Picking up where the first part of this series of articles left off, let’s pay some attention to the 4-stars of Sumeru, Fontaine and Natlan. Which should have received the 5-star treatment, and who gets the honorable mention – the characters that have the potential, but ultimately work better as they are.
Compared to the earlier expansions, starting with Sumeru, Genshin Impact started exploring varying backgrounds for the characters with a bit more depth to it. Not only do we have the usual warriors and mercs, Sumeru also introduced students, teachers, scribes and architects, and more. Fontaine further explored the ideas, while Natlan is a thing entirely of its own.
Let’s dive right in, enjoy!
Sumeru
The land of Wisdom is built around the Akademiya at its very core, acting both as Sumeru’s governing body as well as the most important and prestigious institute of learning in all of Teyvant, maybe only somewhat rivalled by the Fontaine Research Institute… but only in certain topics.
To this effect, the majority of playable characters are related to the Akademiya in one way or another, being graduates, students, or staff: Tighnari, Cyno, Wanderer, Alhaitham, Collei, Faruzan, etc. However, this approach also left the other half of Sumeru, its sprawling desert, without a similar degree of attention, despite the lengthy (and mostly underground) adventures that the Traveler would set out on.
Sumeru is a curious case, you can make convincing arguments for basically any 4-star besides Collei (she’s a baby and must be protected): Candace, Kaveh, Faruzan, Sethos, Dori (through her wealth and connections to such important and frankly intimidating figures such as Nefer, Alice and Skirk), all have reasons for why they could have been and maybe even should have been 5-stars. But there are equally many reasons as to why their positions are perfect as is. So, Honorable Mentions it is!
Candace – Honorable Mention
Candace, the Guardian of the Aaru Village and the scion of Al-Ahmar, fulfills largely the same role as Cyno, the General Mahamatra, does in the Rainforest, but she does so for the largest human settlement in Lower Setekh.
She is kind to travelers but strict and unforgiving to the trouble-makers, and has earned herself the moniker of “a true descendant of King Deshret” due to her heterochromia. Candace was appointed the Guardian at the tender age of 8, and it is her life’s mission to guard Aaru till the last of King Deshret’s people fade away.
Desert-dwellers believe that Candace’s shield lets her control even the finest grains of sand, while her golden eye allows her to see the future. The truth is, however, that Candace has never felt the blessing of Al-Ahmar. It is her diligence and resilience, practicing every day and honing her martial arts, that keep the village safe.
Candace also canonically wields the Staff of the Scarlet Sands – one of a paired set of scepters fashioned from obsidian. The second one is in Cyno’s possession.
To be honest, I have always felt that story-wise, Candace made more sense as the Desert’s 5-star alongside Cyno, as the two are reflections of one another. While Dehya certainly had a bigger presence during the Akademiya storylines, her involvement was that of a paid mercenary with a heart of gold. Still, undeniably Dehya had a bigger narrative presence overall with Candace being chained to the Aaru Village.
Sethos – Honorable Mention
Speaking of reflections, Sethos is the leader of the Temple of Silence, an organization tasked with keeping and guarding King Deshret’s knowledge, and the former vessel of a Ba Fragment, a shard of Hermanubis. Along with the other one, it is now in possession of Cyno.
The Temple of Silence had been a mystery through the larger part of Sumeru questline, with hints of its existence and goals scattered around and about. However, it only received special attention with the release of Sethos and Cyno’s Story Quest, Lupus Aureus Chapter: Act II – Oathkeeper, chronologically during the Fontaine cycle.
Following the clash between Sethos and Cyno, traditions and the new way forward, the Temple has begun to re-establish a collaborative relationship with the Akademiya.
So in a way, Sethos is caught in an interesting position. Ultimately he lost in a duel with Cyno, and it is the General Mahamatra that was supposed to become the new leader of the Temple. However, with his duties and responsibilities in Sumeru, he has appointed Sethos to lead in his stead.
So, one side of Sethos is a perfectly ordinary new resident of Sumeru City that enjoys helping others; the other, the new leader of the Temple of Silence that is going through changes after falling quite far from grace. Both of these identities are his, despite the apparent gulf between them, and he somehow makes it work.
Jeht
I will be forever mad until Jeht becomes playable, since Golden Slumber, especially the Dirge of Bilqis part, was one of the best Sumeru storylines even as an unvoiced World Quest. Yes, I’m breaking my own rules to sneak Jeht in since she’s an NPC and not a 4-star, but frankly she should be neither, my girl deserves to shoot straight for the playable 5-star status.
At first, we meet Jeht Ufairah Hindi and her father Jebrael as the two are hired to protect researcher Tirzad and help him investigate some ruins in the desert. What follows is a long story of loyalty, betrayal and grief that ultimately results in Jebrael sacrificing his life at Khaj-Nisut to keep others safe.
Eventually, Jeht finds herself joining her father’s original tribe known as the Tanit. With the help of the Traveler and Paimon, she sets out on a long journey to find the Eternal Oasis and bury the remains of her parents there.
The only way to find the Oasis is through the use of Jinni Fragment – all that is left of Liloupar, the destroyer of Gurabad. The Jinn is completely remorseless about her actions but agrees to the pact with the Traveler for her own goals. Even finding the Oasis, this resting place stolen away from time, does not stop the Tanit and the Fatui alike from targeting the Traveler and Jeht.
Babel attempts to set the pair up against one another, but Traveler and Jeht manage to overcome the obstacles she’d put in their way and return to the Tanit to confront Babel. Upon their return, the duo are forced to fight the entirety of the Tanit camp and kill Babel.
Afterward, Jeht leaves the deserted camp, hoping to meet again someday in the future. Note that this is a very, very simplified overview of the events that happened over thirteen world quests that span hours. Despite being an NPC, Jeht has gotten more screentime and character development than some 4-stars and even 5-stars like Emilie.
And I do truly hope we meet her again under a lovelier sun.
Honorable mention: Tadhla, the fallen falcon. You deserved better, little bird.
Fontaine
Fontaine, the nation of Justice, is in a similar position to Sumeru. Ruled by the Hydro Archon, it is the hub of culture and the arts, mechanical engineering, technology and courts. The playable characters could be easily split into factions that fill this nation: Fatui, the Meropide Keep, the Court, and so on, and the absolute majority of them are 5-stars.
Naturally, that makes this somewhat harder – there are already nine 5-stars to four 4-stars, and I want to make at least another one into a 5-star? Well, sure, but I’d also demote Sigewinne and Emilie to compensate!
Joking aside, except for aforementioned Sigewinne and Emilie, Fontaine is pretty on point with its character rarity. All important figures have gotten their shiny stars, while the four “lesser” characters generally have good reasons for being 4-stars.
Freminet and Lynette, despite both being Fatui, are content to follow their future leader, Lynney. Charlotte, despite her reputation and work ethic, is an ordinary journalist. There is only one character who could potentially get the 5-star treatment, but she’s honestly perfectly fine where she is.
Chevreuse – Honorable Mention
The Maison Gardiennage is responsible for public order and safety within Fontaine, with its main forces consisting of Gardes and Gardemeks. Additionally, there are two more important branches: The Marechaussee Phantoms that mostly deal with investigations; and the Special Security and Surveillance Patrol. This group deals with apprehending violent criminals, and is the least mechanized section of the Gardes.
Chevreuse is the renowned captain of the Maison Gardiennage’s Special Security and Surveillance Patrol, known for her unorthodox yet firm sense of justice and approach to law enforcement. She wears justice as an ever-present seal upon her heart. Her musket shall only ever point at the guilty.
Despite the protests of the other Gardes, the Special Security and Surveillance Patrol is also known to recruit the descendants of criminals, as long as they are capable of proving they can enforce justice. Chevreuse personally is also not above bribing someone for information or involving ex-criminals as consultants when she is investigating something – thank her rough childhood at Fleuve Cendre following the exile of her father Donatello for breaking the law.
This position puts her roughly on the same level as someone like Kujou Sara – she has a certain amount of power, but there are also plenty of people that she must report and respond to. The “justice” of the law is meted out by the courts, but as for Chevreuse’s own personal justice, that is carried out by her alone.
Yet, between the fact that she was introduced in an event and sat out most of the main quest, and the fact that Fontaine is already overburdened by 5-stars, almost all of them great – Honorable Mention it is!
Natlan
Natlan, the land of Pyro and War, ruled by Archon Mavuika. Its people are grouped into six tribes, all of whom fight together against the Abyss.
Throughout the story, there were repeated mentions of how Pyro Archon’s plan to defeat the Abyss involved the Sacred Flame, The Ode of Resurrection, a phenomenon specific to Natlan, and the six heroes of prophecy that will join her in the final fight.
During the Cataclysm, one hero of each clan was selected by Tenoch. In the present day, they had to resonate with their Ancient Names to receive the blessing of the Wayob. Of these, four are 5-stars – Kinich, Xilonen, Chasca and Mualani.
But there are two more characters who have taken up Ancient Names of past heroes, but remained 4-stars. Imagine if we had any of the Chrysos Heirs in Honkai: Star Rai whol ended up as 4-stars, people would riot in the streets!
Ororon – Honorable Mention
Born with an “incomplete” soul, Ororon hails from the Masters of the Night-Wind and lives a humble life tending to his vegetables and insects. When the tribe had first found him abandoned in the mountains and with no relatives to take care of him, they attempted to sacrifice him to restore Natlan’s Ley-Lines.
While the ritual had failed, the guilt stayed – especially when Ororon felt no resentment towards those who harmed him. In fact, it had filled him with this idea that he has to sacrifice his life to save others. His need to become a hero drove him restless.
In the early Natlan story, the narrative presented him as either confused or a traitor, depending on who you’d ask. He had helped The Captain, the First of the Fatui Harbingers, to escape from Mavuika and carry out his plan.
But, when the soul of Khaenri’ahn, Gunthred, attempted to take control of his body, Ororon realized that his life itself had more meaning than his death – which led to him being recognized by the Wayob, all in all not too dissimilar to Chasca. And yet, unlike her, Ororon is only a 4-star.
However, I’d admit that it fits him more than being a 5-star. For one, he likes his quiet, humble life. And secondly, he would have to wrench that additional star from the hands of his Granny, who, despite not being a Hero of Natlan, is one of the most important and knowledgeable characters of the region.
Thus, honorable mention.
Iansan
Iansan, on the other hand, had strived to prove herself from the very beginning.
Unlike her clan, the Collective of Plenty, Iansan does not possess the towering, muscular, chiseled physique. Most of the tribe looked down on Iansan, both in terms of her ambition and stature, especially after she received her Ancient Name.
Eventually, with the eyes of all Natlan watching, Iansan proved her prowess on the greatest stage, setting an all-time victory record in the Pilgrimage of the Return of the Sacred Flame. Many believe that she might have an unusual lineage, some special elemental power, but the truth is much simpler: she trains hard.
Yet her indomitable willpower did nothing to lighten the pain and soreness that frequently racked her body, nor the persistent injuries. Still, Iansan shrugged both off to return to her schedule and grow stronger by the day.
“You need not be born with power. Toil is what truly imparts strength.”
Between being a hero of Natlan, world-renowned teacher, and a powerful athlete in her own right, Iansan has all the rights to a 5-star status. Sorry, I don’t make the rules, but it is Varesa, her student, who should have been a 4-star instead.
