5 Genshin Impact characters with the saddest backstories

Genshin Impact is a fun game with many lighthearted moments, but it has no shortage of sad backstories. There are definitely more than five characters to list here, but these five will be chosen based on how memorable their tragic backstories were.

Some of them have lived a better life since then, while others only continued to suffer before their untimely demise. It is worth noting that only content up to Genshin Impact 2.6 will be considered here, so any sad events that take place later won't be included.

Note: This list won't just be limited to playable characters in Genshin Impact.

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Top five Genshin Impact characters with a tragic backstory

5) Bennett

Bad luck results in a tragic fate (Image via miHoYo)

Bennett is the personification of bad luck. Everywhere he goes, something terrible is bound to happen. Although it can be comical at times, there are moments where it's not something to laugh off. He was a baby whom his parents abandoned, and his luck never turned around for the better.

Bennett genuinely wants to be an adventurer, but it's difficult to have a team with no other members in it. His bad luck eventually evolved to the point where he's used to pain, which is unfortunate for somebody as young as him.

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4) Havria

The God of Salt was a gentle but weak goddess in Liyue, who is referenced several times in Zhongli's Story Quest. Essentially, several Gods were fighting one another far back in the past, but she didn't want to partake in these bouts.

Unfortunately for her, Sal Terrae's king would kill her, resulting in everybody around her turning into a salt statue. Her fate showed how kindness could end up being a weakness in Genshin Impact.

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3) La Signora

It's easy to hate her, but La Signora does have a sad backstory in Genshin Impact (Image via miHoYo)

The Crimson Witch of Flames was once known as Rosalyne-Kruzchka Lohefalter. Back then, she was a young woman hailing from Mondstadt. She had a lover named Rostam, and everything seemed normal for her. Unfortunately, the Cataclysm took place, and Rostam perished.

She became consumed by hatred, with much of the sad lore coming from the Crimson Witch of Flames artifact set. La Signora continued to torch every monster she came across and let the liquid fire consume her body. That art might be lost to history, but the player will likely remember her cruelty and affiliation with the Tsaritsa.

Her Delusion helped her forget about her unfortunate past, although none of it would matter when the Raiden Shogun eventually executes her.

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2) Xiao

Thousands of years of suffering is quite sad (Image via miHoYo)

The Yaksha are all gone except for one member: Xiao. Being the last one around is tragic in and of itself, but that's not the only sad part about Xiao's character in Genshin Impact. According to his in-game lore, he worked for an evil god and was used as a killing machine against his own will.

Xiao has accumulated a ton of bad karma, especially since he's over 2,000 years old. It's surprising that he hasn't lost his mind altogether, given all the damage he's done throughout these millennia.

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1) Ruu

Genshin Impact players who traveled to Tsurumi Island might remember an NPC named Ruu. He's a little kid who plays a huge role in the Through the Mists quest series. Given his appearance, one would assume there's nothing sad or tragic about him.

Yet that is not the case. He tried to befriend the Great Thunderbird, which would result in her returning to Tsurumi Island to see Ruu again. She sadly found out that he was killed by his tribe, which resulted in her killing everybody on Tsurumi Island.

Ruu would be brought back to "life," but he couldn't escape Tsurumi Island. Genshin Impact players eventually help remove the curse of Tsurumi Island in the Through the Mists quest series.

Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.