Whether you're one of the lucky ones who got Xiao or not and whether you spent thousands of dollars trying to win him in a digital gambling game of Genshin Impact, there's no doubt that he's one of the hottest characters right now. Hot as in, highly sought after because of his stats, and maybe other reasons for those "simping" on him.
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Anyway, Xiao is a top DPS character right up there with Diluc, Ganyu, Childe, and Klee. As one of the newest additions in the DPS pool for Genshin Impact, it's high time Xiao is introduced properly. Turns out the quiet and secretive Adepti has, well, a lot of secrets. So to appreciate (or desire) him better, here are some lesser-known facts about Genshin Impact's resident pogo stick.
10 He Requires The Same Flower As Ganyu
It was a rather huge dilemma in Genshin Impact's player base whether to prepare for Xiao or Ganyu. That's because both of these characters use the same flower which is the Qingxin flower, for ascension. It just so happens that obtaining those is borderline insanity since they're all situated on mountaintops.
To makes matters worse, their banners succeed each other, meaning players who had Ganyu probably didn't have anymore Qingxin flower stocks for Xiao. Still, it makes sense for them to share the flower lore-wise. After all, Xiao is Ganyu's mentor and both of them are Adepti.
9 His Height Is 5'2"
Despite being one of the most powerful Adepti in Genshin Impact, Xiao isn't exactly blessed with vertical advantage. For some reason, his character model uses that of a teenage male in Genshin Impact, making him the same height as the teenage models.
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That puts him at around 5'2" but it's clear that in a game like Genshin Impact, a character's physical traits don't signify their capabilities. Xiao's height certainly didn't affect his fighting skills. The spear likely helped big time.
8 His Yaksha Name Is Alatus
One can't rightfully call themselves a Xiao "stan" or "simp" if they don't know his real name. Xiao was merely a moniker granted to him after he was rescued by a god. His other more formal name for his Yaksha designation is Alatus.
Alatus is also a constellation in Genshin Impact and in Latin, it means "winged." Seeing Xiao's playstyle and general mobility, it's a fitting name for him though he probably doesn't like being called as such. Too many bad memories as a Yaksha.
7 He's Over 2,000 Years Of Age
Speaking of bad memories, Xiao has more than thousands of years' worth of them. That's because as an Adepti, he ages differently and was estimated to be more than 2,000-years-old. Someone who has lived that long despite the occupational hazards is undoubtedly one of the best fighters around.
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This sort of longevity also arguably makes Xiao lonely and disconnected from the mortal world. Each human he meets is probably just a speck in his timeline though his age doesn't reflect his appearance; many people still consider him as a "handsome Adepti boy."
6 Zhongli Is His Former Boss
As for the god who rescued Xiao from a cruel Adepti fate? That would be Rex Lapis/Morax/Zhongli. Zhongli has always been Liyue's deity and protector ever since time immemorial and he maintained it well until the current timeline of Genshin Impact where he quite out of laziness.
Even so, there are no two ways about it, Zhongli is Xiao's boss. As Morax, he was the one who formed the Yakshas out of Adepti in order to combat the demons in Liyue. That didn't end well for the four other Yakshas though.
5 He Doesn't Remember How He Got His Vision
While being over 2,000 years of age has its perks, Xiao often disregards some of his most important memories or just completely forgets them. One of those would be how he got his Vision or his elemental powers in Genshin Impact.
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For other characters, it can be as dramatic as losing your wolf family or fighting a sea monster for several days straight. For Xiao, he just doesn't remember or care enough to recall how he was blessed with Anemo or wind powers.
4 He Doesn't Like Any Other Food Than Almond Tofu
Every playable character in Genshin Impact has their own contribution to the recipe pool and their favorite food is usually a unique twist to an already existing cuisine. Xiao's favorite is none other than an Almond Tofu variant whom he calls "Sweet Dream."
In Xiao's case, it's even quite severe since he dislikes all other food in Teyvat. The only thing he can tolerate is Almond Tofu because the texture of the meal reminds him of the dreams he used to eat during his demon-slaying stint as a Yaksha, not because the dish is sweet.
3 Venti's Music Kept Xiao Sane
Since Xiao ate too many bad dreams and slew too many demons, he's haunted by the violence of his past and thus carries a heavy karmic burden. It was even implied that Xiao would have gone insane or perished like his other Yaksha comrades.
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However, the character cutscene showed Xiao listening to Venti while the latter plays his Dihua flute. It's then suggested that Xiao could have succumbed to his karmic burden if not for Venti's soothing music.
2 He Has The Highest Base ATK
Before he was even released in the finished game version, Xiao was regarded as an overpowered or even broken character in the Beta testing days of Genshin Impact. Of course, the developers had to iron things out but Xiao still remains one of the most powerful characters in the game right now.
Out of all of them, he has the highest base attack number available. Previously, this spot was occupied by Diluc and Ganyu at 26 base ATK on level 1. Xiao has 27 at that same level. That doesn't necessarily mean he's top DPS right now; that's still up for a mathematical and practical debate.
1 He Eats Snow
You can be the toughest Yaksha or the most hard-hitting DPS in Genshin Impact but that doesn't mean you can't be goofy. Xiao, all 2,000 years of him, still eats snow in the current Genshin Impact timeline.
Some eagle-eyed players discovered that fact in Xiao's in-game voice lines where he says "once the snow is thick enough, we can eat it." Knowing Xiao's stern personality, it's not a joke. It's also probably why he has a soft spot for Ganyu; she's practically a walking buffet for Xiao... because of her cryo abilities, mmkay?