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What's Up With Sunday From 'Honkai Star Rail' And His 'Charmony Dove' Copypasta? The 'One Day, After Dinner' Meme Explained
In the Honkai Star Rail universe, the character Sunday's "Charmony Dove Monologue" is less a speech and more an existential TED Talk starring a baby bird.
After rescuing a struggling fledgling, Sunday spins a tale of fate, free will and birdcages that's either deeply philosophical or hilariously overwrought.
This infamous in-game moment has spawned memes galore since it emerged in mid-2024 as fans debate the "nest vs. cage" choices offered in life while dunking on Sunday's dramatic delivery.
Here's the backstory behind Sunday's "Charmony Dove Monologue" and how it became a copypasta online.
What Is Sunday's 'Charmony Dove Monologue'?
Sunday, a philosophical yet melodramatic figure from the video game Honkai Star Rail, first delivered his now-infamous "Charmony Dove Monologue" in a May 2024 update to the action game.
The speech recounts his childhood attempt to rescue a fragile dove, reflecting on whether to nurture it in captivity or leave it to nature’s whims. Ultimately, it becomes a metaphor for moral dilemmas and fate, with Sunday choosing "Order" instead of "Harmony" in the game and assuming the role of a villain.
Why Did Sunday's Charmony Dove Monologue Become A Copypasta?
Once Sunday was announced as a playable character in upcoming Honkai Rail updates, players began sharing memes and jokes about his seeming obsession with doves. Sunday mentioned the charmony dove three times in just an hour of gameplay, causing fans to facetiously joke about how doves are all he thinks about.
The earliest known post containing the entire monologue presented as a copypasta is a September 8th, 2024, post on the subreddit /r/copypasta by Redditor u/stxrrynights240, which gathered over 200 upvotes in two months.
The text of the monologue is:
One day, after dinner, while my younger sister and I were lounging about in Mr. Gopher Wood's yard, we spotted a fledgling Charmony Dove all on its own. That baby bird was tiny, it didn't even have all of its feathers, and it couldn't sing. When we found it, it was already on its last breath, having fallen into a shrub -- probably abandoned by its parents. We decided to build a nest for it right there and then. However, thinking back, that winter was unusually cold, with fierce winds at night in the yard, not to mention the many poisonous bugs and wild beasts in the vicinity… It was clear that if we left the fledgling in the yard, it stood no chance of surviving until spring. So, I suggested we take it inside, place it on the shelf by the window, and asked the adults to fashion a cage for it. We decided that when it regained its strength enough to spread its wings, we would release it back into the wild. The tragic part -- something that we'd never considered -- was that this bird's fate had already been determined long before this moment… Its destiny was determined by our momentary whim. Now, I pass the power of choice to you all. Faced with this situation, what choice would you make? Stick to the original plan, and build a nest with soft net where the Charmony Dove fell? Or build a cage for it, and feed it, giving it the utmost care from within the warmth of a home? I eagerly await your answer.
In later months, different versions of the monologue began appearing online, including emojipasta, Gen Alpha and pirate versions of the meme.
How Did Sunday's Charmony Dove Monologue Become A Meme?
In September 2024, Redditors and Honkai Star Rail fans began sharing memes and jokes about Sunday's seeming obsession with doves, as seen in an absolutenutcase162 meme posted by Redditor /u/libertoasz and a They Don't Know meme posted to /r/HonkaiMemeRail by Redditor /u/PESSSSTILENCE.
For the full history of Sunday's 'Charmony Dove' Monologue, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.