The Traveler is the playable protagonist of Genshin Impact. In the opening cutscene, twin siblings from another world travel through the universe, until Asmoday blocked their path. Their power to travel is sealed, leaving them stranded on Teyvat. They save Paimon by fishing her out of the water and she accompanies them as their new travel companion. Together they set out on a journey to find The Seven and reunite with the Traveler's lost sibling. A traveler from another world who had their only kin taken away, forcing them to embark on a journey to find The Seven. Both siblings have blonde hair, fiery-gold eyes, and pale skin. Aether's hair is a more saturated color and very long. Personality Their personality can range from stoic, confident, humble, and helpful to boastful, lazy, short-tempered, and at times unserious, playful, or humorous. Regardless of the player's choices, the Traveler is generally well-liked by many characters throughout the story. They are, for example, observed by Paimon as not believing the gods are any more worthy of unearned respect than mortal inhabitants of Teyvat. They also are pointedly uninterested in getting involved with each nation's troubles and primarily only concern themselves with finding out their sibling's whereabouts. Their response to Morax's "death" was initially to simply leave, both to avoid suspicion and seemingly a level of apathy considering the circumstances of their arrival on the world. This trend continues into Inazuma, where the Traveler initially denies aid to the rebellion and refuses to take sides, interested only in meeting with the Raiden Shogun. The Traveler is visibly frustrated, not wanting to meddle in the country's affairs or get involved with anyone, even for a task as simple as delivering a letter. Yet despite this hesitation to get involved, they are ultimately a compassionate person, eventually choosing to aid the resistance against the Shogun's injustice after seeing the circumstances of each situation particularly at the prodding of Kamisato Ayaka and Thoma. Later on in Sumeru, they later help free Lesser Lord Kusanali from the sages of the Sumeru Akademiya after learning of her plight. Despite their slight indifference to Teyvat's conflicts, they greatly cherish every bond they create with the people. When talking with Columbina on the Moon they admitted that they see Teyvat as home.[2] Arlecchino also believes that the Traveler is incapable of performing intentionally malevolent acts.[3] However, the Traveler themselves seems to doubt that they're the "hero" that others see them as, to the point of admitting that the reasons for their journey across Teyvat aren't all completely selfless.[4] Despite their compassion, they are ultimately willing to pass judgment on their enemies. The Traveler may optionally threaten to severely injure Lunja's men and bring Trofin Snezhevich to his demise, and are entirely responsible for the destruction of the Tanit tribe. Despite this, they don’t enjoy the idea of killing or making others suffer, trying to end their enemies as painlessly as possible and if there is no other solution. Although they typically remain stoic, the Traveler is capable of great anger whenever their loved ones or innocents are harmed. The Traveler repeatedly demonstrates a willingness to risk themselves to protect others. They are also consistently seen protecting Paimon during moments of danger. The Traveler does not appear to be very talkative, with several people noting that they are not very fond of speaking or starting conversations. Though Shikanoin Heizou once joked about Paimon serving as the Traveler's "voice," the Traveler does indeed prefer having Paimon speak on their behalf. In quests beginning from Song of the Welkin Moon however, the Traveler somewhat begins to become more talkative. The Traveler has a playful and teasing side, especially toward Paimon, whom they often give nicknames that she sometimes dislikes.

Paimon accompanies the Traveler throughout their adventure in Teyvat as their guide. Paimon has a bubbly, outgoing, honest, and somewhat naïve demeanor. As a result, she occasionally comes across as blunt and rude. She is obvious about who she likes and dislikes, often giving "ugly nicknames" to those who annoy her, such as calling Venti the "Tone-Deaf Bard" and Arataki Itto as "Bull Chucker" (although she currently uses these as playful banter). Despite her small stature and sassy nature, Paimon cares for and comforts the people around her, occasionally acting like a big sister, especially toward children. She also shows great enthusiasm for food, rare treasures, and money. Despite occasionally bantering with the Traveler, Paimon is very attached to them and is shown to be fiercely loyal. She always sticks by their side no matter the danger and tries to keep them on their feet, including against overwhelming odds like Archons, the Eleven Fatui Harbingers, or a Sinner. She becomes anxious whenever the Traveler seemingly disappears or is separated from her. She has also revealed that her biggest wish is for the Traveler's wish to come true, and has sworn to stay by their side. Paimon is a petite, bipedal creature with a short stature. She has thick, shoulder-length white hair with soft curls at the ends. Her eyes are dark purple with bright white pupils, and she has light skin.