Does Raiden Shogun have a child?
Yes, Scaramouche known as "Balladeer" of the Fatui Harbingers is considered to be Raiden Shogun‘s child in a sense, as she created him to be a vessel for containing a Gnosis before deeming him a failed creation and discarding him. Their strained relationship and his secret schemes for revenge will likely shape Inazuma‘s future.
As an avid Genshin Impact player and content creator, I‘ve done some deep diving into the lore behind these two fascinating characters. Read on for the full scoop!
Scaramouche‘s Mysterious Origins
Scaramouche was created by Raiden Shogun hundreds of years ago during the Inazuma‘s "Divine Gaze Era" as an experiment to test designs for an indestructible puppet vessel to contain a Gnosis.
According to the Pale Flame artifact lore:
He was born with a face fairer than any other, destined to a long life and a hollow will.
He was a prototype that shouldn‘t have been born — emptied on the inside to hold a gnosis, with no soul or face of his own.
As a soulless construct intended to hold and protect a Gnosis at all costs, Scaramouche had no will or ambition of his own. But Raiden Shogun ultimately scrapped the project, deeming him and his fellow prototypes failures not worth the ongoing investment of her time or resources.
So what went wrong?
Some theorize defects in Scaramouche‘s design prevented a Gnosis from properly bonding with his vessel body. Others believe Shogun considered indestructible Gnosis vessels too dangerous if they fell into the wrong hands and could not be destroyed.
Regardless of the exact reason, he found himself discarded by his creator – despite being "born" for the sole purpose of housing one of Inazuma‘s most treasured artifacts.
Driven by Rejection
After Shogun rejected her creation, the spark of resentment over having no control in his fate triggered an awakening of Scaramouche‘s innate desire for self-determination. The prototype doll was now determined to forge his own destiny outside of Shogun‘s plans.
As described in his Fatui character details:
Abandoned by his master, with no clear life goal, he now leads a gang of mercenaries… But perhaps due to his background as a vessel created solely to house the gnosis, the feeling that he lacks self-agency gnaws at him to this day.
The key takeaway – Scaramouche deeply resents being reduced to nothing more than empty vessel only to be tossed aside when deemed useless.
His inability to come to terms with lacking control over his fate continues to torment him. Combine this animosity towards Raiden and existential angst towards his origins with his cunning intellect, and you have the recipe for a formidable antagonist capable of great chaos.
Schemes of Vengeance
Scaramouche has drifted from one mercenary group to another in the centuries since his abandonment, selling his potent combat skills to the highest bidder while searching for his life‘s purpose. He eventually found an ideological home and elevated status among the Fatui Harbingers, adopting the codename Balladeer.
The Fatui seem keenly interested in further developing Scaramouche‘s vessel design to advance their own secret motives regarding harnessing the power of the Gnosis. Rumors also swirl that they play a role in fueling his desire for vengeance against the Raiden Shogun.
In his new role among their ranks, Scaramouche appears positioned to play a key part in the Fatui‘s schemes within Inazuma. And given his origins, settling the score Shogun likely ranks high on list of priorities.
I anticipate his intricate plans for chaos and technological terror meshing with Fatui objectives for the Gnosis will spark epic battles destined to shape Inazuma‘s landscape and power structure for ages to come!
The Road Ahead…
While many mysteries still cloud Scaramouche’s history along with his future plans and motivations, three keyfacts are abundantly clear about this dangerous yet tragic figure:
Fact #1: Raiden Shogun created him to permanently contain one of her nation‘s most precious artifacts
Fact #2: She rejected him when his design seemingly failed to meet her standards
Fact #3: The lingering sting of following his destiny only to have it ripped away still burns hot within Scaramouche centuries later.
With his cunning elevated by Harbinger status and hunger for vengeance implicitly targeting Raiden Shogun fueled by deep-rooted angst, I have little doubt that Inazuma has only begun to taste the chaos and mayhem Scaramouche will unleash in the coming days.
Stay tuned here to my blog for more coverage of this twisted “mother and son” saga as the story continues to unfold!
