Neuvillette (Genshin Impact) – Wikipedia

Fictional character in Genshin Impact

Fictional character

Neuvillette (Chinese: 那维莱特; pinyin: Nàwéiláitè) is a character from the video game Genshin Impact. He debuted in the game’s version 4.0 update in 2023, and was released as a playable character the same year. He is the Chief Justice, or “Iudex” and de facto ruler of the nation of Fontaine, as well as the elemental Dragon Sovereign who wields the power of . Neuvillette was received well by the community for his elegant design, powerful gameplay, and distinctive voice performance, though his popularity was briefly overshadowed by backlash to a Version 4.8 bug fix that reduced his Charged Attack’s effectiveness before HoYoverse reversed the change following player criticism.

Neuvillette first appeared in a preview trailer entitled “Overture Teaser: The Final Feast” released on July 3, 2023, along with other characters from Fontaine.^[6][7] He was later introduced as a non-player character in version 4.0 of the game alongside the release of Fontaine.^[8] Developer miHoYo unveiled his character artwork and profile on August 14^[9] followed by a character teaser on September 21^[10][11] and a character demo showcasing his combat abilities on September 26. Neuvillette became playable in version 4.1 alongside his signature weapon.^[12]

The development team conceived Neuvillette as a serious, dignified and respected figure who serves as the chief justice of Fontaine. He notably was seen lacking a Vision in his character art, prompting widespread speculation about his true identity.^[13][14] Before Furina‘s identity as the Hydro Archon was unveiled, many players assumed it would be Neuvillette.^[11] Following the release of version 4.1, it was revealed in the main storyline that Neuvillette was actually the Hydro Dragon Sovereign, one of the original elemental authorities of Teyvat. Neuvillette is the first playable Elemental Dragon Sovereign character in the game, possessing neither a Vision nor a Gnosis.^[15][16]

Neuvillette is voiced by Ray Chase in English^[2] and Hiroshi Kamiya in Japanese.^[3] Chase said in a Reddit AMA that he originally thought of Neuvillette as being “strict and fed-up” in his conversations with Furina, and realized later that the character needed to show more vulnerability. After discussion with members of the English dubbing team, they changed his voice to something softer and deeper to reflect this. In another comment, he expressed gratitude that the character “turned out to be more interesting” than a judge.^[17] On the other hand, Kamiya stated in a special message for the game’s fifth anniversary that Neuvillette did not show a lot of emotion in his dialogue, which made recording his lines difficult. Additionally, Neuvillette’s lines were complex in nature and the tone was difficult to balance for Kamiya. He analyzed the character as “rational to a fault, distant from human emotions” but noted that Neuvillette began to understand humans better as he interacted with them, and Kamiya’s acting reflected this.^[18]

The character is voiced by Sang Yuze in Chinese,^[1] and Kwak Yoon-sang in Korean.^[4]

Neuvillette is one of the central characters in the Fontaine chapter of Genshin Impact. He is the reincarnation of the original Hydro Dragon Sovereign of Teyvat.^[11] The original Hydro Dragon Sovereign perished in a war, during which its elemental power was usurped and divided amongst various powerful people. As the deep-sea dragon lizards of Enkanomiya, in Inazuma, evolved to possess power over Cryo and Electro, diluting the purity of Hydro, a new Hydro Dragon, Neuvillette, was born in human form. At the invitation of the Hydro Archon Focalors, and to understand his own existence as a “human-shaped dragon”, Neuvillette took up the position of Iudex of Fontaine.^[19] When he cries, it rains; Freminet says that the rain in Fontaine is supposed to be the tears of the Hydro Dragon.^[11][20]

In Fontaine’s storyline, the protagonist Traveler meets Neuvillette for the first time in the Opera Epiclese, where Fontaine’s trials are held. After two criminal trials, the Traveler learns of a prophecy foretelling the dissolution and destruction of Fontaine’s people. Neuvillette befriends the Traveler and helps answer questions about their missing sibling. When the Fatui intervene, Neuvillette enlists the Traveler’s help to investigate the disappearance of Tartaglia at Fontaine’s undersea prison, the Fortress of Meropide. Through dealings with the warden, Wriothesley, the Traveler comes to realize the gravity of the prophecy. Later, when the dam at the Fortress of Meropide bursts, Neuvillette personally intervenes to seal it and reveals his true identity as the Hydro Dragon Sovereign. As the crisis escalates, Neuvillette and the Traveler conduct a trial against Furina to uncover the truth about her, only to witness the true Hydro Archon Focalors sacrifice herself, destroying the divine throne of the Hydro Archon and returning the usurped elemental authority over Hydro to Neuvillette and completing his transformation into a “true dragon”. In his complete form, Neuvillette and the Traveler defeat the villainous “All-Devouring Narwhal” which was the source of the prophecy, saving Fontaine and its people. After Furina abdicates the position of Hydro Archon, Neuvillette assumes full governance over Fontaine.^[19]

Neuvillette is a five-star Hydro character who wields a catalyst in combat.^[21] His Charged Attack consumes his health to unleash a powerful torrent that strikes all enemies in a singular linear path, while his Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst generate objects that can be absorbed during Charged Attacks to restore health and shorten the time it takes to charge the attack up.^[22][23]

After his release in version 4.1 of the game, players discovered that Neuvillette’s Charged Attack could be exploited by rapidly rotating the camera, significantly expanding his attack range. This mechanic, present for several patches, was fixed in version 4.8 without prior notice.^[24] There was backlash due to the suddenness of this change, prompting HoYoverse to issue an apology the next day and reverse the change.^[25]

Neuvillette was released as a playable character on September 27, 2023,^[26] and received generally positively reviews by critics and fans. The first day after he was released, Genshin Impact earned more than US$3 million in revenue for miHoYo.^[27] Kaycee Fay of Dot Esports described Neuvillette as an impressive character when his trailer was first released. She compared him to the existing Archon characters in terms of both gameplay story significance, suggesting that his status as a dragon would influence his playstyle once released.^[11] Early impressions among players similarly reflected excitement over his elegant design and powerful aura. Writer Samantha of Z League wrote that players were drawn to Neuvillette’s “elegant” design and “intriguing” backstory.^[28]

After his release, Neuvillette’s Charged Attack became a defining aspect of his playstyle, allowing players to spin the camera around rapidly to deal damage across a wide area.^[29] Stephanie Liu of Siliconera praised the attack as “insane”,^[30] while Samantha explained that the move’s unusually high rotation speed effectively extended his attack range.^[28] In version 4.8 of the game, HoYoverse implemented a bug fix^[31] so as to “standardize the Neuvillette experience” for all players, but the change lowered Neuvillette’s damage potential and players reported that it made him “clunky” to use. On certain platforms, his damage was also limited due to external factors such as mouse settings.^[30] The patch reduced the maximum camera speed while Neuvillette used his Charged Attack.^[32][29] miHoYo did not give players prior notice of this change in the patch notes,^[33] which angered the community. Liu and others noted this was especially true in China,^[34][30] and Liu speculated that players probably had spent real-world money to obtain Neuvillette, adding to their anger.^[30] Samantha argued that the initial lack of transparency around the change was the main reason why players were so frustrated, and argued for the importance of open dialogue between game developers and players.^[28]

Following the backlash, HoYoverse issued an apology, reverted the adjustment, and compensated players accordingly.^[35] Samantha wrote that HoYoverse’s reversal of the nerf demonstrates their willingness to listen to community concerns.^[28] She and Christine Choi of Destructoid added that the controversy stemmed from HoYoverse’s attempt at fixing what they saw as a “spin-to-win” exploit, which unexpectedly changed players’ strategies in how they used Neuvillette.^[28][29] This prompted HoYoverse to issue a post on HoYoLAB indicating they were closely monitoring players’ reactions.^[35]

In terms of gameplay design, HK01, Screen Rant, TheGamer and Pocket Tactics all consider Neuvillette to be one of the best Hydro damage dealers in the game.^{[21][36][37][38]} Choi also highlighted Neuvillette’s strength, likening his powerful Hydro attacks and self-healing abilities to those seen in the Pokémon franchise.^[29] Screen Rant writer Bruno Yonezawa commented that Neuvillette is a high-risk, high-reward, powerful damage dealer.^[39] Game Rant commentator Elara Leclair compared him to other Hydro users and praised him for bringing a “unique playstyle” to the game.^[40] Pro Game Guides commentator Nicki Si praised his gameplay overall and called it fun and interesting. She also complimented his versatility, saying he is “easy to slot into a ton of teams.”^[41]

Beyond gameplay, Neuvillette achieved viral fame because of Ray Chase’s rhythmic delivery of the phrase “Oratrice Mecanique d’Analyse Cardinale” in the game’s voice lines, which became a viral Internet meme on TikTok. Kenneth Shepard of Kotaku compared this to the use of iambic pentameter in William Shakespeare‘s plays, noting its ability to sync humorously with songs such as “Another One Bites the Dust” by British rock band Queen.^[42] One TikTok post using the voice line surpassed 6.4 million views as of February 2024,^[43] and Chase himself also participated in the trend.^[44] Ana Diaz of Polygon observed that most of these TikTok posts featured users performing exaggerated dances when the line was spoken and standing still during other moments, emphasizing the line’s rhythmic comedic appeal.^[43]