Meet the Fatui Harbingers — a.k.a. Childe’s comrades. Genshin Impact kept these antagonists in the dark for the longest time, until now. We first heard about the Harbingers in Mondstadt, but who knew we would meet the entire gang this early in a cinematic teaser? Leakers hadn’t spread anything about them at the time either, surprising the community at large. Now Genshin Impact fans are buzzing with theories about their roles in the story and their relationships with each other. So we’ve gathered the key information you need to understand who these people are.
If you haven’t played the Inazuma arc, here’s your chance to leave before the spoilers. Here’s what we know so far about the eleven Fatui harbingers.
What happened in the Fatui harbinger teaser?
The latest Genshin Impact trailer, Teyvat Chapter Interlude Teaser: A Winter Night's Lazzo, features the eleven Fatui harbingers as they put one of their own to rest. Raiden Shogun slayed Signora, a.k.a. Rosalyne-Kruzchka Lohefalter, after she lost a duel with the Traveler. Rumor has it that not even her ashes were left after the Shogun’s wrath.
We’d only met Childe, Signora, and Scaramouche before this point. Somehow, the trailer naturally introduces the other eight Fatui harbingers with a chilling funeral for Signora. Hints of the current political climate, their relationships with one another, and each character’s personality present themselves in the tight four-minutes of teaser footage.
What do the Fatui Harbingers’ names mean?
Each Fatui Harbinger has two names. One takes inspiration from “commedia dell’arte,” an early form of Italian theater, and the other varies depending on the Harbinger.
Some of these codenames are more mysterious than others. The Harbingers probably gave Childe that codename because he joined the group in his childhood. Sandrone, a.k.a. Marionette, has a name that matches the large puppet she controls during battle. Others, like Il Capitano and Il Dottore, merely translate their Italian theater aliases into English.
Note that these aren’t even their real names. Childe’s character stories reveal that he was once called “Ajax,” but we don’t know any of the other Harbingers’ true names yet.
Who are the eleven Fatui Harbingers?
HoYoverse specified their roles in the teaser description:
- Pierro, Director of the Fatui. Codename: "The Jester"
- Columbina, Fatui Harbinger. Codename: "Damselette"
- Pulcinella, Fatui Harbinger. Codename: "The Rooster"
- Pantalone, Fatui Harbinger. Codename: "Regrator"
- Arlecchino, Fatui Harbinger. Codename: "The Knave"
- Tartaglia, Fatui Harbinger. Codename: "Childe"
- Sandrone, Fatui Harbinger. Codename: "Marionette"
- Scaramouche, Fatui Harbinger. Codename: “Balladeer.”
- La Signora, Fatui Harbinger. Codename: “The Fair Lady.”
- Il Capitano, Fatui Harbinger. Codename: "The Captain"
- Il Dottore, Fatui Harbinger. Codename: "The Doctor"
Now, here’s a more in-depth dive into each of them. Leaker Ubatcha posted voice lines from Childe about each of his comrades, which will be included in their respective sections below. Remember that they are leaks and unconfirmed, even if they come from a credible source!
Arlecchino
Arlecchino has a chip on her shoulder. She’s angry on Signora’s behalf after she fell in a foreign nation while the others (businessmen and politicians) stayed in Schneznaya. She doesn’t come off as unhinged as Childe’s voicelines suggest, but that could be because he feels she isn’t as patriotic as he is. Fans speculate she’ll have a strong connection to Columbina based on their Italian theater counterparts, who are lovers.
Childe says: “Look, I've got nothing against people who have their own agendas — I myself joined the Fatui to get more experience in combat. But I don't like her at all. If she stood to benefit from betraying others, she'd turn against the Tsaritsa in a heartbeat. There isn't a sane bone in her body.”
Columbina
Columbina, the Damselette, sings over Signora’s coffin at the beginning of the trailer. She doesn’t actually speak during the entirety of the trailer, but fans already have some suspicions about her. Who smiles as serenely as she does when mourning a fallen comrade? Plus, as per Childe, she’s stronger than she looks. She’s the third strongest out of the eleven Harbingers.
Childe says: “I'd test my skills with every Harbinger who ranks above me if I had the chance, but when it comes to her... something just doesn't feel right. Anyway, you should be careful around her.”
Pantalone
Something about Pantalone comes off as sketchy. Anime tropes suggest that closed eyes and a wide smile hide nefarious schemes and sadism behind a seemingly placid mask. Childe confirms this with a quote about his visionary and ambitious thoughts.
Interestingly enough, Pantalone may be one of the Italian theater masks that match the character. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Pantalone is a “cunning and rapacious yet often deceived Venetian merchant.” Fatui’s Pantalone seems more capable, but he’s similarly related to money.
Childe says: “Oh, now that guy has a head full of grandiose plans fueled by raw ambition. I don't understand a word he says once he starts talking about his theories... Eh, but as long as he keeps our cash reserves stocked up, I'm not complaining.”
Pierro
Pierro is the first Fatui Harbinger and their leader, but only appears when he is needed since the Tsaritsa is still his number one priority. Much of the group’s goals (and how they plan to carry them out) are still a mystery.
Many believe that he’s connected to the fallen kingdom of Khaenri'ah based on his lines. In the trailer, he voices the group’s intentions to “seize authority from the gods” in the name of the Tsaritsa. Then, he sends Signora off with this cryptic message: “But, Rosalyne, I promise you... Your final resting place will be in the entirety of the Old World.”
Childe says: "He was the first-ever Fatui Harbinger, and today he is our leader. He only appears on important occasions. As for his accomplishments... To be honest, I don't really care. I owe my loyalty and devotion to the Tsaritsa, no one else. "
Pulcinella
Pulcinella fills a couple of roles in Schneznaya as the capital’s mayor and fifth-ranking Fatui harbinger. Fans have also decided that he’s Childe’s father figure based on leaked voice lines. Call him “Papanella.” No one ever needs to give presents to a coworker’s family — or volunteer to care for them. However, he did it for Childe. He’s also the one who adopted him into the Harbingers.
Pulcinella seems to have a functional relationship with the rest of the Harbingers and calmly leads Signora’s funeral ceremony. He doesn’t argue or complain like the others during the scene.
Childe says: “I don't know what his motivations could be, but he seems genuine about wanting to help me. He treats me just like family. Oh, and speaking of family — Tonia and Teucer are always telling me about the pastries and other gifts he brings them when they write. So while I've been away from Snezhnaya, he's kept his promise to take care of my family.”
Sandrone
Sandrone can be seen accompanying her gigantic puppet in the trailer, which looks similar to the Fatui Skirmishers in the wild. Her enthusiasm for puppets matches her name, considering Sandrone is typically played as a puppet in the Italian theater. Childe doesn’t know much about her, though, other than she seems to not like him.
Childe says: “She always seems engrossed in her research. Hmm... I wonder if those machines have anything to do with her? Anyway, I've only met her a few times, but every time she looked like she wanted to murder me. I have no idea what I possibly could have done to annoy her.”
Capitano
Capitano, a.k.a. the Captain, is the second-highest-ranking Fatui harbinger behind Pierro. We don’t know much about him besides his battle prowess and seemingly honorable personality. It’s hard to tell what Capitano even looks like, considering his face and body are hidden behind heavy armor.
He doesn’t seem to be much of a hothead. At Signora’s funeral, he laments her passing despite how her methods to gain power “tarnished” her honor. Childe looks up to his fighting abilities and aspires to one day fight him.
Childe says: “I've seen him in battle before, and oh what a sight it was. Perhaps I'm ranked too low for him to notice me right now. Well, he may not recognize my strengths yet, but one day, I'll show him what I'm made of.”
Il Dottore
So far, Dottore has only appeared in the Genshin Impact manga. He comes across as a mad scientist with the goal of creating enhanced humans that could potentially even surpass the gods. In fact, he doesn’t even have a problem experimenting on himself. It’s implied that he’s also the one responsible for modifying Scaramouche.
Childe says: “I heard that he took segments of himself at different ages, made prostheses out of them, and assigned different tasks to each one. I know... all my comrades are a little weird. Come to think of it, if I met my own prosthesis... Hah, we'd have to fight then and there to decide which one of us gets to survive.”
La Signora
Signora played a role as a major antagonist in the first three arcs of the Teyvat storyline, mainly in Mondstadt and Inazuma. She manipulated the Electro Archon in Inazuma, leading to a Vision Decree that harmed many lives in the process. The Traveler engages with her in a duel, where they bet the loser would be offered to the Raiden Shogun as a sacrifice.
The fandom is currently laughing about how her coffin is probably filled with ashes or a hastily drawn stick figure by Childe. They seemed to have a frigid, strictly professional relationship based on their interactions in the story. Though, he does seem to have a little bit of sympathy for her.
Childe says: “I never got along with her, you know that. I guess there's not much more worth saying about her at this point. When you're a harbinger, you have to accept that death could come at any time... But don't worry about me. No matter what happens, I'll do whatever it takes to keep myself alive.”
Scaramouche
Scaramouche was a prototype puppet that Raiden Shogun created before deciding on her current form. He later became part of the Fatui Harbingers after she let him wander on his own.
He first appeared in the “Reconciled Stars” event, where his deranged behavior captured the hearts of fans. Then, he reappeared in the Inazuman arc of the Genshin Impact story, where he knocked out the Traveler and almost destroyed them. Yae Miko offers him the Electro Archon’s Gnosis in exchange for the Traveler’s life. Now, he’s out running around with the Gnosis in who knows where. Not even his comrades know where he is, but it’s probably in Sumeru.
Childe says: “After he took the Gnosis, we lost all contact with him. Now comes the task of trying to hunt it down and get it back... I actually don't mind it — it means I get to travel all over. Wonder if I'll run into you somewhere along the way?”
Childe
You probably already know Childe. He’s the first playable Fatui harbinger, a 5-star Hydro archer who can also briefly turn into a sword user. Players first meet him when he approaches them in Liyue as he’s tasked with retrieving the Geo gnosis alongside Signora. We also have a story quest with him, in which the Traveler meets his escapee younger brother.
All the other harbingers are ancient. Childe is the youngest, as he was recently adopted into their ranks. He still has family, including a father and multiple siblings to take care of that haven’t out-aged him yet. Play through his story quest if you want to learn more — or raise his companionship levels if you have him!
