Genshin Impact has showcased its newest upcoming 5-star character in a stylish demo reel. The newest addition to MiHoYo's roster has appeared in game before, but their release marks a major milestone for Genshin Impact as the first playable inclusion of a character from Inazuma, Genshin Impact's Japanese-influenced nation that is the current focal point of the game's developing story.
The character is Kaedehara Kazuha, an Anemo-using swordsman. The samurai has been an awaited character for some time, but the trailer details more about the character than was known prior. As a part of Liyue's Crux Fleet, led by Beidou, Kazuha is bound to play a major role in the progression of the story as the Traveler heads towards the much-anticipated island nation of Inazuma.
Their combat style is, much like other Anemo characters, focused on rapid strikes and enemy placement. While Anemo characters generally don't output much damage on their own, they often act as catalysts for the other elements to shine, meaning they make ideal support characters in any Genshin Impact team. Kazuha is showcased to have a large AoE blade attack as well as a rapid movement-based ability, allowing him to position optimally to disable the most opponents at once.
The red-garbed samurai was first revealed in leaks at the end of April, which have proved to be highly accurate in terms of the character's design and moveset. Kazuha has already been released on Genshin Impact's eastern datacentres, with western players likely to see the character release with the imminent end of Klee's Return banner. The Anemo swordsman marks the debut of Inazuma on Genshin Impact's roster of 34 characters (including the upcoming release of Kazuha).
Kazuha is a character fundamentally built on Japanese influence- making them a top pick for Inazuma's first playable character. From their glowing katana, haiku-spouting mediation, to a now-ubiquitous Kurosawa-esque black and white showdown, Kaedehara Kazuha is Inazuma distilled, a one-man show that tells players about the upcoming island nation; their style, their inspiration, and, importantly for an action RPG, their combat style.
The supportive nature of Anemo characters means they have some nuance that can be missed without proper planning, though the ease of use of most sword characters means Kazuha should be a fairly simple addition to any team. Paired with the naturally inflated stats, and skill pool, that comes with being a 5-star character in Genshin Impact and you have a recipe for a potent swordsman, strong enough to build entire teams around.
Genshin Impact should see Kazuha's banner drop before the end of Genshin Impact's current themed event, Distant Voyage, which is only fitting considering Kazuha is a central character in the event's storyline. Players should ready their wishes if they want a chance to obtain the new character as soon as they release.
Genshin Impact is out now on PC, PS4 and PS5, as well as on Android and iOS devices.
