musing over hoyo game characters because I am grass-deprived
warning: I cuss. A lot. I am sorry.
(This is definitely not the full list. I’m just thinking about specific women today.)
Lisa (Genshin Impact)- She’s purple! She’s a witch! She’s a librarian! She likes flowers!!! I also like how — *aggrieved sigh*—she appears like a pretty one-dimensional waifu character on the surface, but the more time you spend with the character and getting through her stories she’s actually such a cool, complex, terrifyingly intelligent woman who has worked so hard for so long and now is content to live the rest of her days as comfortably and happily as possible.
also the purple roses!!!!!
Lighter shades, like lavender, often represent a sense of wonder, magic, and the supernatural. They’re commonly associated with love at first sight, fascination, or an almost otherworldly allure. Lisa definitely has that mystical aura to her imo— and she’s got those lighter roses in her hair and hat.
Deeper shades of purple roses, like violet or plum, are tied to power, dignity, and prestige. They often signify someone of high status or someone who carries themselves with a sense of authority. I believe her role in the KoF speaks for itself here. Plus her background as a revered scholar smgkfbcmddld
Unlike red roses (which symbolize passion and romance in a very straightforward way), purple roses suggest a love that is unique, almost fated. They can symbolize a bond that feels destined or one that exists outside of normal constraints. There isn’t a super concrete lore reason I can think of, but it may have more standing if you’re a pathetic jeanlisa shipper like me.
Because purple is often linked to mysticism, these roses can represent personal growth, wisdom, or even someone who undergoes a major transformation. Someone whose journey is shaped by deep, introspective change.
*slams fist onto the table* and it doesn’t stop there.
she has GOLDEN roses in her design too!!! now at first I thought it would be more of a stylistic choice than a thematic one but
Golden roses are often associated with eternal love and devotion. Given her limited time and her focus on living fully, this could symbolize her deep commitment to her values or her desire to leave behind something meaningful, almost like she’s planting seeds of something permanent in an otherwise fleeting life.
Gold also has a connection to success, triumph, and achievement, so the roses could symbolize her journey with time and how she’s trying to make the most of what she has. Perhaps they reflect her belief that, while time may be short, she’s still going to live it in a way that feels like an accomplishment, even if that’s simply embracing the comforts of domestic life. But it’s also a very clear indication of her academic achievements as well!
Since gold is also tied to wealth and value, you could see the golden roses as a nod to her wisdom, her experiences, knowledge, or perhaps the lessons she’s learned in her pursuit of comfort and peace in the face of time running out. In combination with her electro prowess and particular connection to Sumeru— and by extension, dendro (more on that in a sec), , it could show that she’s not just about living for the moment but also about cherishing the wisdom of what little time she has left.
Golden roses can sometimes also signify sacrifice. This would connect to her fate and maybe how she might eventually have to make a sacrifice, whether it’s in pursuit of preserving something or someone she loves, or even in simply accepting that her time will run out and what that means for those around her.
also her constellation and how it also intertwines with her gameplay!!!!!
Tempus Fugit is already pure, tragic perfection. And the fact that electro plays into her fleeting existence makes it even more tragic and thematic.
now let’s talk about DENDRO, which is where Lisa arguably shines best in the current gameplay/mechanics shit:
The fact that lightning charges plants— electro charges dendro (which represents wisdom and dreams thematically) adds so much depth. I mean????? It’s like her power is energizing the earth, like shes trying to awaken something or connect to something deeper to dreams and wisdom, as the lore is. The charge she creates with dendro feels almost like a burst of clarity in a world where everything is constantly changing, fleeting, and out of her control.
There’s something about how earth and lightning collide that feels like wisdom ignited in the face of limited time. Shit, I’m getting chills just fucking thinking about it.
I love Lisa so fucking much and it pains me how she is continuously slept on— ha— by the community. Lisa truthers, make yourselves known.
Rita (Honkai Impact 3rd) - she reminded me of Lisa which is why I initially attached to her, but i grew to really appreciate her as her own character allow me to explain:
(disclaimer: because of the nature of the *endless* battlesuits, I am simply going to discuss her name, and the broader symbolism associated with her across the physical variants rather than intense focus on the visual design . AU Rita is not included.)
Rossweiss seems to be a blend of Ross (which can mean “horse” or “steed” in German, and Weiss ( “white”) though in the context of flower symbolism, it could be a play on Weißrose— which of course means white rose.
White roses are traditionally linked to new beginnings, making them popular in weddings. They can symbolize the purity of love or a fresh start.
In funerary symbolism, white roses represent reverence for the deceased, as well as the idea of the soul’s peace and purity in the afterlife (she definitely has that “Angel of Death” thing too augh)
In floriography, white roses can represent secrecy or a silent, unspoken message. This comes from their connection to the Latin phrase sub rosa, which historically signified confidentiality.
White roses are ALSO often linked to divine love, enlightenment, and spiritual transcendence. They may appear in religious iconography as symbols of the Virgin Mary or higher wisdom. Nothing I could think of directly ties her to divinity (other than the ‘Angel of Death’ moniker that has roots in Abrahamic religions— the angel sent by God to reap the souls of the Egyptian firstborns in the book of Exodus as continued punishment for the cruel slavery of the Israelites, for example — which isn’t very relevant to her but still. interesting.)
AND unlike red roses, which symbolize romantic passion, white roses can indicate a more innocent or platonic form of love, often given as a gesture of deep respect and admiration.
A devoted, subservient figure who follows orders but still has unshakable personal convictions? Obedient yet unyielding, gentle but ruthless— i mean it’s so in line with the white rose and— it makes for a really cool character paradox.
And yeah, the cyclic nature of life and death fits so well with the theme of roses— which have a fleeting beauty, blooming, wilting, and returning again, which ties so WELL into themes of impermanence and renewal. With her weapon being the scythe it brings to mind the grim reaper— symbolizing the natural cycle of endings and beginnings, making her a character who acts as both destroyer and preserver.
Rita stays. She stays. She fights. She bears the weight of her choices without hesitation. It— It— AHHH it reinforces the white rose symbolism so beautifully — devotion, sacrifice, and a kind of unwavering purity of purpose. Not in the sense of innocence, but in the sense that she remains true to what she believes in, even when the world around her is corrupt.
(though she’s lost her innocence a long time ago, she fights to protect the innocence of the world she loves which is— *short circuits* so fucking cool.)
The fact that she continues choosing this path, despite everything, makes her feel like this deeply resolute, almost mythic figure, someone who isn’t swayed by personal pain or doubt but remains steadfast in her duty.
I stopped playing Hi3 fairly early but she’s still soFUCKING COOL I could talk about her all day.
[Rita/Fallen Rosemary- different, but the same. 1) she also reminds me of Lisa, and 2) I bc am a floriography nerd and “remembrance is rosemary’s floriograph” had me vibrating with excitement . I know much less about her in terms of symbolism but im sure I could dig much more if I wanted to. ]
Black Swan (Honkai: Star Rail)—
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she’s purple and really hot
ALSO THE BLUE ROSES IN HER OFFICIAL ART AND LIGHT CONE OK
Blue roses carry some of the most fascinating and layered symbolism!!!!!!!
Because blue roses do not exist naturally, they symbolize things that are just out of reach. This can represent an unfulfilled dream, an impossible love, or a goal that seems forever elusive.
They are often tied to mystery, fantasy, and miracles. So things that shouldn’t exist but somehow do.
Blue roses are often linked to secrets, enigmatic personalities, or people who defy understanding. Black Swan holding a blue rose signifies that she herself is a mystery— and tied to something unknowable, supernatural, or beyond human comprehension.
Because blue roses are so rare, even when artificially created, they symbolize one-of-a-kind individuals, extraordinary talent, or someone who stands apart from the rest. Therefore this blue rose is emphasizing that she was regarded as the ideal Memokeeper; her special nature, unusual destiny, and the idea that she remains fundamentally different from others.
Blue roses are often linked to romantic longing, especially in situations where love is unrequited, forbidden, or impossible.
In some interpretations, they represent the yearning for something (or someone) that can never truly be obtained. (*vibrates* acheswanacheswanacheswan—) But okay, a valid interpretation could also be made that this can represent her deceased mother. But that’s a bit less fun, wouldn’t you agree?
Sometimes, blue roses symbolize change, evolution, or a shift from one state of being to another. They ALSO have connections to the otherworldly, fate, and overall stuff beyond human control.
She literally became an impossibility—a person who surrendered her physical existence to serve an Aeon tied to memory, preservation, and an endless cycle. If that doesn’t scream blue rose energy, I don’t know what does.
She’s a mystery, not quite alive, not quite gone—just existing in this state that defies normal understanding. She’s devoted to something eternal—which fits with the blue rose’s theme of unattainable ideals (because true preservation is honestly impossible, but she strives for it anyway).
And if she’s tied to an inevitable loop, that’s extra cool and meaningful because a blue rose is already an unnatural, “crafted” thing—just like how her existence is artificially extended beyond normal life and death.
This is some A-tier floral symbolism right here. Even if she only holds a blue rose in two arts, that’s all it takes—it’s marking her as something beyond human, something rare, something impossibly devoted. A being who exists outside the natural order, but still holds onto something deeply important.
*clenches teeth* it’s so fucking good.
listen y’all if you take anything away from this, understand that a flower is NEVER JUST A FLOWER
if you made it to the end, you are very impressive. thank youuuu it means a lot 💜
