Raiden Mei

Overview

Raiden Mei is a primary heroine in the Honkai series created by miHoYo, including Honkai Gakuen 2 and Honkai Impact 3rd. Formerly the heiress of Massive Electric (ME Corp), she was dubbed the 'Lightning Queen' during her time at Chiba Academy. After her father was framed in a corporate scandal and imprisoned, her life fell apart, culminating in her becoming the Third Herrscher during the Third Honkai Eruption. Upon meeting Kiana Kaslana, she was saved from despair and subsequently trained as a Valkyrie at St. Freya Academy to fight against the Honkai. She also appears as a crossover character in titles such as Girls' Frontline.

Appearance

Mei has long purple or black hair and purple or black eyes. Depending on the setting and battlesuit, her hairstyle ranges from a high ponytail to straight loose hair. Her visual attributes often include bare shoulders, gloves, and black hosiery. Her various battlesuits span different styles: the ninja-like Crimson Impulse, the military-inspired Valkyrie Bladestrike, the oni-masked Lightning Empress, alongside Shadow Dash, Danzai Spectramancer, Herrscher of Thunder, and Herrscher of Origin. In A Post-Honkai Odyssey, set eight years later, she wears a white tight-skirt suit styled with feather-like motifs.

Personality

In Honkai Gakuen, the severe bullying and isolation she faced left her bitter, distant, and cold. In Honkai Impact 3rd, however, she is portrayed as a gentle, self-sacrificing, and refined young woman. She is exceptionally caring and house-proud, cooking meals for her teammates at St. Freya Academy, managing household chores, and tutoring Kiana. Despite her diligence, she holds a low opinion of her own worth and works relentlessly to live up to her family's martial legacy and repay Kiana for rescuing her. When pushed to her limits or frustrated, she can occasionally exhibit a sharp tongue.

Abilities

Mei is an expert swordswoman trained in her family's Hokushin Itto-ryu style, wielding katanas in fast melee combat. She harbors the powers of the Third Herrscher within her body, generating lightning strikes and inflicting paralysis on foes. Her battlesuits grant distinct combat abilities, such as spawning clones in Shadow Dash, executing rapid slash combos in Valkyrie Bladestrike, or maneuvering freely in aerial combat. In her Girls' Frontline crossover appearance, she wields a positron sniper rifle with a skill that strikes distant targets for heavy damage and temporarily paralyzes them.

Background

Raised as the privileged daughter of Ryoma Raiden, the president of ME Corp, Mei excelled both academically and socially at Chiba Academy. Her life fell apart when a corporate scandal led to her father's arrest and the freezing of his assets. Abandoned by her peers and subjected to harassment, she withdrew from society. Tricked by Cocolia and exposed to high Honkai energy, she triggered the Third Eruption and manifested as the Herrscher of Thunder. Kiana Kaslana stopped her frenzy and rescued her from despair, after which both joined St. Freya Academy to train as Valkyries.

Relationships

Kiana Kaslana is the most important person in Mei's life, having saved her from her darkest moment and earned her absolute devotion. Bronya Zaychik affectionally addresses her as an elder sister, relying on her warmth. She respects her instructor Murata Himeko and Academy Principal Theresa Apocalypse, who helped clear her father's name. She also bonds with Fu Hua over cooking and managing Kiana's studies, and holds deep respect for her father, Raiden Ryoma.

Trivia

Her exceptional cooking skills have earned her affectionate fan nicknames such as 'Herrscher of Cooking'. During a school festival event, she performed as a lead vocalist and guitarist, leading to her mic stand being implemented as an in-game weapon. She serves as the structural template for parallel versions in other miHoYo games, including the Raiden Shogun in Genshin Impact and Acheron in Honkai: Star Rail.