Dainsleif in Genshin Impact is a former captain of the Kaenri'ah palace guard, who saw the collapse of his homeland and is doomed to immortality. This is one of the most important characters in the game's plot, with whom the Traveler is trying to get to the Abyss and find his twin. In the article we will analyze all the information known about Dainsleif, and also try to understand his abilities.
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Dainsleif's name, image and character
The name Daina most likely comes from Norse mythology. That’s the name of the cursed sword forged by the dwarf Dain. Literally translated, Dain–sleif means “Legacy of Dain” or “Legacy of the Dead.” Interestingly, the Traveler and Paimon often refer to the captain simply as Dine – that is, simply “Dead”. This theory is confirmed by the names of dragons from the game's lore, Dwalin and Durin – dwarves from the same mythology.
In addition to the name, we know several titles and other names of Dainsleif:
- Branch Guardian
- Twilight Sword – his rank during his service in Kaenri'ah
Personality-wise, Dainsleif is quite a mysterious character. Despite erosion and memory loss, he remembers significant facts of the past and the time spent traveling with the Traveler's twin. He also believes that it is impossible to completely destroy the curse. In general, he is skeptical about many things, especially if they relate to the Abyss and damnation.
Dainsleif considers the main and only goal of his life to be confrontation with the Abyss. This is his tragedy, since both his former comrades (Halfdan of the Rift, for example) and the Traveler's twin are part of the Order of the Abyss and, accordingly, enemies of the Twilight Sword.
Other characters hardly express their opinions about Dainsleif, but we can learn his thoughts about others from the Collected Miscellany video series.
Diluc, who observed Dain in the tavern, identified him as “a connoisseur with refined taste.” The Guardian of the Branch himself, talking about Diluc's abilities, wonders whether the Midnight Hero will be able to not retreat from the real danger that he himself faced 500 years ago.
His statements about Albedo and the art of Khemia, whose homeland are also interesting – Kaenri'ah. Dainsleif is wary of Khemia and promises to intervene if Albedo makes even the slightest mistake.
Dainsleif has great respect for hard-working and responsible people: Jinn, Gan Yu and the like, even despite their close connection with the Archons.
For Dain, deities are not much different from humans. He considers them more arrogant, and their followers (Kudjo Saru, for example) as having lost their ambitions and blindly following the desires of the Archons.
Having met Kaeya in Sumeru, we can also see a stark contrast between him and Dyne: while the former is unaware of the history of his family name, or at least tries to ignore it, the Branch Guardian wonders if the past can be so easily let go, and takes the matter of the Abyss much more seriously.
Dainsleif's appearance
Dainsleif is a native of Kaenri'ah, a region destroyed by a disaster that occurred 500 years before the start of the game's story. Like other inhabitants of Kaenri'ah, he is distinguished by eyes with pupils in the shape of the Source Stone and traces of erosion on the exposed parts of the body – the right side of the man's face is especially noticeable. What may at first be mistaken for a blue half mask may in fact be the result of a curse. Almost the entire right side of Dain’s body is covered with similar blue matter.
At the same time, both of his hands are usually covered with gloves, but in the teaser and official card we can see a bare black and blue hand on the right side of the body. Due to the unusual angle and effect with which it appears in the video, some players have speculated that the hand is not part of Dainsleif's body, but rather the “force from beyond the world” that is mentioned in the teaser at the same moment.
The man is dressed in a black uniform with a blue cape and inserts of the same color. He has short blond hair and light blue eyes. We can take a closer look at his appearance in the game during the corresponding quests.
The history of Dainsleif
Before the events of the game begin
The twin travelers arrived in Teyvat more than 500 years ago , even before the fall of Kaenri'ah. The twin woke up earlier and explored the world with Dainsleif. Judging by the quests of the Archons from the Dainsleif series, they walked the same path that the Traveler and Paimon go through.
The reason for the separation and conflict between Dain and his twin, according to the latter, was that Dainsleif could not stop the destruction of his nation. From the Rift quest we know that, having ordered the knights to defend Kaenri'ah to the last, the Twilight Sword himself returned to the palace. Afterwards, according to the twin, Dyne “wandered the wastelands,” observing the suffering of his compatriots and making no attempt to fight.
After the disaster, the twin woke up the Traveler, but they were not allowed to leave Teyvat by an unknown deity, who separated them.
Events of the game
For the first time, the Traveler meets Dainsleif in Mondstadt, following a tip from Katerina. Dyne immediately agrees to become the protagonist's companion in his battles with the Abyss. In our joint investigation, we find information about the plan of the Order of the Abyss “Weave of Fate”, which Dainsleif will be interested in throughout the subsequent plot.
The second time we meet Dainsleif in the Rift – the chapter “Requiem of the Sounding Depths” is dedicated to him. In it we have to fight with Dain's former subordinates. We also find a lake that slightly weakens the curse, although Dyne is skeptical about it.
In Sumeru, Dyne and the Traveler continue to investigate the “Weave of Fate” and restore the memories of the twin. In the chapter “Caribert”, Dain talks about the Alberich dynasty and specifically about Clothar Alberich, the founder of the Order of the Abyss. Afterwards, the Guardian of the Branch leaves the Traveler again to learn and remember more information about the Sinner and the Weave of Fate.
Outside the game
Dainsleif actively takes part in the developers' videos, voicing the abilities of new characters in the Collected Miscellany video series and sometimes speaking your opinion.
Weapons and elements of Dainsleif
Dyne never used a weapon in the action scenes, so it's difficult to make any assumptions about this. Based on Dainsleif's name and one of his titles, one would think that he fights with a sword – it is unknown whether it is one-handed or two-handed.
The element that the Branch Guardian wields raises much more questions and discussion.
On the character card in the “Eye of God” column there is an inscription in an unknown language that does not correspond to any of the elements existing in the game.
It is unlikely that it will be possible to find out its exact name before its official appearance in the game; however, players have come up with several theories.
One of the early theories is the strength of the arteries of the earth. Several facts indicate this:
- Mages of the Abyss use the branches of the arteries to apply various elements (that is, the power of the arteries contains all the elements familiar to us and is something more)
- Dyne's status is “Guardian of the branch”
- Traces the curses on Dainsleif's hand and face resemble the veins on the sheets of the arteries of the earth and trees in the dungeons
The power of the Void or the Abyss. The theory is based on the fact that the inhabitants of Kaenri'ah did not have their own god and did not recognize the Archons or any divine powers. Thus, the power of the Void is, as it were, opposed to all other elements. This also includes theories that the inhabitants of Kaenri'ah did not possess any element at all, but only physical strength or technology.
Telekinesis, or control over space. This theory is based on the powers of the Heralds and Readers of the Abyss and their ability to teleport. In the quest “We Meet Again”, when the Herald tries to escape through a certain portal, Dainsleif holds him back with the help of a certain power similar to telekinesis – the ability to manipulate objects without touching them.
Chrono (control of time) or Pepromeno (control of fate). Such names fit better into the elemental system of Teyvat (all names end in -o, like Anemo, Piro, and so on). This is perhaps one of the most plausible and detailed theories.
The first clue here is the name of the constellation Daina – the Serpentine Ring. Such a ring is the Ouroboros, a symbol of infinity and cyclicity.
In addition, the decoding of one linguist from the Reddit forum led him to the fact that the inscription on Dain’s card reads “Shesha”. This is one of the forms of god in Buddhism, which is a snake and is a symbol of eternal time. The title “Branch Keeper” can be seen in different ways in this theory:
- Dainsleif may itself be a branch, an offshoot of the fallen Kaenri'ah people, surviving and retaining some memories.
- The branch is a reference to Gungnir, Odin's spear. Having snatched it from Yggdrasil (the analogue in Genshin Impact is Irminsul), Odin pierced himself and received infinite power and knowledge. Likewise, Dainsleif’s branch gives him “the power that comes from beyond the boundaries of this world,” which is mentioned in the game’s teaser.
The latter version sounds quite plausible, especially considering HoYoverse's love for such references. One way or another, Dainsleif's powers do not exactly fit into the framework of the familiar world of Teyvat. In addition, it is not clear why the “Eye of God” is indicated on the hero card, when Dain himself despises the gods – and it is unknown what the source of his powers is then.
Dainsleif release date
Dainsleif release date unknown as a playable character. Most likely, he will appear after the Snowy storyline, that is, not until version 7.0, when the Traveler approaches Celestia and Kaenri'ah. Perhaps it is in these special regions that the developers will introduce a new element, mechanic or force that Dainsleif uses. One way or another, until the official announcement, players can only build theories about the release date of this hero.
Dainsleif's voice actors
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- English – Yuri Lowenthal
- Chinese – Sun Ye
- Japanese – Kenjiro Tsuda
- Korean – Choi Han
