In the vast, intricate universe of Genshin Impact, one character stands at the absolute center: the Traveler. This enigmatic figure has traversed worlds, clashed with gods, and holds the unique ability to recall Teyvat's unaltered history. In the game's lore, they rank among the most powerful beings encountered. Yet, for most players, the Traveler spends their time gathering dust on the bench, overshadowed by flashier units. This isn't due to poor balancing or outdated design. It's a deliberate choice by Hoyoverse. The Traveler's weaknesses form a core paradox in the game, highlighting the tension between the epic RPG Genshin aspires to be and the gacha-driven reality it must embrace. Today, we'll dissect this paradox, examining the Traveler's gameplay cycle, their oddly silent narrative role, and why they remain a conflicted figure after years of updates.
The Business Model: Free Character Syndrome
In traditional story-driven games, the protagonist is the heart of your experience (the character you invest in, who grows alongside you and often becomes your team's powerhouse). Think of classic RPGs where the hero is indispensable. Genshin Impact inverts this entirely. The Traveler, your free starter character, is engineered to be sidelined. This stems from what we can call "free character syndrome": if the universally available protagonist were one of the game's best units, fewer players would chase limited-banner characters with real money.
Compare this to Pokémon, where your starter Pokémon remains a reliable staple throughout your journey. In Genshin, the Traveler is calibrated to be "just good enough," sufficient for story quests, puzzles, and exploration, but never exceptional. They can't compete with the premium five-stars Hoyoverse needs to sell. This foundational decision isn't a flaw; it's a business imperative. It shapes every aspect of the Traveler's design, from their elemental kits to their story presence, creating a character who's powerful in theory but mediocre in practice.
The Cycle of Gameplay Disappointment
With the Traveler's power ceiling deliberately capped, a predictable pattern emerges with each new nation and elemental resonance. This cycle has repeated for years, starting with Anemo Traveler. On paper, their kit offered crowd control via enemy-pulling abilities, but in execution, it was clumsy. The burst (a tornado) often scattered foes across the map, turning combat into a frustrating chase. They were quickly eclipsed by nearly every subsequent release.
Geo Traveler provided a brief spark of utility in early Geo teams, with solid damage multipliers and a crit rate buff. However, their reliance on Geo constructs (summoning large rocks) tied them to a mechanic the game soon abandoned, leaving them as a relic.
As raw power proved unviable, Hoyoverse pivoted to utility. Electro Traveler became a team battery, generating energy for allies. The catch? They required an even larger battery themselves, with sky-high energy costs. Plus, collecting energy via ground amulets slowed fights to a crawl.
Dendro Traveler offered a rare high point. With Sumeru's launch, Dendro was fresh, and few characters could apply it effectively. The Traveler filled this gap admirably, proving they can excel, when competition is absent. But as units like Nahida arrived, the Traveler returned to obscurity, their utility temporary by design.
Then came the all-time-low: Hydro Traveler, widely regarded as one of the game's worst characters. Damage? Negligible. Buffs? Nonexistent. Their burst (a sluggish bubble) barely grazed enemies, contrasting sharply with powerhouses like Neuvillette's devastating beams. It felt like a regression, ignoring lessons from prior iterations.
Pyro Traveler shows effort with off-field application, but true to form, it's hampered by flaws (a sluggish trigger every three seconds, rendering it useless for key reactions). Even the Archon Mavuika gets a "motorcycle" mechanic, while the Traveler limps along without even a scooter. A teaser of godlike power appears in one weekly boss fight, but it's locked away, underscoring the Traveler's enforced mediocrity.
Narrative Limbo: Protagonist, Not Main Character
This gameplay restraint mirrors the Traveler's story role, where a similar disconnect arises. Distinguish between "protagonist" (the plot-driver we follow) and "main character" (the one with emotional stakes). In Genshin, the Traveler is the protagonist, guiding us through Teyvat, but rarely the main character. That spotlight falls to Archons or regional five-stars (the sellable heroes). The Traveler acts as a catalyst, sparking events without stealing the show. We're essentially a tour guide in someone else's drama.
This dynamic peaked awkwardly in Inazuma, where the Traveler was forced into a leadership role in the resistance. It clashed with characters like Kazuha (mourning a lost friend) or Kokomi (leading a civil war), who had genuine stakes. Sidelining them for the Traveler felt forced and unnatural.
Compounding this is the Traveler's silent protagonist status. They're not a true blank slate (like in Dark Souls or Baldur's Gate), with a fixed backstory and goal: reuniting with their sibling. Yet, they seldom speak, creating jarring moments. Paimon handles dialogue, simplifying emotions and buffering interactions. Characters often address Paimon, not the Traveler, turning the hero into a bystander.
Player agency suffers too. Predefined opinions, like distrust of the Fatui, can conflict with personal views, shattering immersion.
Signs of Narrative Evolution
Hoyoverse seems to recognize these issues. Post-Inazuma, starting with Sumeru and refined in Fontaine, the Traveler's role shifted to "witness and catalyst." In Sumeru, they linked Nahida to the outside world without overshadowing her. In Fontaine, they connected Furina, Neuvillette, and Navia as a neutral facilitator. This feels organic, letting local characters shine.
Natlan pushes further, weaving character quests into the main plot for a more interconnected world. New guides like Ifa outshine Paimon, signaling awareness of narrative flaws.
One exception where the Traveler thrives: Dainsleif quests. Here, they're the main character, with personal stakes tied to their past, sibling, and Khaenri'ah's fate. They gain agency and voice, fulfilling the opening cutscene's promise.
The Unresolved Disconnect: Story vs. Gameplay
Despite narrative strides, gameplay lags. The story portrays the Traveler as a god-slaying, multi-elemental force (wielding powers simultaneously in cutscenes like the Childe fight). Yet, in combat, they're C-tier at best, locked to one element without statue swaps. Contrast this with games like Wuthering Waves, where protagonists fluidly master elements mid-battle.
Investment exacerbates frustration: each nation demands new artifacts, talents, and rare materials (like Crowns) for underwhelming returns. After five years, the Traveler's outfit remains unchanged, unlike free cosmetics in games like Zenless Zone Zero.
Even improved Archon quests can't fix silence in character stories, where bonds form between recruits and Paimon, not the Traveler, hollowing intimate moments.
A Character in Permanent Contradiction
Ultimately, the Traveler embodies Genshin's core tension: a lush, story-rich open-world RPG clashing with gacha monetization. They're the narrative axis (world-hopper with cosmic insights), yet a gameplay afterthought, voiceless and underpowered.
Hoyoverse's storytelling evolution is promising, but gameplay fixes remain elusive. Will they revisit the Traveler's kit, making investment worthwhile? Or is their witness role (narrative and mechanical) permanent? As Genshin marches toward its climax, the Traveler's limbo raises questions about the game's identity. What do you think? Can Hoyoverse resolve this paradox, or is it etched in stone?