Honkai Star Rail: Genius Society explained

The Genius Society in Honkai Star Rail is a unique organization where intellect meets obsession. Formed under the gaze of Nous, the Aeon of Erudition, its members consist of scientists, researchers, and pioneers who reshaped reality with nothing but thought.

These geniuses live on the fringes of society in Honkai Star Rail, driven by curiosity and detachment from the masses. Some are reclusive inventors, others are more dangerous visionaries. What binds them is their selection by Nous and their devotion to truth, regardless of consequences.

In the world of Honkai Star Rail, they are both a blessing and a warning of what happens when knowledge is absolute and within a boundary.

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Honkai Star Rail: What is the Genius Society?

The Genius Society in HSR is a cosmic collective made up of 84 intellectual powerhouses, each invited directly by Nous. They rarely communicate with those they invite, offering no praise or guidance. The chosen ones are left to uncover the answers on their own. Many misinterpret the invitation as approval, but true members soon learn that Nous offers nothing except silence.

In Honkai Star Rail, most members of this society are solitary and withdrawn. Some don't even believe in basic collaboration. A few, like Herta and Ruan Mei, contribute actively to cosmic projects like the Simulated Universe in-game. Others vanish entirely after their discoveries, leaving behind only ideas that changed the course of science, reality, or time.

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Some Genius Society members you should know in Honkai Star Rail

The following members of the Genius Society stand out due to their involvement in major experiments, strange inventions, or appearances throughout Honkai Star Rail. Lycurgus, aka Lygus from the Amphoreus storyline, is believed to also be a member of the Genius Society, though this remains unconfirmed.

Zandar One Kuwabara (#1 in the Genius Society)

Portrait of Zandar One Kuawabara (Image via HoYoverse)

Regarded as the first member of the Genius Society, Zandar is believed to have created the supercomputer that eventually became known as Nous. His Imaginary Tree theory laid the foundation for multiverse research. Each world, in his view, is a leaf on a cosmic tree, with each branch representing a possible reality. His ideas remain essential to understanding the Aeons in Honkai Star Rail.

The concept of the Imaginary Tree appears across multiple HoYoverse titles, including Honkai Impact 3rd. It draws inspiration from the mythological Yggdrasil, the world tree in Norse mythology.

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Polka Kakamond (#4 in the Genius Society)

An illustration of Polka Kakamond (Image via HoYoverse)

Feared as much as she’s respected, Polka is known for murdering several Genius Society members, including Emperor Rubert I and Bohdan. She’s fiercely protective of forbidden knowledge, eliminating anyone who crosses certain intellectual boundaries. Polka represents the Genius Society’s darker side, where madness and intelligence merge.

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Ruan Mei (#81 in the Genius Society)

Ruan Mei (Image via HoYoverse)

Being a playable character and biologist, Ruan Mei’s experiments include creating a synthetic clone of an Emanator and reviving fallen members. She’s the leading person in the Simulated Universe project, where she tries to link virtual Aeons to real cosmic Paths. Her work continues to influence major in-game developments.

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The Herta (#83 in the Genius Society)

The Herta (Image via HoYoverse)

The administrator of the Herta Space Station, as well as another co-founder of the Simulated Universe, The Herta solved several advanced scientific theories and developed the Herta Sequence. She's known for her no-nonsense attitude and direct experimentation, treating the universe itself as a test lab.

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Screwllum (#76 in the Genius Society)

Portrait of Screwllum and in-game appearance (Image via HoYoverse)

An Intellitron, Screwllum is an engineer and hacker who famously beat Silver Wolf in a cyber duel. He’s also the main coder behind the Divergent Universe and Simulated Universe projects. His role in recent updates ties him closely to the hidden layers of the Honkai Star Rail world.

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Dr. Primitive (#64 in the Genius Society)

As an eccentric inventor, Dr. Primitive created the Gravity Walker boots and other exotic tech, including rumored black market items with strange powers. His atavistic experiments were once stopped by the Galaxy Rangers, marking him as both a scientific marvel and a threat.

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Elias Salas (#56 in the Genius Society)

Portrait of Elias Salas (Image via HoYoverse)

Responsible for the Synesthesia Beacon, Elias reshaped cosmic communication by building tech that can send messages across vast star systems. He lived for over a century and invented methods to extend life using his research. His works laid the groundwork for Society-wide connections.

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Emperor Rubert I (#27 in the Genius Society)

An illustration of Emperor Rubert I in-game (Image via HoYoverse)

Once, with a ruling mind, Rubert tried to wipe out organic life through his Anti-Organic Equation. He led the Mechanical Emperor’s Wars and represented one of the most dangerous misuses of knowledge. His reign ended at the hands of Polka Kakamond.

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Aiden (#22 in the Genius Society)

Portrait of Aiden (Image via HoYoverse)

Creator of a nine-word mathematical formula that redefined universal logic, Aiden’s discoveries rewrote the laws of geometry and algebra. He also proposed the Knowledge Singularity theory, suggesting that intellectual growth would eventually reach a point of no return. His formulas still influence modern cosmic physics.

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Puzzle (#77 in the Genius Society)

A forgotten but important figure, Puzzle developed some multidimensional learning tools, such as a Klein bottle filled with wormholes, and Imaginary Subspace fields for children. She also discovered a delivery method so unstable that it caused matter to expand at near-infinite rates. Her story ended in tragedy, but her legacy remains.

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What is their role in the universe of Honkai Star Rail?

In Honkai Star Rail, the Genius Society is a key player in how the universe operates. Its members craft technology that affects civilizations, influence the direction of cosmic research, and even challenge the boundaries set by Aeons.

Projects like the Simulated Universe and Divergent Universe, led by Screwllum, Ruan Mei, and The Herta, are only possible due to their combined intellect. Unlike other groups, the Society doesn't aim for power or order. It seeks truth, regardless of the consequences.

Whether that means creating immortal beings, disrupting time, or destroying planets, Genius Society members do what they must in pursuit of knowledge.

With Ruan Mei and Screwllum stepping into the spotlight and Polka’s legacy revived through Amphoreus via Rubert’s scepter, the Genius Society will be prevalent in the unfolding narrative. Whether they build, destroy, or vanish, their work endures. The Genius Society will always attempt to extend or go beyond the circle of absolute knowledge.