Venti is far and away one of Genshin Impact’s most popular characters. He’s canonically very powerful (a god, some might say), he has insanely Elemental Skills, and his design is just so memorable. So, it makes sense that the fanbase is desperately pleading with Mihoyo to bring this 5-Star character’s banner back.
But, there’s a lot about this Anemo Archon that doesn’t quite add up…at least not yet. After all, Genshin Impact is still an “incomplete” game, with new regions, lore, and characters coming out every month or so (such as with the Dragonspine Expansion). But, with what players know so far, here are some of the things about Venti that don’t make sense.
10 Where’s His Beard?
Names are important, especially in media like anime, comics, or even films. And, consequently, a lot of properties like to name their characters in ways that directly translate to something that resonates with either their appearance or personality. Diluc’s name, in Latin, roughly translates to “dawn” or “daybreak” which is apt for a Pyro user like him. Xiangling’s name is derived from food (Water Chestnuts to be precise), which couldn’t make more sense for a wandering chef.
So then, where does Barbatos, Venti’s real name, come from? Well, it pulls from a Duke of Hell in demonology with the same name (as does Morax), but the name itself translates to “bearded” or “bearded one.” Therefore, where is Venti’s beard? How can a guy have a name that translates into something he doesn’t have?
9 Why Does He Never Change Forms Again?
There are a couple of characters who seem to show off new outfits in the Webtoon/Comic series Mihoyo officially put out (as well as some pretty important plot implications). Diluc, for example, has a few new outfit candidates in his flashback. Amber also has a special costume on during the Lupi Harpastum festival. And, in the first chapter of the Webtoon, Venti changes into what seems to be his Archon form while helping Vanessa fight Ursa.
When Venti changes into this form, it’s in full view of other people so it’s not a secret, he only uses a bit of Anemo power, and it just seems a bit unnecessary. But, if it wasn’t required to help in that situation, why did he do it? And why is there no cutscene of his form changing in the game, where he uses his Anemo powers much more frequently?
8 How Exactly Does A Spirit Become Human?
Player’s find out about Venti’s past early on, but just-in-case, here’s a recap. During the reign of the previous Anemo Archon, Decarabian, Venti manifests into being as a small Anemo spirit and takes a liking to a human boy (called the Nameless Bard) who eventually leads a rebellion. But, during the rebellion, the Bard is sadly killed and is never able to see the world outside that windy Prison.
Therefore, in honor of him, Venti becomes “human” in the form of the Bard. However, Mihoyo sort of skipped over how exactly that transition from spirit-to-human works. From what fans know of the lore, Venti likely ascended to Celestia thanks to the Gunnhildr Clan’s faith in him, and when asked, he chose to take the form of his friend. As it isn’t explained in-game (yet), this is, at best, just a fan theory (of which there are plenty).
7 How Can He Even Function With A Gnosis?
Everyone knows that Venti’s Vision is fake. It’s a fake contraption he made in order to blend in with other humans while still giving himself the ability to use his Anemo powers. Archons actually draw from a different source for their power, a little Chess Piece they keep inside themselves like an organ which is called a “Gnosis.” But, at some point in the story, Venti is attacked by Signora and has his Gnosis stolen.
Without it, how can Venti even use any power at all? Remember, a Gnosis is basically a Vision for the Archons, and without it, they should have barely any connection to Celestia at all. How does Venti (or Morax, better known as Zhongli) continue to use Elemental Energy after their Gnosis is gone?
6 How Did He Lose Without Putting Up A Fight?
Speaking of the showdown between Signora and Venti, how did he manage to lose that badly? Sure, Venti isn’t actively lording over Mondstadt, so his power is pretty weak compared to the other Archons, but he’s still an ascended being. Plus, the Traveler was with him, a transdimensional warrior who eats Fatui for breakfast.
In what world does it make sense that two Fatui Agents held the Traveler back long enough so that Venti could lose a fight to Signora so one-sidedly? Honestly, the disparity between Venti’s power in-game and in cutscenes almost feels like a plot-hole at this point.
5 Why Can He Be Healed In-Game But Not In Cutscenes?
Another contradiction between Venti in-game and in the cutscenes has to do with the one that takes place right after his Gnosis is stolen. Venti is hurt by Signora, but the resident healer for Mondstadt, the Idol Barbara, says that her powers don’t seem to work on Venti.
Obviously, it can be inferred that because Venti is a diety made up of pure Anemo/Celestial Energy, this sort of healing wouldn’t work for him. But if that’s the case, how does food & alcohol affect him? How does he get drunk? How does he eat food? Why can Barabara heal him no problem when they’re both on the same team in-game?
4 Why Can’t He Use Magic To Disguise Himself & Order A Drink?
The fans get it, Venti’s child-like form is because he wanted to honor his departed friend. And yes, that’s very sweet, but has he not figured out how to disguise himself in order to go into bars?
The guy can make the destroyed Holy Lyre der Himmel look brand new again (for a time) with “magic,” but he can’t use this same trick on himself long enough to order a drink?
3 How Does A Celestial Deity Suffer From Allergies?
Genshin Impact’s definition of what makes a “god” must be very different from the norm because these Archons seem to be able to die, get drunk, and eat food. They even seem to have allergies. It’s confirmed by the “Venti’s Troubles” Story section in his Character Bio that this Anemo Archon is incredibly allergic to cats, in fact, even just thinking about them gets him sneezing.
The common guess in the fanbase is that Venti was probably picked on by cats while he was still a little spirit, and that hatred manifested as an allergic reaction once he “became human.” However, this is just another fan theory to help cover up an aspect of Barbatos that doesn’t quite make sense.
2 Why Does His Vision Summon A Lyre If He’s Not A Catalyst User?
This next one just doesn’t make sense from a design standpoint. Why is Venti even an Archer in the first place? Fans have already seen that characters can “fight” with music if the developers will it so, just look at Barbara’s “Let The Show Begin.”
Therefore, wouldn’t it make more sense for Venti to use a Catalyst (like a Lyre) to propel his music and Anemo Energy with dangerous force? There’s an implication in one of the in-game books, “The Boy and the Whirlwind” to be precise, that implies that Venti uses a bow to honor Decarabian’s Former Lover who joined the rebellion and died. However, that seems like quite the stretch.
1 Does No One Question His Glowing Braids?
Lastly, why does no one question Venti’s glowing braids? Every time the lad summons even a poof of wind, his braids glow. How has no one in Mondstadt questioned this? There’s no other character in the game who has anything other than their Vision light up while they use Elemental Abilities, just Venti.
Given that Venti is actually pulling the power from his Gnosis inside himself, it actually makes sense that something on his body would glow. What doesn’t make sense is that people just seem to ignore it.
NEXT: Genshin Impact: 10 Things You Need to Know About Albedo
