Genshin Impact’s Fatui Harbingers and their lore, explained

Genshin Impact developer Hoyoverse released a teaser trailer that gave fans a look at one of the game’s most dastardly group of villains: the Fatui Harbingers. Supervillains like to be hot and they were portrayed in the teaser. Fans will enjoy a wide variety of supervillains. The months leading up to the game’s 3.0 Sumeru update have been packed with leak after leak, and this reveal came as a welcome surprise to fans — finally putting faces to some of the game’s most infamous characters.

Bis now in Genshin Impact we’ve only met three Harbingers: Signora, Scaramouche, and Childe. Hoyoverse has revealed eleven new characters within a few minutes. Although it might seem overwhelming to have so many characters drop in one go, Hoyoverse has been slowly building their reveal through its legends. Here’s everything we know so far about the Fatui Harbingers to help refresh you on these characters as we head into the 3.0 update.

[Ed note: The article contains spoilers for events that take place in the Inazuma archon quest line. You might not want to read if you’re not up to date on the story through the game’s 2.7 update.]

What’s going on in the trailer?

It appears that this trailer is set after the mainline quest. The trailer shows that the Traveler is now in the Chasm, having helped to resolve Inazuma’s internal conflict. The trailer shows Signora’s Harbingers grieving their loss. Signora, a powerful fighter was defeated in battle by The Traveler, and later killed by the Raiden Shogun, an Inazuma leader. Both the Shogun and the Traveler had already discovered a Fatui conspiracy that led to the Shogun’s defeat.

Hoyoverse

The trailer debuts bits and pieces of each character, with some squabbling between the group, as tensions are high in the wake of Signora’s death. However, their leader, Pierro, interjects, “Let every worthy sacrifice be carved in ice, and with this nation endure for all time. In the name of Her Majesty, the Tsaritsa, we will seize authority from the gods.”

What does the Fatui mean?

Fatui in the game is a team of diplomats who hail from Snezhnaya’s northern region. They are governed by the Cryo archon of ice, the Tsaritsa. (The land appears to be inspired by Russia, but we don’t know the details since it isn’t part of the game yet.) The Fatui represents the Tsaritsa’s interests overseas, and while the organization is formally known as a diplomatic delegation, it often undermines the internal workings of other nations.

The Fatui are working on a darker objective, which involves the use of power from the gods. The Fatui Harbingers, which are elements gods, have so far acquired or stolen the Gnosis. This is a unique item that can only be obtained by an elemental God for the Anemo and Geo archons. The Fatui have also caused chaos in many regions. One example is how they caused conflict in Inazuma, feeding false information to the leader. As enemies you can defeat, generic Fatui agents are also common in the game.

Are there any Fatui Harbingers around?

Fatui Harbingers is a council made up 11 combatants who rose to the top of the Tsaritsa’s leadership ranks. The Delusion is an artificially manufactured means of harnessing elemental powers. The gods of Teyvat usually give elemental powers to their players through talismans known as Visions. However, Harbingers created the powers artificially using dubious techniques. Previous boss fights between Harbingers, Signora and Childe showed players how they can wield extraordinary power as well as transform into terrifying new versions of themselves.

Hoyoverse

We’ve heard about some of the Harbingers during our adventures in Teyvat through stories and quests. Fans have also pointed out that their names correspond to characters and archetypes from a form of early Italian theater called “commedia dell’arte,” which hints at the role each will play as the rest of the game’s story plays out. Childe, our playable character, serves as the main link to the Harbingers. He has also played an important role in some mainline quests.

Here’s what we know about each of them:

• Childe (Tartaglia)Childe is one of the most prominent Harbingers. He’s also the youngest. We meet him for the first time in Liyue and find out he’s behind a plan to awaken a sea monster that threatens the safety of Liyue Harbor. Despite everything that happens, he’s a friend of both the Geo Archon and the Traveler and deeply cares about his family.
• Pierro, The Jester: Pierro is the Harbinger who was also the founder of the group. He is the one sitting at the top of the table in the trailer. He’s a mysterious figure and is the one to stop the other members’ squabbling.
• Scaramouche (Balladeer): Scaramouche doesn’t appear in the recent trailer, but he met the Traveler in the Electro Archon quest. In the events of the game, Yae Miko trades him the Gnosis of the Electro archon in exchange for the Traveler’s life. He’s also rumored to be a playable character.
• Signora (Rosalyne-Kruzchka Lohefalter)Signora, a particularly determined member of the board, dies during the Inazuma political fall-out. Signora was the one responsible for collecting Gnosis from Geo Archon and the Anemo.
• Arlecchino (The Knave). In the teaser, Arlecchino appears to be the most upset over Signora’s death and calls some of them “heartless businessmen.” She’s an orphan but little is known about her.
• Pulcinella (Rooster): We see Pulcinella, a petite and long-nosed character who announces the funeral. We don’t know a lot about him, but he appears to maintain a good relationship with Childe and takes care of Childe’s family as he works abroad.
• Pantalone (Regrator). In his remarks, Childe describes Pantalone as a man with “grandiose plans fueled by raw ambition.” He also appears to manage the finances for the Fatui.
• Il Dottore, (The Doctor).: Dottore falls into the “mad scientist” archetype. His appearance in manga reveals that he conducted unsavory experiments on Mondstadt citizens. He has also been described as having an interest in researching the Ruin Guards that speckle Teyvat’s landscape.
• Capitano: While all of the Harbingers are powerful, Childe notes Capitano’s prowess on the battlefield and aspires to prove his worth to him.
• Sandrone (Marionette): We don’t know much about her, but she appears to be a puppeteer.
• Columbina (Damselette),: We see Damselette laying on Signora’s grave in the teaser. Again we don’t know much, but Childe appears to be wary of her power.

Here is a picture of all the reveal photos with the stills.

Why are people so happy?

The Fatui Harbingers are an unknown and ominous group within the game’s world. They’ve played a huge role but have been largely working from the shadows.

The teaser trailer showed all the characters in one place, appearing almost out of nowhere. It’s a huge reveal with a lot of new characters, and this is a community known for hyping up almost every new release of a single character. There are many people. already making fan art and memesThe announcement. (Oh! and there are many more) the Fatui Harbingers are hot, so that doesn’t hurt either.)