Honkai Star Rail Annihilation Gang explained: Members and lore

Hoyoverse just dropped an insanely detailed animated short for Honkai Star Rail with zero warning, and while the dance between upcoming 5-star Acheron and Black Swan is the central point, the Annihilation Gang quickly takes over from offscreen.

Acheron is clearly concerned with the mysterious group that is only hinted at in-game. However, observant players are already familiar with some of its members. 

The new buzz comes courtesy of an animated short named "Rondo Across Countless Kalpas" that premiered on March 19, 2024.

In the short below, Garden of Recollection memokeeper Black Swan approaches the alleged Galaxy Ranger Acheron at some type of gala. They perform an elaborate ballroom dance that starts off romantically. However, some offhand comments by Swan turn it into a metaphor for combat. 

The mention of the Annihilation Gang appears to be the tipping point. The group’s title piques Acheron’s interest despite not knowing who they are. After a veiled interrogation, she leaves the gala before realizing their identity. She never says exactly who they are, but previous Honkai Star Rail animations and in-game information already confirm the identity of several members.

Here’s a list of all the confirmed Annihilation Gang members in Honkai Star Rail.

Each member follows the Path of Destruction with the eventual goal of earning Nanook’s respect. However, despite apparently operating for quite a while, they’ve never succeeded.

The Factions Data Bank blames the members’ selfishness, often acting in their self-interest instead of following the true Path. As a result, their members have been exiled from the Antimatter Legion, which, in a way, makes them the enemies of Trailblazer’s enemies.

Notably, the Annihilation Gang contains members from two other important factions in Honkai Star Rail. The four characters outside of Duke Inferno belong to the Ever-Flame Mansion, a sub-faction that is essentially the elite of the Annihilation Gang.

However, the gang also includes the Jepella Brotherhood, a strange race of animal-human hybrids that appears in Kafka’s story. The two factions vie for power, creating an awkward cold civil war within the group.

The Penacony story in Honkai Star Rail is still unfolding, but we already know a rough outline of the Annihilation Gang’s plan. The Ever-Flame Mansion was formally invited to attend the Charmony Festival, but Duke Inferno planned to abuse the hospitality and attack the planet. However, Acheron claims to have somehow intercepted the plan and assassinated Duke Inferno before the attack. 

With that in mind, it's likely that the Rondo Across Countless Kalpas short shows how Archeron learned about the plan.

It’s not clear exactly how she killed Duke Inferno or how the other Ever-Flame Mansion will respond. The upcoming 2.1 update will likely explain more about the group and Acheron’s interactions with them.

Keep checking in to esports.gg for the latest updates on Honkai Star Rail.