Overview
Hou Yi is a ranger-class hero in Honor of Kings: World. He is a bow-wielding archer whose Flow style provides ranged damage. Beyond his gameplay role, Hou Yi plays a direct part in the game's lore.
Mythological basis
In Chinese mythology, Hou Yi is the divine archer who shot down nine of ten suns to save the earth from burning. The myth is recorded in texts including the Huainanzi (2nd century BCE) and the Classic of Mountains and Seas. His wife, Chang'e, later ascended to the moon after consuming an elixir of immortality, becoming the moon goddess.
The Honor of Kings version draws on this mythology but adapts it to the game's fictional setting. In the MOBA, Hou Yi is a marksman known for long-range attacks and area-denial abilities.
Role in Primaera's lore
In the world of Primaera, Hou Yi was sent by the goddess Nuwa to close the polluted Sun Tower, the First Wonder. The Sun Tower had been transporting energy from underground to power the gods' residence, Celestia, but excessive energy collection caused widespread pollution and mutations. Hou Yi's act of closing the Sun Tower mirrors his mythological role of shooting down the suns.
This makes Hou Yi one of the few heroes whose backstory is directly woven into the game's main narrative, connecting the ancient history of the gods to the present-day events the Flowborn encounters.
Combat abilities
Hou Yi's Flow style uses a bow for ranged combat. His abilities focus on precision shots, area-denial attacks that control zones on the battlefield, and powerful charged shots for burst damage. As a ranged Flow style, he pairs well with a melee style, giving the player options at all distances.