Genshin Impact lore: Who is Nibelung?

In Genshin Impact, Teyvat was once ruled by powerful beings long before the rise of the Seven Archons. These figures played a major role in shaping the world’s earliest eras following its birth. One of the oldest and most important among them is Nibelung, the Dragon King.

Long before the Archons or the nations we know today, he was the supreme ruler who ruled over Teyvat. His legacy is marked by a failed rebellion against the heavens, an uprising that led to the rise of the Abyss and the downfall of dragonkind. Learning about Nibelung is essential to understanding the history that altered Teyvat’s destiny.

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Nibelung's origins and fall in Genshin Impact

Nibelung was born alongside Teyvat in Genshin Impact. He reigned over the world before the Heavenly Principles arrived and took control. According to Apep, the Dendro dragon sovereign, he once had bright scales and great wings. This is in contrast to his dark, corrupted form associated with the Abyss today.

Nibelung's uncorrupted form (Image via HoYoverse)

Ancient murals even depict him as a white dragon floating above the world, suggesting a past free from chaos. At some point in the past, Nibelung met a mysterious cosmic voyager who warned him that the world would be destroyed. She invited him to leave Teyvat, but Nibelung refused.

Instead, he tried to save his people by leading the dragons to the stars and beyond the boundaries of Teyvat. This led to the development of space technology and the massive towers like the one in Chichen Uctokah in Genshin Impact. He wanted to create and secure a future for dragons beyond Teyvat.

When the Heavenly Principles arrived to impose their rule, Nibelung stood against them and refused to submit. He ventured into the Abyss to find forbidden knowledge that could help him win. He had eventually returned with that power and led the dragons into a massive war, hoping to protect their legacy.

This decision of his had nearly destroyed the world in Genshin Impact. The war ended in defeat with Nibelung's death, and the dragons were crushed. Celestial Nails were cast down by the Heavenly Principles to repair the shattered land.

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Nibelung’s legacy in Genshin Impact

Though Nibelung lost, the Heavenly Principles did not win without consequences. Their power left them weakened, and over time, they’ve remained dormant, still recovering from the toll it took.

Nibelung's mural with Teyvat and the three moons (Image via HoYoverse)

Unable to fully control the world again, they created the Gnoses to help maintain order, delegating their authority through the Archons. Nibelung’s actions changed everything in Teyvat. His war opened the way for forbidden knowledge and the Abyss to take root, creating a threat that continues to linger even today in Genshin Impact.

Other dragons and sovereigns tried to follow his path. Apep, despite witnessing the destruction and chaos firsthand, also sought forbidden knowledge and became corrupted. Xiuhcoatl, another ancient Pyro Sovereign, took a different path. He tried to resist the Abyss by turning everything in his realm into pure information in the form of primal flames, being Phlogiston.

Today, Neuvillette reflects on that history and believes Nibelung was wrong in his actions and ideals. He argues that dragons and humans must stand together to defeat the Abyss, not alone as Nibelung once tried.

Many now believe that Nibelung could be one of the unidentified Descenders, due to his immense willpower. He may not have just been a ruler or a rebel, but a being capable of defying worlds. If so, his role in Teyvat’s story is far from over.