Yelan is a mysterious and secretive Hydro user from the Liyue region ofGenshin Impact. Her design and personality hint at her secretive nature, leaving players with many unanswered questions about her true identity and her role in the world of Teyvat. Despite the questions surrounding her job at the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Yelan has proven to be highly capable of handling even the most intricate of cases. Her dedication and commitment to her work have been evident, and she continues to excel at what she does.
RELATED:Genshin Impact: Things To Know Before Pulling For Yelan
Outside of work, Yelan reveals a much more relaxed and carefree side. She loves to take naps whenever she can, but is willing to adjust her schedule to accommodate the day’s tasks. For especially tricky cases, she conserves her energy to tackle them in one go. Despite her playstyle being quite easy to understand, there are still many unknowns about her personality, leavingGenshin Impactplayers with plenty to discover.
7Yelan Likes Spicy Food
According to Xiangling, Yelan looks like someone who wouldn’t tolerate spicy dishes. However, she was immensely surprised to find out that Yelan’s dishes weren’t spicy enough for her, as she had seen her eating pieces of dried Jueyun chilis. This meant that Yelan had a high tolerance for spice, and in her voice lines, she explains that eatingJueyun Chilisin this way was a family tradition.
Interestingly, her favorite dish is a unique and flavorful tea made with dried Jueyun Chilis and Violetgrass stamens. She grinds the ingredients into a fine powder, mixes them with Yunlai White Tea leaves, and brews a strong pot of tea that would linger on the palate with a deliciously spicy aftertaste, unlike coffee. In contrast to her appreciation of this beverage, she had an aversion to sweets, citing their potential for overindulgence and distraction.
6Yelan Is Affiliated With Yanshang Teahouse
Despite claiming to work for the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Yelan’s frequent absences from work were noted by Ganyu in her voice lines. Her character profile further confirms this, describing Yelan as a “non-entity” on the Ministry of Civil Affairs' List. Interestingly, her profile page lists her as affiliated with the Yanshang Teahouse. Before her introduction to the game, players had many theories about what was taking place at the mysterious Yanshang Teahouse, and the presence of guards at the door only heightened the intrigue.
RELATED:Most Breathtaking Locations In Genshin Impact
However, now it is made apparent by the Chihu Rock Bulletin Board located in Liyue Harbor that Yanshang Teahouse is actually a gambling house or a casino. An anonymous character complained about having the misfortune of sharing a table with a sly fox lady at the Yanshang Teahouse and losing all his money. Yelan’s Character Story 5 (which requires players to have at least Friendship 6 with Yelan) further confirms that the woman of Yanshang Teahouse is none other than Yelan herself. Taking advantage of the situation, she took over the teahouse and transformed it into a secret base after Childe killed the previous owner. With this being the case, the dice on her necklace and her skill also make sense.
5Yelan is Trustworthy
While Yelan is quite secretive and mysterious, she is also highly trustworthy. Ningguang mentions in her own voice lines that Yelan is a very interesting character, and she can confidently say that she trusts her unreservedly.Ningguangtolerates her general absence at the Ministry of Civil Affairs, while Keqing also appreciates her work, althoughKeqingoften wonders where she gets her intelligence from.
It is likely that while the other characters are unaware of what Yelan is up to, Ningguang is aware of her actual function in Yanshang Teahouse, and allows her to use her own methods to gather reliable intelligence. After all, places like casinos are prime locations for gathering more information and gaining insight into criminal activities. Thus, Yelan is somewhat like a spy for the city of Liyue, similar to Kaeya in many ways for Mondstadt.
4Yelan Uses a Fake Identity
It is common for intelligence agents to hide their real identities to build trust and gather intelligence, and this is no different for Yelan. However, instead of sticking to one false identity, Yelan makes up new identities as the situation requires. Her job often requires her to solve problems between various people who have difficulty communicating with each other.
RELATED:Secrets Many Still Haven’t Found In Genshin Impact
As a result, these people come toYelan without knowingthat she is also in talks with the other side. Each of them has met a Yelan with a different name and identity, each believing they have a unique partnership with her. Unbeknownst to them, Yelan is able to gain insight from each side and discern the underlying truth of the case.
3Yelan’s Constellation Is Called Umbrabilis Orchis
Yelan’s Constellation, Umbrabilis Orchis, aptly translates to Shadowy Orchid, a fitting name given that Yelan’s Chinese name can also be interpreted as Night Orchid. Additionally, the Chinese name for her constellation translates to “shadowy (or remote, concealed) guest,” which perfectly aligns with her mysterious personality. In Chinese symbolism, orchids symbolize simple beauty, elegance, and integrity - all traits that can be seen in Yelan’s looks and playstyle.
While it is no surprise that her constellation’s name aligns with Yelan’s name, it is interesting to note that each of the six constellations, from the first to the sixth, have nothing to do with orchids, but instead reflect other aspects of her character such as gambling and playing with dices. This is a sign of the skill of theGenshin Impactcharacter designers that they were able to include various aspects of her personality, even in her constellations.
2Yelan Might Be A Jojo Reference
While it is not uncommon forgames to make referencesto other pop-culture things,Genshin Impacttakes it to a whole new level, especially with achievement names. One character who has been particularly associated withJoJo’s Bizarre Adventureby the player base is Yelan, even though there is no official confirmation that this is indeed the case.
RELATED:Funniest Pop Culture References In Video Games
When Yelan was first officially announced, players quickly began making edits of her, giving her aJoJocharacter look due to her elegant, yet peculiar pose. Many noted that the style of her character trailer, the soundtrack, and even her name all had a strong resemblance to JoJo, raising the question of whether she was intended to be a reference or not.
1Yelan’s Birthday is on April 20
Yelan’s Birthday falls on April 20th, marking her as a Taurus right at the start of its cycle. As a result, she embodies a unique combination of Aries and Taurus traits. Besides Yelan, the onlyother characters who share a birthdaythis month are Diluc, Xiao, and Aloy.
As Yelan’s initial release was right after her birthday in 2022, players have yet to properly celebrate her special day and receive a special birthday letter along with her signature dish, Dew-Dipped Shrimp. But in 2023, players will finally be able to celebrate her birthday.
Genshin Impactis now available on Mobile, PC, PS4, and PS5. A Switch version is in development.
