Honkai: Star Rail’s Version 2.0 story reveal suggests an upcoming character might join the Astral Express, Reddit is cooking

Although Version 1.6 of Honkai: Star Rail is keeping us very busy, the next major update promises to deliver plenty of surprises on an even bigger scale. Yet, one Reddit user might just have spoiled an unexpected addition to the crew of the Astral Express.

Shared in a thread posted on Dec. 30, Aki’s sleuthing skills are nothing to be sniffed at. First and foremost, they identified something of a calling card that denotes that one is a member of the Astral Express. Identifiable on the outfits of the Trailblazer, March 7th, Dan Heng, Himeko, and Welt is an intricate, golden brooch with a dash of red along the bottom. What makes this particularly curious now is that it appears as if the upcoming character Misha is being gifted one. 

The scene in question first appeared as part of the first major promotional material for Version 2.0. Each major player in the Penacony Arc was given a little background, and we got a first look at the characters themselves. Misha was amongst this number, a bellboy at The Reverie Hotel. This location just so happens to be where the Astral Express crew has been invited to stay for a celebratory festival. 

Is it possible that, during or following the events of Penacony, Misha shall join the ranks of the Express? Fans certainly aren’t opposed to the idea, with minor caveats. “I don’t mind if more people come to the crew,” said one user, “but if they give them a room before the main character, I’m going to blow up the Express against some planet.” It has been a common source of frustration that only Dan Heng and March 7th have explorable quarters.

From a storytelling perspective, this would also be a narrative option that mirrors the respective, established crew members. None of them, barring Welt, were notable heroes upon boarding. Himeko certainly had a reputation when we were first introduced to her, but only thanks to her restoration of the Express. Penacony shall play host to several high-profile names in the galaxy, so it would be quite fitting to witness a humble hotel worker rise to the occasion.

As for who is handing Misha this supposed brooch of acceptance, the most likely candidate is none other than Mr. Yang himself. His regular character design is gloved on one hand, albeit the opposite of what is shown in the image; potentially to throw us off the scent.