Genshin Impact fans were treated to a sneak peek of the newest character coming to the open-world game, Kaedehara Kazuha. Developer Mihoyo revealed a bunch of information about the newest sword-wielding hero, including a trailer discussing his troubled past and showing off his combat style.
In a post to the game's official website, Mihoyo offered a deep-dive into the "Ronin from Inazuma". Kazuha is described as a gentle soul who enjoys reciting poetry and leisurely conversation. In fact, anyone who meets the young man would be inclined to think he is just a trainee sailor with the Crux fleet. However, under this calm demeanor lies the heart of a warrior. His softness in conversation hides the fact that Kazuha is one of the deadliest and most-wanted swordsman throughout Inazuma.
In combat, Kazuha is best utilized as a support character to boost party damage. As an Anemo character with the Acer Palmatum Constellation, he can easily buff the damage the rest of the party is doing to any enemy in their way. By activating Swirl, Kazuha can further buff his teammates with an additional Elemental Damage Bonus for their corresponding Element.
Of course, as one of the deadliest warriors in the land, Kazuha can do a lot of damage with his blade. His Kazuha Slash is a signature attack that unleashes a strike with the force of the Autumn winds behind it. This attack deals AoE Anemo damage while leaving behind a field called "Autumn Whirlwind" that will periodically damage any enemy in range. His Plunging Attack, Midare Ranzan, can also draw enemies close and deal additional damage.
These strong attacks that utilize the wind further emphasize Kazuha's connection to maple leaves. After all, the name Kaedehara roughly translates to "maple tree forest" and his tagline is "Scarlet Leaves Pursue Wild Waves". As a warrior roaming the lands and looking to escape his past, this connection to maple leaves plays out beautifully as he is also a traveling "leaf" on the wind, going wherever the world takes him.
Mihoyo also revealed that Kazuha would be voiced by Mark Whitten in English and Shimazaki Nobunaga in Japanese. Unfortunately, the date for Kazuha's arrival in the game is still unconfirmed. Though, if Genshin Impact follows previous update patterns he may be showing up in the coming weeks. Until then, players can ponder over all this new information and plan how to incorporate this newest hero into their party.