✦ SUN, MOON AND ASHES: THE EVOLUTION OF PHAINON ✦
We are excited to share our research artbook analysing the costume design of Phainon from Honkai: Star Rail.
This artbook explores three forms of Phainon:
Phainon
The Flame Reaver
Khaslana
Through semiotic analysis, mythological parallels, and an empirical study, we examine how costume becomes a visual text of fate.
Read the full artbook for free:
This artbook is an attempt to read costume as a visual text of fate — from hero-saviour through shadow-destroyer to sacred martyr.\n\nThe re
✨ What's inside:
• Full costume analysis
• Historical and mythological references
• Empirical study with 10 respondents
• 90+ pages
Authors: Zozulya P.V., Mazurova V.N.
Tomsk State University, 2026
Non-commercial research project. Characters and game content ©HoYoverse.
P.s. Initially, this artbook was not conceived as a book at all.
It all started as a simple learning task — we only had to make 3-4 turns to demonstrate. A small project. A few pages. Nothing else.
But when we started studying Phainon's design—his cape, shoulder pads, and the symbols hidden in every detail—something clicked. We realized that 3-4 reversals would not be enough. There was too much to say.
And then I just... I couldn't stop myself 😅
What started as a cool project turned into months of research, semiotic analysis, historical background, empirical research, and more than 90 pages of layout. I found myself staying up until 3 a.m., correcting kerning, checking translations, and rereading sources for the tenth time to make sure I understood the difference between paludamentum and paenula correctly.
This book is proof that sometimes a small idea, if given free rein, can turn into something you never expected.
We hope that you will feel the love that we have put into every page! ❤️✨
