What is the Essence of Genshin Impact Abyss?

In today's event storyline, the writer, through Alice's words, revealed the most precise definition of the Abyss: "The essence of the Abyss lies in the hatred carried by all the fates that will not come to pass."

It's very simple to understand. For example: You are a player with a soft pity on the character wish, and your next pull has a 50% chance of yielding Varka. This time, you successfully pull Varka—this outcome is the actualized fate you are experiencing. At the same time, however, another version of you who fails the soft pity cannot come to pass due to the conflict of possibilities. That version would feel that its chance to appear was taken away by you, thus giving rise to resentment and a desire to replace you by any means necessary. This obsessive fixation is the essence of the Abyss.

While the concept may sound novel, it is not the first time the writers have mentioned it. Many texts have hinted at this setting to varying degrees. For example, as stated in "Lunar Arcanum X": "The 'fortune' we speak of is not some false metaphor; it is the sum of all that is destined to happen and all that never will." In other words, "one part of fate gives birth to the world, while the other part gives rise to the Abyss." This is the foundational logic of the Genshin Impact universe.

Checking archives also reveals that the essence of "The Wild Hunt" is, in fact, unfulfilled wishes and the resentment born from longing. After being corrupted by the Abyss, they transform into ghouls wandering the wastelands, displaying intense hostility and destructive power toward the world.

So now we can understand why the Abyss reads memories and mimics things from reality. It’s not because the Abyss enjoys playing tricks, but because that is its very nature. As mentioned earlier, out of resentment for not being chosen, the Abyss instinctively seeks to assert its own existence, and the way it typically chooses is to descend into the world or even replace reality.

For example, in the background story of the Festering Desire, Durin is described as an "unfulfilled wish," a "tragic dream that could never come true." In the version 2.3 event "Shadows Amidst Snowstorms," the alternate Albedo’s obsession with replacing the real Albedo was also fueled by the essence of the Abyss. These Abyss creations are not allowed to be born not only because of their devastating power but also because they are fundamentally rejected by fate.

Delving further reveals more clues. For example, Rene notes in his writings: "The abyss power we are familiar with is precisely the result of these unresolved obsessions being projected onto this world." In other words, the best way to purify or counter the Abyss power that seeks to corrode Teyvat is not through direct confrontation but by influencing the very source from which it arises. This might sound like a fantasy—after all, what kind of existence could be powerful enough to influence fate itself?

Delving deeper reveals more clues. For example, as Rene notes, coincidentally, there is indeed a category of beings capable of this—Descenders. The Primordial One, the First Descender, the Heavenly Principles. Although not immune to the power of darkness, he is currently the strictest "father" to the Abyss. Phanes' true trump card is, in fact, the false sky that isolates the universe from Teyvat.

Although Before Sun and Moon refer to it as the "eggshell," the false sky does not merely serve as a dust cover. The book "The Little Witch and the Undying Fire" mentions that the false sky can weaken the influence of various energies on the planet Teyvat, thereby blocking most variables that could give rise to the Abyss, making Teyvat's fate precise and determined. This also explains why the Heavenly Principles enforce the "divine law": they want the planet to be free of variables, which relatively slows the corrosion of the Abyss.

Of course, the Heavenly Principles' method is still too wasteful of the dragon lords. Is there a more moderate version? This is where the Fourth Descender, the Traveler, comes into play. As is well known, the Traveler possesses an innate ability to purify Abyssal power, a setting repeatedly mentioned since the game's launch.

However, in the Story Quest, Skirk, also an extraterrestrial being, raised doubts about this. Power does not simply appear or vanish. By what means does the Traveler purify the Abyss? And where does that power flow? My personal guess is that this ability of the Traveler's also likely touches upon the essence of the Abyss—namely, using the status of a "Descender" to absorb and bear the resentment from those fate lines, ultimately cutting off the source of Abyssal power.

Of course, from our current perspective, it is also difficult to infer much useful information. Perhaps a few years from now, when we look back on version 6.4 and the words spoken by Alice, it will bring more comprehension and reflection. Feel free to continue following more of our articles. Site merchandise is also being updated regularly. See you next time!