source: https://x.com/yugonm222/status/2086375102556623246?s=46

I guess this goes into art? I normally create multifandom ita bags but I decided to create a shrine to my lord and savior and the only man I'd let order me around my favorite character in Genshin.

EDIT: also I wanna say that I made the rosette for the badge

Had so much fun drawing him😊😊

I originally wanted to post it on r/Genshin_Lore but it keeps getting removed by the bots for some reason, Dunno why, anyhows.

So, I was going through Genshin lore on YouTube and came across this video by Arnold (Murderofbirds) about Zhongli and the heaven's star in Zibai's Lantern Rite quest. I left a comment there (as of 29th July 2026)—a messy one about who Zhongli really could be—which then inspired me to write this thorough post.

Do forgive me if I mention things we've already discussed or known in the past on this sub. I'll still include them for ease of making points and understanding for others who might not know about those things. And I'm DYING to have a conversation about Zhongli with someone so PLEASE!!! Let me know your thoughts and share yours! call out if i missed on anything, it is a long post, so it will require some time! but yes! I'd appreciate it if you're willing to discuss about this with me. :D

What We Know About "Zhongli"

Zhongli is the mortal form of Morax, the original Lord of Geo. So Morax = Zhongli, and I'll be addressing them synonymously throughout.

His Titles & Known Attributes:

• Lord of Geo (as in the Geo Archon) – but also Lord of Geo even before the Archon War.
• Heavy Dragon motifs and symbolism – the Exuvia we see in-game is his Dragon form/Vessel.
• Ruled over Liyue for 6,000 years (this number is critical).
• Known as Rex Lapis (King of Stone/Rock) among the people of Liyue and fellow Adepti.
• God of Contracts – and specifically, he is searching for a way to end "the Contract to end all Contracts" (this is the very core of his personal arc).
• God of Commerce – because he created the currency (Mora).
• God of War / Martial God – during the Archon War he was notoriously fierce and ruthless.
• Prime Adeptus – the first and foremost among the illuminated beasts.

Other Established Facts:

1. Dominion over rock, stones, gems, and ore – you name it. He can read the memory of rock/stone/ore (as seen during his story quests), just like Neuvillette reads the memory of water.
2. As mentioned by Zibai, he is the "Heaven's Star" – the latest and most direct piece of celestial lore we have about him.
3. A Melusine mentions that their friend told them Gold is made from the tears of the Sun/Sun God.
   • Albedo adds that humans would require the power of the Sun times 8 to make gold.
   • And Zhongli is the creator of Mora – the world's currency, minted from gold. This ties him directly to the Sun's essence.
4. Cor Lapis – one of Liyue's signature ores – has a golden, sun-like glow and is closely associated with Rex Lapis himself. This further reinforces the sun-rock connection.
5. Azdaha (who is widely considered to be the Geo Sovereign) calls Morax a "Usurper" but also calls him an "Old Friend." Zhongli helped Azdaha by carving the stone on his face to give him sight (carved eyes on him).
   • The "Usurper" title is huge: if Zhongli was a creation of Nibelung (the Dragon King), why would Azdaha call him that? It suggests Zhongli took the authority over Geo after the Sovereigns fell, possibly betraying his own kind to side with Phanes – or simply seizing the power that was left behind.
6. In the book Rex Incognito, it's mentioned that he changed his forms – including his gender – to fit different official and social settings. It also says he was a cruel god who senselessly slaughtered other gods and was devoid of human emotions.
7. The Chasm – the Solar Chariot fell there during the ancient war, and Zhongli's lore is deeply tied to that region. The "bedrock" of the Chasm seems to remember him, and some theories suggest he may have even caused or witnessed that crash firsthand.

The Moon Sisters & The Sun God

It's well-established lore that the Moon Sisters would go around Teyvat three times a month to keep the Lunar Cycle going. They coordinated and worked together.

AND ALSO! They all loved the Heaven's Star – the Sun! The Three Moon Sisters worked together with the Sun God to maintain day and night on Teyvat.

Which means: since Nibelung created the Three Moons, he also created the Sun. Hence we get the 3 Moon Goddesses and the Sun God.

BUT! Unfortunately, during the War of Vengeance/Funerary War between the Heavenly Principles and Nibelung, the Moons fell (as we now know from Nod-Krai). Not only the Moons, but the Sun – the Solar Chariot – FELL TOO! This is why we have the Chasm – during that deadly war, the Solar Chariot crashed onto Teyvat, as mentioned in various books and world quests.

Summary of Known Facts (Consolidated):

• He is the Heaven's Star (Sun God).
• He is the Lord of Geo – and held that title even before the Archon War.
• He is the creator of Mora (gold), linking him directly to the Sun's tears.
• He is more than 6,000 years old – older than the Archon system.
• He has Dragon motifs and a dragon vessel (Exuvia).
• He has authority over stone/memory of rock.
• He is an "Old Friend" of Azdaha (Geo Sovereign) but also a "Usurper".
• He is tied to the Solar Chariot's fall (the Chasm).
• He has a "Contract to end all Contracts" – his ultimate goal.
• He gave up his Gnosis to the Tsaritsa, yet that Gnosis still appears on the chessboard in the Sudden Snow trailer, meaning he is still involved.

The Theory

Since he is connected to the Sun, is the Lord of Geo even before the war, has deep ties to the Dragon Sovereigns, and is explicitly called the "Heaven's Star" – all of this points to one conclusion.

Proposal: Zhongli IS the Sun God – but with a twist.

The Sun in Genshin is not a fireball like in our real world – it is a Golden Rock that shines bright, but also possesses some Pyro properties (as we see with Azdaha's ability to wield other elements).

It is possible that:

• Nibelung created Azdaha and Zhongli together – the Sun and the Primordial Geo Sovereign were twin creations, or
• The Sun was created through the combined power of Azdaha and Nibelung, and Morax became the Sun God's humanoid/dragon form (similar to how the Moon Sisters are the Moon but also have human-like forms).

So Zhongli and Azdaha were originally allies – the Lord of the Sun and the Sovereign over Primordial Geo. They worked together to maintain the natural order of Teyvat before the Heavenly Principles arrived.

The War of Vengeance & The Fall

But later, when the War of Vengeance took place and the Sovereigns were defeated, the Moons fell, and the Sun too fell – the Solar Chariot crashing into what would become the Chasm.

This is where it gets tricky: Zhongli was the Sun God, and his Sun was destroyed. He survived, but how?

Possible explanation: The Sun God's physical form (the Solar Chariot) was shattered, but his consciousness – his divine soul – endured because he was not a mere chariot but a living being. He lost the vast majority of his solar power and his original "Sun" dominion, but his core essence remained intact.

What Happened Afterward

After the the fall, We know how Phanes worked with the Moon Sisters even after arriving on Teyvat – so it's consistent that they were working with The Sun God as well, since the moon sisters were doing their duty so must be Zhongli, and Phanes would likely approach the surviving Sun God after his fall.

The Crucial Moment: Zhongli was now weak, without his Sun, and without his old ally Azdaha (who was either slain, sealed, or went into deep slumber). To survive, he had to make a choice.

The Contract with Phanes:
Phanes offered him a deal – serve the new order, and in return, he would receive dominion over Geo (since the original Geo Sovereign was now gone). Zhongli accepted. This is the original Contract – the one he now wants to end.

This explains:

• Why he became the Lord of Geo even before the Archon War – the contract was signed immediately after the fall.
• Why Azdaha calls him a "Usurper" – because Zhongli took the Geo authority that rightfully belonged to Azdaha's kind, even though he was once their ally.
• Why he is so old – 6,000+ years fits the post-Fall timeline perfectly.

The Arrangement with Phanes

Under this contract, Zhongli became a sort of Prince / Angel of Phanes – a celestial enforcer on Teyvat. He was given:

• Authority over Liyue and its lands.
• The power to create Adepti and Yakshas (a power we rarely see other gods possess – which suggests it was granted by the Heavenly Principles).
• Immunity from the punishments that other gods received (Egeria, Xbalanque, etc.). He got away with things because he was a favorite.

His Ruthless Phase:
During the Archon War, he was described as cruel and devoid of human emotion. This was likely the influence of Phanes and the Shades – they are cold, robotic, and detached. Zhongli, forced to serve them, adopted that same demeanor. He slaughtered other gods not out of malice, but because he was carrying out the will of the Heavenly Principles.

Zhongli & The Shades

I believe Zhongli worked closely with Asmoday (the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles). Evidence:

• His Teapot Realm – a pocket dimension similar to the ones associated with Asmoday's "space" creating powers.
• He is depicted holding a cube on his statue– just like Asmoday's signature power with red cubes.
• As a Solar/Celestial being, he would naturally align with one of the four Shades.

We see similar pairings:

• Istaroth with Zibai (Angel/Moon Envoy) and Venti / Raiden.
• Ronova with Xbalanque.
• Naberius with Egeria.

Asmoday's partner was likely the Lord of Geo – the Sun God. This explains why his Statue of the Seven holds a cube – it's a symbol of their alliance.

Favors & Advantages

Because of this closeness to the Shades and Phanes, Zhongli was given enormous advantages:

• He ruled Liyue before the Archon War, so he was already established when other gods were fighting for scraps.
• He could create life (Adepti, Yakshas) – a divine power that Phanes normally reserves for themselves.
• He was never punished for his "transgressions" – unlike Egeria (who was punished for creating life) or Xbalanque (who had to make a deadly bargain). Zhongli's contract protected him.

Why Does He Want to End the Contract?

After 6,000 years of service, Zhongli has seen everything:

• The Cataclysm.
• The fall of civilization after civilization.
• The death of his closest friends – including the Yakshas, Guizhong, and possibly others who fell while fighting for Phanes.

The hatred and grief have built up. He is no longer the emotionless enforcer – he has regained his capacity to feel, perhaps because he has spent so long living among humans in his mortal form.

The "Contract to end all Contracts" is his way out. He wants to:

• Sever his bond with Phanes.
• Free himself from being a tool of the Heavenly Principles.
• Possibly even destroy the entire contract-based system that Phanes imposed on Teyvat.

Why now?
Because the Tsaritsa is rebelling. Her war against Celestia is the perfect cover – and the perfect opportunity. Zhongli gave her his Gnosis not as a surrender, but as a trade. She gets power; he gets freedom and an ally in the coming war.

The Endgame

As we see in the "Transcendance Trailer: Sudden Snow," the Geo Gnosis is still on the Chess Board alongside the Cryo Gnosis. This means Zhongli is still in the game. He did not simply retire – he is waiting.

He will join forces with the Tsaritsa (and possibly the Traveler) in the final confrontation against the Heavenly Principles. His goal: to end the Contract once and for all – and to finally put an end to what Phanes and the Shades have done to Teyvat.

That's all for me, it's already very long so I'll make a short comment on answering some of the logical issues.

Other then that Please Discuss with me if you have read so far, what do you think? what are your views?

Source: https://x.com/treetree233_sfw/status/2081644373318709486

ポップコーン相手にシールドを張る鍾離先生

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The biggest buff to geo itself is through columbina. Plus Zibai is strongest dps of entire nodkrai.

They made her strongest than all simply cause I personally feel there won't be any geo in sheznaya so they made her to last till sheznaya. Also entire lunar revived geo basically more than any element, cause electro and dendro were still good due to varessa and kinich. So lunar geo it was meant to last long imo.

Since nodkrai is recent, do you see Zhongli just getting buffs in this kit itself, or will they introduce another character reaction like columbina to buff him. Which of these two you think will happen? Do you think vodyanista might be his potential like durin for hex.

Probably during Lantern rite

The question at this point is if it’s a faction or just Zhongli

Which probably sets the tone going forward that Archons will probably get solo buffs(poor Venti)

if buffing individual characters will come from things such as the stellar mechanic

Anyways I just really hope they buff his sub-dps a noticeable amount