Blade and Dan Heng are first introduced as enemies, each belonging to opposing groups: Dan Heng in the Astral Express and Blade with the Stellaron Hunters; however, it is slowly revealed that, 700 years ago, they used to be best friends. Dan Heng is a Vidyadhara, an immortal species with draconic features that migrated to the Xianzhou Alliance as a result of their planet becoming too hostile for them to live on. Dan Heng is known on the Xianzhou Luofu by the name Dan Feng, as well as the title Imbibitor Lunae; however, he struggles with his identity. Dan Feng was a very powerful individual, one of the five High Elders tasked with watching over Yaoshi's plaguemarks to ensure the safety of the people. Due to his immense powers and position, Dan Feng was a very proud person, which some could say was to a fault, as he was shown to be reluctant and bored to study and cultivate his powers as a child.
Blade was known as Yingxing at the time. As a child, Yingxing's homeworld was destroyed by the Borisin and transformed into one of their weapon nurseries. He lost his family, but he himself was transported on the Xianzhou Zhuming through a merchant vessel, where he was discovered by Master Huaiyan of the Xianzhou Zhuming's Artisanship Commission and made his apprentice. Yingxing vowed to make weapons for the Cloud Knights in order to avenge his home and family, and he was an exceedingly talented craftsman, described as being incredible at his work by earning accolades at such a young age. He traveled to the Luofu as a young man to assist with the war efforts. Though Yingxing was a shy boy in his youth, he became more confident as he grew up and was described as an arrogant man by many. He faced extreme prejudice due to being a short-life species, to the point of being refused the title of "Furnace Master" even though he deserved it. At some point, he became part of a group called the "High-Cloud Quintet" that Dan Feng was a member of, along with Jingliu, the strongest swordmaster on the Xianzhou; Jing Yuan, Jingliu's apprentice and current General of the Luofu; and Baiheng, a foxian pilot that he had previously run into on the Zhuming.
In her Companion Mission, Jingliu tells Dan Heng that he and Yingxing, now called Blade, were the closest among the five in the High-Cloud Quintet.
“Out of all of us, you were the closest to him. It was strange, really—to see someone so arrogant get along with someone so proud.”
In fact, the two spent a lot of time together, as told via descriptions of in-game materials, such as the relic set "Passerby of Wandering Cloud," which is a series of memories Blade has about his past. Through those memories, we learn that the two had drinks together under the moon, spared, and shared a pair of matching bracers made from flowing coral gold and the leather of unknown beasts. Only master artisans from the Vidyadhara dragon race can create this kind of superior armor, so the assumption is that they were Dan Feng's gift. The bracers are told to share a telepathic connection and be able to feel each other's warmth. Assumptions again are that this could be very useful during battles to keep track of each other's health, but beyond its practical uses, it's also generally regarded as a very intimate gift. Official artworks have depicted Yingxing and Dan Feng wearing these bracers many times, along with a matching pair of red earrings on opposite ears and matching teal jade clasps that have been said in game texts to be given between lovers to find each other in their next lives.
Besides the jewelry, we learn that Yingxing made Dan Heng's spear, Cloud-Piercer. Yingxing was obsessed with his craft to the point of forgetting to eat or drink, spending his inspiration like he was running out of time. He forged hundreds of marvels, four of which were the most famous that he gave to his friends: the Shard Sword, the Devastator Glaive, an unnamed recurve bow, and Cloud-Piercer. The Shard Sword was offered as a prize to the best swordmaster of the Luofu, and Dan Feng even had a contest with Jingliu that lasted years to earn it, although in the end he lost to Jingliu.
High Elder Statue
Dan Feng was so fond of his spear that he had the statue of the High Elder Yubie, who shared his likeness, altered to include it.
During the fight with Shuhu, an Emanator of The Abundance, Baiheng sacrificed herself to save Dan Feng and Jingliu. This seemed to have caused a shift within the group. Yingxing shared his frustrations with Dan Feng, saying that no matter how many of their people died, they were no closer to ending the war. For a while, Dan Feng had been researching a way for Vidyadhara to reproduce, as they are unable to, and he had discovered a way to possibly achieve it. We are still unsure of what his purpose was, but he proposed a plan to Yingxing.
“If there's a chance... we will also choose to let her and more people live on. We, the Vidyadhara, have our own way of salvation. I can give it a try.”
The events going forward are still left majorly scattered, but it was said that Yingxing agreed to assist him and somehow procured Shuhu's flesh to aid him in his experiment. There is considerable doubt amongst the players about this, specifically because Yingxing's home world was destroyed by Denizens of Abundance, and Shuhu was an Emanator of The Abundance, which would make this plan extremely risky, and he would have known the consequences of using Abundance. Countless theories have spiraled about this event, with some fans supporting it as a risk he took willingly, while others suggest the possibility of him being possessed. Jingliu believes the purpose of the plan was to revive their fallen companion, Baiheng, out of grief, although she also says that what Dan Feng sought was to break free from his line of succession by making a new High Elder. In fact, Dan Heng's memories of the event never spoke of revival but of "making new life not seen in a millenia, made from the blood of his own race and the soul of his ancestor." Despite what the readables about the Ten-Lord's Commission and Xueyi's character stories suggest, Yingxing and Dan Feng's actions may not have been willing and were likely a result of hallucinations caused by Shuhu.
Regardless of the purpose, we know that something went horribly wrong with this experiment. A frenzied dragon was said to have been produced that Jingliu, who arrived late at the scene, had to put down. It is unclear how or when, but we know Yingxing was made immortal against his will, and Jingliu alludes to his flesh having merged with Shuhu's and perhaps Dan Heng's own blood as he was visibly de-aged; "his long black hair never ceased growing," and he lost most of his memories—symptoms commonly found in those having Vidyadhara bone marrow transplants, as written in reports about experiments conducted by the Sanctus Medicus. It is unclear if it was instant or not, but at some point he also became mara-struck, a disease that manifests when one has too many memories that the brain is unable to store and results in madness and unstable behavior, with strong emotions, usually negative, being the ones easier to access for the patient. He is not always under the effects of the mara, and it seems that strong emotions and familiar faces trigger it.
Countless people lost their lives because of this event, which was later called the "Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae." Dan Feng was captured and charged with "embracing immorality and breaking the ban, thieving immortality, and inciting riot." However, taking into account his past merits, he was spared a heavy punishment. He was never killed, as Jing Yuan tells Dan Heng in the story himself, but was forced to undergo molting. Molting is not death, but rather a de-aging process where one also loses all of their memories. A de-aged Dan Feng with very few memories of his past that he could not make sense of named himself Dan Heng. He specifically chose the character Dan due to it being etched onto his spear, Cloud-Piercer, made by Yingxing. He still has the same spear to this day.
“Cloud-Piercer is always with me. For my safety, and the safety of everyone else.”
It is also unclear how, but Bailu, the current Vidyadhara High Elder, shares a certain resemblance, appearance-wise, with their fallen companion Baiheng, although she does not seem to recognize any of them nor recall Baiheng's memories, and was most likely the result of an experiment done by the Alchemy Commission called the "Bloomborn Scion."
Dan Feng, now de-aged, with no memories of his past and using the new name, Dan Heng, was exiled from the Luofu following the events of the Sedition after a botched rebirth.
Yingxing, also with his memories lost, wakes up alone on an unfamiliar planet. At some point, Jingliu finds him and takes him with the purpose of training him. Jingliu had also fallen to Mara, seemingly out of grief for Baiheng, and in her madness and anger, she took it out on Yingxing by stabbing him with the sword he had made for her thousands of times. She acknowledges that she hurt him later to Dan Heng but doesn't seem to feel guilty about it or view it as torture but as "a chance to redeem himself." Yingxing still had no memories at the time, and his perception of himself was greatly affected, both by his body being immortal and the dehumanization he suffered at Jingliu's hands. As such, long after Jingliu abandoned him and he started remembering who he was, he named himself 'Blade' from the broken sword that Jingliu used to torture him. He now views himself as a weapon seeking vengeance, but above all else, he wishes to die.
The Stellaron Hunters found him, and Elio, their leader, made a deal with him, promising to bring an eternal end and a final funeral to his life and to everything he had ever hated in exchange for his help. At some point, Blade went after Dan Heng and chased him across ships. He noted how Dan Heng looked younger but was still unmistakably the same person.
“The black-haired young man shivered violently all over, but still clutched onto the spear in his hands. He had no dragon horns, and his reaction was slightly less mature than he remembered... But he would never forget this spear, these eyes, and how cruelty burst out from beneath the mirror-like emerald calmness.”
Blade holds himself and Dan Heng responsible for what happened. He says that they share a debt for the sin they committed that has to be repaid. His reason for going after Dan Heng is to make him pay the price for that sin, and he uses the dragon bracers to locate Dan Heng.
That is why he chased Dan Heng down to activate his Vidyadhara powers, possibly to hold him accountable for what happened, as it's suggested something might have caused Dan Heng's powers to be "sealed."
Dan Heng used to be scared of Blade due to their past run-ins in the current timeline. However, as a result of his return to the Luofu and the influence of Jingliu, he regained some of his memories and realized that Blade was Yingxing. When Jingliu mentions Yingxing's name, he recognizes it, likely due to the fact that he has had dreams about him. We see him have a flashback to where Yingxing gives Cloud Piercer to Dan Feng and says, "This spear is sharp enough to pierce dragon scales. Be careful, High Elder, lest you hurt yourself with it." This is likely the reason why his name seemed to bring a strong emotional reaction out of Dan Heng, unlike the name of their fallen companion, Baiheng, to which he says he feels nothing when she is mentioned. Dan Heng also expresses concern over Jingliu's treatment of Yingxing and asks her angrily what she did to him when she mentioned how she treated him.
Dan Heng seems to have a change of heart and attempts to approach Blade to make him give up, but Blade is cold to him. After a few exchanged words during which they seem to acknowledge each other, Dan Heng offers to accompany Blade and see it through with him. The English translation is impersonal compared to most languages, including the original translation in Chinese, where it's something closer to "I will go with you to the end." Blade then says that something like that will not be necessary since Elio still needs Dan Heng alive and leaves.
Dan Heng seems troubled and lost after the encounter; he retreats back to his room and locks himself in. He's even more confused about his own identity, but seems to believe he has unfinished business with Blade. He is later spotted by Pom-Pom, who says he's been polishing Cloud Piercer with a longing expression on his face.
History[]
Once while he was still recovering his memories Blade tried using the connection of their bracers to sense "the other owner".
“Pairs of objects are destined for an eventual reunion. The long years of grudges and hatred between them should be savored, like ice-cold aged liquor, one slow sip after another until the bottle of resentment is finally empty.
Would the wearer of the other bracer feel the same? The unnamed didn't want to know.
He closed his eyes, trying his best to extract any information about the other bracer from the tenuous connection, be it its location or master.
A slender yet strong hand once wore the other bracer. That owner, whose sharp spear glinted with a cold light and flourished like shooting stars, once sparred with the unnamed. That owner also once shared company and drinks with the unnamed, the two of them simply gazing at the moon with no words exchanged. ”
— Passerby's Roaming Dragon Bracer description
Before joining the Astral Express, Dan Heng evaded Blade by hopping on multiple IPC ships. Blade, in turn, would destroy spaceships in pursuit of him. In every encounter, Dan Heng insisted that he was a new person who had nothing to do with Blade's past.[1]As described in the "Nowhere to Run" Light Cone, Dan Heng would run his spear through Blade each time they fought.[Note 1] This never killed him due to Blade's self-healing ability.
“But he still can't shake off the man with the beastly eyes.
If others in his homeworld felt hatred toward him, then that man only has a killing intent toward him — even the spaceships he had traveled on were all annihilated. That man had died before him, but would reappear soon after.”
— Dan Heng Character Story Part II
Trailblaze Missions[]
Xianzhou Luofu[]
In the beginning of the Xianzhou Luofu storyline, Dan Heng had a nightmare. Blade, captured by Jing Yuan, said, "Of five people, three must pay the price." He excludes Jing Yuan, but in the nightmare, Blade then points his sword at Dan Heng with a smile, telling him that he is one of them. Dan Heng wakes up with a gasp and misses the Astral Express's Navigation Meeting as he recovers from his shock. He is not present when a Stellaron Hunter, Kafka, interrupts the meeting. She requests the Astral Express crew to clear up the Stellaron in Xianzhou, mentioning that her companion Blade is in danger.[2]
Dan Heng stays behind on the Express while the Trailblazer, March, and Welt go to the Xianzhou Luofu. He seems troubled by the dream, so he asks Himeko to play him the transmission of their conversation with Kafka. Dan Heng pauses at the moment Kafka projects an image of Blade. In distress, he proclaims that the Xianzhou is in danger. Himeko is able to infer that Blade is connected to the past he wants to escape, and Dan Heng is afraid that his burden has caught up to him and will drag down his friends. Himeko comforts him and encourages him to go down there.[3]
On the Xianzhou Luofu, Dan Heng meets Sushang and Luocha and joins them to travel to the safe zone. On the way, they come across a puppet of Xueyi, who is severely injured. After Luocha heals her, Xueyi advises Luocha and Dan Heng to leave as soon as possible, as the Stellaron Hunter she was arresting is extremely dangerous. Xueyi's description of the Stellaron Hunter, someone with exceptional swordsmanship who wields a divine sword, alarms Dan Heng, who knows she is referring to Blade.[4]
Once departing from Sushang and Luocha, Dan Heng comes face-to-face with Blade and Kafka. Blade can feel Dan Heng's presence and is visibly affected by it, but is unable to name the feeling it evokes. Kafka encourages him to let the mara take over. He seems ready to have Dan Heng pay the price. Dan Heng reiterates that he is not Dan Feng. Blade says that a different name and face won't blot out his sins, knowing that Dan Feng never died, and declares that he will know the pain of death. At some point, Yanqing arrives to arrest Blade, Kafka, and Dan Heng.
Blade moves to attack Dan Heng from behind, goading him to reveal his "true self." Although Yanqing tries to stop Blade, he throws his sword to stab Dan Heng. Dan Heng starts floating in the air, transforming, and Blade looks very pleased to see this. Blade reveals that Dan Heng is the traitor of Xianzhou, Imbibitor Lunae. Yanqing decides that he will detain both of them, causing Blade and Dan Heng to have to fight the kid. Kafka uses her Spirit Whisper to end the fight as Jing Yuan is about to arrive. Jing Yuan dismisses them. Kafka asks Blade if he's satisfied, but he has no answer and decides to just look at Dan Heng. He and Kafka depart.[1]
Miscellany[]
The in-game Vidyadhara elegy known as "Eternal Regrets of a High Elder" from the readable Cloudcry Songbook[5] is strongly insinuated to explicitly be about the sin that Yingxing and Dan Feng committed together and its consequences:
When the dragon turns red, then the green pines shall shed.
Blown by the wind of a cold morning,
Feeling the weight of your suffering.
When the dragon turns red, then the green pines shall shed.
Spinning our glory through time and space,
When will I next come to see your face?
When the dragon turns red, then the green pines shall shed.
Wantonly drinking the silver moon,
How many times must we be entombed?
When the dragon turns red, then the green pines shall shed.
Pass like a dream out of sight and mind,six hundred years in this mortal bind.
"Eternal Regrets of A High Elder" (an aria from the "Dragontooth Tales")
As this is stated to be a Vidyadhara elegy, "Echoes of Antiquity: A Grand Overview of Xianzhou Folk Culture" states that the subject matter of most Vidyadhara elegies deals with great tragedies, especially those revolved around pyrrhic victories and loves lost. Given the implied romantic nature of Yingxing and Dan Feng's relationship, it could be speculated that "Eternal Regrets of the High Elder" may concern Yingxing, Dan Feng, and the animosity as well as lost love their relationship spiraled into.
The other aria from the same songbook is heavily implied to be Dan Feng in Shackling prison, mourning Yingxing.
Sitting bored on my bed one dusk,
half the beaded curtain peeled back.
In no mood to awaken yet no mood to sleep,
clothes half-worn and eyes half-slack.
A sudden gust of wind pushes forth the boat,
in dreams a war with the borisin we wage.
Knife in hand, black and red horses leap on,
Alongside my husband's warship, in fight I engage.
Two twittering orioles land on their branch,
with karma past doth this life's grief cast.
Ten times reborn, with all its love and hate,
how hard can one take of a husband lost.
Gazing up I now see daylight through that verdigris,
those past loves and past lives seen only in reveries.
"Dreams From a Past Life" (an aria from the "Fateful Rebirth")
This aria can be interpreted as Dan Feng mourning Yingxing in prison while reminiscing about their intimate moments and fighting side by side. The aria is inspired by 越人歌, which is an iconic song/poem about queer male love in China. The Yue boatman secretly confessed in the Yue language to the prince, not expecting him to hear it. The prince asked for translation and understood it, then he embraced the Yue boatman, and they had intercourse on the boat.
During Gamescon 2022, the game released a trailer called "Nightmare," which shows Dan Heng's nightmare of Blade from the beginning of the Xianzhou Luofu storyline.
In Blade's Character Trailer, "Death Approaches," Blade is shown to be having a flashback of his past life as Yingxing, as well as having a vision of Dan Feng (previous Imbibitor Lunae). He then snaps back to reality and finds an imaginary spear being impaled into his heart, with the illusion of Dan Heng holding the spear. Blade then laughs manically and breaks the spear, taking it out of his chest and engaging in battle with the illusion of Dan Heng. Blade states that until Dan Heng's sin is cleansed, his vengeance will pursue him.
In the new feature added to the game called "Fate Atlas," players can access the timelines of each Mission. After Kafka's Companion Mission, Blade tells the Trailblazer that he is going to meet someone he is indebted to. From the "Fate Atlas" system, it's clear that the "Todd Riordan's Academic Research" mission takes place after Kafka's Companion Mission, where Blade makes an appearance near the High Elder statue. This makes it clear: it was Dan Feng to whom Blade is indebted.
In the 4games interview with the Hoyoverse team, it was revealed Blade chased down Dan Heng in order to activate his Vidyadhara powers, which may be a hint to a popular theory among fans where Dan Feng gave Yingxing his heart to revive him, as Blade cut himself to activate his sword and later attacked Dan Heng with it.
On August 25, 2022, the official Twitter account of Honkai Star Rail posted a tweet featuring Dan Heng and Blade, hinting at their complicated past together, which was one of the first hints about the ship.
In the 1.0 Prelude Trailblaze Mission at Herta Space Station, after noticing that the bracer blocked an attack aimed at Dan Heng, he showed a rather angry expression, even though he no longer remembers where that bracer originated from.
In the 1.2 Trailblaze Mission, as Dan Heng was leaving for the Scalegorge Waterscape, he wondered, "How is everyone doing, how is Blade doing?"
In a Pom Pom Q&A, D (Yingxing and Dan Feng) are one of the correct answers for the question, "Who are each other's destiny?" —a reference to them changing each other's fates.
Even in the animated short "Ichor of Two Dragons," it was shown that Dan Feng and Yingxing wore matching tassel earrings that were red in color, and red is a color heavily associated with marriage.
In the Myriad Celestia Trailer, "History of the Xianzhou: Exodus of the Five Dragons," Preceptor Taoran said, "The high elders, too, bear mortal frailties (凡人心窍. Lit meaning: the heart/feelings of a commoner)," a hint to Dan Feng and Yingxing's past together.
Blade and Dan Heng's eideolon descriptions in Chinese match in structure. Each Eidolon is made up of two couplets of four words, adding up to an eight-lettered sentence. Curiously, the contents of each couplet also mirror each other.
In the 2023 issue of the Pash magazine calander, Dan Heng, Blade, and Dan Heng • Imbibitor Lunae's lightcone arts were placed respectively in the months of July, August, and September, and the 2024 year calander featured the "Nowhere to Run" lightcone art, another example of Blade and Dan Heng being advertised together.
Quotes[]
“This isn't the first time he's seen this man. This man had become his own inseparable shadow. No matter how many times he runs this man through with his spear, the man always comes back.
He can neither lose to this man, nor truly win. Though he wants to run away, there is nowhere to run.”
— Nowhere to Run Light Cone description
Dan Heng – “Stop!”
Himeko – “Do you know him?”
Dan Heng – “The Xianzhou is in danger! ...This man, he— If he's on the ship, then Welt, March, and [Trailblazer]... everyone is in grave danger!”
— Dan Heng and Himeko when Blade appears in Kafka's transmission
“Imbibitor Lunae... When will our retribution come? How can our debt be repaid?”
— Blade, "About Dan Heng" voiceline
“He had no dragon horns, and his reaction was slightly less mature than he remembered... But he would never forget this spear, these eyes, and how cruelty burst out from beneath the mirror-like emerald calmness.”
— Blade about Dan Heng, Blade Character Story Part II
“What he seeks I am unable to provide.”
— Dan Heng • Imbibitor Lunae, "About Blade" voiceline
“If you want, I can accompany you until the end”
— -Dan Heng, In "Cloud Leaves no trace"
“Until your sin is cleansed, my vengeance will pursue you.”
— Blade, In "Death Approaches"
“Apparently they used to be good friends…Well, good friends who were bad for each other. Bladie forgot nearly everything, so he doesn’t remember it well. Together, they did something bad - something terrible. It lead to horrific consequences. That’s the information I managed to piece together. Bladie refused to tell me the details.”
— Kafka, Letter From a Strange Woman
Behind the Scenes[]
“Surprisingly, he doesn't seem to be very interested in other people around him, but there is a person named "Dan Heng" to whom he seems to have very strong negative feelings.”
RenHeng is the most popular ship in Honkai: Star Rail. It already has appeal for its enemies-to-lovers potential, which is made deeper once fans look into the significant lore connections the two have. RenHeng is especially popular on the Chinese side of the fandom, with over a million fanworks exceeding even the game's own tag.
Before the release of Version 1.2, Dan Heng wasn't yet revealed to be a Vidyadhara, though many fans, including RenHeng shippers, already knew this due to leaks. Since knowing this, it has been a widely accepted theory that Dan Feng is the one responsible for making Blade immortal and that this was the sin that got him banished. Dialogue from the Final Closed Beta states that the "Dragon King" (likely an early translation of "High Elder") has the power to "breath life" into living beings.[7]
There has been some debate about who the "beloved" (CN: 挚爱) mentioned in "Passerby's Roaming Dragon Bracer" is (full quote: "it was also this person [Dan Feng] who stubbornly adhered to their plans with the unnamed, turned the beloved into a monstrosity, and pushed all into an abyss of eternal hatred and remorse"). Many speculate it to be either Blade or Baiheng. This term is used again in Blade's second character story, in which he claims that the one who buried the "beloved" is Dan Heng. Based on this, plus the assumption that Dan Feng is the one who made Blade an abomination, the presumed takeaway here is that Dan Feng considered Blade his "beloved." Like previously stated, 孽=abomination. In her Companion Mission "Clouds Leave No Trace," Jingliu called Blade two things: an undying monster (不死的怪物) and an evil abomination (恶孽). Blade also considers himself an abomination in both his own character stories and in the monologue in "Clouds Leave No Trace." In his own character stories, he claims Dan Feng, now under the name Dan Heng, is the person who buried this same beloved. His team voiceline, while added with fellow Stellaron Hunter Kafka, says, "Those who can't bury us are waiting to be buried, Kafka." This is another piece of evidence that the beloved who was buried was indeed Yingxing.
A lot of fans find it amusing how, despite Dan Heng wanting nothing to do with his past self, he still carries items that are associated with Blade (Yingxing) on him, such as the bracer, Cloud-Piercer, and his jade pendant. Their dynamic has also been compared to a lot of Danmei media, as well as having a lot of common tropes. Additionally, Blade being a Stellaron Hunter and Dan Heng being on the Astral Express do not restrict them to one planet, so fans are eagerly waiting for more interactions between the two.
RenHeng currently has 4600+ works on AO3, being the most written ship in the Honkai: Star Rail tag. They had also ranked the most popular ship under the Japanese magazine B Log, while another variation of the ship, XingYue, took the 5th spot.
The "Ren" part of their ship name comes from Blade's name in Chinese, 刃 (rèn)
The official Honkai: Star Rail Twitter featured the two in a promotional tweet.[8] Prior to the game's launch, Hoyo also put in a special effort to pair them together. In August 2022, the official Honkai Star Rail account posted matching phone wallpapers of them on Hoyolab. They are the only ones to have gotten this special treatment.
Blade's spiderlily symbolism represents death and hell, while Dan Heng's lotus represents ascension and heaven. Likewise, their ultimates are mirrors of each other, with Blade showing the hellscape and Dan Heng showing a heavenscape. Both locations are reflections of the sedition site. This mirroring was also teased early in the Interstellar Journey launch trailer, where we see Dan Heng: Imbibitor Lunae standing atop a reflection with Blade on the other side.[9]Blade and Dan Heng's color palettes complement each other, with Blade's primary colors being black and red while Dan Heng's are white and green.
Both were featured alongside other male characters in the Japanese magazine Anan. In an interview portion, Dan Heng is asked why he doesn't talk more. Dan Heng replies, "Compared to someone else also participating in this project, I talked much more." This is clearly referring to Blade, who stays silent for the entirety of his interview.[10]
In the end of the Version 1.2 Special Program, Blade's VA said, "Not to mention, it seems like him [Blade] and Dan Heng are finally about to meet. Something tells me they're not gonna settle things over a cup of tea."[11]
In the Chinese version of the same stream, Blade's CN VA said, "And he [Blade] and Dan Heng finally meet. I'm looking forward to what kind of sparks will ignite between them" ("而且呢他和丹恒终于见面了。很期待他们会擦出什么样的火花").[12]
The phrase "sparks ignite" (擦出火花) is often used to describe romantic chemistry.
On Weibo, Hoyoverse sponsored several big users to post about the game. Many of these sponsored posts are RenHeng memes.[13][14]
A fun controversy among shippers is that, in the Chinese original version (both Simplified and Traditional) of Passersby's Roaming Dragon Bracer, a "typo" was found. Instead of meaning a ceremony of exchanging cups to signify a close friendship, the "typo" refers instead to an engagement ceremony[15]. Though unconfirmed, many shippers enjoy the notion that RenHeng might've been married in their past lives. Additionally, this "typo" is still in the game as of Version 2.0, leaving many to believe it may have been intentional from the start.
Through some analysis of Blade's trailer, fans have noticed several things:
From 1:17 to 1:40, the instrument that plays is the suona. This instrument is most commonly used in weddings and funerals. Interestingly enough, it plays through the duration where Blade and the illusion of Dan Heng fight. According to shippers, both interpretations of the instrument choice are appropriate; Blade's entire trailer revolves around wishing for death, and the concept of "ghost marriage," which occurs when one or both members of the couple are dead, fits with the death and rebirth motifs for the two characters.
Chinese fans have pointed out that according to the traditional Chinese calendar, the day that Blade's trailer was released (July 14th) was an auspicious day for a funeral or a wedding. An auspicious day is choosing a lucky day for big events in life.
At 1:29, a split second frame shows Dan Feng with a spider lily painted in a green tint and then Dan Heng with a spider lily painted in a red tint. We also see a spiderlily blooming atop a lotus, which is a flower we've seen represent Dan Heng.
Dan Heng made around a 40-second appearance in Blade's one-minute and 55-second trailer, when the only other character to make such a prominent appearance in someone else's trailer is Bronya in Seele's trailer, who are a romantic couple in two other miHoYo games, Honkai Impact 3rd and Guns Girl Z.
Blade's oddly specific bounty number of 8.13 billion has a number of different meanings. For one, the year 813 in the Chinese calendar is given the element of water and is the year of the dragon. Dan Heng is a Vidyadhara with water abilities. Other themes include forgiveness and soulmate reunions.
Blade and Dan Heng are the only two characters to have a phrase that repeats at the beginning of each of their character stories, Blade's being "He must have died" and Dan Heng's being "A new dawn begins."
Pom-pom, when asked about Dan Heng, mentions that Dan Heng has been polishing his spear with a glint of longing in his eyes. This was added later on during 1.4.
Blade and Dan Heng's bracers are tied with a red string, which is a reference to eastern belief around the concept of the red string of fate/marriage. The location of this red string varies throughout cultures, but it's typically on the ankles, wrists, or fingers. The concept is loosely applied in media frequently to imply that two characters are soulmates. With this, coupled with the fact that the bracers psychically link the two, as well as the description talking about how the two objects are destined for a reunion, the reference being made here is obvious.
The two have matching jade pendants in their designs. Fans noticed that when laid on top of each other, they slot perfectly and form a complete shape. Interestingly, there is a Vidyadhara egg in Scalegorge Waterscape that, when interacted with, comes with a text box mentioning how some Vidyadharas secretly put a jade pendant in their mouths so that they and their lovers can recognize each other in the next life.
The RenHeng tag on Lofter has around 7.5 million views with over 18,000 participations, edging out the overall Honkai: Star Rail tag with around 6 million views.
When talked to as an NPC during Todd Riordan's Adventure Mission, Blade will ask, "That guy, was he happy?" Even though it is not explicitly stated who he was talking about, a lot of fans like to think he was talking about Dan Heng, as Blade was not present to meet Todd and was mentioned to have been gazing at the Imbibitor Lunae statue from afar. When asked what is he doing [there], he’ll reply that he’s “mourning for folly”.
In Dan Heng's Character Story II, it mentions how he changed his appearance and can no longer be recognized but cannot escape from Blade's beastly eyes. In Blade's Character Story II, it mentions how even though Dan Heng may have changed his appearance, he would never forget Dan Heng's spear and his eyes, making a nice parallel between the two stories.
In the Samudrartha EP, which is known to be a song about Dan Heng • Imbibitor Lunae, Blade had a noticeable amount of screen time compared to other characters aside from Dan Heng himself. Scenes shown include the Nightmare cutscene, the RenHeng scene in the Interstellar Journey trailer, as well as their fight against Yanqing. Samudratha also has this section that mentions tempered steel, making poetic reference to Blade, who was previously a master craftsman.
Blade was asked a total of four questions in his character introduction, but he only joins the conversation when Dan Heng is mentioned, with Silver Wolf answering the previous questions for him.
Dan Heng and Blade have both shared the same element, type, and class, if at different points. As a 4* character, Dan Heng had the Wind Type and Hunt Path. Blade has the Wind Type and Destruction Path; as of 1.2, it's been confirmed that Dan Heng's 5* version is of the Imaginary Type and Destruction Path, making Wind and Destruction two things they've had in common thus far.
As of the 2.0 update of the game, with the new feature called "Dreampeek Call," players get to look into Dan Heng's dream, where he was dreaming of the "Nightmare" trailer featuring Blade. With the inconsistency of the other dialogues and character names censored, it's clear Dan Heng thinks of Blade, as Blade's signature catchphrase remains unchanged even in his dream.
In the 1.6 update's "Keeping Up with Star Rail" video, during Dan Heng's showcase, the tail of Blade's critter counterpart, Sesame Cake, could be seen.
Blade and Dan Heng were featured multiple times together during the gameplay showcase of the update livestreams.
While introducing Dan Heng, this curious message popped up: "Recently, someone claiming to be Smiling Black Dragon (笑面小黑龙) challenged Belobog Underworld's fighting ring. Much to everyone's shock, he was eliminated within the first round." Thus, by comparing the timeline (pre-launch), we can determine that "Smiling Black Dragon" (笑面小黑龙) is a nickname that staff at Hoyoverse have come up with. Of course, the Smiling Black Dragon could be none other than Blade. In Chinese, the structuring of the two nicknames is identical: Stone-faced Young Azure Dragon (冷面小青龙) vs. Smiling faced Young Black Dragon (笑面小黑龙). From this, we can infer that Blade deliberately named himself Smiling Black Dragon as an obvious reference to Dan Heng's Cold Dragon Young.
With the reveal of Sesame Cake (芝麻酥) and Rice Dumpling (糯米团), the only two cakes based off of male characters (besides the male Trailblazer). So, the combination of their names would make sesame dumpling (芝麻汤圆). Even on the livestream of 1.6, Sesame Cake and Rice Dumpling were also placed in the same frame as Ice Cake.
Dan Heng and Blade were advertised multiple times together in Youtube ads, Bilibili ads, and even collabs with real-life brands. The ad run on Bilibili's cover is a screenshot of the two of them fighting rather than the normal character trailer thumbnail. Clicking on it leads you to Blade's trailer video.
In 2023/07/19 Keeping up with Star Rail - Blade: An Immortal's Beauty, features Dan Heng introducing his to his friends.
Dan Heng's name (丹恒) is a literary reference to Chang'e (嫦娥), a moon goddess in Chinese folklore. Her original name was Heng'e (恒娥) and is written as a variation of the Heng used in Dan Heng. In the tale of Chang'e, Chang'e was married to the famous archer Hou Yi. who was rewarded with two elixirs of immortality by the emperor. He waited on drinking the elixir, wanting to share it with Chang'e. However, a thief broke in and threatened to steal the elixir. In a panic, Chang'e drank both potions. She helplessly floated to the sky as her husband watched on, and she now forever resides in the moon's palace with the jade rabbit. Imbibitor Lunae (饮月) is Dan Heng's title. Thus, Moon drinker, Heng'e, thieving immortality parallels their situation and is why one of Dan Feng's crimes is listed as thieving immortality.
In 2023/08/08, it just so happened that, on the last day of Blade's banner, people could observe the phenomenon called Moon-Jupiter conjunction, where Jupiter and the moon both share the same ascension and thus appear close to each other in the sky. To explain this, one needs to understand where Blade's real name, Yingxing (应星), comes from. In modern Chinese, Jupiter is translated to 木星 (lit. wood star). Ancient Chinese astronomers referred to Jupiter as 岁星 and 应星. 应星(YingXing) =Jupiter. An ancient Chinese literary work, 淮南子. 天文训, wrote this passage: 东方，木也, [...]，其神为岁星，其兽苍龙. The English translation would thus be: The East quadrant is Jupiter, [...] its deity is Sui Xing (岁星), its guardian Beast the Azure Dragon. 苍龙 is the Azure Dragon, which shares the name with Dan Heng's legacy. Writers definitively had this literary reference in mind when they came up with Yingxing's name. But it's unknown whether Hoyoverse deliberately placed Blade's banner in August, especially since the Moon-Jupiter conjunction occurs somewhat frequently, but it's a coincidence regardless.
On October 3, 2023, a Bilibili special chibi show was hosted by Mr. Xiyan, and Dan Heng was the special guest. In the beginning, various characters can be seen, but there is no Blade there. Then the audience isn't seen for a while. At one point, Dan Heng starts blushing with embarrassment, and the next frame reveals Blade in the audience. Dan Heng specifically yelled "妖孽“ here. 妖孽/孽物 in the game's context refers to abominations that came to life due to Yaoshi's blessing. And only after Dan Heng yelled "abominations" and embarrassed himself in front of the public did Blade appear.
2023/11/15, in the 1.5 update, teammate addition lines were added. Where Blade says, "Need me to watch your back?" if Dan Heng is added to the team, this hints that Yingxing had protected him in the past multiple times and died protecting him during the events of the sedition. But in Chinese, the text says "你来了,别让我抓到你任何破绽," which means "You're here. Don't let me catch you at a vulnerable moment.". This might hint at Blade not wanting Dan Heng to die without him, a throwback to their destiny together.
In the Companion Mission "Clouds Leave No Trace," Jingliu reveals Dan Feng was the closest to Yingxing, which was shocking to the other three as an arrogant person (Yingxing) getting along with someone so prideful (Dan Feng) was unexpected.
Renheng has many danmei tropes such as: Lovers to Enemies to Lovers, opposite color palettes (specifically black and red + white and green), major events happening under moonlight, themes of reincarnation and amnesia, one character literally pursuing the other, one character being considered dead or demonic while the other ethereal and godly, an immortal and mortal falling love, and contrasting personalities. To people familiar with danmei, the relationship between Dan Heng and Blade can be seen as very queer coded.
Jingliu's splash art has two cups together alongside two other cups and one cup held by Jingliu herself, representing the High Cloud Quintet members. One of the cups is half submerged, and the other is still floating. These cups symbolize Blade and Dan Heng, as they represent Blade's constant state of lingering between life and death and Dan Heng's rebirth.
The phrase 己推杯换盅 used in Blades relic set is inherently romantic, whilst confused with "推杯换盏" the phrase has an actual romantic meaning behind it. And its thought to be referring to Dan Heng's previous incarnation, "dan Feng" (phrase directly translated from baidu "Tuibeihuanzhan[己推杯换盅]" is an idiom, which originally meant drinking alternately by pushing cups and exchanging cups, and now generally refers to drinking alternately and toasting each other. This idiom not only depicts the lively atmosphere of a banquet, but also contains deep human touch and social significance. In terms of romance"
↑This quote from Passerby's Stygian Hiking Boots could be referring to Blade and Dan Heng's fights: "His opponent would always end the battle with one finishing move right through his heart." However, information from the Second Close Beta and Blade's first character story indicate that the one who has stabbed Blade in the heart is more likely to be Jingliu.
