Genshin Impact is expected to receive many new Inazuma characters in upcoming updates, including the Raiden Shogun herself: Baal. She is the ruler of the country and she’s also the Electro Archon, but her backstory separates her from the other two known archons in an interesting way.
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The Electro Archon
Unlike Venti and Zhongli, Baal is a relatively younger god with a shorter time on the throne. The original Seven, the victors of the Archon War, only have two gods remaining in the ranks of The Seven: Venti and Zhongli. It hasn’t been revealed the exact time frame in which Baal ascended, but it’s known that she was not the original Electro Archon.
Despite her relative youth among gods, Baal calls herself the God of Eternity and believes her rule is eternal. In her opinion, she is the noblest and “most eminent” being in the world. Her personality is self-centered and harsh toward others. Unsurprisingly, she is a suppressive and unyielding ruler over Inazuma. In terms of ideals, she’s basically the direct opposite of the freedom-loving and hands-off Anemo Archon Venti.
Currently, Baal is the only Archon actively abstaining from granting Visions to the people of Teyvat. This is a very recent development, as it’s been one year since she last granted an Electro Vision at the time when the expansion begins. She’s grown to see mortals’ Visions as a threat to her eternal rule.
The Raiden Shogun
As the ruling Raiden Shogun of Inazuma, Baal has enacted harsh mandates on the country that isolate it from the rest of Teyvat. While her exact reasoning is currently unclear, something happened at least a year ago that made Baal enact a decree of isolationism and the Vision Hunt. Visions are banned in Inazuma, and Vision holders who do not give them up are severely punished (possibly by death). One of the few people Baal trusts with a Vision is Kujou Sara, her loyal bodyguard and retainer.
Inazuma is considered a highly dangerous country, and it is very difficult to enter or exit Inazuma’s borders. The ocean surrounding the island nation is unforgiving, and once travelers reach land they must face either armed guards or extremely strict border checks. All of these actions are meant to protect Baal’s “eternal rule,” as the ideal of eternity is what she values most. Other characters like Atsuko and Kazuha fled the nation under dangerous circumstances to be free of the oppressive atmosphere.
There are still many mysteries surrounding Baal, both terms of lore and gameplay. She’s confirmed to not be playable in the current 2.1 version of the game, so it will be quite some time before she’s released. However, since Baal is such a major character in the ongoing plot, she’s sure to make appearances until then.
Genshin Impact is available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, and PS5.
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