The lore of Genshin Impact runs deep and is one of the biggest gameplay aspects that keeps players coming back for more. Teyvat has a complex and tumultuous background that led to it becoming what it is known as today: a sprawling world made up of seven distinct nations.
Each of Teyvat’s regions is associated with a specific element and has a unique look inspired by that element. The seven regions of Teyvat and their corresponding elements are:
- There is Mondstadt, which is the Anemo region.
- There is Liyue, which is the Geo region.
- There is Inazuma, which is the Electro region.
- There is Sumeru, which is the Dendro region.
- There is Fontaine, which is the Hydro region.
- There is Natlan, which is the Pyro region.
- There is Snezhnaya, which is the Cryo region.
Each region and element is represented by one Archon. Just as there are seven regions and seven elements, so too are there seven Archons. This group is commonly referred to simply as “The Seven.”
Related: Genshin Impact roadmap and upcoming patch release dates
Who are The Seven in Genshin Impact?
The Seven Archons are gods who preside over each of the seven regions of Teyvat. Each of the Archons has a unique elemental type and an ideal that they stand for and govern by.
Players will find that all of the Statues of The Seven within a given region look quite different from those of other regions. This is because each region has a unique Statue of The Seven design that is representative of the Archon of that region.
All playable Archons in Genshin Impact
Currently, there are three playable Archons, with a fourth one set to be added very soon when the Version 3.2 update of Genshin Impact is released. Thus far, all Archons added as playable characters are among the best characters overall. Whether them being gods means that miHoYo did this intentionally is unclear, but one thing is for certain: almost every player longs to recruit at least one of the Archons to their team.
Venti — The Anemo Archon
The first Archon to ever debut in Teyvat was Venti, also known as “Lord Barbatos” or simply as “Barbatos.” The Anemo Archon stands for the ideal of freedom and rules over Mondstadt.
Venti is a very free-spirited and playful Archon. He is one of the first characters Genshin players come across in their travels and is a key character in quite a few moments that shape the storyline, such as the moment when players witness the Fatui Harbinger La Signora steal Venti’s Gnosis and develop a persistent distrust of the Fatui afterward.
The Archon is a five-star Anemo Bow character with the unique ability to actually fly while on the battlefield. Although he is one of the first characters that was released in Genshin Impact, Venti stands the test of time and remains one of the best five-star characters that players can recruit due to his dynamic Anemo skillset.
Zhongli — The Geo Archon
Genshin Impact’s second playable Archon is Zhongli, also known as “Rex Lapis” or “Morax.” The Geo Archon stands for the ideal of contracts and can be found presiding over Liyue.
Zhongli is a five-star Geo Polearm character that serves as a consultant for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. He is the current vessel for the Geo Archon who is living among the mortals due to his desire to experience the world from the perspective of one.
On the battlefield, Zhongli excels as a superb support character. He is capable of dealing high amounts of damage while also buffing and shielding his allies, which makes him an all-around excellent recruit for any Genshin Impact players’ roster.
Raiden Shogun — The Electro Archon
The Archon ruling over Inazuma is the Raiden Shogun, also known as “Ei,” “Beelzebul,” or “Baal.” The Electro Archon strives for and represents the ideal of eternity.
The Raiden Shogun is one of the most complex characters in Genshin’s storyline thus far. This is because she is technically two different beings, one who is “Ei” the Electro Archon, and another who is the “Raiden Shogun” puppet that rules over Inazuma while the Archon herself meditates in the Plane of Euthymia.
As a playable character, the five-star Electro Polearm character is perhaps the most versatile character in all of Genshin. She excels as the primary or secondary damage dealer on any team while also being an incredible support character.
Few characters are able to function flawlessly in a variety of roles, but the Raiden Shogun truly lives up to her status as an Archon when on the battlefield.
Nahida — The Dendro Archon
The newest Archon to join the world of Teyvat as a playable character is Nahida, also known as “Lesser Lord Kusanail.” The Dendro Archon represents the ideal of wisdom and rules over Sumeru.
Nahida is set to become a five-star playable character with the Version 3.2 update of Genshin that launches in just a few days. She will also be the very first Dendro Catalyst character to debut in Teyvat and the third Dendro character overall.
MiHoYo shared a short blog where they highlighted some information about the Dendro Archon, including a statement that she “knows in her heart that she must keep learning and grow up as quickly as she can to stand up and face the threats from the most abysmal corners of the world” because it is “her inevitable duty” to do so.
Although her appearance is that of a child, Nahida understands the world “much better than any grown-up.” Players will be able to learn more about Nahida once she officially becomes a playable character when the Version 3.2 update goes live.
Upcoming playable Archons in Genshin
Because every Archon thus far has become a playable character, it is highly likely the remaining Archons within The Seven will also eventually become playable after they have been unveiled in Genshin. All information known about the other Archons is as follows.
“The God of Justice” — The Hydro Archon
The current persona for the Hydro Archon is unknown and the only name players know for her thus far is “The God of Justice.” As may be expected due to her title, the Hydro Archon represents the ideal of Justice and presides over Fontaine with this ideal in mind.
During the “Teyvat Chapter Storyline Preview: Travail” Genshin YouTube video, the narrator says, “The God of Justice lives for the spectacle of the courtroom, seeking to judge all other gods. But even she knows not to make an enemy of the divine.”
Not much is currently known about the Hydro Archon, but since Fontaine will be the next big regional expansion, players will learn much more about her in the future.
Murata — The Pyro Archon
Fire is often thought of as a dangerous and deadly element, so it’s not too surprising that the Pyro Archon of Natlan stands for the ideal of war.
She is also known as the “God of War” and the “Lady of Fire.”
Although her identity is known, Murata is the member of The Seven that players know the least about overall. She will likely remain mysterious until Natlan becomes a playable region, which will occur in the Version 5.0 update.
“Tsaritsa” — The Cryo Archon
While her current identity is unknown, players have uncovered quite a bit of information about Tsaritsa throughout their Teyvat travels. What ideal she stands for is unknown, but she is known for her ruthless and icy demeanor and rules over Snezhnaya with absolute supremity.
Although players have yet to meet her, they have certainly felt her presence as the Cryo Archon is the leader of the Fatui and the Fatui Harbingers. She utilizes the Fatui as a whole to manipulate and control all other regions of Teyvat and has earned herself quite an antagonistic reputation because of this.
The Cryo Archon is currently utilizing her Fatui Harbingers to steal all other Archons’ Gnoses. What exactly she intends to do with them is unknown, but she has thus far collected the Anemo and Geo Gnoses while the Electro one is missing since her loyal Harbinger Scaramouche went rogue.
The narrator of the “Teyvat Chapter Storyline Preview: Travail” Genshin YouTube video states Tsaritsa “is a god with no love left for her people, nor do they have any left for her. Her followers hope only to be on her side when the day of her rebellion against the divine comes at last.”
When exactly the other three Archons will debut in Teyvat is unknown, but based on usual patterns, players can likely expect to see them when their respective regions have been released.
The Hydro region of Fontaine is set to arrive in Version 4.0 which means the next Archon debut following Nahida in Version 3.2 will likely be the Hydro Archon at some point during the duration of Version 4.0, but this is likely quite a decent way away and players will simply have to make do with the Archons that are available for now.