#like a good example of this is at the funeral Columbina calls Dottore Doctor despite the fact that earlier Cap used commedia names

[avemstella]

Why do the Harbingers have 2 different titles?

Ok, so this is based on a conversation I was having in a Discord, but I honestly have thoughts and felt like some people might be interested so fuck it.

So I mentioned offhandedly in my fic that I find the Harbinger canon code names kind of boring, but I didn't really go into why. So here's my rambling, I guess, critique (though don't take this too seriously) of why they are really weird to me and feel kind of pointless.

so there's a joke, that I often take part in, how several characters in genshin have too many names, but in a lot of cases the names serve different functions. For example the archons having 3 names serve a purpose: their demon 'true' name (or possibly the name gifted to them by celestia...), their title that's used as a sign of respect (ex rex lapis by the people of liyue), and their 'human' name. Each one is used in different places and reflects the relationship between the archon and the other character.

For example all the archons call each other by their demon names, while a character like Keqing calls Morax "Rex Lapis" but calls Barbatos a god not her own a distant "anemo archon." On Venti, the fact that Venti lacks a title like the other archons and everyone just calls him Barbatos tells us something about his relationship with his people etc. And even beyond the archons, characters with important last names get highlighted as their relationship with their clan (ex kazuha, a bunch of the inazuma characters tbh, or even Mond's like Jean) are very important to them.

But with the Harbingers' code names versus Commedia names, they don't tell us anything new. In most cases they are just translations of their Commedia ones (the most egregious in english being Capitano the Captain, but also Signora the fair lady etc). Or if they aren't exact translations the code names have something to do with the trope. For example Sandrone the word doesn't translate into Marionette, but the trope is literally a puppet. Similarly Pantalone with Regrater, his name means pants but the trope is a money hungry merchant so that lines up. Basically the code names don't tell us anything that the Commedia titles already don't. Also, the sort of exception to this Childe/young lord versus Tartaglia which means stutterer is just so generic (Columbina also sort of falls into this category, with the even more generic code name in the original chinese of "girl").

However, there are ways to make the code names interesting without their meanings being so. As I mentioned above, the Archons' titles were made interesting not really because of what they meant but their usage. How they tell us about the relationship between the Archon and the one who uses it. Or, as I do in my fic, the one who granted the title. In my fic the commedia names are the titles given to them by the Tsaritsa versus the code names are the names they gave themselves. It gives them distinct different purposes that each tell a story.

So what does canon do to separate the two names? Absolutely nothing. There is no consistency with their usage at all. Like maybe one can argue that one is used by outsiders and the other is used internally. And that would make a degree of sense. All of Childe's Harb voicelines use their code names (in the voiceline title not in the dialogue), Scara calls Pierro the Jester, so does Dottore. But then Scara also calls Dottore well Dottore. And Capitano used Dottore and Scaramouche during the funeral. But Columbina used the Doctor. Then during Zhongli's gnosis hand off Signora calls Childe by his code name but he calls her by her Commedia name in the same scene.

Then lets look at outsiders. Raiden Shogun calls Signora by her Commedia name at the throne room scene, but later in that quest Yae Miko calls Scaramouche only the Balladeer. The Traveler and Paimon seem to flip flop depending on who they are talking about and when. Varka calls Capitano the Captain while singing his praises.

The argument that one name signifies someone is closer to the other falls apart when outsiders also use both names. Unless the voiceline titles are lies, we have Tartaglia calling all the Harbs by their code names, despite the fact that he closer to for example Pulcinella then Signora. And we have Signora using his code name at him to be almost disrespectful while we have Dottore being respectful to Pierro while calling him the Jester... (we also have Scaramouche complaining about Pierro while calling him Jester).

Basically what I'm saying is there isn't remotely any consistency with the name usage of the Harbs names (beyond using their real ones) that tells us anything about them/world building/etc. Or if there is one the game is doing a bad job at clarifying it. And because the code names themselves are pretty generic and don't add anything that isn't already in the Commedia name, why are they even there? I hope one day more information changes my opinion on this, but for the moment they are just unnecessarily confusing.

#genshin impact #fatui harbingers #avem rambling #ok as I said don't take this too seriously #I'm not condemning the game for this there are much more valid things to complain about haha #its just a bit of a pet peeve cause as a writer I'm like what can I analysis these names and learn #and its nothing haha #but yeah we on this discord were talking about how its annoying theres no consistency because as I bring up here we want to use it #like when a harb uses the commedia name does that mean they are closer or more distant from the other harb? idk #like I think the best argument thats been made is that the commedia titles are their 'professional' formal names #but still the usage is all over the place #like a good example of this is at the funeral Columbina calls Dottore Doctor despite the fact that earlier Cap used commedia names #like is it cause they are close #is she insulting him #does she call everyone by their titles who knows #I realize part of this is we don't have enough info about the harbs #which is valid #but I really do feel like at this point the usage of the names amongst outsiders should at least be clear... #tbh ultimately im just annoyed at how boring they are #columbina's is literally just girl cries #i know its been like that since day one with childe aka young lord Signora Lady etc #but still #these are theater kids!