3.7 had an extremely easy-to-miss bit during the Irontomb boss fight, and it feels a little ridiculous but I have to salute Hoyo for using everything at their disposal- including the places you would normally never think to look- because half of it was in the details screen for an enemy you couldn't even target in the background, and the other half was literally in the fucking pause menu.
But I really loved it, because! You can actually see what each individual Chrysos Heir contributed to that battle! It changes with every phase of the boss fight, so you can actually watch the progress of Irontomb's fall!
And that's already so so cool, but it's also really delightful how much thought Hoyo seems to have put into each of these, because I feel like each one really speaks to the actions of the character it represents.
Tribbie/Transfer Loop/Information Connection Timeout: Tribbie was the demigod of Passage, they transferred people place-to-place and kept the city-states connected and informed via the Century Gate.
Hysilens/Assertion Failed/Detection Unresponsive: Hysilens earned her path of Nihility; she was unable to assert herself and live on her own after the loss of her home, her family, her people. She was desperately clinging to Cerydra and her reign as a reason to live right up until the moment she killed her.
Cerydra/Illegal Protocol/Firewall Deactivated: Cerydra was the demigod of Law, and it was her death that changed the protocol of the Sceptor and allowed Herta and Screwllum back in, and to accomplish as much as they did.
Aglaea/Throttle Failed/Performance Overload: Aglaea pushed the limits of what a demigod could handle. She spent centuries enduring the gradual wear and tear of her very soul; even if Caenis hadn't killed her, she wouldn't have lived much longer. She was still trying to fulfill her duties, up until the very end.
Anaxa/Malicious Code Injected/System Out of Control: Anaxa's entire life's goal was to "sow the seeds of doubt." He lived to upend things and pulled zero punches doing it. I can't think of anything more fitting than him just straight up injecting malicious code into Irontomb, no notes 10/10
Cipher/Parameters Distorted/Logic Errors: Cipher was the demigod of Trickery and she used her talents well. She could trick people into seeing a completely different reality, and make their own sense of logic lie to them.
Mydei/Data Wipe/Copy Lost: Mydei was thorough in his eradication of the black tide, he worked endlessly to wipe out as much of it as he could. He was also insistent on doing it alone, even though Krateros and his people would have followed him anywhere.
Castorice/Subprocess Frozen/Unable to Terminate: Due to Polyxia's actions, the River of Souls was dammed, freezing that entire process and leaving people unable to fully cross into the sea of flowers. Castorice herself had the touch of death, but refused to use it, good or bad.
Hyacine/Stack Overflow/Insufficient RAM: Fat fu- Aquila was probably one of the most corrupted titans, due in part to the black tide, but also because of Seliose's hatred after merging with them. You can see it in the scrolls in Okhema and the Skydome after Hyacine usurps the Coreflame. And you see it's effect in 3.4- the corruption stacked and overflowed, until Hyacine couldn't bear it. When Phainon goes to kill her, she's already one foot in the grave. In following cycles, she holds out only until the last human being left on Amphoreus passes away, then loses her sanity and dies.
Dan Heng/Storage Anomaly/Unable to Delete: As the Imbibitor Lunae and a scion of the Permanence, Dan Heng carries the weight of 90+ reincarnations, including a lot of their memories, whether he wants to or not.
March 7th/Time Rollback/Infinite Loop: Even before becoming the demigod of Time, March 7th wanted so so badly to be able to look back in time and into her own past. And because of that loss of memory, she is desperate to infinitely preserve what she has now, to the point of taking selfies with everyone once a day.
Phainon/Merge-Split/Core Damaged: *gestures to 3.4* kind of what it says on the tin. Phainon exists as Phainon, as the Flame Reaver, as Khaslana. He took on so much that it damaged him right down to the core of his very being. The original body exists now only as a battered, broken corpse buried in the Ruins of Time.
Cyrene: "This is a story about love, and how to answer it."
Isn't it interesting that each Vee is similar to one of the Seven Deadly Sins?
VALENTINO AND ASMODEUS
Val is the most obvious as his design clearly resembles Ozzie's, especially the Sin's hidden form:
Both wear feathered hats and have collars, which are fused with their bodies (Val's collar is part of his moth's fur; Ozzie's collar is actually his flame). Moreover, they share a heart motif, which highlights their link with lust.
As a matter of fact both characters are linked to this sin. On the one hand Valentino mass produces "love potions" thanks to his pheromones and is a famous porn director. On the other hand Asmodeus is the embodiment of lust, mass produces sex toys and owns a very famous club, where couples like to go.
Finally, Val has a Robo-Fizz:
And Ozzie is in a relationship with the real Fizz:
VELVETTE AND LEVIATHAN
Velvette and Leviathan's link is the weakest one, simply because we know almost nothing about Levy. That said, there are still some similarities.
Velvette is the Social Media Overlord, so her powers come from her followers and she is able to materialize holograms and emojis:
Leviathan might be involved in social medias too, since she owns the social network Envee:
What's more, Velvette is a famous influencer and stylist, so she changes her clothes all the time:
Levy seems involved in the beauty and fashion industries, as well. This is why her presents for Lucifer are a perfume and a bag:
VOX AND MAMMON
Vox shares several traits with Mammon, especially when it comes to some visual motifs.
Both the Media Overlord and the Sin of Greed have a shark motif, which also links them to water, as their secondary elemental motif:
They also have lightning as their primary element:
Finally, they both have built their fortunes by imitating others and through stealing from them:
Vox uses others' ideas and talents to build his company and gain more popularity and power. For example, he uses Baxter's expertise, Val and Velvette's talents, Charlie's ideals, Alastor's reputation and Lucifer's power.
Mammon steals Lucifer and Charlie's ideas, he uses Ozzie's technological knowledge and exploits talented performers like Fizz and the Glam Sisters to build his empire.
WHY ARE THERE ALL THESE SIMILARITIES?
The first and most simple reason is that Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel explore similar ideas, so different characters are gonna embody the same themes. Let's also add that initially it was not possible to have crossovers between the two series, so they could have come up with similar archetypes for both stories. That said, there can be two additional explanations:
The first has to do with the nature of the Vees
The second ties with the themes explored by the series
THE VEES: NOUVEAU RICHE
The Vees are a trio of Overlords motivated by a desire for social climbing:
Once we get up there
Up to the promised land
A hundred billion souls await our every command
We'rе the biggest fish in Hell
How 'bout wе upgrade the bowl?
It's time for growth
Let's rule 'em both!
Take total control
This trait comes out in their designs and characterizations, in the sense that they try to look like more powerful beings. They are Hell's nouveau riche, who want to become Hell's new nobility. This is why they either consciously or unconsciously imitate the Sins.
So, Val and Velvette try to be the Pride Ring's Sin of Lust and Sin of Envy. This is interesting worldbuilding-wise because it shows the indirect impact the Sins have on Hell, even when it comes to the Sinners. Their power is so well known some Overlords will try to replicate their businesses in Pride by using the fact their ring is isolated from the others.
APPEARANCE VS SUBSTANCE
Thematically, the Vees being loosely copy-cats of the Sins ties with the theme explored in season 2:
Charlie: We can live in harmony!
Valentino and Velvette: Why be nice when you can be famous?
Charlie: That's the Hazbin
The Vees: Sign and cash in!
Charlie: Guarantee!
The Vees are all about "appearance" in juxtaposition with Charlie and the Hazbin Hotel, which are about "substance". The three Overlords found their power on their public images and on how others perceive them. It's not about who they themselves are, but about what they look like.
WHAT ABOUT VOX?
Vox has more layers than Val and Velvette and this complexity ties also in his foiling with Mammon. While I can see Val and Velvette either consciously or unconsciously looking up to Ozzie and Levy, I don't think Vox is trying to imitate Mammon. That is because Vox is not interested in overthrowing Mammon, but rather Lucifer:
I'll show you what it means
To be the motherfucking king of Hell!
'Cause I'm the furor!
I'm immense
I am the avatar of your consequence!
I'M YOUR OMEGA!
I'm the flood!
I am the nightmare you made
When you spilled our blood!
In general, Vox wants to grow stronger and stronger until he finds himself on top (so a god):
Vox: Soon I'll be up there
The one and only true God
No more playin' house, once they're devout, I won't need a squad
Climb the stairway up to Heaven, live on every TV
Always knew the guy they're prayin' to was gonna be me
When it comes to Hell's hierarchy this means first and foremost overtaking the Royal Family. This is why the climax of Vox's plan focuses on this (and yes, this does not change the fact that the person Vox wants to impress the most is Alastor).
He steals and twists Charlie's ideals:
Vox: Try to picture if we could
Escape this hole! (Sinners: Let's go!)
Never have to live in fear of
Days that angels may appear, 'cause
Here's the kicker! Sinners can
Vox and Dancers: Save their souls!
Vox: Not by changing for redemption
But by taking over Heaven!
He steals Lilith's slogan and message:
New order
Like what Lilith had envisioned when she threatened them
She knew Hell could be great
And we can make Hell great again!
He steals Lucifer's power:
And plans to have Charlie endorse his plan that revolves around a weapon called after Lilith and powered by Lucifer:
In short, when it comes to Vox trying to imitate a Sin, he actually wants Lucifer's spot as leader of Hell. This is also confirmed by Vox and Lucifer being strong foils in season 2. Still, why is the Media Overlord designed after the Sin of Greed, then? It's because they comment on similar ideas.
VOX: NEW ENTERTAINMENT
Vox and Mammon are similar because they both are trying to fill an empty spot left by Lucifer and Lilith. Of course we are talking of political and economical power, but since this is the Hellaverse everything goes back to the idea of "entertainment".
Long story short, Lucifer and Lilith are the King and Queen of Entertainment. However, they are both missing in action for different reasons.
Lucifer is still in Hell physically, but he is not so much there psychologically. He is uninterested in his subjects and symbolically is going through a creative block that ties thematically to his loss of hope.
Lilith may still be interested in ruling Hell, but she misses physically, as she is in Heaven.
The end result is that there is a power vacuum, which is being filled by other characters.
On the one hand Mammon has seized the entertainment business in Hell and is expanding there. He organizes pageants and has made clowns and circus very popular among Hellborns.
On the other hand Vox and the other Overlords have taken over the entertainment business in Pride. This is why they are all symbolically designed after a form of art. They are a byproduct of Lucifer and Lilith (symbolically they are their children and creations), so they expand the idea of entertainment through new medias. Since the Royal Family is not ruling, they have taken over this duty and gained popularity and power among sinners.
Vox is especially successful, as he is one of the most influential Overlords. So in season 2 he decides to confront Lucifer directly and to dethrone him. He wants to become the new King of Entertainment:
Vincent: The other studios want to feed you the same old crap everyone's seen before.
You want newer?
You want bigger?
You want brighter! (Brighter!)
I will be your voice, and we will redefine what it means to rule the airwaves!
Trust me, and your future will be brighter! (Brighter!)
Now, who's ready to be baptized into a new era, of entertainment?!
Brighter! (Brighter!)
In other words, Mammon and Vox are two characters that comment on the theme of entertainment, which has two declinations in the Hellaverse.
Meta-narratively, it comments on the Hellaverse as a product of entertainment and it explains what the series wants to be like. Lucifer is the old school entertainment, which is in a crisis until Charlie (the Hellaverse) comes along and proposes a new kind of entertainment, which is original, but rooted in classics. Mammon and Vox are instead unoriginal kinds of entertainment, which rely on the same ideas again and again (Mammon) and on superficial contents (Vox and the Vees).
In universe, "entertainment" stands as a metaphor for political influence (especially in Hell). This is why we have so many influential characters involved in the entertainment business (the Sins, the Overlords, the Morningstars, even Adam runs his cult through rock music).
As a final note, Mammon and Vox trying to become like Lucifer is beautifully highlighted by their elemental motif. They have both electrical powers, while Lucifer is pure light. In short, they are both trying to imitate light (Vox's "Brighter!"), but can never be quite the same. I think this is shown directly with Vox in season 2, where he catches Lucifer and tries to use his power. He literally connects his electrical cables to Lucifer and draws out the angel's energy. However, he completely loses control over such a power by the end and risks to hurt himself and everybody else with it. In short, he tries to transform Lucifer's light into electricity, but eventually fails and almost dies because of it. He is symbolically only saved thanks to everyone coming together in one heartfelt collective song (a piece of art), which stops Vox's weapon (deranged entertainment).
Hello sorry to bring this here but I've been struggling lately, so if you're able please consider donating to my Kofi. I can doodle you something if you send me 2 kofis (10$) it doesn't have to be Jing Yuan!
Sorry I keep bringing this back but between getting hit by 3 earthquakes and 2 typhoons in the span of less than 2 months... I'm tired... Any help is appreciated
ive complained about it before but now i wanna write an exhausted list of how i kinda feel like hoyo seems to have some sorta geniune hatred for cipher. like below all the other heirs and all of hsr as a whole they seem to target and dislike this character so specifically and it sucks
-lowest screentime of any heir by far. its not even her being fast, things like her return to okhema and fight with the cleaners just got Skipped in favor of more phainon focus. her own version was focused more on the guy who was about to get his own version for no reason other than advertising and glazing hoyo's prefered banner
-put between three highly anticipated banners and then barely marketed compared to them, as if hoyo wanted her to flop
-extremely detailed death scene compared to every other heir (after literally just 20 minutes of screentime). like oh my goodness everyone else went quickly but they wanted cipher to suffer. probably her longest moment is her just suffering and dying slowly. it felt outright spiteful honestly
-death is SPOILED in 3.3's trailer but hyacine's isnt (once again being another issue for her banner). they literally interrupt her gameplay showcase to show her dying. nobody else in all of amphoreus had that done to them. isnt that just humilating
-only two animated cutscenes, only one in her own version was her death (then 3.3 for some reason had THREE cutscenes of phainon. im not even gonna say hyacine, hyacine was left in the background while phainon was the focus. there was way too much budget on the aquilia fight that shouldve been cipher's)
-khaslana killing her and burning down her home is specified way more than the pain he brought the other heirs. like after everything they rly wanted to hammer in "also the guy the entire fandom praises as a hero burned down ciphers home and nobody will ever talk about it while they continue to praise and glaze him"
-the infamous nerf she got before release
-hysilens trailer puts hysilens out of character to humilate cipher
-not a single on screen interaction with hysilens and cerydra despite knowing eachother all their lives. its all hidden in voiceovers and lore so most people dont even KNOW they're close
-barely any moments in 3.6, but instead a bartholos moment
-less stickers of her design than everyone else due to one being her as a kid (phainon proceeds to get 5 of his usual design and 1 of khaslana while cipher got 3 of her usual design)
-khaslana and hyacine got figurines announced specifically skipping over cipher. in fact theres figures of aglaea, announced figures for castorice mydei and anaxa, and a plushie for tribbie, so aside from the extremely new characters cipher specifically got left out and skipped over
hoyo has somehow managed to make a character that fits having no screentime, but still made her a hard to get 5 star thats supposed to feel like she has a focus, and finds every way possible to just kinda treat her horrifically.
but also since as of 3.5 she doesnt have to do the dawn device lie anymore and thats her whole reason for avoiding everyone so it doesnt really make sense to leave her out now
i would flat out say this has been game ruining for me honestly because every version i kinda just have to watch a character i really like be dragged through the mud. im autistic and fixated and its just become geniunely hurtful the way she's treated every new update. im fully expecting stuff like hoyofair and the next concert to ignore her but focus on phainon and other heirs and its gonna suck
i Regret getting attached to her like i was just excited for a cat and then her writing and voice and animations and relationship with castorice were so amazing i was won over but then. this is like. hoyo's personal punching bag oh my goodness. they have some sort of deeply rooted hatred for this character that goes beyond just "amphoreus has lots of death" to flat out in non game stuff or gameplay stuff trying to mess with her. like it goes beyond story, this truly might just be the worst hoyo has ever treated any 5 star character Ever, definitely in hsr at least
🍃 CONTRIBUTOR APPLICATIONS MOVED
We sincerely apologize for the sudden change in schedule regarding our contributor applications. Instead of following the original schedule, our applications will open on July 8
