Hu Tao Explained | Genshin Impact Lore

In this video we'll be looking into the lore and story of Hu Tao, her background, her personality and the relationships she has with the people of Liyue. I've been waiting for her to come out to make this video and crammed as much time in as I could to get it out this week so I hope you enjoy it.
[video contains some flashing images]
The cleaned up Hu Tao themes at the beginning and end are from tnbee's channel, he has mixes of a lot of the soundtracks for Genshin and I'd recommend his channel if you like the music in this game. / tnbee
Thank you to everyone who has shown support for my lore videos, it's something I enjoy doing (when my pc isn't melting down from editing) so I really do appreciate it and I hope I'm able to give back to you someday.
Here's my sources if you want to dig a little deeper:
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#GenshinImpact #Lore #HuTao

[@therealcactoos9457]

Everyone is saying Hu Tao is strange for all sorts of things, but apparently Poetry-Based Rap battles with Xingqiu is normal.

[@jaidenli8607]

I love how there are no comments despite this being one of the most liked

[@felisyenfeiderica6815]

I love hu tao and sometimes i feel bad for her

[@nicmagtaan1132]

I am from a country that glorifies a poetry based rap battles it is indeed normal

[@kon____nn]

@@nicmagtaan1132 what country

[@madcyanide]

Fun fact: In Hu Tao story quest, at the end when Paimon says see you later to Big G, Hu Tao says that Paimon shouldn't have said that There's a reason for this. In Chinese cultures, when a funeral is held, no one is allowed to say "goodbye" to one another since the person you're saying goodbye to is supposed to be the one that passed. So saying goodbye to another living person is considered to be wishing another person dead. Hence why Paimon should have said "goodbye" to Big G to let him move on to the afterlife rather than wishing herself dead/forcing him to stay in the world of the living

[@TheLaughingManLore]

I love this comment and had no idea about that being a thing in Chinese culture, thank you for sharing such an interesting piece of information Mad Cyanide.

[@Paul-vv5ql]

this fucking small detail is awesome

[@user-hd9nx1jc8m]

@@Paul-vv5ql Ikr that's why I want hu tao they put a lot of effort into her personality and appearance

[@user-hd9nx1jc8m]

@Grey Yes! :) I lost the 50/50 then i got her guaranteed

[@KlemenTime]

Hu tao used to sleep in coffins?? i didn't know that... another great video btw :)

[@TheLaughingManLore]

She's a strange one isn't she haha, thanks KlemenTime.

[@mikeydoo7673]

LOL same with me i have a coffin for bed

[@fatuusdottore]

As far as why Hu Tao trusts Zhongli the most out of anyone, I think that should be obvious: they both have lost the person they loved most, keep a perpetual reminder of them (Memory of Dust for Zhongli, the hat for Hu Tao), and must now find a way to live on in a world where that person has long since moved on. I don’t think Zhongli dislikes Hu Tao at all. In fact, he states that she isn’t to be underestimated in her introductory post (via Twitter.) He also doesn’t say anything negative about her, all he says is that he can’t deal with her. Meaning, she must somewhat overwhelm him. But I see their relationship as a parallel of Guizhong and Zhongli’s, except Zhongli is in Guizhong’s place this time. As you said yourself, the old lady who comes to Hu Tao says SHE is exactly like him. So why would Hu Tao need someone to remind her of her grandpa when she is basically that person, lol. That said, I think the two have a lot to learn from each other, which is why Zhongli puts up with her prankster personality. She also has a childish sense of mischief (though a bit twisted and eccentric) and a signature flower, much like Guizhong. Both Zhongli and Hu Tao live as outsiders in Liyue Harbor, himself being an Archon and Hu Tao being privy to the border between life and death. So, it is only natural that they would be kindred spirits. Hu Tao’s grandpa’s last words could also apply to Zhongli, who must learn to not be bound by the past of his memories and live in the present. (Live in life, which he hasn’t done up till now - he’s been bound by his duty as the Geo Archon until very recently.) I do also think Hu Tao knows Zhongli is the Geo Archon. Her seemingly nonsensical answer that she must discuss the meaning of life with the Statue of the Seven (Zhongli’s statue) could be a way of saying she has a rendezvous with Zhongli. As we know from her teasing answer when she discusses Zhongli (and her trolling story quest lol) with the traveler, she likes to say things without saying them completely. Edit: let’s also not forget that Zhongli is a lover of the liberal arts, particularly storyteller. And Hu Tao just happens to be a celebrated poet/writer....

[@TheLaughingManLore]

That's a good point actually, I hadn't linked the two holding on to their loved ones items! Oh no I don't think he dislikes her, I feel like they almost have a family-like bond where even if she can be a little too energetic for him at times, he really cares for her. I think she is like her grandfather but probably still has some learning to do as she grows up so having Zhongli as a more grounded guardian figure would be comforting to her in a way her grandfather was. Yeah I think they can learn from each other too, we've seen Zhongli have a little bit of a prankster attitude at times with his appearances in Rex Incognito and Hu Tao has a more serious side we don't often see so they probably have an easier time understanding each other than most. That makes me wonder if he had met with her grandfather before, that'd be a pretty cute cutscene with a little Hu Tao spying on their meeting haha. I think she might too, or at least has a strong suspicion of it. With her job involving life and death she probably has a better idea about that sort of thing. In her voice lines she says: "Zhongli looks young, but his personality is a bit dusty. Knows everything, but doesn't fret over anything. Hmm... Couldn't be that he's a...Hehe, forget it, whatever." So it seems she might at least think he's an adepti or is possibly trying to keep his secret as she says this about Xiao: "What would I know of the adepti? Ai-yai-yai, that kind of stuff is top-secret! Don't come asking me about it!" Oh! You've made another connection I hadn't thought of haha, that's really interesting! The more we look into them, the more similar they seem when on the very surface level anyone would be forgiven for thinking they were opposites. Thanks for the thought-provoking comment Sneasel!

[@anyaaa2801]

Zhongli didn't lose the one he loved the most. What on earth are you talking about? Please stop spreading headcanons as ingame facts.

[@neuviIlette]

@@anyaaa2801 "The Guili Plains is an area in central Liyue. It was the central area of the Guili Assembly, the ancient civilization ruled by Guizhong, the God of Dust, and Morax, the God of Geo. The location's name is derived from _their names_ , and it is also called the Plains of Returning and Departing based on the characters taken from their names. Unfortunately, during the Archon War, Guizhong died trying to defend her people, and the place was destroyed." -Genshin Impact WIKI Page "This is the mark of our pledge, and it is also my challenge to you." "All my wisdom is hidden within this stone dumbbell." He remembers meeting the young woman with the billowing sleeves, remembers the way she acted solemn, yet seemed joyful when she presented him this token. What a silly notion. There was no formal contract between them. They were merely two people walking the same path for their own reasons... But he remembers the scene of their first meeting anyway, when the Glaze Lilies were still in abundant bloom. He also remembers those words she spoke at the end - again, amid the Glaze Lilies. "Those little people are as small and fragile as dust." "Because they are so small, they know not when they will lose their lives to disaster or strife, and so they are afraid." "Because they are afraid, they try so hard to become more intelligent. This I understand." "So I thought that since there is such a gulf between us in strength, I should use technique and wisdom instead." "With your brawn and my brains, this city would surely become a great one." Her final smile was a lonely one, even as her form dissolved into the finest dust. "It seems that our journey together has come to an end. As for that stone dumbbell, forget about it, would you?" "This is the mark of our pledge, and it is also my challenge to you." "All my wisdom is hidden within this stone dumbbell." "If you can unlock it-" Many years passed, and he was never able to unlock that dumbbell, nor would he ever learn what might have followed that sentence. Over the years, the wild Glaze Lilies, too, dwindled till at last they were no more. " -Memory of Dust's lore I have no idea if Guizhong was Zhongli's most loved one, but they sure were really close

[@bonbonlatch7126]

Hu Tao is a character i misunderstood, due to her initial introduction as someone who wants to bury Qiqi? Got her an immediate negative opinion from me, but her story quest changed it all, revelations and truths about her actions, even her struggles, and now i await the return of her banner, to properly and further enjoy playing her

[@TheLaughingManLore]

Yeah her story really made me like her a lot more and she's one of my favourite characters due to her backstory. Hope you get her!

[@bonbonlatch7126]

@@TheLaughingManLore Thank you, and same to you too

[@barsakgoz6424]

did you get her at rerun banner

[@bonbonlatch7126]

@@barsakgoz6424 absolutely YESSSS

[@jarednewman7823]

She wanted to bury Qiqi because Qiqi is a zombie, or more accurately, a Jiang-Shi. Thus, a corpse brought back to life. She had trouble accepting that, and was of the opinion that the dead should stay dead. She has come to accept Qiqi as a being that exists, and only jokes around now.

[@Morophor]

This is amazing, also the fact that xingqiu is the best support for hutao and also her best friend in the lore is amazing

[@caseyteague7636]

I remember when I first saw Hu Tao I thought she had an uncanny similar appearance and qualities to Amber. The dark brown hair, the amber eyes, both had family in Liyue, and both cause trouble. Then the lore came out that her grandfather was a funeral director and my theory that they were lost siblings was debunked 🙁.

[@poopyfartlolidk]

head canons can exist /nr /pc

[@oreochuu]

@xXLil_ShadowyXx her grandfather was from liyue, don't know about the rest of her family

[@TheBilayer]

Actually in chinese culture there is a funeral ritual that last for 7 days and mourning lasts for 49 days with weekly prayers recited by the family every 7 days. 7 days and 7 weeks. qiqi 七七 is seven seven in mandarin . I may think too much.

[@TheLaughingManLore]

Very interesting bit of lore! Thanks for sharing :)

[@dreamylin5122]

And Hu Tao is also 77th funeral parlor president. So many sevens-

[@Sneerz]

No. Qiqi (nana) is seven in kanji/japanese. It's just a coincidence of translation.

[@Miss_Lavender_Tea]

@@Sneerz i-- 七七 means seven seven in chinese and japanese 😃

[@zhucharles9955]

@@Sneerz kanji 漢字 means Chinese characters originally. And Chinese people still use 漢字 in traditional form， or use it in simplified form as 汉字. So how do you think Chinese people could not understand a very Common-used Chinese character correctly and normally?😂

[@teacup5921]

Really liked this! Massive props. Just a quick note, Hu Tao's name doesn't roughly translate into "Butterfly of the peaches", it just shares pinyin with the words for butterfly(hú dié) and peaches(táo zì), respectively.

[@TheLaughingManLore]

Thanks Tea Time, I was trying to be concise so didn't want to spend too long explaining the etymology but I'll go into more detail for accuracy next time.

[@madcyanide]

It's also very close to the word grape (pu tao) so I guess Grape Supremacy?

[@CheddarCheeseRebirthed]

You guys forgetting walnut

[@nicholasyeo4321]

That makes a very unique juxtaposition, considering the butterfly lovers are those in Chinese folk legend, that of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, who were only united in death as butterflies. To this day, butterflies and moths are a symbol of the dead returning back to visit their loved ones in Chinese culture. On the other hand… peaches are a symbol of longevity in the Chinese culture.

[@elmerandrewcrowley2822]

@@nicholasyeo4321 that juxtaposition actually makes sense though. while death is important to Hu Tao, life is equally as important to her. they're both just parts of the same journey

[@Dinker27]

I'm just..gonna headcanon Hu Tao and Amber as friends. I think they'd get along just fine. Or be potential rivals, since they're quite alike.

[@kazehana877]

Hu Tao is the cutest character in Genshin, she is voiced by my favorite JP VA.

[@TheLaughingManLore]

Rie is great isn't she? I love how she got Ganyu's VA Reina Ueda addicted to the game

[@theshawning]

Fantastic! This was very interesting and much appreciated!

[@maevocado1246]

Not Xiangling running away in the background at 1:23 🤣😂🤣

[@arson1tez]

"The Butterfly of Charon" I can't listen to that without remembering the time Kratos kicked Charon's ass in Chains of Olympus.

[@Doglover19864]

I had hu tao at friendship lvl 10 but im too lazy to read so many paragraphs

[@TimmysReaction]

@Fly Yangye 👁👁 bro?

[@pewdiecookie2136]

As always, really amazingly done

[@sran438]

She's so adorable

[@shannonsamaroo469]

I regret not playing when her banner was running. I hope for her rerun soon

[@TheLaughingManLore]

It's been a while since her last rerun so I'd expect to see her around Halloween, hopefully sooner though!

[@tanmigz19]

Xingqiu is the BEST friend that hu tao needs, I think thats also the reason why you need Xingqiu on your team when your damage dealer is Hu tao HAHAHAHAHA

[@mapletree1808]

i love these videos! i love learning about the characters and your videos have made that rlly easy

[@TheLaughingManLore]

Thank you maple tree I really appreciate that!

[@andreaspernadi1121]

Wow, I was looking more about Hu Tao's stories thank you for the video man, its really good!

[@poozhooz1989]

She and her little ghost friend are cure af.

[@GabrielMElnas]

Cure?

[@mohitjoshi4649]

The amount of detail in this video my god ❤️

[@TheLaughingManLore]

I was going to edit more but my pc crashed 4 times today as I was finishing things up, just happy I didn't lose all my work so far haha

[@mohitjoshi4649]

@@TheLaughingManLore damn are you an encyclopedia? haha ,A zhongli one too which includes the goddess that changed him, and nice work friend.

[@TheLaughingManLore]

@@mohitjoshi4649 Hahaha, I've got a few ideas for a Zhongli video actually but it's daunting as I know it's going to be really long because there's so much lore behind him.

[@sate.kambing]

I can't wait for her rerun bannerr :D

[@TheLaughingManLore]

Looks like your wish was granted!

[@-drey-202]

does she have any lore about her strength or fighting capabilities? or is she just a funeral parlor director?

[@TheLaughingManLore]

There isn't much in the lore about it, she says she doesn't really like fighting in her voicelines: "Fighting's a pain. For me, it's not an objective so much as a means to an end. Using the means to reach the end, to fight for that which I will not compromise on - it's in this way that you and I are the same."

[@-drey-202]

@@TheLaughingManLore thank you very much. im making a strength tier list based on lore. and im trying to research each of the character's fighting capabilities and achievements. i've probably been missing out some things hehe

[@HenSt-gz7qj]

being involved in the supernatural nature of her job, I think Hu Tao (or more specifically her family) is specialized in fighting supernatural beings like ghosts, specters, and the likes. Reminds us to those "Battle Monks" in Buddhist temples.

[@bradleyboi2143]

Joy & Woe are woven fine , A Clothing for the soul divine -- William Blake -- To cross the bridge between this world and the next, bound-by mortality without coming back is a contract any living-being shall fulfill willingly or not, and Hu Tao learned to guide the deceased through as an innocent child which helped her understand what's truly important ''to live to the fullest, and die with no regrets'' something that is symbolized through the use of her E _sacrificing hp for dmg boost_ (Good job mihoyo but we all know now that she's an M-child talk about weird lol). If Zhongli and the others are the lords of ashes and dust she's the silent butterfly that flutters between life and death. PS: M=Masochism, also am still mad that the geo-daddy fooled us into thinking that he was dead, and made us pay for the FINNEST incense there is. Nice video I liked the in-game capturing that was neato, keep it up.

[@kaoriakira2512]

Why is no one talking about 77th seven seven , qiqi other name is literally Nana because of 7 and qiqi being a zombie

[@TheLaughingManLore]

I didn't know that, thanks for sharing Kaori!

[@kvval1]

I really just had to like the vid because of the music. Great choice!

[@hurtfashion8699]

Zhongli liquified my ears

[@Sir_Cactus]

The name Hu Tao does not mean Walnut. It's a mistake by google translate, because it's extremly similar to the actual chinese word for walnut (HeTao).

[@Riimaachan]

Hu tao is a reincarnation of a god

[@kairyu9905]

This is so good :D

[@parkerb2140]

I really enjoy your videos maybe make one about Kaeya?

[@TheLaughingManLore]

Thanks Parker, I'm working on a Beidou video atm that should be finished in a day or two but I'll get to work on a Kaeya video after that. Should be a pretty interesting one with his mysterious past.

[@serenamathews8191]

sweet looking forward to this

[@maikki79]

I want her shes my fav character im grinding for her :D❤😊

[@TheLaughingManLore]

Good luck, hope you get her early!

[@ShipPum]

6:25 seelie on building

[@TheLaughingManLore]

Haha I wondered if anyone would notice, that's on an alt account I kinda neglect for my main so there's a lot of things not done there. Good eye.

[@liangolivia6519]

"walnut" 😍😍😍😍

[@ruistoelicker]

XIANGLING IS LITERALLY IN THE BACKROUND😰 1:14

[@kairyu9905]

Looking forward for more! Subbing for this amazing video :)

[@TheLaughingManLore]

Thanks Kairyu!

[@kairyu9905]

@@TheLaughingManLore no problem :)

[@boomshackalacka556]

I thank you for this

[@tyresesuri7431]

Could u do one for beidou next?😁

[@TheLaughingManLore]

Yeah sure, she's got a pretty interesting backstory and I bet she'll be the one to take us to Inazuma. I'll start making notes on her lore today.

[@tyresesuri7431]

Good luck with your next vid bro u my good sir deserve a sub💯

[@TsunaXZ]

The way she got her Vision is very interesting

[@ginaloveschoclate]

hii... iam back watch this video for the 233214time i think, is just because iam the best fan dor her and i've read every fucking fact and lore about her... lol

[@ShipPum]

Also will there be a Zhongli explained? 😌

[@TheLaughingManLore]

There will be, I'm working on making more time to record and edit my videos so hopefully it won't be too far away.

[@Danteludick]

man has a nice voice

[@omalibart3201]

But my one question is this In qiqi's description of hu tao she says warm fake smile what is that supposed to mean it baffles me that no other person in the game says this

[@TheLaughingManLore]

I think Qiqi sees Hu Tao's actions as malicious when they're really not so Qiqi might assume that Hu Tao's smile is fake as she hates Qiqi when in reality she's just a little... eccentric. That was confusing to type but hopefully explains it? Lmk if not haha

[@omalibart3201]

@@TheLaughingManLore oh ok thank you cause I was questioning that for a while

[@hutao1495]

Hehe i feel so special

[@insertkeyboardspam2043]

flash warning please thank you

[@mavisdom-animeonpiano]

Pronunciations of Zhongli and Xingqiu were really off

[@JohnSmith-xq1pz]

So it's not known what happened to her father?

[@TheLaughingManLore]

Not as far as I know, I think he's mentioned briefly but nothing on what happened to him exactly.

[@JohnSmith-xq1pz]

@@TheLaughingManLorehmm I see. Actually now I'm wondering about her mother too... If her grandfather was the 75th director and Hu Tao is the 77th than that means one of her parent's where likely the 76th

[@TheLaughingManLore]

@@JohnSmith-xq1pz Yeah I hope her parents have some interesting lore. If Hu Tao took over as director at such a young age it must mean something happened to them, maybe a demon/spirit got them, sort of like the one Shenhe fought as a kid.

[@JohnSmith-xq1pz]

@@TheLaughingManLore That does sound possible, perhaps they'll do that part of Hu Tao's/the funeral parlors back story someday

[@JohnSmith-xq1pz]

@@TheLaughingManLore Thanks for the like, made it easier to find this comment with out a lot of scrolling. I found such a sad Hu Tao video last night on KZbin. It's her grandfathers death part of her back story. Video Death of Hu Tao's Grandfather (Genshin Impact) Channel Abdiel Abdullah

[@saddany3254]

So she can't actually fight, like AT ALL.

[@mizuenator]

The 1m dmg: yeah sure bestie

[@spqrko8418]

I wouldn't say she can't fight at all, she has enough strength to atleast protect herself

[@kon____nn]

i mean shes basically weak bcuz she doesnt like fighting and all but i think she atleast have strength to defend herself , u could see it in her demo that she fought the fatuis so yeah

[@akihui3846]

this man sounds like donald trump junior