Genshin Nicole is One of the Four Angels!

After the official release of the character "Nicole" in Genshin Impact, Travelers have been continuously uncovering details about her story. Why is Nicole called the Memory Witch? It turns out that behind her lies a heavy past that only she remembers. In the latest character artwork released, we have finally learned more about this angel. Now, let’s dive into the story of this angel—Nicole!

Nicole was once an angel who longed to wield a pen and write tales of joy, but she has now lost everything that once made her laugh—even the ability to utter laughter, leaving her unable to speak a single word. Long before Nod-Krai, we crossed paths with this witch twice. The first time was at the end of the Wanderer’s rewriting of Irminsul, where she explained the mechanics of fate to us and hinted at the possibility of changing it. The second time was during Fontaine’s Archon Quest in version 4.2, when she took on Barbeloth’s commission and revealed to us the prophecy of Fontaine. In the blind spots of the divine gaze, there lies room for change—she simply guided us to do what we must. Back then, what left the deepest impression on me was her air of mystery: never knowing when she might appear nor understanding the meaning behind her enigmatic words.

It wasn’t until the release of the "Imaginarium Theater" outfit that we learned, through randomly drawn notes written by members of the Hexenzirkel during daily draws, that Nicole wasn’t originally like this. The mystery and nobility were disguises Alice had asked her to adopt. In truth, she is a chatterbox—one who grew talkative from being unable to speak for so long.

From the dialogues of the little wolf in the Imaginarium Theater, we can also learn a part of the angel's past—the boar is a metaphor for the angels. When the Heavenly Principles punished the angels, they were given a choice: the boar that offered its brain retained only its power, while the boar that offered its flesh degenerated into a seelie. Only Nicole evenly distributed her offerings on both sides of the scale, causing the rusty scale to break. From then on, she became a person unable to speak.

The angels who faced destruction either lost their ideal form or their power, but Nicole chose to lose parts of both to preserve what remained. Humanity is her ideal form, yet true humans are not unable to speak. The witch's past is heavy, but many have mistaken Nicole's disguise for reality, believing she has always had such an optimistic personality and that she has long since moved on from her past as an angel. Thus, they cannot imagine Nicole shedding tears for her fallen kin, leading them to dismiss the possibility that Nicole is one of the Four Archangels.

In the speech before the initial rebellion, the First Angel made four prophecies. Based on key terms and current information, the latter three are generally identified as the Goddess of Flowers, Sybilla, and Zibai. The mainstream view for the first prophecy points to the Lord of the Night, with the "underground" referring to the "moonless night." The Lord of the Night also has many fallen kin, but I’ve long believed that Nicole fits the description of this prophecy even better.

The phrase "moonless night" appears three times in the game: once in the lore of Polar Star, once in Azurelight, and finally in the artifact story Long Night's Oath, which states: "Legends told of a nightingale, carrying an ember in its beak, that flew only on moonless nights." From the subsequent line about "the 'Lightkeepers' standing guard through the long night," we can infer that "moonless night" specifically refers to the Abyssal disaster in Nod-Krai.

Furthermore, the First Angel’s prophecy mentions "wandering" and "moonless night." "Wandering" implies being without a fixed home, constantly drifting. The Lord of the Night, however, is largely confined to the Night Kingdom in Natlan—hardly fitting the description of "wandering." In contrast, Nicole’s recent character artwork describes her as "carrying a story in her heart that she hasn’t been able to begin for a long time, wandering the land, watching all things change with time." The second line of the prophecy speaks of "exhausting all efforts, yet failing to restore the fallen kin." As angels of that era, both Nicole and the Lord of the Night have many fallen kin, so the only remaining point to consider is: would they weep for their fallen kin?

Back then, many people used the passage from "The Witch's Garden" where Nicole speaks about herself to support the idea that she wouldn't exhaust herself in grief for her kin: "I've lived so long that I can't help but miss the way things used to be once in a while... I led a pretty boring life back then, especially compared to now. But I did have a lot of friends around. It was a lively time... If I had to pinpoint what I'm nostalgic for... it's not any one friend in particular, nor is it the time I spent as an angel. Rather, I simply miss the race of angels as a whole." But now, when we revisit this passage in light of the story from her character artwork, is Nicole really as composed as she claims to be?

Compared to Nicole, the Lord of the Night is actually the angel least likely to shed tears. Angels were created for a sacred mission, and sorrow was not part of their heavenly mandate. To understand sorrow means to break free from constraints, and angels who break free inevitably face judgment, for tools do not need emotions. The judged angels either offered their minds to retain their power or had their power revoked, losing their ideal forms and turning into Seelies.

The Lord of the Night still retains the original mission of the angels. Criticized by the Ruler of Death as rigid, the Lord of the Night clearly lacks the capacity for sorrow. Meanwhile, most angels who retained their emotions have turned into Seelies due to curses. Currently, only Nicole seems to fit this description.

The other members of the Hexenzirkel refer to Nicole as the "Memory Witch" in Durin's Story Quest. I wonder if her own Story Quest might be related to a mysterious mission?

The theme of the "Moon's Song" is homecoming. The angels' homeland has always been beneath their feet, yet the barriers of time may be even harder to cross than physical distance. The people and events tied to the stories have all vanished like smoke, yet they remain forever in Nicole's heart. Nicole has been crafting ancient tales all along—whether it's "Flowers for Princess Fischl," created through the hands of Mr. Nine, or the story of Nicola Coco we learned about in the "Witch's Lodge"—they are, at their core, expressions of her nostalgia for the past.

As her character artwork states: "The story never truly ends, yet the readers and listeners of yore have bid their eternal farewells." The angel who once longed to wield a pen and write tales of joy has lost everything that once made her laugh—even the sound of laughter itself, leaving her unable to utter a word. It seems the story in Nicole's heart can no longer truly begin. Perhaps it is precisely because she carries this sentiment in her heart that all she can write are stories tinged with the sorrow of the past.

Dwelling on the past cannot pave the way to the future. Fortunately, there is someone—our little witch, Alice—who firmly took her hand and placed the last piece of candy into it. As the saying goes, candy represents happiness, so the Hexenzirkel must surely be a joyful place!

That concludes this article for now. Above is all the currently known information about the witch Nicole. Remember to keep following our articles and the site's merchandise. See you next time!