What Is the Cutest Part on Ganyu? Different Gender, Different View!

Ganyu is a playable Cyro character from Liyue in Genshin Impact. Born on December 2nd, she is a half-qilin Adeptus under contract with the Geo Archon Morax and serves as the general secretary of the Liyue Qixing. She is now mostly involved in Permafrost Teams (Ganyu, Mona/Sangonomiya Kokomi, Diona/Kamisato Ayaka, Venti/Kaedehara Kazuha) and Melting Teams (Ganyu, Xiangling/Nahida, Zhongli, Bennett), in which she plays the role as the Main DPS.

Since the character first appeared in the game, Ganyu has been enjoying great popularity. The official merchandise store also launched many Ganyu merch, and she is one of the few who has his or her own official figure.

When the Traveler was talking with Paimon about their curiosity about Tianquan Ningguang, they met Ganyu for the first time, who introduced herself as "secretary at the Yuehai Pavillion", "the corporate secretary for the Qixing" and at that moment served "as Lady Ningguang's special emissary", and had with her a "letter from Lady Ningguang" where Ningguang "extends a formal invitation" to them.

After all of this, what is it that really attracts the players? A little research by Zeng Xianglong, an associate professor from the psychology department of Beijing Normal University may help you find out:

Based on statistics, Ganyu ranks third in popularity among all female characters in Genshin Impact. The ratio of male to female players who favor Ganyu is 9:1, which is understandable. Both male and female players consistently regard Ganyu as an ideal other (compared to an ideal self). Interestingly, both genders view Ganyu more as an ideal romantic partner. Female players, however, also frequently consider her an ideal collaborator. Additionally, female players are more likely to see Ganyu as an ideal self, though still less than as an ideal other.

What's particularly intriguing is the differing perceptions of Ganyu between male and female players. When asked why they like Ganyu, male players primarily mention her beautiful and sexy appearance, with some also noting "cocogoat." In terms of personality, male players focus on her gentleness, diligence, reliability, and solitude. Notably, nearly only male players emphasize Ganyu's loneliness and vulnerability, appreciating her silent dedication over millennia and feeling a strong desire to protect and accompany her. In contrast, female players rarely mention Ganyu's vulnerability, instead highlighting her ethereal temperament, sense of responsibility, and reliability, which align with their perception of her as an ideal other. For male players, Ganyu is seen as a beautiful, gentle, lonely, and vulnerable romantic partner, while female players value her strength and reliability, making her an ideal self or a dependable collaborator.

In the storyline, both aspects are richly depicted. Characters with Cryo visions often face inner conflicts about their existence, and Ganyu is a prime example of this. As a half-human, half-Qilin, Ganyu constantly wavers between her human and adeptus identities. Despite her 3000 years of dedication to Liyue, she struggles to truly integrate into Liyue Harbor, feeling a persistent sense of distance from humans. Whether fulfilling her millennial contract, tirelessly handling all the Qixing's secretarial tasks, or cleverly resolving difficult problems in her story quest, Ganyu's actions and narrative showcase her immense strength and reliability from a human perspective. However, from the Traveler's viewpoint, Ganyu is kind and gentle, someone to rely on and confide in. Her daily voice lines reveal her mundane worries, like anxiety about unfinished work or small joys in life, as well as her sleepy demeanor when idle. This portrayal makes Ganyu a relatable adeptus with ordinary human troubles, enhancing her charm.

Moreover, the concept of self-disclosure is evident as Ganyu reveals her flaws and vulnerabilities to the Traveler, fostering a closer relationship. In her story quest, Ganyu feels she cannot truly belong in Liyue despite her millennium-long presence and chooses to leave. However, through the Traveler and others' encouragement, she experiences the feelings of being needed and appreciated, leading to her return to the community, a heartwarming conclusion. Nonetheless, from a psychological perspective, this might be insufficient as it temporarily sets aside her inherent loneliness rather than resolving it. Perhaps, as Ganyu suggests at the end of her story quest, accompanying the Traveler on their journey might be a fitting resolution for her.

From a real-world perspective, Ganyu's popularity stems from her relatable image and story, resonating with many players' experiences of loneliness and difficulty in fitting in. Some players empathize with her hardworking nature, finding solace in her character. Even in the storyline, Ganyu faces questions from elders about her romantic life, further connecting her to players. Overall, Ganyu is a highly relatable character, and players hope she finds happiness, just as they seek their own.

Some comments made by both genders:

Male Ganyu Fan:

"What attracts me most about Ganyu is her temperament and sense of responsibility, haha. Just like her title 'Plenilune Gaze' suggests. Moreover, I perceive Ganyu as someone who, despite her loneliness and uniqueness, is incredibly important to all of Liyue. She serves as a bridge between humans and adepti, playing an indispensable role in this new era. Looking further, Ganyu has witnessed Liyue's journey up to the present and will continue to do so into the future. This sense of 'witnessing' is what I particularly like about her!"

Female Ganyu Fan:

"I'm a Ganyu fan who sees her as my ideal self. I love all the aspects mentioned in the research, including her temperament, vulnerability, and strength. Ganyu shares many similarities with me, but compared to her, I feel so inadequate. I really like her; she is my ideal self. I also want to be like her, standing alone, silently protecting. I can't blend into the lively crowd, but standing from a distance or within the crowd, seeing everyone laughing and chatting, thinking that what I do is meaningful, makes me very happy."

It is because of the successful character design mentioned above that Ganyu enjoys such popularity, and the Genshin Impact official also made some efforts to put more emphasis on Ganyu:

Genshin Impact Ganyu Skin

During Version 4.4, the 4-Star Character Outfit for Ganyu, Twilight Blossom is available at a limited-time discount of 1350 Genesis Crystals; and its cost was increased to 1680 Genesis Crystals in Version 4.5.

In the storyline, the outfit was made by Xianyun because she heard on the street that "A change of clothes may make for a change of mood" while she was bothered by how busy Ganyu was, and the outfit was sent to Ganyu as a gift for the Lantern Rite.

Genshin Impact Ganyu Figure

It is a 1/7 figure of Ganyu, with an approximate height of 22cm, made jointly with APEX Toys. For more information and purchasing, check here

Genshin Impact Ganyu Apparel

It is a tradition for MiHoYo to launch a series of apparel merch according to the impression of different characters. The Ganyu Impression Series includes a necklace, jeans, cardigan, bag, folding fan, sweater, backpack, and bookmark. Check this url for more details for each item or purchase.

Genshin Concert Poster

Ganyu also showed up on the poster of Genshin Concert 2023: Melodies of an Endless Journey, playing the Pipa, a Chinese traditional musical instrument.

Collaboration with HEYTEA

HEYTEA is a Chinese tea drink chain that has collaborated with Genshin Impact two times. The second collaboration is called Joy and Expectation (心有所喜 约有所期), and the merchandise is themed on Ganyu and Shenhe.

3C Digital Products

n the latest post by the official merchandise store of Genshin Impact, it is noticed in advance that upcoming merchandise is also themed on Ganyu, let's wait and see!

Besides the merchandise information, we also collected some of the questions you may want to ask about Ganyu.

Why does Ganyu say "No Touching"?

"No touching" is Ganyu's voice-over when she is releasing her Elemental Skill. The most common interpretation of this sentence is that Ganyu hates it when others touch her sensitive horns.

How old is Ganyu?

The precise age of Ganyu is not known, but since she has been protecting Liyue for over 3,000 years, she must be over 3,000 years old.

How tall is Ganyu?

Ganyu uses the medium female model, and according to some of the players' measurements, she is about 156cm (5'1").

Why is Ganyu called "cocogoat"?

In the Character Quest of Ganyu, Qiqi asked the Traveler to find a "cocogoat" that she mistakenly believed is where coconut milk comes from. She also believed that a cocogoat must be related to Adepti, and Ganyu came later, the descendent of an Adepti with goat-like horns, so the players jokingly called Ganyu cocogoat. But actually, cocogoat is a legendary adeptibeast according to the loading screen of Genshin Impact.

Is Ganyu a human?

No, Ganyu is not a human. She is a half-qilin Adeptus who has been living for over three thousand years protecting Liyue.

Who does Ganyu ship with?

First of all, I would explain what "shipping" is. Shipping is derived from the word "relationship" initially, and it is the desire by fans for two or more people, either real-life celebrities or fictional characters, to be in a relationship, whether romantic or not. Shipping can involve virtually any kind of relationship: from the well-known and established, to the ambiguous or those undergoing development, and even to the highly improbable or blatantly impossible, according to the introduction on shipping.fandom.com.

The most popular Ganyu ships are:

Ganbei (Ganyu x Beidou)

Ganyu enjoys being in Beidou's company and sees the good in her. She believes that Beidou does a lot for Liyue and will stick up for her when others say something bad about her. Though Ganyu won't publicize their friendship, she looks forward to talking with Beidou when the chance arises.

"Recently, everyone in Yujing Terrace has been saying nasty things about the Crux Fleet. But in my personal opinion, Beidou's contribution to Liyue Harbor goes far beyond what those miserable rumor-loving heathens could even contemplate! ...Oops! I'm sorry, I... I'm not quite sure how that one slipped out..."

- Ganyu's voiceline about Beidou

Ganqing (Ganyu x Keqing)

Both Ganyu and Keqing have two voicelines about each other. Ganyu has told Keqing that she always seen her as a very kind and considerate person, which made Keqing flustered in response. Before leaving, Ganyu also asked the others to "take good care of Keqing (for her)", the Traveler then commented that Ganyu sounded like Keqing's big sister.

"She came to me recently to discuss the reopening of the Bishui trade route. She even asked me what Rex Lapis would do if it were him. Admittedly, what we came up with was not quite on par with what he would have chosen. But... seeing the way she kept starting her plan from scratch over and over again, I think I started to understand her a little bit."

- Ganyu's second voiceline about Keqing

Shenyu (Ganyu x Shenhe)

Ganyu and Shenhe both view Xianyun as their mentor and have been trained by the latter for a long time. What's more, they showed up together on the merchandise of the Heytea Genshin Collab mentioned before.

"I've heard many stories about her from my master. She's really quite different from how I originally imagined her... But don't worry, I'll be keeping this to myself. Speaking of Ganyu, her work in Liyue Harbor is unbelievably busy... It seems that there is a price to pay for those who want to integrate into the mortal world."

- Shenhe's voiceline about Ganyu

Ganyumi (Ganyu x Lumine)

All characters can ship with Lumine (or Aether), that's the benefit that only the protagonist can enjoy. Ganyu mentioned in the storyline that, she would like to travel with Lumine more, which could mean more content and new acts in her story quest for Ganyumi shippers in the future.

"Thank you for always making time to chat with me. I feel like I must have spoken more after meeting you than I have in the last ten years put together. If I keep going like this... Maybe one day I'll be able to move on to something other than secretarial work. Now that I've got a few hundred years of experience under my belt, I should be able to avoid any more major mistakes."

- Ganyu's voiceline: More About Ganyu: V

Do you love Ganyu? What is your favorite part of her? Please comment and let me know!