Is Venti the weakest Archon? Let‘s blow this debate wide open
As a Genshin Impact superfan who has analyzed every scrap of lore and gameplay related to the Seven Archons, I can definitively say that Venti is currently the weakest of the Archons in terms of raw power. However, there‘s a lot more nuance to divine strength than most fans acknowledge. Venti‘s so-called weakness has more to do with his personality and disdain for ruling than inadequate abilities. As the god of freedom, Venti resists easy categorization among blowhards like Rex Lapis and the Tsaritsa.
Let‘s get into the stormy debate around this flyaway Archon‘s capabilities, why he gets underestimated, and how the airs could shift in Venti‘s favor once again…
Why do many view Venti as the weakest Archon?
Venti has unquestionably lost a big chunk of his mojo recently thanks to Signora snatching his Gnosis during the whole Dvalin crisis. For those newer fans, Gnoses are the sparkling diamond-like sources of Archons‘ divine Burst powers and connection to Celestia. So losing his Gnosis definitely defanged Venti‘s offensive abilities and immortality to some degree.
But let‘s go deeper on factors that feed the idea of Venti being an Archon pushover:
He governing style: Unlike the iron-fisted, everlasting contracts of Rex Lapis or the Fatui‘s fanatical worship of the Tsaritsa, Venti has always encouraged Mondstadt‘s independence and right to freely blow wherever the wind wills. That airy-fairy approach means less direct power fueling Barbatos from nationwide worship compared to other Archons.
Perceived weakness: The fact that Signora was able to seal Venti‘s powers and casually kick him around clearly exposed some vulnerability, despite Venti‘s attempts to seem unfazed. Signora even mocked his bargaining skills compared to Zhongli‘s calculated Gnosis-for-protection trade.
Inattention to threats: Venti slumbering for centuries and being caught off-guard by both Dvalin‘s corruption and the Fatui infiltration makes him seem oblivious or negligent regarding threats to his city compared to Liyue‘s vigilant adepti guardians.
Archon War glory days: As the last two original Seven still standing from the cataclysmic Archon War, both Barbatos and Morax shaped nations from bloody chaos. But when your buddy is the prime adeptus throwing islands around like frisbees and you get winded gliding to Starsnatch Cliff… well it shapes perceptions, let‘s say.
So while Venti still commands fearsome Anemo powers and primordial wisdom, he allows the assumption of weakness to persist thanks to policy choices, recent humiliation, and lax leadership. It raises the question – did he rely on deception or masking his true capabilities to survive the cutthroat Archon War?
Were the original Anemo Archons truly stronger than Barbatos?
As the first victor of that tectonic Archon clash 2000 years ago, how did Venti‘s powers compare back in the day? Well, he managed to defeat Decarabian, the previous Anemo Archon who ruthlessly ruled Old Mondstadt underneath a winding fortress.
Folks speculate that Decarabian had skills similar to Xiao‘s karma-powered plunges that manifested as inescapable cyclones around Old Mondstadt. Perhaps young Barbatos utilized dragon‘s bane bolts via a unique bow to take down towers and guards before facing Decarabian directly. Their fateful duel may have involved epic tornado wrestling!
In terms of other great powers, Andrius the wolf king could have surpassed Venti before succumbing to erosion. The dragon sovereign probably had the edge statwise over most Archons too.
Among the original Seven though, Venti seemed middle of the pack after he slayed Decarabian. He likely did not exceed prime chief god Sumeru‘s wisdom or the Hydro sovereign using genuine leviathan powers. I theorize the Tsaritsa and Dendro Archon were not cataclysm-level heavy hitters back then either based on historical nuggets. So Venti sits firmly in the middle as a crafty upstart who punched above his weight class!
Could Barbatos reclaim his Archon mojo?
While Venti is certainly diminished, he‘s got opportunity and time potential on his side. My expert take is that Barbatos could rise near or even above his OG Archon War strength again given these factors:
Gnosis Retrieval – If Barbatos recovered his Gnosis he would instantly regain a font of divine power. I theorize he may have squirreled a Gnosis fake or amplifier in the city as contingency.
City Worship – If a crisis inspires Mondstadt to directly worship him again via prayer, ritual song, dance and offerings, Venti‘s authority would swell once more. That was likely his OG power source before growing complacent on wine and naps!
Signature Weapon Awakening – We haven‘t seen Venti‘s true godly weapon. What if he manifested Andrius‘ fangs as a bow again? Or a fresh wind glider for aerial archery supremacy? Venti + bow + augmented Anemo damage could equal deleting enemies!
Delusion Deception – What if Venti requested and secretly obtained a Delusion from his old friend Tsaritsa to temporarily access amplified Cryo or Electro powers? Next time Signora shows up she might catch thousand years of frostbite fury!
While lazy, careless and a glutton for mocking, all available lore and quest dialogue indicates Venti is still a wily one. He acts the fool, but recall how fast he solved Dvalin‘s corruption via holy song magic. What other powers or artifacts has he squirrelled away for surprise turnabouts? As a being as old as the land itself, only a fool would underestimate Venti‘s options and cunning when pressed.
The Anemo Archon‘s diminishment serves as cunning character development and strategic narrative misdirection for Mihoyo. By downplaying Venti‘s capabilities early on, it sets up an amazing underdog-to- Phenomenal Cosmic Power comeback story down the road! This wandering bard still has a few encores left to astonish Teyvat and readers!
Conclusion: When freedom itself blows as a furious tempest, no contracts or delusions can stand!
To conclude my manifesto on this tricky topic – Yes, Venti is clearly the weakest current Archon in terms of measurable divine strength and governance over Mondstadt. Losing his Gnosis, avoiding direct worship and possessing less raw ambition than the Tsaritsa or Rex Lapis puts him at an undeniable celestial disadvantage among The Seven.
However, the critical caveat remains that Venti is immortal, operates via scoundrel logic we can‘t comprehend and cultivates that harmless drunk act for multiple sneaky agendas.
As my extensive research shows, his full power could exceed the oldest Archons under the right conditions. Just you wait – when Mondstadt faces it‘s next Calamity and rallies once again under the temples of The Seven Winds, Venti may unveil the tempestuous true form that seized Anemo‘s crown 2000 years past!
For diehard lore junkies like myself the key remains – do not sleep on this ancient sly fox! The god of freedom bides his time and conceals his tricks amidst trivialities until the moment for soaring symphonies arrives. Soon Celestia shall tremble as the second movement crescendos into operatic extremes! Mark my words…
