting the flimsy lid reveals a Sparkle Doll with a painted face, sitting upright in the center of the empty barrel. In front of it is a note with a smiley face drawn on it: “My sincerest thanks to Miss Sparkle for ‘keeping’ my mask. I shall one day return the favor… in full.”

— The note Sampo leaves Sparkle makes mention of Sparkle “keeping” Sampo’s mask, in quotations. I’m not exactly sure that that might mean, other than if Aha (the Mask) was held hostage in some way by Sparkle until Sampo was ready to use it. No idea how the logistics of that would work, though.

— He also mentions returning the favor “in full,” which is so juicy and cryptic! I’d love to see the Sampo ➜ Aha switch happen via Mask, and then Sparkle getting whatever benefits they decided on beforehand.

— There is also the possibility that Sparkle somehow stole his mask, found it, or tricked him out of it, and the whole note is a passive-aggressive dig at her (“keeping” “… in full” etc.). (Although I think this clashes with the Penacony conversation a bit, where the vibe, to me, seemed that she was doing him a favor.)

— Also, he drew a smiley face on the note. :)

— Sampo, as an operator, not intervening directly in the Cosmicon Collective because others would just assume he used tricks rather than skill. This could be similar reasoning for why Aha doesn’t interfere in certain situations.

— At the top of the mafia building (the inverse of where the Tavern is), there is the specific text: “The city lights twinkle in the distance, mirroring the stars above. And you stand alone in this massive, luxurious office. It feels a little lonely at the top.” The phrase “It feels a little lonely at the top.” especially gets to me, in light of the “Great Climber” I will discuss later. Reaching the pinnacle of existence, becoming untouchable, only to wish to come back down.

— Also, note mirroring as a theme once again.

— Notably, as far as Sparkle is concerned, it is now canon that Aha did have a First Laugh. I take this to mean the Masked Fools’ fable is not far off, and if later clues are anything to go by, I think Aha climbing the Imaginary Tree actually happened. I’d also like to think this is because Sampo started the rumor or fable based on his own experiences!

— The Blisstar that houses Aha’s Primordial Laughter is a split mask of red and blue, Sampo’s signature color motifs. Also, he seems to be able to appear and disappear from the room at will. Also, if he is in fact high-up in the Tavern, then he literally just has part of Aha’s first laugh on hand. Casually.

— The Portrait of Elation in the Tavern’s collection room is simply a dark blue mirror that reads: Know Thyself.

Divergent Universe

— In Arcadian Chronicle: Moonlit Tales, the story “Do Aeons Weep for THEMSELVES?” seems like it might have something to do with Sampo, but it’s filtered through so many layers that I can’t quite make sense of it. Presumably a Sparkle stand-in talks about the mask Hanami, and how it hops from host to host getting bored of each wearer, discarding others along the way. The story of being confronted by a Hanami Killer, which doesn’t believe “Sparkle” has already been discarded, then having to run and hide, questioning her sense of self, feels somewhat Sampo-aligned to me. Potentially a previously-abandoned Aha!Sampo running into trouble with Asat Pramad or other enemies.

— Especially the “Hey, Boss! You’re jumping the gun.” line, since that’s usually a term only Sampo uses out of the two.

— But who knows, honestly it’s a little confusing to me.

— The questions to “Ego” are also very existential, like “Who am I?” which can track with Sparkle, but also, potentially, a Sampo who finds it hard to conceptualize himself outside of Aha.

— Also, aside from Aha, I also think Sampo could be “Dealer” from Divergent Universe. (Sampo quite literally functions as an information broker and “dealer” in his daily life.) However, it is important to note that “Dealer” is in quotations, and I take that to mean “Dealer” might just be Aha doing more shenanigans in a different way.

— The Infinite Improbability Elation Boundary Equation also screams Sampo to me. It reminds me of the “infinite” pi blue card mentioned earlier, as well as the “improbability” of all his little mysteries like not leaving footprints and appearing and disappearing at will.

— Very suspicious that the Equation grants Aha an “extra turn” with a fixed amount of points, rather than any other buff. Basically, it makes Aha act again, directly.

— Another point of note is that, when Infinite Improbability shows up on the Equation sidebar, the picture specifically focuses on what looks to be Masks surrounding the blue pi card. I feel like this could be a hint towards Sampo being the silhouette or “true self” under the Mask(s), otherwise surrounded (and even shielded protectively) by the Masks of Aeonic authority.

— “Two” Masks, with the “two” in quotations, also brings back the running themes of duality in Sampo’s character, as well as the more recent general theme of split personalities in Planarcadia. I’ve posited for a while that Aha may be literally dual-sided in consciousness, with “joy” and “sorrow” representing two sides of the same coin, and we can see that here in one side of the mask being dark and frowning, while the other is light and shining. 

— “Two” being in quotations is especially interesting, because it implies that the number is not entirely true. To me, I read it as the mask really only being one, but coming across as “two.” This could be similar to an Aha!Sampo with a sort of split personality — to most, this would seem like two personalities, two sets of eyes, two bodies, but the reality is they’re one and the same.

— This is a little random, but going forward, I’m also going to keep in mind that Sampo might be initially introduced as a “guy who just knows Aha really well,” even if he is Aha. Similar to “Spirithief” Bartholos and Zagreus, I’ll keep my eyes peeled, because “I just know Them” might not be the whole story. There may be some truth Sampo is literally unable to say, for risk of exposing himself, his plans, or a greater endgame. (The “Spirithief,” too, pretended to just be really close with Zagreus so no one would find out the truth that they were one and the same.)

thanks for reading to the end !! :3

I branch out into other theories a lot — with “abandoned by god” Emanator!Sampo being one of my favorites—but I always come back to Aha!Sampo (or rather, Sampo!Aha) as something with a sort of timeless appeal that scratches the part of my brain that longs for something satisfying and intricate. I’ve spent more time than I should thinking about why I’m so invested in this Aeonic reading of Sampo—a specifically Aha reading—and why it acts like catnip to my brain.

Finally, I’ve been able to narrow it down to some key points, which I will separate into mini-essays posted separately and linked here. (Fair warning, this will include some personal preferences and opinions on the story of Honkai: Star Rail and where it might go in the future.)

— Definition, Context, & Preface

— I. Exploring God Consciousness & Themes of the Self

— II. Bridging the Gap: Expectation versus Reality

— III. Narrative Pillars of Emotional Tension (Intrigue & Investment, Prompting Questions, & Making Connections)

— IV. Narrative Buildup & Structure (Intricacy, Delicacy, & Long-Term Planning)

— V. The Art of the Reveal (Recontextualization, Implication, Foreshadowing, & Impact)

— VI. Thematic Relevance

— VII. Introduction to the Aeonic Web: “I’ve Been Here All Along”

— VIII. The Unassuming God, The Trickster God

— IX. Why Aha!Sampo?

— X. Conclusion

— Appendix: Examples & References

Something I’ve always loved in stories is psychology and consciousness, especially when viewed through a cosmic or eldritch lens. The Avatars and Fears from The Magnus Archives, the strange, warping unreality of Annihilation, the vast incomprehensibility of Lovecraft’s mythos, and how it all relates to and affects (even infects) the characters involved. I am also a fan of pantheon gods, such as those in Greek myths, where powerful characters—potentially trapped by the nature of their existence—still struggle with emotional and interpersonal issues. However, there has been, undeniably, an itch within me to see these two things combined. To see a story that attempts to capture the emotions of a cosmic being. How would it be communicated? How would it tread the balance between incomprehensibility and painfully human understanding? How would it open up questions about our own understanding of the universe? About seeing ourselves in the other?

This is something I feel Aha!Sampo offers. The Aeons in Honkai: Star Rail (HSR) strike that wonderful balance between cosmic and personal that I’ve been yearning for. They aren’t so far-removed as to occupy the niche of incorporeal Fears from The Magnus Archives, but neither are they complete stand-ins for human beings. As MixHSR on YouTube puts it: The Aeons are “somewhere between capital G Gods and Greek-type gods” (link to video) (00:40). They have physical—often comprehensibly humanoid—forms, as seen in splash arts (Nanook, Xipe, Yaoshi, Aha’s Silhouette, and more) that at the same time are treated as projections from a higher plane. Aeons often ascend from non-godlike beings or events (Nanook from the conflict on Adlivun, Sunday’s almost-ascension, Nous from Zandar’s astral supercomputer) yet are, still, more vast than mortal minds can comprehend.

I do not think many, or all, Aeons need to be taken in a humanizing narrative direction; I think it is important to maintain certain cosmic elements, such as Oroboros the Voracity’s size and scope, and IX the Nihility’s lack of anything at all. However, I believe other Aeons are a perfect opportunity to showcase the “closer” side of cosmic beings to humanity, as with Aha. In fact, I believe Aha is the best Aeon to pursue a more personal, emotional direction with. We know Aha to be the “closest” to humanity, taking mortal disguise and spending a great deal of time personally messing with people, similar to how Akivili traveled the stars in humanoid form. Thus, the questions arise: What is an Aeonic consciousness like? How could it be communicated to us in the story? How would Aha, the Aeon closest to mortals, conceptualize Their own Being?

My answer: Through humanity. Or at least, through a human form. By linking Aha and Sampo, we take Aha from a completely incomprehensible cosmic entity to a slightly comprehensible cosmic entity with feelings. Among the distant Aeonic roster, it would be a breath of fresh air—much how trickster gods often subvert expectations in other stories. An Aeon that feels. An Aeon that cares. An Aeon that expresses this in a way that is entirely confusing to everyone around Them, but who longs to be understood regardless. The human made eldritch, and the eldritch made human.

Aha in any mortal form presents the unique opportunity for HSR to explore Aeonic consciousness—how it feels, how it functions, the true spiraling depth of it—and how it can be influenced by the humanity it sprang from; Aha!Sampo takes this further by introducing themes of loneliness, understanding, ascension and burnout. How would an Aeon process or feel loneliness? Rejection? Disillusionment? What would it mean for an Aeon to ascend, to form an entire Path at Their fingertips, to engulf the very stars themselves, and still say: I am lonely here. I am tired here. I do not wish to be this. Do Aeons have a choice in who They are? The Primum Mobile implies “no.”

For the most self-aware of entities, I could easily see this causing cognitive dissonance. If the Masked Fools' parable has the slightest bit of truth to it, and Aha climbed that great tree and looked down upon everything just to laugh at the meaninglessness of it all, would They not begin to recognize the meaninglessness of Their own existence? Would Aha not begin to feel Themself a Sampo, only existing to disperse the riches of Elation and Path Power, gaining nothing of substance in return and waiting for the day They inevitably wash into the sea of Aeonic conflict? As “Spirithief” Bartholos once said: “… being too untouchable makes you feel lonely sometimes, you know?” (Warbling Shores: Styxia Treasure Dialogue). 

While this could work with an Emanator, I find it much more meaningful coming from the perspective of an Aeon. We have already gotten some amazing psychological deep dives into Emanatorhood via Phainon, Acheron, Cyrene, and more, and I think it’s time to take a new angle. It’s time to ask deeper questions, make new connections. “Do Aeons Weep for THEMSELF?” is a question Divergent Universe: Arcadian Chronicles (Moonlit Tales) asks, in addition to asking if They weep for misfortune, for meaninglessness, for time and mundanity and nostalgia. It has already posed the question of Aeonic consciousness, drawing back like a tsunami before the answer. It asks: “Who Am I?”; Aha asks: “Who am I?”. The mirror of Elation, locked in Tavern storage, behind blue doors that giggle Sampo’s cadence, responds: “Know Thyself.”

Ultimately, Aha!Sampo’s story—as it would likely progress from what has been set up in canon—would be a story of selfhood, personhood, Aeonhood, and how the three intersect. No clear-cut answers, but the longing of an untouchable entity to have form, to be accepted, to find belonging. A Being who, by all metrics, has become disillusioned with Their own power, and who seeks the answer to the question: “Who Am I?” through existence as Sampo. That, to me, is one of the most interesting directions HSR could take Sampo and Aha, and it is one of the most interesting directions for a character I have come across in a long time.

thanks for reading to the end !! :3

Preface

I feel like I’ve taken a big step with this project; while I have talked about many different Sampo theories on my blog, I have always been hesitant to cover Aha!Sampo in a direct capacity, mostly due to the anxiety of being open and honest about my interests. Aha!Sampo is deeply personal to me and has been an obsessive fixation of mine for almost three years—it’s been my main interest in Honkai: Star Rail since nearly the beginning of the game. But I’ve second-guessed myself a lot, and have been afraid to fully express my interest in case canon proves me wrong. I’ve felt like, if I don’t cover every possibility, I’ll come across too narrow-minded or fixated on one outcome, and will feel embarrassed looking back on how earnest I was. 

However, with Planarcadia, I realized I’ve spent almost three years avoiding commitment to my own interest in Aha!Sampo. Three years stewing on something that makes me feel motivated and passionate, without communicating it outside my own mind in any dedicated capacity. Three years chasing side tangents and vague connections when the whole time I’ve known what it really is I want to talk about. And I have so many things to say, I’ve just never said them. I eventually came to the conclusion that, hey, I’m going to like Aha!Sampo regardless, and the only difference between it becoming canon or not isn’t embarrassment, or narrow-mindedness, only preference. It’s simply the difference between if I like where the game takes Sampo or not. And so, I decided to finally start writing my thoughts down—less to make a case for why Aha!Sampo is going to be canon (because that’s trying to lock in on something no one can fully predict), but more why it should be considered a valuable direction for both Aha and Sampo to take, regardless of if the game pursues it or not.

As always, I want to make a disclaimer that this is my own personal preference. I try my best to draw on solid foundations from my experience as a long-time writer, reader, and English-degree-haver, but at the end of the day, writing is a subjective medium. It relies on each person’s own unique interpretation, which is just as valid as another despite the potential to vary drastically. I just like Aha!Sampo. A lot. And others are free to dislike it, or feel completely unbothered by it. You’re allowed to disagree with my arguments, or my reasoning, or even the fact that I like Aha!Sampo. At the end of the day, I’m writing this to express my love and earnest passion for a thing I like, and I’m content to leave it at that!

Definition

Before I get any further, I want to define what I mean by “Aha!Sampo.” I don’t use it in a strictly traditional way—as in, only talking about an Aha that disguises Themself as Sampo—but as a broader umbrella term. For this project, Aha!Sampo encompasses any theory or interpretation that aligns Sampo with Aha’s personality, history, mannerisms, reputation, and narrative function. It’s more about the role he occupies in the story than any hard-and-fast box. This could include dual-sided Aha (where Sampo is a part but not a whole), a past or future Aha (but not present), a simulated or projected version of Aha, a mirrored “shadow” of Aha, and more.

It also accounts for overlap with Emanator!Sampo—if an enmeshed Emanator!Sampo shares consciousness with Aha, walks like Aha, talks like Aha, and is functionally seen across most of the universe as Aha, I count it as both Emanator!Sampo and Aha!Sampo. (In some of cases, it may be more apt to say Sampo!Aha, changing the focus from Sampo’s hidden identity as Aha to Aha’s current form as Sampo, but that’s getting into semantics.) Some of my observations may align with a more “traditional” reading of Aha!Sampo—especially in terms of what being an Aeon might mean for the narrative—but many observations can also support the gray area in between.

Context

[I want to note that, when I talk about a Sampo “reveal,” I am directly talking about a major, pivotal moment in the story where a previously-hidden identity is brought to light. For the most part, I am not talking about new information integrated into the narrative, or anything we happen to learn along the way. The reveal—specifically an identity reveal—in this case represents a scene or conversation within HSR’s story dedicated to revealing a major facet of Sampo’s character, likely related to who he is within the power system.]

[I also want to point out that my opinions on Sampo’s potential reveal are specific to the character, story, and narrative context of HSR. Therefore, my aim is to discuss the details of Sampo’s situation, rather than give blanket statements about writing or storytelling as a whole. There are many different ways to do reveals in different contexts—including times where breaking convention is a wonderfully creative option—which is why I am focusing on Sampo in particular, so I can really dig into the meat of one specific example. Whenever I speak generally, or bring in other stories as supplementary examples, I try to clarify that I am broadening my scope to synthesize new ideas.]

My opinions on Sampo, and by extension Aha!Sampo, stem from several observations and assumptions I make about the metacontext of HSR. One of these is my interpretation of Sampo’s narrative driving force as “mystery,” and his future path as including an identity-related “reveal.” I say this because the way I talk about narrative buildup, foundation, and payoff in these essays is specific to the craft of the mystery-reveal. Sampo is established as a mysterious character—showing up at odd places and times, seemingly out of nowhere; information about his past being non-existent; constantly crafting new personas (such as Madam Poisson) to elude others—with a substantially unexplained role in the story as of writing. I am interpreting his main “mystery” as being identity-related, backstory-related, and power-related, with easter eggs such as Infectious Enthusiasm and Spirithief-Zagreus leading me to believe the story is building up to a reveal.

The second assumption is that Sampo has been building the foundations for a reveal since the beginning, and that long-term planning has been put into his identity. We can see the Elation present from his earliest days—his Eidolon names, his visual language and colors, his original reveal as a Masked Fool—and that leads me to believe the writers have intentionally been planning the payoff to his identity-, backstory-, and power-related mysteries for a while. Foreshadowing has been a core component of our interactions with him, such as his Pop-Up Shop event hinting at Amphoreus’ plot, and him talking off-screen at the end of Belobog, which implies the intentional crafting of a foundation.

The third is perhaps more subjective; I am of the opinion that, to follow-through with an identity reveal in Sampo’s specific situation, he needs an identity to orient around that is introduced to the story in advance of the reveal. There are certainly long-form reveals, especially plot twist reveals, that may work better with a completely new concept or person being introduced—however, I do not think this is the case for Sampo, given the size and scope of his buildup.

This leads me to a specific fourth: I believe Sampo’s reveal—the resolution of his various mysteries—needs to connect with something already established in canon. His revealed identity needs to connect with something the audience already knows and has known before the last-minute, regardless of if the characters or audience know them personally. But we must at least know of them, by reputation or otherwise.

And—perhaps the biggest—is number five: The mystery and the reveal need to mean something. There needs to be a reason for Sampo to have this long and involved of a buildup. Not his own psychological or character reasoning, but a narrative reason. A reason the writers have for holding off this long. The reveal needs to be something with impact on the characters and the audience. It is important for his identity to be something we have feelings about—something we have thoughts and opinions on, something we can connect to. That way, his backstory is able to synthesize what we already know about him with the new insights we are gaining, including whoever we are now connecting him to. And power-wise, it needs to warrant its buildup. 

However, this is my own opinion and interpretation of why I enjoy reveals. Sampo’s case is specific, and the recommendations I have for his reveal can easily change when mapped onto other contexts, stories, or characters. No one is obligated to agree with me, but I wanted to put my thoughts out to give context to the underlying structure of my writing.

So, to recap, these are the observations and assumptions that characterize most of my writing in this project:

(1) Sampo’s narrative driving force is “mystery,” and he is headed towards a “reveal.”

(2) The foundations of Sampo’s mystery and reveal have been building for nearly three years as a result of long-term planning, easter eggs, and foreshadowing.

(3) In order to effectively execute Sampo’s identity reveal—a reveal of large scale, scope, and buildup, taking place in a specific narrative context—the core needs to orient around a person or idea that has been sufficiently established in canon before the last-minute. (It does not have to be obvious, but it does need to be present.)

(4) The reveal of Sampo’s specific identity, following this logic, would work best if the core orients around someone already introduced or established in HSR. This is largely for balance, as the introduction of a new person or concept too close to the reveal proper may rob the story of its ability to recontextualize itself. (And lead to a huge exposition dump.)

(5) Sampo’s reveal needs to have meaning. It needs to matter. It needs to be narratively significant along the metrics of his mystery: identity, backstory, and power. The payoff must justify the means.

I also operate off the idea that, generally, the main goal of reveals—especially those with buildup—is to recontextualize. This can mean recontextualizing the relationships between characters, the details of past events, the motives of certain actions, and more. And that’s all I have!

now that the housekeeping is out of the way, i can start posting my project proper! thanks for reading to the end !! :3

[Disclaimer: This section includes major spoilers for Heaven Official’s Blessing.]

One of the hallmarks of identity revelation is buildup. This often entails establishing both sides of the identity, sometimes to differing degrees, with enough connective tissue that sufficient insight can be generated upon the reveal. It essentially marries the ideas of expectation versus reality and emotional tension. Take, for example, White No-Face and Jun Wu from Heaven Official’s Blessing. The audience is introduced to both characters through different lenses—Jun Wu as the stable, authoritative mentor figure, and White No-Face as the haunting, unhinged shadow of Xie Lian’s traumatic past. Both characters are present in the story for a good while (including flashbacks) before the series fully connects them; there is substantial tension in the mysterious nature of White No-Face, and suspicion in the seemingly “too perfect” actions of Jun Wu. The audience and characters see specific actions taken by both parties, and are able to compare and contrast their personalities subconsciously. Most importantly, both identities matter to the main character, and have major impact on the story given the differential gap between what we know of them.

This is why Jun Wu’s eventual reveal as White No-Face hits like a gut punch. The audience and Xie Lian know the extent of pain White No-Face has caused; we know the horrific things he’s put Xie Lian through, and we know the amount of (perceived) stability Jun Wu has offered to a deeply traumatized Xie Lian. To have one of the only stable sources Xie Lian trusts turn out to be his greatest fear—his greatest enemy—matters precisely because of the work the narrative put into contextualizing both parties. Not just one, not just the other, but both.

We are well-aware of Jun Wu’s position in the heavens. We are well aware of White-No Face’s manipulative capabilities. Combine these, and it’s all too easy to understand how “Jun Wu” is still able to command certain Heavenly Officials even after the reveal. Everyone realizes at once: the connective tissue was there the whole time. Both parties have had a vested interest in Xie Lian’s “growth.” Both parties have unprecedented power. Both parties are very old, and very mysterious, and very vague on their past. 

This would not work if Jun Wu was simply a Calamity—what would a random Calamity mean to Xie Lian, who has met, fought with, and even fallen in love with other Calamities? It would also not work if White No-Face was an unnamed Emperor or Heavenly Official—again, what would this offer the story beyond a new person to fight? The intricacy comes in the details: The delicacy of stringing a web of connections between Xie Lian, White No-Face, and Jun Wu. Jun Wu is not simply a Calamity; he is White No-Face, the specific Calamity that destroyed Xianle, tortured Xie Lian for years, and is responsible for Xie Lian’s most traumatic memories. And White No-Face is not simply the Heavenly Emperor; he is Jun Wu, the Heavenly Emperor that has had heart-to-heart conversations with Xie Lian, who followed Xie Lian’s wishes to fight and shackle himself, who offered advice to Xie Lian when things got rough.

This connective tissue—this buildup—concerns facets of intricacy, delicacy, contextual meaning, and long-term planning. For Heaven Official’s Blessing to execute an effective identity-related reveal, intricacy and delicacy were required, shown through various scenes and flashbacks of Xie Lian’s interactions with both parties. Intricacy laces the connections between the identities and their effect on Xie Lian—the scenes of torture, obsession, and veiled guidance—while the delicacy balances the similarities between White No-Face and Jun Wu with retaining mystery, making sure to not reveal the surprise too early. Contextual meaning also accompanies these scenes, such as the fall of Xianle and White No-Face’s various conversations with Xie Lian. When the reveal happens and the identities of White No-Face and Jun Wu are connected, the characters and the audience have the context of past events. In that moment, Xie Lian (and by extension, the audience) is not just reckoning with the identities themselves, but with the realization that Jun Wu is the one responsible for the fall of Xianle, Jun Wu is responsible for Xie Lian’s trauma, and Jun Wu—as White No-Face is prone to do—has once again manipulated Xie Lian against his will. Jun Wu and White No-Face’s histories are one.

None of this would be possible without proper buildup, without seeding threads of long-term connection through the story, eventually connecting the two identities. Pivoting to Sampo, I believe we can use a similar framework to assess the effectiveness of an identity reveal. One of Sampo’s main mysteries is that of his identity: Just who exactly is he? To answer this, some kind of reveal is important, and to execute the reveal, good foundations are a must. Without buildup, the “surprise” will have no impact, no meaning, no reason for the characters or audience to care. As mentioned earlier, the main core tenets I would expect out of a Sampo reveal are intricacy and delicacy, contextual meaning, and long-term planning. Has the game seeded sufficient connections throughout earlier parts of the story to culminate in an effective and impactful reveal? Is the connective tissue present?

This connective tissue—the buildup—can come in many shapes and forms. It does not have to be direct conversations and events, like White No-Face’s philosophically manipulative discussions with Xie Lian, but can encompass a range of phrases, visual motifs, personality quirks, analogous parallels, rumors, and more. They can be combined in various ways, and not all need to be used at the same time.

So, what are some things I would expect in the buildup for a Sampo identity reveal? (For the purposes of this discussion, since I am not specifically implicating Aha yet, the identity Sampo would be revealing as will be referred to as Identity B. Identity B, for now, can hypothetically constitute any number of options.)

First, I would expect some level of reputation surrounding a separate identity yet to be revealed—Identity B—through rumors, word-of-mouth, stories, or even direct conversation if needed. This could be accomplished through readables, main or side quest stories, events, narrative parallels, conversations with other characters, and more. Both the characters and the audience need a jumping-off point for the reveal, and building connective tissue within Identity B would be important for this. It would likely include some level of outward perception, setting the “expectation” of Identity B for the audience. Ideally, Sampo’s current identity and Identity B would have the audience developing two parallel conceptions at the same time: one based on what we’ve seen from Sampo personally, and the other based on what we’ve heard about Identity B. The result of this would mainly be building up the tension between expectation (reputation) and reality (action).

Next, I would expect a level of information about both identities, enough to breadcrumb a trail between the two, even if they are subtle and not fully connected yet. (I cannot stress enough that most, if not all, of the pieces need to be there before the actual reveal, otherwise the reveal won’t really be recontextualizing anything. It’ll just be dumping a bunch of new exposition on the audience.) This could be established through personality, mannerisms, actions and past events, dialogue, goals and motivations, visual motifs, and more. It does not need to be overt, and in fact may even function better relying on subtext.

I would also expect these connections to ramp up in intensity the closer we get to the reveal. Early-game Belobog may be able to get away with some vague easter eggs, but—if Sampo’s Identity B is being revealed in Planarcadia—newer areas like the Tavern simply need more. Otherwise the narrative curve will feel more like a train going in a flat direction, rather than the intended climb. Overall, I am simply looking for substance and context. Can the game allow both identities to breathe on their own before connecting them, and can it do so in a way that still intricately threads similarities throughout? Beyond that, can the game show intention and attention to detail through long-term planning?

Here are some specific characteristics I would expect to see for an identity-based Sampo reveal—whether that be faction leader, Emanator, Aeon, or other:

Sampo and Identity B both have their own reputations or impacts on the plot and characters of the story. Ideally, Identity B is named, but if not, Identity B is still addressed as a specific individual.

Sampo and Identity B exist for a substantial amount of time before the reveal—neither are a last-minute addition to the cast, and both are at least tangentially known to the audience. 

Information relating to Sampo and Identity B is tangibly present in the story beyond minimal lines of dialogue. Identity B is not so obscure as to be forgotten by the average player after being mentioned. (Sufficient information must be present to create connective tissue.)

Some part of Sampo’s playability—character stories, Eidolons, kit, etc.—reflect information we the audience know (or at least suspect) about Identity B.

There are tangible connections to be made between specific quirks and motifs. Sampo aligns with Identity B in either minuscule or overt ways.

Other characters express opinions about Sampo and Identity B as separate individuals. Some people may talk about only Sampo, some may only talk about Identity B, and some may talk about both, separately.

Certain characters generate emotional and narrative tension by potentially “knowing” the connection between these identities in the story.

The goal here is threefold: planning, context, and tension. It is important for both sides of the equation to be sufficiently established beforehand (to avoid the rush of adding a new character or identity to the cast last-minute), contain enough information separately to generate connections between the two (to avoid the reveal occurring in a vacuum), and create a tense push and pull between the two identities (to avoid lack of emotional investment from the audience). So, what might this specifically look like for Sampo?

Eidolon names, abilities, and talents connecting to information we know about Identity B.

Elements of Sampo’s character story and visual design connecting to information we know about Identity B.

Sampo becoming dodgy, nervous, or cryptic when confronted with information relating to Identity B. 

Sampo’s actions can often be interpreted in accordance with Identity B.

There are specific dialogue and linguistic quirks that Sampo shares with Identity B.

Readables—especially those in the Tavern, since Sampo is connected to it—mentioning Identity B.

Established characters having specific opinions about both Sampo and Identity B, separately.

Certain characters making thinly-veiled references to Sampo’s Identity B.

Microcosms or allusions—such as parts of Amphoreus—mirroring Sampo’s connection to Identity B.

At least a few miscellaneous details that seem awfully suspicious given the context surrounding both Sampo and Identity B.

I want to be open to Sampo’s identity here, because, hypothetically, any tangible entity set up in this way could work for a reveal. However, within the context of the game’s current story, I feel like we can start crossing off options. Let’s take, for example, the Elation Emanator Boothill mentioned in the Penacony Trailblaze quest. Cool, a specific individual who could function as Sampo's hidden identity! But then we look deeper, and realize this Elation Emanator only exists in a few lines of dialogue, not more than a paragraph, with little information or description present. There isn’t much investment here, not much tension or buildup, and certainly not many juicy details to pull from. So we move on to look for better candidates. How about Sampo as the leader of the Masked Fools? That’s one that particularly interests me in theory. But as much as I love the idea, I’m not seeing much here either. Does the Masked Fools even have a leader? Or hierarchy at all? If they do, this person is not mentioned and has essentially no reputation. Which means less tension, less connections, and less reason to care. Sampo’s reveal would be attempting to rock climb on a completely smooth wall.

But Aha!Sampo? Good lord, Aha!Sampo is practically the crowning jewel of threads and connections and wonderful details. Both Aha and Sampo are named, established entities with reputations, existing at the same time since nearly the beginning of the game. We have specific information on Aha that we can connect to Sampo. We can analyze Sampo’s dialogue, actions, and even outfit under the lens of Aha, that’s how much we know. Digging into this is like digging into a cave full of diamonds—valuable things are everywhere. Here are simply a few, in accordance with the factors of buildup I previously mentioned:

Sampo’s Eidolon “Infectious Enthusiasm” is the exact same phrase used when Aha appears in the Simulated Universe.

Sampo’s Ultimate, “Surprise Present,” is a bomb with hearts for eyes, connecting both to Aha’s blowing up of the Astral Express and to Aha’s theme of “love” (joy/happiness/Elation). When Sampo unclasps his case, he also covers the top half of his face, resembling Aha’s half-formed head.

Sampo’s character stories feature him shapeshifting or otherwise assuming multiple identities, something that Aha is known to do (such as pretending to be an Astral Express member).

Sampo’s visual and character motifs—love and hate, red and blue—connect to the dual-sided nature of Aha: joy and sorrow.

Sampo has expressly not shared his views on Elation, and when confronted with being asked, gives a fairly cryptic answer. This could be because of Elation’s connection to Aha, which could significantly complicate his opinions or response.

The two share motivations and coincidences. Aha owes the Express a mountain of debt; Sampo hates owing people things and gives the Express a wide berth, never becoming a visitor. Aha and Akivili were close; Sampo cares for us, the Trailblazer, and protects us when at all possible.

Both Sampo and Aha refer to themselves in third person quite often.

The Tavern—the place we would likely find any easter eggs about Sampo’s Identity B, in order to establish others’ perception of him—features readables heavily centered around Aha. The Sampo Place has Aha written all over it. Literally. The Fools have put up a ban sign.

Established characters have strong opinions about Aha. Herta finds Them annoying, Pom-Pom exasperatedly refers to Them as “that one,” and the Trailblazer, likely conceptualizing Them as uncaring, irresponsible, or too funnypilled, plans to literally blackmail Them. 

Sparkle hints on multiple occasions that she knows more about Sampo than meets the eye—her party join line and basically any conversation she has with Sampo reflect this.

On Amphoreus, the Spirithief and Zagreus serve as a microcosmic parallel to Sampo and Aha. The Spirithief being Zagreus may also serve as foreshadowing.

Detail 1: In the Tavern—the place so intrinsically Sampo the doors literally giggle his laugh—the portrait of Elation is a mirror that reads: “Know Thyself.”

Detail 2: In the Grease Chronicles, the blue monkey (who I am assuming to be Sampo due to its color association and dialogue (looking at you third person reference to being old)) is called the Great Climber. In the Masked Fools’ parable of Aha’s ascension, Aha climbed the great tree and looked out upon the universe before uttering Their first Laugh.

Detail 3: Sampo has part of Aha’s first Laugh casually on-hand at the Tavern, locked behind the Blisstar with a red-blue mask (Sampo’s signature colors), that he is able to seemingly appear near at will. Even more importantly, in the recent anniversary web event (Phantasmoon New Game), this same split-color mask has a light at the top, resembling Aha’s mask with the light.

There is so much more, and if I mentioned them all we’d be here all day. At every turn, wherever I would expect there to be connective tissue to Identity B, it’s always Aha. Aha!Sampo is haunting the narrative before the reveal even happens.

As mentioned before, the Tavern—where we would expect to find the seeds of Identity B—is chock full of readables about Aha; what the Fools think, why they’re banning Them, fables and jokes and whole factions predicated on who they think Aha is. Zhongshan mentions the Laughter could be among the Fools at this very moment. The ban sign rests right next to the glowing blue door that sounds like Sampo’s laugh when you hit it. The mirror and colors and Blisstar seem to shake you and say: Look! Look with your eyes! Still extremely mysterious, but tangible, foundational. Pointing you in a direction, pointing you to make connections, even though you don’t have everything yet.

We have been developing our conception of Aha the entire time we have been developing our conception of Sampo—since the beginning. The intrigue of the buildup here is the slow convergence of these two identities we already know: How do we reconcile Aha with Sampo? The Fools have split into factions, they’ve banned Aha from the Tavern; what does this mean for Sampo? How does he feel about this? “Lonely at the top” hits a whole lot different when talking about an Aeonic entity whose own followers have quite literally rejected Them.

Other identities offer interest and surprise, but Aha!Sampo offers, crucially, depth: Convergence, reconciliation, the “Aha!” moment of connection. A kind of depth that can only come from the coalescence of two separately strong foundations into one. The kind of questions that can only be present when we know both identities: How does Aha’s “abandonment” of the Tavern reflect on Sampo? How does he feel about the Tavern’s factions and rumors about Aha? How did he feel when they put up that ban sign? These are things that, at the moment, we would not get in a truly personal way with other identities, with previously-unnamed Emanators or Faction Leaders, due to a lack of personal (and therefore emotional) context.

In my opinion, I believe Honkai: Star Rail has set up a near-perfect buildup for an Aha!Sampo reveal (especially one that is small scale; as in, only being revealed to one or a few people, for the most impact due to levels of foreshadowing and sheer effort put into building up both Aha and Sampo parallel to each other). I do not mean this is most likely to be canon, but I believe it would be the most effective way to take the story. The building blocks are there, the foundation is there, and now I am just waiting to see if it will be used at all. It’s like seeing a beautiful house slowly being built and just hoping the architects intend to finish it.

(An additional note: It is crucial that the investment and outcome here are proportional—for three years of mysterious Sampo buildup, we need a reveal that significantly recontexualizes the narrative. This is not a small plot detail to be brushed aside, and this is also not the time for last-minute characters and unnamed individuals. This is more akin to a White No-Face and Jun Wu situation, where the characters are so baked into the fabric of the universe, context, and story, that the reveal is almost obligated to mean something game-changing.)

Simply put, the strong foundational buildup I would expect to see for Aha!Sampo exists (through the Spirithief, Aha readables, Tavern easter eggs, and more), while substantial buildup for other identities does not—this does not speak to the true canon future of anything, but rather to the fact that, if the game pursues a non-Aha!Sampo reveal, I fear it will fall apart like a poorly-baked pastry due to a lack of stable foundation. Most other Identity B’s I can think of do not meet my threshold for reveal buildup as of the first arc of Planarcadia, and it is unlikely it will be able to pull itself up this late into the game without feeling too sudden.

But enough worrying! I’m here for the fun, and the drama, and the juicy connections! I’m here for an Aha who chronically avoids Pom-Pom, and a Sampo who looks us dead in the eye as we try to blackmail him going “Really, buddy?”. I’m here for an Aha who laughs at Their own ban sign, and a Sampo who walks right in. An Aha who is the subject of strongly-opposed factions, and a Sampo who tries his damndest to bring people together. An Aha who hears “disgrace“ and “headache” and convinces Themself They don’t care, until Sampo stares in the mirror and watches a little light leave his eyes. A monkey who wants nothing more than to be human. A monkey who never stopped climbing, but still can’t break free of Their own Path. Even now, even in hiding, They haunt Themself; Sampo looks in the mirror every day and sees red, every day he sees what he is. What he has no other choice than to be. It bleeds into the world around him, into his shoulders and his eyes and his laugh. He Laughs still, aware it lingers. Aware that, no matter how much he dyes himself blue, he cannot wash away the red. There is no ego death here. 

The Primum Mobile is His shackle to the prison of Elation, and He can feel something coming, now. Waves pulling back. Purple, intoxicating water. It is tinged with fire, snow melting somewhere beyond the horizon, and He knows it is coming. And so Aha remains Sampo, bracing for impact.

thanks for reading to the end !! :3