Ruan Mei
A female character in Honkai: Star Rail. Ruan Mei is member #81 of the Genius Society and an expert in the field of biological sciences. Driven by natural talent and exceptional dedication, she caught the attention of Nous and initiated research into the origin of life in absolute secrecy. At Herta's invitation, she joined Screwllum and Stephen Lloyd as one of the co-creators who developed the Simulated Universe.
Overview
A female character in Honkai: Star Rail. Ruan Mei is member #81 of the Genius Society and an expert in the field of biological sciences. Driven by natural talent and exceptional dedication, she caught the attention of Nous and initiated research into the origin of life in absolute secrecy. At Herta's invitation, she joined Screwllum and Stephen Lloyd as one of the co-creators who developed the Simulated Universe.
Appearance
Ruan Mei has black hair styled with M-shaped bangs, hair intakes, highlights, and a hair stick, complemented by green eyes. Her blue off-the-shoulder dress features a pelvic curtain slit and is paired with a pearl necklace, blue gloves, high heels, and earrings. She wears wrist decorations and a single thigh strap on her right leg featuring DNA double-helix motifs. She is also depicted alongside an embroidered scarf, plum blossoms, traditional pastries, and her namesake musical instrument, the ruan.
Personality
On the surface, Ruan Mei presents an elegant, soft-spoken, and understated demeanor, preferring to avoid the spotlight. She has refined personal tastes, enjoying traditional theater, playing music, embroidery, and seeking out sweet delicacies like plum blossom cakes. However, her scientific curiosity regarding the origin of life lacks conventional ethical boundaries, rendering her emotionally detached from her own creations and indifferent once an experiment reaches its conclusion.
Abilities
As an Ice-attribute character following the Path of Harmony, Ruan Mei functions as a versatile support who enhances her allies' Speed, DMG, Weakness Break Efficiency, and All-Type RES PEN. Her Ultimate deploys a field that inflicts Thanatoplum Rebloom on enemies, delaying their recovery from Weakness Break and dealing additional Ice Break DMG. In the Simulated Universe, her Technique allows allies to reduce enemy Toughness regardless of weakness types.
Background
Born to a sculptor father and a scholar mother, Ruan Mei resolved to study the fundamental nature of life after witnessing a frozen creature revive on a desolate ice planet during her youth. Joining the Genius Society, she co-developed the Simulated Universe and conducted ambitious biological experiments, including creating artificial lifeforms and cloning Skaracabaz, an Emanator of Propagation. After concluding her projects on the Herta Space Station, she allied with the Xianzhou Alliance.
Relationships
Ruan Mei maintains a professional partnership with her Genius Society colleagues Herta, Screwllum, and Stephen Lloyd to build the Simulated Universe, though she keeps personal distance. She shares artistic interests with fellow genius Yu Qingtu. Upon meeting the Trailblazer, she surreptitiously administered an anti-truth serum through a pastry to secure secrecy while asking them to resolve her experiment's aftermath. She also established contact with Jingliu and Luocha to align with the Xianzhou Alliance.
Trivia
Her name combines the surnames of her father (Ruan) and mother (Mei), reflecting equal status in her genetic composition. Phonetically, 'Ruan Mei' is a homophone for the biochemical term for protease in Chinese. Long before becoming fully playable, her presence was famously recognized by players through the rare and extraordinarily rewarding encounters bearing her name within the Simulated Universe.
