Honkai Star Rail 2.3 just dropped and it completes the incredible Penacony saga with a sweet ending as the Trailblazers prepare themselves to travel to Amphoreous, The Eternal Land. During the last Honkai Star Rail 2.3 Trailblazing mission, the Astral Crew paid their respects to the Nameless Founders of Penacony and Gallagher, before leaving for the Astral Express. Surprisingly, Gallagher was nowhere to be found during the entire 2.3 trailblazing mission and we only received a slightly ominous but sweet letter from him at the end. The letter left a big question mark on Gallagher’s fate, whether he is alive or dead. Here is everything we know of him and my take on whether Gallagher is dead or alive in HSR 2.3.
What Gallagher’s Final Letter Means in Honkai Star Rail?
After finishing the HSR 2.3 trailblazing missions, you will find a letter from Gallagher in the Astral Express. In his letter, Gallagher expresses his thanks towards the newer generation of the Nameless (Astral Express Crew) for their contribution to the events of Penacony. However, the troubling part starts when your read the part “I will likely have gone to where Mikhail went”.
As we all know, Mikhail Char Legwork is the Watchmaker of Penacony and one of the Nameless who helped free Penacony. During the version 2.2 Trailblazing missions, we also learn that Misha is actually Mikhail’s memory. At the end of the 2.2 trailblazing mission, Misha also passes away after sharing everything he knew about Penacony with the Astral Crew.
This means that Gallagher is suggesting that he has passed away, like Mikhail. However, whether he has died entirely, or the “character” of Gallagher has died is a completely different matter. Don’t understand what I am saying? Let’s delve a bit into Gallagher’s backstory and character to understand it better.
Who Exactly is Gallagher in Honkai Star Rail?
Gallagher is a very unique character in Honkai Star Rail, in terms of lore and character backstory. He calls himself a Fictionologist, and he uses the power of Enigmata, which is based on deception. We learned in the version 2.2 missions that Gallagher was a mixture of all the Family traits put together. This was first observed by Sunday at the end of the version 2.1 missions, a complete Gallagher as Sunday puts it.
Later in version 2.2, Gallagher calls himself the founder of the Dreamflux Reef and deputy of the Watchmaker. Furthermore, he proclaims himself as Gallagher, the History Fictionologist. He is also the person who sends the Watchmaker’s invite to the Charmony Festival.
However, we still don’t know who Gallagher is and how he ties to the story of Penacony, and whether Gallagher is dead or not. So, who exactly is Gallagher, and how was he alive for such a long time?
Now, I am entering the universe of speculation, or as some would say, acting like a fictionologist. My guess is that Gallagher is a fictionally created entity, using the power of Enigmata. Whether he was created by Mikhail himself, like Clockie or someone else is another burning question.
Note:
The following theory is based on my speculation and understanding of the Gallagher’s story. Feel free to share your input about it in the comment section.
One of my theories is that someone who walks the path of Enigmata came to visit Penacony, maybe someone who was interested in Penacony’s history and creation. In the process, that person saw the injustice happening behind the curtains and found the secret of the Stellaron. That’s when the person created the character Gallagher using the power of Enigmata, by combining all the traits of the Family. In other words, Gallagher is a fictional character, similar to a memory, who was created to free the people of Penacony from Order’s influence.
Is Gallagher Dead or Alive?
So, is Gallagher dead? Yes, I think Gallagher as a character has died in Honkai Star Rail. If my theory about Gallagher being a fictional character made to help the people of Penacony holds truth, then Gallagher’s task is done and he no longer has a purpose in the story.
Life and Death are merely parts of fiction on the road of Enigmata, just like farewells and reunions.
This line in the letter strengthens my doubt that Gallagher is a fictional character and was created by someone to help Penacony. If this is true then, even if Gallagher is dead, the person who created him may still be alive and may continue aiding the trailblazer in future journeys with other characters.
Paired with the letter, we also received the Page of Past Dreams, which depicts a “boy’s graffiti”. The graffiti features Misha, Clockie, the Origami Birds, and something else holding flowers.
If Gallagher drew this, then his exclaim about being only 12 years old in the version 2.1 missions make a lot more sense now. However, whoever this child is/was, whether Mikhail himself or someone else, Gallagher was likely created by them.
So, that’s my two cents on Gallagher and whether he is alive or dead. Tell me your theories about Gallagher in the comment section below.
