#sampo yapping

[papamado]

I love your analasys!!! So much that now I feel the need to ramble as well ❤️‍🩹 so

Aha is more of the "human" end of aeon spectrum, so them having a human figure on the splash art makes sense.

The figure being obscured in general could also allure to them obscuring their "humanity" with pure chaos, a way to keep distance, and like you said: acting from the shadows

The way their hands are placed is reminiscent of how one would have their hands positioned to offer someone something, yet still keeping them close to themselves

When it comes to cards my first thought was actually not gambling, but magicians! Magicians often use cards as props in their tricks. While I think that those can still represent both here, I'm leaning more towards the "magician" variant. Aha offering us all those wonders, performing, while they persona is in the shadow since they are not the focus, what they provide is.

We can also tie them having an obstructed form to how sampo is designed

Sampo's model has a VERY simple silhouette, which is not something hoyo normally goes for with their designs, so we can assume it's deliberate to some extent.

The jacket he wears has a similar shape going on to how a ringmaster coat looks like, which just fits perfectly knowing his role so far in the story

His design gives off that feeling that he's trying to contain himself in - the amount of straps and the general structure. Think of it as a way to contain the chaos

The "obscurity" when it comes to Sampo's design works in more ways than just how the outfit is structured to "keep it all in", he has a very similar design language to Acheron, a confirmed nihility emanator (snake skeleton motif, shoulder piece, white parts of the hair, etc.)

It sort of looks as if he deliberately was trying to look like a nihility follower, which fits with the idea that Emanators often hide their true identities, sometimes even posing as if they were on another path (based on what boothill was saying in the beginning of 2.2 main quest)

Speaking of Boothill

What personally stood out to me the most was: the way he was describing the Elation Emanator he stumbled upon

According to him it looked no different to other fools (in context: other masked fools) and he was able to get it drunk - so it's safe to assume that the Elation Emanator was human or at least has human like appearance

But the most peculiar thing is the way that he described the emanator as "it"

I have a feeling that it's not just to keep the gender ambiguous, for that just "they" could be used, as on previous occasions

The "it" feels as if Boothill had that association that the Elation Emanator was not - in fact - really human

(sidenote: I don't think "it" pronoun is in any way dehumanizing, I myself use it/it's as well, here I'm just talking about it in context of what Boothill was saying and how "it" is used in that specific instance)

We can see the "it" pronoun being used in game before, and one specific example of that is the "curio hacker" occurence

Do I even have to elaborate on how much "sampo vibes" it has?

He is being described by his hair so often for a reason, sometimes it's described as "dark-blue" , sometimes just as "blue", so naturally he's the first character that comes to mind when reading this occurence

Not only that: the behavior of the being in said occurence is reminiscent of how Sampo acts.

The occurence revolving around "hacking" can be somewhat tied to the theory that Elation powers revolve around reality manipulation

well, is it really a theory at this point if it's mentioned in game? It's mentioned as Aha doing that, but who's to say that Elation Emanators wouldn't have similar powers?

It is said that masked fools believe that manipulation of reality is possible

And "reality manipulation" would be a good way to describe what sampo is doing: him performing small actions that have a great impact on the story, his actions breaking the "rules" of the world he lives in, etc

Ugghh its like almost5tam and my brain is a mush because I just woke up but ughhh quick roundup of other stuff I'm too eepy to elaborate on rn:

Sampo and Aha parallels with the way they behave

sampo having blue hair with blue being, ironically, the color of sadness, melancholy and it being his main characteristic despite it all

Sampo being selfless in his elation with our, the players, enjoyment being his priority even if it's at the cost of him being the punching bag basically

Aha's head not really being visible in the splash art, they might as well have green eyes and blue hair and pronouns for all we know idkfj

the human form Aha took while being on the express was a masculine one (pom-pom refers to the person who blew up the train in half as "a guy")

Water allegories brrrrr

Whatever the fuck is going on with Tatalov "Lore"

The "7 deadly sins of elation" idea

the snake motif being possibly somewhat related to the eden serpent - fits the 4th wall breaking

The green eyes symbolism in general, often associated with playfulness but also with jealousy and possessiveness

Mmmm okay that's it for now I'm going back to eep

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✩ ‧₊˚ ⌞ AHA SPLASH ART ANALYSIS ⌝

sampo analysis m.list

— what the stars reveal: honkai: star rail, interpretative analysis, mainly aha!sampo, emanator!sampo sprinkled in for funsies

— word count: 1.4k

— overview: (as of 2.2) a look at aha’s splash art, what it might mean, and the potential clues it leaves for the identity of a physical avatar.

note: this is my own interpretative opinion — it’s fine if you don’t agree! i know a lot of people don’t subscribe to elation!sampo theories, just as a lot of people do. this is an analysis i’m doing for fun and i understand there are many different & valid interpretations people can have about this. thanks! 🪐

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First, let’s look at the splash art itself:

Our eyes are immediately drawn front-and-center to two masks reminiscent of the comedy and tragedy masks from greek theater — however, instead of one smiling and one frowning, both appear to be laughing.

The other masks, which lay in the shadowed background, are the ones frowning. Note how the spotlights and coloring draw our attention to not just the laughing masks, but the masks themselves (more on this later).

A popular image of this splash art is one cropped down to only the laughing masks, showing that most people’s idea of Aha’s “face” is, in fact, centered around the front-facing masks:

However, upon closer look, we can see a variety of other objects at play, including the frowning masks:

The one on the right is specifically interesting because it also seems to have a spotlight on it. Despite not being front-and-center, its frown is still illuminated, perhaps suggesting a “multi-faceted” appearance or personality (even performative sadness or pain).

Other notable objects include: confetti, flowers with eyes, a coin purse in the shape of a mouth, eyeball-shaped candy, a toybox moon with a face, an owl-cat perched on a circus ball, a strange white bird with human legs and a top hat, the aforementioned frowning masks in the background, and, most notably, several playing cards.

The playing cards indicate a red 5 with an upside-down laughing face, a red heart with a frowning face, a black H with a frowning face, a potentially black 7, and a black pi (which might be a roman numeral 2, but since the 5 was not in roman numerals, my bet is on pi) with a smiling face.

While I do think most of these objects are supposed to be fun little trinkets for the sake of being fun little trinkets — like the circus balls and confetti — the playing cards, coin purse, and shadowed masks stand out to me as potential links between Aha and a physical avatar.

The playing cards have connotations to gambling, money, and deceit, with their unconventional markings tying into Aha’s multiple “masks” and ever-changing persona.

The coin purse signals further associations with gambling and money, with the mouth adding a layer of consumptive desire.

The shadowed masks, as somewhat mentioned before, heavily imply the existence of contradictory emotion behind Aha’s “facade” — a pain or sadness hidden by the flashy lights and faces.

Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, behind all of this gaudy glamor is a silhouette, easily missed for the bright colors of the smiling masks’ spotlight:

This silhouette is the most widely-circulated clue I’ve seen as to Aha having a physical, humanoid form.

While it may be difficult to make out at first glance, the shape of a human is undoubtedly there, complete with a jawline, neck muscles, biceps, and hands with the palms facing up.

To bring back the detail mentioned earlier, something important to note is that the spotlights draw our focus to the masks rather than the silhouette, manipulating us into only seeing the front-facing objects rather than the person beneath.

This diversion could very well speak to a more literal diversion in Aha’s form — a misdirection where They don’t want others to know Their true identity, so They throw the spotlight on others while They operate under the radar, away from prying eyes.

So, how does Sampo factor into all of this? Beyond the fact that a shady, somewhat pathetic underworld merchant on a remote snow planet is a great alias for “operating under the radar” in terms of the wider universe, let’s start with the silhouette itself, which bears a striking resemblance to Sampo’s E6:

As you can see, they seem to have similar jawlines, collarbones, and shoulder lengths. To me, it very much looks like an inverted version of the E6.

Additionally, the silhouette proper seems to have a broad upper body that tapers near the hips, which fits Sampo’s build. However, this connection alone isn’t enough to make a solid theory, so let’s continue.

I mentioned several key objects earlier, like the coin purse, masks, and playing cards. While these individual marks could apply to other characters (i.e. Aventurine & coins, Sparkle & masks), Sampo is the one that checks every box combined.

Who has an obsession with money (cash ➜ coins)? Sampo. Who is always smiling and hiding his true feelings (putting on a mask)? Sampo. Who is always playing a master game of disguise and manipulation to get what he wants, even if it seems he is “losing” at times (cards)? Sampo.

While I do admit Aventurine could also fit most of this criteria, it is important to note that Sampo is the only one to check these boxes while also being directly affiliated with the Masked Fools, a faction that worships Aha the Elation.

Additionally, we have already received a pretty intensive exploration of Aventurine’s backstory in canon, so I think it’s safe to say he walks the path of Preservation and is mostly affiliated with the IPC.

Sampo, however, walks the Path of Nihility, which in my mind has a lot of overlap with Elation. (I tend to see “Nihility” and “Elation” as existing on two separate ends of the “presentation of meaninglessness” spectrum, with Nihility as pure existential stagnation and Elation as pure existential chaos. As such, it’s easy for me to think of someone potentially going back and forth between Nihility and Elation since both Paths can place heavy emphasis on similar ideas.) Nihility is also the Path often associated with those who have something to obfuscate about their identity (ex. Welt & his past, Acheron & her memory, Kafka & “destiny”).

Overall, I think Sampo checks the most boxes if we are operating under the assumption that Aha has a physical avatar.

This isn’t even touching on the conversation between Sampo and Sparkle during the 2.0 Trailblaze Mission where he refers to himself as an “old timer,” or any other clues like his voicelines (looking at you, “everyone has a colorful past, wouldn’t you say?”) and fourth-wall breaking.

However, it is also possible that all these pieces of evidence can be used for the Emanator!Sampo theory — the different masks and coins in this case could resemble Aha’s Emanators, or a kind of shared or split consciousness that uses parts to make the whole. If we’re going based on that, my money is on this mask in the background being the one to represent Sampo, since the eyes/eyebrows are an expression he often makes:

This could break into several other theories, but the two that first come to mind are A. Sampo & the other Emanators are Aha’s “collection” of what They consider to be practical jokes or props, or B. These separate objects represent different parts of Aha’s consciousness or being — i.e. the parts that make the whole.

(Side Note: In this case, I would attribute Doll!Sampo to the coin purse, as it lines up with the Aha Stuffed Toy occurrence and Sampo’s name as a reference to Finnish mythology! Who knows, maybe he’s both?)

Additionally, there is always the chance of a divide between the silhouette and masks, with the potential of a silhouetted Sampo being a “background” entity occupying a different form than the “full” masks of Aeon Aha. (There can even be places of overlap between Aha! and Emanator!Sampo, so the two are not mutually exclusive!)

Whatever the case, I think there are many strong leads in the Elation!Sampo theory, especially including the ones in the splash art described here. Even though so many possibilities are open at this point, I think Sampo’s identity being closely intertwined with the Elation is a plausible interpretation of canon. However, these are still unconfirmed theories, so that doesn’t mean they’re 100% guaranteed (though I think they have a good chance!).

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𖥔 ݁ ˖ જ⁀➴ anyways, that’s the end of my analysis. let me know if there’s anything else you want me to talk about, since there’s a lot of stuff i didn’t touch on here!

also, thanks for reading this far if you did, i’m a bit of a nerd about this theory and i hope all of this made sense! if you want to add anything else to the splash art theory, please let me know, i’d love to hear any details i may have missed! thanks 🪐

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© analysis by sunderingstars. do not copy, repost, translate, modify, or claim my work as your own.

[luvlyycy]

sampo often finds himself in your bed, despite the fact you've broken up a few years prior. he finds himself splayed across your soft bed, your thighs locked around his head as you slowly grind against his face, fingers digging into the fat of your ass— it's good.

you moan out his name is soft little gasps. he groans out a 'fuck' underneath his breath as his nose bumps against your clit, his tongue slipping out to run against your hole then up to your puffy clit.

"i'm g'nna cum, sampo." you hiss out, your hands roaming across the headboard before gripping it, your eyes fluttering open and closed as he drinks up your juices.

"cum, cum in my mouth." he says before sucking in air between his teeth, eyes rolling into the back of his head— he hopes you'll squirt into his mouth. you moan loudly, half broken— it turns into a whine as you twitch against sampo's mouth for the umpteenth time. and he welcomes it, softly sucking on your puffy clit as you drench his face and neck.

nobody can make you cum like sampo can, and maybe that's why he often finds himself laid in your bed. the thoughts of making you his again, running through his head.

[feroluce]

For some weird reason, I've always been fascinated by how wildly different Sampo operates in the Underground vs the Overworld.

Sampo is present in both places and even in official sources, he's not really counted as one side or the other- now that the theory has been confirmed in-game, he's generally just lumped in with the Masked Fools.

But there really is a big difference!

Probably the most obvious and well known instance of Sampo's...business practices *cough burglary and fraud COUGH* in the Overworld is from the Belobog Museum event. In it, you don't find out Sampo is the main culprit until near the end, because Pela has to set up a sting just to catch him in the act. And that sting is necessary all because the initial suspect they arrested, Norbert, had pretty much no idea of his partner's identity. Sampo wouldn't even speak to him face-to-face.

And whereas Sampo is normally very pleasant and friendly with the trailblazer...when he thinks he's talking to Norbert here, he straight up says that they are NOT friends. Like he really shuts that shit DOWN.

There's also an Overworld NPC, Chavez, who heads the "Dark Blue Scam Support Group." And he. Really really really does not like Sampo fjkdasjklfdj

Chavez clearly wants Sampo caught, and has literally no positive feelings about him. So. Why call it the Dark Blue Scam? Why not just out him by name? Chavez obviously doesn't give a single shit about Sampo's dignity or privacy. But he never once refers to him as "Sampo," and even the pamphlets he passes out make no mention of it. No one in the entire support group seems to know how to identify him or how to refer to him except by his hair color. If the trailblazer says his name, Chavez reacts as though he's never heard it before.

(I've seen people say this means Sampo Koski is an alias and not his real name? But Ray pointed this out, and honestly I agree; even the Fools call him Sampo, after all. I think it's just that Chavez never knew Sampo's name in the first place, and given his immense distrust, immediately assumes it's an alias.)

And then there's his characters stories, where he proceeds to pull off a heist in the Overworld while in disguise as Brughel Poisson the entire time. Literally his own stories don't mention Sampo's name even once.

So anyway, all this shows that when he's up in the Overworld working cons, Sampo is incredibly slippery and secretive about his identity. The only people who seem to know him are Pela, Serval, and Gepard. He doesn't get close to anyone else, and is even surprisingly unfriendly. Nobody knows his name. No one knows his face. He has zero qualms about backstabbing or double-crossing, and even plans for it in some cases.

Meanwhile, down in the Underground, I'm pretty sure literally the worst thing we hear of him doing is scalping tickets in front of the Fight Club. Which isn't even illegal in a lot of places (although it's certainly a dick move).

In Hook's companion quest, a vagrant miner steals Fersman's equipment and tries to sell it to Sampo. Even before the trailblazer and Hook jump in and out the vagrant as a thief, Sampo hesitates to buy it because it sounds like stolen goods, which he doesn't want any part of.

Even knowing that a geomarrow detector is rare and incredibly valuable in the mines, Sampo makes no attempt to double-cross Hook or profit off of her loss, and even tells her who to go to to get it fixed.

And my favorite example of Sampo in the Underground is the Survival Wisdom adventure mission. In it, Sampo starts up a business with Peak, another miner. And like. In wild contrast to all the cons he pulls above ground, Sampo is actually super nice and helpful here.

Just the same as with Hook's quest, Sampo talks to Peak face-to-face, with no disguises or barriers. When the trailblazer finds them, they're just in the Great Mine, no secretive meeting places. Peak knows Sampo, is familiar with him, and calls him by name. It's not even a con! There's nothing illegal going on; it really is just a business partnership. Peak is more than happy with their deal, he's even pretty enthusiastic about it, because thanks to Sampo he can now make enough money to get by while also accommodating his chronic fatigue.

The only person Sampo lies to in this whole ordeal is the trailblazer, who he manipulates into getting Peak's mining equipment back from the vagrants that stole it in the first place. And when it's done, he rewards them with a legit treasure map.

So when he's working in the Underground, Sampo is MUCH more upright and lawful. Part of this is probably to do with his "business" model- Sampo only takes advantage of the wealthy, and poverty runs rampant in the Underground. When he charges Peak an extra 30% (the same percentage he charges Norbert as a consultation fee in the museum heists- Sampo seems to go by percentage instead of a flat rate, which means his prices are more fair for lower incomes) for carelessly losing their supply, Peak literally starts counting out pocket change.

Dude's working for pennies and good will down there dknsmdmd

And you can twist this into a Robin Hood thing if you want- Sampo IS technically working to feed orphans and heal the sick. He says himself he's more than happy to make up the shortfall between the greedy and the marginalized- I mean he says it in the shadiest way possible, but I doubt the people benefiting from his work really care that he's a slimeball if it means they can survive another day. Even the two heists he pulls in his character stories are literally just him stealing absurd amounts of food.

Personally though I think it is solely because of Natasha, and Sampo is hilariously well-behaved specifically for her, because she keeps him on a short leash JSKZJMSMSKS

[softringing]

hold up if sampo can freeze his body like this....

According to Kalevala, when the device sampo was lost in the sea, Kalevala gradually became an Iceland. Does that mean sampo has the ability to use this power to freeze planets? Or maybe Kalevala in HSR was already cold and his existence dispelled the cold but after he was "lost", Kalevala returned to its cold temperatures?

This man is so hard to understand BC of how many weird things he's able to do. I'm trying to connect the dots but something never clicks.

[madambrughelpoisson]

Every time someone draws sampo with facial and/or body hair, an angel grows a pair of wings

[glytchedmuffins]

If I had a nickel for every character dynamic in Honkai Star Rail that consisted of a man shrouded in mystery with daggers doing shady questionable stuff behind the scenes and a doctor who gives their very soul and being to cure their patients, I would have 2 nickels.

Which isn't a lot but it's weird it happened twice.

I am talking about Moze & Jiaoqiu and Sampo & Natasha, btw.

[sorrinslays]

A little bit more info on my Belobog AU because I am going insane and I really wanna talk about it. (Here's a bit of a backstory)

Unlike the original where the events of the story are triggered with the Trailblazers' arrival, what truly kickstarts the story is an article and a robbery. Using his "Madam Brughel Poisson" disguise Sampo publishes an article talking about what's happening in the Underworld thanks to an insider, "a man somehow able to travel between the Underworld and the Overworld".

The same day the article releases, a pharmacy in the Administrative District gets robbed, no cash is stolen, just medicine. The robber, as a distraction, used a smoke/paint mixture to paint the main monument in the plaza red.

The reason the Underworld was sealed off is different than in canon, because Cocolia made the excuse that the Overworld is corrupted by a "disease" from the fragmentum, and the only people not affected are the Underworlders so the best course of action is to seal the Underworld to keep them safe. Of course, it's total bs, but why would the people not believe her?

Of course, after the article Cocolia's lies collapse like a house of cards

[airysthinkingbox]

uuwemmbu looks like castorice, swwemmbu acheron, and lswemmbu is one of lingshas bunnies do you understand char

[ricochetlovebombs]

Hello, I still exist. I'm still in love with Sampo as much as ever. Just haven't felt like posting lately, admin's health isn't the best 😅 I hope everyone's been doing well, tho! How about those alleged 4.0 leaks? 👀

[xquior]

Sampard drawing for the soul (and because my darlings son Gepard came home from 1 standard pull I love lifeee)

[papamado]

YIPPI OKAY SO this time i'll be writing as i go, finally maybe making some us of my character design collage course I love your analasyss of the outfit being restrictive!! i personally always had a simpler explanation in mind: that it represents him restricting himself, lso a contraft to how masked fools tend to have no boundries, while he himself does But the possible idea of it representing the restrictions by the fact that he's an emanator is also amazing!! Althought Emanators, unlike Aeons, aren't restricted by the paths (primium mobile), they can operate outside of it, but maybe in Elation's case the restrictions come in some other form? like having to do things against your will because it's your purpouse? Could also represent just personal internal struggle, maybe between the desire for elation and having moral restrictions, hiding the past self, concealing power that could be dangerous, having to lay low like a snake in a grass okay eyes eys eyes eyes i studies the eyes for so longggg The green eyes are snake like, yes, but it's still different to how those are portrayed in other snake-themed characters

(you can't see it quite well here, but jade's eyes look similar to Baizhu's, just brighter in colour) when we compare those to Sampo's eyes they still look very different imo! Of course more similar than any other regular eyes, but still Many xiangzhou characters have those elogated pupils like characters above

(the 2nd pic is the texture itself)

Sampo's pupils do have that diamond shape to them but they are not elongated, the "ring" around the pupil not only matches it's shape, but it's also the most prominent "ring" out of any other characters 9yes, i checked everyone's eyes, I'm very normal) adding to that, his eyes seem quite flat in colour? normally, when designing characters, they often go for multiple shades and extra overlayes in the eyes, often still keeping it simple but still having them look lively in comparison - sampo's eyes look quite dull in that regard, the eye shine he has is also minimal, which is also a deliberate choice, hoyo likes to characterize their characters by their eyes alone (like childe, aventurine, kaeya, etc.) and the lack of light that make sthem feel lively gives that gloomy feeling And the overall shape!!! his eyes just straight up make him look like some wet soggy pathetic cat This makes him look more shy? kind? harmless? but combined with the darker upper part of the iris they have some of that... unsetteling vibe to them if that makes sense His eyes are described as emerald in colour, so yeah, a kind of gree, but one that compliments his overall palette more, His eye's tie everything together nicely Green eyes have a symbolic meaning of being mysterious, due to being one of the more reare natural eye colors, but can also corelate to mischeviousness, madness, chaos, also often used as a colour representing toxicity and poison (funfact, in the design that colour doesn't appear only in his eyes, it can also be seen in the "eyes" of the lock of his little heart shaped suitcase)

the not-elongated diamond shape can be seens across his design, like the metal ornaments on the gloves and shoes that 4point diamond shape (rhombus like) has other symbolic meanings, but unfortunatelly I don't have enought time to look more in depth into that rn :((

THE HAIR OH MY GODD okay so there's a few things 1. if the hair was dyed blue, the white parts would be maybe near the scalp instead?? as in growing ut, so i think it's safe to assume that the blue hair is his natural color 2. I find it reminescent of how acheron's hair turn white while she's in the alternate form, could be fitting to the ex sel-annihilator sampo theory! 3. the hair, blue with white ends, also look like magpie wings to me THE HAIR OH MY GODD okay so there's a few things 1. if the hair was dyed blue, the white parts would be maybe near the scalp instead?? as in growing ut, so i think it's safe to assume that the blue hair is his natural color 2. I find it reminescent of how acheron's hair turn white while she's in the alternate form, could be fitting to the ex sel-annihilator sampo theory! 3. the hair, blue with white ends, also look like magpie wings to me

You can describe person as a "magpie", and I think it suits Sampo quite well

The hair looking like that could also be reminescent of the "koski" part of his name (water rapids), when the water current is strong enough that it starts looking white in some places, again, possibly another referrence to how Elation is described using water metaphors colours time babyyyyyy The combination of Blue (melancholy, sadness, calmness, calculating but also knowledge and reliability) and red (well, in that case it's maroon, color associated with depth and passion) could be reminescent of the contradictions in the character themselves, it's balanced out by the purple details (since it's the color right between the two on the colour wheel) and yeah Both red and blue being "more purple" makes it work together nicely!!! the abundance of metal elements is also giving off that "cold", unapproachable feeling and the eyes being green, on the opositte of the colour spectrum, makes them stand out more:DD Abundance of layers is something we can see across allthe designs, it'a a way to make the characters more visually stimulating in a way and to make the form more interesting But Like i mentioned before, his outfit is still wayy les complex in the silhouette aspect and it lacks flowy details, further "closing in" on itself and yeah again referring to something i mentioned before: his coat looking like ringmaster's coat! pretty self explanatory~ I'd also like to point ut the heart motifs hidden on his outfit, ofc they are mostly visible in form of the small suitcase and the bomb BUT following the diagonal lines in the front part of his chest we get a broken heart shape

same goes fo rthe backside, but here the heart is full, potencially crossed out/restricted, in a similar manner to how the little suitcase looks like

the exposed skin along side the sharp details and striking colors make him look quite provocative, straight up it gives off a different vibe to the usual hoyo shenanigans with the more revealing clothing for other characters or with the strategic chest windows In his case it feels, like i said, provocative, "edgy", primal, unapologetic, not welcoming yet still filling one with desire, deliberate on his own part, not as "fan servicy" as others, if that makes sense? Thank u for the very cool and epic analasis of that guy once again!!!! i hope he explodes /aff <3

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✩ ‧₊˚ ⌞ OUTFIT & DESIGN MOTIFS ⌝

sampo analysis m.list

— what the stars reveal: half-character-study, half-analysis, waxing poetic, elation!sampo

— word count: 3.1k

— overview: a look at sampo’s outfit and design, as well as how it may link to an identity closely connected with the elation.

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For the sake of my own sanity, I’ll be splitting this analysis into clear-cut sections:

Snake Motifs

Binding Chains

Weapon

Hair

Color Palette

Shoes & Walking

Layers

Exposed Skin

Here’s his splash art for reference, although I’ll also be including other photos of his outfit:

✩ ‧₊˚ ⌞ SNAKE MOTIFS ⌝

One of the biggest aspects of Sampo’s outfit design are the snake bones littered across his clothing. From the scaled chain behind him to the shoulder guard that has a protrusion reminiscent of venom-dipped fangs, there is a lot of snake imagery present. Not just snake, however, but dead snake. It’s important to note that none of these pieces have skin or lively color — they’re all bones, bleached and picked clean. For me, this implies Sampo to be a skeleton character, a whisper of a dead or dying thing that still carries a last bit of venom in its fangs. Whether that “thing” is a metaphorical emotional state (centering themes of disillusionment and fatigue), a literal identity (centering themes of lessening power and lowering status), or a combination of both is up for interpretation. Either way, something inside him is decaying.

The snake — the living, hunting predator — is past its prime, stripping away over the years into something that barely resembles itself, the bones of an ancient and powerful thing. Emanator!Sampo may find himself slowly drawing away from the compulsive Elation first bestowed upon him, while Aha!Sampo may find Themself rotting into Their own mortal shell, the remains of what used to be a superficial avatar sticking to Their bones and sucking them clean; alternatively, the restrictions placed upon this mortal form of Sampo may cause Aha to be whittled down, only an echo of Their full strength. In another case, the silhouette behind the masks, the bones behind the meat, may have found himself steadily falling out of orbit with his larger mind, eventually ending up as nothing but a shadow of his former power as an Aeon — a skeleton, removed from the body when it was no longer needed. Or, perhaps, he is trying to keep the venom in.

(Note: His eyes are also snake-shaped like Baizhu’s from Genshin Impact!)

✩ ‧₊˚ ⌞ BINDING CHAINS ⌝

When looking at Sampo in a 360-degree view through the camera, something became apparent to me — the snake motifs (the spine and scales especially) seem to wrap around him tightly. In the splash art, this is a little difficult to tell (as the spine is flared out behind him), but here, they are tightly wrapped around multiple parts of his body:

Here, we see a fairly small part — a cuff wrapped around his upper forearm. This sticks out to me because it seems similar to a handcuff, or some kind of article of containment. It fits snugly, pressing in on his skin. There is also a similar wrapping around his thigh, showing that this is not a one-off design decision. There are multiple tight wrappings of containment around his body, which then implies a something in containment. Additionally, there’s the bone chains on his back:

They wrap around to the front, resting in the hollow of his neck. There are also two latches fastened to his back, giving the idea of the bones almost “hugging” him. Now, we are beginning to get a dual picture: a snake, slowly choking and constricting its prey, and a binding chain of bones, something meant to keep danger contained. We can see this even more clearly once the full picture comes together from different angles:

(These wrappings are even reminiscent of the symbol for Ouroboros, an ancient Gnostic and Alchemical symbol that represents the constant cycle of life, death, and rebirth, as well as the unity of all things material and spiritual. As I’ll discuss in its own dedicated analysis, this presence of the snake as a symbol of rebirth and unity may speak to a constant cycle of different emotions or consciousnesses within him — a loop he seemingly can’t escape. He is trying to live, but death ever looms in the background. Additionally, this points towards him trying to reconcile multiple facets of his being.)

The snake does not want to leave. It is cloying, constricting, containing at every waking moment, unwilling to relinquish the meat inside it. I believe the snake and the chains are one and the same: at the same time Sampo is being hurt and constricted, he is also being contained. The snake bones may represent Aha as a separate entity, the Elation as a addiction-filled Path, self-imposed rules from a more powerful past self, or even the “restrictions” placed on higher beings by virtue of existence.

An Emanator!Sampo may be constantly choked by the chains of his status, the realization that this Path isn’t the one he wants — disillusionment is hard to hold on to when surrounded by those who move from sorrow to joy at the drop of a hat. The gaze of an Aeon may constantly weigh on his shoulders like venom-tipped fangs waiting to strike, waiting to strip everything away from him once he becomes no longer “interesting.” Or perhaps that interest is the binding itself, the consuming, compulsive need to laugh, to operate on impulse, to push all feelings of doubt out before they can even be felt; the want to so desperately escape from Elation despite it clinging to him like a specter, regardless of his wants or needs. Emanator!Sampo may also be contained in his power, the same disillusionment that drives him to stray forcing him to hold back his true power, the truth that he could ruin everything he cares for with a single mistake. He doesn’t know what to do when the Elation grows ever tighter, ever higher, the bones of a rotting thing turning him rotten as well. He wants to escape but doesn’t know how.

(Perhaps, this desperation has rotted into hate which has rotted into vengeance, a dedication to using his life to push out the last of his venom, if only to stain an Aeon with Their own blood before falling away.)

Alternatively, an Aha!Sampo may find Themself now restricted by flesh and blood, feeling Themself to be a shadow, a dead skeleton of what They once were. For whatever reason, Their mortal form is forced to have restrictions, perhaps the same ones They face in Aeonic form. But it’s small. Too small. Ten thousand sizes too small, as it always is, and now They’re trapped for a longer time, forced by a looming threat to operate in the shadows, slowly hollowing out with the distance of consciousness and time. 

Who are They, if not the masks? Who are They, if not an Aeon? Perhaps this is not even mask-related at all, but rather a silhouette who grew tired, determined to carve his own path when the stench of decay became too much. The Original, The Progenitor, far outlasted by feelings that grew too strong for his body to handle. He is not an Aeon, not a mortal, but somewhere between a bleached skull and a mouth full of venom. How can he spit out what is rightfully inside him? How can he cut the binds that tie him to an eldritch being he was never meant to be? 

He does not want Elation, but Elation has always wanted him. How can he escape something so dedicated to swallowing him whole? How can he escape something so natural to his being? There is no clear answer besides one: if he does not find a way to escape, the only thing left of him will be bone.

✩ ‧₊˚ ⌞ WEAPON ⌝

Anyway! Haha! Isn’t he so silly? Let’s look at his weapon next:

It seems to continue the snake theme, with both sides of the blades marked with the same bright purple of the “fangs” on his shoulder guard. I don’t think it’s a mistake that these are the brightest colors of the outfit, but I’ll save that for later. For now, let’s focus on the dual nature of his weapon. Besides carrying on the snake theme, these are dual blades, able to be split apart and combined at a moment’s notice. To me, this seems like an indication of two “sides” to Sampo, two different personas that can be separated, combined, or interchanged at will. This could be an Emanator form, an Aeonic form, or simply another personality or “deeper” emotion behind the con-man persona. 

I find this choice of weapon very fitting for him, as it capitalizes on the dexterity of both his personality and fighting style. It’s something that is easily able to be tossed from a distance, allowing him to damage enemies over time without getting too close to danger. There is also an inversion to its form, and while that could just be so he doesn’t scratch himself when throwing it, I also see its connection to the “inversion” of Sampo’s E6 and Aha’s splash art silhouette. There is an implication of inversion, mirroring, and duality with this weapon. Whatever power or consciousness he may be holding, there’s a good chance there are multiple dimensions to it, the kind of dimensions that exceed mortal standards.

✩ ‧₊˚ ⌞ HAIR ⌝

Something of note is the grey in his hair, a color often attributed to older and more powerful characters (Welt has a (albeit dyed) strand of grey hair and Acheron has grey strands as well). They are, however, at the bottom of his hair, like the (perhaps also dyed?) blue is trying to override it. This could speak to an attempt to find his own identity, to cast aside the bleached white of decaying bones and find some vibrance to live for. There’s also a lot of it compared to other characters. It’s not just one or two strands, it’s entire parts of his hairtips, with the implication even more may be white behind the blue. This would line up with what he says about being an “old timer,” most likely downplaying his own status to “just an old guy” when he is vastly more powerful than others realize.

Additionally, his hair obscures one of his eyes, always casting half of his face behind blue. 

I feel this speaks to the idea of “multiple” sides, since one part of him is literally hidden from view. There’s the laughing, joking con-man we see, sure, but we don’t see the “hate” festering beneath, the potential despising of one’s own power and being. We don’t see the silhouette behind the masks. It wants to be free, most likely, of the chains that bind it, wants to step into the open with the clarity of rage, but it is not allowed. And so it stays, hidden behind blue. It stays, allowing the turquoise eye of a red-tinted mask to operate beyond, leaving itself to fester and rot into itself. Would we see an eye, if we pulled back that hair? Would we see something besides a wink here, a crease there? Would we find a matching color, or would we find blood red, a space infested with angry maggots? Would we perhaps find a hole? The blank, staring Nothing of Nihility? Only time will tell.

✩ ‧₊˚ ⌞ COLOR PALETTE ⌝

An interesting thing I noted while staring at pictures of this man’s splash art for way too long is the clash between colors. When dealing with the visible light spectrum, red and blue are on opposite ends. Red and blue are also popularized opponents, despite them not being true opposites on the color wheel. They can clash very jarringly, although the muted reds and blues (bordering on purples) used in Sampo’s outfit compliment each other better than in other combinations. Still, they stick out against each other, chafe against the backdrop of muted grays and blacks of dying bone. The red, often associated with blood, is also associated with Aha’s masks in this case, since most masks have a combination of white and red or red and orange to them (especially in Aha’s splash art). Additionally, blue is often associated with water and calm, which ties back to Sampo’s name “Koski” which means water rapids in Finnish. There is a clear conflict between these colors in Sampo’s outfit, the starkness of drying blood mingling with the attempted free-flowing blue of a new identity. The blue that is so strong in his hair, his mind, is slowly beginning to peek from beyond the red of the rest of his body —  a solitary flower, perhaps, watered by the rain and allowed to cautiously, timidly, lean into the doorway of his being. Still, it is a battle. The red will not give up. The pain, the addictive nature of being consumed by the snake, has been there for so long it naturally attempts to obscure whatever new healing the blue brings. But the blue is persistent. And so, it stays.

All the while, the grey hangs in the background, shadow-like. The monochrome, the static, has been there longer than both the red and the blue, so ingrained into him that it’s easily overlooked for the war between blood and water. But it’s there. The bones of that ancient beast will never fade, stagnant as they are. That’s the thing about bones — they last. Even when the blood runs out and the water stops flowing, bones take the longest to decay. They symbolize longevity, perhaps too much of it. An immortality, perhaps, granted by Emanator or Aeon status, that refuses to disperse even as the mind begins to wither. Thus, the red and the blue arrive. They attempt to revitalize the dying bones, the winding snake, putting just enough contrast between them to create a spark, a single flicker of life — a turquoise of bright running water in the eyes, enough to see the world in better clarity.

(And then there is the glowing purple of the fangs, the looming threat, the contained power. Beyond everything else, the venom is still there. It has always been there, waiting to strike.)

✩ ‧₊˚ ⌞ SHOES & WALKING ⌝

The only thing I want to talk about here is the lack of footprints Sampo leaves behind (I just wanted a dedicated section for it). We can see clearly in the splash art that Sampo has regular soles that should make indents in the snow, yet his character never leaves footprints when walking through Belobog. To me, this indicates an otherworldly nature of being, or a lack of being there in the first place. This can fracture into several different theories, some of which being that it’s intentional on his part and he can manipulate his body and surroundings in a structural way; that it’s simply a byproduct of a higher being taking mortal form (and thus not fully “conforming” to all minutae of human bodies); and that it’s because he is a projection or puppet of some sort that was never really there to begin with. Whatever the case, this seems to be a strong indicator of higher status, whether that be Emanator, Aeonic, or something different. After all, no regular, unassuming guy would be able to so casually and effortlessly defy gravity to not leave footprints.

✩ ‧₊˚ ⌞ LAYERS ⌝

Man, this guy’s outfit is confusing. Sorry, I just had to get that off my chest. I’m just still not entirely sure what’s going on in his chest region, there seems to be a lot of straps and buckles and zigzags and windows. I’d like to say this still speaks to the idea of “containment,” as many layers like that would certainly feel constricting, but I also feel like it’s meant to be a “look” as a whole. The bottom layers being black and gray, then blossoming out into blue and red almost makes me think of a decaying animal, with the blood being exposed as well as some of the bone beneath. I also feel like it ties back into his “layered” personality, in which he has different feelings and personas he chooses to either show or hide at any given moment. His neck and hands are also covered (with the red gloves dipping below the black), perhaps further speaking to concealment. The snake motifs are also present on multiple layers, giving the feeling that this is a constriction that runs deep.

✩ ‧₊˚ ⌞ EXPOSED SKIN ⌝

I will say it: this man’s outfit is sluttyyy (affectionate). Despite the heavy themes of constriction and concealment, the encroachment of the colors and layers do not affect his forearms and hips. He very much has his “V” out to show the world, and I for one am not complaining. To me, this exposed skin feels like a breath of fresh air, something beyond the rotting, constricted animal for once. This seems to really be Sampo — the flesh and blood Sampo, the mortal, the guy who likes striking poses and probably gives great hugs. Yes, it is still strategic (probably trying to ramp up flirt appeal for when he tries to scam people) but it also seems genuine. Sincere. If the rest of his outfit is a constraining, dying bloodbath, then these pockets of skin are the eye of the storm, the places that seem to be untouched by the onslaught. Here, we see a human being. Not an Emanator or an Aeon or a byproduct of compulsive Elation, but a man. Just a man. Breathing, like everyone else. It’s nice.

My main takeaways from this outfit are:

The bones of an Aeon, with mortal and “Primum Mobile” restrictions combining to constrain.

The bones of an Emanator, slowly whittled away with time and the weathering of longevity bestowed by Elation.

The general themes of rot, decay, snakes, venom, constraint, and being suffocated.

Ouroboros, constant cycles, prey caught in a trap of potentially its own making.

Any combination of these!

(I also wrote this piece before really getting into the Doll!Sampo theory, but there is definitely an interpretation to be had regarding Sampo as a creation of Aha! The decaying animal and contradictory colors could represent the fight between Sampo’s “purpose” and who he really wants to be, as well as the chains of Elation choking his freedom of self-expression and want to be his own person. The consistency of constricting and containing bones could also speak to him being a “shadow” of Aha, the echo of a greater being while still powerful himself. If he was created in Aha’s own likeness, he would probably feel the pressure of always being in the shadow of his creator.

Additionally, many other parts of this analysis can still apply to Doll!Sampo, as I see him as at least Emanator status. Longevity would take even more of a toll on him here, since he would have lived so long being disregarded by others as a “toy.” I’ll probably elaborate more on this when I do a dedicated breakdown of my Doll!Sampo theory!)

A note I couldn’t find a good place for earlier: snake bones also imply shed skin, some siphoning off of a greater part of oneself to be reborn anew. Perhaps he is the dead and dying snake, preparing to molt into something even greater. That’s all!

The End! Overall, I feel like I realized a lot of potential things about Sampo going through the parts of his outfit one-by-one. I’m definitely more on board with the idea of being simultaneously constricted and constrained now! Ties that bind, and all that. I also didn’t realize just how much of a battle his outfit feels like until I really looked at it, and now I feel bad for the poor guy. Whatever his endgame identity is, he is not having a good time. I want to give him a hug :((

Also, I want to include this bonus concept art since it shows the snake motifs were a big aspect from the beginning:

Anyways, that’s all!

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.𖥔 ݁ ˖ જ⁀➴ thanks for reading to the end!

(volume warning)

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© analysis by sunderingstars. do not copy, repost, translate, modify, or claim my work as your own.

[luvlyycy]

i think aventurine n sampo would be a deadly duo .

purely because of their manipulation they do to you.

like think of it, sampo would be able to lure you into anything that aventurine would want. even better if you're innocent— two nasty perverts, grabbing on your body tryna to teach you how men are supposed to touch a girl.

aventurine always stealing you used panties because it's much easier for him when lady luck is always on his side, huh?

sampo is always reliable, right? you'll always come to him for help. he's s'big and strong, y'know. so when he tells you that when your little pussy aches,, his big strong arms can help, you believe it ! he'll tell his buddy about this, 'n it makes him jealous— so sampo tells that he can help too.

now you're stuffed between these two guys, sampo's muscular arm around your waist as his other is nearly covered in squirt 'cause of your leaky pussy,, — his fingers stuffed inside your over-sensitive cunt, grin plastered on his face. aventurine is on the other side, hand pressed on the back of your head, lifting so you can see the mess you've made on sampo's fingers. his cheek is pressed to yours, kissing and licking at your cheek as he plays with small bundles of nerves— fingers rubbing hard n fast on your clit, wary not to hurt you.

"awww, look at her. i think she's crying.."

"hahh. 's okay,, don't worry. you're squirting so much.."

"she must fucking love this, huh?"

"yeah. fuck, we have to fuck her next time.—"

"ohh, fuck. her cunt probably feels soooo fuckin' good."

"ngh, fuck, yeah. think she's cummin' again.."

[the-gifted-swordsman]

gonna cry rn

hi guys so what if i told you that i was talking to my boyfriend (sampo)(/srs he's our collective partner singlet and a sampo fictionkin)

And i was yapping abt how sad i was lately thinking about the fact i was a long lived species back at home and he wasnt

And now he tells me that bc of his medical complications his estimated lifespan with luck and if everything goes well is 40.

Im actually gonna cry goodbye what is this i cant keep losing

[archivistea]

sampard personality swap au where sampo’s the one who’s very serious about his job (thievery) and gepard’s a little shit who’s favorite way to spend patrols is riling sampo up mid heist

[softringing]

/////sampo 2.6 event leaks

It was really difficult to find but apparently, at the end of the event, Sampo tells stelle that she got to earn money while he got to earn stories by selling meme crates and that he wouldn't be short of fun stories.

Considering that Sampo has been in belebog for 8 YEARS, I wonder what kept him entertained all this time. Is it the people? Their strong will to survive? Or sampo getting to help them a little while preparing everything behind the scenes?

Everyone says that sampo is a retired masked fool bc he asked sparkle for his mask back and she told him "after all this time?" TBH i dont think sampo ever retired but rather he keeps himself elated without a mask

I think the reason is bc something is off with those masks and they have the ability to corrupt a person just like sparkle myriad celestia trailer where we see her have something like a split personality

Sampo also mentions at the beginning of the event that he can't share every story of the tavern with the trailblazer for their sake (?)

Which makes me wonder if he likes collecting stories in memory bubbles, especially stories with a happy endings considering that sampo IS trying to help belebog and doesn't seem to want to cause any genuine harm

This gives me heavy Kim Dokja vibes (mc from omniscient reader who LOVES stories and fiction) and makes me think that if all those sampo doll theories are true, that means he somehow needs to understand human emotions by 'watching' them or experiencing them in some way and I think

I daydream a lot about what sampo is and tbh one of the things I thought were sampo being some kind of creation that collects stories for the sake of personal interest or fun bc we know how he sees relationships as just business or mutual benefit so, it wouldn't surprise me if he distances himself from people and prefers to look at stories bc he can't seem to commit to relationships but that's just me rambling this will probably never be canon but i just need to put out ALL my thoughts cuz im kinda content starved and if there's nothing for me to eat I'll make it myself hahaha

[neillesart]

Chat I'm losing my mind over Honkai Star Rail characters.