Honkai: Star Rail featured over 20 playable characters at launch, and while some will inevitably spend more time in the spotlight than others, players pointed out a large discrepancy.
In a Reddit thread from June 4, a player asked what the community’s opinion on Arlan was. The answer was unanimous: he’s practically nonexistent. Many comments mentioned Sampo as the other character in a similar plight.
Related: Honkai: Star Rail player defies game mechanics and sets surprisingly impressive record
“I noticed that no one is talking about Arlan. To me, his skill set is pretty interesting on paper,” wrote the thread’s author. “People who invested in Arlan, what is your opinion on him?”
In the comments, those were nowhere to be found, though. “Cause he doesn’t exist for me. Only 4* I don’t have,” wrote the top-voted comment. Many said they didn’t even obtain him since he hasn’t been featured in Character Warps, which means the chance to pull him is very low, similar to Sampo.
Arlan also isn’t helped by the metagame. It’s a four-star Honkai: Star Rail character wielding the Lightning Element, much like Serval and Tingyun, and following the Path of Destruction, just like the Trailblazer. Since the latter and Serval were obtainable for free at launch, most Honkai players already have better options than him for combat.
“Arlan should have been a free unit as well, because the likelihood of someone getting one is pretty slim, and their interest in him will most definitely fade as you rarely interact with his character,” read another comment.
While Sampo is also challenging to obtain (except through the Store, which requires precious resources), he boasts a better place in the metagame than Arlan since his Wind element makes him valuable in many team compositions.
Related: Best Arlan build and skills in Honkai: Star Rail
He’s from the Path of Nihility, which is focused on debuffs, while both other Wind characters offer very different advantages. Still, he’s not featured much in the game’s story and quests, which makes him almost nonexistent despite his bright and recognizable personality.
Generally, Honkai players expressed frustration over both characters not receiving enough love from the developer despite their strong potential. Many wrote Arlan’s abilities were quite unique, as well as Sampo’s personality, but wouldn’t invest in them due to the aforementioned reasons.
It’s still unclear what will be HoYoverse’s approach to Honkai‘s balancing changes. Meanwhile, Arlan has rotated in the shop, replacing Sampo. Players can obtain him or Asta for 140 Undying Starlight.
