#i ended up writing more for zhongli than diluc orz

[windblooms]

oh how about Diluc and Zhongli for character analysis?

sure thing!  i’ll answer this one and get back to working on other requests orz

diluc:

despite being known as a broody wine master and one of the few prominent characters that holds a negative opinions of the knights, he’s actually more sociable than the mondstadt storyline might imply.

diluc has multiple voicelines (if you get him through wishes) where he shows concern for traveler/mc, some being “all that matters is that you were safe last night,” “i’ll make sure you leave safely,” and “how about you take a rest while i go back [to the guild]?”  

so, yeah. he’s not as distant or aloof as his initial appearance played him off to be imo.  while he’s still on the professional side, he does readily show concern for traveler/mc, and presumably other people who work alongside him.

he knows he’s hot stuff – he evens says as much when clearing out hordes of hilichurls/abyss mages in the mondstadt storyline (”ah, there are you are.  dealing with you will be the easy part.”)  doesn’t openly flaunt his strength to other people, but, needless to say, is comfortable on the battlefield. 

also, remember when traveler and venti try to steal the lyre?  he says “for the record, i like your guts for trying to steal the holy lyre der himmel.  even if you are fools . . . but we don’t often get to see people like you.”

aka he’s also a smart ass.

he knew that venti and traveler had something to do with the lyre, and dismissed the knights that came in either because a) he didn’t think they would handle the situation appropriately or b) wanted answers first. 

while we (the player) knew that traveler and venti didn’t actually steal the lyre, diluc doesn’t seem threatened by either of them.  he doesn’t rush to apprehend them, and from the quotes above, actually thinks the situation is entertaining.  

the line “i like your guts for trying to steal the holy lyre” also reminds me of one of his quotes when he talks about jean (”her unparalleled sense of responsibility is the sole reason why she still hasn't found her true calling”).

while it’s not a call-back or anything obvious, diluc implies that rules/authority/strict codes have the potential to hold others back; therefore, i think he really meant it when he commended the traveler’s grit for trying to steal the lyre, because from the tone of how he talks about jean, he’s had his fair share of unorthodox behavior that’s gotten him to somewhere he actually wants to be. 

overall a capable man and one who values effectiveness of method.  while not one to uphold formalities (in a few of his voice lines, he says he’s “not interested in idle chit chat), he respects partnership and lets his dryness slip often.  i can go further into his voicelines in a separate post if you want anon. 

zhongli:

this is going to be a bit different than diluc’s analysis since, at the time i’m writing this, zhongli doesn’t have profile voicelines yet.

however i will be using voicelines from the liyue storyline plus the 1.1 update “a new star approaches,” so spoiler warning for 1.1 if you haven’t done the quests yet!

okay so

zhongli knows liyuen culture like the back of his hand because, well, he’s the god who created liyue to begin with.

when the traveler confronts zhongli, childe, and signora in the northland bank, zhongli explains his ploy calmly, which seems strange, since he had essentially traded his symbol of godhood for a ““vacation”” (i use this term sarcastically and will explain more below). 

when the traveler first comes into a liyue, many of the citizens make a point to say that, in contrast to mondstadt, their nation isn’t “godless” and show disdain towards mondstadt’s ways.

they believe in rex lapis.  yet it’s made clear throughout the storyline that, in actuality, there are large branches of people (see the liyue qixing) want to advance liyue further, often without the aid/overseeing of their deities.  quote zhongli at the northland bank: liyue is about to begin its “next age.”

meaning that, even though he said he was tired, that he had been guarding and overseeing the nation for thousands of years, he was able to tell that liyue was moving past its need for him, essentially that he wasn’t needed in the same way as he was in the past.

while many players kinda sorta really did not like zhongli after he admitted to staging the fight against osial (the sea monster), ultimately endangering liyue, he not only did it as a “test” to see if the liyuen people really were as advanced as he believed them to be, but also so that the adepti could become closer to liyue’s citizens.  

not saying that it wasn’t somewhat messed up, but his motivation behind such a scene was to make sure that, if he resigned as a god, then humans could take care of themselves from now on and he wouldn’t be putting them in more danger if he left. 

the adept, although hesitant and somewhat troubled by being more involved with humans, show a change of heart following the conclusion of the fight against osial.  so zhongli’s scheme makes the adepti see that humans are more capable than they give them credit for, revives their respect for one another, and leaves knowing that liyue is in capable hands.

as for trading the gnosis: it’s stated multiple times that zhongli doesn’t make unfair contracts.  obviously, part of the benefit on his end is allowing liyue to grow into a new age, but that can’t be the only motivator for him to give it away. 

tsaritsa wants to “burn away the old world,” and the story hasn’t been clear as to why yet.  but in making the contract, zhongli should be aware of at least part of her ultimate intentions.  my theory is that, in the end, the gnoses will actually prove useless to the tsaritsa’s plan (as in, they actually don’t help her achieve her goal despite their symbolism), or we’re going to receive the power equivalent to a gnosis in the future. 

tldr: zhongli’s plan is layered.  while we don’t have much more information at the moment, as can consider his character to be very thorough, resourceful, and self-aware.

again, i can write out more once he’s released.  these are just my thoughts, so take and pick what you want. ^^

[merakiui]

Okay okay okay I’ve been thinking about this for a few days now here’s my list of genshin boys most likely to least likely to become a yandere and why:

-xiao. Millennia of suffering and he meets somebody who makes the pain dissipate? Hell never let go.

-diluc. People have died in his arms, he can’t risk losing another loved one... it’s not like he doesn’t have the wealth and resources to keep his beloved by his side.

-Childe. I think he’d be the most dehumanizing yandere - he treats you almost like a child (haha) as be manipulates his way into your heart. And god knows that he gets what he wants.

-albedo is obviously in the top half of this list. We’ve talked about his yandere tendacies before so I won’t relist them but jeez get this boy some therapy.

-razor. Now this sounds surprising but after years of protecting his Lupical, do you really think he’d let somebody he loves and sees as helpless wander alone? I feel hes less captor and manipulative and more of a stalker if he becomes a yandere

-venti. Freedom is his entire world, but can he let his beloved have freedom if it endangers them? One of the most manipulative ones on this list, except he has no clue that he’s doing it.

-kaeya. Maybe you’d gotten to close to one of his secrets. Maybe you’d figured out something he wanted to die. It doesn’t matter much now, all you know is that you were tried and declared guilty by the knights of favonius and were sent into a dungeon protected by the Calvery captain himself.

-zhongli. Has the yandere desires, but refuses to give in. He’s loved and lost so many times over the years and he figures he doesn’t want to take that away from his beloved.

-chongyun. I’ve gone back and forth between him and xingqiu for this one, but I feel like these last 3 are all pretty much tied for not being a yandere. However, if he met someone who could somehow null his congenital positivity than he might move up on this list...

-Xingqiu. He has a strong sense of justice and honor, the idea of manipulating, stalking or god forbid kidnapping his S/O is appalling to him.

-Bennett. Literally just tryna vibe. Devotes as much time as he can to make sure any relationship he has is healthy.

So basically:

Everybody on this list: *frothing at the mouth, thinking of ways to keep their S/Os with them*

Bennett, Chongyun, Xingqiu and to some extent Zhongli: what the fuck

Your list... Simply amazing. Now that I’m thinking about it, I’m beginning to wonder where other characters would sit on the list. Mainly Scaramouche though aha oops Anyways, please never stop sharing your thoughts!! They are so GOOD!

Xiao’s backstory and past is just perfect material to fuel his yandere desires. He’s suffered for so long and has never really experienced positive emotions, let alone love itself. The poor adeptus is always brooding on his own and here comes his darling, bright and happy and just...perfect. They’re like a glimmering star in his murky darkness and he wants to treasure them. There’s no way he’s going to let go of the feeling he gets when he’s with them, nor is he going to let them leave his side.

It makes sense that Diluc would also be at the top of that list. He’s got the making of a yandere, especially considering all of the people he’s lost in his life. Now that he’s found someone so important to him, he can’t risk losing them. It would destroy him if he found out that his darling got hurt or was even killed because he wasn’t taking enough precautions to keep them safe. He’d definitely blame himself if something like that happened.

Childe, pspspspsp!!! The power this man holds... Omg he makes for such a terrifying yandere. On the outside, he seems warm and disarming—just your normal, happy-go-lucky kind of guy. He’s not dangerous at all! No way. But under all of that falsified charm is someone who knows how to pull strings. He’s a Fatui Harbinger, so of course he has the means of getting you wrapped around his finger. It’s not all that hard when he’s got money, power, and strength. Plus, when he wants something he’s not going to stop until he acquires it; Childe lives for the thrill of chasing after you and it’ll be even more fun once he catches you. Someone should send me more thoughts about yan!Childe!!! orz orz

Albedo also qualifies as a neat yandere! Something about yanderes who are into science is just...fascinating to me. It’s also cool because Albedo’s rumored to be a homunculus, so that adds to the intrigue! Albedo has the resources to get what he wants as well. It won’t be all that difficult, and if it proves to be challenging he can just think of other solutions to pacify his darling. He is a researcher, after all, and a good researcher seeks to find the best solution to a problem.

Razor would be a feral yandere. He’s more action than words. He doesn’t put much thought into what he does because it feels more like an instinct to him. He’s just protecting his Lupical. There’s nothing wrong with that! So why are you acting so difficult? D: 

Like you said, Venti’s not aware of his manipulation and he just does it because it works. His belief that everyone deserves freedom is probably what really holds him back. He doesn’t want you to feel caged, but that feeling is practically inevitable since he’s always hounding you. Venti is a very suffocating yandere and he doesn’t even realize it.

KAEYA! KAEYA! I love the idea of Kaeya having some sort of blackmail on you—something so bad that you absolutely can’t let the world see. And so he uses that to keep you quiet. If you did stumble upon one of his secrets, he can’t possibly have you running that pretty mouth of yours. But if you do end up spilling his secret, it’s only fair that he shares yours, right? An eye for an eye, as some would say. Kaeya’s very smooth and calculative when it comes to handling blackmail. Whenever it feels like you’re trying to one-up him and possibly escape, he’ll flirtatiously remind you of the power he holds over you. Blackmail is rather compelling, is it not?

Zhongli does have the motive to be a yandere, as you pointed out, but he’s a strange case. On one hand, it makes sense that he’d want to protect his beloved at all costs, but on the other he’d probably be aware of these unhealthy tendencies. Although he probably uses the idea of a contract to keep your relationship going, even if it’s clear you don’t want anything to do with him. But if you do, that just makes it easier on him! 

NO BECAUSE I THOUGHT THE SAME FOR CHONGYUN!!! Not the yan!Chongyun piece rotting in my drafts for a month or two now ehehee I had some thoughts about Chongyun but never bothered posting it for some reason. Anyways, I do think Chongyun has potential to be a yandere! As you mentioned, his congenital positivity can become an issue and he doesn’t want that to seriously affect his daily life. So he’s probably very pleased to find someone who can nullify that positivity. It’d be similar to Xiao’s case; Xiao likes someone who can be the light in his dark world. Chongyun falls for the person who can null his congenital positivity and is someone who he gets along with. 

The only way I can see Xingqiu being a yandere is if he wants a noble, storybook romance. Okay, that sounds strange, but consider it! He’s a huge bookworm who probably doesn’t exactly experience romance aside from what he reads in his novels. Although he doesn’t dabble in the romance genre all that often, he does like the idea of being a hero and sweeping someone off of their feet. So when he meets you—another fellow bookworm or maybe the two of you are thrown into an arranged marriage—he just feels an undeniable connection. This must be some form of fate or a sixth sense. Maybe he can be the main character of his own story! You’ll just have to cooperate and you can be the valiant knight’s love interest!

Bennett’s vibes are so nice. How could he be a yandere? He’s just too sweet and pure. He’s really just here to chill and gather an adventuring team full of great friends! But if anyone has any thoughts...please share them! 

That’s it. I’m writing about Scaramouche even though he’s not on the list. Please, why do I simp so much for him? Anyways, we don’t know nearly enough about Scaramouche to determine his backstory or past. But he just oozes yandere! Most of the Harbingers are probably the same, to some extent. He’s like Childe with all of the power and resources, but whereas Childe relishes in the chase Scaramouche refuses to put up with it. It’s just way too inconvenient for him. He’d rather catch you when you least expect it and then keep you for himself.

Gosh, he’s a very determined and possessive yandere with a strict agenda; this man probably cheats in order to get you. He’ll send his underlings to do the work in his place. They’ll stalk you and report back to him and it isn’t long before he learns of your friends, certain family members you’re close to, and even where you live. It’s terrifying, but this is Scaramouche we’re talking about. For someone so short, he sure knows how to intimidate and beat fear into those below him. Good luck to the poor soul who catches his eye. 

I must thank you for making that list! It was lots of fun to consider their mindsets and behaviors as yandere. :D