Without the Archon Quests in Genshin Impact, we wouldn't have much context as to why Teyvat's nations exist the way they do. Some characters and items hint at the world's lore, but they don't compare to the progression of the Archon Quest. That's why every new addition to the Archon Questline — the main questline — in Genshin Impact is well-awaited and precious, mainly because the developers take a while to craft them.

A lot has changed since patch 1.0, and there's more content to cover for new and old players alike. This includes the Archon Questline, which keeps getting better as you go through new regions. There are 16 stories that stand out just for being intense and epic parts of the story.

Updated on November 28, 2023, by Sanyam Jain: The main story is arguably one of the main reasons Genshin Impact keeps having a regular player base, and HoYoverse never disappoints. With Fontaine being the latest addition in Teyvat, the Archon story belonging to this region is arguably the best you've ever seen.

This article contains spoilers for the Archon Questlines throughout.

16 Venti's New Plan

• Number - Prologue: Act II
• Archon Quest - For A Tomorrow Without Tears

Most of the time in Genshin Impact, the bulk of gameplay doesn't involve sneaking. Hence, quests like "Venti's New Plan" are a breath of fresh air. It actually introduced stealth mechanics to the game. You have to sneak inside the Mondstadt Cathedral in order to steal the bard's lyre. It's fiddly at first but nevertheless a welcome deviation from the formula.

Even after many more stories come your way, you'll probably never forget the reason why you had to steal Venti's lyre from his own Cathedral in the first place. When Venti tried to reveal his godhood to one of the sisters so that he could borrow the lyre, he was flatly rejected and told to leave the church. It seems that people from Mondstadt have no idea what the Anemo Archon truly looks like.

15 Rite of Descension

• Number - Chapter I: Act I
• Archon Quest - Of the Land Amidst Monoliths

Rite of Descension marks your first task upon arriving in Liyue where you must seek out Rex Lapis or the Geo Archon, at Venti's instructions. It was supposed to be simple but then the god, in his dragon form, suddenly dies. That was an unexpected twist as soon as the start of the Liyue quest chain, and it definitely veered off from the usual fantasy narrative.

Moreover, the stealth quest that comes afterward is a good complement to the unusual story event. It doesn't help that the Traveler is immediately accused of being the murder suspect of Rex Lapis. You literally just got here.

14 Ending Note

• Number - Prologue: Act III
• Archon Quest - Song Of The Dragon And Freedom

Ending Note is the final main quest in the Mondstadt region and it takes place after you have officially defeated Stormterror Dvalin. Celebrations were well underway and everyone was feeling festive until the Fatui reared their ugly heads.

To be more specific, it was Signora, who was number eight of the Fatui Harbingers. She effortlessly took Venti's Gnosis, practically rendering him powerless as an Archon. For many, this came as a shock since a lot of us thought Venti was going to die. Plus, their verbal exchange was fierce and amusing.

13 The Fond Farewell

• Number - Chapter I: Act III
• Archon Quest - A New Star Approaches

Speaking of Signora taking Gnosis left and right, she was also out to take Rex Lapis.' She was, however, lucky that Rex Lapis, who now goes by Zhongli, was willing to give up his godhood emblem. He could have fought both Signora and Childe for his Gnosis and still won.

In any case, this paints both Signora and the Fatui in a different light. Whereas at the end of the Mondstadt Archon questline, she seemed like the villain, here in the Liyue quest finale, she's merely a prelude of bigger and more ambiguous things in the future. It's quite a revelation.

12 The Floating Palace

• Number - Chapter I: Act III
• Archon Quest - A New Star Approaches

You don't often get to see an optimal and clean bird's eye view of the places in Genshin Impact. Apart from Qingyun Peak, another great place for this scenery is Mt. Tianheng and The Floating Palace quest gives you a better reason to climb up.

That's because the quest is all about getting inside Ningguang's Jade Chamber, which is a floating fortress. The place is majestic and getting there involves lots of quest-related puzzles, as well as some lore dumps that story-hungry fans will surely appreciate.

11 Dishonorable Trial

• Number - Chapter I: Act IV
• Archon Quest - We Will Be Reunited

Act IV is one of the recently added Archon Quests in the game, and it finally progresses the story of the Traveler siblings. More than that, it brings back a recurring character and introduces a new enemy, namely the Abyss Herald.

Apart from those two, a boss character, Boreas, is also involved and is placed in a more vulnerable spot. He became a prisoner of the Abyss Heralds and for a change, you need to save him instead of killing him for some talent upgrade materials.

10 Heart Of Glaze

• Number - Chapter I: Act III
• Archon Quest - A New Star Approaches

Since Genshin Impact is an anime game, it can't help but include some anime tropes, such as that one quirky close friend that will eventually betray you. That friend was Childe Tartaglia in the Liyue questline. You get to fight him in the Heart of Glaze quest.

He eventually revealed himself to be a psychotic power player who's hellbent on drawing out Rex Lapis for a duel, releasing the god's old enemies as a trap, thus endangering all of Liyue. So, you as the Traveler confront him, tears welling up in your grimaced face and your hand grasping that dull blade with seething rage.

9 A Long Shot

• Number - Prologue: Act III
• Archon Quest - Song Of The Dragon And Freedom

Childe's quest-related boss fight might be dramatic and all, but it's not as epic as fighting a dragon on its home turf. A Long Shot is one of the most exhilarating quests in the game as it's all about fighting Stormterror Dvalin.

The fight has two parts, both of which are an adrenaline rush. The first part involves dancing with Dvalin in the skies in a fantasy dogfight. The second is the usual battle with him in his lair, available for replay in the world as a weekly challenge.

8 Turning Point

• Number - Chapter I: Act III
• Archon Quest - A New Star Approaches

Dvalin might be awesome but Rex Lapis' old enemies, such as Osial, are more biblical in scale. Hence, fighting with this Archon-level creature requires the effort of several Adepti and Vision-users in Liyue, with your help as the Traveler, of course.

Needless to say, the Turning Point quest is still the most mythical battle ever in Genshin Impact. The stakes were monumental and you couldn't have done it yourself, unlike in the Dvalin fight. Heck, even Ningguang had to sacrifice her life's work (the Jade Chamber) to imprison Osial. The whole fight was nothing short of breathtaking.

7 A Soul Set Apart

• Number - Chapter I: Act IV
• Archon Quest - We Will Be Reunited

Speaking of even more anime-style betrayals, A Soul Set Apart ups that ante because it officially makes your in-game twin a villain. That's one of the biggest twists the game has on offer and the reveal was climactic as ever.

The quest was also the whole package and had a good balance of difficulty, interactivity, and exposition to be captivating enough. It would probably still be good even if it was just a cutscene of your twin (Aether/Lumine) leaving you behind for the Abyss. It's like Naruto vs. Sasuke all over again.

6 The Omnipresent God

• Number - Chapter II: Act III
• Archon Quest - Omnipresence Over Mortals

No other Genshin Impact moment can be as shocking as this one. La Signora was turned into a pile of ashes after the Traveler beat her in a duel before the throne. The Raiden Shogun allowed the Traveler to walk out of Tenshukaku alive, then briefly changed her mind. She decided that exceptions are the enemy of eternity, thus, the Traveler must meet the same fate as Signora.

The traveler was almost turned into minced meat by the Raiden Shogun, but moments before that could happen, Kazuha came to the rescue. The Musou No Hitotachi, for the first time in the recorded history of Teyvat, was parried by Kazuha with the use of not one, but two visions. In short, a variety of shocking things happened in this chapter of the Archon Quest, and it's going to be impossible for you to forget the one who dared to brave the lightning's glow.

5 The End of the Subzeruz Festival

• Number - Chapter III: Act II
• Archon Quest - The Morn a Thousand Roses Brings

Just how many dreams can you have until you realize it isn't a dream? Maybe when your life force is gradually weakened, and you have memories you aren't supposed to have. This chapter of the Archon Quest proved that the pursuit of knowledge is the priority of the Sumeru Akademiya, even if it means experimenting on its own citizens.

Even more surprising is the treatment of the current God of Dendro, Lesser Lord Kusanali (Nahida), by the Sumeru Akademiya. She was often compared to her predecessor, and because she was a younger god who had less experience and knowledge, the Akademiya looked down upon her. You were accustomed to gods being revered in other nations, even if they've done terrible things — so nothing could've prepared you from the cruelty that the Akademiya directed towards their own archon.

4 Jnagarbha Day

• Number - Chapter III: Act V
• Archon Quest - Akasha Pulses, the Kalpa Flame Rises

It takes a nation to build and destroy a false god. Act III of Sumeru's Archon Quest reached its crescendo when it was revealed that the Akademiya created a false god to replace Lesser Lord Kusanali in collaboration with two Fatui Harbingers, Scaramouche and Il Dottore. Alhaitham devised a plan to save Lesser Lord Kusanali from captivity by the Akademiya.

If not the epic boss fight with Scaramouche, you most likely remember this Archon Quest chapter because of Alhaitham's Grammy-winning cutscene. He deceived Grand Sage Azar by falsely consuming canned knowledge. For a self-professed "feeble scholar", Alhaitham was able to overthrow Sumeru's corrupt government and its Scribes, toil the Fatui's plans, and band together with the Traveler and the Sumeru cast to save the Dendro Archon.

3 Lies Cast Shadows Under Gathered Lights

• Number - Chapter IV: Act I
• Archon Quest - Prelude of Blancheur and Noirceur

Fontaine's story is nothing short of theatrical. Upon arriving at the port, you're immediately greeted by Furina, the Hydro Archon herself—who contrived an arbitrary excuse to get the Traveler under trial in the Opera Epiclese. Luckily, Lyney came to the Traveler's rescue and offered a ticket to his magic show with his twin, Lynette. You've met new faces and even encountered some old friends along the way.

But the Traveler is a magnet for drama, and Lyney's magic show shortly turned into a sinister murder mystery. With the Traveler and Paimon's sleuthing and Navia's great deduction, you got to solving not just one, but two murder mysteries in one go.

2 When All Returns to the Water

• Number - Chapter IV: Act II
• Archon Quest - As the Rain Falls Without Reason

Lyney and Lynette were proven innocent, but their background proved to be darker than expected. But not all mysteries have been wrapped up, and The Serial Disappearances of Young Women Case that happened two decades ago in Fontaine remained unanswered. The Traveler and Navia go on another hunt for the criminal who dissolved Fontaine's women with water from the Primordial Sea. The culprit was also theorized to be the killer of Navia's father.

While the Traveler was looking for clues, Childe was accused of being the mastermind behind the case. Navia interjected to defend Childe, and charged her uncle, Marcel, as the culprit behind the case. The results of the trial, as well as the judgment of the Oratrice Mechanique d'Analyse Cardinale are shocking.

1 The Opera of Noirceur and Blancheur

• Number - Chapter IV: Act V
• Archon Quest - Masquerade Of The Guilty

You did countless trials, and countless judgments came from the Oratrice Mechanique d'Analyse Cardinale. However, the end of Fontaine's Archon Quest is something nobody expected. The death sentence is given to the Hydro Archon, Furina, but Neuvillette and Traveler are pulled into a different realm just before its execution.

Here, you learn that the Archon Focalors has been hiding inside the Oractrice for 500 years while her human counterpart, Furina, has been playing a role along. All of this with one goal in mind, to deceive the entire world and the Heavenly Principles and execute the Hydro Archon with their throne. For the first time, you witness an Archon's death in Genshin Impact, and for the first time, you see the power being returned to a Primordial Dragon.