Pom-Pom
Pom-Pom is the conductor of the Astral Express in Honkai: Star Rail, serving as both a core figure aboard the train and the mascot responsible for the game's gacha (Warp) feature. Appearing as a rabbit-like creature with long ears, Pom-Pom is a mysterious entity who existed on the Express even before Himeko restored the abandoned train. While Himeko handles the overall management of the crew, Pom-Pom acts as the nominal conductor, diligently overseeing daily operations and maintaining the train's living conditions.
Overview
Pom-Pom is the conductor of the Astral Express in Honkai: Star Rail, serving as both a core figure aboard the train and the mascot responsible for the game's gacha (Warp) feature. Appearing as a rabbit-like creature with long ears, Pom-Pom is a mysterious entity who existed on the Express even before Himeko restored the abandoned train. While Himeko handles the overall management of the crew, Pom-Pom acts as the nominal conductor, diligently overseeing daily operations and maintaining the train's living conditions.
Appearance
Pom-Pom resembles a small rabbit-like creature with long, floppy ears and a coat of black and off-white fur. Standing upright on two legs, Pom-Pom wears a signature red conductor jacket featuring a large collar, paired with a matching shako cap. A pocket watch is attached at the waist, and a red banded wrap is fastened around the left ear. While an earlier incarnation featured a long trench coat concealing the limbs, the current design utilizes a streamlined uniform with visible hands.
Personality
Pom-Pom speaks using seasoned, somewhat old-fashioned mannerisms alongside distinct sentence-ending habits, adopting a surprisingly masculine personal pronoun. Highly meticulous and sensitive about cleanliness, Pom-Pom takes duties seriously but also gets lonely easily when left behind. Though cute in appearance, Pom-Pom possesses a fiery temper when provoked—a side that even senior crew members respect and fear. Despite a tough exterior, Pom-Pom is easily startled by ghosts and frequently shows a tender, emotional side regarding the train and its passengers.
Abilities
Pom-Pom possesses remarkable dexterity, using long ears like extra hands to carry items and serve meals. Demonstrating exceptional organizational and administrative skills, Pom-Pom single-handedly manages cabin lighting, sweeping, watering plants, supply replenishment, and warp sequence announcements. Pom-Pom also exhibits a keen intuition regarding the train's condition, sensing suspicious presences on board even through memory alterations. However, Pom-Pom is bound to the Astral Express and cannot leave the vessel.
Background
Pom-Pom's origins, species, and gender are completely unrevealed, with questions regarding the past usually dismissed. Having served aboard since the era when the Aeon Akivili was active, Pom-Pom assisted generations of past Trailblazers. After Himeko repaired the abandoned Astral Express, Pom-Pom remained on board to welcome subsequent members—Welt, March 7th, Dan Heng, and later the Trailblazer—guiding the crew across various worlds to resolve Stellaron crises.
Relationships
Pom-Pom shares operational duties with Himeko, who handles the broader command of the Astral Express. Both Welt Yang and Dan Heng hold Pom-Pom in high regard, knowing how formidable the conductor becomes when angered. March 7th dotes on Pom-Pom heavily, keeping a plush toy modeled after the conductor in her room. Pom-Pom maintains a close relationship with the Trailblazer, often assigning daily chores around the train while constantly anticipating their safe return.
Trivia
When scanned by the Rating Pistol curio, Pom-Pom receives an exceptionally rare score of exactly 1 point, unlike any other character. In-game messaging systems show that sticker sets featuring Pom-Pom are universally used by characters across different factions and planets. Pom-Pom is also famous for the gacha animation, where the conductor gets humorously blown away by strong winds when a high-rarity warp occurs.
