Notice: This article is about the upcoming character the Tsaritsa, the cryo Archon who resides in Scheznaya of Genshin Impact. Please note my predictions based on what I saw in Honkai and what I think would be potential parallels!!
Warning: Honkai references, possible spoilers for the Scheznaya arc(obviously)
What we know about the Tsaritsa now (as of 1.5)
“She is a god with no love left for her people, nor do they have any left for her.”
“Her followers hope only to be on her side when the day of her rebellion against the divine comes at last.”
-Dainsleif, Teyvat Chapter Storyline preview “Everwinter without mercy”
(This seems to imply how she used to hold the title "God of Love" like how Barbatos holds the title "God of Freedom".)
If you have paid any attention during the story line, you will know that the Tsaritsa is the ultimate antagonist(for now) and the boss of Fatui.
She is willing to achieve her goal:overthrowing the heavenly principles and/or celestia with whatever methods available. Including employing morally questionable people like Dottore.
Venti mentions how she has never been the same since the cataclysm 500 years ago, it is likely this is what made the Tsaritsa make up her mind about rebelling against Celestia.
Tartaglia’s voice line about her
Source: Honey impact
Appearance speculation(Honkai references)
Reference character: Bronya Zaychik/ Ana Schariac
Reasons why Bronya Zaychik could be a base:
Bronya Zaychik’s nationality is Russian, and Scheznaya’s real life reference is Russia
She is known as the silver wolf and was a child soldier from a young age.
She also had to harden her personality after going through a traumatic event.
One of her battlesuits is ice-element oriented(Herrscher of Reason).
Although I do not belive she is the main blueprint for the Cryo Archon of Genshin. Her real strength as a Herrscher(god) is not related to Ice. It is creation, meaning making things once you understand/memorize its structure.
Plus, honkai already got an Ice Goddess with tragic backstory.
Why I think Ana Schariac is the main reference to the Tsarista
Just take a look at her title. Herrscher of Ice
And her design. I do think mihoyo would surely not let a beautiful work of art like this to go to waste. All this work and Ana would just be an NPC with so little screentime? (Rememebr Wendy->Venti, please make this a treand oml)
Does her color scheme reminds you of the Fatui-centric pale flame artifact set?
A major argument Ana has is: Her tragic backstory and the potential parallels. The theme "love" is very much present.
You can argue that Bronya became the herrscher of reason to help her friend is also tied to love in some way...
However Ana's story has major similarties to the Catalysm happened 500 years ago and why the Tsarista become a different person.
My personally wish is this: Since Ana did not get to live long enough after become a herrscher and we know little about her personality, the Tsarista would have Bronya's personality and way of doing things.
How the Tsarista met her first Harbinger, Pierro
This is the Story on the Mocking Mask of the pale flame set, implying he is from the Fallen Kingdom of Knaeri'ah. He was taken in by the Tsarista, it would seem.
In Honkai, Ana also saved someone important to her from a disaster. His name is Chen Tian-Wu, code name Owl.
It is implied that they love each other. In fact, Owl stayed by her side until the very end of their lives.
In Honkai, Ana ran away from Owl's dying sister so she would not see her die. Note that it is not because Ana did not want to, but the littl girl is beyond any help at that moment.
This could very well be a parallel to how the Tsarista can only turn away from the descruction of Knaeri'ah since she cannot do anything, cannot invervine the decisions of the heavenly principles/Celestia
Owl later found out about this, and he was not sure whether or not to hate her or be thankful to her. (The Jester Pierro could have the same mindset since formentioned parallels)
Ana felt immense guilt regarding the fact that she ran away and it eventually led to her hersscher transformation.(Losing your mind etc)
Therefore her and the Jester have one colletive goal: Overthrow the "divine"
I LOVE their dynamic, even though it wasn't shown much. It just has so much potential.
Headcanon: Opera, Galette and Mont d'Or were the "wimpy" Charlottes in their childhood (like Usopp, Nami and Chopper trio) - often losing their battles, being pessimistic in front of their enemies, and sometimes fleeing. The three found comfort and validation in each other.
Due to them not being strong front combatants, they specialized in strategy, interrogation, abduct missions, and information gathering — the behind-the-scenes crew. Mont d'Or is the informant, Galette the hostage holder and Opera the interrogator. Eventually as they grew, they learned to not show fear in dangerous times by masking fear with pride and also eating/training their devil fruits.
“The reason the Grand Line is called the ‘Pirates’ Graveyard’, is because of the Three Great Powers that rule over it. One of them, is the Ōka Shichibukai. They’re seven Pirate Warlords that are officially authorized by the World Government. The Shichibukai inhabit wild regions of the seas and as long as they give a cut of their loot obtained from marauding & pillaging, the World Government sanctions their actions. Other pirates may look down on them and call them ‘Government Dogs’, but they’re among the strongest the Grand Line has to offer!!”
Thus ends my journey with the Shichibukai. It was fun & arduous while it lasted and I had a hell of a great time re-reading some of the most epic and sad moments in One Piece. I’ve compiled all the gifs into a short video in the order of the manga’s storyline, so enjoy this final treat me buckos! Oda has given us so many fantastic characters & memories it’s hard to wait a week for each chapter but it is always worth the wait. I can’t wait to see what else the sensei has in store for us!!
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