No, Heizou is not taller than Xiao

As a long-time Genshin Impact player and content creator, I‘ve been eagerly awaiting each new character reveal. And when the young detective Heizou was first teased, many fans wondered – will this new Anemo user claim the title of "shortest adult male character" from Xiao?

Well friends, the early model leaks are in, and it seems our brooding adeptus vigilante can keep his diminutive crown…for now.

Xiao: 2000-Year-Old Yaksha Turned Liyue Guardian

First, let‘s recap on Xiao. The spear-wielding adeptus is known to be over 2000 years old, originating as one of the five Yaksha adepti warriors who battled gods and demons in ancient times. Now with his comrades fallen, Xiao remains as the sole surviving Yaksha, continuing his vigil over Liyue Harbor under Morax‘s rule.

In terms of appearance, Xiao takes on a young male form, estimated to be in his late teens. And based on datamined content, he stands at around 5‘2" (157 cm) – earning him affectionate fan nicknames like "short king" or "pixie warrior."

For many veteran players like myself, Xiao‘s design and lore combined with his high-flying Burst stance combat style makes him a fan favorite. And that gives his title as shortest adult male character some interesting meaning.

Introducing Heizou: Teenage Detective Prodigy

Now let‘s talk about our newcomer. Shikanoin Heizou is an 18-year old prodigy hailing from Inazuma‘s Tenryou Commission. Though born to an aristocratic family, Heizou carves his own path by founding and leading an investigation team to solve various mysteries.

In terms of design, Heizou joins several other young adult male characters by utilizing Genshin‘s "teenage" model. This had some early fans speculating if he would match or possibly even stand shorter than Xiao‘s height.

And based on recently leaked models, we have confirmation – Heizou is estimated to be around 5‘1" (155 cm) tall, barely edging out Xiao for the shortest young male character spot.

Updated Height Rankings

To put the measurements in context, here is an updated list of shortest to tallest male characters by their estimated heights:

As you can see, Heizou just barely clocks in under Xiao in the current roster.

What Does This Mean for Our Two Anemo Fighters?

With these fresh leaks, what new insights can we gather about these two characters? As an avid fan myself, a few thoughts:

Xiao‘s Era of Being the Smallest Continues

For those of us who have proudly rocked Xiao as our main DPS since his original launch banner, Heizou‘s arrival may have caused some concern about our boy losing his claim to fame. Fortunately, it seems Xiao can retain both his title as shortest adult male along with his fierce combat prowess for now.

However, with more characters continuously being added, Hoyoverse may eventually introduce someone to steal the crown. But will they powercreep our Yaksha warrior at the same time? As a devoted Xiao main, I sure hope not!

Heizou Carves His Own Path

Meanwhile,Heizou entering as the new shortest male says something about forging your own identity. Despite his wealthy upbringing, Heizou notably rejects the clan‘s politics and pursues his own path as an investigator helping common folk.

Similarly by claiming the lowest height spot, I believe Heizou further separates himself from other teenagers like razor-focused Ayato and the very tall Itto. Loveable oddballs like Heizou hopefully continue to find appreciation in the roster.

Size ≠ Strength…Usually

Lastly, this comparison highlights the common theme in anime and gaming of big power coming in small packages. Despite being the two shortest young adult males, both Xiao and Heizou boast incredible talents – the former as a battle-tested warrior and the latter as a detective prodigy.

Personally, that contrast between their petite sizes and formidable capabilities makes them even more exciting to utilize in battle and exploration!

Of course as my fellow Genshin vets know, there are exceptions where size does matter…I‘m looking at you Arataki Itto and your massive Oni club!

But for most characters, their appearance rarely limits their potential for those willing to invest in them.

The Short Kings Stand Strong…For Now

So for today based the best available information, it seems our dear Xiao can maintain his claim as shortest adult male – though now closely matched by the FRESHLY debuted Heizou. Detective besting demon-hunter may still be an unlikely match-up in the near future.

Yet as Teyvat continues expanding, who knows if another pint-sized challenger may surface down the line. But we‘ll be ready for them when they do!

For now, rest assured that the short king era persists. My fellow Xiao mains can keep our crown for the foreseeable future as Heizou carves his own niche.

That wraps this height showdown analysis. Let me know which short king you‘ll be backing in the comments, and stay tuned for more Genshin insights!