The story of Genshin Impact is filled with complexities and lore that hide just under the surface; every event and character is connected, in a world where lore goes back over 6000 years. From the Cataclysm to the deadly Archon War, there are a lot of plot points that players must account for when playing the adventure RPG title.
That said, with a cast of powerful characters as extensive as that found Genshin Impact and a story set to develop over 10 years, many of the key players in Teyvat are more mysterious than might initially seem to be the case.
10 Traveler
Though the protagonist of Genshin Impact, the Traveler is one of the characters with the most questions surrounding them. Why can they use all seven elements? Where are they from? Overall, who actually is the Traveler?
Fans will know that they are a godly being (though the Traveler themselves is not fully aware of this), but outside of that, very little is known about who the Travelers are and why they move between worlds. And with a story as long as that in Genshin Impact, it's likely to be a long time before players get definitive answers.
9 Ganyu
Outside of Zhongli, Ganyu is the oldest confirmed character in Genshin Impact at the moment. Yet, this in itself makes Ganyu very mysterious, in that many of the same questions asked about Archons must be applied to Ganyu as well.
Ganyu lived during the Cataclysm, so where was she during the event? As it is, Ganyu could have possibly been involved in many of the controversial events in Teyvat lore, or at the least, she is likely more knowledgable about them than other characters in the story. Even if it is true that she wasn't involved in these events, it's still blaring that Ganyu has a lot of her whereabouts unaccounted for.
8 Alice
The author of the Teyvat Travel Guides, Alice is currently a character without a face in Genshin Impact. She is the mother of everybody's favorite Sparkle Knight Klee, and so, fans do know a little bit about Alice through her and characters like Albedo.
Nonetheless, Alice’s whereabouts and origin are shrouded in mystery. A recording of her voice was released in the Midsummer Island Adventure event, which explained her relationship with Klee. However, outside of this brief appearance, there is very little information on why Alice is traveling or where she came from. Some fans have made speculations about her role in the story, saying that she may be a cross-world traveler like Genshin Impact's protagonist, given her knowledge of seemingly Earth-like concepts (like the idol magazines that brought Barbara to her current lifestyle).
7 Kaeya
The Cataclysm is without a doubt the most integral event in Genshin Impact history; it saw the destruction of Khaenri’ah and the cursing of its residents. Yet, there are a few inhabitants that not only are alive but have also dodged the curse that created the Abyss Order.
One of these inhabitants, Kaeya is currently the Cavalier Captain of the Knights of Favonius. He is Khaenri’an and was abandoned in Mondstadt as a child. However, while his history is known, it leaves noticeable questions. Why was Kaeya abandoned? How did he dodge the fate that his countrymen fell to?
6 Raiden Shogun
Archons are naturally mysterious due to their position of power in Teyvat and their ancient histories. New with Inazuma, the Raiden Shogun is perhaps the least mysterious of the currently known Archons; most events in her history are conclusive. In general, Raiden Ei is a kage-musha, or a shadow warrior, that fought alongside her sister during the Cataclysm.
Yet, despite it being confirmed that Raiden Ei became the Electro Archon after her sister’s death in the Cataclysm, there is still a lot of mystery to the entire ordeal. How and by who did the previous Archon die?
5 Shenhe
A human raised by the Adepti, Shenhe is at least an unusual sight among the people of Liyue. Those living in the harbor often mistake her for an Adeptus, yet, the reason for her peculiar situation is what makes her mysterious compared to many in Genshin Impact’s cast.
When Shenhe was young, she was sacrificed to a demon that lived in a cave near her village in Lisha. However, despite focusing on the story of her survival and subsequent adoption by the Adepti, the quest leaves a lot of questions about Shenhe’s past. It's known that Shenhe has a curse of calamity, but what does this really mean? And likewise, who and what was the demon she fought as a child?
4 Scaramouche
The Sixth Fatui Harbinger, Scaramouche has a long history: first created by the Raiden Ei, then becoming Kunikuzushi, and finally, joining the Fatui. Yet, despite all of the released history, there’s still a lot about Scaramouche that is unknown. For one, the time between becoming Kunikuzushi and a Fatui Harbinger is completely unaccounted for, leaving many wondering how Scaramouche spent his days during this time frame.
Most important of all, Scaramouche is currently unaccounted for in the story. After the events of Inazuma, Scaramouche snatched the Electro Gnosis and subsequently disappear; this event was so concerning that the Tsaritsa sent Tartaglia to Inazuma during the Labyrinth Warrior’s event solely to find the Balladeer who seemingly went rogue. In addition to the unusual conclusion of the Unreconciled Stars event, many Genshin Impact theorists hypothesize that Scaramouche may know more about the world than expected — which only makes the Harbinger even more mysterious.
3 Zhongli
While Ganyu is the second oldest character in Teyvat currently, Zhongli takes the top spot in Genshin Impact. And just as fans would expect, Zhongli is a character that is far more mysterious than his Adepti counterparts. Referred to as Rex Lapus by the people of Liyue, Zhongli is best known for his contract-based mentality and participation in nearly every historical event in Teyvat, including both the Cataclysm and the Archon War (a fact that also makes Venti quite suspicious as well).
However, there have been more than a few moments in Genshin Impact’s story where Zhongli seems to be hiding something of vital importance from the Traveler. For one, Zhongli never mentioned his contract with the Fatui during Liyue’s arc in the main quest, even after it became apparent that he was the Geo Archon. In addition, during the events of Zhongli’s second quest, the Geo Archon was shown to have knowledge of the Cataclysm that he “is not allowed to tell the Traveler”, leading many to question the side that Zhongli truly works for.
2 Dainsleif
In addition to Kaeya, Dainsleif is one of the only Khaenri’an characters to have survived the curse of his people. Yet, unlike Kaeya, Dainsleif’s reason for living curse-free is well-known via the We Will Be Reunited world quest. Dainsleif survived Khaenri’ah’s curse by having another one — he is forever burdened with immortality, forced to wander Teyvat for eternity.
Yet, this answer actually leaves more questions in its place, two in particular: Why was Dainsleif given a different curse? And, what impact has Dainsleif had on the world following the Cataclysm? There are a lot of different theories surrounding Dainsleif, from his unknown power being an eighth element to him secretly being the Fatui Harbinger Pierro, which could explain his fallout with the Traveler’s Sibling. All in all, Dainsleif is perhaps the most mysterious character in Genshin Impact.
1 Paimon
Straight to the point, Paimon is the first character that the Traveler meets on their journey in Teyvat (even before meeting everybody’s favorite Outrider Amber). Yet, despite being the player’s oldest traveling companion, Paimon has little to no answers for who or what she is. Theories may surround Dainsleif, but there is quite literally nothing known about Paimon and her history.
Fans speculate a lot about what Paimon’s story is. The most prominent fan theory in Genshin Impact concludes that Paimon either is or has some relation to the Unknown God, which the Traveler fights at the beginning of the game. Should this be true, Paimon may have a much larger influence on the story than originally anticipated, perhaps even filling the position of a villain working in secret.
Genshin Impact is available on mobile, PC, PS4, and PS5. A Switch version is currently in development.
