Genshin Impact‘s version 2.7 update has arrived after a long wait that had fans eagerly anticipating the newest five-star character, Yelan, and wondering how the luck-driven mystery woman fits into the recently added lore of Liyue and Teyvat. As it turns out, Yelan’s backstory (or lack of one) is proving to be more mysterious than the Chasm itself, and it’s sparked many theories among Genshin Impact fans.
Little information has been revealed about the new Hydro bow user, and fans playing through her story quest will find that it leaves much to be desired when it comes to Yelan’s identity and backstory. Unlike most of the characters before her, not much is said about who Yelan really is and what her true intentions are for the Traveler. After over a month of waiting for Yelan, fans have had time to dig deep into who she might really be, and many suspect a dark possibility: Yelan might actually be one of the Fatui Harbingers.
Yelan first appears in the recently-added Chasm section of Liyue, where she saves the Traveler before mysteriously disappearing. Later, players learn Yelan works for the Ministry of Civil Affairs in Liyue. She is currently investigating the Chasm on her own and never seems to stay in one place. Other character dialogue reveals others find her just as enigmatic. Yelan is elusive, wearing many faces and possessing rare skills that no ordinary person is capable of. All character traits are incredibly reminiscent of the infamous Fatui Harbingers that the player has encountered so far.
Much like the first introduction to La Signora or Scaramouche, the Harbingers seem to appear out of nowhere at various points in the Traveler’s quest. They often conduct nefarious experiments in remote parts of each region, and an area like Liyue’s Chasm would be the perfect place for a Harbinger to discreetly carry out their cryptic plots.
Not much else is known about them except that they retain a great amount of nearly unrivaled power, uncommon to many of the regular and vision wielders in Teyvat. Just like Yelan, they have extraordinary abilities and hidden goals that connect them to the Traveler. It would be easy for someone with that kind of power to come and go as they please, keeping their distance and waiting for the right moment to strike.
The possibility of Yelan misleading the Traveler about her real identity wouldn’t be the first time this has happened. The eleventh Fatui Harbinger Tartaglia was introduced under the alias “Childe.” Not much else was revealed outside of him working for the Northland Bank in Liyue. By the end of the quest, it was revealed that Childe is one of the powerful Harbingers that has been using the player to achieve his goals the entire time. History often repeats itself, so it wouldn’t be improbable that “Yelan” could be the code name of the final female Harbinger that has yet to be revealed. If that’s the case, the persona she gives to the Traveler could all be just an act.
Still while this fan theory is a very attractive possibility that would add quite an unexpected twist to the game’s lore, it’s unlikely that it is true. As other fans have pointed out, Yelan’s character constellation does not match the same style of the other Fatui. Plus, while her character design differs from the Liyue style, it resembles another mysterious character, Kaeya, hinting towards a connection.
Yelan’s personality also doesn’t quite fit the trend seen in La Signora, Scaramouche, or even Tartaglia. She does not have the same arrogance Childe displays or the brutal, unforgiving nature of the other Harbingers, who are willing to do anything to achieve their goals. It is more likely that Yelan secretly serves as an information broker to Ningguang, who is commonly known to have others work for her and would require that she maintain a tactful lifestyle. It’s also possible she’s one of the Adeptus, who also live by similar standards.
While fans continue to debate Yelan’s true identity, they are sure to learn more with future additions to the game as more updates roll out. In the meantime, fans can sort through more clues about this true Discerner of Enigmas in the current Genshin Impact 2.7 update.