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Kaeya/Lore

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In the Knights of Favonius, Kaeya is the most trusted aide for the Acting Grand Master Jean. You can always count on him to solve any intractable problems. Everyone in Mondstadt loves Kaeya, but no one knows what secrets this witty, charming knight has...

—Description from the Official Website[1]

Personality

An accomplished swordsman and a strategic thinker in the Knights of Favonius, rumored to hail from beyond Mondstadt.

—In-game character attributes and profile page text

Kaeya is an outwardly confident and charming individual with a flair for drama. He is sometimes seen as overly laid-back and even lazy, but he takes his work seriously. He is surprisingly popular among the elderly of Mondstadt, even earning himself the title of "top candidate for grandson-in-law." His charisma and determination have earned him the admiration, respect, and favor of many people in Mondstadt — yet, his love for provoking others has also gained him the exasperation of those same people. Kaeya also enjoys putting people into high-stress situations and challenging their values, which he does to both his enemies and his allies alike. He takes pleasure in seeing the hesitation in his comrades' eyes at the moment just before they dive into battle with him, just as he takes pleasure in the look of fear in his enemies' eyes as they face off against him.

He seems to get a kick out of telling bold-faced lies and convincing others to do his work, but this serves him well in his role in the Knights of Favonius. He is a self-proclaimed "anti-hero with an attitude problem;"[2] as long as everything ends the way he wants, Kaeya does not care about the methods used. Still, according to his informant Vile, he draws the line at working with those who threaten other people's families, believing they deserve to be "hunted down and destroyed."

Despite his extroversion, the Traveler has observed that he appears to struggle with loneliness, though he playfully deflects when confronted about it.[3] He frequently reminds the Traveler that they can talk to him, invites them to spend time with him, insistently offers (sometimes extensive) assistance, and often voices his disappointment whenever the Traveler has to leave, showing his desire to be helpful and aversion to being alone.

Appearance

See also: Icy Featherflight and Sailwind Shadow

Kaeya uses the tall male model. He has a tanned complexion and navy-blue hair with streaks of lighter blue, accompanied by a waist-length lock of hair that begins at the base of his scalp on the back of his head at the left. His visible eye is periwinkle with a diamond-shaped pupil that is shared with other characters known to be from Khaenri'ah. Over his right eye, he wears a gold-trimmed black eyepatch that is mostly covered by his bangs. Kaeya has not been seen without his eyepatch, but his right eye, which is functional, is implied to have a scar over it due to being wounded by Diluc during their battle after Crepus' death.[4][5]

Notably, while other Mondstadt characters' Vision casings feature three feathers per wing, Kaeya's Vision on his default outfit only features two feathers. He is also the only one with a wing on the right side of the back of his Vision (other Mondstadt Visions have them on the left side or no wings at all on the back). Kaeya is one of only two characters across all nations who has a Vision with clearly nonstandard casing, with the other character being Furina.

Character Stories

Character Details

Kaeya Alberich is an adopted son to the Ragnvindr Family, the renowned wine tycoon.

It has been a long time since he last called Diluc Ragnvindr "brother."

Kaeya currently serves as the Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius, and is trusted by Jean.

Kaeya is often the one wrapping things up in every incident that occurs in Mondstadt's vicinity.

Character Story 1

Item Companionship EXP Friendship Lv. 2

It is a curious fact that your best chance of finding Kaeya is not by visiting the Knights' headquarters, but by frequenting the taverns at night.

Kaeya is often found sitting at the bar, gossiping with the city folk, and sipping the famed Mondstadt beverage, Death After Noon.

He is surprisingly popular among the elderly of Mondstadt, even earning himself the title of "top candidate for grandson-in-law."

It's hard to imagine someone as mischievous, amiable, and wine-loving as Kaeya being the Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius.

Hunters and bandits alike are often among Kaeya's drinking buddies. As wary of him as they may initially be, all are ultimately disarmed by his smooth talking, and end up telling him everything he wants to know.

Depending on what they then make privy to Kaeya, their night may turn into an uncontrollable nightmare or remain one of harmless banter.

"Everyone's got a secret, but not everyone knows what to do with it."

Says Kaeya, with his usual arrogant smirk.

Character Story 2

Item Companionship EXP Friendship Lv. 3

"Justice is not an absolute principle, but is the result of striking that fine balance between strength and strategy. As for the details of how it's done... Don't worry yourself too much about that."

Kaeya once said these words in front of Grand Master Varka.

As long as everything falls into place the way he expects in the end, Kaeya doesn't care all that much about how it's done.

This cavalier attitude is what defines his character.

Not that different from Death After Noon's wild and explosive taste, one might add.

However, his reckless approach to things is not uncontroversial.

Once, in order to force a bandit leader into facing him directly, Kaeya triggered the Ruin Guard at an ancient ruin to cut his opponent off, putting his own men at risk in the process.

It's times like these when even Jean, who puts a lot of trust in Kaeya, finds herself shaking her head in disapproval.

Not that this bothers Kaeya, of course. On the contrary, he actually enjoys putting people into the difficult position of making tough decisions.

He takes pleasure in seeing the hesitation in his comrades' eyes in the moment just before they dive into battle with him, just as he takes pleasure in the look of fear in his enemies' eyes as they face off against him.

Character Story 3

Item Companionship EXP Friendship Lv. 4

The flourishing winery business in Mondstadt has been a great source of prosperity in the region over the years. This prosperity often entices greedy bandits and monsters to the area.

They are a motley bunch who hide in the shadows, and their backgrounds, motives, and allegiances are varied and complex.

Kaeya battles against this threat to Mondstadt not only with his sword, but also with his smarts and his wit.

A young knight once dedicated years of his life to studying threats in and around Mondstadt, and reached an astounding conclusion:

When Death After Noon is out of season due to lack of supply, the number of reported incidents inside and outside the city show a drastic decrease, and this remains the case until Death After Noon returns to the market...

The young knight showed his findings to Cavalry Captain Kaeya in hopes of getting some advice from him.

"Interesting. I'll look into it." Kaeya answered, with a wry smirk on his face.

Character Story 4

Item Companionship EXP Friendship Lv. 5

Generally speaking, Kaeya is an easy person to have a conversation with. The only topic that you will never hear him discuss is his past.

Even when the Grand Master demanded information on his background, Kaeya skirted around the issue and gave only vague answers devoid of details.

"One afternoon near the end of summer a decade ago, my father and I passed by the Dawn Winery."

"'I'll go get us some grape juice for the road,' he said, but he never came back."

"If Master Crepus hadn't taken me in, I doubt I'd have made it through the storm that night."

This matter-of-fact description hides a carefully constructed lie.

Kaeya has never once spoken the truth about what happened that afternoon:

"This is your chance. You are our last hope."

Kaeya's father squeezed his son's lean shoulders as he spoke, seemingly looking right through Kaeya to some place far beyond.

On the other side of the horizon sat their distant homeland of Khaenri'ah.

Kaeya would never forget the look of both hope and hatred in his father's eyes as he uttered those words.

Character Story 5

Item Companionship EXP Friendship Lv. 6

Many citizens still remember the two most eye-catching young gentlemen in all of Mondstadt a few years ago.

One of them was the dapper Diluc, an elegant swordsman who always had a warm smile and a confident posture.

The other was the eccentric Kaeya. He was Diluc's friend, supporter, and sounding board, ensuring he got through every challenge he faced smoothly.

They were almost like twins, knowing each other's thoughts and intentions without a word, protecting Mondstadt in both light and dark.

...Until that fateful day, now ingrained deep in Kaeya's memory, when the convoy that Diluc was escorting was attacked by a huge monster.

It was the first and only time that Kaeya failed in his duty.

By the time Kaeya finally reached Diluc, it was all over.

The power their father had used to successfully fend off the attack backfired, taking their father's life.

Both Kaeya and Diluc were shocked by what they had witnessed, losing the calm composure a knight should retain.

"Even someone like Master Crepus would submit to such a dangerous and evil power..."

Sinister thoughts flashed through Kaeya's mind, and he simply smirked:

"This world is truly... fascinating."

All while their father lay dead in a pool of his own blood. It was on that night that the two sons' paths diverged.

A List

Item Companionship EXP Friendship Lv. 4

Between the pages of "The Adventures of Angelos," you find a list of names written on a sheet of official Knights of Favonius letterhead paper.

It meticulously records the details of bandits in the city and further afield, as well as mercenaries and mid-to-senior-level Treasure Hoarder members, listing for each entry a name, position, area of activity, and personal profile.

A dozen or so names are circled, with a note in the margin saying "Otherwise, things would get too boring."

When questioned about it, Kaeya's response is "I suppose I must have gotten drunk and started scribbling nonsense."

Your gut feeling is that Kaeya purposely let you see this list, but you have no way of proving it.

Vision

Item Companionship EXP Friendship Lv. 6

It was raining heavily in Mondstadt on the night that Kaeya Alberich received his Vision.

Earlier that day, Crepus Ragnvindr had wielded the power of a Delusion — only to become its victim when it backfired. To set his father free from the unbearable agony, Diluc Ragnvindr took his life.

Kaeya was Diluc's brother by adoption and was always by his side, but on this occasion Kaeya did not partake in the final moments shared between father and son.

The torrential rain that set in on Mondstadt that night seemed to be a sign of the heavens' grief at the passing of Master Crepus.

There was a side to Kaeya that he kept hidden from the world: In truth, he was an agent of Khaenri'ah, placed in Mondstadt to serve their interests. His father had abandoned him in this strange and unknown land to fulfill this mission, and it was Master Crepus and the city of Mondstadt that had welcomed him with open arms when they found him.

If Khaenri'ah and Mondstadt went to war, which side should he support? To whom should he offer his assistance: his birth father, who had ruthlessly abandoned him? Or his adoptive father, who had loved him and raised him?

For the longest time, Kaeya had agonized over these impossible questions, caught between the opposing demands of loyalty and duty, faced with an impossible choice between truth and happiness.

But now, Crepus' death upset this delicate balance. He felt liberated, but also ashamed of how selfishly he was responding. As an adopted son, he should have saved Crepus, but he had arrived moments too late. As a brother, he should have shared in Diluc's grief, and yet as their father lay dying on the ground, he had hung back behind his brother, that ancient plot running through his mind.

Consumed by guilt, Kaeya knocked on Diluc's door. As the rain poured down, the shroud of secrecy was washed away and all lies were revealed. Kaeya had finally come clean.

He had anticipated Diluc's anger. The brothers drew their blades, this time pointing them at each other. Kaeya felt that this was his punishment for a lifetime of lies.

But as the two crossed blades, Kaeya was overcome by the sensation of great elemental power surging through him. For years, he had stayed out of the way in his brother's shadow. But now, for the first time ever, he was facing his brother as his true self.

Bitterly cold and brittle elemental energy burst forth from the tip of his sword to meet Diluc’s [sic] searing flames head-on. The clash of crimson fire and azure ice created a sudden swirl of wind that stunned them both. This was the grim moment at which Kaeya's Vision appeared.

Since that day, Kaeya and Diluc have gone their separate ways. But he never discusses it, just as he never discusses the origin of his Vision.

Though it is a reminder of a hard-fought battle, and the prize that he earned in exchange for revealing the unadulterated truth, Kaeya sees it as a stern reminder that he must live the rest of his life under the heavy burden of lies.

Namecard

Kaeya: Pavo Ocellus
Item Kaeya: Pavo Ocellus Obtain:
Reward for reaching Friendship Level 10 with Kaeya
Description:
The pattern of peacock feathers resembles eyes that never shut. Can we really say that this Pavo Ocellus is missing an eye...?

Constellation

Pavo Ocellus
Pavo OcellusStory Chapter:
Pavo Ocellus
Meaning:
Peacock Eyespot

Quests and Events

Archon Quests

Story Quests

Hangout Events

Events

Web Events

Character Trials

Domain Levels

Quest Domains

Events

Test Run Events

Character Mentions

Character Stories

CharacterStories

Character Voice-Overs

CharacterVoice-Overs

Mails

SenderMails

Other Appearances

Manga

Kaeya is a major character in the manga, which takes place roughly a year or less before the Traveler's arrival in Mondstadt.

Kaeya and Diluc rebuff Krupp's recruitment attempt for the Fatui. Later, due to the similarities between the powers from the Black Fire Incident and the powers of the Ragnvindr Delusion, Kaeya initially suspects Diluc before discovering that Collei is the true culprit. Kaeya initially sets out to kill Collei but is stopped by Collei's acceptance of her death as well as the timely arrival of Amber.

Kaeya then enlists Diluc's help; after Diluc poses as the perpetrator of the Black Fire Incident, Kaeya "arrests" Diluc and hands him over to the Fatui to close the case. After Diluc escapes and arrives back in Mondstadt, Kaeya returns Diluc's Vision under the guise of gifting him a vase.

Mail

Trivia

  • When cooking a Chicken-Mushroom Skewer, Kaeya has a small chance to create Fruity Skewers instead.
    • His "fruity" skewers don't actually contain fruit; the fruitiness comes from marinating the chicken in sparkling white wine.[6]
  • Kaeya's favorite wine is Death After Noon, a particularly strong wine. Death After Noon is a reference to the cocktail Death in the Afternoon, also known as Hemingway Champagne.[7]
  • The Steambird's Teyvat Food Notes column (which are blog posts on the Chinese official site) celebrated Kaeya's birthday with a real-life recipe for Fruity Skewers and Death After Noon.[6]
    • The Teyvat Food Notes are written in-character, with Long Erjun (the Traveler) as its columnist. After the recipe for Death After Noon, Long Erjun remarks that he can't drink it.
  • Kaeya and his relationships with other members of the Ragnvindr Clan are referred to with the following terms in the original Chinese version of his Character Details, his Vision story, an interactable during Hidden Strife, Archon Quest Destined Encounter in Chapter III: Act VI - Caribert, Event Story Quest Of Ballads and Brews: Act II - Bonds of Melody, Taste of Home in Kaeya's Hangout Event: Act I - Shenanigans and Sweet Wine, and Flame Born (Chapter 2 of the manga):
    • Diluc's 义弟 yìdì, "sworn younger brother," while Diluc is referred to as 义兄 yì xiōng, "sworn older brother."
      • The latter term is also used by Dwarkanath to describe her adoptive brother Iradj.
      • These terms make it likely that Kaeya is younger than Diluc, but not guaranteed. (For example, the birth year of Guan Yu (? – 220), a sworn younger brother of Liu Bei (161 – 223), was traditionally considered to be 160.[8])
      • The meaning of "sworn brothers" is complex and usually refers to a delicate bond built from trust and honor between close, unrelated friends.
    • Diluc's 兄弟 xiōngdì, "brother".
    • A 义子 yìzǐ, "foster son" to the Ragnvindr Family and Crepus's 养子 yǎngzǐ, "adopted son," while Crepus is referred to as 养父 yǎngfù, "adoptive father" and 义父 yìfù, "adoptive father."
  • Kaeya's official Chinese profile provides some additional information about him:
    • The people of Mondstadt find Kaeya a lot easier to deal with than his predecessor, Diluc.
    • Margaret, the boss of Cat's Tail finds his sense of humor amusing.
    • Bennett trusts him as an omniscient big brother.
    • Flora has a good impression of him because his eyes are extraordinarily "deep."
    • He has completed mission after mission, constantly proving that he is smart, reliable, and "indispensable."
  • In childhood, Kaeya used his eye patch to play-act as a one-eyed pirate, and to this day claims he inherited it from his grandfather, a pirate.[9] In reality, he currently wears it to hide a scar acquired in his fight with Diluc after their father's passing, and his birth family, the Alberich Clan, were the ruling regents of Khaenri'ah following the cataclysm.[4]
    • In Chapter 7 of the manga, Kaeya is shown wearing an eye patch over his right eye when Crepus dies, implying he has always worn it, even outside of childhood games and prior to his injury.[10]
      • The eye patch he currently wears may be a different one from his first, as an older eye patch can be found in a hidden box alongside notes regarding both his birth and adoptive families in the Hidden Strife event.[4]
      • Several (though not all) other characters confirmed or presumed to hail from Khaenri'ah, such as Dainsleif and Pierro, cover the same side of their face in some way, if not their eye. Irmin, the last king of Khaenri'ah prior to its downfall, is also described as one-eyed.[4]
    • For an unspecified amount of time, Diluc seemingly believed he had blinded Kaeya during their confrontation, a misconception Kaeya privately decided to allow him to continue believing,[4] which he followed through on in a later letter.[11] However, in a message from Diluc to Kaeya sent thereafter, Diluc clarifies that he is aware Kaeya is not blind.[4] In response, Kaeya asserts that even if he isn't blind, he still has a scar.[5]
  • Kaeya is the first character to have both a Story Quest and Hangout Event.
  • Kaeya is known by these aliases or titles:
    • Cavalry Captain
    • Master Kaeya (by the Dawn Winery maids)
    • Captain Kaeya
  • Kaeya is mentioned in the descriptions of the following 3 Furnishings:

Etymology

  • Alberich, Kaeya's family name, is a German name which means "ruler of supernatural beings (elves)." In Germanic legend, Alberich was a dwarf that guarded the Nibelung's treasure. Alberich was also the name of a prominent character in Der Ring des Nibelungen, a cycle of musical dramas composed by Richard Wagner.
  • Hagen, the son of Alberich, has a striking resemblance to Kaeya, Hagen is often described as cunning and one-eyed.
  • Kaeya's constellation, Pavo Ocellus, is Latin for "Peacock Eyespot."

Other Languages

Character Title: Frostwind Swordsman

LanguageOfficial NameLiteral Meaning
EnglishFrostwind Swordsman—
Chinese
(Simplified)		寒风剑士
Hánfēng Jiànshì		Swordsman of Cold Wind
Chinese
(Traditional)		寒風劍士
Hánfēng Jiànshì
Japanese寒風の剣士
Kanpuu no Kenshi		Swordsman of Cold Wind
Korean한풍한풍의 검사검사
Hanpung-ui Geomsa		Swordsman of Cold Wind
SpanishEl Espadachín GlacialThe Glacial Swordsman
FrenchChevalier du froidKnight of Cold
RussianЗимний клинок
Zimniy klinok		Wintry Blade
Thaiนักดาบแห่งสายลม
Nak-dap haeng Sai-lom		Swordsman of Wind
VietnameseHàn Phong Kiếm SĩSwordsman of the Cold Wind
GermanEiskalter SchwertkämpferIce Cold Sword Fighter
IndonesianFrostwind Swordsman—
PortugueseEspadachim do Vento Congelante
TurkishBuzdaki Kılıç Ustası
ItalianSpadaccino della buferaBlizzard Swordsman

References

  1. ↑ Official Genshin Impact Website: Kaeya
  2. ↑ Manga, Chapter 2: Flame Born (Part 1) (pg. 2)
  3. ↑ Kaeya's Voice-Over: Kaeya's Troubles
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Event Hidden Strife Interactable: The Brick
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Event Hidden Strife Interactable: A Letter in Beautiful Handwriting (V)
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 HoYoverse Chinese News: Teyvat Food Notes - Happy Birthday, Kaeya!
  7. ↑ NPC Dialogue: Charles
  8. ↑ Chinese Wikipedia: Discussion of Guan Yu's Birth Year
  9. ↑ Story Quest, Kaeya, Pavo Ocellus Chapter: Act I - Secret Pirate Treasure, Part 1: Kaeya's Troubles
  10. ↑ Manga, Chapter 7: Dusty Chest (Part 2) (pg. 12)
  11. ↑ Event Hidden Strife Interactable: A Letter in Beautiful Handwriting (IV)

Navigation

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