Lohen and the Etherwing Moth: part 1 of my Ascension Material Series! Analyzing why Lohen uses the Etherwing Moth
Lohen and the Weathered Arrowhead: part 2 of my Ascension Material Series! Analyzing why Lohen uses the Weathered Arrowhead (and other hilichurl arrowheads)
Lohen and the Prismatic Severed Tail: part 3 of my Ascension Material Series! Analyzing why Lohen uses the Prismatic Severed Tail
Lohen and Shivada Jade: part 4 of my Ascension Material Series! Analyzing why Lohen uses Shivada Jade
Lohen and the Ascended Sample: Knight (Chess Piece): part 5 of my Ascension Material Series! Analyzing why Lohen uses the Ascended Sample: Knight
Lohen and the Books of Resistance: part 6 of my Ascension Material Series! Analyzing why Lohen uses the Books of Resistance
Other Analysis/Theory:
My Thoughts on Lohen’s Character Story
The Three "Parsifals" - Childe, Lyney, and Lohen: my theory on how these three have a lot in common, thanks to a Teyvat Legend
Lohen and His Family: analyzing Lohen’s dynamic with his family and how it affects him
Lohen and Adorno: how Adorno’s passing affected Lohen in various ways
Understanding Varka’s Role In Lohen’s Story
Lohen's Liebestod: From Target To Trust: breaking down Lohen's C6 and comparing Lohen's story to "Tristan und Isolde"
Short Stories:
The Day A Weapon Refused To Stay Quiet: a story about Lohen’s first time using a musket
first time on tumblr - kinda new to this, but expect some casual yelling, theories/analysis, in-game stuff, and me pretending that i'm completely normal about a guy whose entire personality makes the average person want to bash their head into a wall
i'll talk about Lohen from time to time, sharing my theories about his overall character and whatever else crawls out of my brain
an additional note: i will be giving my two cents on leaks, so feel free to mute if needed. if you'd like for me to ramble about something specific, go ahead and hit up that ask box, i'll do my best to answer!
Kill you all in a hip-hop rage -- Mindless Self Indulgence
Fly Away -- Teddyloid (Panty & Stocking)
over x dosage -- Ponkansoup
It wasn't me -- Shaggy
A lotta vocaloid recently as well as the Celeste OST that i've gotten obsessedddd with after beating the game, but also some other things. Had quite a few long car rides lately... anyways, tagging time!! -> @ashemellow @cosmic-giraffe @schrodingerscat-girl @anonyymoose @dysmei @shin-tsucommunist @strwberrymist @king-of-anxiety @mainteddybearty @mushromix3 @sirshelf @angiebiite and any other moots I might've missed when hastily typing this up -- or anyone who sees this post if they want :3
8. freie deutsche jugend - ifa wartburg (shut up. it's a banger)
9. system zero - -45
10. växeln hallå - janne lucas
11. ggrks - aaminp
12. that "i'm yer son i'm yer dad" song?? by speighty and sp80 jnr
13. whistle - pochonbo electronic ensemble (yes that one north korean pop song)
wow... wish i wasn't so cool and unique *twirls hair* no but actually it is occurring to me smth may in fact be wrong and i do feel shame admitting some of these uh. anyway🤑 @hffghhf @vaal-ko @nostalgicmermaaiid @elliotbjr02 @rainbowghostcat @b-eater BUT ANYBODY JOIN IF YOU WANT :P
@dehydratedstick @deluluna-1108 @the-lion-guard-88 @l1nklovescatz @lesbianyujiitadori @bovinewriter @md-the-artist @wacker-jack tried to tag as many pookies as I have on here, love y'all!! /p
Normally i dont do tags games because i uhhhhh forget but im stuck in a car rn! These arent rlly in rotation as much as it is that they are autoplaying in my brain, so its a really random assortment
1 I got no time - The Living Tombstone
2 Strawberry Mentos
3 gladiator - jann
4 evelyn evelyn - evelyn evelyn
5 debt collector - jhariah
6 pressure bomb - jhariah
7 composer struggles - musiclide
8 careless whisper -george Michael
9 crash - neovaii
10 I’m gonna win - rob cantor
11 Pork soda - Glass animals
12 Two time - Jack Stauber
13 Never love an anchor - The crane wives
@an-almond-x3 @silverk2k-art @betrayedspawn @liljimbob-thebluepikmin @bendyhatesapples @starii-lins @snipsper @happyhumi and everyone i forgot and everyone who wants to participate!!!
Hmmmm I’ll grab @bluemink-art @leesbadat-games @lazy-n @miropoypoy @thetrashartist @loserenjoyer (it took me way too long to realize that was a side account but I can’t remember the main one’s name now) and feel free to slide in anyone, I’m nosy and want to see other people’s music
the new Snezhnaya Trailer is so good! i can’t wait for the new region!
i'd like to point out "The Brothers Karamazov" by Fyodor Dostoevsky... i’ll sum it up very, very lightly
the names Alexei (Alyosha) and Dmitri, (a common nickname also being known as "Mitya") are present in the book... which is pretty much a web made of murder that involves drama in a courtroom... love and religion too!
if i'm right, we might see conflict between Alyosha, Mitya, and Valeriy (since we see a fight between him and Alyosha, i believe), in some way connected to the Tsaritsa!
take this with a grain of salt! once again, so, so, so excited!!
i also love the Odette reference… looks like Genshin’s still using literature and art as their main source, which i absolutely love >^< time to listen to some Tchaikovsky hehe
note: a reminder that this is a fun, fan-created analysis!
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having had Lohen in my team for ten days now, i've been looking through his content daily.
one of my favorite things about Lohen has to be the titles of everything: his outfit, his weapon, his talents, and even his constellations!
at first glance, his constellations seem very deep and poetic, which is actually quite fitting, considering that each one is a line from either a famous piece of literature and/or opera.
what i really want to focus on in this post is the title of Lohen's 6th Constellation: "To drown, to sink, unconscious -- supreme joy".
based on my interpretation, i'll first attempt to simplify the story behind Lohen's C6 title, explain the parallels between that story and Lohen's story, and then compare the actual line itself to Lohen's character, explaining how it fits his overall character and kit!
(this analysis includes the following characters: Lohen, Adorno, Varka, Eroch)
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in 1857, Richard Wagner composed "Tristan und Isolde", a three-act opera based on the medieval legend of Tristan. this masterpiece is full of drama, romance, and even expresses the desire to transcend beyond the ordinary.
Act I:
in Act I, there's a Knight named Tristan, a hero of Cornwall, and nephew to the King of Cornwall. on behalf of the King of Cornwall's orders, Tristan is escorting a woman named Isolde, to Cornwall so she can marry King Marke of Cornwall.
however, Isolde is furious, and rightfully so.
before anything, Isolde, the princess of Ireland, was a magic user, taught by her mother, the Queen. she had been set to marry a warrior named Morold.
Morold, representing Ireland, clashed blades against Tristan, who had been ordered by King Marke to free Cornwall from a humiliating tribute which had been demanded by Ireland.
prior to the battle, Isolde had blessed Morold's sword with her magic. despite her magic, Tristan defeats Morold, beheading him, leaving a fraction of his own sword in Morold's head.
Morold's head, along with part of Tristan's sword, are sent back to Isolde, as a symbol of Cornwall's triumph. she was devastated.
on top of that, it's revealed that Morold had in fact wounded Tristan, but thanks to Isolde's magic (or due to her magical expertise), Tristan needed her to heal him. she was the only one who could.
in order to free himself from his wound, Tristan disguises himself as "Tantris", making his way to Isolde for healing. Isolde was unaware that this "Tantris" was actually Tristan, the Knight who'd beheaded Morold.
soon, she locates the sword belonging to "Tantris", realizing that his broken sword was the main piece to the shard embedded in her fiancé's head.
angered, she reaches for a sword, ready to kill Tristan and claim revenge. however, her eyes meet his gaze, which pierces her heart, and she drops the sword.
(in other versions, on top of this, Tristan also convinces Isolde that if she'd killed him, her mother would lose her life, since Tristan was the only one who could maintain the "peace" between Ireland and Cornwall)
cornered, she continued to heal Tristan, before sending him back to Cornwall. as she did, the two swore an oath of silence over her ever healing Tristan.
after some time, Tristan had returned to Ireland, proclaiming a peace treaty with Cornwall. in the oath Isolde and Tristan had made, it was said that Isolde had to marry King Marke, which takes us back to the ship, where Tristan is delivering Isolde to the King of Cornwall.
throughout all of this, Isolde is furious and humiliated. she's mocked by the ship's sailors.
Isolde asks her maid, Brangäne, to seek out Tristan and request an audience. unfortunately, Tristan evades her request. his companion, Kurewenal, mocks Isolde with a sea shanty about Morold.
Isolde, no longer able to contain her fury, breaks the silent oath, revealing the truth about Tristan to Brangäne. Isolde regrets sparing Tristan's life, and swears that she'll take revenge by killing him, before going down with him.
desperately, Brangäne tries to soothe Isolde, reminding Isolde of her mother's magic, with some of her potions on board. among those potions sat healing balms, along with draughts that brought love and death.
Isolde orders Brangäne to prepare the death draught for Tristan.
at the same time, the sailors announce their arrival at Cornwall, with Kurewenal telling Isolde and Brangäne to prepare for landing. Isolde insisted that she would not be going anywhere, not until Tristan apologized for what happened in the past.
surprisingly, Tristan hands Isolde his sword, offering her a second chance to kill him.
Isolde lowered the sword, choosing to do things her way. instead, she offered him a drink of "peace". Tristan immediately understood that the drink had been tampered with, but he accepts it, drinking half of Isolde's draught. Isolde drank the other half.
as the draught of death took effect, the two believed they'd "died", yet at the same time, that experience of "death" had become the joy of union, their desires for honor and revenge respectively falling away.
what Isolde believed to be a draught of death had actually been a draught of love, switched out by a desperate Brangäne.
the ship docked at Cornwall.
Act II:
within King Marke's castle, Isolde waits impatiently to reunite with Tristan. at the same time, horns announce the departure of King Marke on a hunting party.
once the King had left, Isolde extinguished a torch's flame to let Tristan know that the coast was clear. Brangäne had warned Isolde to not put out the flame, letting her know that the hunting party had been a trap set by Melot, an ambitious Knight who'd benefit from Tristan's downfall.
Isolde ignored the threat, under the belief that Melot was Tristan's friend, knowing that Melot would never betray him.
Isolde ordered Brangäne to keep watch as Isolde extinguished the flame. Tristan arrived soon after, before the two made love.
Brangäne warned the two that morning would soon arrive, but the hero and the princess had been too in love to catch the danger. they compare their act of unity at night to death, which would ultimately unite them.
the King's hunting party arrived promptly, finding Tristan and Isolde in the act.
King Marke, betrayed, could not understand how his nephew could betray him. Tristan ignores his uncle, asking Isolde if she's prepared to sail with Tristan to his mother's resting place.
as soon as Isolde accepted, Tristan challenged Melot to a duel. instead of countering Melot's attack, Tristan allowed for Melot to purposely wound him.
Act III:
Tristan was sent back to Karreol, his homeland, where Kurwenal tended to the fatally wounded knight.
a wandering shepherd asked about Tristan's health, Kurwenal admitting that only Isolde could save him. the shepherd played a tune on his pipe, watching a ship approach.
Tristan regained consciousness, not recognizing who he was or where he'd been. hallucinating between life and death, Tristan imagined a realm of night, with Isolde living in the daylight. Kurwenal assured Tristan that Isolde would soon arrive, which gave Tristan a will to live.
Tristan asked Kurwenal if Isolde's ship had arrived yet, to which the shepherd played a sad tune, symbolizing "no". the shepherd's sad melody reminds Tristan of his dead parents, and the wound from Morold. he hears the phrase "To desire, and do die", as he listens to the melody. Tristan begins to think that the draught of love's power had altered his fate, leaving him with the desire to never die, wanting to live with Isolde.
the shepherd's tune becomes cheerful; Isolde's ship had arrived. at the same time, Tristan hallucinates the sun, believing he had conquered death.
Isolde rushed in, her name on Tristan's lips as he finally dies. she wails at the loss of their reunion.
the shepherd then announces the arrival of another ship: King Marke's ship.
Brangäne, who'd arrived with Isolde earlier, tried to calm Kurwenal down, but he was too overcome with emotion, spiraling into a frenzied slaughter. when Melot arrived, Kurwenal stabs him, before he is killed by the King's soldiers in retaliation.
King Marke is overwhelmed with grief at the sight of death. Brangäne explains to Isolde that the King had arrived to pardon Tristan and Isolde, admitting that she had switched out the draught of death with the draught of love.
however, Isolde, "transfigured", does not hear her, her vision filled with the sight of Tristan beckoning her to a world beyond the ordinary.
thus, begins the "Verklärung", also known as the "Liebestod."
Isolde's ecstatic, final words are "To drown, to sink down unconscious, supreme bliss (joy)!"
collapsing onto Tristan's body, she dies in a state of serene ecstasy.
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in my perspective, Lohen's backstory already functions like a messed up Liebestod.
Lohen's story begins as a child trapped in a controlled, orderly household. as bowmakers, his family insists that bows are to be polished and that the rules are meant to be followed. Lohen's parents drill the theme of consistency into his head, living ignorantly from the danger that lurks outside their home.
then, the kidnapping shatters that illusion of "love" for Lohen. his father's failure to fight back, despite being a master archer, becomes that deep wound in Lohen's life: the wound of helplessness.
in the story, it's described that Lohen sat in a cell, thinking that if his father had stood against those bandits with his bow, "none of this would have happened". he had been kidnapped, bound, and nearly turned into one of Eroch and Dottore's victims.
after the Knights' rescue, Lohen does not recover by avoiding danger. he "heals" by diving into danger on purpose.
Lohen's character story 2 mentions how he slips out at night with a self-made bow, hunting monsters, until his heart feels like "a storm-swollen tide". the question tormented him was: if he were to face his kidnappers again, would he still be the helpless child waiting for rescue?
the story then continues by mentioning how that question "would never answer itself" unless he were to strike through the first target.
unfortunately, Lohen never gets that chance.
Lohen's Character Story 2:
"...Kid, we've traced who was behind those old kidnappings."
Lohen, who had barely paid attention to yet another mediator, suddenly fixed him with a sharp look.
"Who was it?"
"We'll be issuing an official notice soon, but there's no point in dwelling on revenge," Adorno said calmly. "He's already dead."
After a long pause, Lohen spoke again.
"Who killed him?"
"Suicide."
"That kind of person doesn't just kill himself. You know what I'm really asking — who drove him to that point?"
Adorno let out a faint smile.
"Our Grand Master, the Knight of Boreas... Mondstadt's living legend. Think that makes a worthy new target for you?"
this, in my opinion, is where the parallels begin to connect.
Lohen's "original wound" was the kidnapping; the trauma that made him obsessed with never feeling helpless again. then, he wants a target.
in the text, Lohen was barely paying attention, but he immediately zeroes in on Adorno when he mentions the kidnappings and the man behind them. his wound had not been healed; it was simply waiting for an answer.
here's a parallel, but with a twist.
just as Isolde could not undo the wound of Morold's death, Lohen could not take direct revenge on the man behind the kidnappings. his act of revenge is abruptly taken from him before he could even go in for the kill.
then, a new figure replaces Lohen's "first target". not a name, a title, much like Isolde, who was met with a disguise, until she pieced it together.
for Isolde, "Tantris", who was revealed as the knight named Tristan, became the living body through which Morold's death, her fury, and her desire for revenge merges. she wants to kill Tristan, for killing her beloved and for deceiving her into healing him.
for Lohen, this "Knight of Boreas" becomes the living body through which his revenge and lack of closure converge. Lohen doesn't want to "kill" the Grand Master, but he wants to know how the "Knight of Boreas" had taken his "kill", how a man like him had enough power to kill the monster from his past.**
Adorno did not simply just give Lohen information, he redirected the arrow towards a new target. Adorno's method "baits" Lohen into joining the Knights of Favonius.
side note: i'd like to point out that Varka's title was used to bait Lohen into joining the Knights, much like how Lohen does with the Traveler in his story quest.
Adorno didn't mention the name "Varka" at all, purposely leaving Lohen with curiosity and a drive to find out who exactly stole "his kill", despite Varka not having done much in terms of Eroch's suicide** (**after the truth behind Eroch's corruption had been uncovered, Varka had cornered Eroch, but Eroch chose to laugh, ending his life in front of Varka. Varka did take action, but this information wasn't disseminated until later in Mondstadt).
interestingly, both Varka and Lohen share that same reminder in their respective journeys: the reminder that they are "just human", "powerless... mortal..."
Adorno knew that Lohen needed a place where he would be guided by strong peers and even stronger Captains. he needed structure, people who would show Lohen the love and peace that was taken from him... in a Lohen-like way.
in Lohen's search for revenge, the answer had been given to him in a title. he then searched for the force behind that man's death; the overwhelming strength that made the monster from his past drop dead.
Lohen's trauma isn't healed, he doesn't find closure because of the kidnapper's death. instead, much like in the opera, death becomes a doorway into fascination and excitement.
Varka becomes the living embodiment of the answer that Lohen had been chasing since his childhood.
Lohen enters the Knights, chasing this image of Varka before even learning who Varka truly is. this also explains why Lohen doesn't approach Varka like some normal admirer who looked up to him.
Lohen's character story 3 says that his introduction to Varka was "utterly unrestrained", with him using hidden arrows, traps, and sedatives; an ambush. Varka responds, of course, with his own method: fighting back.
yet another parallel, but with a twist (again).
when Isolde discovered Tristan's trick, she met Tristan's gaze as she tried to kill him instead of healing him. however, she gave in, the sword falling from her hands as his eyes pierced her heart, leaving her unable to slay him.
in Lohen's character story 3, the text makes sure to point out that Varka "held" Lohen's eyes, not seeing hesitation or panic, but "a spark of exhilaration".
Lohen's Character Story 3:
"Varka held Lohen's eyes. Icy and increasingly piercing, they carried a spark of exhilaration -- and perhaps a reflection of the drive to face the strongest and claim glory that Varka could still feel in himself."
Varka realized that Lohen isn't looking at him like a fan or a subordinate in that moment. Lohen was testing him, diving into that combat frenzy that Varka would see again and again in the future, just to get the answer to the question that had been plaguing him his entire life.
interestingly enough, Adorno could've easily said, "Go visit Varka; he's a good guy. he'll tell you everything about the kidnappings."
instead, Adorno cleverly sets it up so that Lohen's own obsession pulls him toward the Knights, rather than making him feel like he's being forced into another cage. he's just using Lohen's method against him; "manipulative", but not cruel.
painting Varka as a friendly, good guy would've made Lohen roll his eyes in disinterest. by connecting the core of Lohen's trauma to the "myth" of "Mondstadt's living legend", he's making Varka seem larger than he really is, catching Lohen's interest due to his search of power.
also, this is Adorno respecting Lohen's personality. he's not offering Knights that would supervise and babysit Lohen; he's offering Lohen a challenge. it's the perfect bait for Lohen because it doesn't make him feel like he's being "saved". it feels like hunting.
in Varka's eyes, he's finally found someone he can oversee who sparks his own interest; not a fan or some wannabe, but a diamond in the rough.
Adorno took Lohen's obsession, and instead of removing it, he cleverly places Varka at the center of it, knowing that the Grand Master would probably be one of the only few people strong enough to withstand the danger of becoming Lohen's "target".
circling back, Isolde first saw Tristan through Morold's death. similarly, Lohen learns about Varka through the death of the man behind the kidnappings -- Eroch's suicide.
Isolde became fixated with revenge and was overcome with fury. Lohen's fixation began with his trauma and the need to prove that he wasn't the helpless child he once was.
Isolde and Tristan met eyes, changing the course of the story from Isolde's desire for revenge to Isolde's desire for Tristan himself. in Lohen's story, when Varka held Lohen's gaze, there was a moment of understanding and recognition in the way where both characters had a drive to fight the strongest.
Isolde is unable to kill Tristan, and Lohen comes to understand who the "Knight of Boreas" truly was.
then, the parallels continue.
after their scuffle, Varka finally subdues Lohen, deciding that Lohen's promising enough, but reckless. he sends Lohen to solitary confinement, but not in rejection:
"Not happy with that? Step up again whenever you like. I'll be keeping an eye on you."
...to which Lohen replies, "Guess you'll just have to wait and see."
Varka chose to challenge Lohen, in a very Varka-like way. of course, Lohen won't back down.
that moment of Lohen's solitary confinement acts slightly like the gap between Isolde's first attempt at killing Tristan and the ship/draught scene.
the first confrontation between the two began with a weapon and a gaze. the second confrontation continues with a drink.
after Lohen's time in solitary confinement ends, he goes to Varka's door with a bottle of Dandelion Wine, Varka's favorite, as an "apology". Varka, recognizing his favorite wine, accepts, before realizing that something is wrong.
in the opera, Isolde lets Tristan know that she is not satisfied with Morold's death, demanding compensation. Tristan offers her his sword, asking her to kill him. however, Isolde chooses to do things her way, offering him a "draught of atonement".
Tristan drinks, aware that it is poison, and Isolde drinks as well. later, it's learned that Brangäne had switched the "draught of death" for the "draught of love" -- a love potion.
in Lohen's story, like Isolde's "drink of atonement", he offers the wine to Varka as an "apology" for his actions. Varka accepts the wine, quickly learning that it had been tampered with.
like Tristan, Varka grows aware of the poison, and instead of backing down, he follows through, making sure that Lohen sees his resistance. Lohen's obviously shocked, watching in wide-eyed admiration; he'd put enough sedative in his drink to take down "a dozen forest boars".
Varka reminds Lohen that those "little tricks" of his weren't enough to take him down (even if it almost did). Lohen begins to see strength in a new light; not as simple power, but as a "strength that no trap or poison could shake".
Lohen's Character Story 3:
"From that moment, two new goals went straight onto Lohen's list:
First, to take down Varka by any means necessary.
Second, to try out those same tricks on himself — and make sure he could never be knocked down."
side note: this line in Lohen's character story 3 reminds me of Isolde and Tristan taking the draught; Tristan accepts the draught, and Isolde follows suit, both of them expecting it to kill them.
Lohen tries all of his methods on Varka, and then on himself.
one day, if something were to take down Varka, Lohen would also try it on himself, just to test if it would have the same effect on him, or if he'll outdo Varka.
the difference between Isolde and Lohen is that Lohen doesn't want to necessarily kill Varka; he just wants to discover his weak points. Isolde wanted to kill Tristan.
i want to point out the word "draught" for a moment.
much like in my other post analyzing Lohen and his potential "Parsifal" connection due to his usage of the word "swan", the word "draught" is possibly a symbol that connects him to the story of Tristan und Isolde.
"draught" is an old-fashioned word for a liquid medicine that someone drinks.
this is a recurring symbol in Lohen's content.
for example, in Lohen's voice line "About Varka: Resistance to Medicine", he mentions how Varka's resistance to medicine was growing. he also brings up how he'd "mixed up a draught a few days earlier that barely flushed his cheeks". he admits that if Varka had not cast a glare his way, Lohen would've doubted whether he'd added medicine at all.
also, in Lohen's voice line "Something to Share", Lohen mentions that he doesn't drink, finding Dandelion Wine as a much better use for disinfecting wounds, which is accompanied with a "sweet, stinging pain". he also mentions how he enjoys watching others squirm, especially Varka.
side note: i'd also like to point out the subtle similarity between Isolde and Lohen. Isolde is connected to poisons and potions, much like Lohen, who creates medicines and poisons, even in one of his Dornman Port interactions, where he improves a poison (in theory). Isolde's also described as a healer, which reminds me of Lohen's voice lines describing draughts, medicine, alcohol, and tending to wounds, despite not being commonly known as a healer.
it's interesting how Lohen actively avoids anesthetics, but loves using tools like alcohol to tend to wounds. he uses wine to convert bodily reactions (distress) such as pain and dizziness into a form of joy and fascination.
i believe that the writers behind Lohen's character had sprinkled words such as "draught", "swan", and "rabbit", so that fans could make these connections from legendary, classical stories to Lohen. it gives a new perspective on his character every time!
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"Ertrinken, versinken, unbewusst — höchste Lust!"
"To drown, to sink down unconscious — supreme bliss (joy)!"
the Liebestod is the final aria of Wagner's opera. in this scene, this is the moment where Isolde gradually dies, not as a "loss", but as a moment where she ecstatically sinks into "supreme bliss", serenely dying over Tristan's corpse.
similarly, this phrase, included in Lohen's 6th constellation, becomes an extreme endpoint for Lohen's desire. his deepest thrill comes from crossing the boundary where "ordinary" people would most likely panic or retreat.
Lohen continuously throws himself into situations where the physical self is overwhelmed. from pain to exhaustion, Lohen experiences it all not expecting to "die", but with a sense of exhilaration, an unshakeable desire to feel alive.
breaking his C6 mechanics down, the symbolism stands out. at C6, when using Etched Into Bone and Soul or Manifest Judgement in Masterstroke mode no longer consumes Will to Win; instead, Lohen's Joy is maxed out, extending his Masterstroke duration, and his Crit DMG is increased immensely. also, he gets extra uses out of Etched Into Bone and Soul.
in simpler words, Lohen reaches a state of "supreme joy" much faster, and stays in that heightened combat state for way longer.
the phrase becomes almost literal in terms of his kit:
"To drown, to sink": Lohen dives deeper into his heightened combat state for longer, decreasing his chances of ending it.
"Unconscious": Lohen allows for the violence and thrill to consume him, phasing beyond "ordinary" limits and self-preservation (seeks self-improvement, finds self-destruction)
"Supreme Joy": Lohen's Joy meter is maxed out, his damage peaks, and it's almost never-ending.
the helpless child that Lohen once was "dies" as the awakening of the Knight that Lohen becomes replaces him, sinking himself into danger, drowning in supreme joy.
but, he doesn't lose himself completely!
some people are able to bring him back from the brink, and most of the time, Lohen's in control of his own power.
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thank you for reading!
a note: in order to understand this constellation, i viewed a translated version of "Tristan und Isolde", (credits to the Metropolitan Opera House!)
due to this, please forgive me for any inaccuracies! there's many versions out there, and i tried my best to find the parallels between the plot and Lohen's story.
keep in mind that this is my interpretation of the opera and Lohen's story! there are many opinions out there; this is just one of many, and not the only "right" one.
i enjoyed working on this! the theme of "love" resonates quite strongly with Lohen's character. his love is a kind of love that catches people off guard; i feel semi-inspired to write on it now!
i hope you enjoyed!! have an amazing day/night! - wren
i saw Tristan and my fate brain activated aoighaslgas
spoilering bc its long. why is this long. i was supposed to only go "oh cool i know Tristan from Fate/Grand Order. barely, but i do heres some fun facts about him" HOW DID IT GET THIS LONG??? GOIHASGLKASG
for those who don't know, Tristan is also a member of the Knights of the Round Table, and is particularly associated as sir Lancelot's friend. the two once dueled but bonded. whether or not it's over the fact they both fell in love and slept with royals meant to be with other people i will leave up to interpretation
(no srsly, two mora for this specific trope? jeez, but yknow what at least Tristan and Isolde were forgiven and their romance did NOT bring the downfall of an entire kingdom so thats a plus for them)
i did a quick google search to look further and found that there's another interpretation of Tristan and Isolde where they fell in love and THEN King Mark who was jealous of him demanded Isolde as his bride, so there's a fun fact
i also want to note that Tristan is associated with the harp. lyre? uh, he's mentioned harping in the alternate version of the story and the Tristan i know of in Fate/Grand Order uses a magic harp
this magic harp in the game actually doubles as his signature bow, "Failnaught - The Bow That Never Misses". the name apparently was made up in the 1900s from a phrase translated from french that literally described his bow as one that never fails. in Fate, this is done with the harp shooting arrows of sound, thus never being able to miss bc the arrows were not physical
which is interesting, given that Lohen explicitly comes from a family of bowmakers
the bow is also said to rely on the user's "integrity and intent". wow that definitely doesn't tie into his relationship with the title of "Benevolent Knight"/sar
Lohen's character story specificed his first bow was made of fir wood so i tried to check if that had any relevance to Failnaught but instead i found that there is no specific material for it, and instead just different iterations of it from either dragon bones (slow turn to his hexerei homework...) or mahogany which is known as one of the hardest woods out there. i then checked the location of fir wood on the genshin interactive map and oh what do you know that shit is EVERYWHERE EXCEPT THE *INSIDE* OF STORMTERROR'S LAIR, THOUSANDS WIND TEMPLE AREA DOWN TO WINDRISE AND THEN OVER TO DADUAPA GORGE
and you know what's even weirder? fir wood isn't even used for bows. it's used for ARROWS.
fir wood is a soft wood. one of the strongest soft woods, but a soft wood (sounds like when i described Lohen as lethal prey but prey nonetheless) that i can't find any mention of being used for a bow other than someone quoting the bible. yeah. we had to get the bible to say its POSSIBLE.
his parents made him a toy bow out of wood more suited to arrows than a bow. he would later be described as an arrow. this cannot be a coincidence.
oh and fir wood is only found in Mondstadt
right. Tristan. Knights of the Round. Arthurian. right. so uh, as a knight of the Round Tristan would be considered a Knight of the Holy Grail, like the german Lohengrin. nice. neat. mhm. so about Failnaught it's also tied to destiny the divine and mystical selection, which made me remember about the opera Lohengrin's themes of humans struggling to accept divine aid due to their own flawed nature. that definitely shows in Lohen's refusal of Ursa's power as well as his attitude towards his nation's own god (his fallen vl refers to Barbatos as "wind" rather than by name), but Failnaught's themes can also either tie back to this choice or even foreshadow a selection he has to make, one that may lead to his doom purely for the sole reason that he is... mortal.
Failnaught is said to be for those meant for significant quests. but just because it may mean he will venture forth, does not mean he will be ready nor succeed. arrows shot from the druid enchanted bow cannot be healed by normal means, both ironic due to Tristan's own fate but also potentially a reference to how Lohen poisons his weapons.
wait. wait a minute
wait im reading this website- CU CHULAINN USED THIS BOW??? WTF WHEN???? HUH?????
uh. yeah. so, apparently the guy known best in the Fate franchise as "Lancer" because he uses a spear, has used Failnaught the magic bow in some myths. wow. okay. yippee wow so relatable to Lohen the spear user who also has used bows. wow neat. but also yeah wtf i feel stunned. yeah Failnaught is associated with legends and heroes kinda like how Lohen's Disaster & Remorse is associated with the legacy of the Imunlaukr clan wow another nice tie in im kinda shell shocked i'll still here while i can before i ramble on thank you again for the amazing analysis disaster-remorse im gonna hobble off with the O_O Jahoda face now o7
i think Lohen's identity and how he reacts to it is a core part of his story
in his story, other people had always decided who he was:
his parents saw an idea of him that they wanted, not his true self
the Knights saw someone reckless and dangerous, failing to understand him, even after working with him (in some cases)
his titles came with expectations he had to inherit
honestly, Lohen doesn't make it easier for himself. instead of correcting others, he allows them to misunderstand him.
sometimes, he even plays into it, because he has this idea that being misread is safer than being fully seen.
it's not always people’s fault that they don't understand Lohen. from his content, it’s shown that Lohen has a habit of using that misunderstanding as armor; a form of defense.
after his story quest, Lohen finally has that chance to define himself. he's in a space where he gets to decide what comes next, which is exciting!
note: a reminder that this is a fun, fan-created analysis!
┈┈・ ✦ ・┈┈
having had Lohen in my team for ten days now, i've been looking through his content daily.
one of my favorite things about Lohen has to be the titles of everything: his outfit, his weapon, his talents, and even his constellations!
at first glance, his constellations seem very deep and poetic, which is actually quite fitting, considering that each one is a line from either a famous piece of literature and/or opera.
what i really want to focus on in this post is the title of Lohen's 6th Constellation: "To drown, to sink, unconscious -- supreme joy".
based on my interpretation, i'll first attempt to simplify the story behind Lohen's C6 title, explain the parallels between that story and Lohen's story, and then compare the actual line itself to Lohen's character, explaining how it fits his overall character and kit!
(this analysis includes the following characters: Lohen, Adorno, Varka, Eroch)
┈┈・ ✦ ・┈┈
in 1857, Richard Wagner composed "Tristan und Isolde", a three-act opera based on the medieval legend of Tristan. this masterpiece is full of drama, romance, and even expresses the desire to transcend beyond the ordinary.
Act I:
in Act I, there's a Knight named Tristan, a hero of Cornwall, and nephew to the King of Cornwall. on behalf of the King of Cornwall's orders, Tristan is escorting a woman named Isolde, to Cornwall so she can marry King Marke of Cornwall.
however, Isolde is furious, and rightfully so.
before anything, Isolde, the princess of Ireland, was a magic user, taught by her mother, the Queen. she had been set to marry a warrior named Morold.
Morold, representing Ireland, clashed blades against Tristan, who had been ordered by King Marke to free Cornwall from a humiliating tribute which had been demanded by Ireland.
prior to the battle, Isolde had blessed Morold's sword with her magic. despite her magic, Tristan defeats Morold, beheading him, leaving a fraction of his own sword in Morold's head.
Morold's head, along with part of Tristan's sword, are sent back to Isolde, as a symbol of Cornwall's triumph. she was devastated.
on top of that, it's revealed that Morold had in fact wounded Tristan, but thanks to Isolde's magic (or due to her magical expertise), Tristan needed her to heal him. she was the only one who could.
in order to free himself from his wound, Tristan disguises himself as "Tantris", making his way to Isolde for healing. Isolde was unaware that this "Tantris" was actually Tristan, the Knight who'd beheaded Morold.
soon, she locates the sword belonging to "Tantris", realizing that his broken sword was the main piece to the shard embedded in her fiancé's head.
angered, she reaches for a sword, ready to kill Tristan and claim revenge. however, her eyes meet his gaze, which pierces her heart, and she drops the sword.
(in other versions, on top of this, Tristan also convinces Isolde that if she'd killed him, her mother would lose her life, since Tristan was the only one who could maintain the "peace" between Ireland and Cornwall)
cornered, she continued to heal Tristan, before sending him back to Cornwall. as she did, the two swore an oath of silence over her ever healing Tristan.
after some time, Tristan had returned to Ireland, proclaiming a peace treaty with Cornwall. in the oath Isolde and Tristan had made, it was said that Isolde had to marry King Marke, which takes us back to the ship, where Tristan is delivering Isolde to the King of Cornwall.
throughout all of this, Isolde is furious and humiliated. she's mocked by the ship's sailors.
Isolde asks her maid, Brangäne, to seek out Tristan and request an audience. unfortunately, Tristan evades her request. his companion, Kurewenal, mocks Isolde with a sea shanty about Morold.
Isolde, no longer able to contain her fury, breaks the silent oath, revealing the truth about Tristan to Brangäne. Isolde regrets sparing Tristan's life, and swears that she'll take revenge by killing him, before going down with him.
desperately, Brangäne tries to soothe Isolde, reminding Isolde of her mother's magic, with some of her potions on board. among those potions sat healing balms, along with draughts that brought love and death.
Isolde orders Brangäne to prepare the death draught for Tristan.
at the same time, the sailors announce their arrival at Cornwall, with Kurewenal telling Isolde and Brangäne to prepare for landing. Isolde insisted that she would not be going anywhere, not until Tristan apologized for what happened in the past.
surprisingly, Tristan hands Isolde his sword, offering her a second chance to kill him.
Isolde lowered the sword, choosing to do things her way. instead, she offered him a drink of "peace". Tristan immediately understood that the drink had been tampered with, but he accepts it, drinking half of Isolde's draught. Isolde drank the other half.
as the draught of death took effect, the two believed they'd "died", yet at the same time, that experience of "death" had become the joy of union, their desires for honor and revenge respectively falling away.
what Isolde believed to be a draught of death had actually been a draught of love, switched out by a desperate Brangäne.
the ship docked at Cornwall.
Act II:
within King Marke's castle, Isolde waits impatiently to reunite with Tristan. at the same time, horns announce the departure of King Marke on a hunting party.
once the King had left, Isolde extinguished a torch's flame to let Tristan know that the coast was clear. Brangäne had warned Isolde to not put out the flame, letting her know that the hunting party had been a trap set by Melot, an ambitious Knight who'd benefit from Tristan's downfall.
Isolde ignored the threat, under the belief that Melot was Tristan's friend, knowing that Melot would never betray him.
Isolde ordered Brangäne to keep watch as Isolde extinguished the flame. Tristan arrived soon after, before the two made love.
Brangäne warned the two that morning would soon arrive, but the hero and the princess had been too in love to catch the danger. they compare their act of unity at night to death, which would ultimately unite them.
the King's hunting party arrived promptly, finding Tristan and Isolde in the act.
King Marke, betrayed, could not understand how his nephew could betray him. Tristan ignores his uncle, asking Isolde if she's prepared to sail with Tristan to his mother's resting place.
as soon as Isolde accepted, Tristan challenged Melot to a duel. instead of countering Melot's attack, Tristan allowed for Melot to purposely wound him.
Act III:
Tristan was sent back to Karreol, his homeland, where Kurwenal tended to the fatally wounded knight.
a wandering shepherd asked about Tristan's health, Kurwenal admitting that only Isolde could save him. the shepherd played a tune on his pipe, watching a ship approach.
Tristan regained consciousness, not recognizing who he was or where he'd been. hallucinating between life and death, Tristan imagined a realm of night, with Isolde living in the daylight. Kurwenal assured Tristan that Isolde would soon arrive, which gave Tristan a will to live.
Tristan asked Kurwenal if Isolde's ship had arrived yet, to which the shepherd played a sad tune, symbolizing "no". the shepherd's sad melody reminds Tristan of his dead parents, and the wound from Morold. he hears the phrase "To desire, and do die", as he listens to the melody. Tristan begins to think that the draught of love's power had altered his fate, leaving him with the desire to never die, wanting to live with Isolde.
the shepherd's tune becomes cheerful; Isolde's ship had arrived. at the same time, Tristan hallucinates the sun, believing he had conquered death.
Isolde rushed in, her name on Tristan's lips as he finally dies. she wails at the loss of their reunion.
the shepherd then announces the arrival of another ship: King Marke's ship.
Brangäne, who'd arrived with Isolde earlier, tried to calm Kurwenal down, but he was too overcome with emotion, spiraling into a frenzied slaughter. when Melot arrived, Kurwenal stabs him, before he is killed by the King's soldiers in retaliation.
King Marke is overwhelmed with grief at the sight of death. Brangäne explains to Isolde that the King had arrived to pardon Tristan and Isolde, admitting that she had switched out the draught of death with the draught of love.
however, Isolde, "transfigured", does not hear her, her vision filled with the sight of Tristan beckoning her to a world beyond the ordinary.
thus, begins the "Verklärung", also known as the "Liebestod."
Isolde's ecstatic, final words are "To drown, to sink down unconscious, supreme bliss (joy)!"
collapsing onto Tristan's body, she dies in a state of serene ecstasy.
┈┈・ ✦ ・┈┈
in my perspective, Lohen's backstory already functions like a messed up Liebestod.
Lohen's story begins as a child trapped in a controlled, orderly household. as bowmakers, his family insists that bows are to be polished and that the rules are meant to be followed. Lohen's parents drill the theme of consistency into his head, living ignorantly from the danger that lurks outside their home.
then, the kidnapping shatters that illusion of "love" for Lohen. his father's failure to fight back, despite being a master archer, becomes that deep wound in Lohen's life: the wound of helplessness.
in the story, it's described that Lohen sat in a cell, thinking that if his father had stood against those bandits with his bow, "none of this would have happened". he had been kidnapped, bound, and nearly turned into one of Eroch and Dottore's victims.
after the Knights' rescue, Lohen does not recover by avoiding danger. he "heals" by diving into danger on purpose.
Lohen's character story 2 mentions how he slips out at night with a self-made bow, hunting monsters, until his heart feels like "a storm-swollen tide". the question tormented him was: if he were to face his kidnappers again, would he still be the helpless child waiting for rescue?
the story then continues by mentioning how that question "would never answer itself" unless he were to strike through the first target.
unfortunately, Lohen never gets that chance.
Lohen's Character Story 2:
"...Kid, we've traced who was behind those old kidnappings."
Lohen, who had barely paid attention to yet another mediator, suddenly fixed him with a sharp look.
"Who was it?"
"We'll be issuing an official notice soon, but there's no point in dwelling on revenge," Adorno said calmly. "He's already dead."
After a long pause, Lohen spoke again.
"Who killed him?"
"Suicide."
"That kind of person doesn't just kill himself. You know what I'm really asking — who drove him to that point?"
Adorno let out a faint smile.
"Our Grand Master, the Knight of Boreas... Mondstadt's living legend. Think that makes a worthy new target for you?"
this, in my opinion, is where the parallels begin to connect.
Lohen's "original wound" was the kidnapping; the trauma that made him obsessed with never feeling helpless again. then, he wants a target.
in the text, Lohen was barely paying attention, but he immediately zeroes in on Adorno when he mentions the kidnappings and the man behind them. his wound had not been healed; it was simply waiting for an answer.
here's a parallel, but with a twist.
just as Isolde could not undo the wound of Morold's death, Lohen could not take direct revenge on the man behind the kidnappings. his act of revenge is abruptly taken from him before he could even go in for the kill.
then, a new figure replaces Lohen's "first target". not a name, a title, much like Isolde, who was met with a disguise, until she pieced it together.
for Isolde, "Tantris", who was revealed as the knight named Tristan, became the living body through which Morold's death, her fury, and her desire for revenge merges. she wants to kill Tristan, for killing her beloved and for deceiving her into healing him.
for Lohen, this "Knight of Boreas" becomes the living body through which his revenge and lack of closure converge. Lohen doesn't want to "kill" the Grand Master, but he wants to know how the "Knight of Boreas" had taken his "kill", how a man like him had enough power to kill the monster from his past.**
Adorno did not simply just give Lohen information, he redirected the arrow towards a new target. Adorno's method "baits" Lohen into joining the Knights of Favonius.
side note: i'd like to point out that Varka's title was used to bait Lohen into joining the Knights, much like how Lohen does with the Traveler in his story quest.
Adorno didn't mention the name "Varka" at all, purposely leaving Lohen with curiosity and a drive to find out who exactly stole "his kill", despite Varka not having done much in terms of Eroch's suicide** (**after the truth behind Eroch's corruption had been uncovered, Varka had cornered Eroch, but Eroch chose to laugh, ending his life in front of Varka. Varka did take action, but this information wasn't disseminated until later in Mondstadt).
interestingly, both Varka and Lohen share that same reminder in their respective journeys: the reminder that they are "just human", "powerless... mortal..."
Adorno knew that Lohen needed a place where he would be guided by strong peers and even stronger Captains. he needed structure, people who would show Lohen the love and peace that was taken from him... in a Lohen-like way.
in Lohen's search for revenge, the answer had been given to him in a title. he then searched for the force behind that man's death; the overwhelming strength that made the monster from his past drop dead.
Lohen's trauma isn't healed, he doesn't find closure because of the kidnapper's death. instead, much like in the opera, death becomes a doorway into fascination and excitement.
Varka becomes the living embodiment of the answer that Lohen had been chasing since his childhood.
Lohen enters the Knights, chasing this image of Varka before even learning who Varka truly is. this also explains why Lohen doesn't approach Varka like some normal admirer who looked up to him.
Lohen's character story 3 says that his introduction to Varka was "utterly unrestrained", with him using hidden arrows, traps, and sedatives; an ambush. Varka responds, of course, with his own method: fighting back.
yet another parallel, but with a twist (again).
when Isolde discovered Tristan's trick, she met Tristan's gaze as she tried to kill him instead of healing him. however, she gave in, the sword falling from her hands as his eyes pierced her heart, leaving her unable to slay him.
in Lohen's character story 3, the text makes sure to point out that Varka "held" Lohen's eyes, not seeing hesitation or panic, but "a spark of exhilaration".
Lohen's Character Story 3:
"Varka held Lohen's eyes. Icy and increasingly piercing, they carried a spark of exhilaration -- and perhaps a reflection of the drive to face the strongest and claim glory that Varka could still feel in himself."
Varka realized that Lohen isn't looking at him like a fan or a subordinate in that moment. Lohen was testing him, diving into that combat frenzy that Varka would see again and again in the future, just to get the answer to the question that had been plaguing him his entire life.
interestingly enough, Adorno could've easily said, "Go visit Varka; he's a good guy. he'll tell you everything about the kidnappings."
instead, Adorno cleverly sets it up so that Lohen's own obsession pulls him toward the Knights, rather than making him feel like he's being forced into another cage. he's just using Lohen's method against him; "manipulative", but not cruel.
painting Varka as a friendly, good guy would've made Lohen roll his eyes in disinterest. by connecting the core of Lohen's trauma to the "myth" of "Mondstadt's living legend", he's making Varka seem larger than he really is, catching Lohen's interest due to his search of power.
also, this is Adorno respecting Lohen's personality. he's not offering Knights that would supervise and babysit Lohen; he's offering Lohen a challenge. it's the perfect bait for Lohen because it doesn't make him feel like he's being "saved". it feels like hunting.
in Varka's eyes, he's finally found someone he can oversee who sparks his own interest; not a fan or some wannabe, but a diamond in the rough.
Adorno took Lohen's obsession, and instead of removing it, he cleverly places Varka at the center of it, knowing that the Grand Master would probably be one of the only few people strong enough to withstand the danger of becoming Lohen's "target".
circling back, Isolde first saw Tristan through Morold's death. similarly, Lohen learns about Varka through the death of the man behind the kidnappings -- Eroch's suicide.
Isolde became fixated with revenge and was overcome with fury. Lohen's fixation began with his trauma and the need to prove that he wasn't the helpless child he once was.
Isolde and Tristan met eyes, changing the course of the story from Isolde's desire for revenge to Isolde's desire for Tristan himself. in Lohen's story, when Varka held Lohen's gaze, there was a moment of understanding and recognition in the way where both characters had a drive to fight the strongest.
Isolde is unable to kill Tristan, and Lohen comes to understand who the "Knight of Boreas" truly was.
then, the parallels continue.
after their scuffle, Varka finally subdues Lohen, deciding that Lohen's promising enough, but reckless. he sends Lohen to solitary confinement, but not in rejection:
"Not happy with that? Step up again whenever you like. I'll be keeping an eye on you."
...to which Lohen replies, "Guess you'll just have to wait and see."
Varka chose to challenge Lohen, in a very Varka-like way. of course, Lohen won't back down.
that moment of Lohen's solitary confinement acts slightly like the gap between Isolde's first attempt at killing Tristan and the ship/draught scene.
the first confrontation between the two began with a weapon and a gaze. the second confrontation continues with a drink.
after Lohen's time in solitary confinement ends, he goes to Varka's door with a bottle of Dandelion Wine, Varka's favorite, as an "apology". Varka, recognizing his favorite wine, accepts, before realizing that something is wrong.
in the opera, Isolde lets Tristan know that she is not satisfied with Morold's death, demanding compensation. Tristan offers her his sword, asking her to kill him. however, Isolde chooses to do things her way, offering him a "draught of atonement".
Tristan drinks, aware that it is poison, and Isolde drinks as well. later, it's learned that Brangäne had switched the "draught of death" for the "draught of love" -- a love potion.
in Lohen's story, like Isolde's "drink of atonement", he offers the wine to Varka as an "apology" for his actions. Varka accepts the wine, quickly learning that it had been tampered with.
like Tristan, Varka grows aware of the poison, and instead of backing down, he follows through, making sure that Lohen sees his resistance. Lohen's obviously shocked, watching in wide-eyed admiration; he'd put enough sedative in his drink to take down "a dozen forest boars".
Varka reminds Lohen that those "little tricks" of his weren't enough to take him down (even if it almost did). Lohen begins to see strength in a new light; not as simple power, but as a "strength that no trap or poison could shake".
Lohen's Character Story 3:
"From that moment, two new goals went straight onto Lohen's list:
First, to take down Varka by any means necessary.
Second, to try out those same tricks on himself — and make sure he could never be knocked down."
side note: this line in Lohen's character story 3 reminds me of Isolde and Tristan taking the draught; Tristan accepts the draught, and Isolde follows suit, both of them expecting it to kill them.
Lohen tries all of his methods on Varka, and then on himself.
one day, if something were to take down Varka, Lohen would also try it on himself, just to test if it would have the same effect on him, or if he'll outdo Varka.
the difference between Isolde and Lohen is that Lohen doesn't want to necessarily kill Varka; he just wants to discover his weak points. Isolde wanted to kill Tristan.
i want to point out the word "draught" for a moment.
much like in my other post analyzing Lohen and his potential "Parsifal" connection due to his usage of the word "swan", the word "draught" is possibly a symbol that connects him to the story of Tristan und Isolde.
"draught" is an old-fashioned word for a liquid medicine that someone drinks.
this is a recurring symbol in Lohen's content.
for example, in Lohen's voice line "About Varka: Resistance to Medicine", he mentions how Varka's resistance to medicine was growing. he also brings up how he'd "mixed up a draught a few days earlier that barely flushed his cheeks". he admits that if Varka had not cast a glare his way, Lohen would've doubted whether he'd added medicine at all.
also, in Lohen's voice line "Something to Share", Lohen mentions that he doesn't drink, finding Dandelion Wine as a much better use for disinfecting wounds, which is accompanied with a "sweet, stinging pain". he also mentions how he enjoys watching others squirm, especially Varka.
side note: i'd also like to point out the subtle similarity between Isolde and Lohen. Isolde is connected to poisons and potions, much like Lohen, who creates medicines and poisons, even in one of his Dornman Port interactions, where he improves a poison (in theory). Isolde's also described as a healer, which reminds me of Lohen's voice lines describing draughts, medicine, alcohol, and tending to wounds, despite not being commonly known as a healer.
it's interesting how Lohen actively avoids anesthetics, but loves using tools like alcohol to tend to wounds. he uses wine to convert bodily reactions (distress) such as pain and dizziness into a form of joy and fascination.
i believe that the writers behind Lohen's character had sprinkled words such as "draught", "swan", and "rabbit", so that fans could make these connections from legendary, classical stories to Lohen. it gives a new perspective on his character every time!
┈┈・ ✦ ・┈┈
"Ertrinken, versinken, unbewusst — höchste Lust!"
"To drown, to sink down unconscious — supreme bliss (joy)!"
the Liebestod is the final aria of Wagner's opera. in this scene, this is the moment where Isolde gradually dies, not as a "loss", but as a moment where she ecstatically sinks into "supreme bliss", serenely dying over Tristan's corpse.
similarly, this phrase, included in Lohen's 6th constellation, becomes an extreme endpoint for Lohen's desire. his deepest thrill comes from crossing the boundary where "ordinary" people would most likely panic or retreat.
Lohen continuously throws himself into situations where the physical self is overwhelmed. from pain to exhaustion, Lohen experiences it all not expecting to "die", but with a sense of exhilaration, an unshakeable desire to feel alive.
breaking his C6 mechanics down, the symbolism stands out. at C6, when using Etched Into Bone and Soul or Manifest Judgement in Masterstroke mode no longer consumes Will to Win; instead, Lohen's Joy is maxed out, extending his Masterstroke duration, and his Crit DMG is increased immensely. also, he gets extra uses out of Etched Into Bone and Soul.
in simpler words, Lohen reaches a state of "supreme joy" much faster, and stays in that heightened combat state for way longer.
the phrase becomes almost literal in terms of his kit:
"To drown, to sink": Lohen dives deeper into his heightened combat state for longer, decreasing his chances of ending it.
"Unconscious": Lohen allows for the violence and thrill to consume him, phasing beyond "ordinary" limits and self-preservation (seeks self-improvement, finds self-destruction)
"Supreme Joy": Lohen's Joy meter is maxed out, his damage peaks, and it's almost never-ending.
the helpless child that Lohen once was "dies" as the awakening of the Knight that Lohen becomes replaces him, sinking himself into danger, drowning in supreme joy.
but, he doesn't lose himself completely!
some people are able to bring him back from the brink, and most of the time, Lohen's in control of his own power.
┈┈・ ✦ ・┈┈
thank you for reading!
a note: in order to understand this constellation, i viewed a translated version of "Tristan und Isolde", (credits to the Metropolitan Opera House!)
due to this, please forgive me for any inaccuracies! there's many versions out there, and i tried my best to find the parallels between the plot and Lohen's story.
keep in mind that this is my interpretation of the opera and Lohen's story! there are many opinions out there; this is just one of many, and not the only "right" one.
i enjoyed working on this! the theme of "love" resonates quite strongly with Lohen's character. his love is a kind of love that catches people off guard; i feel semi-inspired to write on it now!
i hope you enjoyed!! have an amazing day/night! - wren
Lohen and the Etherwing Moth: part 1 of my Ascension Material Series! Analyzing why Lohen uses the Etherwing Moth
Lohen and the Weathered Arrowhead: part 2 of my Ascension Material Series! Analyzing why Lohen uses the Weathered Arrowhead (and other hilichurl arrowheads)
Lohen and the Prismatic Severed Tail: part 3 of my Ascension Material Series! Analyzing why Lohen uses the Prismatic Severed Tail
Lohen and Shivada Jade: part 4 of my Ascension Material Series! Analyzing why Lohen uses Shivada Jade
Lohen and the Ascended Sample: Knight (Chess Piece): part 5 of my Ascension Material Series! Analyzing why Lohen uses the Ascended Sample: Knight
Lohen and the Books of Resistance: part 6 of my Ascension Material Series! Analyzing why Lohen uses the Books of Resistance
Other Analysis/Theory:
My Thoughts on Lohen’s Character Story
The Three "Parsifals" - Childe, Lyney, and Lohen: my theory on how these three have a lot in common, thanks to a Teyvat Legend
Lohen and His Family: analyzing Lohen’s dynamic with his family and how it affects him
Lohen and Adorno: how Adorno’s passing affected Lohen in various ways
Understanding Varka’s Role In Lohen’s Story
Short Stories:
The Day A Weapon Refused To Stay Quiet: a story about Lohen’s first time using a musket
first time on tumblr - kinda new to this, but expect some casual yelling, theories/analysis, in-game stuff, and me pretending that i'm completely normal about a guy whose entire personality makes the average person want to bash their head into a wall
i'll talk about Lohen from time to time, sharing my theories about his overall character and whatever else crawls out of my brain
an additional note: i will be giving my two cents on leaks, so feel free to mute if needed. if you'd like for me to ramble about something specific, go ahead and hit up that ask box, i'll do my best to answer!
a Lohen-headcanon short that's been in the back of my thoughts!
note: this is all for fun! might be ooc!
₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎ ₊˚⊹♡
the first time Lohen had ever held a weapon, he'd been told to never use it.
he wasn't too sure whether or not to thank Adorno yet for the opportunity of joining the Knights of Favonius. everything here was a little too... chivalrous.
the musket sat in his gloved hands like an insult. this thing? it had no manners.
he'd heard others use the musket in drills before; it was nothing new, but he'd never been the one pulling the trigger.
this hunk of metal was nothing like his parents would've tolerated in their workshop. every limb of wood, every string seemed to wait quietly before being placed into the back of some mangy cart, probably on its way to a buyer with some timid, lousy kid watching over it all.
the musket had the feel of wood, but it didn't pretend to be a branch longing for its forest. it didn't ask to be inspected and graded under a lamp. it had no lacquered limbs to check for flaws, and definitely had no string to wax until his fingers smelled strongly of leather and boredom.
it was ugly in the way useful things were ugly.
like... like sinew thread! he'd learned to use the yellowed, foul-smelling string to sew together leather bits and pieces. he'd prick a finger, a thumb...
his hand had clenched around the weapon, the coolness that permeated through his glove bringing him back to the present.
not the time.
he took another look at the weapon in his hands. he liked the weight.
a crossbow was bare. the arms were spread wide, the string drawn back, biting into his fingertips. a bolt would wait with all the patience of a single breath. it just made sense.
the musket hid everything.
its violence slept within its barrel. an answer waited for a question, tucked behind screws and fitted plates. the dark, little mouth of its chamber said nothing.
Lohen felt the difference immediately, raising the weapon and correcting his grip. he knew from loads of nagging that there was a form of artistry or whatever in holding it.
the stock pressed into his shoulder. he felt slightly awkward, never having held a weapon so close to his cheek.
his aim, the distance, and the target were nothing different, everything else was.
there was no bowstring humming beneath his fingertips, no tension waiting to snap. his finger finds the trigger and he freezes.
all he had to do was press, and squeeze. as easy as that.
his heartbeat stuttered once. his breathing changed too, shallow for just a quick second. it was equally amusing as it was irritating; the weapon hadn't even fired yet, but his body decided to panic.
how touching.
his eyes locked onto the target, a dummy made of wood and some old target in front. he'd know, of course. his own hands had fastened rope around a few of those before.
his parents had droned on and on about consistency in their morning prayers.
keep those hands steady. work? steady. life? steady.
a bow had to bend and return. a family must labor, toil, and obey. a child had to be shaped carefully, quietly.
they'd made weapons strong enough to pierce stone. for what?
it had all been useless, those bows stacked high for all to see. the pungent stench of packaged wood and oiled string, the maddening sight of weapons, made to kill, but forbidden to be raised.
don't make a sound. don't move.
why? why hadn't he done anything?
the musket waited against his shoulder, cold. if there was one thing Lohen knew well, it was consistency.
Lohen's finger settled on the trigger properly this time, not curled hard. just there, testing the beginning of the musket's resistance.
it asked him.
"that uniform... do you really mean it? are you not... coming back?"
oh, he'd meant it, alright.
he pressed down, hard.
sound cracked through the barrel with a brutality that no bow could ever hope to imitate.
the recoil drove back into his shoulder, kicking into his grip, metal and wood slamming against bone as smoke burst forth. his heart jumps so hard it annoys him. his ears ring, the cold that once settled between his gloves faded, a scalding heat flashing through his hold.
for one humiliating moment, his body belonged to the shot.
then, the ringing died down, and smoke settled. there's a smell of hot metal and burnt wood.
Lohen found himself smiling. he was... elated.
a bow could be hung on a wall and admired. it never moved, stagnant and boring.
a bow could be passed down, generation to generation, by people who spoke of discipline, while never, ever letting the string bite their own delicate fingertips in battle.
but this...
the moment Lohen had allowed the musket permission, it had roared.
the musket did what his family never would. it spoke.
how tactless. how... honest.
his shoulder ached faintly where the recoil had struck, yet he did not move away from it. the pain was useful. it was proof that the musket had talked back, that it hadn't just obeyed.
the musket had a consequence. similar to a bow, but much more volatile.
his pulse was still too quick. he could feel it in his throat, his fingertips, beneath the neat, new uniform he wore. the armor was slightly heavier than his old adventurer's clothes, not so much physically, but emotionally.
oh, what was he even thinking?
he loaded the musket again, carefully, precisely.
thanks to those monotonous lessons, Lohen knew to measure his powder. the shot settled cleanly, using a ramrod to shove the bullet down. it was slightly tedious work, but he didn't mind.
his hands moved with quick precision. his thoughts wandered.
that was all it took? a bit of powder, a tiny push?
this was nothing like a bow. if he moved a little, the barrel would shift. if he braced himself for the recoil, the shot's all wrong. if he flinched at the sound, the weapon would control him.
so, he adapted.
he raised the weapon once more.
a second shot, with the same target, and the same distance. he tried to remember the first blast, not to steel himself, but to accept its momentum.
his eyes narrowed, his grip steady.
as he lay his finger across the trigger, it resisted. Lohen grit his teeth, readjusting his grip and squeezing the trigger.
sound punched through the training yard yet again. this time, the second shot hit the target, the recoil not catching him by surprise. his heart still beat sharply, but due to the adrenaline that came with the act.
it was loud, always loud, but he had not flinched.
Lohen was over the moon. the Knights had simply handed him a weapon that spoke louder than anything he'd ever heard before.
it felt like kicking open a padlocked door, enforced with chains and a set of rules designed to hold him down.
his family would have hated it. but Lohen? he loved it.
Lohen understood why the Ranged Company needed such things. there was power that covered long distances, an explosive loudness that warded off enemies.
a tool that let the Knights holding up the back live long enough to keep firing, protecting those on the front lines.
it was practical, brilliant even. a mix of these and some other ranged weapons would pack quite the punch while some wild, bumbling fool tore through the front, hacking at monster hides.
despite the new experience, Lohen knew, deep down, that he'd still have a preference for his crossbow.
he was still wading through the murky feelings, but he really only cared about getting stronger. unfortunately, loading that musket was not as fast as loading a bolt (or a dagger; he was still working on figuring that out).
he also liked his knives, traps, and what he could do with a polearm.
...maybe he was more like that wild, bumbling fool on the front lines.
for now, he secretly appreciated what he'd learned from the musket. a weapon didn't need to be quiet to land a hit.
a weapon could roar, talk back, and bite hard.
some things, once fired, were never meant to return to the shape others carved for them, no matter how sturdy the wood had been.
₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎ ₊˚⊹♡
thanks for reading!!
this is a tiny bit different from my usual posts, but i hope it's still enjoyable! i love thinking about how Lohen adjusts to life as a Knight of Favonius... it might not be 100% accurate though!
note: a bit of a serious post involving my page, and some lighthearted moments! common fandom etiquette, please. not ship content!
─── ‧͙⁺˚*･ ⟡ ･*˚⁺‧͙ ───
as some of you may know, i've been playing Genshin since 1.4.
i love the story, the overall game. i invested time, money, and poured my love into my account.
i get creative!! i like thinking, so i decide to make these posts for fun. then, i get messages like this:
"why do you keep bringing up Varka in your Lohen posts?"
i'm going to be as clear as possible. i noticed all the stigma around Varka upon Lohen's release, which is... surprising, i'll admit.
another thing that surprises me is that it's just Varka complaints (?) in my messages and asks... no other character...
instead of answering those asks/messages directly and clogging up my page with non-related posts, i've decided to just tackle it in one long post.
i think the better question here is: "why does Hoyoverse keep bringing up Varka in Lohen's story?"
let's explore the actual text, the number of times they're mentioned together, the reasons i believe people tend to dislike having the two in discussion, and why i don't think those reasons hold up in the canon.
of course, as a reminder! this is all my interpretation of the canon, so if you find yourself not agreeing, that's okay! my page isn't a place where people can come in and hate.
─── ‧͙⁺˚*･ ⟡ ･*˚⁺‧͙ ───
if two characters share over 20 mentions, multiple major scenes, a strong dynamic, expedition history, combat interactions, personal conversations, letters, and story quest moments together, especially if one of them is my favorite character (Lohen), i am going to talk about them together. that's just how my analysis works.
i will begin by confirming that Varka and Lohen share over 30 interactions and direct mentions across in-game content. to save time, i'll list 10 of them below:
Lohen's Introduction to the Knights: Adorno uses Varka as a target to redirect Lohen into the Knights of Favonius. he tells Lohen that Varka had "killed" his kidnapper, which motivates Lohen to join, part curiousity and part bitterness for not getting to his kidnapper first.
Lohen's Character Story 3: Varka directly mentions Lohen when comparing him to past "copycats", admitting that Lohen is something new.
Lohen's Ambush Upon Joining the Knights: Lohen's had experience in structured teams before (Adventurer's Guild). after Adorno's words, Lohen needs to know just what this "Varka" is really capable of, so he ambushes him (which leads to a few days in solitary confinement.) this first meeting is also significant enough to receive its own story section, furthering the evidence that Varka made quite the impact on Lohen's life.
Varka Choosing Lohen to Join Him On An Expedition: Lohen's Teaser shows how he put in the work to ascend to Vice Captain. then, as an examiner, he picks out the strongest Knights to join Varka on the Expedition, despite his unconventional methods, highlighting the trust Varka has in him.
Lohen Delivering Varka's Letters: remember those emojis ("writing letter", "delivering letter")? those tie together the ending of the Nod-Krai archon quest (the letter to Jean) and Varka's story quest. Varka trusted Lohen with all those letters to take back to Mondstadt, because they needed to be delivered for the next part of his story; checking-in on everyone at home. those letters were delivered, by Lohen, to the Knights of Favonius. Varka longed for Mondstadt the entire time, along with his comrades back home.
Lohen Casually Mentioning How Varka Talks About The Traveler All The Time: in Varka's story quest, Lohen mentions that he'd learned about the Honorary Knight and Paimon thanks to Varka, who had a lot to say about them. this shows that the Traveler left quite an impression on Varka, who shared his experience with Lohen.
Varka and Lohen's Banter Regarding Adorno: in Lohen's story quest, we can see how Varka and Lohen share a casual dynamic, with Lohen teasing Varka about his drinking habit, while Varka encourages him to visit Adorno. he even offers to accompany him, but Lohen rejects his offer, not because he didn't want it, but because Adorno would be able to see how Lohen was trying a little too hard to convince him to just hand off his title already.
Lohen Borrowing Varka's Title/Name: in the same scene, we learn that Lohen "borrowed" Varka's title to summon the Traveler, in hopes of being able to convince Adorno that Lohen was ready to become Captain. pretty sure you can't just do that with your boss' name.
Varka Knowing About The "Agreement": as he encourages Lohen to visit Adorno, Varka hints at knowing what Lohen had agreed to with Adorno before the Expedition. we later learn that the agreement was personal, considering that it highlights Lohen's vulnerabilities.
Lohen and Varka Trusting One Another During The Fight: during the battle against Ursa in Lohen's story quest, Diluc and Paimon worry about Lohen's ability to handle his portion of the fight. Varka trusts him completely, Lohen even throwing in a request for permission to attack as a Vice Captain. Varka orders him to "Give 'em hell" plus a "Don't die -- that's an order". their years of working together don't just disappear because Lohen "just appeared out of nowhere"; there's an obvious sense of trust here, with supporting evidence.
these are just some of the major moments where they are mentioned near each other. the in-game content repeatedly places them as Grand Master and Vice Captain, commander and subordinate, expedition partners, and two adults with a very established history.
here's a list of content the two share:
multiple character stories
story quest material
serenitea pot dialogue
Varka and Lohen's voice lines
referenced together in other characters' voice lines (Kaeya, Klee)
Lohen's Teaser
Lohen's Trailer
Varka's Animated Short (Barbeloth's Scryglass)
Varka's Trailer (Lohen's Letter)
most of Lohen's promotional material
Nod-Krai archon quest
npc dialogue
witch's homework
Varka even mentions in Lohen's story quest (when Lohen is swearing on his honor as a Knight) that he had never heard Lohen swear like that "in all this time (they'd) worked together". this, along with everything else, confirms that their bond wasn't just a one-time, random, put together "thing". the actual, literal text itself treats them as long-term colleagues.
not as father and son, not as uncle and nephew, and most definitely not as two people who just tolerate each other out of the blue.
(these two have faced literal death together, guys... please tell me that the question's been answered...)
Varka is one of the most consistently recurring people in Lohen's story. their dynamic appears across almost every major stage of Lohen's life after joining the Knights of Favonius.
Lohen has a pair of living parents. Adorno was more of a "father figure" than anyone else in his story.
if i were to list the people most associated with Lohen, it would probably look like:
Adorno (character stories + story quest)
Theodore (story quest + voice line)
Varka (character stories + story quest(s) + voice lines + archon quest + promo. material + teaser/trailer)
Mika (character story + voice line + event mention + promo. material)
Jean (character story + story quest mention + voice line + trailer)
Adorno could be considered the center of Lohen's backstory, and Varka is arguably the person who appears most often throughout Lohen's present-day life and career.
likewise, when looking at Varka's material, Lohen also appears often. content repeatedly places Lohen:
beside or behind Varka
reporting to Varka
being trusted by Varka
bantering with Varka
receiving encouragement from Varka
after Adorno, Varka is the most recurring indivudual in Lohen's story, and after the Expedition, the two are referenced together so frequently that much of Lohen's major story involves Varka in some way.
this doesn't mean that Lohen doesn't have a special connection with other characters; this is explaining why i bring up Varka often in my posts. i am solely referencing anything that has to do with the game.
─── ‧͙⁺˚*･ ⟡ ･*˚⁺‧͙ ───
i will deconstruct the second part of the message i received.
to start, as people we are definitely allowed to curate our experiences, and like the things we like.
it's not okay to make baseless accusations about one another when it's more than just what's on the surface.
despite the in-game text treating the duo as the Grand Master in command and the Vice Captain he trusts immensely, some may just visually see Lohen as a "child". in no way is this confirmed in the text, and is even countered by the text, implying that Lohen has matured during his time with the Knights.
in Lohen's story quest, we even receive an image of Lohen as a literal child, then as an adult, surrounded by an obviously aged Adorno and Theodore.
then, there's Varka calling Lohen "kid".
i will begin with acknowledging that Genshin is an international game. English translation decided to call Lohen a "kid".
some believe the translation is 100% accurate, others disagree.
in context, Varka's usage of "kid" reads more like a veteran-senior's tone: teasing and slightly exasperated.
(a gentle reminder that the Knights of Favonius make up Mondstadt's military, by the way...)
this word usage doesn't erase Lohen's role as Vice Captain. Varka trusts Lohen with missions, combat decisions, Expedition duties, and leadership responsibilities. Varka treats him like a reckless younger adult, not an actual, literal helpless child.
(Lohen was killing people in his Trailer... i don't really think Varka would have the heart to put a child through that...)
then, their dynamic does have an authority imbalance. Varka is the Grand Master. Lohen is the Vice Captain.
yes, there's a clear superior and subordinate structure here.
now, personally, i can see this being uncomfortable for some people.
but, canonically, their dynamic is very mutual in trust. Lohen talks back, hides secrets, makes his own choices, disobeys when emotionally driven --
and Varka responds not only as a commander, but as someone who is invested in keeping his friend alive. there is a power imbalance... but it's not quite reinforced.
going back to my posts, when i talk about Varka and Lohen... whatever they do isn't my central point; it's Lohen. i talk about Varka... because Lohen does.
on my page, i do not infantilize Lohen. despite the age and the height difference (not only between him and Varka, hell, there's Jean, Eula, Amber, Mika, Diluc... i could go on...) i will not ignore the actual context.
the story isn't about a child Lohen tagging along on Varka's Grand Expedition. the text repeatedly points out that Lohen is the Vice Captain of the 5th Company: an Expedition participant, Examiner, Combatant, Strategist, and someone Varka personally trusts.
so, please, do not come to me saying that Varka shouldn't be around Lohen. i am not reacting to a Lohen who's reduced to his sole physical appearance. i don't like Lohen because he's "simple"; his character is an extremely complex and relatable character, who i think deserves more than just a simple "he's a kid" to sway fans away.
their closeness is emphasized; it's in the text!
i cannot be convinced to view their dynamic as a creepy, one-sided dynamic. they are hardworking Knights with a long, intertwined history, and there is a lot of evidence to support it. a ridiculous amount, i'd say.
─── ‧͙⁺˚*･ ⟡ ･*˚⁺‧͙ ───
i get why the visual contrast between Varka and Lohen can make people uneasy, especially because Lohen is shorter and younger while Varka has the largest model in the game, and is the Grand Master.
the reactions make sense on a surface level, but once context is brought in, it's honestly hard for me to see why their dynamic is "predatory" when Varka does not see him as anything else other than the Knights of Favonius' Vice Captain of the 5th Company, and a friend.
i think it helps to remember that the story consistently describes them as Knights with a shared history. Lohen is not written as helpless or dependent on Varka. he has his own rank, combat authority, personal boundaries, and a ton of moments where Varka trusts him to take the lead, professionally.
so, if Hoyoverse keeps giving them content together (which most likely, they will), it's worth it to wait and see how the story handles them instead of assuming the absolute worst every time they interact.
as fans of the game, we don't have to like everything Genshin hands us; that's why there's a feedback button. i believe 100% that a few corrections in the translations would have removed some of the discomfort surrounding Varka and Lohen's dynamic.
─── ‧͙⁺˚*･ ⟡ ･*˚⁺‧͙ ───
going back to the question behind this post, i will say this once, and will not respond to any more similar messages or asks.
i won't stop analyzing Lohen's dynamic with any character, including Varka. i tag any featured characters in my posts as needed. there is no ship content in my page; i do not wish to participate. this is my space, where i have chosen to just share my thoughts on anything Lohen.
please, curate your experience on social media. we are in control of what we can see and react to.
like how Lohen remembered why he pursued power, remember why we play Genshin. i could always be wrong, but i'm pretty sure it's not to hate and it's not to berate others on what they enjoy.
we are allowed to have our opinions on the media we enjoy. however, we are also allowed to have boundaries.
do not bring hate onto my page. please, ask me for theories, ideas, or headcanons, but do not be hateful.
─── ‧͙⁺˚*･ ⟡ ･*˚⁺‧͙ ───
despite the seriousness of this post, i hope you enjoyed the tidbit highlighting Varka and Lohen's dynamic! i will try to start my posts on a happier note next time; these kind of posts are hard to make.
thank you for your support!! have an amazing day/night! - wren
//Lohen's Story Quest, Character Story, Serenitea Pot Dialogue Mentions
Lohen and Adorno - My Thoughts
note: a reminder that this is a fan-created analysis!
»»————- ➴ ————-««
after reviewing Lohen's story quest, one question settled in the back of my mind:
who is Lohen without Adorno?
based on Lohen's content, Adorno was his rescuer, "father figure", and the first person who believed in him when he couldn't believe in himself.
after Adorno's passing, everything changes.
once, Adorno had told Lohen the title of "Benevolent Knight" and his ascension to Captain were there for the taking, but not meant to be a burden. if Lohen didn't want it, he didn't have to take it.
now, the person who spent years guiding the unstoppable arrow is gone.
»»————- ➴ ————-««
in my perspective, the acceptance probably hits Lohen a little later. his thoughts are jumbled as he sits in solitary confinement, carefully crafting each piece of bubblegum in Adorno's honor.
still crafting, still mourning.
was he still a good Knight? could he really protect people without chasing dangerous, uncontrollable power?
would the people standing beside him even want to help him instead of expecting him to carry everything alone?
could he become the kind of Knight that Adorno hoped he could be?
after the Ursa incident, Lohen had survived, refusing Ursa's offered power. he'd told the others that he had not injected himself with the serum in the final fight. he'd also assured them that he'd only used the serum to attract the monsters, and Diluc reassures them that the serum left in his system from previous experiments would not awaken due to Ursa's obliteration.
understanding, Varka takes it upon himself to deal with Theodore and Lohen's punishment later, encouraging Lohen to spend time with Adorno in his final moments.
at Adorno's grave, Lohen explains the actual punishment to the Traveler: solitary confinement, his absence from the award ceremony, and the rescinding of his promotion.
Vice Captain Lohen, allowed to remain in the 5th company, but not allowed to inherit Adorno's title or role yet. Lohen makes it clear that not just anyone would be allowed to take on that title, even displaying a hint of possessiveness (?) which is understandable considering that the title belonged to the man who literally saved his life.
i feel like emotionally, Adorno's death forces Lohen to stop treating the title of "Benevolent Knight" as a burden.
before Adorno had died, Lohen acted like the title (and the responsibilities it came with) was annoying. he claimed that he does not care about titles and only wants "to avoid his (Adorno's) nagging".
the deeper truth is that Adorno's title is tied into Lohen's past; his rescue, his "guilt", and his future.
Adorno had rescued him from the Eroch/Dottore experiments, knew Lohen had never fully recovered, and understood that Lohen's obsession with power came from wanting freedom from others' control.
so, in my opinion, Lohen's next 'arc' isn't about "earning the title back" just to get the promotion over with, like he tried to do in his story quest. he'll learn about what benevolence truly looks like without Adorno standing beside him to explain it.
»»————- ➴ ————-««
i also couldn't forget to reflect on how Adorno's passing impacted Lohen's relationship with others.
for example, there's Varka, arguably the last person left (if Genshin decides to limit interactions with Theodore) who really understands both Adorno and Lohen's intertwined history.
despite everything, he doesn't "grow soft" on Lohen, and he doesn't abandon him.
in the story quest, when the truth began to come to light, Varka had the confidence that Lohen would trust him with the details. he assured Lohen that it wasn't an interrogation, giving him the chance to confess voluntarily. then, he helps Lohen feel secure in his promise by throwing in the title of "Benevolent Knight", asking him to keep his promise "this time".
as Adorno reached his final moments, Varka's the one to tell Lohen to "stay with him until the end", and Lohen thanks him, no teasing, none of that usual deflection.
Varka becomes the one to keep his door open, while also holding Lohen accountable for his actions. he (along with Jean) allows the 5th Company role of Captain to stay vacant instead of forcing a replacement, which gives Lohen time to try again, but not a free pass to give up.
their everyday interactions will probably stay teasing and chaotic. in his Serenitea Pot dialogue, Lohen tells the Traveler that he's used to Varka talking a lot / "harping on", and even adds in the detail that Varka has his own spare key to Lohen's office, (which, in theory, was Adorno's office) meaning that Lohen couldn't lock him out even if he wanted to.
after Adorno's passing, that funny Serenitea Pot dialogue looks a little different to me.
Varka isn't just barging into Lohen's space as a funny gag between the two. now, he's the person who can reach Lohen if he were to isolate himself.
if Lohen were to open up, they'd probably reminisce on their memories with Adorno, joke about how much Adorno talked to one about the other. perhaps a toast to Adorno would be Varka's style.
┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈
then, there's Jean. Varka has that joke again where he'll hand off the punishment to Jean (although he deals with it in the end).
despite that, Lohen calls her the "reasonable" Acting Grand Master when explaining to the Traveler that she had given him those two additional punishments, alongside solitary confinement.
one could argue that Lohen didn't want any of Adorno's responsibility in the first place, so was it even a punishment? Jean and Varka made sure the punishment was still merciful due to the circumstances.
yet, much like Varka, she still doesn't deny what Lohen did.
he'd endangered lives, hid secrets from the Knights, and helped Theodore continue dangerous research. however, with mercy, she does not outright expel him from the Knights of Favonius. instead, he remains as Vice Captain, while the role of Captain and the title of "Benevolent Knight" are withheld.
i'd think that Lohen's dynamic with Jean is slightly more guarded than with Varka. he might joke, dodge paperwork, or act casual, but Jean's actions pretty much show that she still trusts him to serve, yet not enough to trust the entire 5th Company in his hands as Captain.
Jean also assigning Lohen from Dornman Port to Mondstadt is her way of getting Lohen back up. it might be more "boring" to Lohen, but i think Jean knows that he needs support, instead of operating independently on the frontier (for now).
by making the decision to keep him in Mondstadt, it allows for both Varka and her to monitor him closely, ensuring that he recovers properly, holding him accountable as Vice Captain.
Jean chose a middle ground: Lohen kept his position, but lost the authority he would have had at Dornman Port. in her view, Lohen needs to recover his footing. she's one of the people holding the line between total forgiveness and accountability.
Lohen might crack a few jokes, complain about paperwork and rules, but Jean knows better. she's aware that he's grieving, working slowly to prove himself, and Lohen knows that she's doing the most she can to not treat him as "weak", but as needed.
side note: i think both Grand Master and Acting Grand Master did great in handling the situation. i love seeing positive leadership for a change!
they respected Lohen's boundaries and were quite merciful with his punishment. unlike how others have treated Lohen, i could really tell that the Knights of Favonius see him as more than just a weapon; they care about Lohen's wellbeing and mental health, especially Varka and Jean.
he might not appreciate hearing it, but deep down inside, he probably knows that they care.
┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈
Mika already worries a ton about Lohen and his whereabouts. he's nervous when Lohen runs off to fight monsters alone.
Mika's line about Lohen says he thinks Lohen rushes off alone despite his warnings, and Mika wonders whether Lohen would listen to him, even if Mika were a Captain. Lohen's own line about Mika says that Mika once left monster gathering points off a map because he was afraid that Lohen would charge in alone; Lohen immediately saw through him.
with Adorno's passing, i believe this dynamic grows slightly stronger.
Mika's the type to only worry more, not less! Lohen probably notices his worry instantly, resisting the urge to tease him about it. he's the Vice Captain; this is his job.
actually, eradicating hordes of monsters in his free time wasn't part of his job; he sure makes it seem like it though.
in his Serenitea Pot dialogue, Lohen describes how he can tell when Mika's around due to his "nervous footsteps" and the way he calms his breathing right outside his door.
i think Mika would be the one to try and stop Lohen from overextending himself. unfortunately, Lohen will catch on to every single attempt, probably tease him for it, but once in a while, he'll indulge Mika, even if just for a second.
Mika cares for Lohen in a non-confrontational way. he won't challenge Lohen like Varka does, or discipline him like Jean would. Mika would try to prevent the next "disaster" by removing those monster locations on his maps, hovering by the door of his office, or nervously checking in on Lohen to see if he's actually resting.
Lohen's not one to appreciate "coddling", but he'll entertain Mika, knowing that it's coming from a good place. besides, he's doing this to make sure that Mika doesn't dramatically faint from the panic, not because he actually needs rest... right? (hint: he needs rest!)
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then, there's Lohen's dynamic with the entire 5th Company.
despite the little mishap in Lohen's promotion, the 5th Company still needs a leader. Adorno had been more than happy to let Lohen take over as Captain, but with the occurrence of his story quest, the position of Captain remained vacant.
so, Lohen probably continues handling many practical duties without the formal title. additional training will still be "special", and he'll make sure his subordinates are prepared for anything, no matter how harmless anything may seem.
there might be an uptick in hushed whispers and rumors, but that had never been a problem for Lohen. people talked about him constantly; it's nothing surprising for him.
Lohen might also find himself gradually caring for the 5th Company in the way Adorno had. possibly the residents of Mondstadt as well. he's not doing it to be "nice", he just really wants to understand why someone would want to do it. as he thinks of Adorno, maybe it's not so bad after all.
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Adorno was the first person who truly understood that Lohen was like an arrow that couldn't be stopped. if i look back on it, Adorno was also the person Lohen's parents trusted to "talk sense" into Lohen, but Adorno had described Lohen like an arrow:
"once drawn, it cannot be recalled, only guided before it leaves the string".
that is exactly what Adorno did. he'd rescued Lohen, recognized his potential, the way his desire for power stemmed from his trauma, and redirected his dangerous momentum towards the Knights of Favonius. he even baited Lohen by using Varka as the "target" that would catch his attention and pull him into a path with comrades, structure, and purpose.
Lohen's next steps are painful because the man that once guided his arrow is now gone.
Adorno had wanted him to inherit the title of "Benevolent Knight" and the position of Captain of the 5th Company, all because he needed Lohen to learn that being a Knight wasn't only about strength. the story quest frames this as Adorno's final wish, and people like the Traveler encourage Lohen to face it instead of hiding behind work or jokes.
Lohen is left at a crossroads. he can keep chasing power recklessly because beings like Rerir made him feel weak, or he can accept Adorno's lesson that "strength alone does not a Knight make".
his future is likely about him learning to carry on Adorno's legacy without being controlled by his grief. he may become Captain, inherit the title of "Benevolent Knight", and slowly prove that the arrow which Adorno once guided will land wherever Lohen wants.
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thank you for reading!!
(can you tell that i really love the whole "arrow" symbolism thing for Lohen)
keep in mind that this is just my interpretation of the canon! my thoughts might be a bit messy in this one... ~ ૮(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )ა♡
note: a reminder that this is a fan-created analysis!
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now that Lohen's out, i've been able to take a look at all his content with animations, the voice line delivery, and actually in game. i did take a few days to get to know him better, so i'll just throw out my thoughts here and there as i go along!
i really want to get into his trauma. i can say, for sure, that this is one of the parts of his character that both drive him and hold him back.
i did make a post on his family a while ago, but i wanted to just gloss over his relationship with his family and how that affected him in the long run once more...
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Lohen's trauma comes from being loved conditionally.
his family, as loving as they were, did not fully love him as he actually was. they loved the idea, the image that they had built around him: the child that they had wanted him to be.
this toxic idea led to a home that felt less like a safe space for a child, and more like a place where he had to hide, perform, and survive.
Lohen's wound grows deeper when he experiences the clash between the life his family wanted for him versus the danger that proved that no one would be there to protect him.
his parents were bowmakers. their family craft doubled not just as a job, but as a moral system. bows became to them what water is to a plant.
Lohen's family taught him that a bow required consistency, and that they should "live like a bow", with every one of their actions perfectly aligned. this lesson was repeated again, and again- especially during morning prayers.
the family craft, this... idea of morality, and religion were all so closely tied together in Lohen's childhood.
Lohen, as we know him, was never suited to that quiet, orderly life.
his parents let him care for bows, polish them, wax the strings, and follow a boring, daily routine, but they never did let him draw a bow.
he doesn't get it. the family's craft becomes confusing. how was he allowed to be raised around weapons, but was also expected to restrain himself- to remain controlled, obedient, and quiet?
to stay "safe".
when the kidnapping happens, the worldview his family imposed upon him is shattered.
Lohen's father had skill and a wagon full of weapons, but because he was shaped by a quiet, nonviolent daily routine, he panicked and chose to not fight back.
within his content, it is insinuated, if not outwardly expressed, Lohen believed if his father had stood his ground, the kidnapping would have never happened.
Lohen's trauma becomes tied to power and control.
in Lohen's story quest, Adorno mentions that Lohen never fully escaped the trauma of nearly becoming an experiment victim. he also mentions that Lohen believes he needed power so that no one could ever control him again.
so, Lohen's relationship with his family is... complicated. his parents aren't evil; they love him and want him to be safe, in the safe, quiet way that they know.
unfortunately, they mostly love the stable, obedient child they imagined more than the dangerous, self-destructive person Lohen becomes. even when they accept that Lohen won't ever return to that old life, they keep trying to persuade him to stop risking himself.
Lohen making those decisions for himself, pursuing freedom, shows how he's developed as an adult over time. as a child, he was controlled and restrained. as an adult, he gets to call the shots- thanks to the adults that had intervened in his life.
Lohen's parents, religion, and bowmaking tradition all taught him restraint and obedience, but his trauma taught him the opposite.
if he hesitates, if he holds back from a fight, he'll be taken.
he rejects the perfect, paved path his family chose for him and chooses power, danger, and freedom instead.
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thanks for reading! been seeing a lot of opinions about his character recently and i felt inspired to add some of my own.
keep in mind that this is just my interpretation of his story!
