With the current rate that Genshin Impact reveals its main storyline, the game’s conclusion is a long way off. The story is taking its sweet time. In hindsight, it’s quite an effective strategy for keeping the game relevant. At the moment, there’s no shortage of fan theories and speculations regarding the game’s narrative direction, particularly the morality involved in being the game’s main character.
The latest developments in the story have left many players scratching their heads as to who’s on the good side or the bad side. The game has left certain thing open-ended, which means they are open to player interpretation. So the result is that we may or may not actually be the good guy in Genshin Impact.
10 Villain: Paimon Is Shady
One has to recall that the way Paimon formed a liaison with the Traveler is sketchy from the beginning. By now, we’re all just used to Emergency Food-kun being around that we’ve given her a pass for being questionable at times.
Even her name is based on a rather notorious demonic king in certain religions. For all we know, Paimon could be manipulating the Traveler as many eagle-eyed fans have already pointed out how she could be the game’s final villain.
9 Hero: Fixing Tons Of Social Problems
Even though the Traveler might be under a demon’s manipulative guile, there’s no denying that the people of Teyvat need help. There’s no shortage of needy and troubled people from Mondstadt to Liyue. The players end up helping all of them.
That makes the Traveler some sort of local hero who fixes more problems than the nation’s natives ever have in their tenure (looking at you Knights of Favonius). One way or another, the people of both Liyue and Mondstadt ought to see the Traveler in a heroic light.
8 Villain: Hilichurl Massacre
The Hilichurls are often considered enemy fodder in Genshin Impact. Many people assume that since the Traveler is on the right side of morality, the Hilichurls must be bad.
In hindsight, there’s no solid statement that the Hilichurls are bad and Mondstadt or Liyue are good. The whole situation could well be a grey area since the game hasn’t revealed much detail about the lore surrounding Genshin Impact’s factions. Sure enough, to the Hilichurls, we’re the villains. It’s all about perspective.
7 Hero: Helping All Of Teyvat
It’s not just the people’s personal problems that the Traveler oversees but also some of the more catastrophic forces in the world. The most immediate one that comes to mind is Stormterror Dvalin who could have destroyed all of Mondstadt if it wasn’t for the Traveler’s intervention.
A similar thing also happened in Liyue with Osial though that one is more of a power-play between the Fatui Harbingers and the Geo Archon so it’s a morally grey area. Still, every little contribution to keep Teyvat apocalypse-free counts.
6 Villain: Archons Are Named After Demons
Another thing that makes the Archons of Teyvat seem disingenuous is their name. All the seven Archons have their official names based on biblical demons in real life. Zhongli is named Morax, Venti is Barbatos, and the upcoming Electro Archon is Baal.
Paired with Paimon’s name and her sinister hints (albeit jokingly), it would appear that something is amiss with these “deities.” The fact that the Traveler is working in their interests without much question doesn’t help matters.
5 Hero: The Archons Love Their People
The Archons, even before their Archon War, were traditionally compelled to love their own people. Zhongli and Venti were perfect examples of these as both of them would sacrifice their safety in order to fight for those who believe in them.
At best, the Archons are benevolent to their subjects and take good care of them. However, that does sound rather conditional and at times, even mutual since Archons like Venti draw power from his followers’ faith in him.
4 Villain: The Archons Are Up To Something
While Archons are tasked with a huge responsibility, they’re also but mere individuals who have their own whims and aspirations. Zhongli got tired of his duties and Venti is a carefree drunk most of the time. They’re also not the worst as there’s also the Tsaritsa who’s up to something big.
The community’s common collective guess is that the Tsaritsa wants to depose and usurp the seat of power in Celestia, which is the faction in Teyvat that grants godhood. That’s one suspected angle since the Tsaritsa is collecting all the Archon’s Gnoses and Zhongli gave his willingly. Whether it’s for the greater good or their own hubris remains to be seen.
3 Hero: Teyvat Isn’t So Bad
Yet another thing to perhaps clear your conscience in helping all of Teyvat is how in the Genshin Impact lore, it’s actually the best place to be. That’s because Teyvat is devoid of all the other gods who lost in the Archon War or refused to submit to the seven Archons’ rule.
They were dubbed as evil gods and presumably went on to be tyrants in their own domains outside of the seven nations in Teyvat. Compared to the rest of the world in Genshin Impact, the seven nations of Teyvat might well be humanity’s paradise.
2 Villain: Your Twin Is On The Enemy Team
With that said, one revelation in Genshin Impact gave more questions than answers and that would be your twin sibling’s allegiance. Apparently, he/she became the leader of the Abyss Order, a faction that hails from the Abyss which is a region beneath Teyvat. They want to ruin Teyvat for reasons of their own.
The fact that the Traveler’s sibling became their leader and understands their plight and intentions could mean they’re fighting for something just and reasonable. That begs the question of whether Teyvat is actually an innocent and clean place or not.
1 Hero: Everyone’s Friendly To You
Regardless of whether Teyvat has some dark secrets or not, at least the people who live there right now are friendly and decent to the Traveler. Also, they’re decent to themselves aside from a few brought bandits and the occasional Fatui interloper.
Most of the people in Teyvat are kind and have their own culture of hospitality. Being part of this kind of crowd is always a morally upright lifestyle. They harbor no hate and don’t want to invade other lands. Then again, things might change once we actually see the five other remaining nations.
NEXT: Genshin Impact: 10 Expert Tips For Free Players
