HoYoverse concluded the seven-year-long story of Honkai Impact 3rd with a farewell to Valkyrie warrior Kiana and all her adventures. Now, a new story with a fresh cast and a new main setting will be released in February 2024.
Although players can jump into the new story without spending any time in the original saga, there are lots of connections to the wider lore to be seen. For those looking to begin the new story with some background context, here is a full recap of the first saga in Honkai Impact 3rd, entitled “The Moon’s Origin and Finality.”
Where Dreams Began
Chapters: 1-2
Valkyrie students Kiana Kaslana, Raiden Mei, and Bronya Zaychick are tasked with regaining control of an unmanned battleship before it comes crashing into the city.
While on the ship, the Valkyries engage in combat against waves of monsters created by a cataclysmic force called Honkai, bent on the destruction of mankind. With aid from team handler Murata Himeko, Kiana, Bronya, and Mei successfully gain control of the ship.
Soon after, Kiana has a dream in which she is contacted by someone claiming to be the Herrscher of the Void, a long-deceased being. The Herrschers are powerful human vessels that host Honkai energy and are usually the enemies of humanity.
The End of Destiny
Chapters: 3-6
Kiera and the team are tasked with a new objective to recover a Herrscher Core called the Gem of Desire.
Before this Honkai-powered artifact can be retrieved, class president Fu Hua kidnaps Kiana at the request of Otto Apocalypse. Otto leads the governing organization called Schicksal, which is tasked with fighting the Honkai and training Valkyries.
Under the Falling Sky
Chapters: 7-9
The St. Freya Valkyries work alongside Mei and Himeko to save Kiana. They collaborate with one of Schicksal’s rival organizations, called Anti-Entropy, to attack the headquarters of Schicksal. Unfortunately, Otto’s tampering has resulted in Kiana being possessed by Sirin, and she awakens as the new Herrscher of the Void.
Hua, who was previously unaware of Otto’s true intentions, betrays him and engages in battle with the Herrscher of the Void until Otto intervenes, allowing the Herrscher to escape. Otto kills Hua in retaliation for her betrayal.
Himeko sacrifices herself after a long battle with Sirin, administering an anti-Honkai serum in the process which allows Kiana to regain control of her consciousness. After the battle, however, Kiana disappears, and the Valkyries grieve at the loss of their teacher.
Four months later, both the Valkyries of St. Freya and Otto Apocalypse are searching for Kiana. During their investigation, St. Freya Valkyries managed to discover the location of the Gem of Desire. The group splits into two, with one led by Mei searching for Kiana and the other led by Bronya traveling to the extradimensional realm known as the Sea of Quanta to find the gem.
From the Deep Ocean
Chapters: 10-12
After arriving in the Sea of Quanta, Bronya reunites with Seele Vollerei, a childhood friend who has been trapped there for many years. In an effort to free Seele, Bronya ends up awakening as the Herrscher of Reason. Seele encounters the Word Serpent, a nefarious organization led by Kiana’s distant relative Kevin Kaslana.
Although Bronya and Seele are able to escape the Sea of Quanta, they fail to recover the Gem of Desire.
A Shooting Star Streaking Across the Night
Chapters: 11-EX, 13, 14
Kiana has been struggling to suppress the Herrscher influence from Sirin despite receiving the anti-Honkai serum. Consequently, she has been living in exile.
To her surprise, Kiana is contacted by Hua’s avatar, who reveals that prior to her death she uploaded her consciousness and now desires for her role in capturing Kiana.
Continuing to harbor a grudge against Hua, Kiana initially refuses aid. However, Kiana starts to trust her after the avatar permanently removes Sirin’s influence. This allows Kiana to begin to properly control her Herrscher form.
Durandal and second-in-command Rita, leading Otto’s Valkyrie team, uncover a plan by the World Serpents to detonate a bomb powered by Honkai. The World Serpent plans to use the bomb to create more individuals who can resist Honkai.
Kiana and Mei reunite. The two soon discover the World Serpent’s plan. Seeing no other way to stop the bomb, Kiana uses the full power of the Herrscher of the Void with aid from Hua’s avatar to absorb the blast impact, saving the city. This represents the first time in history that a Herrscher, meant to be an enemy of humanity, working to save it instead.
Elegy to Yesterday
Chapters: 15-17
Durandal shows up, overpowers Mei, abducts Kiana, and takes her to a Schiscksal base where she is experimented on by scientists against her will. Kevin and a squadron of soldiers with the World Serpent launch a surprise attack on the base in an attempt to kill Kiana.
Fortunately, Hua’s avatar comes to the rescue, giving room for Kiana to escape the chaos. Kiana returns to the city and is found by Mei, but Kiana is showing signs of sickness from Honkai exposure.
Mei desperately accepts a deal with Kevin to become the Herrscher of Thunder and join World Serpent in an attempt to find a cure for Kiana. Using her new powers, Mei is able to suppress Kiana’s sickness.
To Kiana’s dismay, by agreeing to join World Serpent, Mei is forced to leave Kiana behind.
Here Lies Bellflower
Chapters: 18-19
Mei is tasked by the World Serpent to capture the Herrscher of Ice, who has newly awakened. After forming an uneasy alliance with Durandal and Rita, they collectively investigate the Herrscher.
After collaborating with Owl, an informant, the group finds out that Ana, a Schicksal Valkyrie, is the Herrscher of Ice. Owl, awakening as the Herrscher of Earth, fuses with Ana to become the Herrscher of Stars. After an intense battle, Mei and Durandal are victorious in defeating the Herrscher, which kills Owl and Ana.
Taixuan Dream
Chapters: 20-22
Hua’s real body suddenly comes back to life at Schicksal’s headquarters, which shows that Otto did not actually kill her. Despite this, she has failed to fully recount the events leading to her death until she encounters Otto.
Hua appears to kill Otto in retaliation, while also destroying Schicksal headquarters. Afterward, Hua returns to Taixuan Mountain where Kiana and Bronya are exploring to look for clues left by the avatar. They discover that Hua is a MANTIS from the preceding era, warriors whose DNA had been fused with a human and the Honkai.
Hua’s avatar reaches out to her real body, revealing that the latter is actually not Fu Hua but rather the Herrscher of Sentience that awoke inside of the body. This enranges the so-called fake “Hua” who insists she is the original.
Kiana and Bronya are recruited by Hua’s avatar to help remove the Herrscher from Hua’s body. The avatar reconnects to the original body which subdues the Herrscher. Accepting at long last that she is not the original Fu Gua, the Herrscher of Sentience agrees to depart Hua’s body. This allows the avatar to attain control, which effectively restores the real Fu Hua.
Remaining Flames
Chapters 23-25
Bronya and Hua are captured by the newly awakened Herrscher of Dominance, which uses its unique ability to steal their powers. Kiana discovers that the Herrscher of Dominance can create its own pocket dimension, and uses her abilities to go inside of this dimension to save Hua and Bronya.
Kiana is attacked by the Herrscher of Dominance, bringing up her past with the power. Not allowing herself to be influenced by the attack, Kiana maintains her faith in the beauty of the world and all of humanity. Together with Himeko, Bronya, and Hua, Kiana is able to obtain a new form as the Herrscher of Flamescion, destroying all traces of the Herrscher of Dominance in the process.
Thus Spoke Apocalypse
Chapters 25-EX, 28
Otto ends up surviving his encounter with the Herrscher of Sentience. After a number of years, Otto succeeds in resurrecting Kallen, his childhood love, and is now ready to implement his final plan to reset the world. Otto’s master plan is uncovered by Kiana and her allies.
In response, Otto orders Durandal to prevent Kiana’s team from interfering. However, Durandal ends up siding with Kiana after learning Otto’s true motives.
At the end of a climactic battle, Otto is able to succeed in his plan to create a parallel world in which Kallen lives, but it costs Otto his life.
To the Flawless
Chapters 29-31
Happening alongside the events of Thus Spoke Apocalypse, Mei is escorted to the Elysian Realm by Kevin, where she is hoping to learn about the previous era. The Elysian Realm is a world of data created by the memory of 13 Honkai-infused warriors called Flame Chasers. Their true forms perished at the end of the previous era during the battle with the Herrscher of Finality. As a result, data is all that is left behind.
Mei becomes friends with Elysia, the leader of the Flame Chasers, and learns of the events that led to their demise a long time ago. The following morning, Elysia’s data gets deleted, essentially killing her. Other Flame Chasers also have their data deleted, which leads Mei to investigate. Mei soon discovers that the Herrscher of Corruption, having newly awakened, is the cause of these deaths.
The surviving Flame Chasers work with Mei to defeat the Herrscher of Corruption and restore Elysia’s data. As a result, they successfully revive her. Elysia reveals herself as the Herrscher of Human and her past role as the first Herrscher to side with humanity. This selfless act is what has allowed present-day Herrschers like Kiana, Bronya, and Mei to resist the dark will of Honkai and fight for humanity instead.
Elysia and the rest of the Flame Chasers manage to defeat the Herrscher of Corruption, costing the entire Elysian Realm in the process. Mei goes back to the real world.
The Moon’s Origin and Finality
Chapters 32-35
Two groups lead with different solutions to ensure Honkai survives, one led by Kiana and the other led by Kevin. Kiana, Bronya, and Mei travel to the moon to lead the attack against Kevin, who has revealed himself as the final trial of mankind to determine its survival.
Upon defeating Kevin, Kiana meets the Cocoon of Finality, an extraterrestrial entity responsible for controlling Honkai. Kiana is recognized by the Cocoon as the Herrscher of Finality, a being of God-like power.
Kiana remains on the moon to safely remove the Honkai threat. The Valkyries that remain return to Earth as its protectors.
Honkai Impact 3rd is a gacha role-playing game developed by miHoYo and initially released in 2016 for iOS and Android. It was later ported to PC.