Genshin Impact is close to releasing a new major map expansion, which will introduce Travelers to the Pyro nation of Natlan. As is tradition before entering a new nation, HoYoverse has released a trailer to showcase the fiery new characters on the horizon and tease the upcoming story of Genshin Impact.
Genshin Impact Ignition Teaser
We’ve seen some of these characters in previous trailers, but now, thanks to the voice artist credits, we can assign names to faces. We can also look into the etymology of each name to see if there are any ties to mythology and folklore in real-world cultures. Let’s go down the list, shall we?
Mualani
Mualani was showcased at the end of the 4.8 Special Program. She’s a Hydro user who can summon a shark to surf across water. I’m getting Water Pokémon Gym Leader vibes from her colorful, beachy outfit. “Mualani” is the name of an ancient Hawaiian princess, which ties right in with her tropical theme.
Kachina
Kachina was also featured in the short trailer at the end of the 4.8 Special Program. She’s the little Geo girl with furry ears who rides around in a drill-car. She shows more of her personality in the new trailer, and appears to be more of a soft-spoken type. To the Pueblo people, “kachina” are spirits or supernatural beings.
Kinich
Kinich is the Dendro Claymore boy who was introduced alongside Mualani and Kachina in the last trailer. This time, he’s accompanied by a pixelated dragon companion named “Almighty Dragonlord (Self-Proclaimed)” K’uhul Ajaw. “Kinich” is part of the Yucatec name for the Mayan sun god, and the word “k’inich” itself appears to mean “sun-eyed.”
Citlali
Citlali is the purple-haired girl who picks up the ball after Kinich throws it through her window. We can briefly see a light blue Cryo Vision at her waist, identifying her as a Cryo user despite her pink and purple color scheme. “Citlali” means “star” in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs.
Xilonen
Next, we see Xilonen, a blonde woman with a Geo Vision. She also has jaguar-like ears and a tail, adding to the roster of Genshin Impact characters with animalistic features. “Xilonen” is another name for the Aztec goddess of agriculture. I, for one, am very excited to see more of this earthy-themed cat lady.
Iansan
Iansan is a young girl with pointed ears and white hair. Her design is largely unchanged from when she was first revealed during the Travail trailer at Genshin Impact’s initial release. We still don’t know for sure what element she is, but the Travail trailer implies that Iansan is a Geo user. Her name might be a homage to the Latin American spelling of an African deity’s name.
Chasca
Chasca is a woman with wine-red hair and, frankly, one of the snazziest-looking hats in Genshin Impact so far. Her dark claw-like nails give her an intimidating appearance that I’m absolutely in love with. We briefly see a pale blue Vision at her hip, which I think is of the Cryo element. “Chasca” is the name of a girl in a tragic Salvadoran folk story.
Mavuika
Finally, we see the Pyro Archon. While she’s not explicitly named as the Archon, Mavuika has flaming orange-red hair, no visible Vision, and a prominent role in the teaser, so it’s probably a safe assumption. She wears a modern-looking black jumpsuit that’s somewhat at odds with Genshin Impact’s fantasy setting. Mavuika’s name is similar to that of a Maori god of fire.
Capitano and Ororon
Capitano is a member of the Fatui, a “diplomatic” organization that has served a somewhat antagonistic role in Genshin Impact’s story so far. As one whose name means “captain,” Capitano commands respect from both his enemies and his colleagues within the Fatui. No doubt the Natlan story arc will reveal what exactly he’s doing in the nation of Pyro.
Capitano is shown alongside another new character, Ororon. The Natlan man appears to have animalistic ears and a dark color scheme. Is he a member of the Fatui, or is he just someone working with Capitano? We can’t see his Vision, and he doesn’t even speak during the trailer, so it’s hard to tell how Ororon will fit into Genshin Impact’s story. “Ororon” could be derived from Olorun, the highest deity in the Yoruba religion.
Natlan’s inspirations and themes
Judging by the etymology of the Natlan characters’ names, it looks like Natlan primarily draws inspiration from the Americas and Pacific Islands. The landscapes of Natlan that we’ve seen so far look like colorful, cartoony versions of beachy islands and southwestern deserts. I’m excited to see the Genshin Impact team draw inspiration from diverse cultures to enrich the fictional world of Teyvat.
Various Genshin Impact characters have also referred to Natlan as the nation of war. The trailer doesn’t seem to show a nation at war, though, with most characters coming together to participate in some sort of yearly tournament. Perhaps the bloody wars of Natlan’s past have been replaced with friendly competition. We’ll have to play through Natlan’s story and see.
When is Natlan coming to Genshin Impact?
Natlan should release during Version 5.0, just after Version 4.8 ends. If the current 6-week update schedule holds, that puts Natlan’s release date at August 28. We’ve still got all of Version 4.8 to enjoy before Natlan, including a limited-time summer region and a free Kirara skin. Still, if you’re a free-to-play Traveler and you want to pull for the Natlan characters, you might want to start saving your Primogems now.
