Is Pulcinella (The Rooster) Good or Evil?

In the Snezhnaya Ecology Teaser short, The Rooster's commanding "Silence!" at the end was full of authority, truly worthy of the Mayor of Snezhnograd. In case anyone forgot, the character representing Snezhnaya in the "Travail" PV was none other than the Fifth Fatui Harbinger, "The Rooster" Pulcinella. Combined with the modeling detail shown in the new short... we can't rule out the possibility that this little old man might actually be a playable character.

Considering that as the story develops and character interactions deepen, the images of many Harbingers in our eyes have undergone significant and multidimensional changes. Perhaps our view of Pulcinella also needs some adjustment.

For a long time, many friends likely had the impression of Pulcinella as a politician skilled in manipulating power and full of bureaucratic talk. In particular, the contrast between Tartaglia's and Wanderer's evaluation voice lines about Pulcinella left a negative impression that Pulcinella is adept at playing emotional cards to manipulate people.

Considering that as the story develops and character interactions deepen, the images of many Harbingers in our eyes have undergone significant and multidimensional changes. Perhaps our view of Pulcinella also needs some adjustment. For a long time, many friends likely had the impression of Pulcinella as a politician skilled in manipulating power and full of bureaucratic talk. In particular, the contrast between Tartaglia's and Wanderer's evaluation voice lines about Pulcinella left a negative impression that Pulcinella is adept at playing emotional cards to manipulate people.

—— Tartaglia's Voice About Pulcinella

Only someone as dense as Childe would think The Rooster is looking after him and his family out of the goodness of his heart. Although the mayor has indeed done a number of things for their benefit, anyone with a brain would be able to tell that the underlying meaning is "your entire family is in my hands."

—— Wanderer's Voice About Pulcinella

But now, as you've probably realized, the Wanderer, due to his upbringing, psychological trauma, and personality issues, used to always assume the worst in people. His evaluations of his colleagues were mostly distorted and should be taken with a grain of salt. Recently, Columbina also said that if she had to choose a side between Regrator and The Rooster in an argument, she would support The Rooster, which further boosted The Rooster's image.

Therefore, is it possible that "The Rooster" Pulcinella, besides being a seasoned and shrewd politician, also has another side in his daily life—a kind grandfather who cares for his juniors? Tartaglia's feeling that "The Rooster" Pulcinella looks at him "like family" might not be an illusion. Perhaps "The Rooster" Pulcinella truly cherishes this promising young man, treats Tartaglia like his own grandson, and genuinely takes care of Tartaglia's family.

Moreover, there is precedent in Snezhnayan history for a Domovoy (the Fae classification to which "The Rooster" Pulcinella belongs) showing elder-like affection toward human juniors. Such a bond once formed between Aksinya and Grand Duke Alvis, the Domovoy who was both her mentor and friend.

Note: Aksinya was an ancient Hyperborean, a survivor of the Golden City. Before the decisive battle between Hyperborea and Celestia, she was placed as an infant into a shelter built to withstand the Heavenly Principle's assault, along with many other children. As the sole survivor of that region, she slept in a life-support device for thousands of years. She was later rescued by the previous Cryo Archon, the Belyi Tsar, who was exploring the ruins of the Golden City, and adopted as his foster daughter. 

The name Aksinya (Greek origin, meaning "guest") was also given by the Belyi Tsar. Growing up, Aksinya became Snezhnaya's chief scientist in excavating Hyperborea's legacy, making vital contributions to reviving the dreams of that ancient golden civilization.

As for what kind of character "The Rooster" Pulcinella will ultimately be portrayed as, we'll have to wait for Snezhnaya's story to reveal the answer.