Summary
- Genshin Impact's Archon War shaped the division of Teyvat among powerful gods vying for Celestia's seats and the source of their power.
- Inazuma saw Makoto and Ei battle Orobashi, creating Watatsumi Island; Sumeru's gods fell, while Fontaine involved an ancient civilization.
- Barbatos and Morax remain as original Archons post-war; successors and reincarnations took over the duties of others.
Genshin Impact has excellent world-building, with stories that have happened as far back as thousands of years ago--stories like the Archon War. Genshin Impact's Archon War was a means of deciding who would sit in the seven seats high above in Celestia and become an Archon. Not every god had an interest in that; some just wanted to defend their territory. Once the gods had their seats, the nations of Teyvat were divided up and given to the gods. The land was there before, as the gods were already in their regions, but now it was more official, so to speak.
There is not enough information currently in the game to determine why exactly the war came about. While the goal was those seven seats in Celestia and the Gnoses (the source of the Archon's power, and what truly makes them an Archon and not just a powerful and intimidating god), it is believed that everything had been fine before the Archon War. The war came seemingly out of nowhere, and yet managed to cause a serious unraveling of events. Since the Archon War's impact on Mondstadt and Liyue has been covered, the focus here will be Inazuma, Sumeru, and Fontaine.
Genshin Impact: The Archon War Explained
Inazuma in the Archon War
In the beginning, there were (by technicality) two Archons residing in Inazuma. However, since the Archon War was about deciding who gets to become an Archon, it may be more accurate to say there were two main gods in the nation: Makoto, the one who would eventually become the Archon, and her twin sister Ei, her shadow. The term specifically used is Kagemusha, meaning shadow warrior. Ei herself says in "Promise of a People's Dream" that her own name always means shadow. She follows her sister into battle, but she appears to have operated similar to how the Raiden Shogun does.
When the era of the Archon War came, Orobashi's fall is perhaps the most prominent event. At some point, Makoto and Ei had to turn on Orobashi, since they'd previously been at peace with one another, and fend it off. Orobashi made way to Enkanomiya, where it then proceeded to rescue people and return them to the surface. It's also said that Genshin Impact's Watatsumi Island was made from its scales when returning the people to the surface.
Sumeru in the Archon War
Sumeru is an odd case. The three gods who resided there -- the Goddess of Flowers, Rukkhadevata, and King Deshret -- all appeared to live in harmony. They seemed to have their own issues going on around the time of the Archon War (forbidden knowledge that King Deshret has his dealings with), and none of them ever seemed to be at one another's throats when it came to the topic of the Gnosis. In fact, in the Plume of Death piece in the Flower of Paradise Lost set, King Deshret is implied to have turned away the Gnosis when Celestia offered it to him.
According to Kusanali, King Deshret and the Goddess of Flowers fell thousands of years ago. Since the Archon War is stated to have ended roughly 2,000 years ago, they likely fell during that time. Afterward, she was the only one left and the only one who could have the Gnosis. Though, after she had to erase Rukkhadevata in Irminsul, Teyvat only knows of Lesser Lord Kusanali and what she did for her people. Rukkhadevata is no longer there in Teyvat's history, as if she never had been to begin with.
Fontaine in the Archon War
There is very little information about Fontaine during the Archon War, but based off of what is available, a lot of fairly sound conclusions can be made. Firstly, it wouldn't have been Fontaine at the time. Rather, it would have been the ancient civilization of Remuria. At this time, the old Hydro Archon Egeria was said to have been temporarily sealed away by Celestia for making humans out of Oceanids using Primordial Seawater.
King Remus then took over ruling Remuria and tried to gather all the tribes in the area to come under his rule. His original intention may have been protection, but it soon turned into a conquest of land. Dragon King Scylla intervened and brought King Remus down and afterward, Egeria was freed for the purpose of ruling the land again. One of the first things that happened under her returning rule was the exiling of criminals. When some begged for mercy and redemption, she granted it by having them build the Fortress of Meropide to hide the Primordial Sea.
Archon War: In the End
After everything, only Barbatos and Morax are the remaining original Archons that came into power after the war. Later on, after Khaenri'ah fell and brought chaos to the land, Makoto fell and left Ei to take over. She passed control on over to her second puppet, the Raiden Shogun, after tossing away her first prototype puppet, who became Scaramouche/The Wanderer, but she is still the Archon of Inazuma.
Rukkhadevata also had to be reborn after the Cataclysm and was replaced by her reincarnation, Buer/Kusanali. Again, after erasing Rukkhadevata from Irminsul, she became the only Archon to ever exist, but she is not considered one of the original Seven. Egeria fell during the Cataclysm as well and became the Amrita Pool and had her conscious placed into the Harvisptokhm, succeeded eventually by Focalors.
Genshin Impact
- Released
- September 28, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
Step into Teyvat, a vast world teeming with life and flowing with elemental energy.
You and your sibling arrived here from another world. Separated by an unknown god, stripped of your powers, and cast into a deep slumber, you now awake to a world very different from when you first arrived.
Thus begins your journey across Teyvat to seek answers from The Seven — the gods of each element. Along the way, prepare to explore every inch of this wondrous world, join forces with a diverse range of characters, and unravel the countless mysteries that Teyvat holds...
MASSIVE OPEN WORLD
Climb any mountain, swim across any river, and glide over the world below, taking in the jaw-dropping scenery each step of the way. And if you stop to investigate a wandering Seelie or strange mechanism, who knows what you might discover?
ELEMENTAL COMBAT SYSTEM
Harness the seven elements to unleash elemental reactions. Anemo, Electro, Hydro, Pyro, Cryo, Dendro, and Geo interact in all sorts of ways, and Vision wielders have the power to turn this to their advantage.
Will you vaporize Hydro with Pyro, electro-charge it with Electro, or freeze it with Cryo? Your mastery of the elements will give you the upper hand in battle and exploration.
BEAUTIFUL VISUALS
Feast your eyes on the world around you, with a stunning art style, real-time rendering, and finely tuned character animations delivering you a truly immersive visual experience. Lighting and weather all change naturally over time, bringing every detail of this world to life.
SOOTHING SOUNDTRACK
Let the beautiful sounds of Teyvat draw you in as you explore the expansive world around you. Performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the soundtrack changes seamlessly with the time and gameplay to match the mood.
BUILD YOUR DREAM TEAM
Team up with a diverse cast of characters in Teyvat, each with their own unique personalities, stories, and abilities. Discover your favorite party combinations and level up your characters to help you conquer even the most daunting of enemies and domains.
JOURNEY WITH FRIENDS
Team up with friends across various platforms to trigger more elemental action, tackle tricky boss fights, and conquer challenging domains together to reap rich rewards.
As you stand atop the peaks of Jueyun Karst and take in the rolling clouds and vast terrain stretching out before you, you may wish to stay in Teyvat a little longer... But until you are reunited with your lost sibling, how can you rest? Go forth, Traveler, and begin your adventure!
- ESRB
- Teen / Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items), Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
- Publisher(s)
- HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
- Engine
- Unity
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, iOS, Android
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Action, Adventure, Gacha, Open-World
- Metascore
- 86
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- Mobile, PC, PS4 & PS5
