Genshin Impact Peruere: Story, Profile, and More

Genshin Impact’s latest incredible animated short film “The Song Burning in the Embers” has set the stage for the arrival of Arlecchino, one of the Fatui Harbingers. In a masterful seven-minute showcase, miHoYo has delivered a stunning look at Arlecchino’s origins and traumatic past before she joined the Harbingers under a different name – Peruere. 

Who Is Peruere/Arlecchino?

The short film opens by introducing us to Peruere, a young girl living at the mysterious House of the Hearth orphanage in Fontaine. Peruere is shown having a close friendship with a girl named Clervie. However, it’s quickly revealed that the House of the Hearth has a dark secret – the orphans are trained to fight and betray each other until only one remains strong enough to challenge the house’s master.

Peruere is eventually forced into mortal combat with her friend Clervie, having to take her life. An enraged Peruere then confronts and defeats the master of the house, a Fatui Harbinger named Crucabena. This clash leads to Peruere’s imprisonment in Snezhnaya.

The Harbinger Arlecchino Is Born 

After witnessing Peruere’s incredible power in defeating a Harbinger, the mysterious Fatui leader Pierro pardons her crimes. He gives her a new name and identity – Arlecchino, the Knave of the Fatui Harbingers. 

In the short’s final scene, the newly anointed Arlecchino returns to the House of the Hearth’s next generation of students. Rather than take the cruel “Mother” role that Crucabena embodied, Arlecchino declares she will be a strict but caring “Father” figure to the orphans.

This shocking origin story paints Arlecchino as both a survivor of profound trauma and a powerful, morally complex character. Her rage at the House’s horrors consumed her former identity of Peruere, leading to her current role within the nefarious Fatui organization.

Impeccable Animation and Vocal Performances

As with all of Genshin’s animated works, “The Song Burning in the Embers” is a breathtaking visual accomplishment. The fluidity of the action sequences, vivid use of elemental powers, and poignant character acting are all top-notch. 

The English voice cast also shines, with Erin Yvette delivering a great performance as the younger Peruere and transforming into the cold, driven Arlecchino. Dawn M. Bennett is heartbreaking as the doomed Clervie. Jennifer Sun Bell is fittingly intimidating as the vicious Harbinger Crucabena.

On the Japanese side, Nanako Mori captures Peruere/Arlecchino’s complicated personas wonderfully.

Arlecchino’s Impact on Genshin’s Story

Arlecchino’s grand debut immediately makes her one of Genshin’s most intriguing characters from a lore perspective. Her role as a Fatui Harbinger ties her directly to the overarching story’s Snezhnayan antagonists.  However, her sympathetic origins add shades of gray to her morality.

It’s unclear if Arlecchino will be made a playable character soon or remain a looming narrative threat. But her dark past has already cemented her as a captivating figure fans will be highly curious to see explored further as Genshin’s story progresses.

The short also opens up fascinating new speculation about the secrets behind organizations like the Fatui Harbingers and the House of the Hearth. Hints are dropped that the House adheres to some sort of “survival of the fittest” principles for creating powerful individuals. This seems to align with the harsh doctrines of Snezhnaya’s cryo element and the Fatui’s extremist methods.

A Masterful Tease for What’s to Come

Overall, “The Song Burning in the Embers” is yet another home run for miHoYo’s incredible animation team and world-building writers. By threading together action, mystery, and powerful character drama, the short delivers a tantalizing preview of the higher stakes and moral quandaries awaiting Genshin Impact’s future updates.

Arlecchino’s reveal is sure to have fans frantically theorizing about her role to come. Her complicated relationship with both the Harbingers’ objectives and the questionable practices of elite training facilities like the House of the Hearth makes her an endlessly compelling new addition to Genshin’s expansive cast.

If her grand entrance here is any indication, the arrival of Peruere-turned-Arlecchino could very well set a fierce blaze that consumes the game’s story in new and unexpected ways. The song’s embers are just the first spark of what’s to come.