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Want to find out more about Genshin Impact Heizou? It’s a little surprising to see a new character announced when we already have Yelan and Kuki Shinobu set to arrive in Genshin Impact 2.7. But with the new update delayed due to the Shanghai Covid-19 lockdown, we should probably be happy we’re getting any news at all.
Heizou has been rumoured for a little while, but no one expected the young Tenryou Commission detective to resemble Kazuha quite so strongly. He’s also an Anemo character, making the likeness even cannier. Maybe Heizou is actually Kazuha in a wig and it's all just an elaborate way to surprise us with a rerun…
But Teyvat’s answer to Sherlock Holmes is special in his own way, too. If leaked footage is to be believed, he’s the first Anemo catalyst-user in the game and attacks by literally punching and kicking the air. So whether you want to find out his abilities, materials, or potential banner release date, here’s everything you need to know aboutHeizou in Genshin Impact.
There’s currently no confirmed release date for Heizou, but it’s a safe bet to say he’ll release in Genshin Impact 2.8. Unless miHoYo plans to release three new characters in the next version, which would be unprecedented, the Heizou banner release date will fall in the following update.
It’s likely that miHoYo is just sharing the news now because things are a bit slow due to the delay. After all, if things were happening normally, this reveal would have dropped during version 2.7, which is pretty regular for a character planned for the next version.
Thanks to the folks at Honey Hunter, we already have a good idea of Shikanoin Heizou’s abilities, passives, and constellations, though they will likely change during his character beta.
Normal | Performs up to five fisticuffs dealing Anemo damage. |
Charged | Consumes stamina to perform a sweeping kick that deals Anemo damage. |
Plunging | Heizou plunges towards the ground, dealing AoE Anemo damage on impact. |
Tap | Launches a Heartstopper Strike that deals Anemo damage. |
Hold | Charge and release to unleash a stronger blow and gain Declension while charging. This increases the strength of the next Heartstopper Strike and stacks up to four times. When you possess four Declension stacks, you’ll gain Conviction, increasing damage and the attack’s AoE. |
Windmuster Kick | Heidou jumps into the air and uses Fudou Style Vacuum Slugger to kick his opponent, dealing AoE Anemo damage. When it hits opponents affected by Hydro, Cryo, Pyro, or Electro, a Windmuster Iris will appear and explode, dealing AoE damage of that elemental type. Heizou can summon four Windmuster Irises this way, though they can only absorb one element. |
Pre-existing Guilt | Decreases sprinting stamina consumption by 20 percent for your party. |
Paradoxical Practice | When Heizou performs a Swirl reaction on the field, he gains one Declension stack every 0.1 seconds. |
Penetrative Reasoning | After Heizou’s Heartstopper Strike hits opponents increases all other party members’ elemental mastery by 80 for ten seconds. |
Named Juvenile Casebook | When Heizou takes the field, he gains 15 percent increased normal attack speed and one Declension stack. This can be activated every ten seconds. |
Investigative Collection | When Heizou’s Fudou Style Vacuum Slugger from his burst explodes, it will pull in nearby opponents. |
Esoteric Puzzle Book | Increases the level of Heartstopper Strike by three. Maximum upgrade level is 15. |
Tome of Lies | The first Windmuster Iris explosion in each Windmuster Kick generates 9 elemental energy for Heizou. Each following explosion generates a further 1.5 energy. A maximum of 13.5 energy can be obtained from the Windmuster Kick. |
Secret Archive | Increases the level of Windmuster Kick by three. Maximum upgrade level is 15. |
Curious Case Files | Each Declension stack increases the crit rate of Heartstopper Strike by four percent. When Heizou gains Conviction, Heartstopper Strike’s crit damage increases by 32 percent. |
Here are Heizou’s materials for levelling him and ascending his talents. It’s a little weird that one of his Ascension materials is from a boss in Liyue when he’s an Inazuman character, so there is a chance some of these could change:
Character
To level Heizou you’re going to need Vayuda Turquoise, which you get from Anemo bosses like the Anemo Hypostasis in Mondstadt and Maguu Kenki in Inazuma. Sadly, Heizou’s boss material comes from neither of those, so you’ll also need to fight the Ruin Serpent in the Chasm for Runic Fangs. That said, these details could change, so maybe don’t farm those yet. You’ll also need.
You can find Onikabuto beetles on trees across Inazuma, with the exception of Watatsumi and Tsurumi island. The official interactive Genshin Impact map shows every location. Treasure Hoarder Insignias come from beating Treasure Hoarder enemies of different world levels and they have three rarities: Treasure Hoarder, Silver Raven, Golden Raven.
The best way to get these is to do the Blossoms of Wealth and Wisdom in Mondstadt, as you can get some of the Mora and XP materials you need at the same time.
Talent
Here’s what you’ll need for Heizou’s talents:
Treasure Hoarder Insignias come from defeating Treasure Hoarders. You can get Transience Scrolls from the Violet Court Domain on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays. The Meaning of Aeons is a potential drop from the weekly Guardian of Eternity boss in the Trounce Domain. To unlock this you’ll need to complete the Raiden Shogun’s story quests.
Finally, the Crown of Insight is usually a reward for a single event per season. You can also get a few in the game by upgrading the Sacred Sakura in Inazuma with Electro Sigils, the Frostbearing Tree in Dragonspine with Crimson Agate, or by levelling the new Lumenstone Adjuvant gadget in the Chasm.