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Tingyun

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Tingyun
Honkai character
A girl with big brown fox ears and a long, bushy fox tail smiles at the camera
Official artwork
First gameHonkai: Star Rail (2023)
Voiced by
    • Laci Morgan (2023–2024)[1]
    • Anya Floris (2024–present)[2]
  • Lee Myeong-ho[1]
In-universe information
SpeciesFoxian
WeaponFan
OriginThe Xianzhou Luofu
Type
  • Lightning (Tingyun)
  • Fire (Fugue)
Combat Path
  • Harmony (Tingyun)
  • Nihility (Fugue)

Tingyun (Chinese: 停云; pinyin: Tíngyún) is a character from the video game Honkai: Star Rail, developed by miHoYo. She was released in version 1.0 of the game. Tingyun is a foxian, a species that mostly resembles humans, except that they live longer and have the ears and tail of a fox. In the lore, Tingyun is an "amicassador" for the Xianzhou Alliance who is responsible for trade. Tingyun was possessed and subsequently attacked by the antagonistic Lord Ravager, Phantylia, and was incorrectly presumed dead. She recovered from this with help from Ruan Mei, but lost her identity as Tingyun. In version 2.7, this new version of Tingyun was released as a separate playable character called Fugue (忘归人; Wàng guī rén; 'the one who forgot to return').

Tingyun was received positively, with critics praising her role in the story and speculating about whether or not Tingyun was really dead before Fugue was released. Her gameplay was also well received.

Creation and design

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Tingyun made her first appearance in the game in version 1.0, alongside the game's release, on April 26, 2023.[3] In the game, it was revealed that she was an "amicassador" of the Whistling Flames, a merchant guild operating under the Sky-Faring Commission of the Xianzhou Alliance. Her position deals largely with trade issues on the Xianzhou starships,[1] and it sometimes also involves diplomacy. She uses a fan to assert her authority and solve conflicts, but she generally tries to solve these issues using her words first.[4] In the story, Tingyun suffers a near-death experience due to a catastrophe. In addition, it is revealed that her identity and face had been stolen.[5]

Tingyun received a five-star form in version 2.5 of the game under the name Fugue, which first appeared as an NPC. Tingyun is Fugue's past self who was brought back from the brink of death by Ruan Mei.[5] Fugue is described as a tactful foxian whose identity has been stolen and whose survival is tied to one remaining thread of fate.[6] On December 17, 2024, miHoYo released a video explaining Fugue's combat abilities.[7][8] On December 19, 2024, the developers released a trailer exploring Fugue's lore and identity entitled "Unlike a Floating Cloud".[9] A trailer for Fugue entitled "Wordless" was released on December 23, 2024. Fugue was released two days later in version 2.7 of the game.[10][11]

Tingyun and Fugue are both voiced in Chinese by Zhang Li, in Japanese by Yūki Takada, and in Korean by Lee Myeong-ho [ko].[5] They were originally voiced in English by Laci Morgan, but she was replaced in version 2.7 of the game in December 2024 by Anya Floris.[2] In an interview, Takada said that she was happy the players could meet Tingyun again in the form of Fugue, and she recalled that Tingyun was on the verge of losing her identity on the Xianzhou Luofu. Takada believed that Tingyun experienced many changes during the process of being saved by Ruan Mei.[12]

Appearances

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Further information: Honkai: Star Rail § Plot, and Kafka (Honkai: Star Rail) § Appearances

The Trailblazer, the game's protagonist, first sees Tingyun shortly after landing on the Xianzhou Luofu and rescuing her from a group of soldiers corrupted with a curse known as mara, which results in loss of sanity for the afflicted. After the soldiers are defeated, Tingyun introduces herself to them and takes the group to meet Yukong, a local official who is currently in the process of dealing with the crisis posed by a Stellaron, a very destructive entity. The group also meets Jing Yuan, a respected general who declines the group's help in dealing with said crisis. Jing Yuan instead entrusts them with capturing the Stellaron Hunter Kafka, who is also on the Xianzhou. The next day, Tingyun introduces the Trailblazer to Diting, a bionic dog that excels at hunting for people. After searching for a while, the group realizes Kafka had been intentionally placing clues to try and lead them to her the entire time, resulting in a chase. Kafka is arrested by Fu Xuan of the Divination Commission, but the Trailblazer and friends insist they get an opportunity to talk to her. Tingyun accompanies the group in walking to Exalting Sanctum (a notable area on the Luofu where Kafka's interrogation takes place), saying she cannot find a direct entrance to the Divination Commission from there.[13]

Tingyun continues to aid the crew in their quest to seal the Stellaron, and they head to the Alchemy Commission to meet Fu Xuan. There they find evidence of a brutal battle, prompting Tingyun to explain that the Abundance and the Xianzhou Luofu do not have a good relationship. It is revealed that the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, a secret pro-Abundance cult that embraces immortality, are responsible for the recent surge in mara cases. They have weaponized the Elixir Crucible's smoke by infusing it with medicine that triggers mara in the Cloud Knights. Fu Xuan asks the Trailblazer and their companions to clear the smoke, since it specifically affects long-life Xianzhou natives. The Disciples' leader, Dan Shu, is defeated in battle and calls on the person who brought the Stellaron to the Xianzhou Luofu. The camera turns to Tingyun, who is revealed to instead be an impostor, the Lord Ravager Phantylia, who subsequently disappears after appearing to snap Tingyun's neck.[13] At this point, Welt indicates that the real Tingyun may be alive because Phantylia made the body vanish;[14][13] if it were simply a corpse, he doubts there would be a reason to hide it that way. The crew then follows Phantylia.[13]

Official artwork of Fugue

The real Tingyun's consciousness drifted in darkness, unable to speak for a while. She eventually awakens inside a laboratory run by Ruan Mei, a member of the Genius Society who is overseeing Tingyun's recovery.[5][15] Ruan Mei tells Tingyun that her body carries scars as a result of Phantylia's actions and that Tingyun must learn that it changed quickly; her tail has changed color as well. She gradually heals from her injuries. Eventually Ruan Mei tells Tingyun the truth about what Phantylia did while disguised as her: causing calamity and poisoning the living with mara.[13] Tingyun realizes that Phantylia not only stole her life, but her identity.[5] Tingyun realizes that her fate was now tied to the Astral Express and decides to leave her old identity behind, concealing the news of her survival.[15][13] The Xianzhou arc ends with a brief funeral for Tingyun, unaware she is still alive.[16]

Gameplay

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Tingyun is a four-star Lightning damage dealer who walks the Path of the Harmony. Her Basic Attack deals Lightning damage to a single enemy. Her Skill grants an ally the Benediction status effect to one ally and increases that ally's ATK. The next three times that ally attacks, they will deal additional Lightning damage.[17] Tingyun's Ultimate grants energy to the ally and increases their damage dealt for two turns.[18] Her Talent is such that when Tingyun attacks an enemy, the ally with Benediction immediately deals additional Lightning damage to the same enemy.[17]

Fugue is considered a separate character from Tingyun for combat purposes. Fugue is a five-star Fire damage dealer who walks the Path of the Nihility. Her Basic Attack deals Fire damage to a single enemy, and her enhanced Basic Attack does the same except it also damages adjacent targets. Her Skill grants a single designated ally the Foxian Prayer status and enters the Torrid Scorch state, which lasts for three turns. During that state, the ally with the Foxian Prayer status increases their Break Effect stat and can also reduce an enemy's Toughness. In the Torrid Scorch state, Fugue also enhances her Basic Attack; whenever an ally with Foxian Prayer attacks, Fugue reduces the attacked enemy's defense for two turns. Fugue's Ultimate deals Fire damage to all enemies, reducing all enemies' Toughness. While on the battlefield, her Talent afflicts enemies with the Cloudflame Luster effect equal to a percentage of their maximum Toughness; when Cloudflame Luster is reduced to zero, the enemy will receive Weakness Break damage.[19][20]

Promotion

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In February 2024, it was announced that miHoYo would be collaborating with Myethos Gift, a Chinese company, to release a figure of Tingyun in September that year. The figure cost CN¥199; some commenters on the official announcement on Weibo were shocked at the price. Others wondered whether miHoYo would ever release similar figures for male characters, and still others posted comments regarding whether Tingyun's fate ingame would be revealed.[21] On December 26, 2024, miHoYo announced a collaboration with JDB Group to release special-edition beverage cans featuring Aventurine and Tingyun in time for New Year, with the aim of helping players "receive good fortune and wealth" in the upcoming year. Figures with stands and other special-edition merchandise was also released.[22]

Reception

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Cosplay of Tingyun

Tingyun was generally received well upon release, as was Fugue. Players expressed their love for the character through cosplay.[4] Many players reacted positively to the news of Tingyun's return, and some even farmed the necessary materials to upgrade Fugue ahead of her release.[15] By December 4, 2024, Honkai: Star Rail reached the top 10 in revenue in many regions including the United States, Japan, and South Korea.[23] Around the same time, the game's overseas revenue doubled, ranking fifth out of all Chinese games in terms of foreign revenue that month.[24]

Story

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Tingyun's role in the story was generally well received. Writing for Siliconera, Jenni Lada described Tingyun as a steadfast guide who was always there to help people if they needed it. She wrote that Tingyun's part in the story seemed relatively small at first, as she mainly offered players guidance into the Xianzhou Luofu.[25] The turning point, Lada writes, is when Fu Xuan tasked the Trailblazer with taking care of the elixir crucibles, since only short-life species are able to be around them. Long-life species such as foxians are afflicted with mara if they get too close. Lada wrote that the truth about who the Trailblazer was really interacting with was only revealed when Tingyun shrugged off requests by March 7th and Dan Heng to stay back for her own safety, stating that this was a red flag.[25] She described the reveal as well-handled in that it does not draw out that "Tingyun" acted strange at first; doing so would be out of line, as she was a new character.[25] She wrote that in past missions the Trailblazer had seen that anyone could be a secret member of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, but players did not have much reason to believe someone as close as Tingyun could be among them. She did concede that Tingyun could still have been genuine because of her dedication in helping the Trailblazer. Lada described the moment where Tingyun's neck was snapped as "so jarring that it changes everything" and sets the tone for what comes next; she incorrectly guessed that the real Tingyun was dead.[25] Bruno Yonezawa of Screen Rant agreed in that the scene in which Tingyun's neck is snapped was among the game's most shocking;[16] writer Freedom Yamanaka of Famitsu thinks that many people felt similarly.[26] Writer Taro of UDN speculated that Tingyun was fake as well, but indicated that this was because of an earlier text message she sends to the Trailblazer about immortality. Taro also argued it was unlikely Tingyun had been brainwashed by Phantylia.[14]

Yonezawa said it was risky for the game to kill off characters, and that Tingyun was treated as if she was really dead for the time being.[16] He wrote that her supposed death showed that the game was ready to let players get emotionally invested in its story, and that "not everyone is safe" from death. Even if set in a fantasy world, stories and characters improve and become much more relatable when death is involved. Deaths such as Tingyun's stimulate players' emotional involvement by causing attachment followed by grief, he argued.[16] Taro speculated that not all hope was lost for Tingyun, saying that other characters such as Blade had shown in past missions that the mara-struck disease's power can be contained. Since the character Luocha follows the Abundance, they also suggested there was a high probability of him being able to help Tingyun.[14] Lada theorized that the real Tingyun was in fact alive and safe, and correctly speculated that a five-star version of her would later be released.[25] Freedom Yamanaka was happy to see that Tingyun was alive, but incorrectly guessed that Ruan Mei had resurrected her from the dead, as opposed to preventing her from dying in the first place.[26] In version 2.7 of the game, there is a scene in which Tingyun's memories are split into many small parts. By talking to different memory fragments, players interact with different aspects of Tingyun such as her love of food. This, writes Ah Qi of Chinese gaming website YXRB, shows that Fugue was not entirely different from the Tingyun players were familiar with.[15]

Critics discussed Fugue primarily in relation to Tingyun's identity and return after Phantylia impersonated her. Ah Qi wrote that Fugue's story raised the question of which bonds between Tingyun and the Trailblazer had been real and how players should face a familiar person they had technically never met. They argued that although the Tingyun they had met earlier was an impostor, the fake Tingyun's actions reflected what the real Tingyun would have done, making the player's feelings toward her genuine. Ah Qi further interpreted Fugue's return as Tingyun reclaiming her life and relationships after Phantylia stole them from her, including her connection with the Trailblazer.[15] They also wrote that Fugue's resurrection changed the character — while Tingyun had previously avoided conflict, Fugue was more willing to enter battle herself and seek revenge, making her feel more complete. They say that Tingyun was no longer a "soft little woman" and that this made Fugue's character feel more captivating.[15] Before Fugue's release, Freedom Yamanaka questioned what it meant for Tingyun to be stripped of her appearance, name and status, and they also speculated about the fact that Fugue has more than one tail, unlike Tingyun who only has one; they wondered if this was the price she paid.[26] Jackie Arias of Game Rant mentioned that in psychiatry, the word "fugue" means loss of awareness of one's own identity and that it is often associated with hysteria and epilepsy. She suggested that Ruan Mei was attempting to help Tingyun recover, and that this could be related to the name "Fugue". She also correctly speculated that the former would bring the latter back from the brink of death.[27] Taro described the real Tingyun's text messaging style as "lively and cute", and compared it to the impostor's addressing of the Trailblazer as "benefactor".[14]

Trailer and gameplay

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In regards to Fugue's trailer "Wordless", Ah Qi believes that a scene in which Tingyun is seen enjoying a festive atmosphere aboard the Xianzhou Luofu is actually one of her dreams due to the presence of Ruan Mei in the background. In another scene, Fugue was shown pushing Tingyun into a fire; the flames land on Tingyun's shoulders. This, Ah Qi argues, represents Tingyun's reawakening after accepting her inner pain.[15]

Tingyun's gameplay was also positively received. Lada noted that she was a popular character due to the amount of energy she gives other characters.[25] Critics praised her utility as a support character; Christian Vaz of PCGamesN described her as one of the game's best, citing her damage buffs, energy regeneration and ability to function without consuming Skill Points, which allowed for greater team flexibility.[28] Nahda Nabiilah of Game Rant similarly called Tingyun an "excellent support" and one of the game's best,[29] while Josh Broadwell of VG247 described her as a strong support who could fit into many teams and help wear down enemy break meters, though not as a main source of Lightning damage.[30] He later wrote that Fugue's role as a break-focused support made sense in light of what happened to Tingyun in the story.[31]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Lada, Jenni (February 8, 2023). "Meet the Honkai Star Rail Foxian Character Tingyun". Siliconera. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  2. ^ a b Lada, Jenni (December 4, 2024). "Tingyun English Voice Actor Changed in 2.7". Siliconera. Archived from the original on May 17, 2026. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
  3. ^ Lada, Jenni (October 11, 2024). "Fugue Is a New Form of Tingyun in Honkai: Star Rail". Siliconera. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  4. ^ a b Tuting, Kristine "Kurisu" (December 5, 2024). "Deal or no deal? Tingyun cosplayer is ready to do business with you". ONE Esports. Archived from the original on May 16, 2026. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  5. ^ a b c d e Lawton, Tilly (March 28, 2025). "Honkai Star Rail Fugue". Pocket Tactics. Archived from the original on May 18, 2026. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
  6. ^ Enriquez, X. C. (October 11, 2024). "Honkai Star Rail: 5-star Tingyun revealed as "Fugue"". Esports. Archived from the original on May 18, 2026. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  7. ^ Honkai: Star Rail (December 17, 2024). Keeping up with Star Rail — Fugue: Big Tails, No Elaborations Needed | Honkai: Star Rail. Archived from the original on March 1, 2026. Retrieved May 19, 2026 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ Jisho (December 18, 2024). 《崩壞：星穹鐵道》釋出「忘歸人」角色預覽及 2.7 版本第二期光錐預覽 [Honkai: Star Rail Releases "Fugue" Character Preview and Version 2.7 Phase 2 Light Cone Preview]. 巴哈姆特電玩資訊站 (in Chinese). Archived from the original on November 10, 2025. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  9. ^ Honkai: Star Rail (December 19, 2024). Myriad Celestia Trailer — "Unlike a Floating Cloud" | Honkai: Star Rail. Archived from the original on February 27, 2026. Retrieved May 19, 2026 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ Kataoka, Ryuichi (October 11, 2024). 『崩壊：スターレイル』にて「停雲」がついに復活へ。非業の運命をたどったキャラが、限定5レアリティをもって新たな姿に [In Honkai: Star Rail, Tingyun finally makes a comeback. The character who met a tragic end returns in a new form with a limited 5-star version.]. AUTOMATON (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 24, 2026. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  11. ^ Lada, Jenni (December 24, 2024). "New Honkai: Star Rail Fugue Trailer Shows Tingyun's Return". Siliconera. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  12. ^ Honkai: Star Rail [@houkaistarrail] (December 26, 2024). "崩壊スターレイル声優コメント公開記念キャンペーン" (Tweet). Retrieved May 30, 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  13. ^ a b c d e f Jain, Sanyam (July 7, 2023). "Honkai Star Rail: The Complete Story Of The Xianzhou Luofu, Explained". TheGamer. Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  14. ^ a b c d Taro (July 24, 2023). 《崩壞：星穹鐵道》首發便當？停雲45度歪頭嚇壞玩家 推測1.3版有兩種命運 [Honkai: Star Rail — A Day-One Demise? Tingyun's 45-Degree Head Tilt Terrifies Players; Speculation Suggests Two Possible Fates in Version 1.3]. UDN (in Chinese). Archived from the original on May 17, 2026. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g Ah, Qi (December 25, 2024). Cai, Yiming (ed.). 忘归人的这声恩公，让《崩坏：星穹铁道》玩家苦苦等了一年 [Honkai: Star Rail players waited a whole year for this single utterance of "Benefactor" from Fugue]. YXRB (in Chinese). Archived from the original on May 17, 2026. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  16. ^ a b c d Yonezawa, Bruno (September 1, 2023). "Honkai: Star Rail Killing Off Characters Is A Risk That Can Pay Off". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on September 22, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  17. ^ a b miHoYo. Honkai: Star Rail. Scene: Tingyun - Traces.
  18. ^ Lawton, Tilly (May 9, 2025). "Honkai Star Rail Tingyun build". Pocket Tactics. Archived from the original on May 19, 2026. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  19. ^ miHoYo. Honkai: Star Rail. Scene: Fugue - Traces.
  20. ^ Orr, Jessica (October 24, 2024). "Honkai Star Rail Fugue materials, kit, and Eidolons". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
  21. ^ Liu, Stephanie (February 28, 2024). "Honkai: Star Rail Tingyun Figure Costs Under $30". Siliconera. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
  22. ^ Guan, Fang (December 20, 2024). 加多宝×《崩坏：星穹铁道》新春联动12月26日即将发售，开启新年星运！ [JDB × *Honkai: Star Rail* New Year Collaboration launches on December 26—Unlock Your New Year's Cosmic Fortune!]. YXRB (in Chinese). Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  23. ^ Mianmian (December 4, 2024). 麦芬冲进畅销榜Top10，B站发行“新二游”月收8000万|东南亚出海秀 ["Muffin" Storms into the Top 10 Best-Seller Charts: Bilibili’s "New-Gen ACG Game" Generates 80 Million Monthly Revenue | Southeast Asia Outbound Showcase]. 游戏茶馆 (in Chinese) – via Weixin.
  24. ^ Rui, Ma (January 14, 2025). 米哈游上月收入大涨77%，有产品直接翻倍 [MiHoYo's revenue surged 77% last month, with one product seeing its revenue double]. 游戏葡萄 (in Chinese) – via Weixin.
  25. ^ a b c d e f Lada, Jenni (July 20, 2023). "Honkai: Star Rail New Trailblaze Missions Handle Tingyun's Part Well". Siliconera. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  26. ^ a b c Freedom Yamanaka (October 24, 2024). 【崩壊スターレイル】停雲が復活⁉新たな星５キャラ“帰忘の流離人”について考察をしてみる [[Honkai: Star Rail] Tingyun Returns?! Speculating on the New 5-Star Character, "Fugue"]. ファミ通 (in Japanese). Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  27. ^ Arias, Jackie (October 15, 2024). "Honkai: Star Rail's New Character Fugue Explained". GameRant. Archived from the original on May 20, 2026. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  28. ^ Vaz, Christian (July 4, 2023). "Best Honkai Star Rail Tingyun build". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on March 5, 2026. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  29. ^ Nabiilah, Nahda (May 20, 2023). "Honkai: Star Rail – Tingyun Ascension and Trace Materials". GameRant. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  30. ^ Broadwell, Josh (April 27, 2023). "Best Honkai Star Rail Tingyun Build". VG247. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  31. ^ Broadwell, Josh (April 9, 2025). "Honkai Star Rail Fugue build and teams". VG247. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
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