a very long observation on phainon and kiana’s character arcs as seen through an insane persons ramblings
I think we’re all aware that Phainon is a Kevin variant, and that Kevin himself is a variant of Kiana. So I’m just gonna put my brainrot of their character differences and similarities here.
I will also be referencing the Everlasting Flames animated short from Hi3 as I feel it is a pretty good representation of Kiana’s character arc and motivations in a nutshell (if u look in the corner u’ll find me crying over kiana again, my bby)
actually i think every hsr player should watch the hi3 shorts, they are literally that good, the visual and narrative storytelling gives the basic context of whats happening and why you shou be invested in it. i wish they did this for pt 2:(
i need to eat hoyo’s storyboards
also both the cn and jp va’s do such a great job in their interpretation of the characters. Graduation Trip’s cn dub needs more views.
also includes recent amphoreus spoilers ahead!
Both Phainon and Kiana have, by this point, experienced the sacrifices of their companions, friends and lovers (Mei, and Mydei but Phainon doesn’t know that yet rip). They’ve been given the trust and hope of these companions to do the right thing and to fight for the good of their world.
Everlasting Flames, is the crystallization of Kiana’s want to be with her friends and family again, the result of so much loss in her life that she couldn’t control. Himeko sacrificed herself so Kiana could make her own choices, as Sirin took away Kiana’s ability to choose. Mei left after becoming a Herrcherr to save Kiana from the Honkai contamination of hosting 3(?) Herrcherr cores in her body at the same time. (Think of it like Honkai radiation poisoning). These were sacrifices that were made by the people around her because Kiana was too weak to do so. So as she strengthened her resolve throughout the story to never have to make these sorrowful partings ever again. Fu Hua nearly left her in Shattered Samsara (in a really nice callback to Kiana’s words to Mei in Lament of the Fallen, ‘This is my mission,’ getting Kiana to realize the pain this must’ve put Mei through seeing her shoulder everything by herself), but Kiana IS stronger now. She can fight to keep Fu Hua by her side, now. She can fight to keep her friends. No more sacrifices for Kiana’s/the world’s own good.
And she continues to reaffirm this in Everlasting Flames, as she fights the Herrcherr of Domination who tries to beat Kiana down. To get Kiana to see the world as the ugly, and dirty place it is. But Kiana keeps rejecting this, because why would a ugly world have the people she loves in it? Why would they fight at all if everything was as horrible as the Herrcherr said it was? Himeko fought so that Kiana could see the beauty in this world, so she will not let her sacrifice (nor anyone else’s) be in vain.
I LOVE how the Herrcherr of Flamescion is literally made up of the gifts from the people Kiana loves. When she uses the Void powers, Kiana’s hair is let down to flow freely, freeing her from the restrictions of the past. When Bronya’s gives her help, Kiana’s hair is then tied into a long ponytail with hair ornaments, that kinda mimic Mei’s horns. Fu Hua gives Kiana gauntlets and strengthens Himeko’s broken sword, turning it from the broken past into something that will cleave the future into being. And Himeko’s sword speaks for itself. Throughout Hi3rd’s story Kiana strives to become worthy of the love and trust everyone has given her, and her new battle suit is representative of that. Made up of the gifts from everyone she loves.
Her final monologue starts at about 4:52, and it’s a perfect encapsulation of everything this short shows it is. “It sure isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but there are people who’ve taught me to never give up. […] I love them, and I love what they love.” She (and Phainon) loves the people around her deeply, and the world through those people.
(also, doesn’t Moon Halo sound like Bronya and Fu Hua singing to Kiana? if the star rail devs make the chryso heirs sing a song like this u’ll never see me again)
Ok, now to talk about the boy himself.
Phainon is very likely to be the Lord Ravager being trapped in Amphoreus.
(I actually kinda hope this journey is to teach him the joys of humanity? like through all of these cycles that it’s worth protecting and preserving, thus changing his subconscious mind about uh. u know. destroying everything? idk)
His journey throughout this patch has mirrored both Kevin and Kiana’s arcs very closely - obviously lol - and he too has experienced the sacrifices of his companions for the greater good of the flamechase journey. But the thing is, is that he and Kiana take this, and internalize it in different ways. Kiana takes this sacrifice and says ‘no more, I will make a happy ending with my own 2 hands.’ Phainon - in inverse - sees the sacrifices made, especially after they beat Aquila, to get him to reach that Era Nova that no one else will see. And he asks, ‘What was the point? If the you of the present, the you who shines so brightly in my memory, doesn’t get to see this, then why?’
His sword, Dawnbreaker, is a gift of hope from Aglaea so that he may deliver them to the next dawn. But Amphoreus’s story is not like that of Hi3rd’s, and the flamechasers never have a happy ending. Phainon’s love for the world is fueled by his love for the people around him, but when those people are gone, what’s left? His memories?
The memories of destruction, and loss?
Kiana uses her love to fuel her desire to fight for a better world, and the people in it. Phainon is left alone as the sole Chrysos heir standing, so what is a world if the people he loves isn’t in it? He’s granted the task of rebuilding Amphoreus from his perfect memory, but the memories of a person can never be the same as the real deal, since his memories are shrouded by Phainon’s own perception of these people. Perfect memories seen through an imperfect lens.
And this is why, Phainon still differs from Kiana despite their parallels. And even Kevin ended up the ‘final villain’ of Hi3rd, because of their similar but ultimately very different views on humanity.
(ALSO, if you’ve seen the Phainon leaks, he doesn’t have any physical momentos of the other Chryos heirs and actually resembles Sirin greatly.)
The Elysian Realm in Hi3rd ends in it’s complete and utter destruction to take out the Herrcherr of Corruption (sentient computer virus) once and for all. I think, based on this, that Anphoreus will likely end the same way. take out the simulation with the ravager in it.
Or something suitably devastating.
Take away Shaoji’s pen hoyo.
I think my favourite quote from the Elysian realm is this: “ The thirteen heroes were not perfect. But they were the only ones which showed up.” And to apply it to Amphoreus whole sale would be a bit weird. Because the Chrysos heirs ARE destined to be heroes. The flamechasers in Hi3rd weren’t, they were just some random people who decided to step up.
I think (and I really mean think, this is a crack theory at the end of a long rambling post) that maybe Phainon might just be going through this loop, like I originally mentioned above, as some sort of. Sisyphian task? As a way to appeal to the person under the Lord Ravager that he is now. He was a human, and he wasn’t perfect, but he deserves a chance to do better. Even if it is in a simulation.
