With Part 2 of Honkai Impact 3rd dropping next month I thought I would take a moment to rank every arc we have so far in Part 1 and Part 1.5 from least favorite to absolute favorite and giving my reasons why I place them where they are. Now keep this in mind this is all just my opinion so if you disagree with me that's fine. And one more thing I will not be counting the arcs that take place in APHO that deserves a ranking list of it's own. Anyways without further ado let's get started.

15. Herrscher of Ice Arc

Starting at the very bottom of this list we have the Here Lies Bellflower Arc otherwise known as the Herrscher of Ice Arc. This arc is probably my least favorite arc I know I'm probably alone with this one but it is what it is. The Herrscher of Ice arc had so much potential to be a really great arc but I think they dropped the ball on it big time. For those who don't know what I'm talking about well this arc takes place after Chapter 17 and at this point in the story Mei has became a member of World Serpent at this point and when I first saw this I thought we're going to go over Mei's time in World Serpent to see how much she changed ever since she agreed to become a worldwide terrorist unfortunately I was extremely disappointed because it turns out that the main focus of this arc was the Herrscher of Ice and while sure it is fine to introduce a new Herrscher and some new characters the problem I have with this is that this arc should've focused on Mei's development in World Serpent and should've shown how formidable she is and how she's willing to go to any lengths to ensure Kiana's safety but outside of the brief moment that where she thinks about when she left Kiana unconscious after their battle and how she says if she doesn't stop the Herrscher soon Kiana would get involved, we saw no indication of Mei's determination and formidability not once which is a real shame because they clearly set her up in the previous arc that from that point forward Mei was going to be an anti-hero if not full on villain much like Kishimoto did with Sasuke, but unlike Mei, the set up for Sasuke being a villain was perfectly well done because we saw how Sasuke became so determined to reach his goals that he will go to any lengths to accomplish his goals especially during the events of the Five Kage Summit Arc one of my favorite arcs in Naruto where we see Sasuke go absolutely dark and beast mode destroying anyone who stands in his way and staring down Danzo. Mei should've gone much more beast mode and much more determined to achieve her goal rather or not you want her to kill people who stand in her way innocent or not doesn't really matter but what matters is Mei should've shown a lot more determination and be much more ruthless and a lot more formidable and not give a shit about the world because you already have her go beast mode when she fought Kiana, it makes no sense to have her not do it here. As for the other characters I feel like Ana and Owl those two characters could've been fleshed out more as well I feel like they should've been a key point in Mei's character much like how Danzo was for Sasuke's character and I think Kiana should've have some form of appearance in this arc maybe not play a major role but still some form of involvement nonetheless so we can show her determination of her bringing Mei back. I will probably go into detail why this is my least favorite arc in the future but to make this quick the Herrscher of Ice Arc should've focused much more on Mei and her time in World Serpent to show her character development and formidable but sadly Hoyoverse dropped the ball on this one which is why it ranks in last place.

14. Phosphorus Arc

The Beyond the Stars Arc otherwise known as the Phosphorus Arc is not inherently a bad arc but I feel like it could've been better. First off while I do like the concept of Fu Hua reuniting with one of her former Fire Moth comrades Griseo and the cute Vita kids my issue is that like with the Herrscher of Ice arc this arc also had potential but unfortunately Hoyo dropped the ball on it and I'll explain to you guys why. Okay so Fu Hua being the protagonist of this arc that's perfectly fine in fact I'm okay with it unfortunately they didn't use that as an opportunity to develop Fu Hua's character. While yes she did have great development in Part 1 especially in chapters 20 to 22 my problem is we didn't see further development in her character when it comes to her relationship with Griseo and the little Vitas while her interactions with them are cute and bittersweet I really wish we could've seen more of that and try to relate to them especially since one of the Vitas would go on to lose her memories and I wish we could've seen more flashbacks of Fu Hua and Griseo of their time more than 50,000 years before the events of the main series before tragedy struck because we all know in Honkai nobody has happy beginnings and I wish I could've seen more of Griseo's character being developed as well like what is her backstory what her life was like before the Honkai arrived something like that because I want to know more about Griseo. Vita is okay in this arc but I wish we learn a little more about her especially since she is going to appear in Part 2, but we will have to see. As for Sa I know she's meant to be the main villain of this arc but I wished we had much more build up to her in the early chapters of this arc as well as her motivations and her abusing Vita, and lastly Moriaty is boring and annoying as Hell, he was by far the most uninteresting and his goals make no sense and is just bland as Hell and I'm glad he's gone. Overall this arc is just mid at best because the reason why the arc is here is so we can see Fu Hua's Fenghuang of Vicissitude form or Guarda form.

13. Arc City Arc

The A Shooting Star Streaking Across the Night Arc or the Arc City Arc is up next. I actually really enjoyed this arc a lot like I really do it really goes through Kiana's struggles as we all know by this point in the story the Fourth Eruption was officially over thanks to the sacrifice of Himeko and this was one of the few moments where we get to see the aftermath and how it effected Kiana personally, she struggles with who she is and it was at this moment that the Kiana we saw at the beginning of the game is not the same Kiana we saw here. Here she's having a mental breakdown she's having PTSD of the people she killed and feeling completely guilty about it even though it wasn't Kiana's fault as Sirin took control of her body and was responsible for the death and destruction but nonetheless Kiana still feels like it was her fault and blames herself so much so she was willing to commit suicide to prevent Sirin from coming like you feel the tension in the air as we all fear that Sirin might take over again any moment, and I really do like Kiana's dynamic with Fu Hua my only problem is that Kiana seemed to have forgiven her way too easily I feel like they should've had Kiana hold a grudge against Fu Hua because as we all know Fu Hua was sent by Otto as a spy and when the time was right Fu Hua stabbed Kiana in the back choosing her mission over her own friends they should've have Kiana not trust Fu Hua for a while which would develop both characters because Fu Hua felt extremely guilty for betraying Kiana and has to work to bring her trust back. I also really enjoyed Mei and Rita and we see the new characters like Raven and the best part of this arc is when Kiana sacrifices herself to throw the bomb threaten Arc City up into space in the animated cutscene it was amazingly well done, I do have a few problems with this arc like I wish we could've seen more of Kiana and Mei, and Kiana showing Mei she's not the same person she was before more so than ever but nonetheless I still liked this arc.

12. Elysian Realm Arc

At number 12 we have the Elysian Realm Arc and just to be clear this is the arc that takes place between the Herrscher of Dominance arc and the Thus Spoke Apocalypse arc we're not talking about chapters 29-31 not just yet. So this arc is a pretty interesting arc I think it's a pretty nice light hearted tone of an arc where Mei learns of the Fire Moth members especially the Thirteen Flame-Chasers and we get to know them pretty well I think my favorite part of this arc is Mei and Elysia's relationship. Seeing Elysia simping over Mei was just amazing to see and that funny seen where Elysia touches Mei's horns and broadcasts it and Mei being extremely funny and nice topping on the cake, my only real problems to this arc is that it just kinda drags on much I feel like if we got much more details on their backstories it would've been different. Nevertheless this arc is a really great introduction to the original Honkai fighting organization and Elysia is just so amazing.

11. The End of Destiny Arc

Up next we have the End of Destiny Arc and what makes this arc so great is that this arc is the beginning of the end, and it shows us what's to come. Everyone always says that Chapter 9 is the moment when Honkai became Depression Impact 3rd but this arc was the arc that started it all. A lot of things happened around this time. First off we are introduced to Wendy who we later find out is the Herrscher of Wind and that would become the very first Herrscher that Kiana, Mei, and Bronya had ever faced and it completely changed their worldview forever as it was sunshine and rainbows. Even worse we see Bronya being brainwashed by Cocolia and kidnapped Mei and Kiana was forced to battle her in order to save Mei and then we see Bronya sacrificing herself in a comatose state to save Kiana and Mei but that's not where things the worst stuff stop, Kiana finds herself in a dream world where she meets her mother Cecilia and fights alongside her but then we find out this was Fu Hua's doing as she and Rita kidnapped Kiana under Otto's orders this was completely insane and that was when we as players found out that all Hell was about to break loose from here.

10. Where Dreams Begin Arc

Going in the top 10, Where Dreams Begin Arc is the arc that started it all that was the beginning of the entire Honkai Impact 3rd franchise it was a really great introduction as we meet Kiana, Mei, Bronya, Himeko, Fu Hua, and a few others for the very first time we right away are in the action as they made sure we knew what this series is all about, we saw the dynamic between Kiana and Mei, we see St. Freya, we learn about the different types of enemies that we will face we get a good glimpse of Kiana's loud and upbeat personality especially when she's simping for Mei and I really liked Bronya's introduction even though at that point I didn't really like her first time I saw it. Everything from the setting, the character introductions, and how life is before everything goes to Hell was really well done and definitely deserves to be in the Top 10.

9. Rebirth Arc

The At the Fingertip of the Sea Arc otherwise known as the Rebirth Arc is also great yet an extremely underrated arc I feel like this arc gets a lot of hate too much and while I might understand the reasoning behind it I think most of the hate is unjustified. This arc was very much Seele's arc as it not only develops Seele but also Veliona as well. First and foremost I like the idea of both Seeles separating as it offers much room for both of them to be independent and grow as people and in their separation we see how they both fear for each other we see how they are concerned for one another especially for Veliona because she feared that Seele was going to die and had to take her place but in reality it turned out to be okay and even better they can now live freely in separate bodies wt first I thought they were going to merge but this is even better and they did a fantastic job with both Seeles it was amazing the setting in the world is also brilliant I like how they are two types of cities the Salt Snow Holy City and Country of Iron Sand one city being the light the other being darkness which is ironic since Seele is light and Veliona is darkness. I also like Veliona and Senti's interactions as they both have many similarities both of them being the main antagonists of previous arcs in Part 1 and both despite being doppelgängers are not actually evil and actually care about Seele and Fu Hua I also like the introduction of Vita as it sets the stage for what's to come, my only problem is that I wish we see some in Kira and Hare's relationship because Kira is mad at Hare because she looks exactly like Cecilia whom she admired but nonetheless I enjoyed this arc Seele and Veliona definitely deserved the development they got.

8. Taixuan Dream Arc

The Taixuan Dream Arc otherwise known as the Fu Hua Arc was one with great emotion regardless if this makes you sad or happy you still cry when playing this arc. As we all know this arc was dedicated to Fu Hua as we learn that Fu Hua is without a doubt one of the most tragic characters in the entire series we learn that more than 50,000 years ago, Fu Hua was just living a normal life as a girl in her late teens and unfortunately for her we learn that she was there when the Honkai first showed up destroyed her home, and killed her friends and family and forever changing Fu Hua, we then learn that she's became  immortal soldier called a MANTIS but that did not stop her suffering did not stop as for the next thousands of years, she lost dozens of her friends and comrades rather it be through old age, in battle, to the dark side in Kevin's case, betrayal and so much more Fu Hua has been through so much Hell that it's clear she needs YEARS worth of therapy and then we are introduced to the Herrscher of Sentience a dark version of Fu Hua who believes that she's the real Fu Hua which leads to an intense battle that takes place in chapter 22 and we see Fu Hua about die sacrificing herself and we see all the regrets she's been through and boy when Kiana pulls Fu Hua out of the darkness to save her and yelling she won't let her be all alone was really breathtaking especially once Fu Hua finally comes back in her body while I am happy for Fu Hua I felt bad for Senti, she couldn't understand why she was born a Herrscher and thinks her life is a mistake but Fu Hua assures her that she isn't a mistake seeing this dialogue was incredible it makes you feel bad for Senti, and the animated cutscene was just the icing on the cake.

7. Sea of Quanta Arc

From the Deep Ocean Arc otherwise known as Sea of Quanta Arc was an arc that I never expected to fall in love with story wise. First off I love the world building introducing the Sea of Quanta with the concept of containing multiple alternate universes and bubble universes but I think the core of this is arc is the relationship with Bronya and Seele. These are two characters who I didn't really liked nor cared about ever since they were both introduced but this arc did an absolutely fantastic job of changing my perspective on both of them. The reason I didn't like both of them is because Bronya was just some semi-emotionless girl and Seele is just a blue head cry baby however this arc has showed me that deep down in those girls I described are the Kiana and Mei 2.0. We learned that Bronya and Seele grew up in the same orphanage that was made and established after the Second Eruption and they share a bond similar to Kiana and Mei's bond and we also learned that Seele was in the Sea of Quanta as result of the X-10 experiment taking Bronya's place and their interactions were so beautiful when I first saw this I immediately fell in love with both of them their story was so bittersweet and amazing. We're also introduced to Veliona, Seele's dark counterpart who as I stated earlier she's not evil as she wanted to protect Seele just as much as Bronya did, we are also introduced to the main antagonist of the first part of the series himself Kevin Kaslana a hero of the old era who battles the Honkai and he made a really good impression as a villain when introduced and we are also introduced to the main himself Welt Yang a total badass so much that the only reason why I played Star Rail is because he's in it. And I started to appreciate Cocolia a character who when I first saw her, I hated her just as much as Danzo but then I found out she did all this just to save Seele and feels guilty for what she did and I do hope they give her a chance to redeem herself. But the best part is that we not only have 1 but two animated cutscenes. The first animated cutscene was when Bronya first transforms into the Herrscher of Reason and when I first saw that I was doing goddamn backflips the way she transforms, the way she shows of her new abilities, and the way she fired all those laser oh man I was so hype man like Bronya just went from lad to chad real quick. The second animated cutscene was the scene where Bronya and Seele escape the Sea of Quanta the emotion was sat in stone as Bronya sacrifices herself to allow Seele to escape. We see the emotion in Seele's eyes as she desperately punches the ground to dive down and save Bronya while Veliona tells her that it's futile but ultimately Seele breaks through and dives down and is surrounded by monsters and she begs Veliona to help her and then it happens the two Seeles work together and save Bronya it was really amazing and bittersweet and lovely to watch and it was at that point forward that I truly lived Bronya and Seele and I have the Sea of Quanta arc to thank for that.

6. Thirteen Flame-Chasers Arc

To the Flawless Arc otherwise known as the Thirteen Flame-Chasers Arc was a wild ride not only does it continue sometime after the events of the Thus Spoke Apocalypse Arc but it actually improved on the problems I had with the Elysian Realm Arc, they actually went into full detail on the history of the Fire Moth characters on how who they are and when they came to be. I also enjoyed Elysia's character in this arc because when we first saw her she was portrayed as this guardian smiling angel when in reality deep within that smile is a flawed human being just like the rest of us. I also like the concept of the Herrscher of Corruption slowly but surely destroying the Elysian Realm it actually brings up high stakes in the story you don't know what's going to happen. But I think the best part about this arc is what it does for Mei's character, the Flame Chasers have taught her so much and it likely played a crucial role in Mei's eventual reunion with Kiana. And that animated cutscene was just so epic and so amazing and a perfect send of to the Elysian Realm saga.

5. Fourth Eruption Arc

Under the Falling Sky Arc otherwise known as Fourth Eruption Arc just had to be in the top 5 like it has to he. Not only did it have a massive impact on the story going forward but as well as an impact on the entire community as a whole. This was the arc where fans truly believed that this beginning of it being called Depression Impact 3rd and for good reason. For starters the story as we know it has completely changed forever as Schicksal the organization who our heroes were once apart of has revealed their true colors, after Kiana was kidnapped by Otto's orders, Mei, Bronya, Himeko, and Theresa joined forces with the Anti-Entropy organization with it's founders Dr. Einstein and Dr. Tesla to save Kiana and thus the Battle of Schicksal took place we have epic moments such as Himeko VS Fu Hua after Himeko reveals she's a spy but worst of all the Herrscher of the Void, Sirin has reawaken and started her rampage, she obliterated St. Freya and battled many heavy hitters, Fu Hua realized Otto's true colors and was shot but not before spreading her sentience to help her allies. But perhaps the most infamous moment was Himeko's sacrifice Final Lesson. Oh boy when I first saw the animated short my heart was popping seeing Himeko use the last of her strength despite being infected by the Honkai infection was truly intense and then it happened. Himeko injected a serum in Kiana's body causing Sirin to go back to her slumber and Kiana to regain consciousness. But it came at the cost of her life as we see her dead body fall all the way down to nothingness never to be seen or heard from again, just like Jiraiya from Naruto. It was so sad and the music just made it even sadder. Himeko's death had so much of an impact on the community that fans feared that the Himeko from Honkai Star Rail might suffer the same fate. But putting the impact on the community aside as sad as it was Himeko dying was clearly needed because much like how Jiraiya's death was needed to develop Naruto's character to help him grow into the ninja we all know he would be, Himeko's death was needed to help Kiana's character so that she can be molded into the Valkyrie that we know her to be. The Fourth Eruption Arc will forever go down in history as the arc that made fans call Honkai, Depression Impact 3rd and that's some Genshin and Star Rail will never get because they don't understand true Pain. That why this arc is top 5.

4. Thus Spoke Apocalypse Arc

Coming in at number 4 is the Kolosten Arc otherwise known as Thus Spoke Apocalypse Arc. This arc had me the edge of my seat the entire time I first played this because good lord this arc was something else. Mainly because of the man himself, Otto Apocalypse the man who everyone loves to hate. I mean you can't blame them the guy was literally responsible for why the events of the series are where they are they are a lot of characters existed because of him so going into this Arc especially when Otto announced he will step down as Overseer and name Theresa as his successor I was immediately concerned because it was clear to me and fans that everytime this guy shows up on screen something bad is about to happen. And to no one's surprise his resignation as Overseer has a clear ulterior motive because he plans to erase time by more than 500 years all go revive the girl he loved but doesn't love him back, Kallen Kaslana. Homie was planning on erasing billions of people from existence just to revive one person that is insane and unless the heroes don't give everything they have to stop him within 12 hours, he won't be stopped at all. His plans are so insane that even Durandal his most loyal follower turned on him and battled him. And speaking Durandal we actually learn about who she actually is, she was the real Kiana Kaslana the mystery of the real Kiana up until that point of the story was a mystery as we all that the real Kiana was dead when in reality she's alive just as Durandal and it definitely payed way for Durandal's character development to grow I thought it was truly amazing to see. And it's not just Durandal but Bronya, Seele, Veliona, Fu Hua, and Theresa all had their amazing moments. And the battle between Kiana and Durandal against Otto was insane and epic to go through. But perhaps the most insane moment in the entire arc is the animated short where Otto made his last stand and use the Imaginary Tree to create alternate timelines where Kallen is alive while Otto dies peacefully in the process. I actually cried on the inside when looking at this arc like it's just bittersweet and even though he died I feel happy for Otto for getting what he wanted, Kallen's revival just like Darth Vader and Obito Uchiha. Not to mention the music behind the animated short was very amazing

3. Herrscher of Dominance Arc

Remaining Flames Arc otherwise known as Herrscher of Dominance Arc makes the top 3 this was where most fans say that this was Honkai at it's peak and I'm not going lie they aren't wrong. This arc was peak in many ways. But before that I just have to say it was an interesting start I loved how we had 2 segments developing the likes of Seele and Mei whereas with Seele she has a moment that develops both her and Veliona's characters and we have a moment where we go through Mei's prospective on top of that we also get to learn more about Raven and how she was a victim of the Second Eruption and is separated from her brother who is likely either dead or flat out disappeared which is really shows why she is the way she is, Raven hates the Honkai because it was the Honkai why she ended up being separated from her olde brother and it's what molds her into the assassin that we all know her to be and I also love the bond between Mei and Raven. But perhaps two of the best moments of this arc is Kiana's development and Sirin's backstory. Starting off with Sirin we learn that despite being the one responsible for Himeko's death we learned that before all this she was a lab experiment by Schicksal as she watches in agony as all her friends died before her as she continues to be experimented on. This pain and suffering went on for years and by the time she was rescued Sirin was already dead set on seeking revenge against humanity. But the most heartbreaking part was Sirin and Cecilia's relationship, in an illusion Cecilia tried to be her mother but unfortunately when they returned to reality Sirin was beyond furious more than ever. In the end though Cecilia's attempts touched Sirin's heart as Sirin gave her a warm comforting hug told her in German she loves her before dying alongside her. Looking at Sirin's backstory makes me hate humanity for a moment and is yet another on why Madara Uchiha was not wrong when unleashing his Infinite Tsukuyomi plan. Sirin was just a little girl who wanted to live a normal life and in a way she got it through Kiana. Looking at Sirin's backstory caused her to see Sirin in a nee light and give her the strength she needed to defeat and overcome Sirin once and for all, and after meeting Himeko for one last time and battling the Herrscher of Dominance she awakened to her Herrscher of Flamescion it was at that moment that Kiana truly did develop and mature as a character she realizes the world is not all sunshine and rainbows but despite all that she must keep moving forward towards a bright future and the song in the animated short is just the icy in the cake. Truly epic.

2. Project Stigma Arc

The Day of Transcending Finality Arc otherwise known as the Project Stigma Arc or if you split it into 2 arcs one half is the Moon Arc while the other half is Project Stigma Arc, comes in as the runner up. I know this arc is not a lot of people's favorite arcs but it's not as bad as people think it is or at least not the worst thing that's happened. Anyways this arc is a perfect way to write a final arc everything that we've been building up to has been leading to this moment. I think it has some of the greatest moments that needs to be brought up for starters we have Kiana and Mei's long awaited reunion after being separated for a long time the two girls have finally reunited this was a moment fans have been waiting for forever now and we finally got it. Another great moment was Kiana and Mei reconciling their relationship which was lovely and well done that was one of my favorite aspects of the entire arc I also liked how we actually got some more character development for Bronya leading up to her becoming the Herrscher of Truth and I think another amazing moment that is cool was when Siegfried is rescued and Durandal reveals her true identity. I also love how we saw Mei develop into a person who accepts Kiana's choices to sacrifice herself. And lastly I really REALLY enjoyed the final battle again I know some people have a lot of problems with it cause of 4th wall breaking supposedly but given Hoyo's obvious love for self inserts in their stories I can't say I'm surprised or phased in the slightest and besides I don't really care because take the 4th Wall stuff out of the picture and the story would stay virtually the same. Kevin was really amazing in this arc the amount of build up for him truly payed off in the end and I'm glad he finally died peacefully. But lastly I do like how it ended off the final arc of Part 1 with this animated cutscene Generational Trip where we see all the relationships she has with all the friends and enemies she made throughout her entire journey I especially loved how Sirin told Kiana she did well like that just shows how much Kiana has grown if she was able to touch Sirin's heart. Overall I loved this arc I think it gets too much hate but I personally enjoyed it.

1. Nagazora Arc

Finally the Elegy to Yesterday Arc otherwise known as the Nagazora Arc takes the number one spot. I don't care what anyone else says about Fourth Eruption arc or Herrscher of Dominance arc or anything. This arc is not only peak Honkai but it was truly the moment where Honkai Impact 3rd became Depression Impact 3rd in Chapter 17 NOT Chapter 9. Yes I said that you cannot convince me otherwise. Anyways jokes aside this arc was definitely the best arc in the entire series not because of the impact on the characters and community but also the amount of build up to this moment and the build for the future. First and foremost this arc explains the origins of how Kiana and Mei first met and how Kiana saved Mei from herself from her Herrscher persona and from suicide and encouraged her to live. And it was extremely emotional when Mei finds out that Kiana only has 2 months left to live, we have to remember that at this point in the story Mei was well aware of her romantic feelings for Kiana and has done everything in her power to save her but sadly no matter how hard she tried she fails so when Kevin makes an offer to Mei as a way to manipulate her not realizing this manipulation and not caring at this point Mei joined the side of the villains and reawaken as the Herrscher of Thunder which ultimately leads to this epic sad an emotional fight between the two girls giving of Naruto VS Sasuke vibes in the process and we see how both are doing whatever they can to stop the other Kiana was trying to stop Mei from joining World Serpent and Mei's trying to stop Kiana from sacrificing herself. This was a battle between a girl who was willing to sacrifice herself to save the world VS a girl who was willing to sacrifice the world to save her. It's all up in emotions right now the music in the animated cutscene has always made my heart beat fast especially in the moment where Mei says "The world is nothing to me without you!" Was just so emotionally impactful it gets even more emotional when Mei defeats Kiana and ultimately leaves. We have that level of build up to this fight we saw the relationship between these two girls and in the future this fight payed off because it allows both girls to grow and learn from their mistakes and be their for each other. Kiana VS Mei was so impactful that fans including myself have called them the female versions of Naruto and Sasuke for good reason as I've made many chapters comparing them especially Naruto and Sasuke and Kiana and Mei. This arc has everything it need to be peak arc and as of right now no arc and Honkai can EVER come close to it.

But anyways guys that's going to be it for this chapter thank you so much for reading let me know where would you rank these arcs and I will see you all next time. Peace.