Mavuika Genshin: An analysis of the Pyro Archon's character design

As the storyline progresses, Genshin is introduced to the "Pyro Archon", Mavuika, who has a number of unseen design elements, and whose appearance and attack effects are a sight to behold. In this article, we invite all travelers to follow along and talk about Mavuika's character!

1. Mavuika Clothing

Why did Pyro Archon use a leather jacket design on his costume? On the one hand, the Amerindian culture is one of the important references for Natlan's background design. The Indians have a long history of wearing leather garments, and the main material used to make leather garments is the leather of various animals, such as deerskin, bison skin, etc. This kind of leather is not only tough and durable, but also has good warmth. This kind of leather is not only tough and durable, but also has good warmth. Not only reflects their lifestyle, but also contains a rich cultural significance.

On the other hand, I think that the leather jacket in Mavuika's case also expresses the meaning of "survival". If you trace the history of leather clothing, you will find that the earliest primitive tribesmen used animal fur to make leather clothing, and the purpose was to survive in the cold. The warmth of leather clothing naturally corresponds to Mavuika's "Pyro" imagery.

Nowadays, with the rise of rock and biker culture, the leather jacket has become a symbol of rebellion, freedom and individuality. Many rock stars and bikers love leather jackets. The "spirit of rebellion" symbolized by the leather jacket is also part of Mavuika's character. It is easy to see that the transformation of the leather jacket throughout history has been accompanied by the courage of mankind in the face of challenges, and it is this spirit that has led people to defy the cold and the beasts, to fight and to survive in the face of adversity.

Back in the game, you can see that the name of Mavuika's suit is "Undying Sun", which means the eternal sun that never eclipses. When Natlan was plunged into darkness by the attack of the Abyss, it was Mavuika's red sun that led the people back to life. So to summarize, I think Mavuika's costume is very cleverly designed in leather.

2. Mythological Archetype

Mavuika is named after Mahuika, the god of fire in New Zealand's Maori mythology, so there is no need to mention the various flame elements in the exterior design. Mahuika's demonic name is "Haborym", from Aim, the 23rd of Solomon's 72 Pillars of Demons, a powerful infernal archduke who controls fire and is depicted as having multiple heads and riding a snake. The torch in his hand could ignite everything in his path.

But Mavuika's "ignition" is not burning, she ignites the energies of the people in the tribes and the fire of courage in their hearts against the abyss.

Mavuika's Constellation is "Sol Invictus". Invictus" was the nickname of many gods and goddesses in ancient Rome and was a symbol of power. Among them, "Sol Invictus" refers to the sun god in Roman mythology, who was the most important god in the late Roman Empire, usually appearing as wearing a sun crown and driving a sun chariot.

The "Sol Invictus" also echoes the symbol of the front leather jacket, the sun that burns eternally with the people. So Mavuika has a lot of radiating lines like the sun.

Eyes, earrings, chests, zippers, shoulders, cuffs, gloves, legs, weapons, heels, and even the hard-to-see soles of the shoes have lines that symbolize the sun.

Not only that, I don't know if you've noticed that these radial lines often have another feature. In one of the directions, the sharp corners are longer, as if they were the wake of a glowing flame passing through the air. This is because Mavuika is the wife of "Auahituroa" in Maori mythology. As one of the most important deities in Māori mythology, the comet god reflects the Māori's reverence and worship of the natural world. The comet is also believed to be the origin of fire.

So Mavuika is a very clever blend of the mythical sun, comet, and fire in its appearance.

3. Imagery of Motorcycle

Since Sol Invictus' counterpart, the Sun God, usually appears in his solar chariot, Mavuika has her own ride, the Flamestrider. But why does it look like a motorcycle?

In the character story, it is mentioned that Mavuika's motorcycle drawings were copied from Natlan's ancient saurus technology. She also searched the depths of Natlan and dug up Secret Sources of various shapes and sizes that hadn't yet been eroded by the Abyss, and then commissioned Xilonen to reverse-engineer them and create the vehicle.

This makes sense in terms of technological power, keeping in mind that the ancient saurus had extremely terrifying technological power. Saurus had space elevators, powerful weapons and heavy artillery. However, the fact that the level of technology matches the setting does not justify Mavuika's design of a motorcycle as a mount, after all, there are so many vehicles to choose from. Why was the motorcycle chosen in the end? I think the following two other points were factored into the design thinking.

On the one hand, the ancient name of Natlan is taken from Kiswahili, the most spoken language in Africa, and Mavuika's ancient name "Kiongzi" means "leader" in Kiswahili. The ancient name Mavuika "Kiongzi" means "leader" in Kiswahili, and the word "Fire", symbolizing Pyro Archon, is "Moto" in Kiswahili, which corresponds to the design of a motorcycle.

On the other hand, Mavuika appears as a motorcycle rider. It could be her tribute to the Latin American revolutionary leader, Che Guevara. Guevara was a legendary revolutionary and thinker. Realizing at a young age that studying medicine would not change the diseases of society, he gave up a lucrative career as a doctor and set out on a journey around Latin America on a beat-up old motorcycle.

During this time he witnessed the poverty, exploitation and injustice of the underclass, which strengthened her determination to help people throughout the Americas. Inspired by his revolutionary ideas, Guevara eventually became one of the main founders and leaders of the Cuban Republican Party and the Republic of Cuba. His name and image will always be remembered in the hearts of the people as a great Marxist revolutionary and communist fighter, and Mavuika, as a leader, showed the same strong leadership and care for the people. He united all the peoples of Natlan and led his people against the abyss. Against the so-called destiny.

4. Mavuika's Character Kernel

At the end of Mavuika's PV, you can see that he drops the microphone at the end, and the design of this scene I think incorporates two interpretations. The first one points to the "Mic drop", which is a classic gesture at the end of musical performances, debates, public speeches, etc. It symbolizes a way of demonstrating one's attitude without saying too many words. It symbolizes a kind of attitude that does not need too many words to prove itself, showing that one's position is firm and well argued. The act of dropping the microphone after a speech reveals cultural confidence and an expression of victory.

Notably, speaking of powerful speeches, let's note Mavuika's birthday, August 28th. This is not only when Genshin Impact's Natlan 5.0 went online, but also the date of an important speech in history, August 28, 1963, the day Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous speech in Washington, D.C. - "I have a dream". So Mavuika's August 28th birthday also corresponds to her status as Natlan's spiritual leader.

Next, the second interpretation of the dropping of the microphone: we can think of the microphone as a baton, and the final spinning down of the flame as a "passing of the fire", unlike the Archon of the other area, the Pyro Archon of Natlan, as a archon of human, is not a race of immortality, but is chosen from among the warriors of Natlan and passed down through generations. Even if Pyro Archon is strong enough to fight against the Abyss alone, she can't do it alone. Only by uniting the power of the people and facing the enemy with courage can a single spark start a prairie fire. One person may not be able to do it, a group of people may not be able to do it, and even a generation may not be able to do it. But as long as people remember history and remember the heroes. Passed down from generation to generation, the flames of resistance will not be extinguished, and even after five hundred years, the heroes will gather again.

Natlan, the land of war, is perhaps the embodiment of the saying: "The deepest roots of war are found in the people". We all know that one of the most important reference archetypes of Natlan is Latin America, which in reality, as one of the most important birthplaces of the world's ancient civilizations, has been subjected to colonial invasion and domination throughout its history. The slavery and feudal system introduced by the colonizers severely damaged the social organization and lifestyle of the Indians. The unity of the people and the unity of the tribes became a luxury, and they were plunged into a "Cien años de soledad" that is difficult to revive.

But Natlan in the game does not stand still, and under the leadership of Pyro Archon "Mavuika", the leader, the people of Natlan have faith and hope for the future. Through five hundred years of unity and struggle, they succeeded in fighting against the Abyss and won the final victory.

And for all you travelers out there, the Ancient Name "Tumaini" that was lit up in Natlan this time means "hope", and this design makes me feel a lot of emotions. That's all there is to know about Mavuika. Of course, this is only a shallow understanding, if you have any additional information can be sent to our official e-mail!