Foreword
In version 4.4, a familiar old friend is returning to meet us once again. As a regular guest of the Lantern Rite, Xiao is about to join us at the Lantern Rite once more. Today, let's follow this article to learn more about the story of this adeptus.
Who is Xiao exactly?
Xiao's general character image has always been portrayed as a youth, while his status among adepti is also significant. His role as an adeptus is to engage in dangerous battles against darkness to protect Liyue. He devotes his entire being to these battles, which also reflects Xiao's strength.
After the Archon War, the remnants of the defeated demon gods continued to threaten people. Xiao fought against these impurities and the dark forces.「Bane of All Evil」is Xiao's Elemental Burst. You should be able to understand its meaning here: Xiao wears Yaksha's Mask to protect Liyue. Hidden beneath the mask, there is not only the physical pain of Xiao's body.
Xiao’s Personality
The first impression that Xiao leaves on travelers is likely to be like this: cold and taciturn, fierce and skilled in battle, while also bearing an unusual pain. His pain is rooted in himself. On one hand, it stems from his ceaseless battle against the remnants of the defeated gods over the years. This high-intensity combat has led him to believe that the only thing he excels at is fighting. On the other hand, it also stems from the adverse effects brought about by the remnants of the demon gods. The killings bring about karmic obstacles, troubling his mind.
This aspect is also reflected in his skill design. After casting「Bane of All Evil」, Xiao will don a mask. Through this action, his combat capabilities continuously increase, while at the same time, his HP gradually decreases. This demonstrates the pain he endures internally while harnessing his power.
After spending some time with Xiao, travelers may come to recognize his gentle side deep within. Xiao is far from being cold and heartless; he simply prefers not to easily reveal his emotions.
He always maintains a certain distance from the bustling world of humans. It's not that he doesn't care about humanity; rather, it's from the standpoint of a guardian that he keeps his distance. He needs to battle numerous dark forces in places unseen by people, enduring pain beyond their imagination. Yet, even so, he has never harbored resentment towards humanity. Humans are indeed the root of his millennia-long covenant with the Geo Archon. They are the silent reason why he guards Liyue.
When players first invite Xiao to attend the Lantern Rite, he instinctively refuses. However, it's not out of dislike but rather evasion. For Xiao, who has lived for thousands of years, the mortal world is a dazzling yet fragile illusion, akin to fleeting clouds and fireworks in the sky. As the guardian of this hustle and bustle, he is like a trapped beast around the fire, both fearful of the flames and filled with curiosity. He has simply wandered for too long and doesn't know how to integrate into the crowd.
As the Lanterns rise, resembling countless stars, even Xiao, standing alone on the mountaintop gazing at this beautiful scene, can feel the warmth of humanity. He understands that people create these beautiful things to commemorate the companions he fought alongside in the past. As a witness with ancient memories, he naturally comprehends the emotions and blessings contained within the lanterns. While he understands gratitude and emotions, he is uncertain how to interact with ordinary people or how to navigate himself amidst the bustling and thriving world. This loneliness has forged his melancholy and halted time for him, allowing him to retain a youthful mindset to this day.
Xiao and Lantern Rite
In 2021, the deceased Adeptus Skybracer was commemorated as part of the Travelers first Lantern Rite festival in Liyue Harbor, chosen by popular demand at Yuehai Pavilion. With the assistance of Xiao, Kaeya, and the Millelith, the Traveler and Paimon successfully thwarted a laughable yet problematic plot involving the Treasure Hoarders. Xiao was invited to see the Mingxiao Laritern. He declined the invitation. As he bid farewell, he mentioned his ability to hear all cries for help, prayers for peace, and wishes carried by the lanterns, whether they belong to the Traveler or the people of Liyue.
In 2022, in the second Lantern Rite the Traveler and Paimon attended, they met Finally, they met Xiao, the last remaining Yaksha, at Wangshu Inn, but he politely declined the gifts as his sole purpose was to focus on keeping Liyue safe.
In 2023, in the third Lantern Rite, which the Traveler and Paimon attended, was dedicated to Sea Gazer and was celebrated as a music festival with the help of Dvorak, the organizer of the Iridescence Tour, Rock musician Xinyan, and the Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor and the poet, Hu Tao.
Hu Tao invited her friends to the feast: Xiangling, Chongyun and Xingqiu; her consultant Zhongli, and the special guest - Adeptus Xiao.
Suddenly Venti arrived at their meeting, an old acquaintance of Xingqiu, whom he met at the Irodori festival in Inazuma, and a friend of the Traveler and Paimon. Xiao reported that while patrolling Dihua Marsh, he met Venti, who was putting on a performance there. It was Venti's music that once saved Xiao when he was ready to give up on karma and suffering. This touching melody made Xiao feel relaxed and at ease.
In the fourth Lantern Rite Festival attended by the Traveler and Paimon in 2024, they met Gaming during the event and participated in a kite-flying competition. During the preparation for the competition, Xiao and Zhongli collaborated to determine which mechanism would be best for the kite.
After the Lantern Rite Festival CG animation ended, Xiao waited for the Traveler at the Pervases Temple, where they released lanterns together. At that moment, Xiao revealed his longing for the lively and beautiful life in Liyue, as well as his determination to protect it all.
Xiao’s Constellation: Alatus Nemeseos
The Twelve Yaksha Generals are a very famous legend, wherein each of the twelve generals corresponds to an animal from the Chinese zodiac. However, the general who should have been associated with the rooster zodiac sign, known as the General Mieqiluo, had its corresponding animal changed from a rooster to the mythical creature known as Alatus Nemeseos. The Alatus Nemeseos fed on poisonous dragons daily, but eventually succumbed to the toxicity, burning its entire body and perishing. Only a lustrous heart remained in the world. This allegory seems to correspond to the character's traits. Moreover, the name Alatus Nemeseos has its own evolution, derived from the fusion of the Golden-Winged Bird and the traditional Chinese legend of the Peng Bird, showing its roots in local culture. Therefore, considering these factors, the game developers chose the Alatus Nemeseos as the emblem of Xiao's constellation.
Three Eyes and Five Manifestations
In traditional Chinese culture and in the supernatural novels of the Ming and Qing dynasties, the term "Three Eyes and Five Manifestations" typically refers to the Heavenly King Hua Guang. “Huaguang Tianwang," also known as “Ma Lingguan," is a famous guardian deity and protector. In the story Journey to the South, he once had a confrontation with Sun Wukong. In some folk studies, there are precedents for associating the Five Manifestations deity with mountain spirits or gods like the Mountain Demon, suggesting a connection between the two.
Therefore, at the most secretive yet fundamental core, the name "Xiao" is established, along with his essence as a guardian deity. Xiao serves not only as a name to conceal the past but also as a deeper, intrinsic embodiment of the soul. All other settings and cultural embellishments are derived from this point.
Xiao's Attire and Accessories
As an adeptus who protects Liyue, Xiao engages in prolonged battles with the remnants of defeated gods around Liyue, inevitably being affected by the miasma. Based on this setting, Xiao's upper body adopts white and cyan colors symbolizing his identity as an adeptus, complementing his Anemo Vision. The lower body is primarily dark, echoing the darker and more sinister power within him.
Following the same design philosophy, Xiao's dark hair features a few strands of lighter highlights, symbolizing the intertwining of light and darkness within him. During attacks, this manifests as a special effect where dark and light colors intertwine. Among these, the dark color represents the raging power during intense battles, while the faintly shimmering bright specks and particles symbolize Xiao's celestial aspect as an "Immortal."
Considering Xiao's true age and his identity as an adeptus, the game developers chose to incorporate jade accessories to enhance the sense of age and mystery. Therefore, the character's legs, cuffs, and shoulders are adorned with jade-like accessories and simple-patterned small items. Additionally, to match his handsome young appearance, relatively modern designs were chosen for the overall tailoring of his clothing, especially the upper garments, to showcase his vitality and dynamism.
Overall, Xiao embodies both the image of a long-sleeved adeptus and that of a young warrior. Traditionally, adepti are depicted as scholars wearing long robes with wide sleeves, conducting themselves with controlled movements. However, as a「Vigilant Yaksha」wielding Polearm in combat, Xiao's attire not only needs to provide necessary protection but also must facilitate mobility. Therefore, Xiao's attire mainly consists of close-fitting short robes, with lightweight armor at the wrists. He wears various instruments such as the demon-subduing staff and a small incense burner. Meanwhile, adorned with front and back panels as well as streamers, with cloud-shaped patterns to enhance the ancient charm, achieving a harmonious blend of agility and grace.
Vigilant Yaksha
Xiao is the last member of the Yaksha tribe, originally a demon in Indian mythology. Xiao is delight in slaughter and in folk tales. It's also interpreted as evil spirits capable of soaring in the air and swiftly concealing themselves. This somewhat corresponds to the “Anemo” Vision possessed by Xiao.
In the background story of the Yaksha clan, they were once countless evil spirits, but later they were converted by Buddhism and became protectors. The background story of Yakshas can similarly reflect the story of Xiao.
Xiao possesses the Anemo Vision, and his combat movements are swift and nimble, possessing aerial maneuverability that other characters do not have. To align with this, Xiao's constellation design and skill set incorporate the imagery of "Yaksha," a figure from Buddhist mythology. Although these "concepts" are foreign in origin, they have been thoroughly integrated into China's indigenous rural and urban folklore since the Sui and Tang dynasties. "The Yaksha" is a crucial design element that enriches the character of Xiao even further.
The prototypes of “Vigilant Yaksha” and "Spirit Official Reforming Evil" both belong to the category of evil deities turning toward goodness, aligning with the overarching character essence of Xiao. His swift figure is also highly compatible with the translation of “Swift Ghost” for “Yaksha.” By expanding the imagery of “Yaksha,” the other half of Xiao's character essence is established: the “Yaksha” guardian for the “Emperor.”
Conclusion
That’s all for the in-depth analysis of Xiao. After reading, do you all find yourselves more eager to obtain the character Xiao? If you have any unique thoughts or insights about Xiao, feel free to actively discuss them in the comments section! If this is helpful for you, please remember to give it a thumbs-up and bookmark it. Stay tuned, I will bring you more posts in the future!
Version： Chinese（CHT） Korean Japanese
