Genshin Impact: Who is Sandrone, the Marionette of the Fatui Harbingers?

Sandrone, codenamed the Marionette, stands out as a mysterious and significant figure among the Fatui Harbingers in Genshin Impact. First revealed during the Teyvat Chapter Interlude Teaser: A Winter Night's Lazzo, she immediately stood out among her peers due to her mechanical companion and cold demeanor.

While official information remains scarce, her connection to Fontaine’s technology and her obsession with automatons offer a chilling preview of the threat she poses. As the Seventh Harbinger, Sandrone may play a major role in future updates in Genshin Impact's Nod-Krai, particularly as the Traveler's journey in Teyvat inches closer to Snezhnaya.

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History of Sandrone in Genshin Impact

Sandrone’s official debut in Genshin Impact was during A Winter Night’s Lazzo, where she appeared mounted atop a custom-made automaton. While the other Harbingers respectfully closed their eyes during Signora’s funeral, Sandrone remained unmoved, keeping hers open in silent defiance. She dismissed Pulcinella and Arlecchino’s lighthearted remarks as foolish, clearly unimpressed by their behavior.

Sandrone in the Teyvat Chapter Interlude Teaser "A Winter Night's Lazzo" (Image via HoYoverse)

Despite her limited screen time, Sandrone’s presence has been felt across various bits of lore. She was first mentioned in Tartaglia’s character tale, where she scolded a character named Javert. Childe also remarked on her cold personality and how she seemed to dislike him without an apparent reason.

Similarly, Wanderer in Genshin Impact refered to her as someone wholly obsessed with mechanical research and automation. Her area of expertise lies in the study of Ruin Machines (technology from Khaenri'ah) and artificial life. Her fascination with automatons seems to tie directly to several major events in Fontaine.

It’s heavily implied that she was backing Jenck, one of the scientists involved with Mosso Lombroso's artificial being, Curve. After Curve’s destruction and Jenck's subsequent mental collapse, Euphrasie speculated that Sandrone either regretted the incident or wanted to sever all connections to avoid political backlash. The cruelty of the outcome, however, seemed to align perfectly with her ruthless reputation.

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Sandrone’s possible connection to Fontaine's clockwork meka in Genshin Impact

Visual comparison between Sandrone and Lumine (Image via HoYoverse)

Sandrone appears as a young woman with fair skin, light blue-gray eyes, and beige-blonde hair styled into a braided bun. Her overall appearance mirrors that of the female Traveler Lumine, with soft facial features and twin strands framing her face. Her elaborate outfit includes a long white dress with crimson ruffles, a black corset, a bonnet adorned with red lacing, and ruby-red gemstones scattered across her attire.

The most iconic part of Sandrone’s design in Genshin Impact is the large automaton she’s often seen with, a modified Ruin Machine that she rides like a throne. Interestingly, her official splash art reveals a clockwork key embedded in her back; this is a detail shared with Fontaine’s famous boss duo, Coppelia and Coppelius from the Icewind Suite.

Sandrone's key located at her back looks visually similar to the key boss drop by Icewind Suite (Image via HoYoverse)

These mechanical dancers were created by Maillardet, a Fontaine inventor who was inspired by the vision of another researcher named Bossuet. The shared visual design and mechanical key hint that Sandrone may have ties to Fontaine’s artificial intelligence research or even that she might not be entirely human.

Katheryne's keyhole at the back of her neck (Image via HoYoverse)

Another detail worth noting is how Sandrone’s visual design closely resembles Katheryne, the receptionist of the Adventurers' Guild.

Given that Katheryne has long been confirmed to be a bionic puppet operated from Snezhnaya, it's possible Sandrone was the one who designed her. If this theory holds, it may mean Sandrone has been influencing events across Teyvat for far longer than previously assumed.

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Is Sandrone related to the Narzissenkreuz Ordo?

Sandrone’s character design has also sparked theories regarding a possible connection to Mary-Ann from the Narzissenkreuz Ordo storyline. Both characters share a similar hairstyle and eye color, and the story ends with Alain, Mary-Ann’s brother, disappearing while experimenting with consciousness transfer into Meka.

Sandrone and her meka theoretically resemble Mary Ann and Alain Guillotin (Image via HoYoverse)

Some players theorize that the towering mechanical companion Sandrone rides could be Alain himself, with the young woman being a puppet made in the likeness of Mary-Ann.

This theory reflects community speculation around Sandrone’s design and her possible ties to Fontaine’s history. While not confirmed by official sources, it adds context to her role as a Harbinger with a strong focus on mechanical research and artificial life.

With Genshin Impact moving steadily toward its eventual Nod-Krai arc before Snezhnaya, Sandrone’s role is expected to grow and take centre stage. As the Fatui Harbingers take a more active stance in the world’s events, players may finally learn the extent of their technological mastery and moral limits.

Sandrone's cold attitude, mechanical expertise, and shadowy past make her one of the most compelling threats yet for Traveler in Genshin Impact.