As a long-time Honkai: Star Rail player, I've faced a dilemma that feels like being a moth drawn to a forbidden flame—I never wanted Sunday, yet here I am, reluctantly preparing to spend my hard-earned Stellar Jade on his banner in version 2.7. When leaks first surfaced about this 5-star Imaginary Harmony character, I dismissed him as just another support in a roster already overflowing with buffers like Ruan Mei and Sparkle. His elegant but unremarkable design failed to ignite my interest, and I’d planned to skip him entirely. But as HoYoverse unveiled his kit and the seismic shift toward the Remembrance Path loomed, my resolve crumbled. Sunday isn’t a luxury; he’s the linchpin holding together tomorrow’s meta, and resisting him would be like ignoring a storm siren before a hurricane. By January 2025, with version 3.0 on the horizon, I realized that skipping him would strand me in a fading era of gameplay.

Sunday’s Kit: The Harmony Conductor with a Twist

At first glance, Sunday’s abilities seem as conventional as a metronome’s tick. As a Harmony unit, he buffs allies’ damage and manipulates turn order—a role well-trodden by predecessors. His Skill lets a target ally act immediately, boosting their damage output. If that ally has a summon (like future Remembrance units), the damage buff intensifies for two turns. But here’s where he diverges: using his Skill on a Harmony ally skips the immediate action, while targeting a "Beatified" ally (a state enabled by his Ultimate) recovers a Skill Point. It’s a delicate dance of conditions that initially felt underwhelming compared to flashy DPS releases.

His Ultimate deepens the complexity, restoring Energy to an ally while transforming them and their summon into "The Beatified." This state amplifies their CRIT DMG based on Sunday’s own stats for three turns. Paired with his Talent—which adds a 25% CRIT Rate boost to his Skill—he’s not just a buffer but a CRIT enabler. Yet, what truly sets him apart is his summon-centric focus. While most Harmony characters treat summons as afterthoughts, Sunday weaves them into his core mechanics like a master tailor reinforcing a garment’s hidden seams. This niche, once easily ignored, is about to become Honkai: Star Rail’s foundation.

The Remembrance Path: A Tidal Wave on the Horizon

Sunday’s value crystallizes with version 3.0’s Remembrance Path, a gameplay revolution set to debut in early 2025. This new path revolves around summoning "memosprites"—temporary allies that dominate the battlefield. Leaks confirm Aglaea and the Remembrance Trailblazer as its first wielders, and their mechanics will upend team compositions. Imagine memosprites swarming foes like a hive of crystalline bees, each attack chaining into overwhelming synergy. But without Sunday, these summons operate at half-strength. His kit doesn’t just buff them; it supercharges their potential, turning a gentle stream into a flash flood.

Consider the math: Sunday’s Skill amplifies summon-based damage by an additional tier when targeting allies like Aglaea. His Ultimate’s Beatified state then stacks CRIT DMG atop that. In a meta where every percentage point counts, he’s not optional—he’s the keystone in an arch. Without him, Remembrance teams risk collapsing like a sandcastle at high tide. This dependency mirrors Ruan Mei’s role in the Super Break era, where she transformed Break DMG from a curiosity into a meta-defining force. History is repeating, and Sunday is its herald.

The Ruan Mei Parallel: A Reluctant Blueprint

I still remember pulling for Ruan Mei in 2024, lured by her novelty amid Tingyun’s stalwart reliability. Back then, Super Break DMG was a whisper; today, it’s a roar. Pairing her with the Harmony Trailblazer created teams that shattered enemies with unprecedented efficiency. That early investment paid dividends I hadn’t foreseen, much like planting a seed that grows into a fortress. Now, Sunday stands at the same crossroads. Remembrance promises to "shake the meta like a snow globe," offering new strategies centered on summon synergy. But just as Ruan Mei became inseparable from Super Break, Sunday is bound to Remembrance.

My frustration isn’t with his design—it’s with the inevitability. I’d earmarked my Stellar Jade for Amphoreus characters, dreaming of a frugal version 2.7. Instead, I’m funneling resources into a unit I once scorned. Yet, pragmatism wins. Leaks hint at more Remembrance units like Castorice arriving throughout 2025, and Sunday’s value will only compound. Skipping him might save currency now, but it would exile me from the game’s evolving heart.

Conclusion: Embracing the Inevitable

In the end, pulling for Sunday is a bitter pill, but one that guarantees relevance. He’s the bridge to Honkai: Star Rail’s third year—a year where Remembrance will redefine combat. As I reluctantly tap the "warp" button, I’m consoled by the long view: this isn’t waste; it’s investment in a meta that will unfold like an origami masterpiece. For fellow travelers facing this choice, remember: sometimes, the flame we avoid lights the path forward.