It’s certainly an exciting year forHonkai: Star Railwith the start of the Amphoreus arc, as well as the upcoming crossover event withFate/Stay Night. The details of the collaboration are still under wraps, but based on previous HoYoverse collaborations,Honkai: Star Railwill likely add characters and events dedicated to the popular visual novel and animated series.
TheHonkai: Star Railcrossover specifically focuses onFate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works, a 2014 remake based on the original visual novel’s “Unlimited Blade Works” route. It’s set to launch in the third quarter of 2025, but there are already rumors about possible playable characters. A number of leaks seem to suggest thatFate’s Saber and Archer might debut as specialHonkai: Star Railunits, which would be fitting for the game’s most ambitious collab yet.
How Saber and Archer Could Fit Into Honkai: Star Rail’s Universe
Who Are Saber and Archer?
Fate/Stay Nightrevolves around the Fifth Holy Grail War, a secret magical tournament with seven participants known as “Masters,” who are assisted by the reincarnation of legendary figures known as “Servants.” It follows Shirou Emiya and his Servant, Saber, as they fight formidable foes to win the tournament. They also team up with Rin Tohsaka and her Servant, Archer.
Saber, whose real name is Artoria Pendragon, is the reincarnation of King Arthur of Camelot who wields the Holy Sword Excalibur. She is an agile swordswoman known for her loyal and reserved personality. According to her backstory, Artoria’s gender was kept a secret when she was born for fear of King Uther’s subjects not accepting a woman as a legitimate ruler. She was then raised by Sir Ector, a knight who took her in as a surrogate “son.”
Meanwhile, Archer is said to be a future version of Shirou from an alternate timeline. He is an anti-hero who wields dual swords and a bow and arrow, and also uses magic powers to defeat enemies.Archer is both the protagonist and secondary antagonist inFate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works, which gives him a lot of depth.
Shirou Emiya (future version from an alternate timeline)
Rin Tohsaka
Saber and Archer’s Rumored Roles in Honkai: Star Rail
According to recent leaks,Honkai: Star Railwill release Saber and Archer as playable characters, but their specific elements and Paths are still unknown.Leakers speculate that theFate/Stay Nightcharacters could be The Hunt and Nihilityunits, but this could still change down the line. Considering the offensive fighting styles of both Saber and Archer in the franchise, the initial guesses for Paths make sense.
The Hunt characters are traditionally single-unit damage dealers, so ATK and CRIT stats are important when building them.Honkai: Star Railcharacters following the Path of The Huntinclude the likes of Feixiao and Seele. Meanwhile, Nihility characters deal damage over time and apply debuffs, making them viable secondary DPS units and support debuffers. This Path includes characters like Acheron and Silver Wolf, who both have different functions in battle.
WithHonkai: Star Railofficially in the Amphoreus era, there’s an emphasis on characters that are based on legendary heroes from mythology and historical accounts, which makes theFate/Stay Nightcollaboration so fitting. It would be interesting to see howHonkai: Star Railwould adaptFate/Stay Night’s Master-Servant concept, as well as some of the story elements ofUnlimited Blade Works,into the crossover event. The interactions between the characters of both franchises will also be something to watch, especially how they synergize in battle.
Honkai: Star Rail
WHERE TO PLAY
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