When miHoYo unveiled the Raiden Shogun playable character in Genshin Impact, many wondered why the character name wasn't Baal. Now, it's very clear why. Genshin Impact‘s 2.1 Archon Quests revealed a lot of important backstories necessary to understand who the Raiden Shogun really is. However, most of this information comes from Yae Miko, who gives the expository conversation with the Traveler after the Trounce Quest. Needless to say, spoilers ahead!

Who is Raiden Shogun in Genshin Impact?

The Raiden Shogun that we see outside the Plane of Euthymia is not the real Electro Archon. Instead, it is an automaton that the Electro Archon created many, many years ago. The automaton Scaramouche came from the same method of creation, but Ei later reveals that the Raiden Shogun automaton might even be more powerful than her at this point.

When a catastrophic event happened almost 500 years ago, Ei was stricken by grief. Coping with her countless losses, she desired to spend her entire time meditating in the Plane of Euthymia. To continuously preserve her presence in the mortal realm and to preside over the governance of Inazuma, she created the Raiden Shogun automaton. Thus, the Raiden Shogun we see in the real world is a fake – a homunculus of the real Shogun.

Who is Ei in Genshin Impact (a.k.a. Beelzebul)?

Beelzebul, whose personification is Ei, is the current Electro Archon and Raiden Shogun of Inazuma. However, she is not the original Electro Archon, and is actually the most recent to ascend amongst The Seven. After heavy losses over five hundred years ago, Ei retreated to the Plane of Euthymia and left her automaton to oversee matters in Inazuma. In the Plane of Euthymia, Ei meditates on her path to eternity. She believes that gaining eternity is the only way to prevent more pain or suffering that she experienced many years before.

During the Vision Hunt Decree Ceremony, the Raiden Shogun automaton was going to harvest the 100th Vision from Thoma. However, the Traveler intervenes and as a result, was dragged into the Plane of Euthymia by Ei. The two duels, with Ei easily defeating the Traveler, but the Traveler survives as Thoma saves them and brings them to safety. Later on, Yae Miko notes that only the Traveler can go inside the Plane of Euthymia, and asks for her help in convincing Ei to return to Inazuma.

After defeating Signora in a duel, the Traveler was taken back to the Plane of Euthymia by Ei, where the two discuss the effects of the Vision Hunt Decree. Yae Miko teleports her consciousness into the Plane of Euthymia using a charm that she has given the Traveler. There, the trio discussed how the Vision Hunt and Sakoku Decrees have been affecting the citizens of Inazuma. The two were then able to convince Ei to reconsider her position and her understanding of eternity. Ei then returns to Inazuma to govern matters once again directly.

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Who is Baal in Genshin Impact?

Baal was the original Electro Archon and Raiden Shogun of Inazuma, also known as Raiden Makoto. Yae Miko reveals to the Traveler that Baal and Beelzebul were twin gods. Five hundred years ago, the Calamity at Khaen'ria led to the death of Baal. Beelzebul takes over the role of Electro Archon and Raiden Shogun. However, for unknown reasons, or possibly thanks to the resemblance of the twin gods, the people of Inazuma continued to refer to Ei as Baal.

Baal is possibly seen as well in the Raiden Shogun trailer that we broke down weeks ago.