the rampant mischaracterization of xiao // genshin impact character analysis

[@lilpandarose]

I never saw Xiao as rude. Aggressive and angsty, sure. But not rude. I loved his design. Loved his voice. Loved his story. I was pretty much sold from the beginning. I was so surprised when I learned other people had problems with it. Not surprised people went after the VA though. This fandom does not treat the VAs well.

[@ussinussinongawd516]

i never saw him as short

[@codeknecht8887]

Yeah, same

[@mystique9130]

I never had a problem with his VA, it's just the direction the devs had to go with his character that gives his mischaracterization to the fandom and times it was the fandom that does the same. Xiao has a complicated character for him to be described so easily. While the English version had Xiao be aggressive and angsty as you said (it times be something described to Tsunderes), some of the other dubs like in CN or JP have him just be soft spoken, polite yet stubbornly distant, independent but lack self worth that's surprising given how Adepti like him have some sense of pride. Even I had problems with how he was like at first (no thanks to the poor characterization), but after effort of knowing him, I fell in love at him.

[@hey.wassupbro]

I like how aggressive xiao sounds in the english dub because then at those rare moments where he's all soft and sweet, it seems more heartfelt and like he developed more as a character.

[@Toqrainbow]

exactlyyyyyyy. the gentle, vulnerable moments become all the more sweet with how guarded he sounds otherwise

[@Shizukanexen]

This! I never thought he came off as RUDE just harsh. His sweet tender moments are all the more sweet for it.

[@alatusedits]

But that shouldn't be the case and is mischaractarization. He is supposed to be calm and collected always

[@scarlettg2152]

I call Xiao emo as a joke but do people really think Xiao ACTUALLY emo??

[@oh-seecreations6308]

i still really like how raspy the eng voice for xiao sounds, the va is also capable of making him sound softer and calm as seen in perilous trails. i dont think she deserves all that hate from people who think it's her fault for mischaracterising xiao since it's more of the voice direction (which has been getting better as i said) and the en translation itself. also i think more people should check out her silly shorts of her voicing xiao for fun, theyre really cute.

[@ninny_alt]

i think xiao's eng dub could have been excellent if the profile/dialogue lines were written better.. i don't think the issue lies in the casting; i understand why most would think that, but a lot of people forget that his eng va is a woman with a very impressive vocal range. and she has improved a lot over time, especially in baizhu's quest. i would love if his profile lines could possibly be remastered. and a lot of the criticism is "eng va's delivery is too aggressive" and yall are probably right but give some credit to laila for actually making him sound like he's actually on the verge of going insane to karmic debt.. and his low hp lines sound like he's actually about to die. ill give her that i agree with the majority that the "useless, worthless, boring" etc doesnt land the same in english but again i see this as purely a writing issue

[@ussinussinongawd516]

they shouldve just got a male VA to solve any criticisms of his voice but she did an amazing job

[@XiaoIsMyHusbandBTW]

i don't think the english voice acting is a problem necessarily. like originally it was a lot harsher, but after like the chasm quest it's gotten a lot softer, but the same can be said for xiao himself. i feel like he has gotten the most character development out of almost anyone in genshin. 1.2 xiao wouldn't have even spoken to everyone like he did in the start of the chasm quest. i think people just took his first appearance and ran with it. for instance, when xiao first came out i hated him. i did not like that like lone wolf hates everyone trope so i just thought he was one of those people and couldn't stand him. after i got to know him more and more of his character came out i realized how wrong i was and fell in love with his character.

[@PrimordialGrey]

First appearance definitely stuck with people who didn't care to continue learning more about him. My friend stopped playing the game and to this day doesn't like Xiao because of his first appearance saying he was rude. It's mostly a bit but Xiao really isn't rude. Especially as of now in the quests.

[@XiaoIsMyHusbandBTW]

@@PrimordialGrey just compare the way he acted during his story quest and the way he acted during Baizhu's story quest, it's proof enough

[@alatusedits]

I wouldn't have cared if he was just harsh but calm. But the va made him rude and angsty which is complete mischaractarization. He is supposed to be far more mature

[@XiaoIsMyHusbandBTW]

@@alatusedits i didn't interpret it as rude and angsty. that's all based on interpretation.

[@alatusedits]

@@XiaoIsMyHusbandBTW most people would think that after listening to his va. The OP certainly agrees

[@ozandis127]

Personally, I love the aggressive way Xiao sounds in English. I think it makes him seem very fierce like the warrior he is, but sometimes it is kinda funny XD

[@runo_unono]

Haha me too. Also I think it benefits the whole conflict of him thinking he is a weapon and he will taint people with his karma. I like to think of the way he speaks rude and blunt as his way of warning, a way to make people stay away so he will not taint them or bring unfortune to them. Compared to past it is apparent that he is more gentle and calm in tone now and I see this as our prize of making him realize his facade. I do think they deliberately went with a stereotypical voice but fortunately it worked up in their favour with how he progressed as a character and learned to connect with others again.

[@alatusedits]

​@@runo_unonoonly if his voice lines were changed, to indicate this growth

[@rajun713]

i have two things to say abt that - after the chasm quest came out sooo many people kept saying that xiao should have died... i get that they want a playable character to die instead of random npcs we dont care abt for higher stakes but that wouldve been the worst decision they couldve made for xiaos character development. kill someone else off lmao - i actually used to be kinda like xiao esp when it comes to processing emotions (or lack there of) so its kinda upsetting to see the mischaractization of him lol

[@WhiteKoneko]

I'm still traumatized by that damn interlude. T_T Xiao's one of my favorites so I was freaking out. I was having Honkai Himeko war flashbacks.

[@rajun713]

didnt play honkai but hes my fav too so i was worried too :(

[@AA-cf4es]

We just wanted something emotionally impactful, you know? If he died, it would be gut wrenchingly good.

[@rajun713]

@@AA-cf4es again: it would make no sense for his character development, he would in the end just be proven right which he is not. he needed to learn his own worth

[@TheSilverHermitMage]

Personally im too weak i couldnt take a character death 😭

[@RaspberyLemonade]

The Chasm Storyline made me lighten up towards Xiao tbh, he was honestly great in it! Everyone involved was good, but Xiao really stuck out to me.

[@mssarun]

xiao is so squishy and soft, xiao needs a hug☹️

[@saraannriiko]

I agree with the first point so much. I play in CN and he sounds 10x calmer than in EN. Hearing his CN voice makes me think that he’s more of the kind of person who wants to keep to themselves and comes off as a cold person because of trauma (haha totally not personally experience)

[@aminishnamedvaati]

listen, im a xiao lover, i agree with all of this (please he needs a hug), but whats wrong with short xiao 😔

[@Ratassc3nt]

I really love his character design and the fact he's short, maybe I'm too used to him with this design but I feel like if he looked more masculine and buff, it wouldn't be very much likable

[@onion-headed]

his shortness is actually one of the reasons i like him. I love powerful small fries. That's probably because i'm short myself and am obsessed with having power.

[@alatusedits]

​@@onion-headed12 y/o power fantasy

[@alatusedits]

Xiao isn't short like cyno. So Shut it

[@Shadowz_417]

Being short has its merit(that comes from someone who is taller than average)

[@jackson3475]

(10:25) To be fair, this one scene was also acompanied by meeting the other Adepti that literally even sugested destroying Liyue harbor and murdering everyone there upon hearing Rex Lapis had died... then next time we see them the Adepti are about to start fighting with the Liyue Qixing and the only reason they DIDN'T fight was because Osial popped up... which is really kinda funny since that technically makes Chielde a weirdly succefull diplomat (since by summoning Osial he sorta solved that conflict in Liyue... by causing a bigger one).

[@Vinieer]

As an ex xiao main, i love this video so much!! Tbh everytime i hear "xiao hates humans" i lose faith in people's reading comprehension 😢 This guy literally loves humanity to death, you'd have to play the game with your eyes closed to not see that. Also I love that you brought up the interlude quest and how his arc isn't about death but learning to live. I've written an entire essay in the comments before trying to explain how "xiao should've died in the chasm" would be terrible writting. I rarely see people look at it from xiao's writting perspective and it makes me sad...

[@catdownthestreet]

honestly you are not wrong for losing faith in people's reading comprehension, because it's not just Xiao they've mischaracterized so badly it hurts 🥲

[@princesstab33501]

I would not go so far as to say he loves them. He protects them because it's his duty. He envies them because they live without his torment. But love...No. I think he is neutral at least. Protective at most.

[@onion-headed]

"Rude... Edgy... Short... Hates humans..." mom, I'm being gaslighted

[@stv10101]

The thing most people dont know about his eng voice lines “useless” “worthless” “boring” is that he’s directing all of that to himself, not insulting the enemy. Which is so sad when looking at his lore :(

[@seeexy]

💚💔😭

[@ganymede8257]

... does he though? Like I genuinely never felt he had self-worth issues. He's just upset cause he suffers because of his dutues as a yaksha

[@simrann-x5g]

stop if this is actually true i'm gonna cry 😭😭

[@sanest_emu_fan]

⁠​⁠@@ganymede8257yes, he is, he feels like his worth is tied to how good he is at protecting other. the video makes this pretty clear lmao he’s calling himself useless and worthless because he feels like he’s not good enough

[@ganymede8257]

@@sanest_emu_fan .... ok but there is nothing in the game that indicates this

[@Xanina]

Xiao sounds softer now in English especially now that the Traveler has become close friends with him. I understand the aggressiveness in the direction for combat lines though. Naturally, a person's voice tend to sound harsher/strained when exerting more force and effort. He is fighting after all. Saying the English dub is overly edgy is pretty harsh imo. lol Its not THAT bad. Tbh I kinda like the direction they took in English . At first since we didn't know him well in the first few times the Traveler met him, he seemed more aloof, cold and distant and it shows in his voice. The "mean" sounding underlying tone could just be attributed to his blunt way of speaking, his social awkwardness and his attempts to push people away. I think they were really just going for that "might get misunderstood" direction. But as Traveler got closer to him, the change in tone to a softer and calm one really showed and has much more of an impact imo. Some good examples are his Teapot lines and that time when "Hu Tao gathered everyone for dinner" cutscene. Anyway I just really appreciate how the gradual change in his tone mirrors his actual character progression/development in EN. On another note, ngl, I have a dumb reason for puling for Yelan. Its not because she is waifu or OP. It's because of what she did in the Chasm quest, how she saw right through Xiao, called him out and understood him. What sealed the deal was because of how she reached out to him at the end when he saved them. The concern on her face and actions really got to me especially since she was usually more stoic. As a Xiao main, I just really appreciated Yelan then. So I did a Yolo 10 pull, won 50/50 and got her instantly. It was meant to be lol She turned out to be one of the best pulls since she's really good for Abyss. I was initially planning to Hard Skipping her tbh. But anyway I agree on everything about his character arc and everything mentioned here tbh. I hated how people wanted him to die in that quest. They keep mentioning death flags for him when in reality his whole arc is about acceptance and him truly living. Anyway, sorry for writing a novel here. Great analysis though! Hopefully less people would misunderstand Xiao and give him a chance. Ngl, this video made me sad. I've never had any misconceptions about his character and I'm aware of everything he's been through and how he views himself and all that, but just being reminded of these things again made me sad lmao.

[@dad1375]

Wait why is this so under rated, this deserves more traction! I LOVE YOUR ART STYLE, YOU PUT SM WORK INTO THIS!

[@tox1cya705]

The translation issue is so frustrating to me. I'm a translation student in a Spanish-speaking country so you can imagine how much it bothers me that I can only play genshin in English, because the Spanish subtitles derive from the English text, so if I switch to Chinese or any other language, the subtitles end up being wrong generally because they do not come from the same source. And even when I play in English, the Spanish subtitles are still questionable. Anyways, I came here from tw and just subscribed!! Hope you keep uploading videos this nice ❤

[@amerisartanimation]

Wait this is so underrated what

[@Hiba6_9]

Ikrrr

[@crazypuppet919]

after this video I badly want to see your Yelan analysis. Because I LOVE how her frustration with Xiao in the Chasm caused not only by common sense but also by her own past. She tired of seing people sacrificing themselves for others, and don't want to see Xiao do exact same thing again. And it's also intersting how her care for others correspond with her own apathy an inability to feel anything taht don't envolve risk and danger for her life.

[@Huxxerberry]

Even with the Eng VA I never saw Xiao as some edgy, rude, or hateful character. I honestly just think its a lack of reading comprehension. I was the ONLY person in my friend group at the time who really dove into lore and read through shit instead of believing in stupid headcanons or assumptions based on what other people believe. I had arguments with people I was friends with because they HATED Tartaglia, and couldn't fathom why he was my favorite and wanted to Main him. I constantly got shit for liking characters based solely on their lore and not because they were "perfect lil cinnamon rolls who could do no harm UwU". It's exhausting, and one of the few reasons why I don't play or talk about Genshin with others. I LOVE lore. I LOVE talking about lore. It's hard to talk about lore with people who think they know what they're talking about based on fanfics and headcanons.

[@BulletSponge71436]

I like Xiao's English voice, but I don't think that it's rude or edgy, it's just aggressive, nothing more.

[@akumatsubasa6727]

Laila Berzins is an excellent voice actor, that's undeniable, but although her work is fantastic (and I appreciate her humor), she was not assigned to the right character, it really doesn't fit the writing. Ps : I'm really sorry if my English is bad, I'm French

[@2triedforthis830]

I love Xiao so so so much unhealthy much… I just love his character and hate the mis characterization he goes cuz it physically pains me every time I see it

[@Icantdothisanymoreplskillme]

As a Chongyun and Xiao lover, I really reaaaally hope they become friends. Chongyun really admires Xiao but Xiao wants him to quit and leave the exorcising to him. But imagine how cute it would be for Xiao to train Chongyun and then they exorcise evil spirits together 🥲. I would literally cry if that happens.

[@bongy-o1q]

I hate how people compare him to Wandere they are very different

[@bongy-o1q]

Beside the self acceptance

[@danielwolf4196]

I think the Xiao is short thing might come from the fact that he shares so many scenes with the 2 tallest characters in the game.

[@namikkou]

I think that the EN dub had the most progression with his character in a way. Yes when you first meet him he's super aggressive and stand-offish, and it makes sense. He views himself as a weapon and a danger. But as the game has gone on with more events, he's slowly started opening up and having a softer tone of voice, and is more willing to talk to others. If the Chasm quest took place when we first met him, he wouldn't have talked to the others and would've gone off on his own to try to figure things out himself. But once he found the group, he mainly stuck with them except when seperated and actually talked with them. He would've never done that before. Sad the misconception exists, but I think that original aggressive direction allowed for him to mellow out and soften, showing greater character development than in the other dubs

[@emmanemonie6153]

i honestly relate to xiao with the social aspect. i tend to be extremely blunt and direct so people think that i’m irritated or just don’t like them? i feel like it let me understand him a little better even though xiao isn’t emo technically will forever call him that because my dad and i think it’s funny

[@prismofcolors]

Thank you, for clearing up misconceptions about xiao, you certainly deserve more attention since the video’s you make are pretty detailed and refreshing due to you taking the time to explain in a easily understandable manner…. So yeah keep up the great work with these videos!

[@otsuucurry]

Aaahhh thank you so much for listening to my genshin rants! Glad you like them🥺

[@prismofcolors]

@@otsuucurry Your welcome

[@yoonglie]

i find that i lot of the mischaracterization comes from fans who kin xiao because of their depression, trauma, etc. while ofc you can kin anyone, and its good that hoyo has representation for someone with intense trauma, i feel like many xiao kinnies (at least the ones I've met, and even dated) see him as just someone relatable, someone else who is also "broken", someone else who has little self worth. i personally, and honestly, roll my eyes at this kind of character because i wouldn't want to deal with this kind of person in my own life. i have empathy but i also have healthy boundaries, and i know that if i tried to "fix" someone like xiao (or my ex ahem), it would go nowhere. i give them the time of day and im kind, but i don't want to be around someone who doesn't have a decent amount of self esteem... it makes me worry for myself, and it has brought down my own energy. anyway that's just my reasoning as to why i don't love xiao as much as the next guy... hes still a cool character removed from the context of the fans, hell, i main him on my asia acc

[@hazelmaple]

Surprised it took this long for this video to be recommended to me when xiao is one of my favourite characters. I play in English and I’ve never found him rude or aggressive, just someone who was far too used to being a warrior and fighting. Seeing his character growth over the last two plus years is so refreshing. He feels so well written and has so many layers to him. When he has his soft moments it also feels like he is changing for the better.

[@wovendoves5185]

I will personally get you a limo and a red carpet rolled out for you because you couldn't have explained the purpose, meaning, and the truth about his character any better + simpler. /VPOS THANK YOU. FOR THIS. OH MY GODDDD, I'M SO GLAD SOMEONE ADDRESSED THESE MISUNDERSTANDINGS To add onto the discussion, I believe that Xiao's character not only represents the process of himself healing gradually from the past, but he represents people/abuse victims who act, speak, and think the same way he does, but ultimately and unfortunately, had lost all hope in life and ended their own lives and the people who live long enough to become a complete shell of what they once were. The reason why Xiao's character is so meaningful to so many people, such as myself, is because there are just too many things about this world that has caused us grief, pain, trauma, and hopelessness that can never be described in words. It's hard to speak, being constantly clueless and feeling disembodied from your own body, Xiao's character is in a way, a voice for us and he brings me so much unbelievable joy simply because he truly does understand/represent what its like. It's disappointing that people try to excuse his character as some trope when in reality, he's a character/piece of literary media that people can find comfort and hope in that one day, we can be at peace with oneself.

[@Shadowz_417]

Fun fact: In one of Xiao's chinese beta voice lines, one of his plunge attack voice lines is 死吧, which translates to Die

[@WhiteKoneko]

*hugs my Alatus plushie while I watch this* He's not edgey or hateful of mortals or rude. A traumatized war veteran yes, and a tsundere. He's built up a wall, scared to let people in after all the bullshit traumas and as you said he's still recovering and healing. But I do very much prefer CN Xiao, though all the VAs do great work. He has come so far and one day he will take that invitation to mundane life by the hand as he so rightfully deserves that happy peaceful life his family wanted but were denied.

[@vignesh306]

THANK YOU FOR DEFENDING THE (SHORT) KING, He's of my favourite characters and it pains me when people call him edgy anemo boi

[@Daijoor_56]

I absolutely agree with everything said in this!! I was actually shocked when I heard that he hates human like where did this even come from??!😭😭 His story is truly incredible (from the writing prospective) while being one of the tragic backstories in Genshin. I am honestly glad with his character development after everything he have been through he absolutely deserves it

[@noidea5927]

Honestly, even though I play with English dub I've never saw him as rude or too edgy or so He seems to be more like traumatized child that saw and did way more than he should've done. And now in peaceful times he doesn't know how to behave. Also is afraid of making new boundaries bcs of that many losses he had. Then all of this carma thingie was added up So in my eyes he always was this lonely and a little bit scared child who doesn't understand how to behave in society that's why keeping himself from it and just look kinda tough outside cause it's the only thing he knows

[@limoncats]

now that i've watched this video, i feel so bad for him :( he suffers PTSD, is pessimistic, and has low self-esteem tbh Xiao deserves all the hugs and affection he can get 😭😭

[@Byrdstar6423-un3me]

It really irks me how everyone portrays him as an edgy asshole with NO EMPATHY or love for people at all

[@gothgirl311]

please do more videos like this on other characters who are often mischaracterised, if you have the time/energy!

[@Frogyeee]

The english dub of xiao was one of the main reasons I switched to the japanese dub. In the english dub he really just sounds like a edgy and rude child especially in the liyue archon quest and it makes all of his dialogue come across differently. There are a lot of characters who I like the english dub of in genshin, but a decent amount of characters have odd direction.

[@triplecatnip7413]

The man is called the conqueror of demons. He's been slaughtering them for centuries and endurung karnic debt. Aggresive voice lines suit him perfectly

[@audreymoonprism]

i love you platonically for this video

[@grenaja]

As someone who used to think Xiao was just an edgy boy, Perilous Trails was the quest that made my opinion of him do a 180. Such an amazing quest, and Xiao is one of my favorite characters now, at least in terms of writing.

[@TheSilverHermitMage]

THANK YOU 👏👏👏 this vid was on point!- Xiao is so well written, which is why im always happy to see him whenever he appears in a quest

[@Lilys0609]

SAMEE

[@mathou8124]

his story is so sad I've never wanter to hug a fictional character so much before in my life

[@hermeschase4113]

I agree that for a long time Xiao has been very misrepresented, i actually find his story to be a cool adaptation of chinese mythology, and his character has a lot going for him. ... That being said, it will never stop being funny to me how one time i was showing Genshin Impact to my cousin, so i decided to do one of Xiao's quests, then i remember Xiao said something stupid with his tryhard edgy voice and my cousin immediately said "Okay Xiao the Hedgehog" and to this day it's the funniest shit ever for me lmfao

[@akumatsubasa6727]

Pov: Xiaomain hear " Chat: Corruption " 😂😂

[@hypershadic762]

Shadow ain’t even edgy 😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@hermeschase4113]

@hypershadic762 As a Sonic fan i TOTALLY get what you're trying to say, i get it. But saying Shadow was never an edgelord is straight up wrong lmao, it's mostly SEGA's fault for mishandling him, but you don't get to have a game where he has strong early 2000's school shooter vibes and say he was never edgy lmao But again, it's totally SEGA's fault, i don't think the character was ever meant for that kinda dogshit handling and i'm glad they've been trying to fix their mess until recently. (i'm not talking about the comics either, just the games, althought thats a whole different conversation with it's fair share of problems too lmao)

[@hypershadic762]

@@hermeschase4113 I still don’t get how shadow was ever trying to be cool I don’t see that

[@ameliziou4776]

The reason I started liking Xiao was because I started playing the game at the end of 2.6 (Irodori) and spedran the game (reasons). When 2.7 rolled around, I had nothing left to do, so I focused on Xiao's quest and Perilous Trials. Experiencing one after the other, and seeing how he became so soft since meeting him the first time shook me to my core, and I changed the language to Japanese because he sounded even more kind. I've been stuck with him since then, and it breaks my heart each time I see someone saying that he should've died in Perilous Trials because, no??? Did we play the same game??

[@strombago]

We actually have a proof of him being the shortest younger male body type in genshin There are videos of charcter model analysis and simple fact that there are ponds where other younder male can stand while Xiao starts to swim

[@akumatsubasa6727]

These are collision bugs. In addition, no official height is given, so maybe Xiao is 1 m 80 and Zhongli 2 m lmao 😂🤣

[@strombago]

@@akumatsubasa6727 is not bugs There's an objective, although pretty slight, height difference in models There are videos on KZbin actually taking models and comparing them by pixels Not only they differ in height, but also in other body measurements Although we know that gameplay oftenly doesn't represent the lore, in this particular instance we don't have proof that body measurements are somehow different

[@NerylaLouvel]

I think the only problem is the voice acting and his lines/directing. Despite his official backstory, (which works well) the problem still stands. Something about looking and sounding young while the story poking at how jagged / tortured and self-neglecting he is reminds me of Deviant Art OCs which have become a popular trope over the years. I don't blame the internet for branding him things on the internet. Again, im aware he's officially not edgy and rude... but the English VA direction really did his character no favors : / first impressions and all that. BUT I have hope, what Zhongli said to Xiao after the dinner party could be a chance for the writers and VA directors to fix him up.

[@NerylaLouvel]

Also I didn't want to go on a larger tangent, but I had problems with the Karmic debt. It felt like a pain I couldn't relate to, it's too vague. Fire burns, lightning shocks, rock smashes, water drowns, knife stabs, etc. karmic debt..... contagious indigestion? o -0 I've made peace with it by calling it a sort of radiation. It's contagious makes you sick and kills you straight up. I just needed a clue to feel bad for his pain to some level.

[@otsuucurry]

yeah i completely agree with you, his EN voice acting is definitely the biggest issue with his characterization especially in the earlier archon quests. i think he does become somewhat softer by 2.4 but he still sounds REALLY edgy compared to the rest of the cast (and even his other dubs). and omg you're completely right, they never really did explain what exactly karmic debt is and how it affects him LOL. he just grunts in pain and acts like he's on the brink of death in every trailer.. definitely a problem on hoyo's way of storytelling (telling more than showing). radiation = karmic debt is definitely a cool idea, thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[@NerylaLouvel]

​@@otsuucurry I think they can turn it around, especially after that Zhongli speech. I don't play but have a friend tell me and I like to piece up the lore. It's super fun! And yeah, the acting on the brink of death and grunting for a "pain" that "you wouldn't understand" sounds like me at 16 years old;; I think that's the other layer to this, people are reminded of.. their dark past cringe O -O *bonks my younger self* xD Maybe that IS Karmic debt. "UGH why did I say/did that that one time" So far I only know the Karm. Debt is like.. residue anger of old gods? That detail makes me think of so many ideas :0. It reminds me of the triforce heroes being cursed to reincarnate forever. Many ideas, so hey, if they don't use em, we could for our stories. : p They definately had fun making the Sumeru stuff. That was a JOY to gush & puzzle over.. but yeah. It's so many characters, and now they're adding Fontain. I don't blame them for missing the mark here and there. But they're getting better : D!

[@sarahkim8617]

@@NerylaLouvel Unfortunately I can't remember exactly where I found this so don't be 100% but I know I heard about the karma thing: It was based off a real life belief where if you exorcised things by killing, the act would still be considered sinful, so you would be punished by genshin's version of karmic debt. In the game, it's just the remains of the gods that affect them cause they "absorb it", right? Don't know if this was helpful. Also, I've heard from a different video that the painkillers Zhongli asks the traveler to give to xiao is actually like an anti-depression pill, but it got lost in translation. So maybe the karmic debt's pain is also a representation of mental anguish. Someone let me know if the translation thing is wrong. Again, not 100% with this.

[@NerylaLouvel]

@sarahkim8617 It's still a good lead, thank you. This is better than random guesses, haha. It's a shame that they have a lot of lore surrounding culture, but they don't explain it. And up until now, checking up some myths and history coincides with how each nation acts out. Few lines of dialog, or like you said, provably multiple translations, have cut much nuance on our end. Not necessarily anyone's fault.. it's a hard job.

[@pikastudios2850]

Xiao is everything someone could need. He is the light in the darkness. He is food for the starving. He is water for the thirsty. He is tall, ok maybe not that one.

[@disappointing.]

i think it's dumb how many people seem to not think his eng voice is the problem. it's obvious how it has impacted the way en dub players see him. and in the worst ways, for most people. understandably. he just objectively sounds really bad.

[@sakurabiskuit]

Xiao has always been on my Top 3 favorite Genshin characters no matter how many new ones come out and I largely believe him to be the best written character in the game. Thanks for the video analysis on him, I think everything you said is very spot on

[@i.arcturus]

as a new player, I saw Mtashed's (very old) video on Xiao and decided he was the strongest character ever along with Zhongli, and coincidentally I joined during 2.7, his rerun. little did I know I was to be very wrong about Xiao, but I've stuck with him ever since. I went in thinking I'd get a strong af broken character but instead, he turned into my comfort character. regardless of his performance, he's still my main and he's amazing. still think he's the coolest character in genshin

[@nuchanart14]

honestly I think "jerk with a heart of gold" like xiao should be taller than mika in term of official artwork my opinion about mika one I assume him as a pre-teen but I love ur vids that so underrate//support!❤

[@adir6094]

Finally someone who has pointed this out. I def think they totally missed the mark on his voice acting direction. I don’t understand why they did it too. It’s the first thing that put me off about the character, cuz I heard him first in English, but when I heard him in Japanese it felt like a completely different person.

[@rayy5272]

plz ignore my pfp but man this video is soo well researched like all the points are accurate

[@randomcat7246]

Why is the music all happy go lucky LMFAO

[@Lyneyscard]

I’m so glad someone actually understands Xiao He’s one of the most mischaracterized Genshin characters I watched this video a year ago and now I rewatched it cuz why not and yeah Im really happy about the fact that some people actually understand him

[@Vetomon_V]

I play Genshin in English. At first I didn't really care for him for the reasons you explained. However, after playing more and learning more of his story, I like him. It just took me a while to realize that he is a character that has been through a lot.

[@SyrupyShana]

Great video! I love your line of analytical Genshin Videos, I’m learning quite a bit. Look forward to seeing you grow!

[@otsuucurry]

Aww thank you so much!!🥺

[@larfrineno.7249]

Holy shit. I'm actually glad I came across this video and decided to watch it til the very end cause the time I considered your arguments and analysis of who Xiao really is made me start liking the character and I consider him as one of my favorite characters now. His struggles and his relationships towards others hit close to home (Even about the height though it's not tackled in his original story xd) It honestly made me from saying "Ah ok, an edgy character deffo fit for teenage girls playing the game to simp on" into saying "He's like me fr, fr"

[@wanderlust_nyx]

Another misrepresentation of character is lisa- while she is deffo a character who is sexualized and sensual, if you hear her talking in the first cut scene when u meet her, the chinese voice actor sounds motherly, “cuties” takes on a more parental/guardian tone and the english and Japanese va’s make her a breathy mommy which is also fair

[@suikaryu]

i am vey touch . THANKS for the video . is really good !! well some of my friends play EN version always say he is a edgy lord in front of ma face every time plus imitate his voice line !! i m like hey cam on ,he is one of the softest person i know yo yo. so 超级感谢制作这个短片!

[@cyansusyall6172]

I LOVED THIS

[@otsuucurry]

THANK YOU🥺

[@Void_Creature4]

My poor traumatised son 😭😭😭

[@BellBOYd128]

Xiao is what toxic masculinity looks like when grafted onto an empathetic man.

[@Tickieart]

He’s such a complex character and love him so much. I hate the mischaracterization his whole story is so sad and I related to him so much (unfortunately) so he’s definitely a comfort character for me.

[@apotatowithnorights]

Man.. i didn't even care about xiao, and this video made me like him A LOT

[@seeexy]

ohhhh now i feel so related to him uwu so sad 😭😭💚💔 cuz i think i know now why hes like this

[@Hiba6_9]

💀

[@kaku7398]

I love Xiao's sincerity so much, I thought he was edgy and kinda mean at first due to the way he interacts with others, but as I went into the game I slowly learned that he actually is just the softest, kindest and most determined character ever, on top of being absolutely adorable. I see him more as a sweet person trapped inside a tough shell, hardened over centuries and milleniums that he can't escape from. I love him to pieces, and I nearly cried during the chasm quest, since I genuinely thought he was about to pass out. Poor baby 😢

[@yeti9961]

Bro the lantern rite where we had the dinner party, it just proves so much how he’s grown, even if it’s just slightly. We love Xiao and I hope he can see that at the end of Genshin too!

[@Itci-2]

Xiao is totally short, Cyno is technically the shortest but Xiao it’s wearing shoes so he’s cheating and he’s the shortest. Prove me wrong

[@koneko_chan_8]

Omg tysm, i think the same about Xiao even though i didn't know that much about him. He is my fav character and i heared stuff like "he's rude" or "he hates humans" so many times but i didn't know enough about him to prove that they are wrong. If i remember everything you said i tell them and if not i just send them this vid. Finally someone yay so ty :)

[@spidyboi9097]

Great video. Lamented everywhere

[@olived9560]

great video! I've watched a few of your others nd I love how in depth you are, but also how open to viewing things from different perspectives? it's really cool!

[@oz_the_archivist]

bro when i heard xiao's voice in the english dub i got sent into orbit. bro got the sasuke cadence

[@Janehaver]

I thought everyone liked him lol, his story is one of my favorites. I loved fixing Pervases temple.

[@itifurgagica8145]

Tbh I like all his dubs. They are like different parts of him it (if makes sense). His 'rudeness' in the english dub i have interpreted it as someone that was so isolated that didn't got the ability to be more socially aware of other's emotions and aware of his own emotions, pushing people away to not get them hurt or to not get himself hurt again. Like a kid that needed to grow up faster because of his traumatic experience, but coudn't develop healthy coping mecanisms.

[@binhoselis9512]

This video made me care about xiao now

[@BondforgedSky]

I'm currently in the process of getting caught up with Genshin, and have recently completed both Xiao's story quest and the second interlude quest. I didn't really feel like I got to know him through his story quest, but came to really like him in the fantastic interlude. And I'm planning on watching the previous lantern rite cutscenes before the next one, and knowing that there's a lot of development and exploration of Xiao's character in those events makes me more interested in checking them out. This video definitely helped me appreciate him even more, and I'm definitely glad I got to become aware of the change in voice direction for the eng translation. Not saying that it makes me like the voice direction less, but it helps me understand who Xiao is as a character and give context for me as someone who plays with the eng voice acting.

[@eisflamme2438]

I actually talked to the girl with the puppet before i met Xiao, but i didnt realise it was him during the archon quest, it was weeks later, after i talked to her again that i connected the dots.

[@ZayaHavingFun]

I love this!!! I wish the english voice lines would get updated to have a similar vibe as the japanese or korean dub ( I kinda switch between those 3 languages) I really don't like the aggressiveness in his tone in the english dub because it just doesn't feel like him for me

[@philkersonchong9848]

Xiao is just suffering from depression.

[@catdownthestreet]

Oh, my god. This isn't just a Xiao problem either- the entire fandom is terrible at characterization. The example that makes me the most angry is the mischaracterization of neurodivergent characters. Take Alhaitham for example. He's often seen as rude and narcissistic by the fandom- which is especially apparent in Haikaveh content, where people portray him as straight up abusive. You wanna know why this makes me so mad? The supposedly narcissistic and rude traits Alhaitham has are actually just exaggerated symptoms of autism. Like, come ON, people. Don't skip dialogue. Better yet, go read through his story quest again. He straight up tells someone who sees him as narcissistic that he doesn't see others as less than himself. Also, his voicelines basically confirm this- he's extremely socially inept and he doesn't care. He has difficulty showing emotions as readily as his peers- that doesn't mean he doesn't have them, just that he expresses them differently. He comes across as rude because he doesn't get that people don't like to hear what they're doing wrong, and he probably doesn't care because that's not his problem. If people don't like how blunt he is, that's their problem. At least, that's how I think he views the world. And like, there are SO many hints that he's autistic. He wears sound-blocking earpieces, for crying out loud. Hell, the ENTIRE REASON why he helped out during the Archon quest was because he didn't want his life to change too much. Preferring routine is an autistic trait. And the worst part is, when I talk about this outside of neurodivergent groups, people tell me I'm wrong and that he couldn't be autistic DESPITE THOSE PEOPLE NOT BEING AUTISTIC THEMSELVES. And I'm not saying that every autistic person relates to Alhaitham, but I certainly do. And I'm actually quite friendly because I'm anxious about being rejected. Alhaitham isn't, and I'm so jealous of him for that. He's living his best life. Finally, back to the Haikaveh thing... Alhaitham isn't abusive. He doesn't say horrible things to Kaveh, and the one example of him doing that I could find, he immediately backtracked and subtly tried to make Kaveh feel better. Hell, Alhaitham doesn't even actually care about making sure Kaveh pays rent. He says it as a joke, but because he's autistic and his tone of voice doesn't give that away as well, he's portrayed as abusive and misunderstood as narcissistic. Y'all just don't like neurodivergent people and it shows. Yes, neurodivergent includes Xiao. PTSD is often viewed as a form of neurodivergency, and there are many MANY characters in Genshin that have PTSD or some other form of neurodivergence. Yet people refuse to see them as such and mischaracterize them as "edgy," "narcissistic," "unapproachable," and the like. Yet none of these characters are any of those things. You wanna know the true narcissists? The true edgelords? Might I direct your attention to Scaramouche, Childe, and Dottore, whom everyone makes out to be as misunderstood pathetic little meow meows that need love. Reminder that only two of those three are actually redeemable, and one is STILL an edgelord who is more rude than Alhaitham could ever be, while the other is a certified insane person with a weird set of morals. Don't even get me started on how people portray Kokomi, Fischl, Diluc, Zhongli, Cyno, Furina, and Neuvillette. Especially that last one- I WILL get mad if one more person tries to tell me he's not autistic and an ACTUAL pathetic little meow meow, unlike Scaramouche. Sigh. Sorry for the rant. I don't know where else I'm supposed to talk about this, and I felt it was fitting to bring up neurodivergent mischaracterization on a video about a form of neurodivergent mischaracterization. Love your videos, have a great day.

[@EnderPanReigns]

this video is this generation's "who is the true villain of undertale?"

[@soullight4158]

Xiao really got a hell of character development and it s great and his relationship with traveller is my favorite. But his eng voice is still too much ... many cases of a misinterpretation of his lines or quest atmosphere . It is a very very rare case indeed when jp dub is more on point. Not in every situations. They have their miss moments too but way more seldom. Eng dub became better with years as well, for ex in Baizhu quest i liked half of the lines in english more (like when he appears on the rooftop) but then the moment near the lake when traveller pretended to drown was completely a miss by eng dub and jp va got it perfect. I wish we could get a mood that is like 70% jp dub+30% eng dub of a character😂

[@soullight4158]

Like literally if we look at his early recorded voicelines adressed to traveller it is a 1000% miss and contradicts his motivation for behaving a certain way towards us. and i think at the time they just never guided the VA on what his character really is like but the did not bother to re-record 😂

[@azlzlaz]

PLEASE do a video about diluc too 😫😫 he suffers from the same treatment as xiao and i love them both so much... both english voices are so agressive but they are so gentle in chinese (i play only in chinese since realizing this - and also because paimon is sooo much better). the difference is that diluc is actually pretty popular (socially) and a known gentleman. they were my first two mains, my first two favorite characters and i have them both triple crowned ❤

[@luisangelblancascruz8549]

I think the same thing When we first met him, i didn't like him, but as we knew about his story, i got to understand him

[@yYSilverFoxYy]

XIAO IS SHORT, HE IS TINY, HE IS VERTICALLY CHALLENGED, HE IS A PINT-SIZED LIL MUNCHKIN! PROOF: LOOK AT HIM! He’s so…🥺

[@Hiba6_9]

💀

[@Lilialynn]

Its been some time since i’ve played genshin, because of how long it takes to catch up (i stopped in inazuma…) but i still love the characters and world. Commenting just to let you know i’m loving your videos! Please keep up the amazing work! ❤

[@itsame7491]

English Xiao is peak fiction

[@venti2569]

Pls do more of these w diff characters!

[@Olivia-146]

I don’t know how to explain it I wasn’t surprised when people are saying he’s rude but the first thing that comes to mind when I think of him is cute

[@soullight4158]

I also think it is not like Xiao is unable to process his own emotions in most cases he regards himself unworthy of having those said emotions or desires and thus he runs away from them or ignores them as a subconscious way of self punishment 🤔

[@itsme_8666]

he just needs a hug people..

[@senu.]

and scara suffers from the same issue. once again im gonna blame the male community in the fandom always making everything a walking stereotype and then you see the true edge lords of the fandom projecting on them like crazy. we will never be free

[@AA-cf4es]

Males do make everything worse. They are kinda like poison, slowly turning everything good or wholesome towards stupid and creepy.

[@narusas1222]

Can you talk about Furina, Ayaka and Keqing someday? Love your videos!

[@imnotherenow200]

so basically he's not the batman who wouldn't kill, but would beat someone within an inch of their life. he's the batman that would comfort a dying child in their final moments. speaking of, i'd love for him to take on a disciple and have a Batman Beyond dynamic where xiao views his job as a curse, but the disciple views it as a choice

[@ria_8884]

Honestly the whole relationship of Traveler and Xiao is the proof that all of these claims being false. They're always so gentle with each other 😭