Honkai Star Rail Hope Is the Thing With Feathers location guide

Honkai: Star Rail Hope Is the Thing With Feathers
(Image credit: miHoYo)

If you find the Hope Is the Thing With Feathers record in Honkai Star Rail, you can play Robin’s music on the Astral Express using the phonograph device. Unfortunately, this record can only be obtained through a hidden quest on the planet of Penacony which, like all hidden quests, is ridiculously hard to find. Not to worry though, as this Honkai Star Rail Hope Is the Thing With Feathers guide will lead you to the right spot.

Honkai Star Rail Hope Is the Thing With Feathers explained

Honkai Star Rail Hope Is the Thing With Feathers explained

(Image credit: miHoYo)

In case you’re wondering why other Honkai Star Rail players are after the ‘Hope Is the Thing With Feathers’ item, it’s because it allows you to play a song of the same name on the Astral Express. Hope Is the Thing With Feathers is the latest record from the in-game popstar Robin, whom you’ll meet on Penacony during Honkai Star Rail’s main quest.

Hope Is the Thing With Feathers is part of Robin’s ‘Inside’ album, which was released in Honkai: Star Rail version 2.2 on May 8. The album features another new song, called ‘Sway to My Beat in Cosmos’, and a previously released song called ‘If I Can Stop One Heart from Breaking’. You can find Hope Is the Thing With Feathers and Sway to My Beat in Cosmos in the same hidden location. 

Hope Is the Thing With Feathers location

Hope Is the Thing With Feathers location

(Image credit: miHoYo)

To receive Robin’s latest records, Hope Is the Thing With Feathers and Sway to My Beat in Cosmos, you must find a hidden quest on the Penacony Dreamscape map called ‘Golden Hour’. If you don’t have access to Golden Hour yet, you must follow the Trailblaze Missions (main quests) until you start The Sound and the Fury. This quest will take you to the Golden Hour. 

On the Golden Hour map, look for the location shown in the picture above. It’s on the outside staircase in the northeastern part of the map, next to the map area with the vehicles. Beware that this staircase doesn’t appear on your map unless you’re standing there, which makes it a little bit harder to find. 

After climbing the first set of stairs, you’ll see a woman with a golden head, who goes by the name of Lonely Intellitron, and a child, who goes by the name of Vexed Pepeshi. Listen in on their conversation to trigger a dialogue scene and begin the hidden quest. After a while, a “mysterious dreamchaser” will join in and offer Robin’s latest record at a much higher price. 

How to obtain Hope Is the Thing With Feathers in Honkai Star Rail

How to obtain Hope Is the Thing With Feathers Honkai Star Rail

(Image credit: miHoYo)

You have two options to getting Hope Is the Thing With Feathers in Honkai Star Rail: either threaten to report the mysterious dreamchaser to a member of the Bloodhound Family or ask for a deal. If you don’t want to pay this scoundrel any money, choose the first option and speak with the Bloodhound Family Member standing nearby. You can recognize him by his suit, blond hair, and glasses, as shown in the picture above.

Exhaust the dialogue with the Bloodhound Family member, then approach Vexed Pepeshi again and choose “listen”. You can pick any dialogue option you like during this conversation - it won’t affect the quest outcome. Once the conversation is finished, the hidden quest is complete and you’ll obtain the Honkai: Star Rail ‘Hope Is the Thing With Feathers’ and ‘Sway to My Beat in Cosmos’ records. 

How to play Hope Is the Thing With Feathers in Honkai Star Rail

How to play Hope Is the Thing With Feathers

(Image credit: miHoYo)

Once you’ve found the Hope Is the Thing With Feathers the record as described above, return to the Astral Express and enter the Parlor Car (same room as Pom-Pom). In the northeastern corner, next to the door leading to the Passenger Cabin, you’ll see an old-fashioned phonograph. Interact with this phonograph, and choose ‘The Flapper Sinthome’ song collection. Scroll through the song list on the right until you see Hope Is the Thing With Feathers - select it and choose “set coach music”. The song will now start playing whenever you enter the Astra Express. Of course, you can do the same with the other record you’ve found, ‘Sway to My Beat in Cosmos’.

And that’s how to find the Hope Is the Thing With Feathers location in Honkai Star Rail. Feel free to blast your new soundtrack on repeat until Dan Heng throws you off the train!

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Marloes Valentina Stella

I’m a freelance journalist who (surprise!) kind of has a thing for videogames. When I’m not working on guides for GamesRadar, you can probably find me somewhere in Teyvat, Novigrad, or Whiterun. Unless I’m feeling competitive, in which case you should try Erangel. You can also find my words on PCGamesN, Fanbyte, PCGamer, Polygon, Esports Insider, and Game Rant.