It’s become a bit of a running joke for Paimon and the Traveler to comment on her being everywhere they go. Though the game never really elaborated on this oddity, the most recent Archon Quest in Sumeru has confirmed something Genshin Impact fans have been theorizing for a long time.
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Genshin Impact Katheryne is a Robot
Even before the release of Sumeru in Genshin Impact, players have pointed out some strange things about Katheryne’s character. For one, her general dialogue and appearance are identical, regardless of what region she’s in. This could easily be dismissed if not for other, more telling details. Players can find what appears to be a keyhole in her back collar, right at the base of her neck. Even more strange is that Katheryne’s idle quotes have her mumbling things like, “Error” and “Rebooting.”
Now, this mystery can finally be put to rest as in Act 2 of the Sumeru Archon Quest, Nahida of Genshin Impact confirms that Katheryne is a robot. During the quest, Nahida takes over Katheryne’s body and uses that to speak to the Traveler. According to the young Dendro Archon, she can occupy anyone’s consciousness so long as they’re connected to the Akasha Network. However, Nahida respects her people’s free will, so she never actually takes over anyone’s body. The exception is Katheryne because she’s a “bionic Snezhnayan puppet,” as Nahida explains.
More Genshin Impact Theories About Katheryne
All that said, the truth about Katheryne raises more questions than answers, particularly about whether players can trust her. Her direct link to Snezhnaya could mean she’s connected to the Fatui, with some players noting that she could have been created by Sandrone of the Genshin Impact Fatui Harbingers. And if Katheryne is a tool of the Fatui, this is a worrying development as she’s been privy to the Traveler’s movements since the beginning of the game.
Aside from Katheryne’s allegiance, there are also questions about her robotic nature. For one, it’s unclear whether the Katheryne units are being controlled remotely or are advanced enough to think for themselves. The former could mean that Katheryne doesn’t have a personality of her own. The latter could lead to a more interesting twist in the main story as Katheryne would be somewhat similar to Scaramouche of Genshin Impact – an artificial human with their own free will. Thus, she could potentially choose to side with either the Fatui or the Traveler at some point in the storyline.
For now, however, the revelation of Katheryne’s true nature has not yet affected the greater narrative of Genshin Impact. Neither Paimon nor the Traveler has said anything about it since its mention in the Archon Quest, and it seems Katheryne has simply continued doing her duties as the receptionist of the Adventurers’ Guild. This comes as no surprise since every player needs to talk to Katheryne to claim their Daily Commission rewards and send their characters on Expeditions.
That said, it would be interesting to see what HoYoverse plans to do with Katheryne’s character in the following Archon Quests. She might even play a larger role in the Genshin Impact region of Snezhnaya. Whatever the case, it’s nice to finally receive confirmation on one of the oldest theories floating around the Genshin Impact community. Perhaps more fan theories will be confirmed (or debunked) as the game’s main storyline progresses.
Genshin Impact is available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, and a Nintendo Switch version is in development.
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