These were Genshin Impact's top 5 most badass moments in 2022

The storyline for Genshin Impact throughout 2022 had everything you could ever ask for.

It had the melancholic, it had the funny, and it had the most exhilarating cutscenes out there.

From a nation banding together to duel a scorned god, to a battle between two formidable minds, and even to a show of pure determination, there were just so many moments in Genshin Impact this year that had our jaws dropping to the floor in awe.

But there are were moments that are just that much more badass than the others.

So, to begin capping off the year, here are our picks for the top 5 most badass moments in Genshin Impact in 2022. Be warned, there be many spoilers.

Dehya's stand against the followers of King Deshret

In Act IV of the the Sumeru Archon Quest, “King Deshret and the Three Magi”, released in version 3.1, players found themselves in the desert forming a ragtag team consisting of Alhaitham, Cyno, and Dehya to save Nahida from the Sanctuary of Surasthana and uncover the conspiracy within the Sumeru Akademiya.

But as we tried to gather more information, we'd stumbled across yet another ominous plan by Dotorre which had Eremite Mercenaries kidnapping exiled scholars from Aaru Village, with one of them being the adoptive grandfather of a boy named Isak.

The gang gather together to help Isak retrieve his grandfather from the eremites, led by the mercenary Rahman, whom Dehya is acquainted with.

The standoff however, had players at the edge of their seats, as Dehya offered her right arm in exchange for Rahman’s trust and cooperation.

Rahman seemed to want to accept this offer, and before his goon could hack off Dehya’s arm, changed his mind instead, telling them that there was no point in him mutilating one of his own.

This high-energy, thrilling scene established Dehya’s brave and badass character. We can’t wait for HoYoverse to release her next year!

Nahida's mind war with Dottore

Who said a badass scene needed swords, fancy dodges, and lots of elemental power? Sometimes, it’s a war between minds that can give you that adrenaline rush, too!

The climax of Act V of the Sumeru Archon Quest, "Akasha Pulses, the Kalpa Flame Rises", hit players with one dramatic scene after another.

After the defeat of Scaramouche and the revelation by Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, we got a sweat-inducing, hair-raising battle of wits between Nahida, also known as the Dendro Archon Lesser Lord Kusanali, and the Fatui Harbinger Il Dottore.

Dottore appeared to be in prime position to claim both the Electro and Dendro Gnoses, as he effortlessly knocked the Traveler out, leaving the already-weakened and inexperienced Dendro Archon alone against the second-ranked Fatui Harbinger.

However, Nahida reminded us all that she is indeed the God of Wisdom, as she used her wits alone to force Dottore to a draw despite her compromised position.

The Harbinger tried to bargain for the Electro Gnosis, but Nahida refuses and threatens to awaken the Heavenly Principles by destroying it.

She then gains the upper hand against Dottore by offering to surrender the Gnosis if he were to destroy all of his Segments (his clones, essentially), which the Harbinger begrudgingly agrees to do.

Now with the Dendro Gnosis in contention, Dotorre ups the stakes by offering secret information about the state of Celestia and Teyvat that even the God of Wisdom didn’t know.

This deal seemed favourable to Nahida, giving up the Gnosis for what Dottore knew.

While that mind war ended in a draw, it's still an impressive strategic victory for Nahida considering how poor of a position she started in.

Had it not been for her razor-sharp mind, Dottore might have walked away stronger than ever with two Gnoses and an intact army of Segments.

But the next time that these two cross paths once again, we’re for sure rooting for Dottore’s defeat!

The Wanderer receives his vision

In Act III of the Archon Quest Interlude Chapter, "Inversion of Genesis", we saw the fallen Fatui Harbinger Scaramouche have a change of heart and come to terms with his tragic past. Of course, we already knew from the drip marketing that Scara would have an Anemo vision, but we couldn't help wonder — How did he end up being an Anemo instead of Electro character?

Well, the answer was even more epic than we expected.

After travelling to Irminsul with Traveler to find out more about their missing twin, Scaramouche stumbles upon a tendril of the past that revealed that the one who orchestrated the destruction of his happy life in Tatarasuna was none other than Dottore.

After doing what he was first meant to do for the Traveler, Scaramouche then asks if it was possible to change the past.

The Traveler does not answer, and Scaramouche takes this as confirmation, and disappears within Irminsul.

Scaramouche does indeed change the past and seemingly erases himself from history.

This did not remove his existence, however, as the Traveler later encountered him again as a wandering vagrant without a name, simply calling himself the Wanderer.

With this version of Scaramouche knowing little about himself (and way too polite and nice), he accepts being given back his memories to affirm his identity and purpose.

And as they travel through his memories in Nahida’s Samsara, the Wanderer grows the resolution to live for himself and to atone for his crimes.

The climax has Wanderer hunched over in agony as his memories come flooding into him, and his god form appears to do battle, attacking him and the Traveler.

Before the Shouki no Kami could decimate them, however, the Wanderer intercepts the blow, receiving his Anemo Vision as he does so.

Seeing Wanderer finally receive his “heart” in such a grand fashion, as well as fighting himself with his new elemental power definitely gave me goosebumps!

Liyue's battle with Beisht

You thought Liyue was already in the clear from being destroyed by angry sea monsters, after Osial’s defeat at the capable hands of Ningguang, the Adepti, and the Jade Chamber?

Act I of the Archon Quest Interlude Chapter, "The Crane Returns on the Wind", had us doubting if any of the nations we saved during the Archon Quests were in fact truly safe.

A year after the Jade Chamber defeated Osial, Ningguang begun to reconstruct her fortress in the sky, thanks in part to the warning of Beidou that Osial’s wife Beisht may seek revenge against Liyue and the Jade Chamber after it was rebuilt.

Ningguang, who has strengthened the Jade Chamber and given her Milelith powerful weapons, is more than ready to take the scorned sea god’s wife head on, culminating in a badass battle scene that affirmed Liyue’s independence from the protection of a god or the adepti alike. (Seriously, why is Ningguang only a 4-star?!)

But it was Shenhe who shone the most during this fight, as she finally understood her place in the world, not as a sign of devastation or calamity, but as one who could protect her fellow men, unleashing a powerful burst of Cryo that froze over the enormous tidal wave Beisht had summoned to drown Liyue.

Who needs a god when humans can be powerful enough to protect their own? (Sorry, Morax!)

The First Sage of Buer

The Traveler and Nahida's climactic battle with Scaramouche was hands-down the most badass Genshin Impact scene to be released this year.

With Scaramouche now reborn as the Shouki no Kami, Nahida and the Traveler hatch up a plan to finally take down this deranged Harbinger and false god once and for all.

How? By creating a Samsara, of course!

It seemed like Scaramouche's overwhelming power had defeated us, but that was not truly the case.

With Nahida now turning the tide by using the Akademiya and Dottore’s tactics against them, the Samsara she puts Scaramouche under allows her to collect data that could be used against him.

The data Nahida collects in a knowledge capsule is used by the Traveler to learn Scaramouche’s moves and weaknesses in over a hundred loops of the same fight, and at the same time, is aided by the people of Sumeru who’ve received this information as well.

Having the help of the people of Sumeru, as well as Nahida’s intervention with the Samsara, gives the Traveler the power to finally defeat Scaramouche in a thrilling cutscene that gives them the illustrious title of “The First Sage of Buer” — Nahida’s foremost warrior as the Dendro Archon.

So there you have it, the five best showcases of badassery in Genshin Impact's 2022!

We can only hope 2023 equals or exceeds what we've seen throughout the year, and if so, it'll be another great one for Genshin Impact fans.

Yan Ku is a full-time dog parent, part-time (gacha) gamer, and part-time writer.

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