Genshin Impact: Mualani, Kachina, and Kinich confirmed for 5.0

First trio of Natlan characters locked in
HoYoverse

After the grand reveal of the entire Natlan cast, HoYoverse has confirmed which of the upcoming Genshin Impact characters will be available in update 5.0 for the new region’s debut: It will be the trio shown in the Natlan teaser that concluded the recent Genshin Impact 4.8 livestream – Hydro character Mualani, Geo character Kachina, and Dendro character Kinich.

Genshin Impact 5.0: Mualani

Genshin Impact Mualani artwork.
Genshin Impact's Mualani. / HoYoverse

“There's not a spot in the whole of Natlan this girl couldn't reach if she wanted,” fellow upcoming character Citlali is quoted about Mualani. “So why does she come asking if it's an auspicious day for an outing, every... single... time? Oh well, now that I have read her fortunes for a whole decade in advance, I finally have some peace and quiet…”

Mualani is one of the People of the Springs, which appears to be one of the tribes of Natlan, and is described as a guide in the lore accompanying her announcement:

“In terms of how well they know Natlan, perhaps even the birds that gaze down upon this land from high up above would fall short of the guides from the People of the Springs. Long, long ago, their forerunners once measured the world with their feet, transforming the winding, perilous paths they walked into networks of orderly lines on their maps. 

“As a member of the People of the Springs' new generation of young guides, Mualani has already established an eminent name for herself throughout Natlan. With her to lead the way, you'd be sure to experience the spectacular sight of volcanic eruptions, breathe in the refreshing natural fragrance of Embercore Flowers, even witness spontaneous performances put on by packs of Koholasaurs. But likewise, if there was an emergency or you just needed to be somewhere urgently, she'd find a shortcut to get you there as safely, soundly, and smoothly as possible. 

“‘Everyone knows the routes,’ Mualani herself would tell you. ‘But timing's the key. You can't just set off whenever you feel like it – that would be extremely unlucky!’”


Genshin Impact 5.0: Kachina

Genshin Impact Kachina artwork.
Genshin Impact's Kachina. / HoYoverse

Mualani is quoted as saying the following about Kachina, the Geo character coming in 5.0: “Not long after we first met, I saw Kachina crying, and tried to hand her a handkerchief. But smiling back, she said to me, 'Don't worry, I'll wipe my own tears away.' That was a moment I'll always remember. So don't you worry about her either – the girl's made of strong stuff. Just make sure you give her all the encouragement she needs.”

Kachina appears to be a brave-hearted girl and her splash art shows her riding the floating drill that already was in action in the previous trailer. Her tribe are the Children of Echoes.

Here’s what the additional lore about her has to say:


“Just like other younglings of the Children of Echoes, Kachina grew up surrounded by adorable Tepetlisaurs, shiny gems dug up from the depths, and heroic stories passed down by tribal elders. She came to know the mountain paths like the back of her hand, developing a great instinct and skill for searching out the treasures of the earth. In her leisure time, she and her friends would often visit the recording studios where musicians made their music, where they would dance freely to the pulsing rhythms. 

“Growing up in such an environment, the occasional bump or scratch was unavoidable, and when she hurt herself, Kachina would cry out in pain just like any other child. But long before others had recovered from their pain, she would have wiped away her tears and stood back up again. Of course, she understands why the adults might see her as a good kid – yet she struggles to comprehend why she, of all people, was given the name of ‘Uthabiti.’ For as the ancient poem goes: ‘The one that dares stand firm as a mountain, their bones like battlements, and hold the sun's gaze – it is they that shall be given unto eternity.’ ‘Fear itself should instead fear me, for my body is like a roaring blaze; destined to melt down all that is mean and lowly, then cast it once more as an epitaph.’ 

“What part of her lives up to the lofty spirit embodied by this great name? The young Kachina has yet to figure this out. But having been granted this great honor, she is determined never to give up, no matter how many of her bids at the Pilgrimage of the Return of the Sacred Flame end in vain. Even if it means being ostracized and reproached by her peers, or feeling disappointed, inferior, and at times nearly overwhelmed by landslides of negativity... In the end, she'll wipe it all away along with her tears. Because one thing is for certain – that ‘Uthabiti’ Kachina will never be defeated by her tears.”


Genshin Impact 5.0: Kinich

Genshin Impact Kinich artwork.
Genshin Impact's Kinich. / HoYoverse

Kinich is the character associated with K'uhul Ajaw, the self-proclaimed “Almighty Dragonlord” – who, as it happens, has a quote about him for us: “This servant of mine is no fool, and nimble too, as far as servants go. His biggest fault is that, no matter how hard you try, you simply can't get rid of him! I mean it – he literally will not die! Have you ever heard of someone falling headfirst off a cliff and still surviving!? Utterly infuriating!”

He’s described as a Saurian Hunter, which is a controversial profession in Natlan. Here are the details from the lore delivered alongside his confirmation:


“‘It's one thing to charge a fee for delivering a letter, but charging for being a flame bearer on Turnfire Night? It's outrageous! Is this really a hero of ours?’ ‘It's not like you just met him today. Surely you'd admit that he does his job well? That's all that matters.’ In Natlan, where humans and Saurians live together in harmony, there have always been some who have looked askance at saurian hunters. In a land full of heroes, their practice of assessing commissions and setting a price makes the profession even more controversial. 

“A cruel, ruthless, cold-blooded killer... Pragmatic, utilitarian, without so much as a hint of chivalrous decorum... In such heartless, damning terms do people describe the young man that never argues back. But what of it? As long as the price is right, all commissions shall be fulfilled in a satisfactory manner; all writhing, raging aberrants returned to the Night Kingdom from whence they came. Once the bearer of the Turnfire name has locked onto a target, there's no looking back.”


There you have it – your three characters joining the roster with update 5.0. First, however, the summer event and version 4.8 will begin this week.


Published
Marco Wutz

MARCO WUTZ

Marco Wutz is a writer from Parkstetten, Germany. He has a degree in Ancient History and a particular love for real-time and turn-based strategy games like StarCraft, Age of Empires, Total War, Age of Wonders, Crusader Kings, and Civilization as well as a soft spot for Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail. He began covering StarCraft 2 as a writer in 2011 for the largest German community around the game and hosted a live tournament on a stage at gamescom 2014 before he went on to work for Bonjwa, one of the country's biggest Twitch channels. He branched out to write in English in 2015 by joining tl.net, the global center of the StarCraft scene run by Team Liquid, which was nominated as the Best Coverage Website of the Year at the Esports Industry Awards in 2017. He worked as a translator on The Crusader Stands Watch, a biography in memory of Dennis "INTERNETHULK" Hawelka, and provided live coverage of many StarCraft 2 events on the social channels of tl.net as well as DreamHack, the world's largest gaming festival. From there, he transitioned into writing about the games industry in general after his graduation, joining GLHF, a content agency specializing in video games coverage for media partners across the globe, in 2021. He has also written for NGL.ONE, kicker, ComputerBild, USA Today's ForTheWin, The Sun, Men's Journal, and Parade. Email: marco.wutz@glhf.gg