No, Childe is Definitely Not the Weakest Harbinger
As a passionate Genshin Impact player and researcher myself, I‘m here to definitively say that Childe, despite his #11 ranking, should not be underestimated or called the "weakest" of the Fatui Harbingers.
Childe‘s Backstory: Fallen Child Soldier
Before analyzing Childe‘s skills and power, it‘s important to understand his backstory. As the youngest Harbinger, having joined at 14, he had a pivotal experience falling into the Abyss at a young age.
When he returned to the surface just 3 days later, he had transformed into a ruthless weapon of war. The abyss warped both his mind and fighting capabilities. This traumatic event is key to understanding how the innocent child became the Tsaritsa‘s champion warrior.
| Before Abyss | After Abyss |
|---|---|
| Innocent Child | Weapon of War |
| Normal kid | Hardened Soldier |
| No combat experience | Master fighter |
As you can see, the abyss fundamentally changed Childe. Next let‘s examine his fighting prowess and skills.
Delusion and Vision Make Him Highly Versatile
A key factor in Childe‘s strength is his incredibly versatile fighting style. Why? Because he uniquely wields both a Electro Delusion and Hydro Vision, mastering both advanced weapon and elemental techniques.
Most Fatui only possess one, but Childe has proven mastery over two separate powers. He can manipulate water with grace while also channeling raw electro energy into vicious purple lightning attacks.
This gives him both long range hydro projectiles as well as close quarters electro melee combos. Along with his deadly Foul Legacy Transformation mode, Childe keeps opponents constantly on their toes.
Childe Has Extreme Confidence Even Against Top Harbingers
If facing off against the government‘s deadliest agents, most would be fearful or hesitant. But not Childe.
He brazenly expressed confidence to test himself against ALL Harbingers ranked above him. This shows supreme confidence in his abilities against senior Fatui agents.
Childe doesn‘t seem arrogant though. His desire for combat and constant self-improvement means he genuinely wishes to develop his skills agains the best fighters Snezhnaya has to offer.
But calling out the 4 most powerful Harbingers like this cements his warrior spirit and courage.
Where We Rank Childe Among the Harbingers
So based on all current information, we have ranked Childe against the 10 other Harbingers in terms of well-rounded strength:
| Harbinger | Ranking |
|---|---|
| Pierro | 1 |
| Capitano | 2 |
| Columbina | 3 |
| Childe | 4 |
| Pulcinella | 5 |
As you can see, we put Childe firmly at #4. While the top 3 likely exceed him in certain areas, I strongly believe Childe could defeat the remaining 7 Harbingers in single combat based on current Genshin lore and his performance against enemies so far.
His unique Delusion/Vision versatility paired with battle-hardened aggressiveness from the Abyss make him a force to be reckoned with. And all signs point to Mihoyo further developing Childe‘s backstory and power in future updates.
So in summary, no Childe is definitely NOT weak. Calling him the weakest does a huge disservice to his quick ascent among the ranks of the Fatui inner-circle. Expect even more greatness from everyone‘s favorite foul legacy warrior!
