kaeya's kit is truly one of hoyo's best examples of making kits thematically accurate to their character... okay, hear me out:
(don't be fooled by all the technical jargon. this is a character post in disguise)
he's tailored to be a support, but not quite. kaeya's usually used as a sub-dps for his his burst (off-field cryo application), but rosaria is functionally the same as him and feels better to play in most cases (burst duration isn't dependent on killing enemies + it gives a crit rate bonus).
i don't think this comes from poor design on his part, though. kaeya's main "issue" meta-wise is that while he's a sub-dps on paper, a significant chunk of his kit is dedicated towards supporting / buffing himself (a1 self-heals, c1 gives crit rate to his NAs, c4 creates a shield). it's almost as if there's a role that he should play but can't fully achieve because of how it conflicts with his true self... perfect for a character riddled with internal conflict about his opposing duties, right?
like, there's something to be said about how much kaeya shapes himself in the name of duty. as his (birth) father's son, he's khaenri'ah's last hope, a child carrying the weight of a nation... and then he has to become crepus's son and diluc's brother, another role -- and then when that falls apart after crepus's death, he molds himself into mondstadt's beloved cavalry captain. no matter how you look at it, though, these are all *supportive* roles where he serves other people.
khaenri'ah, as an alberich; diluc, as his "friend, supporter, and sounding board" (kaeya's character story 5) during his captaincy years; and mondstadt, to the point where where's deeply trusted and liked by the population -- and jean, as the acting grand master, an important political figure and symbol of the country (see his first two character stories).
but he *can't* be all those things in singularity, because what he wants for himself fundamentally contradicts what he needs to do for other people. he can't be a khaenri'ahn agent when he loves mondstadt and the ragnvindrs too much, and he can't be a ragnvindr son when he's still torn by his loyalty to his birth father and destined to one day betray them.
this conflict tears him apart on That Night (where the infamous ragbros fight happens), but that doesn't mean it resolves, because at the end of the day, he loves mondstadt and khaenri'ah too much to betray them both. and it's a deeply personal love -- it's just something that he's not allowed to have due to his circumstances.
the self vs. the world. the self vs. fate.
cue mona's voiceline: "He believes he has made a clean break with his past, but one day fate will catch up with him. When it does, he will have a major decision to make."
^ note: i know a lot of people interpret this as him siding with mond, but i don't think it's that simple. 1) this man has SO many khaenri'ah motifs put purposefully all over him (see his outfit, signature dish, + the 8-pointed star in his burst) and 2) see the sumeru route of kaeya's hangout, where mihoyo *explicitly tells you* that in the case of having to choose... he'll improvise, and walk off the stage to find his own ending.
in other words: kaeya's "true ending", or sorts, (or at least where his backstory is setting him up to go thematically), is him making a decision that accounts for himself and his own desires... himself and the love that he feels for the multitude of nations and people in his life, no matter how contrasting those desires may seem at first. save khaenri'ah and protect mondstadt. is it possible?
do you see, now, how fitting it is that his ascensions / constellations (things that you unlock so that the character receives *more power*) encourage the player to play him on-field? to act for himself?
he's such a fucking well-written character. (trust me, there's a reason he's one of the starter characters, and it's not just because his kit lacks power compared to other genshin characters.)
conclusion: playing main dps kaeya is the most lore and character accurate way to play him (<- joke but really. try it. it's fun.)
really? [he grins] gods, i treasure you rocky. you already know but of COURSE i would. of COURSE i would still love you if you were a worm, champ. i know this is dumb and cheesy but- [the half-orc gently takes otto’s hands in his, beaming as his tired eyes glimmer just this once] you could be anything, anywhere, and I would do my utmost best to love and take care of you all the same. [chuckles] liara might beat me to the punch though too, i admit
You have “be kind but take no shit” vibes in my mind!
I don’t think we’ve ever talked, but you seem to have a good head on your shoulders, and care a lot about those around you who have earned your respect
You usually prefer coffee over tea, and get can lost in Wikipedia deep dives pretty easily. You like sharing things you’ve learned with other people, and your favorite color is a bright orangey yellow or maybe a soft green? You like playgrounds, but the amount of people on them can be intimating to you
Hi yes I know I never post but I needed to scream about how cool these people are real quick
@quix-mix is an absolutely incredible artist and a stellar friend, they along with @blackout-forgottennightmare have made some really freaking awesome characters and AUs which everyone should check out if they get the chance!!
@aksartsystudio is another absolutely AMAZING artist and is easily one of the sweetest people I have the privilege of knowing. They are so so hard working, and their determination to make other people happy is absolutely unmatched. Truly a friend I treasure.
@notsoqualityanxiety yet another stellar artist!! And writer!! A person of many talents, and they are also freaking cool in general to boot!! Amazing!!! They are awesome!!
@lunurxchaos!!! You are freaking amazing!! Your art is so lovely, and I could honestly stare at it for hours, it’s so nice and relaxing to look at. You are also a fantastic writer!! Who has so many cute and/or angst ideas and it absolutely makes my day to read them!! Thank you for being you!!
@not-a-gay-dragon RAIN YOU’RE AWESOME AND I LOVE YOU KIDDO!!! You are so much fun to talk to!!! And your excitement is so contagious it makes me laugh!! It’s so much fun to talk to characters with you!! You rock!!
@justafanpersonz You are one of the very first friends I made here! Bouncing ideas off of you, only for you to add your own until we created a story was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had! Your art always makes me smile every time I look at it, and your wit is absolutely unmatched.
@initiatetoaster you are, in a word, stupendous. Your art is adorable and give an unholy amount of serotonin, and your story ideas make my freaking day. I know you aren’t on tumblr much anymore, but just know that I am absolutely tickled pink any time I get to talk to about literally anything
@lights-camera-stagefright. You. The one that started it all. You are the reason that I know the rest of them, and for that, no thanks would even come close to conveying how grateful I am. You brought us all together, and have been endlessly patient and kind, all while being encouraging and posting silly headcanons.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you all so much for making my life better. I could never ask for more amazing, talented, and inspiring people to be my friends
