CHILDE (TARTAGLIA) | HYDRO (BOW/DAGGERS)
Childe has command of a “Foul Legacy,” as per its in-game description, a heritage or part of his bloodline that makes him utterly terrifying but also drains his being, something we’ve only seen in cutscenes so far. Childe’s uniqueness in combat comes from his wield of polar opposite weapons: a bow in his default stance, because it’s the weapon he’s weakest at wielding, and water-daggers in his Foul Legacy: Raging Tide stance, which can be fused into a polearm for longer-range attacks. These hydro weapons are what Childe is strongest and most confident with. His combat exertions when fighting with knives are sometimes playful or effortless quips, or small laughs.
He is currently the only character in the game who is a Dagger user of any kind, and has likely the fastest sustained attack speed on basic attacks when using his knives. While his likely place of origin is actually Fontaine, given his Hydro Vision and Tartaglia being the name of an Italian mathematician, the only location we know he has significant ties to is Snezhnaya — essentially Teyvat’s version of Russia — and is not only one of the Fatui, but a Harbinger at that.
This effectively makes him a ‘villain’ throughout some of Act 2, as the player cannot really know whose side Childe is truly on. At one moment he jumps in to save them from danger, in another he’s opposing them in battle.
Complicating matters, Childe doesn’t seem particularly attached to his position in the Fatui, instead, he adores combat and the thrill of fighting, and will go wherever his gleeful battle-thirst can shine — even being open to challenging the other Harbingers themselves and always being down for a friendly spar with the Traveler.
He’ll happily journey alongside the Traveler if it means he gets to fight stronger and stronger opponents, as well, even going so far as to envision the two of them being the only ones alive worth fighting at the end of the world.
I truly love this character, both in fighting style, in archetype, in narrative flavoring and in his overall personality. Many times throughout your adventures, Childe is often seemingly very happy, but hides an incredible brutality should something threaten what he holds dear or an objective he’s focused on. Despite his playful nature which makes it seem like he takes nothing seriously, there have been occasions that prove the lengths he’ll go to protect something, even at the cost of his well-being, such as when Teucer (his younger brother) was in danger. This can be seen in the final minutes of his Story Quest.
Childe is currently my strongest and most enjoyable character, my favorite one in the game, the one I’ve committed the most Crowns of Sagehood into and the one for whom I always try to get Talent Materials when I can. If I don’t strongly fall in love with many future characters I will likely wait for reruns of him to get additional Constellations and make him as close to Complete as possible.
