REPRESENTASI VISUAL ANTIHERO PADA KARAKTER PHAINON DALAM GAME HONKAI STAR RAIL MELALUI PENDEKATAN SEMIOTIKA

VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF ANTIHERO ON PHAINON'S CHARACTER IN THE GAME HONKAI STAR RAIL THROUGH SEMIOTIC APPROACH

Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis representasi visual arketipe antihero pada karakter Phainon dalam game Honkai: Star Rail melalui pendekatan semiotika Roland Barthes. Phainon dipilih sebagai objek penelitian karena memiliki tiga transformasi visual yang kontras, yaitu Phainon pada wujud pertama, Khaslana, dan Flame Reaver, yang merepresentasikan perkembangan karakter dari sosok hero menuju antihero yang kompleks.

Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan metode deskriptif. Data primer berupa aset visual resmi dari game yang meliputi splash art, model tiga dimensi karakter, dan tangkapan layar cutscene narasi planet Amphoreus. Data dianalisis menggunakan tiga tingkatan makna semiotika Roland Barthes, yaitu denotasi, konotasi, dan mitos, kemudian diinterpretasikan melalui konsep arketipe Jung serta teori desain karakter Tillman (2019).

Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa ketiga wujud Phainon membentuk identitas antihero secara bertahap melalui sistem tanda visual yang saling mendukung. Wujud pertama merepresentasikan persona heroik melalui simbol-simbol kepahlawanan seperti motif matahari, pauldron putih-emas, dan postur tegap. Wujud Khaslana menandai fase transisi ketika unsur Shadow mulai muncul berdampingan dengan Persona, yang ditunjukkan melalui dualitas warna terang dan gelap, retakan ichor emas, serta sayap phoenix asimetris. Wujud Flame Reaver merepresentasikan dominasi Shadow melalui topeng hitam, kostum terkoyak, retakan berpendar ungu, dan senjata yang melambangkan kekuatan destruktif. Meskipun demikian, simbol-simbol heroik tetap dipertahankan sebagai penanda bahwa tujuan mulia Phainon belum sepenuhnya hilang. Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa desain visual Phainon tidak hanya berfungsi sebagai elemen estetis, tetapi juga sebagai sistem komunikasi visual yang mengonstruksi identitas antihero yang kompleks, ambigu secara moral, dan tetap mempertahankan sisi kemanusiaannya.

Kata kunci: antihero, semiotika Roland Barthes, desain karakter, Honkai: Star Rail, arketipe Jung.

This study aims to analyze the visual representation of the antihero archetype in the character Phainon from Honkai: Star Rail using Roland Barthes' semiotic approach. Phainon was selected as the research object because he undergoes three contrasting visual transformations, namely Phainon of Aedes Elysiae, Khaslana, and Flame Reaver, which represent the character's development from a heroic figure into a complex antihero.

This study employed a qualitative approach with a descriptive method. The primary data consisted of official visual assets from the game, including splash art, three-dimensional character models, and screenshots from the Amphoreus narrative cutscenes. The data were analyzed using Roland Barthes' three levels of meaning, namely denotation, connotation, and myth, and were further interpreted through Jung's archetype theory and Tillman's (2019) character design framework.

The findings reveal that Phainon's three forms gradually construct an antihero identity through an interconnected system of visual signs. The first form represents a heroic persona through symbols of heroism, such as sun motifs, white-and-gold pauldrons, and an upright posture. The Khaslana form marks a transitional phase in which the Shadow begins to emerge alongside the Persona, as reflected in the duality of light and dark colors, golden ichor-like cracks, and asymmetrical phoenix wings. The Flame Reaver form represents the dominance of the Shadow through a black mask, torn costume, glowing purple cracks, and a weapon symbolizing destructive power. Nevertheless, heroic symbols remain present as indicators that Phainon's noble intentions have not entirely disappeared. This study concludes that Phainon's visual design functions not merely as an aesthetic element, but also as a visual communication system that constructs a complex antihero identity characterized by moral ambiguity while preserving its human qualities.

Keywords: antihero, Roland Barthes' semiotics, character design, Honkai: Star Rail, Jungian archetype.