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Shenhe is often mistaken as an Adeptus for her perfect composure, but she’s actually a normal human. However, due to some factors, she has lost most of her mundane qualities, lending her an ethereal air. Here are the details of Shenhe’s backstory.
10 A Fighter Since Youth
It all started when her father, an exorcist, lost her mother (his wife) when Shenhe was just a girl. Driven by grief and madness, the father looked for ways to bring her mother back to life. After almost a year of search, he came back with the ritual that could do the deed: “Fate Transference,” a sacrifice ritual that can exchange a living person’s body for a dead one’s life.
Her father went into a cave and summoned a terrifying black “Seelie.” For a few days afterwards, Shenhe was left alone in that cave as the sacrifice in the ritual. She was a child, but her survival instinct was strong. She fought the creature every day, refusing to greet death. But soon, a gift from the gods tipped the scales. A Cryo Vision was bestowed upon Shenhe, and finally, she successfully slew the evil god. Later on, the girl was found by Cloud Retainer, who took her in to train her as a disciple.
9 Shenhe’s Father Didn’t Plan To Sacrifice Her
The story of Shenhe being “sacrificed” may sound cruel, but most didn’t know that her father didn’t intend to sacrifice his child; he was going to sacrifice himself. However, as he offered his life, the black “Seelie” pointed at Shenhe instead. The evil god said that the girl was fated to bear the curse of calamity, and she may hurt anyone near her. Hearing that, Shenhe’s father called her a cursed child, and left her in the cave.
A few days after, his wife still hadn’t returned, and so he grew desperate. The father soon realized his mistake, and could only wish for forgiveness from both his wife and daughter. In a Ragged Note, he said, “Let me apologize to both of you… in person.” This note, combined with the records of Changing Village, confirms that it was a suicide message, where the record mentions that Shenhe’s father hanged himself shortly after in his guilt.
8 Fated With Calamity
After Cloud Retainer saved Shenhe, Moon Carver read her fortune. Just as the evil god had foretold, the Adepti soon found that Shenhe was destined for two of the most unfortunate fates in the world: the “solitary star” and the “disastrous evil,” which dictated that the child was destined to be alone while facing many perils. Furthermore, she’s also filled with violent tendencies, which makes Shenhe a threat to herself and others.
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Knowing this danger early, the Adepti bound her soul with Red Ropes. This magical item was meant to constrain her evil fate and homicidal urges. Unfortunately, it does more than that. The Ropes also hinder Shenhe from many mundane emotions, which cause her to become an indifferent person.
7 Used To Have Black Hair
As seen in her Character Teaser, little Shenhe used to have black hair. However, when Cloud Retainer took her in, she created a Jade Comb for Shenhe. The Adeptus then offered to take the girl to be her disciple. To accept the proposition, Shenhe has to brush her hair three times with the comb. Without a second thought, the child immediately did as told.
On the first stroke, a part of her hair turned white. On the second, half of her hair lost the original color, and finally, on the last brush, naught but a drape of snow was left.
6 Accustomed To Eating Herbs
Just like Ganyu, Shenhe also often munches on Qingxin stalks. However, unlike the Qilin, the exorcist doesn’t at all enjoy the taste. The flower is bitter, but in the mountains, one can’t be picky with their food. When Shenhe was first taken to Mt. Hulao, she did nothing but drink dew and chew on Qingxin. Eventually, she got used to the unpleasant taste of the plant.
However, as Cloud Retainer said, mortal cuisine does not affect adeptal abilities, Shenhe is allowed to treat herself to human foods. Because of this, Shenhe enjoys the dishes of the common folks. However, the only taste she’d truly remember was the noodles she once had in her childhood.
5 Does Not Understand Mundane Solutions
Since Shenhe left human civilization at a young age, she understands little of human customs. Because of this, she often gets impatient when handling mundane problems. For her, anything complicated doesn’t deserve to be called a “solution.” For example, when bandits caused trouble to a village, why would she bother to negotiate with them when she can eradicate by killing them all? These homicidal tendencies cause Shenhe to avoid crowds.
Luckily, though, this urge doesn’t extend to animals. As much as Shenhe thinks that Changsheng (Baizhu’s snake) has a sharp tongue, she claims that she won’t go as far as quarreling with a snake.
4 Taught Exorcism By The Adepti
Shenhe comes from a long line of exorcists. But even so, she was never taught any exorcism arts by her family. However, as she was taken by the Adepti, it’s highly likely that she learned the techniques from them. Not only that, but considering Shenhe survived a few days battling an evil god as a child, it shows that she possesses an innate talent in this area.
As a disciple, Shenhe purges demons and evils around the Adepti’s abode. She ofte comes across humans in need, who mistake her as an Adeptus. When this happens, Shenhe claims that she never intended to save mortals in the first place. She was there simply to eradicate the enemies.
3 Shenhe Is Chongyun’s Aunt
When Shenhe was first announced, many people immediately spotted her similarities with Chongyun. Initially, many expected them to be siblings. But soon, it was confirmed that Shenhe is Chongyun’s “auntie.” Considering he too has his peculiarities (he suffers from congenital positivity, which literally means that he’s filled with positivity), it’s hard to ignore the fact that, maybe, their “curse” is a family issue.
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For those who main Chongyun, they can finally rest in peace as Shenhe completes the line Chongyun always forgets: “Heart be pure, evil be erased. Mind be purged, world be…saved.” Shenhe speaks the last word, “saved.”
2 She Respects Ningguang
As Shenhe is pretty much a hermit, she has no need for coins. Even so, she finds herself admiring the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing. As the person whose wealth is unsurpassed by anyone in Teyvat, Lady Ningguang doesn’t only use her money for her own joy. She has ued it to grow an entire region, making Liyue the most prosperous nation on the continent.
Not only that, but Shenhe also regards Ningguang’s ability to understand people and their emotions, something she could never do. Thus, she holds Ningguang in high respect.
1 She Does Not Know Ganyu
Both Ganyu and Shenhe are disciples of Cloud Retainer. As they have suspiciously similar outfits (which would complement each other when combined), fans initially thought that they must have been trained together. However, considering Ganyu has been of service to Liyue for a few human generations, this soon appears to be impossible.
While knowing her by name, Shenhe doesn’t really know Ganyu as a person. Perhaps it’s due to Shenhe’s tendency for solitude or Ganyu’s tireless work, but it seems the two never really got acquainted.
Genshin Impact is now available on Mobile, PC, PS4, and PS5. A Switch version is in development.
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