On the heels of the information dense Natlan teaser trailer, Genshin Impact has dropped even more details for the three new characters coming to Version 5.0. Here’s everything we’ve learned about Mualani, Kachina, and Kinich.
Mualani, the shark-surfing guide to Natlan
Mualani is a guide from the People of the Springs. She knows the terrain of Natlan better than anyone, and is sure to find you the best route to wherever you want to go. It sounds like she’ll be a handy companion when we get to explore Natlan later.
Her character details confirm Mualani is a Hydro user, though we haven’t seen her weapon yet. Her Constellation is Phoca Neomonachus. “Phoca” means “seal” in Latin, and “Neomonachus” is a genus of monk seals. Despite having a shark friend, Mualani’s Constellation appears to be a seal.
Kachina, the brave little pika
Kachina is a child who was granted the name “Uthabiti” by her people. While the exact meaning of this title is unclear, the word itself comes from Swahili, meaning “stability” or “steadfastness.” It seems Kachina’s community recognizes that she is a brave little girl, even if Kachina herself doesn’t.
Kachina carries a Geo Vision and rides around on a drill-shaped vehicle. Her Constellation, Ochotona Princeps, is the scientific name for the American Pika, a small mountain-dwelling rodent. Kachina’s round ears do indeed look like a larger, furrier version of pika ears. She also has a small fluffy tail, though, which seems out of place since pikas are tailless. Maybe it’s just there for the cute factor.
Kinich, the saurian hunter
Kinich is a saurian hunter with a reputation for being ruthless and utilitarian. Being a saurian hunter in a land where humans mostly co-exist with saurians can’t be easy. Kinich never fails his commissions though, no matter what the job entails. He has a pixelated draconic companion called K’uhul Ajaw, who is still a bit of a mystery. Is he a spirit? Some sort of summoned familiar?
Kinich is a Dendro user, and we’ve seen him use a Claymore in previous trailers. His Constellation is Chimaera Alebriius, a reference to conglomerate animals from Greek mythology and the Mexican art of alebrije.
Bonus details
In addition to information on the characters themselves, the new drip marketing art shows off the Natlan style in general. Compared to previous nations’ backgrounds, the backgrounds for the Natlan characters are much more colorful and stylized. They have a rough, painted look with neon accent colors. The Natlan Vision shape and element symbols are still recognizable at the top, while the sides are adorned with symbols for each of Natlan’s six tribes.
It’s interesting to see the global inspirations for Genshin Impact’s characters and stories. Many players have noted, however, that the vast majority of Genshin Impact’s characters have pale skin, regardless of where their inspiration comes from. While some users on Twitter/X are pushing for more diversity in Genshin Impact’s character design, only time will tell whether HoYoverse will change direction.
