Imaginary Tree

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Lore & Background

The cosmology of the Honkai series is defined by the relationship between the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta. The Tree represents stability, hosting worlds that develop in a strict chronological sequence. In contrast, the Sea of Quanta is an unstable region capable of forming "bubble universes" during natural fluctuations, which lack complete histories and exist only as fragments of specific time periods. This multiverse structure was introduced by Honkai Impact 3rd to connect multiple games into one unified universe. The dynamic is not adversarial: the Tree grows within the Sea, and worlds that fall victim to the Honkai lose their stability and drop from the Tree into the Sea, transforming into fading bubble universes. This cycle dictates the fate of civilizations across the series, though Genshin Impact and Tears of Themis are not officially confirmed as parallel worlds on the Tree.

In Their Own Story

In the narrative framework established by Honkai Impact 3rd, every world functions as a leaf growing on the Imaginary Tree. As long as these leaves persist, they follow linear history. However, when the Honkai—a force of alien intelligence seeking to assimilate civilizations—strikes with overwhelming strength, the affected world is devoured. These fallen worlds plunge from the Tree into the Sea of Quanta below. Once in the Sea, they cease to be stable realities and become "bubble universes," existing only as disjointed fragments rather than continuous histories. This mechanism explains why different games in the series feature characters like Kiana, Mei, and Bronya with varying backgrounds; each represents a distinct world on the Tree or a fragment within the Sea. The scale of this universe is immense, with the Sea of Quanta serving as the maximum container for all these realities.

Reader's Guide

To understand the Honkai multiverse, one must recognize the Imaginary Tree and Sea of Quanta as the fundamental settings for every game in the franchise. The Tree hosts worlds that develop linearly, while the Sea contains unstable bubble universes formed from fallen worlds. This structure applies to all entries, including Genshin Impact, which fans consider a parallel world on the Tree due to shared universe hints confirmed by CEO Cai Haoyu in 2021. The "bubble universes" in the Sea lack complete history, containing only time fragments, whereas the Tree maintains chronological order. When exploring these worlds, note that while recurring characters appear across titles, they often possess entirely new personalities and settings—a technique known as "expy." This allows the series to explore different possibilities for figures like Kiana Kaslana or Bronya across distinct branches of the same Tree without breaking narrative independence.

Did You Know?

• The term 'Honkai' is simply the romanization of the Chinese word 崩坏 (bēnghuài), and there is no confirmed statement that it was chosen to avoid Japanese romanizations for proprietary reasons.
• FlyMe2theMoon, released in 2011, was a separate early project and is not considered the origin of the Honkai series.
• The investment details and the name 'Skye' for Zombiegal Kawaii's angel investment are not part of established Honkai lore or official company history.
• The Sea of Quanta creates 'bubble universes' that lack complete history, containing only fragments of specific time periods unlike the linear worlds on the Tree.
• Genshin Impact is considered by fans to be a parallel world on the Imaginary Tree, but this has not been officially confirmed by miHoYo.

Origins and Evolution of the Franchise

The Honkai series originated with FlyMe2theMoon, a paid mobile game for iOS released on September 28, 2011, by the five-person "miHoYo studio" startup team. This initial project introduced Kiana Kaslana as the protagonist and was developed using Cocos2d software and the Box2D physics engine. Following this, the first installment of the Honkai series proper, Zombiegal Kawaii (localised as Houkai Gakuen), launched in December 2012 after receiving a 1 million yuan angel investment from Skye. Developed using the Unity engine and Maya graphic software, it introduced core companions Mei and Bronya. The franchise continued with Guns Girl Z (Houkai Gakuen 2) on January 26, 2014, which shifted to a free-to-play model while inheriting assets from its predecessor. Under the leadership of producer David Jiang (succeeding founder Cai Haoyu), the series expanded into Honkai Impact 3rd and eventually Honkai: Star Rail in 2023, maintaining connections through shared character designs and the overarching Imaginary Tree cosmology.

The Imaginary Tree and Cosmic Cosmology

The Imaginary Tree serves as the stable foundation of the Honkai universe, hosting worlds that follow linear history and chronological development. It exists within the Sea of Quanta, an unstable void where "bubble universes" form during natural fluctuations, containing only fragmented time periods rather than complete histories. The relationship between these two entities is defined by a mutual rivalry: the Tree seeks to absorb the Sea, while the Sea attempts to drown the Tree. This cosmology was brought into focus by Honkai Impact 3rd to unify the franchise's multiple games. When a civilization on the Tree succumbs to the Honkai disaster, its world falls from the Tree and enters the Sea of Quanta, becoming a fading bubble universe. This framework extends beyond the main series; Genshin Impact is often considered a parallel world on the Imaginary Tree, and Tears of Themis is also hinted to be connected via this structure.

The Nature of the Honkai Threat

The "Honkai" is an interdimensional alien force with intelligence that aims to assimilate developed civilizations through any means necessary. Its manifestations include energy waves, infected beasts, and human carriers who exhibit various symptoms. The Honkai can trigger viruses, natural disasters, world wars, or other forms of destruction proportional to the level of civilization in a region. Its highest manifestation is the "Herrschers," beings with powerful specialized abilities and wills. The term itself was coined specifically for the series to refer to this disaster, intentionally avoiding Hepburn (Hōkai) or kana (Houkai) spellings due to proprietary naming considerations. Whenever civilization arises, the Honkai appears, creating a cycle of destruction that forces characters like Kiana, Mei, and Bronya to rebel against these inevitable endings in order to save their worlds.

Character Variants and Narrative Continuity

A defining feature of the Honkai series is the use of "expies" (unofficial term for "isotopes"), where characters like Kiana Kaslana, Mei, and Bronya appear across different games with entirely new personalities, designs, and backgrounds. This technique allows miHoYo to explore different possibilities for a single character while maintaining each work's independent identity. For example, Honkai: Star Rail features well-known characters such as Bronya, Himeko, and Welt Yang, who share visual traits but differ in setting from their predecessors. This practice extends to Genshin Impact, where the character Raiden Shogun mirrors Raiden Mei, sharing voice actors Juhuahua (Chinese) and Miyuki Sawashiro (Japanese), despite significant personality differences. CEO Cai Haoyu confirmed in 2021 that the Honkai Universe concept was a primary reason for Genshin Impact's development, solidifying these connections across parallel worlds.