Who is Tsaritsa, the Cryo Archon of Teyvat?
Her Royal Highness the Tsaritsa: Actually a gentle soul. Too gentle, in fact, and that’s why she had to harden herself. Similarly, she declared war against the whole world only because she dreams of peace. The Tsaritsa, her Goetic name and corresponding ideal yet unknown, is the Cryo Archon among The Seven who presides over Snezhnaya. With supreme rule over Snezhnaya, she uses her loyal followers in the Fatui to manipulate and intimidate the other nations of Teyvat.
Powers and Goals: The Tsaritsa also has the ability to grant her subjects a power separate from Visions, called Delusions. These Delusions are used by high-ranking Fatui such as Fatui Agents, Fatui Cicin Mages, Mirror Maidens, Fatui Operatives, and the Eleven Fatui Harbingers. She is targeting the other Archons’ Gnoses for reasons unknown, though it likely relates to her goal of ‘burning away the old world.’
Background: The Tsaritsa is not one of the original members of The Seven who emerged victorious at the end of the Archon War. When and how she ascended to the position of Cryo Archon is yet unknown, but it was some time before the cataclysm 500 years ago, which left her deeply changed. Moreover, she is a god with no love left for her people, nor do they have any left for her. Her followers only hope to be on her side when the day of her rebellion against the divine comes at last.
Mystique: Neither her face nor ideal is currently known, only that she is gathering the Gnosis from the other 6 Archons in rebellion against the divine. The Tsaritsa is described by Dainslief as having lost love for her people, yet Tartaglia describes her as a gentle soul with a cold but pure gaze, whose dreams of peace have led her to declare war on the entire world.
Interactions with Other Archons: The Tsaritsa offered to Zhongli, The Geo Archon and God of Contracts, something so great that he was willing to enter into his so-called Contract to End all Contracts, offering up his Gnosis in exchange. As Gnosis are priceless items without equal, Zhongli tasks the Traveler to discover for themselves just what the Tsaritsa offered him in exchange.
Theories: It is theorized that she may be the God of Love, based on her description in the Travail preview trailer. However, she is also said to be a cruel goddess, who seems to have little respect for the people. Ultimately, her only goal is to take revenge on Celestia by ascending to it with all 7 Gnoses. Tsaritsa will be an ice statue who has been dead for 500 years.
The Role of Tsaritsa in Genshin Impact’s Fatui
The Tsaritsa of Snezhnaya, also known as the Cryo Archon, is one of the two main antagonists of the 2020 action role-playing fantasy video game Genshin Impact. She is the supreme ruler of the technologically-advanced nation of Snezhnaya, who sent her fanatical followers in the Fatui across the nations of the continent Teyvat. While they appear to serve as diplomats, in reality, the Fatui operate as miscreants who spy on other nations and sow chaos at the Cryo Archon’s behest.
Initially, the Tsaritsa was regarded as a compassionate and kind-hearted god. However, her attitude altered dramatically after the cataclysm that destroyed the subterranean nation Khaenri’ah five hundred years ago. This event left her a cold and bitter person, devoid of love for her people. Consequently, she became solely dedicated to rebelling against the divine, seeking to create a new era of peace through war.
The Fatui, a military force under the Tsaritsa’s control, is notorious for their diehard devotion and unscrupulous methods in carrying out her will. Among them are the Eleven Fatui Harbingers, who are some of the most powerful beings in all of Teyvat. The three highest-ranked Harbingers possess equal power to gods, each leading a portion of the militant Fatui and remaining loyal only to the Tsaritsa.
As the current Cryo Archon of Snezhnaya and de facto leader of the Fatui, the Tsaritsa has the ability to grant her subjects a power known as Delusions, which is said to be extremely potent. Despite being a god, she has no love left for her people, nor do they harbor any feelings for her. Instead, her followers aspire to stand by her side when the day of her rebellion arrives.
Is the Cryo Archon Antagonistic or Benevolent?
Her Royal Highness the Tsaritsa is actually a gentle soul. Too gentle, in fact, and that’s why she had to harden herself. Likewise, she declared war against the whole world only because she dreams of peace.
However, she is a god with no love left for her people, nor do they have any left for her. Her followers only hope to be on her side when the day of her rebellion against the divine comes at last.
Everyone praises her for her kindness and benevolence, but they forget that love is also a form of sin. What if she’s just trying to compensate for something?
In the Teyvat Chapter Storyline Preview, Dainsleif states that she is a “god with no love left” in the opening sentence in the Snezhnaya Chapter, where he mentions the Archons’ ideals in their respective chapters.
The Cryo Archon’s love for her people dwindled until she became a cold-hearted woman solely dedicated to rebelling against the divine and creating a new era of peace through war. The Tsaritsa is the Cryo Archon of the Snezhnaya region and an upcoming character in Genshin Impact.
She is targeting the other Archons’ Gnoses for reasons unknown, though it likely relates to her goal of ‘burning away the old world.’
The Tsaritsa does not appear in any quests; her Harbingers enforce her will and goal of rebelling against the divine. They have been tasked with obtaining her fellow Archons’ Gnoses.
Perhaps by destroying a Gnosis, the power within returns the elemental Authority to the Dragon Sovereigns. This could be part of the Tsaritsa’s plan for her ‘rebellion against the Divine.’
As for the Tsaritsa, the Cryo Archon’s plan for the Gnoses could either represent an aspiration for liberation or an ambition for supreme power.
The Significance of the Cryo Archon in Archon War
The Archon War was an era of various power struggles between gods that began several thousand years ago for unknown reasons. Scholars in Teyvat believe it began over seven divine seats in Celestia. With the end of an era came the establishment of a new order under the Seven Archons. They established the seven nations, determining their method of governance through their ideals and shaping their nations using their elemental powers.
During the Archon War, many gods and archons roamed the land, locked in a bitter struggle for supremacy. It appears that the battles associated with the Archon War are a multitude of local struggles grouped together by human history. The original Seven appeared to be relatively close, sharing a common duty of guiding humanity and often gathering in Liyue for drinks.
The Tsaritsa, the Cryo Archon, is among The Seven who presides over Snezhnaya. With supreme rule over her nation, she declared war against the whole world only because she felt the need to harden herself. This is highlighted by Tartaglia ‘Childe’, who stated: ‘Her Royal Highness the Tsaritsa is actually a gentle soul. Too gentle, in fact, and that’s why she had to harden herself.’
After the Archon War drew to a close 2,000 years ago, only the Seven remained. This gave Teyvat the seven nations we know today. Only Barbatos and Morax remain as the original victors of the Archon War, while the other five nations’ Archons have been replaced over the past 2,000 years.
An Archon’s source of power has been attributed to three sources: the first is through presiding over their respective region, the second is from their people’s faith in them, and the third being a fragment of the elemental authority stolen by the Heavenly Principles from the Seven Sovereign.
Additionally, during the Archon War, Morax, Deus Auri, and Guizhong, the God of Dust, lived with the adepti and their people in the region now known as the Guili Plains. When the war began, they stood by each other and fought other gods. Guizhong died in a particular battle that also ravaged the Guili Plains. Consequently, Morax took the people south of Mt. Tianheng and established Liyue Harbor. After the establishment of Liyue Harbor, Morax continued to defend his people from other gods and monsters.
The Archon War is a momentous and incredibly significant point in Teyvat’s history. It helped shape its current landscape and culture. The reason for the warring gods era is yet to be disclosed, but one thing is certain: strife among the gods marked a pivotal shift in the balance of power in Teyvat.
