Genshin Impact's Sumeru region introduced a large variety of different characters, with one of them being Alhaitham, the current scribe of Sumeru Akademiya. Initially released in Genshin Impact's version update 3.4, Alhaitham receives an early rerun alongside many other Sumeru characters in version 3.7, giving players another opportunity to obtain him.
While most players are familiar with Alhaitham's gameplay and his role as a Dendro main-DPS, as well as his significant presence in the Sumeru story arc, there are several details about his design, as well as certain coincidences and secrets surrounding his character, that may have been missed by some players.
6 Alhaitham's Name Origins
As with many other playable characters, locations, and even NPCs from the Sumeru region, players will notice that Alhaitham's name also bears a resemblance to names of Islamic origin. In his case, it is believed that his name is a direct reference to Ibn al-Haytham, who was a prominent academic and scientist during the Islamic Golden Era. Interestingly, Ibn al-Haytham is renowned for his works in optics, specifically in the field of vision and perception. This may explain why he was chosen as an inspiration for Alhaitham's name, especially considering that Alhaitham's skills involve generating chisel-light mirrors that reflect light.
Furthermore, players may observe that among the many books Alhaitham reads, there is one particular book on Aristotle's Physics. This subtle reference breaks the fourth wall and draws a connection to another significant scientific figure who shares similarities with Alhaitham. Interestingly, Ibn al-Haytham also wrote a critical book on Aristotle's Physics, adding to the coincidences and connections between Alhaitham and these two intellectual figures.
5 Alhaitham Has A Lot Of Hidden Interaction Bits With Kaveh
Many players who've followed along the storyline of these characters, as well as events in Genshin Impact, are aware that these two characters are roommates with rather opposite personalities, resulting in many fun and unique interactions between these characters for players to enjoy. Alongside the apparent interactions, however, players can even see more interaction between them in different bulletin boards across Sumeru, namely at Puspa Cafe, Mahamata Bulletin Board, and lastly at Port Ormos. Funnily enough, it turns out that Kaveh has written these messages when he is drunk and does not remember writing them.
In addition to all these interactions, it can also be said that they do resemble the interaction between Plato and Aristotle, especially considering that Kaveh is the senior of Alhaitham and does enjoy bringing this up. Furthermore, their outlook on life, with Kaveh being an idealist like Plato and Alhaitham being a materialist like Aristotle, also further supports this theory. To add to this, while it may entirely be a coincidence, Kaveh's splash pose art highly resembles Plato's pose in the painting of Plato and Aristotle, showing that this connection might really be intended for their design.
4 Alhaitham Resembles Su
Considering that HoYoVerse enjoys bringing characters from other titles to their newer titles, it is not surprising that Alhaitham has a counterpart in Honkai Impact 3rd to the same extent. While with some characters like Raiden Mei or Yae Miko, this is much more apparent, in Alhaitham's case, his counterpart is Su, while their personalities are rather different.
Both of these characters have a similar hairstyle, particularly when it comes to the hair color, being grey with green highlights, as well as a similar body figure and outfit design. While some may think that it may simply be a coincidence, what's more is that they also share the same voice actor for the Chinese language.
3 Alhaitham Is Not Interested In Being A Leader
Alhaitham is shown to be rather introverted, preferring to keep a low profile instead of being portrayed as a hero. This aspect of his personality becomes evident when he declines the role of becoming the next Grand Sage, despite initially accepting it temporarily due to the turbulent situation following the events of the Sumeru arc's Archon Quest.
Alhaitham's interest lies in leading a quiet and comfortable life, which aligns more with his current role rather than taking charge and being at the forefront of every situation. Furthermore, it is strongly implied that Alhaitham dislikes being in the presence of large crowds, as he can be seen walking with his music player and headphones to block out unnecessary noise and focus on his own tasks.
2 Alhaitham’s Favourite Hobby Is Reading
While Alhaitham can be seen socializing and visiting taverns to meet up with old friends, considering his aspiration for a quiet life and his role as a scholar with a strong interest in knowledge, it comes as no surprise that he enjoys reading, particularly challenging books. When players visit his house, they will notice an abundance of books scattered throughout the space.
What's even more intriguing is that Alhaitham's dislike for soup, his least favorite food, aligns with his hobby. He finds soups difficult to eat while reading, further highlighting his dedication to spending his leisure time immersed in books. His preference for logic and efficiency is evident even in his choice of disliked food.
1 Alhaitham's Birthday Is February 11
As far as Genshin Impact birthday celebrations go, Alhaitham is considered one of the luckier characters as his birthday is not long after his initial release date. This means that players could receive a birthday mail from Alhaitham, which discusses the importance of reading books, along with some Sumeru talent materials and his specialty dish, Ideal Circumstance.
While Alhaitham's birthday may not coincide with a significant world event date, making it seem less unique, it is interesting to note that his birthday actually falls on the same date as his English voice actor. Whether this was a mere coincidence or a deliberate plan is unknown, but it is certainly a rare occurrence for a Genshin Impact character and their voice actor to share the same birthday.
Genshin Impact is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, and mobile devices. A Switch version is in development.