Ever since HoYoverse dropped that first "Nexus Bond Test" trailer, the internet has been trying to figure out where exactly Honkai Nexus Anima characters fit into the timeline. Is this a sequel? A spin-off? A fever dream had by a creature-collector enthusiast? Honestly, it’s a bit of all three.
The game basically takes the high-stakes cosmic drama we’ve come to expect from Honkai Impact 3rd and Honkai: Star Rail and stuffs it into a "cozy-adjacent" auto-chess strategy wrapper. But don’t let the cute rabbits fool you. The lore is dense, and the character roster is a mix of brand-new faces and multiversal variants that are already causing massive headaches for the lore hunters.
The Sovereigns and Novarchs: Who Actually Runs This Place?
In the world of Honkai: Nexus Anima, everything is built on "Nexus Threads"—conceptual bonds between things like Life and Death or Light and Dark. Then the "Sundering" happened, everything broke, and the world split into 81 independent planes.
The heavy hitters here are divided into two groups: the Sovereigns (owners of the Old World aspects) and the Novarchs (the new rulers of the 81 Planes). It's easy to get them confused because some characters hold both titles.
- Victus: He’s the 2nd Novarch and the former 1st Sovereign. Tall, blond, looks like he stepped out of a high-fantasy epic. He oversees the Court of Dragons and is basically the enforcer of law across the planes. He’s obsessed with Order.
- Armand: The Novarch of Dark. He used to be the 8th Sovereign. He’s currently keeping the Novarch of Light, Prabhas, locked away. Why? He’s trying to stop something called the "Sunbane Curse." It’s a whole "doing the wrong thing for the right reason" vibe.
- Kumyo Kyo: The 4th Sovereign and Master of Reality and Illusion. He’s been missing since the Sundering but apparently has a promise to his sister, Darsea, to seal away the "World-Ender."
- Apeiron: This one is wild. She has hair that is literally split half-black and half-white. She represents Infinity and Finity. People thought she was dead, but it turns out you can’t really kill the personification of the end of things.
Familiar Faces: The "Variant" Problem
This is where it gets spicy for the veteran players. You’ve likely seen Blade and Kiana in the promotional material. But wait. They aren't exactly the versions you know from the Astral Express or the Moon.
Blade is the 22nd Novarch, ruler of "The Peak." He’s a "Phoenixbreaker" and is searching for a missing Sovereign. In Nexus Anima, he feels a bit more grounded but no less moody. Then there’s Kiana. She’s described as a "Planestrider" currently dealing with an "Aspect Fracture." She’s traveling from plane to plane with a companion. Is she the Kiana from the main timeline? Probably not. She’s a variant, a "leaf" on the Imaginary Tree that looks and sounds like her but has a different job to do.
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The Humans (and "Animamasters") You’ll Actually Talk To
While the Sovereigns are busy playing 4D chess with the universe, you're mostly hanging out in a seaside town called Lia. This is where the "human" element of the Honkai Nexus Anima characters shines through.
Nanafey is basically your best friend. She’s a blue-haired student who lets you stay at her place. She’s kind, bubbly, and is often called "Iia’s treasure." You’ve also got Hua, who is an Animaster in training. He wears headphones, has spiky hair, and a very short fuse. He’s trying to qualify for the Grand Championship at The Amphitheater.
Then there’s the staff at the arena. Cassio Rollex is a deputy arena master with a cowboy aesthetic. He talks a lot of trash about his boss, but it’s mostly just to hear himself speak. He’s paired with Maple Manybell, a pink-dressed eccentric who is technically also a deputy master but seems completely unaware that she has any responsibility at all.
The Anima Themselves: Characters or Tools?
It’s easy to treat the Anima—the creatures you collect—as just "units" for your auto-chess deck. But the game treats them as characters. There are currently 32 confirmed Anima, like Puddlipup, Taileep, and the terrifyingly named Vixemourne.
Each Anima has a "Trait" (like Gladiator, Mastermind, or Cherubim) and an "Aspect" (like Hate, Memory, or Beauty). These aren't just stats. In the lore, Anima are the physical remnants of those broken "Nexus Threads." When you bond with a Gladiator trait creature, you’re literally tapping into the concept of 1v1 combat. It’s a very Honkai way of doing a monster-collector.
Why This Matters for Your Gameplay
Don't ignore the social links. Unlike other HoYoverse games where the "overworld" characters are just quest-givers, Nexus Anima builds the gameplay around these bonds. Your relationship with characters like Nanafey or the Novarchs directly influences the "buffs" your Anima get in the auto-chess battles.
If you’re planning to jump into the next test or the full launch, focus on these steps:
- Prioritize the "Lia" social quests early. They unlock the basic Anima you need to fill out your deck.
- Watch the "Aspect" synergies. Matching a character’s Aspect to their Anima’s Trait is the difference between winning a board and getting wiped in three turns.
- Don't over-invest in the "Sovereigns" early on. They are the endgame powerhouses, but the human Animamasters provide more utility for mid-game exploration.
The mystery of the "World-Ender" and why Amstradath (the Master of Life and Death) signed a pact with it is still the biggest question mark. But for now, just enjoy the fact that we finally have a Honkai game where we can chill in a café between cosmic battles.