Hertzsprung–Russell diagram showing the inferred stellar parameters of the MWC 656 companion in comparison to known stripped stars. The lower-mass subdwarf sample (green; Wang et al. 2021; Peters et al. 2013, 2016; Mourard et al. 2015; Klement et al. 2022), two hot subdwarfs and merger product candidates (maroon; Krtička et al. 2024), intermediate-mass stripped stars in the Magellanic clouds (blue; Götberg et al. 2023), and the companion in MWC 656 (black; $T_{\mathrm{eff}}={85}_{-5}^{+10}$kK, log L/L_⊙ = 4.0 ± 0.2) occupy the region between the hydrogen ZAMS (grey) and the helium ZAMS (orange). Figure layout inspired by Götberg et al. (2023), their Fig. 8.