Since launching in late April, Honkai: Star Rail has introduced many compelling characters so far. In the latest Version 1.1 update, which came out earlier today, players were able to pull for the five-star Quantum-element character Silver Wolf. Meanwhile, five-star banner character Luocha and four-star Yukong will arrive at the second half of Version 1.1.
Avid players of Honkai: Star Rail can definitely expect to meet more playable characters in the future, especially if the massive Honkai: Star Rail character leaks were to be believed. Meanwhile, some HoYoverse fans have been requesting one particular type of unit to be added in the game: pet companions.
HoYoverse's History With Pets
Honkai: Star Rail has introduced players to two pets: Peppy, who is Asta's dog that usually hangs out in Herta Space Station, and Diting, Tingyun's mini dragon (or nian) at the Xianzhou Luofu. These cute animals would only accompany the Trailblazers during certain missions, and aren't unlockable companions. At the very least, players could pet and play with Peppy.
Peppy and Diting, along with other Honkai: Star Rail creatures like Wubaboos and Jing Yuan's huge lion, have prompted many players to call for pet companions that follow them around. This isn't a new concept in HoYoverse games. Genshin Impact introduced Mini Seelie variants in 2020 that the Traveler could equip to accompany them in their quests. This was also the case when the Oceanid pet Endora was launched a year later. Meanwhile, Honkai Impact 3rd hasn't added pets yet, but some players have considered the Dorm Robots their companions. These circular robots, which are considered furniture pieces in the Chibi Dorms, have faces and come in different colors.
Although these aren't traditional "pets" as they are mostly considered cosmetic or furniture items, many players still thought of them as such because of their cute appearances, They also brought a sense of companionship as they accompanied them either in missions or while chilling at their home base.
Improving Pet Companions
If HoYoverse decides to add pet companions to Honkai: Star Rail, perhaps it could improve upon the feature by having them buff characters' stats or help them in combat. This would be an especially handy upgrade for tough battles, like the higher levels in the Simulation Universe. A good example of this mechanic would be the Jungle Pets in League of Legends. They come in three different variants, which all have unique abilities meant to help junglers in killing monsters, and farming gold and EXP. They also evolve and get stronger over time.
Peppy and Diting already have a good foundation. Both animals can be tasked with finding certain people just by sniffing their possessions. What sets them apart from each other is that Diting has a surveillance ability that lets players see paths a person has taken, while Peppy just acts like a regular guard puppy that players could follow around. If they could be equipped, Peppy and/or Diting could help track down hidden treasures or maybe even double enemy drops.
On the other hand, Wubaboos could be turned into combat pet companions since they come in great numbers. Perhaps they could be activated during battle to swarm enemies and chip away at their HP. Silver Wolf's chibi AI buddies could also have a similar ability, but apply damage over time since their master follows the Path of Nihility.
There are lots of possibilities to explore for pet companions in Honkai: Star Rail, but at the moment, there are no news on whether HoYoverse will add this feature in the future. Star Rail just launched Version 1.1, where the highly-anticipated Honkai: Star Rail Friend Chat function experienced delays, so players might have to wait a few more updates before HoYoverse can introduce pets to its relatively new title.
Honkai Star Rail is available now on Mobile and PC, with PS4 and PS5 versions in development.
